Albany vs. Drexel

[rmpruitt]

Albany or Drexel? I switch back and forth on a nearly daily basis. I'd love to make a decision sooner rather than later because then hopefully someone on the waitlist could hear some much deserved good news!

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they are both essentially the same 'caliber' of school, with similar reputations. I don't think one is outstandingly "better" than the other. Also tuition-wise they are essentially the same. If for some reason financial aid comes out and I get a huge scholarship to one and not the other, that could potentially shift my view, but I don't anticipate anything spectacular, so lets just pretend that financially they are identical. The problem is, there are bits and pieces that I really like of each. In fact, if I could pick and choose, I feel like I could build my perfect med school....oh well I can dream.

Here's what I like:

Albany
• The hospital is attached to the college. This means I wouldn't be moving or commuting long distances my 3rd and 4th year. Also it is the largest hospital in the area, which means basically EVERYTHING goes there.
• The class size is small (or at least significantly smaller than Drexel by about 100 students)
• I got more of a "community" sense while talking to the students on my interview day.
• I have worked with 3 different ER docs that went to Albany and all 3 speak very highly of their experiences. They went on to do residencies at UCLA, UC Davis, and Stanford, so I feel like moving back to California for residency is certainly a strong possibility.
• I didn't like that there didn't seem to be many clinical opportunities in the first 2 years. (Someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong, because for me this was a significant con). I didn't hear about student clinics etc. In fact, one student when I asked said "Oh, we wouldn't want to introduce you to real patients until you were ready."

Drexel
• Loved the curriculum. I'm especially interested in the PIL program.
• The facilities were very nice. Everything looked pretty shiny and new.
• Living in Philadelphia would probably be pretty cool. I've never lived in a big city so I really like that idea for med school.
• There seemed to be many clinical and volunteer opportunities within the first two years including things like student run clinics. Also, just while touring there seemed to be a plethora of events that the medical school participates in including talent shows, formals, etc. I liked that the place felt like more than just a place to study and take exams.
• The mascot is a dragon. The awesomeness of a dragon is pretty hard to beat.
• The downside is the class size. I really like the idea of having a small cohesive class. That being said, apparently the PIL curriculum is pretty small and could help make a large class seem smaller.
• Another downside is that for the 3rd and 4th year I'd be traveling various distances throughout Philadelphia and possibly Pennsylvania for rotations.

I'd love to hear from students at either of these schools, or from people who have a similar decision to make, or honestly just random people with an opinion. Which of these Pros/Cons are "more important" than others? I'm sorry that this post is so long and I really appreciate your input! Thanks!

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[phnerd1105]

When I was at Albany, a few students said that there weren't too many clinical opportunities the first year. However, the administration said there were plenty. I was a little confused, so I asked another student for clarification. She said that many opportunities do exist, but they're not structured into the curriculum, per se. You get a good amount of time off to pursue other activities, and many people use that time to gain clinical experience. I don't remember what clinical experiences were offered, but I do remember that there was no shortage, and it was highly varied. Also, I believe there IS a student clinic, though I might be wrong. Someone correct me if I am. It was either that, or there was a clinic abroad that students could volunteer at.

I also liked that the school was attached to the hospital at Albany. It's in an important city, but it really does have that community feel. The small class size is important to me as well, and I know they're also trying to incorporate more PBL/case-based learning into their curriculum. You can also travel a bit to get to big cities, such as NYC, Montreal, Saratoga, and even head to the Adirondacks. It's not close, but still doable.

My vote is for Albany, but I'm a bit biased 😳. Sounds like you're leaning that way as well!

 

[xanthomondo]

Albany or Drexel? I switch back and forth on a nearly daily basis. I'd love to make a decision sooner rather than later because then hopefully someone on the waitlist could hear some much deserved good news!

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they are both essentially the same 'caliber' of school, with similar reputations. I don't think one is outstandingly "better" than the other. Also tuition-wise they are essentially the same. If for some reason financial aid comes out and I get a huge scholarship to one and not the other, that could potentially shift my view, but I don't anticipate anything spectacular, so lets just pretend that financially they are identical. The problem is, there are bits and pieces that I really like of each. In fact, if I could pick and choose, I feel like I could build my perfect med school....oh well I can dream.

Here's what I like:

Albany
• The hospital is attached to the college. This means I wouldn't be moving or commuting long distances my 3rd and 4th year. Also it is the largest hospital in the area, which means basically EVERYTHING goes there.
• The class size is small (or at least significantly smaller than Drexel by about 100 students)
• I got more of a "community" sense while talking to the students on my interview day.
• I have worked with 3 different ER docs that went to Albany and all 3 speak very highly of their experiences. They went on to do residencies at UCLA, UC Davis, and Stanford, so I feel like moving back to California for residency is certainly a strong possibility.
• I didn't like that there didn't seem to be many clinical opportunities in the first 2 years. (Someone PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong, because for me this was a significant con). I didn't hear about student clinics etc. In fact, one student when I asked said "Oh, we wouldn't want to introduce you to real patients until you were ready."

