Another Ditherer Seeking Advice

[BengaliBrat]

I'm not sure where to post this and I know that I'm probably inviting folks to heap scorn upon me, but I would benefit, I think, from reading some opinions about the best school for me. It's particularly tough to advise a "me" that you know only from some words on a page, of course, but I find that the thoughts of others can help me break out of the "yeah, this is great here but that is great there" mode. So if you oblige me. . .please play nice. I'm a delicate hothouse flower and may just wither and die if the environment is too harsh.

I've been accepted by more than my fair share of good schools and am on the waitlist for some schools ranked more highly. (Ranking matters a lot to some relatives, and nearly equally important is financial aid.)

As it stands right now, the four leading contenders are Emory, OSU, University of Iowa, and Brown. I don't yet know the financial aid for OSU, which is my state school. The aid at the other three seems to be more or less equivalent. (A range of $5,000 more or less annually.)

I really liked Iowa, but am OOS (born there, raised elsewhere.) My parents did their graduate study there, and I like smaller communities. The travel costs look high, though, and the travel inconvenient. (For family reasons, I have to get home more than twice a year.)

OSU is a bigger school than I like, and for some reason, despite all the opportunities, neither it nor Emory "felt right." I worry, though, that I am judging too quickly--certainly on paper both clearly offer excellent education. OSU is within fairly easy driving distance. Atlanta has better weather.

Obviously, Brown Alpert is the school that feels right. I went to an independent all-girls' school and then a Ivy, and I probably got imprinted by those (pleasant) experiences. Providence is a bit farther than would be ideal, but I already have friends there and thought that making more would not be too challenging. I can function independently (!!) but I prefer a sense of community. The people I met at Brown seemed eager to have me there. (But I would guess that seeming eager might be what is expected under interview conditions.)

I'm returning to school after a few years working in health-related fields. I do well academically, but I am more a team player than a leader. I enjoy research, but primarily the big data number-crunching type. I prefer patient care and am looking (now) at palliative care or oncology. Having Asians and other non-white people around (South Asians especially--my heritage) is important to me, and I hope to continue to get some time volunteering overseas, particularly in Asia.

As I mentioned, the money at this point is comparable, but OSU is likely to turn out to be less expensive. Much as I distrust the US News and World Report rankings, it does bother me that Brown is not ranked higher--and some family members are greatly disturbed and worried that it will "do me no good" to graduate from there.

Okay, that's my bio. Could someone(s) respond to my dilemma? Like Blanche DuBois (who is nuts at the end of A Streetcar Named Desire), I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

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[Kelevra]

Excuse my ignorance: what is a Ditherer?

 

[BengaliBrat]

Excuse my ignorance: what is a Ditherer?

I'm sorry. . .I couldn't think of a good noun to call myself! A ditherer is (as I understand it, anyway) somebody who vacillates and cannot seem to make up her mind. Often a procrastinator, too. So someone who seems to support one side of an issue (in the political context) and then goes all vague and wishy-washy and starts with "on the other hand" until the initial stand is pretty much negated. I dither. Sigh. But if you have another term, I will certainly edit!

. . .well, I think that I will, anyway. Let me consider this for a while longer. . .

 

[breakintheroof]

@BengaliBrat congratulations!

You have wonderful options, and it seems one feels most right. But you're under pressure. Does your heart tell you to go to Providence? Will you follow it there?

 

[Kelevra]

I'm sorry. . .I couldn't think of a good noun to call myself! A ditherer is (as I understand it, anyway) somebody who vacillates and cannot seem to make up her mind. Often a procrastinator, too. So someone who seems to support one side of an issue (in the political context) and then goes all vague and wishy-washy and starts with "on the other hand" until the initial stand is pretty much negated. I dither. Sigh. But if you have another term, I will certainly edit!

. . .well, I think that I will, anyway. Let me consider this for a while longer. . .

I see. I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed or not, but I'm not familiar with the term.

And good demonstration of your word At least, I think so. Maybe not. I'll let you know tomorrow. Possibly.

 

[resiroth]

I wouldn't let Brown's ranking get you down... neither are top 20, but neither are unranked "low tier" schools. I would seriously doubt there is any notable difference between the two prestige-wise. It seems like this is the age-old question of cost vs. "fit", and unfortunately that's a personal decision that is hard for anyone but you to adequately address.

