Advice: Davis or UCSD?

[vellaboy]

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OK, so help me out here if you can spare a second. Interviewed at Davis and they were foolish enough to offer me acceptance. Seems like a good place--happy students, good atmosphere, good program.

UCSD just invited me for an interview. UCSD has been my top choice all along, but I've recently heard that students there aren't all that happy(classes on Saturdays, competitive atmosphere). Problem is I'm living in Thailand and would have to high-tail my skinny arse all the way back to America for the interview.

Should I bother? My concerns about Davis are that I might be pigeon-holing myself into primary care, and the year of transition when all the med facilities move from Davis to Sacto could be messy.

Concerns about UCSD are a competitive environment with disgruntled students and a required research project (research just ain't my thing).

Why should you care about my problems? You shouldn't. But isn't it close to Christmas or something? So send a little holiday cheer my direction.

 

[stinkycheese]

Once you have that first acceptance, esp to a great school like Davis, it is SO easy to want to blow off other schools. But if you don't at least keep your options open, then you might always regret it if you don't end up loving Davis. My advice is to definitely take the interview. This process sucks and is expensive, but you'll regret not going in the end. See for yourself how people are at UCSD -- don't rely on hearsay to make this very important decision.

 

[uclakid]

Once you have that first acceptance, esp to a great school like Davis, it is SO easy to want to blow off other schools. But if you don't at least keep your options open, then you might always regret it if you don't end up loving Davis. My advice is to definitely take the interview. This process sucks and is expensive, but you'll regret not going in the end. See for yourself how people are at UCSD -- don't rely on hearsay to make this very important decision.

good advice.

 

[booblahblah]

well, i didn't know anything about either school before my interviews and i found myself pretty turned off by the atmosphere at SD. you know how at every school they're like "oh, we are SO not competitive. you should watch out for those schools where they tell you: 'oh it's med school. it's always competitive but we're not any worse than anywhere else' ". well... i never thought i'd hear it but that's EXACTLY the answer i got at SD. my student host was so busy studying for her exam that was five days away that she didn't even ask me if i had questions for her. she was like ok, here's where you're sleeping, here's the bathroom and i need to go study. her roommate was the same way. it could be that they are exceptions... but i'm just sharing the slice of SD that i saw.

 

[constructor]

ucsd is not only better than davis, but it is also more multi-dimensional. so i would definitely go interview there.

 

[booblahblah]

oh but on the upside for sd, the scholarly project requirement does NOT have to be research. it can really be anything... even something like how to improve a certain med school course.

i don't think you'd be pigeon-holing yourself into primary care if you went to davis but you would definitely have to work really, really hard if you want to go into academic medicine. but i guess you're not a big research person anyway? if you want to specialize in something v. competitive, you will still need to get some sort of research experience in med school.

 

[Shaz]

In my opinion, you should seriously come and checkout UCSD. I'm not trying to promote the school (I liked UCDavis more out of the two), but you don't want to attend UCD for four years and regret not ever visiting UCSD.

Think about the mental peace you will recieve by going there, and deciding for yourself if the students are competitive (I kinda got this feeling, but not definitive)/not happy (didn't get this feeling)/etc.

 

[i77ac]

i say UCSD is definitely worth checking out. As mentioned above, you might regret it if you didn't.

as for their atmosphere, i absolutely loved UCSD when i went to the interview. all the students were so cool and interesting. my student was was great- he sat down with me, offered me dinner (which i refused), talked with me about the school, answering all my questions. On the interview day, the med students about how they obsessively play basketball and they invited me to play with them. i love basketball, and i thought that was a big plus. furthermore, my tour guide was very informative and thorough.

i assure you, i really don't understand where the rumors come from. if you have a bad experience, i wonder if we're talking about the same UCSD (of course there is only one)... i saw that the students there are definitely happy, competent, and kind. i would love to have them as classmates.

in short, i suggest you DO go to the interview. not many get the opportunity...

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Lets see -

San Diego, CA, vs. Sacramento, CA

Sun, sex, and beaches vs. Cowsh*t, bowling-allies, and gangbangers.

Which sounds more appealing to you? 😉

(BTW, I'm originally from the Sacramento area, and now go to UCSD for Undergrad. There is a world of difference... 👍 )

 

[bridge01]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=123940&highlight=comparing+schools

this is a thread from last year also soliciting advice and comments between the two schools. could be useful...

 

[dogbyte]

I've heard rumors about UCSD as well. I took a MCAT prep course where a UCSD med student came to lecture one day. After his lecture, he told us NOT to go there for med school. I've read negative stuff about UCSD on SDN as well. One of my letter writer also told me about UCSD and the downside to it. It's very competitive there, they don't treat their students very well. However, he also said that UCSD is an excellent school with excellent faculty. He believes UCSF is the best med school in the country. I don't know why for sure, but he loves the school.

