Advice on school: Wake Forest Vs. UAB

[SamfordSam]

Hey Everybody,

I was recently accepted to UAB and WakeForest. I have family, friends, and a church in Birmingham, but I have spent my whole life in Birmingham.

I would like to travel, so my gut feeling says Wake Forest, but I am unsure.

I hear that UAB is higher ranked, but what does that mean? More research grant money?

Any advice??

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[sanityonleave]

Hey Everybody,

I was recently accepted to UAB and WakeForest. I have family, friends, and a church in Birmingham, but I have spent my whole life in Birmingham.

I would like to travel, so my gut feeling says Wake Forest, but I am unsure.

I hear that UAB is higher ranked, but what does that mean? More research grant money?

Any advice??

I'll state flat out here that I'm biased -- I'm from Mobile, went away for undergrad to Georgetown Univ in DC and headed back to UAB / B'ham for Med School. That said, here's my 2c:

It depends on a lot of factors. My sister is an M4 who is about to graduate from UAB, and she's currently been asked to interview at 21 programs for residency, including Harvard, Yale, UCLA and other top top tier programs. She has said so far in her residency interviews UAB has been spoken of very positively -- they have an excellent hospital and a huge emphasis on hands-on work during the clinical years (UAB students do 4 acting internship (AI) clerkships as opposed to an average of 1-2 at other schools).

Seems like you're in-state, and the financial incentives there are huge as well. Graduating with $80-100k in debt (if you take out loans) versus $250-300k is a huge difference in terms of what/where you can practice, doing an international program like Doctors without Borders, etc.

Obviously, I'm a huge fan of UAB and highly recommend it -- and I completely understand the urge to get the heck out of 'Bama for a bit, since I did the same thing with undergrad, but I'm looking forward to coming back for Med School and UAB really is a fantastic school, especially given the price tag for us in-staters.

That said, make the decision that makes the most sense for you. If financials are less of a consideration and you think it's going to make you happier to be at Wake, go for it -- in the end you're going to be working your tail off, so you might as well be happy where you are. Wake and UAB are both good schools, so I think that if you work hard and do well on your boards both would sit you in good stead in terms of getting into residency programs. Don't choose a school based on its ranking or reputation unless you feel one school is truly a markedly better program or has a specific aspect you're interested in.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Obviously I'm just a 4th year undergrad (UASOM class of 2014!), but I've got a sibling going through residency interviews now who also went OOS for undergrad (Yale) and came back to UAB, so I might be able to get answers to some questions.

-sol

 

[brooklynblunder]

cheaper one

 

[JJMrK]

Moved to school specific discussions.

 

[brooklynblunder]

Moved to school specific discussions.

i didnt know you had moving powers. thats pretty baller

 

[JJMrK]

It sounds like UAB would be a lot cheaper for you. I would definitely not take out more loans than I have to just to leave my hometown, especially when the hometown school is a "better" school. Of course, if you didn't like UAB, you might have some more serious decision-making to do. I'm also not a huge fan of WF in general.

i didnt know you had moving powers. thats pretty baller

 

[Piazza]

UAB hands down... While there definitely is something to be said about going out away from your hometown out on your own, there is also a lot of value in having stability- family, church, your awesome samford friends!- in a challenging period of life - like med school.

Plus the UASOM class of 2014 is going to be ballin'.

 

[flip26]

WF not worth the extra money.

 

[Maximilian]

samfordsam,

I think you're in my p chem class. Dr. Ponder on MWF at 915?

Anyways, I say listen to your heart.

ps. you're cute

 

[SamfordSam]

I am about 98% sure that I will be doing the Military medicine program....so cost is not an issue.

What i really want to know about is how graduates of Wake compare to graduates of UAB?

sanityonleave, have you gotten your campus assignments? That will probably also be an influencing factor.

 

[SamfordSam]

Flip26 will you be attending UASOM in the fall?

 

[SamfordSam]

samfordsam,

I think you're in my p chem class. Dr. Ponder on MWF at 915?

Anyways, I say listen to your heart.

ps. you're cute

Hmmm...this is kind of Creepy!!

 

[sanityonleave]

Hmmm...this is kind of Creepy!!

Agree wholeheartedly.

sanityonleave, have you gotten your campus assignments? That will probably also be an influencing factor.

I haven't, though I put B'ham only. AFAIK I don't think anyone's gotten a campus assignment yet from the people I've spoken to, though I could be wrong. That said, it is only required that you go to your "home" campus for your Medicine rotation, and you can spend the rest of them wherever you want (you're automatically in B'ham your first two years).

IMHO, I'm no expert, but I think in terms of residency, students from UAB would be comparable if not better than students from Wake outside of maybe a few NC residencies. UAB hospital is very well-regarded, so clerkship recs from UAB are very well-considered.

-sol

 

[propel1]

If the cost won't be an issue, I'd definitely say go to Wake Forest! Ask WF for their recent match list. I've taken a look at it and it's very impressive.

I interviewed at other places and found the atmosphere at Wake Forest simply unbeatable. (I'm attending Wake for 2014 by the way, we could be classmates!) Past graduates explained to me that Wake Forest really takes great care of you in terms of placement.

 

[SirSpicious]

UAB by a mile.

BTW, propel1, you couldn't have interviewed at other places because you applied to wake forest as a junior through the early assurance process. so you only applied to one school

 

[sanityonleave]

UAB by a mile.

BTW, propel1, you couldn't have interviewed at other places because you applied to wake forest as a junior through the early assurance process. so you only applied to one school

This is true at my home school (GTown), though I can't find any info on WF's website as to whether theirs is binding, previous posters on SDN talking about the WF EAP have said that they are not allowed to apply to other schools per the terms of the agreement.

That said, I think it's irrelevant. There are many good things about both schools, but I honestly think (even if financials aren't a major concern to you) the pricetag of UAB at $15,254 versus $39,365 at WF should be a heavy factor in your decision. I firmly believe UAB is a better school, but even if WF was the better ranked school (according to US News, it's not), would you really believe that it was 2.5 times better than UAB?

Even if you aren't personally paying, someone has to foot the bill in the end. If you are (like many people here, myself included) asking your parents for help paying, make a deal to get them to help you with living expenses or maybe ask them to take the saved money and put it towards the down payment on your first house -- any way you slice it, there are better ways to use those $$.

Of course, if you rocked school and the MCAT and have been offered full-ride scholarships to both, please feel free to ignore my advice =P.

-sol

 

[SamfordSam]

This is true at my home school (GTown), though I can't find any info on WF's website as to whether theirs is binding, previous posters on SDN talking about the WF EAP have said that they are not allowed to apply to other schools per the terms of the agreement.

That said, I think it's irrelevant. There are many good things about both schools, but I honestly think (even if financials aren't a major concern to you) the pricetag of UAB at $15,254 versus $39,365 at WF should be a heavy factor in your decision. I firmly believe UAB is a better school, but even if WF was the better ranked school (according to US News, it's not), would you really believe that it was 2.5 times better than UAB?

Even if you aren't personally paying, someone has to foot the bill in the end. If you are (like many people here, myself included) asking your parents for help paying, make a deal to get them to help you with living expenses or maybe ask them to take the saved money and put it towards the down payment on your first house -- any way you slice it, there are better ways to use those $$.

Of course, if you rocked school and the MCAT and have been offered full-ride scholarships to both, please feel free to ignore my advice =P.

-sol

The US NAvy would be footing the bill (or in other words we are ALL paying for my medical education). I am doing the Military's Health Professions Scholarship Program.