 

[URMD]

Much as I distrust the US News and World Report rankings, it does bother me that Brown is not ranked higher--and some family members are greatly disturbed and worried that it will "do me no good" to graduate from there.

Have you peeked at browns residency match lists over the past 5 years? It will absolutely do you a world of good to graduate from there. Show the list to your parents. Ignore the types of specialties that people are going to but look at the locations of where the students are matching. It is 85% top-tier places.

I was also accepted to brown and turned it down, but for other reasons, definitely not that "it will do me no good"

IMO, since cost is similar, brown all the way, I might be biased though and I don't know much about the other schools you mentioned

 

[resiroth]

Have you peeked at browns residency match lists over the past 5 years? It will absolutely do you a world of good to graduate from there. Show the list to your parents. Ignore the types of specialties that people are going to but look at the locations of where the students are matching. It is 85% top-tier places.

I was also accepted to brown and turned it down, but for other reasons, definitely not that "it will do me no good"

IMO, since cost is similar, brown all the way, I might be biased though and I don't know much about the other schools you mentioned

I agree that brown is a great place to go, but I would hesitate to judge match lists. People in one field don't know the best places to train in another field, and they often don't match up to what you'd expect.

The cost of the state school seems to be significantly lower, but she doesn't know the exact details yet (I would call to expedite the process OP).

 

[AspiringERMD]

Med schools are going to give you a comparable education wherever you go in the US. And you'll be able to pay back your loans. If I were in your shoes, I would go with the one that "felt right." I'm hoping to get in off the waitlist of a slightly lower ranked school than the one I'll be going to if I don't. Why? Because it felt like home (other reasons too, but this is an important one!).

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

I'm not sure where to post this and I know that I'm probably inviting folks to heap scorn upon me, but I would benefit, I think, from reading some opinions about the best school for me. It's particularly tough to advise a "me" that you know only from some words on a page, of course, but I find that the thoughts of others can help me break out of the "yeah, this is great here but that is great there" mode. So if you oblige me. . .please play nice. I'm a delicate hothouse flower and may just wither and die if the environment is too harsh.

I've been accepted by more than my fair share of good schools and am on the waitlist for some schools ranked more highly. (Ranking matters a lot to some relatives, and nearly equally important is financial aid.)

As it stands right now, the four leading contenders are Emory, OSU, University of Iowa, and Brown. I don't yet know the financial aid for OSU, which is my state school. The aid at the other three seems to be more or less equivalent. (A range of $5,000 more or less annually.)

I really liked Iowa, but am OOS (born there, raised elsewhere.) My parents did their graduate study there, and I like smaller communities. The travel costs look high, though, and the travel inconvenient. (For family reasons, I have to get home more than twice a year.)

OSU is a bigger school than I like, and for some reason, despite all the opportunities, neither it nor Emory "felt right." I worry, though, that I am judging too quickly--certainly on paper both clearly offer excellent education. OSU is within fairly easy driving distance. Atlanta has better weather.

Obviously, Brown Alpert is the school that feels right. I went to an independent all-girls' school and then a Ivy, and I probably got imprinted by those (pleasant) experiences. Providence is a bit farther than would be ideal, but I already have friends there and thought that making more would not be too challenging. I can function independently (!!) but I prefer a sense of community. The people I met at Brown seemed eager to have me there. (But I would guess that seeming eager might be what is expected under interview conditions.)

I'm returning to school after a few years working in health-related fields. I do well academically, but I am more a team player than a leader. I enjoy research, but primarily the big data number-crunching type. I prefer patient care and am looking (now) at palliative care or oncology. Having Asians and other non-white people around (South Asians especially--my heritage) is important to me, and I hope to continue to get some time volunteering overseas, particularly in Asia.

As I mentioned, the money at this point is comparable, but OSU is likely to turn out to be less expensive. Much as I distrust the US News and World Report rankings, it does bother me that Brown is not ranked higher--and some family members are greatly disturbed and worried that it will "do me no good" to graduate from there.

Okay, that's my bio. Could someone(s) respond to my dilemma? Like Blanche DuBois (who is nuts at the end of A Streetcar Named Desire), I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

You never cease to exceed expectations, @BengaliBrat! I'm quoting your magnificent OP in case you have a temporary lapse of judgment and decide to edit it.

