Best City to attend medical school?

[139871]

Hey guys, I am looking into applying to wide variety of medical schools across the US and was just wondering what some of you thought of various locations. My dream city would probably be Chicago because I visited once and was floored by downtown, the public transport, and the number of medical schools in the city. What do you guys think would be some good cities to be a med student and what schools are in these cities? Thanks!

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[RySerr21]

Hey guys, I am looking into applying to wide variety of medical schools across the US and was just wondering what some of you thought of various locations. My dream city would probably be Chicago because I visited once and was floored by downtown, the public transport, and the number of medical schools in the city. What do you guys think would be some good cities to be a med student and what schools are in these cities? Thanks!

San Diego....UCSD

 

[3 little birds]

somewhere with a lot of snow so that you are not tempted to go outside. Such indulgences must be postponed until...retirement.

Seriously though there are so many subjective factors. No way to say.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

somewhere with a lot of snow so that you are not tempted to go outside. Such indulgences must be postponed until...retirement.

Seriously though there are so many subjective factors. No way to say.

Dartmouth???? MInnesota schools???

 

[3 little birds]

Dartmouth???? MInnesota schools???

If only there were American-accredited med schools in Antarctica. You'd be set.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Alaska should get a school...I bet they would have a killer wilderness medicine program

 

[Cegar]

Alaska already has a school. And Seattle is nice.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Alaska already has a school. And Seattle is nice.

What school is that?

 

[Raryn]

What school is that?

Alaska has no MD or DO schools, though they are part of WWAMI and count as in-staters for the university of washington in Seattle.

 

[sentrosi]

Yeah, San Diego was my top choice city. Any Cali school would have worked for me really. Unfortunately, I was totally ignored (no interviews even) by my state of residency.

And snow isn't necessarily enough to keep one from going outside. Boston and New York are pretty nice cities for med school as well. Boston is very college, young professional oriented since there's so many schools around. And New York is...well, New York. Though I guess it might not be for everyone.

 

[Raryn]

Best city is so subjective anyway. I'd kill for a chance to go to school in San Francisco, and yet I know people who turned down UCSF for UCLA because they hate the city. I personally am not a big fan of LA in general, but would live there over quite a few places. In the end, does it really matter though?

 

[RySerr21]

Best city is so subjective anyway. I'd kill for a chance to go to school in San Francisco, and yet I know people who turned down UCSF for UCLA because they hate the city. I personally am not a big fan of LA in general, but would live there over quite a few places. In the end, does it really matter though?

based on cities, how do you turn down san francisco for los angeles. i go to undergrad in LA and never ever would i ever ever live here. yuck.

 

[OldFolkDoc]

I applied based largely on location (ie. no Baltimore, no Boston, only 1 NY, etc.) My criteria were: a metropolis with good public transport, good food, and easy access to quality outdoor activity. Top of the list: Portland, SF, Seattle. Colorado would be on there too if it wasn't for the OOS tuition. I also applied to the other CA schools (resident) and to schools whose curriculum I liked. Favorites: SF, Portland, Northwestern. Good luck.

 

[sentrosi]

based on cities, how do you turn down san francisco for los angeles. i go to undergrad in LA and never ever would i ever ever live here. yuck.

Clearly, this proves the point of "it being subjective".

 

[vicinihil]

Somewhere on the east coast. Culture and seasonal change? bar-none.

 

[UVAbme2009]

I'm going with New York City. Or any location that serves a very diverse patient population.

 

[Phoenix.]

I've lived in NYC, Chicago, LA and SF, all great cities for med school in my opinion. But what do you guys think of Washington DC? Other than the expensive housing market, it seems like a great city, especially for med school. Tons of opportunities to get involved with Heath care policy on a national or international level, a really diverse (ethnically & internationally) city, restaurants of every cuisine, lots of single 20 & 30 somethings, great weather/parks, dog-friendly (personal preference), great public transportation, and there seems to be a lot to do when you do get that free moment. Or am I missing something?

 

[186321]

Best city is so subjective anyway. I'd kill for a chance to go to school in San Francisco, and yet I know people who turned down UCSF for UCLA because they hate the city. I personally am not a big fan of LA in general, but would live there over quite a few places. In the end, does it really matter though?