On my interview there, I met some students and they told me that they really like the school and the students don't compete with each other. I also met a guy I knew from my undergrad who now goes to UCSD. He chose UCSD over UCSF. I believe one of his primary reason was because of his girlfriend. Anyway, he told me he really likes it there, but he's only been there for 2 months or so at the time of my interview.

I think you should check out UCSD and see what it has to offer. They recently changed Dean so the atmosphere might be a little different. I got in to UCSD, but there are other schools that I would rather go to (UCSF!). Nonetheless, I think the school is worth checking out and I would be happy to go there if I don't get into my first choice.

 

[UCLAstudent]

I've heard rumors about UCSD as well. I took a MCAT prep course where a UCSD med student came to lecture one day. After his lecture, he told us NOT to go there for med school.

Was this for Berkeley Review?

 

[dogbyte]

Was this for Berkeley Review?

Yeah, it was at Berkeley Review. Probably the same guy. He came to teach us how do well on the writing portion. I took the course in Irvine though.

 

[UCLAstudent]

Yep, same guy. He taught writing in LA.

 

[i77ac]

hey, i took berkeley review too, but at UCLA! though my writing class was taught by someone else...

sorry for getting off topic.

 

[vellaboy]

Thanks for all the good advice, everybody. I really appreciate it. It sounds like I should go check out UCSD and see what it's like first-hand. Also, SanDiegoSOD makes some good points about the Q of L in San Diego. But if there aren't any bowling alleys there's no way I'm going to SD.

 

[Vacant]

UCSD: Research rank #14-16
Primary care rank #6
La Jolla
Beaches
Sun
Clean air
Mexico

UCDavis: Rank #49-50+
Easier to get into
Lots of non-trads

UCSD may be competitive relative to UCDavis; but in comparison to the other ivy schools I interviewed, UCSD didn't give me that impression at all. Just looking at the students there and the other interviewees I felt like I was among the average normal kids. At others, I was surrounded by ivy kids talking big and loud. I read bad things about UCDavis dropping student who fail.

 

[PreMedAdAG]

UCSD: Research rank #14-16
Primary care rank #6
La Jolla
Beaches
Sun
Clean air
Mexico

UCDavis: Rank #49-50+
Easier to get into
Lots of non-trads

UCSD may be competitive relative to UCDavis; but in comparison to the other ivy schools I interviewed, UCSD didn't give me that impression at all. Just looking at the students there and the other interviewees I felt like I was among the average normal kids. At others, I was surrounded by ivy kids talking big and loud. I read bad things about UCDavis dropping student who fail.

Hi vacant, i had to post something following your post. It seems like you know a lot about UCSD, but not a lot about Davis. I hope we are all not so petty as to fall for the gimicky "Rank". We all know that a lot of it is garbage and is based on factorst that don't necessarily affect us. Regardless, Davis is NOT an easier school to get in to. The class is composed of 93 individuals and receives somewhere in the ballpark of 4000-6000 primaries. Anyway, I just had to point that out. It seemed kind of weird. I grew up in the bay area and spent most weekends in SoCal playing soccer growing up. I have now lived in SAcramento and Davis for 6 years and I'll be sticking around for at least another four for medical school. THe thing is, the area is superconducive to studying and extremely close to ski slopes and san francisco. I go to both very regularly. It is a college friendly environment and therefore hanging out at starbucks while studying is a comfortable atmosphere because everyone else is studying. I just think Davis is great for a social life in addition to studying. The weather is pretty good, gets pretty hot and pretty cold. But I just have to give Davis props for having such great facilities in Sac in addition to the character of their classes. They seem to all enjoy each other and collaborate on everything. I hope the OP found this helpful

 

[davidus]

Don't know excessive amounts about either school, but I have heard first and secondhand accounts of students' general happiness at each. I have only heard about how students don't like SD (all 5 people I know there, 2 direct accounts -- not a single "I love it there") and how students are quite happy at Davis (also around 5 students). On account of this, SD was the only UC I didn't bother applying to. A few others I know avoided SD also.

 

[Vacant]

Hi vacant, i had to post something following your post. It seems like you know a lot about UCSD, but not a lot about Davis. I hope we are all not so petty as to fall for the gimicky "Rank". We all know that a lot of it is garbage and is based on factorst that don't necessarily affect us. Regardless, Davis is NOT an easier school to get in to.

I hope you didn't interpret my post as saying UCDavis sucks. I just gave OP some relative facts to consider. Your statement about "gimicky rank" would carry some weight if you rejected Harvard, Yale or UCSF just to go to UCDavis. But the reality we all face, whether we like it or not, is that ranks DO matter in academic life and landing top residencies. It's interesting that you don't contradict my comment on how Davis kicks out those that fail courses. It must be true.

