Any opinions would be great

[med06]

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Hi,

I have been very fortunate this cycle in terms of acceptances and just am looking for some advice.

Here are the three schools I am choosing between.

JHU
Harvard
UMich


I probably wouldn't conisder UMich but it is close to home and saves money and my bf will be attending. He is very supportive and isn't trying to push me towards one school but we have always wanted to go to the same med school for 4 years now.

Harvard is harvard and seems so hard to pass up.

I am also planning on doing an MPH, but am not really into doing research other then like MPH research. All three schools have great MPH programs. I know JHU is the best in terms of that.

One turn off of JHU is not p/f but really not a big deal.

In terms of city or living I grew up in Michigan and am comfortable and love it at home. I have a sister who attends Mich undergrad and one in the med school as well.

I have never been to Boston other then for the interview. I will def be going to 2nd look.

I know I am comfortable in Baltimore and would be more then happy there for 4 years.

In terms of residency I don't see myself going into something like OBGYN right now and I know that it is not going to be too hard to match in that. Of course things can change as I see other fields.


Thanks!

 

[Thundrstorm]

Well, the locations are all very different, so think about where you want to live. I'm sure they're all just fine for residency match. Which curriculum did you like better? What kind of patient population do you want to be exposed to? It would help if you gave a little more info on what you're looking for in a school.

 

[Thundrstorm]

p.s. Be prepared for some flaming since you joined just to post this.

 

[med06]

p.s. Be prepared for some flaming since you joined just to post this.

Yes I figured I would get some, but I can live with that.



Also I will edit my original post to add more info

Thanks!

 

[squeakyuk]

UMich may be a good choice just to save money and have family and friends around as it's a difficult time and you may want the support. You may also do better in your state school not because it's a 'state' school but because you also have that support vs moving across the country and having a whole new life.

Though Harvard and JHU are more for the name... depends what you want your degree to say and if you're that concerned about saying "I went to Harvard... and I'm 200k in debt."

 

[gdbaby]

This was tough because, since I wasn't qualified for any of these schools, I don't know much about them (congrats! BTW, awesome job!). So I went location. I had some friends go to Harvard for grad school (I would visit occasionally) and I have been to Ann Arbor and Baltimore a few times. There is nothing like the feel in Cambridge, MA. Plus you could be like Click and Clack from Car Talk and refer to Cambridge as "My fair city."

 

[Thundrstorm]

This was tough because, since I wasn't qualified for any of these schools, I don't know much about them (congrats! BTW, awesome job!). So I went location. I had some friends go to Harvard for grad school (I would visit occasionally) and I have been to Ann Arbor and Baltimore a few times. There is nothing like the feel in Cambridge, MA. Plus you could be like Click and Clack from Car Talk and refer to Cambridge as "My fair city."

Cambridge is cool, but that's where Harvard undergrad (and some grad schools) are. Harvard Med is in Boston, in the Longwood area, near Fenway Park. It's a nice neighborhood, but HMS housing in Vandy is craptastic (I stayed there one summer).

 

[ti89]

You will do great no matter where you go. The personal reasons for Umich seem very strong. Thing is you will never be able to really make up the 60,000 to 100000 extra you spend on JHU or Harvard as UMich is really just as great and will have just as many options.

UMich probably would also offer some more scholarship money on top of the $1000 I assume you got already as they sent it out to many in staters (I think).

JHU would be a second best bet IMO as MPH from there is as good as it gets.

 

[dajimmers]

I'm in a similar situation (-JHU, +some others), but it is most likely to come down to UMich vs. HMS. Financial aid and revisiting are going to be the biggest factors for my wife and I. She'd prefer Ann Arbor, and I like a lot of things about Michigan, but I'm interested in academic medicine, so the Harvard name is appealing. Then again, with the lower pay of academics, Michigan may be the better choice on that front too.

Sorry for not helping you too much. Let me know how things play out for you in the next month or two, I'll do the same. Congrats on the great choices, btw!

 

[QofQuimica]

UMich may be a good choice just to save money and have family and friends around as it's a difficult time and you may want the support. You may also do better in your state school not because it's a 'state' school but because you also have that support vs moving across the country and having a whole new life.