They either hated the city or weren't looking forward to that massive earthquake that is supposed to hit sometime in the next 10 years.

 

[Depakote]

I've lived in NYC, Chicago, LA and SF, all great cities for med school in my opinion. But what do you guys think of Washington DC? Other than the expensive housing market, it seems like a great city, especially for med school. Tons of opportunities to get involved with Heath care policy on a national or international level, a really diverse (ethnically & internationally) city, restaurants of every cuisine, lots of single 20 & 30 somethings, great weather/parks, dog-friendly (personal preference), great public transportation, and there seems to be a lot to do when you do get that free moment. Or am I missing something?

I paid $900 a month to live in someone's basement when I lived in DC... and that was considered a steal.

Great city, but a little too expensive for my tastes.

 

[ratherberocking]

I like diversity of people, so I'd choose huge cities like NY, Boston, SF, LA, Chicago, etc. Plus, there's always something to do in large cities like these. You can't always study! lol ... who am I kidding!

 

[flip26]

I've lived in NYC, Chicago, LA and SF, all great cities for med school in my opinion. But what do you guys think of Washington DC? Other than the expensive housing market, it seems like a great city, especially for med school. Tons of opportunities to get involved with Heath care policy on a national or international level, a really diverse (ethnically & internationally) city, restaurants of every cuisine, lots of single 20 & 30 somethings, great weather/parks, dog-friendly (personal preference), great public transportation, and there seems to be a lot to do when you do get that free moment. Or am I missing something?

FWIW, I have lived in Chicago, Boston, and DC (with my family or as a student) and of the 3, I give the highest marks for quality of life on a student budget and friendliest people to Chicago. Boston is the toughest of the 3 - the worst weather, the highest prices, the unfriendliest people - and DC is somewhere in the middle with ridiculously high rents, but it is an interesting and dynamic city where you catch a break on the winter weather of more northern climes, but you pay for it with very hot and humid summers...DC is a mixed bag that is just too damn expensive...

Personally, I think the "glamor" of life in the big city is vastly overrated by students. Big city life on a student budget is a hassle. To survive on a student budget you are forced to live in cramped quarters with roommates, and if you value "personal space" you are not going to have much of it in any big city.

But by my experience, your rent money goes nearly twice as far in Chicago as in Boston for comparable quality and location - my studio apartment in Chicago cost $800 a month, compared to a room I shared in a 2 BR / 1 BA condo in Boston that cost me $1200 a month (and studio apts in Boston ran anywhere from $1100 for a total dump to $1500 and up, hence my opting for a roommate)...from what I know from friends who currently live in the DC area, the DC rents are more on a par with Boston rents...

For me, the big city life is a "been there and done it" sort of thing. I may very well end up in a big city for medical school since that is where so many are located, but I hope I have other options...

 

[zpiff]

I vote Boston.

 

[Phoenix.]

I paid $900 a month to live in someone's basement when I lived in DC... and that was considered a steal.

Great city, but a little too expensive for my tastes.

I could say the same about NYC, where housing is even worse. Then again, I would never consider NYC for med school for just that reason....

FWIW, I have lived in Chicago, Boston, and DC (with my family or as a student) and of the 3, I give the highest marks for quality of life on a student budget and friendliest people to Chicago. Boston is the toughest of the 3 - the worst weather, the highest prices, the unfriendliest people - and DC is somewhere in the middle with ridiculously high rents, but it is an interesting and dynamic city where you catch a break on the winter weather of more northern climes, but you pay for it with very hot and humid summers...DC is a mixed bag that is just too damn expensive...

I think Chicago has pretty nasty muggy summers, but I can't compare to DC, so perhaps they really are worse. I guess what I'm struggling with is that I lived in NYC before Chicago, and there, it was incredibly diverse and you had people of all ages out and about and single. 30 was considered young there, and I had single friends of all ages. Then, at age 30 I moved back to Chicago, and it seemed like everyone I grew up with got married in their mid to late 20s. When I go out, the vast majority of people I meet are ages 23-28. I don't *look* like I'm in my 30s, but I guess it makes me feel a little old and jaded that everyone else is so much younger.