 

[PreMedAdAG]

I hope you didn't interpret my post as saying UCDavis sucks. I just gave OP some relative facts to consider. Your statement about "gimicky rank" would carry some weight if you rejected Harvard, Yale or UCSF just to go to UCDavis. But the reality we all face, whether we like it or not, is that ranks DO matter in academic life and landing top residencies. It's interesting that you don't contradict my comment on how Davis kicks out those that fail courses. It must be true.

Hi,
no I didn't interpret it as UC Davis sucks, but I just think you made some generalizations. If you really want to be that competitive with your residency, then cool. I just really don't care. I want to be a good doc and I want to have a family and a life. I felt davis would help me create that for myself. So, for my personality, I would reject SF, Harvard, etc....I didn't go to my UCLA interview ... it's just personal preference. Anyway, I didn't comment on the failing course thing because I didn't actually read your post all the way through (sorry). I have never heard of that, but what I have heard, is that Davis has a program which basically ensures that their students don't fail. Every single person I have spoken with that goes to Davis SOM has had nothing but great stuff to say. i probably have spoken to 15 students and about 15 faculty members... they're all in love with the place 😍

Davis is extremely competitive, in fact I work in the office where the most difficult fellowship to obtain in the country is located. Davis is up and coming, I think if you select this school, you will feel like you get lots of attention, help and will have a truly successful career, regardless if you choose primary care or a top anesthesiology program... you know? no hard feelings though. I'm just not gung ho on being a crazy obsessed doc who never goes home to watch my kids play soccer.

 

[Newquagmire]

Problem is I'm living in Thailand and would have to high-tail my skinny arse all the way back to America for the interview.

What is it about you Thais that they like here? There's at least a couple people in the M1 class that can identify with your situation (and there are more than a few people in the M1 class who are extremely studious). You could always ask to be put in touch with them for their perspective...

Look at it this way, it's supposedly your #1 choice. Can it really be that high of a priority if you don't even want to come to the interview anymore? I understand that you want to save some money, time, and effort, but I would advise you to consider your priorities and goals before deciding whether or not to interview at UCSD. It's a great place, but not for everybody.

 

[Uegis]

I think that Davis is a great school, but if UCSD was your number one choice before, i would come back for the interview. I know two MSII there who love it immensely and the ones who hate UCSD SOM are the ones who didn't want to be there in the first place. Its better to go and find out if its really the place for you or regret not going in the future.

 

[lessismoe]

I hope you didn't interpret my post as saying UCDavis sucks. I just gave OP some relative facts to consider. Your statement about "gimicky rank" would carry some weight if you rejected Harvard, Yale or UCSF just to go to UCDavis. But the reality we all face, whether we like it or not, is that ranks DO matter in academic life and landing top residencies. It's interesting that you don't contradict my comment on how Davis kicks out those that fail courses. It must be true.

Hey guys, let me help you out with this "failing courses" rumor before it gets any more out of hand:

1) Davis offers a WONDERFUL tutoring program. The MS2s that excelled in the class the previous year lead weekly tutoring sessions to anyone that shows up FOR FREE. In most cases, going to class, tutoring session, and putting in some decent study time should get you past the "pass" line.

2) If you fail the midterm, that's your heads-up to study more. If you fail the final, you get to re-take it a week later. Professors are VERY accessible, both for answering questions and for larger learning concerns.

3) If you still don't pass the class, you can discuss "splitting" with the school administration. Basically, you'll have to re-take the class, and you may end up taking an extra year to graduate.

4) You have an academic advisor so that you have a faculty member that you can talk to at any time about your concerns about your academic performance. They are there to help you resolve problems before they become serious problems!

Of course, if someone can't make the "pass" percentages (which I think are VERY reasonable) after all of this, would YOU want them to be YOUR doctor??

 

[LoneCoyote]

I'm glad lessismoe addressed the "people fail out of Davis" rumor. I think the only reason you would fail out here is if you really decided medicine was not for you. This school really bends over backwards to help people, so it would be hard to fail.

I would also like to address the "Davis is only for primary care" rumor that also seems to fly around on SDN a lot. This is really not true anymore. Yes, Davis was started as a school that generally provided primary care doctors for Northern California. And the free clinics are amazing and give you great skills for primary care and, frankly, any specialty where you will see patients on a regular basis. But that has changed a lot and if you look at last year's match list, you will see that many people matched into other things.

There are plenty of people doing great research here and the school will help you get set up with that if that is what you want to do. If you are into academic medicine they encourage you to get started your first year. There are people in our class interested in everything from cardiovascular surgery to emergency medicine to ob-gyn to rural family practice.

And while the student body is pretty laid-back, people here work hard and there are people who are definitely aiming for "top" residency programs. So if that's what you are looking for, you can find that too. But it sounds like it is less of that here than at UCSD from what I have heard about UCSD. For the record I did not apply there so I cannot comment on UCSD at all. Hope that helps.