The hopeless optimist in me tells me that you'll likely be accepted off a wait list relatively soon! But for now, based on your initial post, I think Brown is the best choice.

Congrats!

 

[Australopithekus]

I'm not sure where to post this and I know that I'm probably inviting folks to heap scorn upon me, but I would benefit, I think, from reading some opinions about the best school for me. It's particularly tough to advise a "me" that you know only from some words on a page, of course, but I find that the thoughts of others can help me break out of the "yeah, this is great here but that is great there" mode. So if you oblige me. . .please play nice. I'm a delicate hothouse flower and may just wither and die if the environment is too harsh.

I've been accepted by more than my fair share of good schools and am on the waitlist for some schools ranked more highly. (Ranking matters a lot to some relatives, and nearly equally important is financial aid.)

As it stands right now, the four leading contenders are Emory, OSU, University of Iowa, and Brown. I don't yet know the financial aid for OSU, which is my state school. The aid at the other three seems to be more or less equivalent. (A range of $5,000 more or less annually.)

I really liked Iowa, but am OOS (born there, raised elsewhere.) My parents did their graduate study there, and I like smaller communities. The travel costs look high, though, and the travel inconvenient. (For family reasons, I have to get home more than twice a year.)

OSU is a bigger school than I like, and for some reason, despite all the opportunities, neither it nor Emory "felt right." I worry, though, that I am judging too quickly--certainly on paper both clearly offer excellent education. OSU is within fairly easy driving distance. Atlanta has better weather.

Obviously, Brown Alpert is the school that feels right. I went to an independent all-girls' school and then a Ivy, and I probably got imprinted by those (pleasant) experiences. Providence is a bit farther than would be ideal, but I already have friends there and thought that making more would not be too challenging. I can function independently (!!) but I prefer a sense of community. The people I met at Brown seemed eager to have me there. (But I would guess that seeming eager might be what is expected under interview conditions.)

I'm returning to school after a few years working in health-related fields. I do well academically, but I am more a team player than a leader. I enjoy research, but primarily the big data number-crunching type. I prefer patient care and am looking (now) at palliative care or oncology. Having Asians and other non-white people around (South Asians especially--my heritage) is important to me, and I hope to continue to get some time volunteering overseas, particularly in Asia.

As I mentioned, the money at this point is comparable, but OSU is likely to turn out to be less expensive. Much as I distrust the US News and World Report rankings, it does bother me that Brown is not ranked higher--and some family members are greatly disturbed and worried that it will "do me no good" to graduate from there.

Okay, that's my bio. Could someone(s) respond to my dilemma? Like Blanche DuBois (who is nuts at the end of A Streetcar Named Desire), I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

Have you seen Brown's match lists? They're very New England-centric and full of impressive names. OSU might be ranked slightly higher, but I think Brown is a more prestigious name--especially to relatives outside of medicine! I actually just checked both schools' rankings since OSU above Brown feels intuitively wrong. If I didn't have the U.S. News page handy, I would have guessed Emory > Brown > OSU = Iowa. http://www.brown.edu/academics/medical/about/facts-and-figures/md-2015-match-list

 

[URMD]

I agree that brown is a great place to go, but I would hesitate to judge match lists. People in one field don't know the best places to train in another field, and they often don't match up to what you'd expect.

Normally I'd agree, but you only need to take 1 look at browns match lists to know that they are sending applicants to top tier places a large proportion of the time.
Even if I don't know the best places in specific fields, simply narrow your search down to their IM match lists, that should still tell you plenty.

 

[BengaliBrat]

Blanche DuBois was right about the kindness of strangers. Thank you!

 

[quietninja72]

Congrats on the acceptances! You can't go wrong with any of those schools, so I would go with the one where you feel you fit best, which sounds like Brown. Did you happen to go to any of the second looks?

As for the relatives concerned about ranking, as a fellow south asian, hopefully they'll understand that they're all great schools and you're not harming your career choices at all by choosing one over the others, even if it is technically lower ranked (plus maybe you can play the ivy card, I know my family would eat that up). Good luck on your decision!

 

[ridethecliche]

Just a side note, Boston's pretty easy to get to from providence and has a pretty decent sub continental community. PM me and ill send you some links. I'm not involved, but know people that are.