The two times I've been in DC this year, it reminded me of NYC, in that there are tons of people of all ages single and going out, and it gives you a little of that peter pan feeling. If you don't want to "grow up" yet and settle down, there are more than enough compatriots to join you. Eh. Perhaps I should have posted this in the non-trad forum. But being in DC made me feel young again. And for what it's worth, I find these days that I'm comparing DC to Oak Park (Loyola) in my own mind, not exactly Chicago proper.

 

[flip26]

I think Chicago has pretty nasty muggy summers, but I can't compare to DC, so perhaps they really are worse. I guess what I'm struggling with is that I lived in NYC before Chicago, and there, it was incredibly diverse and you had people of all ages out and about and single. 30 was considered young there, and I had single friends of all ages. Then, at age 30 I moved back to Chicago, and it seemed like everyone I grew up with got married in their mid to late 20s. When I go out, the vast majority of people I meet are ages 23-28. I don't *look* like I'm in my 30s, but I guess it makes me feel a little old and jaded that everyone else is so much younger.

The two times I've been in DC this year, it reminded me of NYC, in that there are tons of people of all ages single and going out, and it gives you a little of that peter pan feeling. If you don't want to "grow up" yet and settle down, there are more than enough compatriots to join you. Eh. Perhaps I should have posted this in the non-trad forum. But being in DC made me feel young again. And for what it's worth, I find these days that I'm comparing DC to Oak Park (Loyola) in my own mind, not exactly Chicago proper.

Chicago summers are much more pleasant than in DC, but I guess it depends on where you live relative to the lakeshore - the closer, the better (say Lincoln Park)...it is impossible to escape the heat and humidity in DC, however.

My real point was the quality of life issues in big cities on a student budget and the amount of personal space you can afford as a student...one of my distinct fears is having to move into a shared housing situation with 3 or more rommates, possibly even sharing a bedroom and thus losing the ability to "shut the world out." I don't even want to share a bathroom with anybody else if I can avoid it.

Otherwise, big cities are great if you have the cash...the other thing about city life I do not care for is the "noise" from the street, and this is directly proportional to the rent you pay - i.e., the more cash you have to spend on a rental, the lower the street noise...

 

[CrouchingTiger]

FWIW, I have lived in Chicago, Boston, and DC (with my family or as a student) and of the 3, I give the highest marks for quality of life on a student budget and friendliest people to Chicago. Boston is the toughest of the 3 - the worst weather, the highest prices, the unfriendliest people - and DC is somewhere in the middle with ridiculously high rents, but it is an interesting and dynamic city where you catch a break on the winter weather of more northern climes, but you pay for it with very hot and humid summers...DC is a mixed bag that is just too damn expensive...

Personally, I think the "glamor" of life in the big city is vastly overrated by students. Big city life on a student budget is a hassle. To survive on a student budget you are forced to live in cramped quarters with roommates, and if you value "personal space" you are not going to have much of it in any big city.

But by my experience, your rent money goes nearly twice as far in Chicago as in Boston for comparable quality and location - my studio apartment in Chicago cost $800 a month, compared to a room I shared in a 2 BR / 1 BA condo in Boston that cost me $1200 a month (and studio apts in Boston ran anywhere from $1100 for a total dump to $1500 and up, hence my opting for a roommate)...from what I know from friends who currently live in the DC area, the DC rents are more on a par with Boston rents...

For me, the big city life is a "been there and done it" sort of thing. I may very well end up in a big city for medical school since that is where so many are located, but I hope I have other options...

How is the public transportation situation in Chicago?

I am willing to pay more to live in a shoebox if it means I don't need to have a car to get anywhere. Seriously. I don't need all this "space" just so I can accumulate more junk I don't need. I can't be bothered with car insurance and being directly subject to ridiculous gas prices and the possibility of getting into accidents. You name it. I HATE, HATE, HATE driving. I live in Florida and the public transportation seriously sucks here. You are forced to have a car and drive alongside people who shouldn't even have a driver's license in the first place on roads that are CONSTANTLY under construction. To top it off, the insurance is out of this world, even if you have a perfect record. I pay over $200 ALONE in gas just to drive to and from work and my car isn't even a gas guzzler! They just don't even pay you enough to deal with this mess. Sorry for ranting.

 

[In Vino Veritas]

Philly. Obvi

 

[Phoenix.]