Though Harvard and JHU are more for the name... depends what you want your degree to say and if you're that concerned about saying "I went to Harvard... and I'm 200k in debt."

I agree. You're choosing among three equally excellent schools, and you have in-state tuition at U Mich. Boston is a great city, but it's very expensive, especially for a med student with no income. I guess what it comes down to is this: if you take out the extra loans and go to Harvard or JHU, will you be getting enough value for all of the extra debt you'll be taking on? My opinion is no; Harvard or JHU probably can't offer you enough additional opportunities that are unavailable at U Mich to make up for the significant extra debt load. But you have to answer that question for yourself. Best of with your decision.

 

[star22]

Why not wait for financial aid packages? Unless, you have a super high EFC, you are bound to get grants from HMS and JHU. (So I am not voting yet, until you find out 🙂 )

 

[humuhumu]

Go with what your heart tells you. If you really want HSM or JHU, I doubt the extra debt will matter much in the long run, assuming you're a "traditional" student.

If I were single and about 10 years younger, I'd go to Harvard in a heartbeat (assuming it was an option).

 

[MN81]

JHU
Harvard
UMich

I want to be you. Congrats! 👍

 

[sen]

Despite the fact that I'm on the NP waitlist, and therefore should want you to go to UMich/JHU, I'm going to have to vote for Harvard.

I absolutely loved Harvard when I interviewed. Beautiful Campus. Great facilities. Very supportive faculty. For the most part the students seemed very nice and happy to be there. Boston is an amazing city. Have you seen the My Courses page? Harvard has tons of resources. Unlimited opportunities in research/international health/public health etc. The food on campus was great. Have you looked at the match list? The only disadvantage I can really think of is that you'll be the first class to start the new curriculum.

So I'd say if you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend Harvard, you'd be a fool not to go. If your boyfriend is truely supportive, the relationship will last. Best of luck making your decision.

 

[humuhumu]

Despite the fact that I'm on the NP waitlist, and therefore should want you to go to UMich/JHU, I'm going to have to vote for Harvard.

I absolutely loved Harvard when I interviewed. Beautiful Campus. Great facilities. Very supportive faculty. For the most part the students seemed very nice and happy to be there. Boston is an amazing city. Have you seen the My Courses page? Harvard has tons of resources. Unlimited opportunities in research/international health/public health etc. The food on campus was great. Have you looked at the match list? The only disadvantage I can really think of is that you'll be the first class to start the new curriculum.

So I'd say if you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend Harvard, you'd be a fool not to go. If your boyfriend is truely supportive, the relationship will last. Best of luck making your decision.

Couldn't have put it better myself. Harvard is an extraordinary place. I, too, am concerned about the new curriculum. Basic sciences are shrinking from 2 years to 1.5 years -- do you think the faculty just agreed to jettison 6 months of material? I think it's likely that the schedule will be more compressed and intensive. That said, it's Harvard. There may be bugs in the new curriculum, but they'll work them out.

 

[xspiritmental]

From what I saw of Michigan, it's definitely an amazing institution. My student host actually had an MD-PhD offer at Hopkins and turned it down for strictly MD at Michigan, he was so in love with the school. Good luck deciding 🙂

 

[Orthodoc40]

I'm really surprised so few people here are picking JHU... Why is that? 😕

 

[Orthodoc40]

This was tough because, since I wasn't qualified for any of these schools, I don't know much about them (congrats! BTW, awesome job!). So I went location. I had some friends go to Harvard for grad school (I would visit occasionally) and I have been to Ann Arbor and Baltimore a few times. There is nothing like the feel in Cambridge, MA. Plus you could be like Click and Clack from Car Talk and refer to Cambridge as "My fair city."

!! You're right - I forgot about Click & Clack!! Too funny...

But Harvard Med School isn't in Cambridge. Still - Cambridge is very close by if you're dying to visit.

 

[drmota]

HARVARD. duh. UNLESS you want to do research (seriously) while in med school. then go to JHU for sure. pull out of umich asap to open up the spot for someone else.
-mota

edit: sorry, i didn't read your post til after i posted. go to umich.

