Brown vs SUNY Downstate

[BritaPitcher]

Hi all - currently struggling to decide between these two schools, so looking for some advice and to get some more perspective as I've been mulling this over to death. I'm originally from NYC and staying here has been a very high priority for me after spending a few years away given my support system is here, and I hope to do residency/practice in the city as well. I'm not interested in very competitive specialties, as I am hoping to do child and adolescent psych and am likely 100% set on that. I'm more interested in private practice, so I'm not too sure how important school rankings are in that regard. As I am in-state for Downstate, tuition would also be roughly 80k cheaper overall.

Brown:

Pros:

• Really loved my interview day and got a very good, collaborative vibe form the school
• A lot of resources for my area of interest (Bradley Hospital, Klingenstein fellowship)
• Fairly stacked match list
• Nice and updated facilities
• More national recognition and layman prestige
• Special scholarly concentrations programs for research (especially the humanities)
• P/F with no internal ranking

Cons:

• The location - I really, really do not want to live in Providence for four years
• Far from support system (family and friends), and I would be starting from scratch
• More expensive
• While match list is great, it seems focused more in the New England area
• 40% of the class comes straight from the combined undergrad program which worries me as an older non-trad

Downstate:

Pros:

• Location, location, location - from NYC and it's my home/I love it here and just being in the city. Entire support system is here as well
• Strong regional reputation among NYC hospitals and programs
• Cheaper because of in-state tuition
• Larger dating pool (this may sound silly, but I'm trying to be a person in school too!)

Cons:

• The facilities are pretty old and falling apart
• Have heard pretty mixed things about the administration which was corroborated by how messily they have handled basically all communications this cycle
• Seems like funding might be an issue? I feel like I heard the main teaching hospital was going to close but no longer?
• Less resources (especially in my field of interest) and access to research opportunities (although this could be mitigated by the amount of opportunities in NYC in general?)
• Match list is not as strong and the school is overall less well-known (weaker in psych this year than I had hoped despite a lot of applicants)
• Pre-clerkship it says is P/F (a must) but it then says students are internally ranked based on clerkship grades. MSAR just says "students are ranked for residency application" but I'm not quite clear on how that translates when applying to programs i.e., they report your spot relative to others rather than just your clerkship grades which is... not it. This may be standard practice though?

I feel like the issue I'm facing here is that Brown is the clear winner in terms of academics and professional development and I feel like is a much better "fit" overall but Downstate is easily the winner in terms of personal happiness and living the life I want to live while in medical school. I guess I'm just curious to hear how other people would go about balancing their priorities in terms of this decision or for those who were faced with a similar choice how they felt it shook out for them. Also if anyone had any insight into how much I should be considering something like school prestige when planning a career in private practice/teaching rather than continuing with research, that would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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[LunaOri]

Sounds like you would like us to confirm that Downstate is the better choice for you. While most of us would choose Brown, you might be happier at Downstate.

 

[scottsterling]

I’m in a similar situation and am prioritizing location and family support so my vote is Downstate

 

[Jason1211]

Stay in NYC, Downstate is a great option for this area and matches just as well - especially if you want to stay in NY for residency and beyond

 

[doctorz-5ever-!!]

Downstate! Although Brown may have some advantages, all of those go down the drain if you are not personally happy or in a place to succeed. Prioritizing your own needs can be more advantageous than any institutional benefits. Just my thoughts, wishing you the best!!