How is the public transportation situation in Chicago?

I am willing to pay more to live in a shoebox if it means I don't need to have a car to get anywhere. Seriously. I don't need all this "space" just so I can accumulate more junk I don't need. I can't be bothered with car insurance and being directly subject to ridiculous gas prices and the possibility of getting into accidents. You name it. I HATE, HATE, HATE driving. I live in Florida and the public transportation seriously sucks here. You are forced to have a car and drive alongside people who shouldn't even have a driver's license in the first place on roads that are CONSTANTLY under construction. To top it off, the insurance is out of this world, even if you have a perfect record. I pay over $200 ALONE in gas just to drive to and from work and my car isn't even a gas guzzler! They just don't even pay you enough to deal with this mess. Sorry for ranting.

My personal opinion is that the public transportation in Chicago is ok, but not great by any means (NYC and DC are much better). I find it a bit disappointing actually. Anyway, if you go to Northwestern, UIC or Rush I don't think you'd need a car at all. If you go to Loyola or RFU, you do. If you go to Pritzker, I'm not sure if you'd need a car for 3rd and 4th year rotations or not.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I'm actually pretty excited about living in Little Rock. It's big enough to have stuff to do, and the cost of living couldn't be much lower. $450/month, everything included, for a room on campus? Yes, please!

 

[flip26]

How is the public transportation situation in Chicago?

I am willing to pay more to live in a shoebox if it means I don't need to have a car to get anywhere. Seriously. I don't need all this "space" just so I can accumulate more junk I don't need. I can't be bothered with car insurance and being directly subject to ridiculous gas prices and the possibility of getting into accidents. You name it. I HATE, HATE, HATE driving. I live in Florida and the public transportation seriously sucks here. You are forced to have a car and drive alongside people who shouldn't even have a driver's license in the first place on roads that are CONSTANTLY under construction. To top it off, the insurance is out of this world, even if you have a perfect record. I pay over $200 ALONE in gas just to drive to and from work and my car isn't even a gas guzzler! They just don't even pay you enough to deal with this mess. Sorry for ranting.

The subway system in Chicago (the "El") is affordable (monthly passes are well under $100 and often subsidized if not "free" from your school) and overall is pretty reliable and makes getting to downtown (NU med school) from the more affordable and comfortable suburbs a pretty easy thing to do. NU med is one of the few in the country where students report that one can reliably live all 4 years without a car, on a par with the NYC med schools. NU also has shuttle services to outlying hospitals where students do rotations.

But Pritzker is not as well served by Chicago mass transit (there is no El station but there are busses - I am not as familiar with this area so do more research if this is your situation) and it would be harder to live very far out of the immediate area. It sounds to me like more Pritzker students rely on a car than at NU, especially students who opt to live "downtown," but I really don't know if this is true for all 4 years or just the clinical rotation years.

I agree that one of the biggest plusses to a big city med school is losing the expense and hassle of a car...but the need can vary widely from city to city and from school to school within a city as you can see from example of Chicago...

Sorry I can't comment on the other Chicago area med schools with respect to mass transit and need for a car...

 

[flip26]

My personal opinion is that the public transportation in Chicago is ok, but not great by any means (NYC and DC are much better). I find it a bit disappointing actually. Anyway, if you go to Northwestern, UIC or Rush I don't think you'd need a car at all. If you go to Loyola or RFU, you do. If you go to Pritzker, I'm not sure if you'd need a car for 3rd and 4th year rotations or not.

No doubt that the DC Metro is clean and nice, one of the nicest in the country. But while it serves the GW med school location quite nicely and gives easy access to the VA and MD suburbs, the Georgetown Med school has no Metro stop nearby (but I have read that there is some sort of shuttle to a Metro station)...and I would NOT want to deal with a car in DC...

 

[CrouchingTiger]

The subway system in Chicago (the "El") is affordable (monthly passes are well under $100 and often subsidized if not "free" from your school) and overall is pretty reliable and makes getting to downtown (NU med school) from the more affordable and comfortable suburbs a pretty easy thing to do. NU med is one of the few in the country where students report that one can reliably live all 4 years without a car, on a par with the NYC med schools. NU also has shuttle services to outlying hospitals where students do rotations.

