AECOM, Rochester, or Tufts?

[CyberMc]

Which one to choose? Based more on School and Reputation than location.


Tufts, Rochester, or Albert Einstein?

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[pekq]

I guess money must not be a problem if you are seriously contemplating Tufts against the other 2.

All 3 are good schools though I would give the edge to AE and Rochester over Tufts in terms of reputation. Between AE and Rochester, the reputations are similar so you'll have to look at other criterias to decide between the two. AE has better research and location but I feel Rochester has better curriculum and from undergrad exp, an environment that fosters studying 24/7.

 

[fuzzylogic]

if you are into the ranking system, these schools have very similar peer evaluations and residency director assessments. if money is an issue, tufts should not be your first choice. both aecom and rochester get a lot of money from nih for research. however, because of its location, tufts students tend to get pretty good residencies.

anyway, i think you should pick schools based on how you feel and what you would like to get out of your education.

good luck.

 

[coldchemist]

I don't know anything about Rochester, but I would definitely pick AECOM over Tufts!

 

[Odaroloc]

I would pick Tufts over the other 2...I really liked it there, but it is expensive, but so are most schools. I think the Tufts name is associated with more prestige if that is what you are interested in (IMHO)

 

[jlee9531]

im gonna have to agree with the people above...id go to ae/roch over tufts.

reputation wise i think ae/roch beats out tufts....and they should end up being cheaper as well.

now for ae and roch...like said above their research reps are similar but roch's primary care rep is way higher than ae...but i guess this part only matters if you are planning to go into primary care.

 

[jjmack]

I don't know about rochester or Tufts, but I interviewed at AE and would never go there even if they paid me. I think I would pick tufts due to location if money isn't an issue.

 

[Rendar5]

What didn't you like about AE? Just curious cause I'm currently deciding if I want to go there or SUNY downstate (rankings be damned. I'm going to be a NYC clinician and either one is a good choice for that). I don't doubt you had a bad experience. I've heard of bad experiences at pretty much every school I've interviewed at.

 

[jjmack]

It wasn't bad it just wasn't a good fit for me. I'm very interesting in research and their programs in my area of interest are not strong. I also didn't really like the area and the facilities are not as good as most of the other schools I interviewed at. I also find the ultra-religious aspect of the school a big turn off for me. My boss went to AE though and he loved it so...

 

[TRUE]

Originally posted by Rendar5
What didn't you like about AE? Just curious cause I'm currently deciding if I want to go there or SUNY downstate (rankings be damned. I'm going to be a NYC clinician and either one is a good choice for that). I don't doubt you had a bad experience. I've heard of bad experiences at pretty much every school I've interviewed at.

Actually, I have a friend who is MS-1 at Downstate right now and from what I've heard she doesn't really like it at all. She says most of the problem is the students around her who want everything spoonfed to them...not sure if that's what you'll find everywhere you go, but just thought you'd like to know. I'd seriously consider going to AECOM over Downstate...

 

[Rendar5]

Thanks for the info facted.

 

[josehernandez94]

I've been mulling over whether to answer this question, because I don't know much about Tufts or AE. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of these schools, but I know if it were me, I would choose Rochester. To me, the only thing Tufts/AE have over Rochester are their locations (I'm a huge fan of Boston). Otherwise, to me, there's no real competition. From my understanding, Rochester is more highly regarded than Tufts (although, I have heard Tufts does well with residency placements) and is less expensive; AE and Rochester have pretty similar reputations and costs, but to me Rochester's program (curriculum, humanities electives, international opportunities) can't be beat. You throw that on top of the fact that everything's basically brand new (including the PBL rooms, which I think are pretty cool) and the fact that it's connected to the undergrad campus (which I think is beneficial for a med school) and you have a lot going in favor for it.

All that said, I made my choice (Rochester) based on a gut feeling I had after my interview. I suppose I was lucky in that sense, because I just didn't have that feeling at the other places I interviewed. There was just something telling me that I could really see myself there if I was accepted and I'd be the happiest there (by far) of any of the schools I applied to.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll be happy. They're all great schools.

Good luck.

 

[banannie]

My impression has always been that Rochester has the strongest reputation of the 3, although AECOM might have a slight edge in terms of residency placement in NYC. Tufts, although a very good school, is probably the least prestigious.

Rochester's curriculum, from what I've heard, is amazing, and is the envy of many other schools (including mine)

 

[Mr.Tweed]

I interviewed at Rochester and Tufts. Rochester stands out above all the other schools that I visited. First of all, you never spend more than two hours per day in lecture. I don't like lecture very much, so I see this as a huge advantage. I'd much rather study on my own or do work in a lab. Second, the undergrad campus is located across the street. This allows you to study in the undergrad library or use the undergrad gym. There is also a gym in the med school that is open 24hours a day. It's located very close to the med school library so there's little transition time between studying and working out. Finally, every single student that I met at Rochester seemed intelligent, outgoing, and happy. The class size is also very small (100 students compared to about 120 to 160 for many other schools). I should also mention that the cost of living is low in Rochester. You can get a two bedroom apartment for about $600.

 

[edmadison]

Originally posted by Mr.Tweed
I should also mention that the cost of living is low in Rochester. You can get a two bedroom apartment for about $600.

Better yet, buy my three bedroom house. 2 blocks from the medical center with a monthly payment of 550. It's going on the market soon -- available June 1!!!!

Ed

 

[precisionplus]

how does rochester's waitlist work? is it tiered? also, how much movement is there, or has there been in past years? this is my top choice school and I was just waitlisted... any suggestions?