Drexel
• Loved the curriculum. I'm especially interested in the PIL program.
• The facilities were very nice. Everything looked pretty shiny and new.
• Living in Philadelphia would probably be pretty cool. I've never lived in a big city so I really like that idea for med school.
• There seemed to be many clinical and volunteer opportunities within the first two years including things like student run clinics. Also, just while touring there seemed to be a plethora of events that the medical school participates in including talent shows, formals, etc. I liked that the place felt like more than just a place to study and take exams.
• The mascot is a dragon. The awesomeness of a dragon is pretty hard to beat.
• The downside is the class size. I really like the idea of having a small cohesive class. That being said, apparently the PIL curriculum is pretty small and could help make a large class seem smaller.
• Another downside is that for the 3rd and 4th year I'd be traveling various distances throughout Philadelphia and possibly Pennsylvania for rotations.

I'd love to hear from students at either of these schools, or from people who have a similar decision to make, or honestly just random people with an opinion. Which of these Pros/Cons are "more important" than others? I'm sorry that this post is so long and I really appreciate your input! Thanks!

You really can't go wrong with either school. I would go with the area that you're more comfortable with and which students you felt that you would mesh with better.

"Clinical exposure" during your first two years really is meaningless. The only usefulness that it serves is that you feel like your life isn't worthless during those first two years

 

[renegade0097]

I would go with Albany hands down. Yes, Drexel has an good and innovative basic science curriculum in the first two years, but really, at the end of the day, you're going to learn the same things at both schools. The difference will likely be negligible. From everything I've ever heard, the most important factor in Step 1 success is how much effort the individual student put in on their own. If you work hard to do well and learn the basic science material for Step 1, the school won't really matter much anyway. This is why there are students at "elite" MD schools that score below the national average of Step 1, and why there are students at DO schools and Caribbean schools who test above the average. Obviously, MD curriculums really give you a huge leg up, but if you want to do well, no matter where you go you have to put in the time and effort to be successful.

On the other hand, I think there is a substantial advantage in going to AMC for clinical years. First, when I interviewed at Albany, it was clear that the hospital is excellent and that clinical rotations are the real strength of AMC. I'm not saying that Drexel doesn't have good hospitals at all (I've interviewed there too), but AMC is really good. I also think there's a major advantage to being able to do all your clinical rotations at one site (you have more consistency, and you have better opportunities to cultivate relationships with the physicians who are going to write you letter of recommendation for a residency). At a number of the schools I interviewed at, the admisssions directors emphasized that med school applicants tend to look too much at the first two years and not enough at the last two years, which are really much more important for residency matches. Everywhere I go, they say that grades don't really matter in the first two years, but that they do in the last two years when trying to get a residency.

So, if cost is the same, and the basic science knowledge you will gain is essentially the same, I would definitely go with Albany.

 

[tpraolm]

It sounds like you're already leaning towards Albany. Plus the fact that you met 3 docs who went there, loved it, and then went to Cali for residency says to me that the universe is clearly telling you to go to this school.

 

[QuizzicalApe]

Drexel student here. I didn't apply to Albany so I can't really give you a decent comparison.

It sounds like Albany has some factors that are drawing you in: campus integration and class size, specifically. These aren't things I particularly found important, but if they are a big draw for you I'd suggest not disregarding them. One of the most hands-down important things about choosing a medical school is general enjoyment. Being happier at a school will make it easier to succeed.

I can't really speak to community at Drexel, since I have friends in Philly from college that I live and hang out with so never integrated myself. I've heard the current 4th year class is really tight-knit, my year is a bit less so. PIL is definitely a close community, though. Ultimately, at Drexel it varies quite a bit by year and IFM/PIL.

Drexel definitely has clinical exposure going for it, both in the curriculum and outside of it. I stuck to the curriculum and kept my free time my own. I regarded 1st-2nd year clinical exposures as a waste of time, at the time, but have grown to appreciate them in retrospect since it really drilled the basics of doing an H&P into my brain before I needed to use it for reals.

Since I mostly stuck to the queen lane campus, its distance from the hospital was a moot point. Once I started doing rotations at Hahnemann, the shuttle from QL to the hospital served me well. Except for surgery, man. Having to get up early enough to catch the first shuttle is a huuuge pain. I envied the people who lived downtown. If you choose Drexel, do surgery at Easton. It's the smart student's play.

In summary:

You'd probably do well at either school. Albany's size definitely sounds like it might suit you better (100 v 230 or whatever it is we have). Campus integration may or may not matter. It sounds cool in theory, but in actuality it probably just makes traffic more annoying.

Location can come into play, but only if you really want to live in one place or the other, or have friends/family in the area. Failing those things, it's probably not all that big a deal.