Brown (Alpert) vs. USC (Keck)

[rrrrr123456]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi,

Lucky enough to have gotten into these two great schools-- I had great impressions of both on interview day and don't think I can make a bad decision either way, but I'm truly 50/50 right now on deciding between the two.

Not sure if I'll specialize. I am, however, set on a career pertaining to global health, working w/ underserved populations and ideally having the autonomy to work for myself one day be it via a clinic, a NGO, etc. I'm from a major EC city, but I'm 80%+ intent on relocating to CA to practice if I remained in the states.

Brown
Pros--
- P/F, early clinical exposure, scholarly concentration, recorded lectures
- Integrated medical curriculum
- Newly-built medical school; students seemed content w/ atmosphere
- Strong global health program
- Ivy League reputation <--- could be of use in building connections?
- Strong emphasis on working w/ diverse populations--several affiliated hospitals in Providence
- Not very familiar w/ city, but I've heard good things as it pertains to arts, culture and food
- Will likely be less expensive
- Closer to home (not really a big point for me, but worthy of mention nonetheless)

Cons--
- East Coast weather... I truly hate the cold-climate of EC winters, but given that most of my time allotted with be studying, I'm not sure if this is negligible or not.

USC

Pros
- LAC-USC hospital <-- was very impressed w/ this hospital
- Very diverse, vibrant urban area and patient population similar to my settings (major city on East Coast)
- Integrated science curriculum infused w/ case-based studies
- P/F curriculum, early clinical exposure, attendance optional
- L.A. weather year-round, much to do within the city and SoCal to clear mind of stresses of school
- Strong Trojan Alumni Network for potential connections; excellent student atmosphere
- 80%+ sure that I will eventually relocate to CA if I remain in the US
- A friend pointed this out to me, Keck is currently on a 7 billion fundraising campaign for its medical school-- http://campaign.usc.edu/campaign/school-and-unit-goals/

Cons

Expensive. Average grad leaves w/ roughly 200k in debt, approx. 80k more than Brown


As you can see, finances and weather are a big bargaining point in two schools, which seem like two already strong schools w/ plans to become even more renowned. Equal in many regards, including reputation as well (feel-free if you've heard otherwise). Appreciate any insights that can be offered. Thanks!

 

[skittles1]

I don't know much about Brown, but I can talk about Keck. I love it here. Not only do we have LAC+USC, we also have Keck Hospital on campus which is a private hospital, so we as students get to see both private and public settings. I really like the way our curriculum is organized. If you're really into case-based stuff, we don't have as much as a lot of other schools, but they do a really good job integrating it where it makes sense. I think it's all the pros of cases without a lot of the cons that people raise: waiting for people to present whatever random info they looked up in preparation for the class? I don't miss that. The students here are awesome, the environment is awesome, the weather is awesome, etc. Alumni network and fundraising campaign are legit too. I'm sure someone will point out that by the time we see any effects of the fundraising, you might already be gone. But they are doing a lot to raise the profile of the school, which makes your degree more valuable. Expensive school is expensive. But if you can make it work, it's awesome.

 

[McMeowerson]

If you're looking to stay on the west coast than it makes a lot of sense to go to med school in the area. From what I understand, matching within regions is a bit easier and having the home court advantage will be useful.

Also, as an east coast lover, I want your spot at Brown 😉

 

[alpinism]

Go to whichever you like better. However, it will be easier to match in CA for residency from USC.

 

[rrrrr123456]

I suppose a more reasonable question to ask is -- given that I'd be relying on loans/need-based grants, is it worth it to incur $80k+ more debt to be out in CA at an equally good school, where I would likely be more content (due to weather), or should I just take finances more into account, given that I will get a good education at both schools? Given the study commitment of med school, I'm wondering if I should be factoring weather really.... and I can always move out to CA after med school for residency, right?

 

[DoctorWhoo]

I suppose a more reasonable question to ask is -- given that I'd be relying on loans/need-based grants, is it worth it to incur $80k+ more debt to be out in CA at an equally good school, where I would likely be more content (due to weather), or should I just take finances more into account, given that I will get a good education at both schools? Given the study commitment of med school, I'm wondering if I should be factoring weather really.... and I can always move out to CA after med school for residency, right?

Much easier to match in CA if you do medical school in CA... from my understanding at least.

Good luck, I'm currently leaning towards Keck in my own debate!

 

[alpinism]

I suppose a more reasonable question to ask is -- given that I'd be relying on loans/need-based grants, is it worth it to incur $80k+ more debt to be out in CA at an equally good school, where I would likely be more content (due to weather), or should I just take finances more into account, given that I will get a good education at both schools? Given the study commitment of med school, I'm wondering if I should be factoring weather really.... and I can always move out to CA after med school for residency, right?

Depends on the specialty. Some CA residencies can be very competitive based on their location alone.

 

[rocco92]

Interviewed at both, I think Alpert is stronger for global health with their specific global health concentration. However, Keck is definitely stronger in terms of working with underserved populations, and LAC is a renowned public hospital. I think if you are really really sure you want to be in Cali, going to Keck would be a huge advantage. You are from EC and if you go to Brown, you'd really have to nail your boards to have a chance at Cali. However, you could build connections a lot easier at USC (you'd still have to nail your boards either way to have preferences for residency placement).

If you want to be in the Northeast, there is an advantage to going to Brown, but I wouldn't worry about any Ivy League rep, that doesn't apply to medical schools. One thing I disliked about Brown was Providence. It's a really small city with a ton of financial issues, so bear that in mind. LA would be a very different experience from Providence.

All things being equal, I would pick Keck. However, these schools are so so similar, especially in terms of how they conducted their interview days, you won't go wrong whichever one you pick. Good luck.

 

[JJMrK]

Congrats! I don't think you can make a bad decision here. Attending medical school in CA will help if you want to stay there for residency, but to what extent depends on the specialty you choose. Personally, I would lean toward Brown in your situation due to the difference in cost.

 

[TheKMan1]

Be weary of the supposed cost differences you have calculated (presumably based on MSAR average indebtedness data). Avg indebtedness is taking into account the entire class (those with parents paying the entire way, those with NHSC paying the entire way, etc.) I am personally waiting until I receive financial aid packages from all schools before I make a decision. Congrats on having two excellent choices!