 

[mshheaddoc]

UMich all the way. I don't by the "name deal" ... if you are happy and near family, you will be happier in the end. Plus your sibling can hook you up with material 😀

 

[QofQuimica]

UMich all the way. I don't by the "name deal" ... if you are happy and near family, you will be happier in the end. Plus your sibling can hook you up with material 😀

Oooh, excellent point. I hadn't even considered that fringe benefit. 👍

 

[BooMed]

Wait I picked Harvard but since reading your post I change my mind to UMich.

Cheaper + Boyfriend + Family = 😀

Just because you can go to Harvard doesn't mean that you have to!

 

[Vista04]

i say if you're interested in academic medicine, go with harvard and jhu.

otherwise, umich is my vote. i think you'll be a little better prepared for residency and clinical medicine there.

if you are really excited about spending time some place new, then you can always take a year off of umich to get your mph from harvard while spending a year in boston.

just a thought. congrats on the acceptances.

 

[Flopotomist]

All three are great schools, and in the long run will get you to the same place professionally - so why choose somewhere that is hundreds of thousands of dollars more expensive? If you want something nice to hang on the wall, spend a few grand for some nice original art, and save the rest of the money.

Do you like your family / boyfriend? If so, don't you want to be as close to them as possible? Won't it be nice to have people supporting you during the stressful days?

I say go with UMich.

 

[jebus]

Go to Harvard. The longwood medical area is amazing, it's Boston, BU is close by (in case you want easy NSA sex, undergrads at large, urban, private schools are good for that), Fenway's right there, and it's Harvard!

 

[med06]

Thanks so much for the help and responses!

 

[ChocolateKiss]

Thanks so much for the help and responses!

What decision are you leaning towards?

 

[med06]

What decision are you leaning towards?

I'm going to wait on 2nd looks and fin. aid given as well then decide. Probably Umich or Harvard if all stays as is.

 

[Risa]

I voted Harvard, because that's where I'm going, and don't you want to be my classmate??? 😀

But seriously, I don't think any of us can give you great advice without being inside your mind and heart (yikes cue cheeseball music!). I can definitely see going to school near family being a deciding factor, if I loved the school. For me, the thing was that when I visited HMS, it so clearly felt like my soulmate of a school. While there are lots of tangible reasons to love it, I just had a vibe that I belong there. As far as the money side of things go, that vibe outweighs the debt factor (and yes, I will be in a heck of a lot of debt).

If your vibe tells you that UMich is best, AND it happens to be cheaper and have your family, then GO! They're all GREAT schools with great names. And if you wind up at Hahvahd (oh and don't you want to talk like that??), I'll see ya there!

with the choice

 

[SailCrazy]

I think its interesting how different the distribution of written responses is to the poll results. I'd probably choose Michigan for many of the reasons already mentioned, but you certainly can't go wrong with any of those options. 👍 Then again, if you skip out on Ann Arbor, your boyfriend and I can go out together to drink and flirt with hot girls. (jk)

p.s. Be prepared for some flaming since you joined just to post this.

I thought this too, but I wasn't going to mention it. But since you did... 😛 Actually, its nice to see that everyone has remained relatively flame-free.

 

[happydays]

I really find it hard to believe that (say the following like an ingénue in distress) you just can't decide for yourself. You want an ego boast? Fine, choose Harvard! That will open the UMich spot to someone who really wants to come here.

 

[StevenRF]

Harvard!!!
Being able to drop the H-bomb in a conversation, interview, etc. is worth more than actually knowing anything about what you went there to study for. (Insert annecdotal evidence of *******es you know or heard about who went to Harvard and got the amazing job or professional school acceptance here. )

 

[QofQuimica]

Harvard!!!
Being able to drop the H-bomb in a conversation, interview, etc. is worth more than actually knowing anything about what you went there to study for. (Insert annecdotal evidence of *******es you know or heard about who went to Harvard and got the amazing job or professional school acceptance here. )

This has got to be THE worst reason for picking Harvard out there. 🙄 If you're joking, sorry that the sarcasm was lost on me. 😛