AECoM or Downstate

[Rendar5]

I'm having a serious choice issue between these two. Assuming I don't get in any place else, I just want some opinions and advice working through this choice (don't worry, I'm not going to decide simply based upon the poll).

Right now I do not care about the cost of education, or the rankings in USNWR, so I'm trying not to factor those in at all. Here is a couple of the things I'm factoring in:

I'm probably going to become a clinician in a NYC teaching hospital after I'm done with residency. Maybe Emergency Medicine.
I might see more in my 3rd and 4th year at Downstate than at Einstein.
Better subway access at Downstate. Better place for my car at Einstein.
Closer to Yankee stadium at Einstein (my family has partial season tickets, though I don't know if I'll have time to go once I'm in med school).
1 hour closer to my parents and hometown at Einstein (20 minute drive instead of 1:20 drive). 1 hour closer to most of my friends in NYC at Downstate.

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[Rendar5]

So what else should I be considering? I spoke with one of the attendings at St. Luke's and he said I couldn't go wrong with either choice. He was also the one that said I might see more at the Brooklyn hospitals instead of the Bronx ones.

 

[FinallyOnMyWay]

Just curious - why do you think you'd "see more" in your 3rd/4th years at Downstate? Jacobi Med Center (across the street from AECOM) is a Level 1 Trauma center and one of the city's big/main public hospitals... (Bellevue's the biggest and greatest, but Jacobi's definitely not too shabby) Plus there's Montefiore, Einstein, etc...

 

[Kashue]

Downstate is cheaper.

 

[Rendar5]

Basically, from speaking with one of the heads of the ED at St. Luke's. He meant "more" in terms of variety of cases I would see.

 

[darkcity998]

Einstein is also affiliated with Beth Israel in the city and LIJ in Queens/Long Island. So, you're not exactly limited to the Bronx. I have relatives who have done their residencies and fellowships at SUNY Downstate and Montefiore. They both preferred Montefiore - higher quality teaching and caliber of colleagues. I don't know if that helps.

 

[FinallyOnMyWay]

Hmmm. Well, if there is a difference in the variety of cases, I can't imagine it's a huge one compared to the advantage of going to either school versus non-NYC or non-urban schools.

I have a colleague at work who is an Alum of AECOM and loved it so much he is just assuming that I'll go there. No discussion/consideration of other options permitted.

I certainly understand your dilemma. I'm currently having a similar debate about choosing Einstein over other schools and the location in the Bronx is one of the things holding me back. I mean, who knew there was such a thing as the (relative) "boondocks" within NYC?

Good luck!

 

[kito]

It is a great problem to have. If money is not an issue then it is a tossup because the match lists aren't drastically different. If money is an object then this one's easy.

 

[Chrisobean]

i've always heard the teaching was alot better at einstein.... ive encountered and have heard stories of many disgruntled folks at downstate.
i dont know if that's entirely true... but sometimes rumors do exist for a reason.

i dont think you would see more clinical variety in brooklyn than the bronx.

i would go to einstein to be closer to my fam, and im sure you will have time for the occasional yankee game. the ride isnt that much longer from there to the city, and just have your friends meet you uptown to party! that is, if your not concerned about tuition. otherwise downstate all the way. you really cant go wrong with either.

and for the person who said they've never seen boonies inside NYC, you have obviously never been to Staten Island we have a farm!

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

fwiw, there shouldn't be more than a 20 minute drive from downstate to einstein if you go when there's not much traffic.

 

[Rendar5]

really? that's good to know. I've never had to drive from Bronx to Queens to Brooklyn before. only from Manhattan to each of those 3.

Thanks everyone for your advice so far.

 

[Chrisobean]

Originally posted by Mr. Rosewater
fwiw, there shouldn't be more than a 20 minute drive from downstate to einstein if you go when there's not much traffic.

when is there not much traffic? i guess it also depends on the route you take...
when i try to beat that bqe rush by travelling at night, i get hit with construction. f**kers!

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

Originally posted by Chrisobean
when is there not much traffic? i guess it also depends on the route you take...
when i try to beat that bqe rush by travelling at night, i get hit with construction. f**kers!

bqe does suck, but downstate is pretty far north on it. i think.

 

[darkcity998]

whitestone or throgs neck to van wyck expressway to GCP to BQE should take about 30-40 minutes, less after rush hour.

 

[fullefect1]

Yankee's suck. I wish A-Rod horrible pain, but i think you should pick Einstein so you can see the Red Sox when they come.

 

[Rendar5]

well, you guys could've had ARod if you hadn't PO'd the Player's Union

 

[kito]

Downstate is actually a lot closer to midtown than you might think. If you hop onto the LIRR at the Nostrand Avenue station (I think) you will be in Manhattan in under 20 minutes. The subway doesn't take much longer. Einstein is in a more secluded spot.

 

[sunflower79]

Seems to me Einstein compared to Downstate is not worth the money--unless you want to be in academia. Even then...