But Pritzker is not as well served by Chicago mass transit (there is no El station but there are busses - I am not as familiar with this area so do more research if this is your situation) and it would be harder to live very far out of the immediate area. It sounds to me like more Pritzker students rely on a car than at NU, especially students who opt to live "downtown," but I really don't know if this is true for all 4 years or just the clinical rotation years.

I agree that one of the biggest plusses to a big city med school is losing the expense and hassle of a car...but the need can vary widely from city to city and from school to school within a city as you can see from example of Chicago...

Sorry I can't comment on the other Chicago area med schools with respect to mass transit and need for a car...

I didn't consider this (the bolded part). At this point I am really convinced that nearly anything has got to be better than South Florida. Because of that, mass transit plays a big part in where I decide to apply. I guess I'll do more research on that. Thanks again!

 

[Phoenix.]

No doubt that the DC Metro is clean and nice, one of the nicest in the country. But while it serves the GW med school location quite nicely and gives easy access to the VA and MD suburbs, the Georgetown Med school has no Metro stop nearby (but I have read that there is some sort of shuttle to a Metro station)...and I would NOT want to deal with a car in DC...

Even though you don't need a car at all for the first two years at GW, from what I've heard, you do need a car for the third and fourth year rotations. So neither GW nor Georgetown are completely car-free med school experiences.

 

[flip26]

Even though you don't need a car at all for the first two years at GW, from what I've heard, you do need a car for the third and fourth year rotations. So neither GW nor Georgetown are completely car-free med school experiences.

Yeah, I had kind of gathered that from my research and based on my personal knowledge.

Not having to deal with the expense and hassle of a car is one of my big issues. If I can avoid it, I will.

To that end, I have tried to evaluate schools on my "short list" with respect to the need for a car in M1/M2 vs M3/M4 - the best of all worlds for me would be no car needed for all 4 years - but there aren't really very many of those out there, so I will settle for ditching a car for at least M1/M2...and if I have to have a car for any or all of the 4 years of med school, I would prefer a smaller, less congested city rather than a big, sprawling mess (for example, all else being equal, I would prefer to have a car in Nashville than Los Angeles).

The cost of having a car will have to make sense versus attending a school where no car is needed but the overall cost of attendance is higher...it is a balancing act...but again, all else being equal, I would be willing to pay at least a little more for the luxury of not having a car than attending a school where I have to have a car but save a little $...

 

[clinicallabguy]

What cities would you guys suggest for a med school applicant with a family?

I'm married w/ a one year old.

What are good cities that my family would enjoy as well as myself?

 

[spospo]

wooooo omaha! oh my gosh, i can't believe i am actually defending omaha...what have i come to? the good: cheap to live in, lots of outside spaces to run around in (sorry, no mountains), not too big but not tiny, you WON'T get distracted by tons of cool stuff going on all the time but there is enough going on to entertain you when you choose, we kind of have seasons, they are fast at fixing their pot-holes. the bad: super bad public transportation, it is humid in the summer (i don't like that), people run red lights like it's their job, it's the midwest (i like the west coast). woooo omaha!

 

[MilkmanAl]

I actually kind of enjoy Omaha. It's been pretty entertaining every time I've been there.

 

[DoctorDreamer]

My ideal location is somewhere where I have both the outdoors and the city life reachable easily.

I figure I'll spend most of my time in class, clinic, or studying, so I want easy travel (no traffic), cheaper living costs, decent parking, quieter surroundings, less distractions...

BUT, I also want to be able to drive a decent amount and be in the middle of a huge metropolis whever I find the time to go out. Thus a place like Dartmouth is ideal for me, because I can study in my apartment, but then turn around and drive to any number of big cities for the weekend, or head up the slopes our out to the stables.

 

[nu2004]

Hey guys, I am looking into applying to wide variety of medical schools across the US and was just wondering what some of you thought of various locations. My dream city would probably be Chicago because I visited once and was floored by downtown, the public transport, and the number of medical schools in the city. What do you guys think would be some good cities to be a med student and what schools are in these cities? Thanks!

Chicago is awesome... it's also expensive. I'm gonna have to go with Cleveland on this one

 

[DocSoMa]

San Diego....UCSD

Amen. You really can't beat San Diego!

