albany or drexel

[emtji]

---

Members do not see this ad.

i hate asking this....but i'm banging my head against the wall..changing my mind every hour.


let's say, hypothetically speaking, i am 100% I want to wind up in emergency medicine. all else being equal, which place offers a better chance of winding up in a residency?

they're both quite different...albany's in the middle of nowhere so it gets everything from miles around, while drexel is in the city.

i don't care about the location....

thoughts?

thank you!

 

[DrQuinn]

Have you tried scutwork.com? That can be a *relatively* useful site to use... but don't treat it as gospel, remember that everyone has their opinions (just like here).

A poster on this site during the last ERAS season said he heard that "Albany was a hidden jewel of a program."

When I think of Philly programs, Drexel/MCP isn't one that comes to mind but who am I... There are just so many program in Philly... if you take a look at the map, there are like 4+ trauma centers within a few miles of each other...


Q, DO

 

[Scrubbs]

Am I right in reading that you're asking for opinions on which med school to go to? If that is the case, I think its what you do IN med school that will get you into EM. Either school will give you a great education. Go where you'll be happier...

(And Quinn... MCP is one of the stronger programs in Philly... and that's not just b/c it was my top choice and where I matched 😉 )

 

[deleted6669]

QUINN-you might recall that drexel was until very recently hahnemann, home of one of the original em residencies( I forget the year, but mid to late 70's I think). yes there are a gazillion em programs and trauma centers in philly( drexel, hup, cooper(across the river in nj), jefferson, einstien, temple, but they are all busy enough to be interesting.on a side note, having spent 3 years in philly I would not want to go back-what a cesspool!

 

[gimmedog]

If there was such a study, I'd bet most people don't end up in the specialty they planned on before med school. Don't stress about the implications on EM in particular. Go where you'll get the best education, where you got the best feeling when visiting. Good luck either way.

 

[emtji]

thank you, everyone.

i'm leaning toward albany...much smaller than drexel, happier students, comfy city.

i have a few more days decide..though i think albany seems like a better choice.

 

[DrQuinn]

Originally posted by Scrubbs
Am I right in reading that you're asking for opinions on which med school to go to? If that is the case, I think its what you do IN med school that will get you into EM. Either school will give you a great education. Go where you'll be happier...

(And Quinn... MCP is one of the stronger programs in Philly... and that's not just b/c it was my top choice and where I matched 😉 )

😀

I say that perhaps because I didn't get an interview from them.

😀

But I admit I don't know too much about the Philly programs... just that there are a lot in a relatively small vicinity.

But the training at most (if not all) the Philly programs are decent... as I've known attendings from MCP/AEMC/Temple/TJU.

Ack! I didnt' realize the OP was asking about medical schools.

Oopsie!

Q, DO

 

[emtji]

all apologies...i should have made myself clearer....

but i would have to imagine that the residency program quality would be indicative of the quality of rotations. at any rate, thanks all.

 

[Purulent DC]

When I think of EM programs in Philly, actually Drexel _is_ what I think of. Their program is directly affiliated with THREE level 1 trauma centers (MCP, Hahnemann & St. Chris exclusively for Peds), very strong ultrasound training, EMS & Tox exposure, & can you say critical care? (the EM residents run the Mercy Hospital ICU- yes that's Mercy Hospital who's EM Dept. Chair is Dr. James Roberts, as in editors Roberts & Hedges "Clinical Procedures in EM"). Dr. Wagner (ex-pediatric surgeon now ED Dept. Chair) has been called one of the grandfathers of EM (& evidently quite a mountain biker). Also, Drexel takes many of its own students for its 17 slots.

The downside is that PA is in a malpractice crisis right now and Philly is the center of it all. There are section of Philly that aren't too pretty but its got one of the best costs of living for any east coast city of its size and it not too far from NYC and DC, the ocean and the countryside.

Temple has an _excellent_ rep for trauma exposure though, and U. Penn is, well, just U. Penn and doesn't stand out to much in my mind as EM gem (but this could be my ignorance). Didn't Penn have trouble filling in EM a couple years back?

It just seems that if you are picking a school for the residency options further down the road, wouldn't you want to place yourself in a spot where you maximize your exposure and contacts? How many residency programs are in Albany?

 

[emtji]

goodness...i make up my mind...and then someone comes in and changes it. ack!


i need a coin to flip.

 

[Scrubbs]

Again... go where you'll be happiest. That being said, Philly is a great place to be - socially and for training. Yes, there are a ton of programs/schools around, but there is NO lack of patients or pathology. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[DrQuinn]

Scrubbs is right. Go where you'll be happiest.

I would also like to say another important factor (may be the most important?) is to go where:

THE TUITION IS CHEAPEST!!!!!!!!!

People match at EM residencies at the top tier medical schools, as well as foreign/DO schools.

For me, low tuition = happiness.

Therefore, I was depressed through all four years of medical school.

😡
Q, DO

 

[emtji]

drexel it is then! 🙂

thanks all...decision is finally made. 🙂

withdrawing from albany on monday.

 

[Scrubbs]

Congrats on the decision! Come visit us in the ED 😉