 

[SirGecko]

Albuquerque! But you can't really do that unless you are a New Mexico resident.

Oh and San Diego is an awesome city if you can get into school there.

 

[drndeluca]

I done my undergrad and masters study in my hometown of NYC, and enjoyed it very much so. But, I attend John Hopkins for my MD/PhD and enjoyed it so much more.

But, I think alot of it has to do with personal preference so I couldn't decided one way or another which one would be a better choice..

 

[premedmind]

For a family guy like yourself I'd recommend a smaller city.

 

[87138]

What cities would you guys suggest for a med school applicant with a family?

I'm married w/ a one year old.

What are good cities that my family would enjoy as well as myself?

I wouldn't necessarily call it a "city' but Penn State would be a great choice. Hershey is a great little town, very safe, pretty area, and a great school district.

 

[172858]

nyc (no explanation necessary), miami (southbeach), houston (the grandeur of the world's largest medical center), austin (no school - but it would be awesome), chicago (deepdish and michigan ave), seattle (hot interns at seattle grace), LA (again, no explanation needed), SF (see last), SD (see last), boston (fenway anyone?), and DC (just by virtue of being the capital)

 

[Phoenix.]

What cities would you guys suggest for a med school applicant with a family?

I'm married w/ a one year old.

What are good cities that my family would enjoy as well as myself?

You might want to add Vermont. It's not for dedicated city folk, but they're really pro-non-trads/married couples/families at that med school from what I've seen/heard, and it's a very nice area to raise a family in (again, from what I've heard). You obviously need to be able to enjoy the winter and winter sports, and like small towns. If so, it's beautiful there, and the medical school is outstanding. The most advanced technologically of any I've seen.

Ditto with Loyola. You'd live in Oak Park, which is a really nice suburb just west of Chicago. That way you can still enjoy having a big city nearby, but live in a nice community to raise a kid in. The cost of living there is also pretty good, and you're about a 20 minute drive/metro away from downtown. It's also a really non-trad friendly school, and a very nice and helpful administration (low on lecture time too, so you can spend more time at home with your kid), and all of the students there I know love it.

And while I know nothing about it, I remember reading a lot of posts by people with kids saying how wonderful Oregon's med school is for families. Can't remember why though. Child care? Hmmm.

And you might want to check out the non-traditional forum here on SDN too.

Anyway, those are just three schools/cities off the top of my head. I'm sure there are lots.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Amen. You really can't beat San Diego!

 

[redlight]

I done my undergrad and masters study in my hometown of NYC, and enjoyed it very much so. But, I attend JohnSSS Hopkins for my MD/PhD and enjoyed it so much more.

But, I think alot of it has to do with personal preference so I couldn't decided one way or another which one would be a better choice..

dude...

 

[maceo]

Hey guys, I am looking into applying to wide variety of medical schools across the US and was just wondering what some of you thought of various locations. My dream city would probably be Chicago because I visited once and was floored by downtown, the public transport, and the number of medical schools in the city. What do you guys think would be some good cities to be a med student and what schools are in these cities? Thanks!

seriously, one with low cost of living and high quality of life namely any midwestern midsized city such as louisville cincy lexington nashville iowa city .. preferably one with an undergrad as well for socialization purposes I went to a school like this and i cant imagine what it would have been like if i had to deal with tight housing market.. traffic.. etc etc.. took away a lot of my stress

 

[TupacalipseT96]

based on cities, how do you turn down san francisco for los angeles. i go to undergrad in LA and never ever would i ever ever live here. yuck.

How could you chose SF over LA? no way... to live and die in LA, LA is the place to be. SF is so-so. LA > NYC > SF. Lots of strange people in SF, I prefer the cool breeze with a warm background in LA, and the pollution clears your sinuses...the people are normal and attractive, mostly chill, and diverse in the right kind of ways (unlike SF, heh).

This is coming from someone who lives 10 miles outside of SF currently and longs to the return to the mecca that is Los Angeles.

Edit: But if a UCSF Adcom reads this post, I would still love to attend UCSF

 

[devilpup]

Amen. You really can't beat San Diego!

Yes sir,

beautiful place to live...indeed,
'Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale's vagina.'