BU or Georgetown?

[BAM!]

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In addition to if you had to choose b/n the schools, which school would be less stressfull? At which school do the drill their students harder? Where would you decide to go?

thanks a lot!! I know a lot of you guys have some pretty good insight into these schools.

 

[jbrice1639]

honestly, i'd go to boston just because i like boston better than dc...

 

[Just Applied]

DC all the way, Boston is a cold and dreary city in comparison. They also drill you pretty damn hard in Georgetown.

 

[otacon88]

i would say boston. boston is one of the hubs for medical advancements. you will have great opportunities in a great city. weather is not that much of an issue: boston experiences all the seasons. i've always had a feeling that schools in DC, like gtown and GW, are geared more towards the politics and international relations. makes sense since they are in the capital of the nation.

 

[Just Applied]

I currently go to GT and no issues of Politics are being forced on me.

 

[Vizsla]

i've always had a feeling that schools in DC, like gtown and GW, are geared more towards the politics and international relations. makes sense since they are in the capital of the nation.

if you mean that by going to school in DC, you have greater access to the lawmaking/political arena and programs that focus on international health issues then yeah, youre right...but it doesnt really make sense to say a school is "geared" towards politics. If anything, these attributes should be seen as a plus

 

[H_Caulfield]

How is this even up for debate? I say BU, without a doubt. A stand-alone medical campus comprised of old red-brick buildings in the academic center of the nation. Of course, if academia has nothing to do with what's drawing you to medicine, maybe then Georgetown warrants some consideration.

...and BU is ranked much higher, for what that's worth

 

[Just Applied]

As far as academia is concerned, I do not think either school will give you leg up when compared to the other.

 

[SpeedRacer]

How is this even up for debate? I say BU, without a doubt.

THANK you. i was like, how in the hell is this poll so close???

 

[badlydrawnvik]

agree with the above. i loved BU, if i hadnt been accepted to my first choice i would no doubt have gone there. i felt kind of bad for withdrawing because i had such a great interview experience.

 

[BAM!]

How is this even up for debate? I say BU, without a doubt. A stand-alone medical campus comprised of old red-brick buildings in the academic center of the nation. Of course, if academia has nothing to do with what's drawing you to medicine, maybe then Georgetown warrants some consideration.

...and BU is ranked much higher, for what that's worth

Well, my career goals don't point me towards academia. I liked DC better than Boston, though I was surprised how much i liked Boston. The whole ranking thing is nice but shouldn't be a deciding factor (BU is about 20 spots higher on the list).

I'm leaning towards Georgetown, but my only fear is that it'll be filled with very competitive students that'll make it very hard for everyone else just to stay alive.

Here's a question, who had a more inspirational speech at the interview? Tough call.

 

[BAM!]

I

 

[BAM!]

I just compared Georgetown and BU's matchlist, and it seems like Georgetown has a slight edge towards the specialties. And the way I look at it, med school is yet another stepping stone to becoming a physician.

So if Georgetown matches better than BU, why would anyone choose BU over Georgetown if it means you could land a more desirable residency/specialty by choosing Georgetown?

thanks, this is really important to me, and I appreciate any input no matter how small.

 

[silas2642]

I just compared Georgetown and BU's matchlist, and it seems like Georgetown has a slight edge towards the specialties. And the way I look at it, med school is yet another stepping stone to becoming a physician.

So if Georgetown matches better than BU, why would anyone choose BU over Georgetown if it means you could land a more desirable residency/specialty by choosing Georgetown?

thanks, this is really important to me, and I appreciate any input no matter how small.

I have a former classmate who now goes to BU and the poor guy is miserable. He is so stressed out; all he does is study. I don't think they have a note taking service, they don't record lectures, and the place is just pretty intense all around. I say you should go to Tufts. 😀

 

[skypilot]

I have a former classmate who now goes to BU and the poor guy is miserable. He is so stressed out; all he does is study. I don't think they have a note taking service, they don't record lectures, and the place is just pretty intense all around. I say you should go to Tufts. 😀

These are BUs weaknesses. No note taking, no recorded lectures.

They do provide a comprehensive syllabus that contains all the material you need to study though. Only 1/2 the class even attends the lectures.

 

[JayQuah]

Might it have something to do with BU's hospital setting...more people that choose BU might have been more set on primary care to begin with (BUMC very strong in emergency med, etc)?

I just compared Georgetown and BU's matchlist, and it seems like Georgetown has a slight edge towards the specialties. And the way I look at it, med school is yet another stepping stone to becoming a physician.

So if Georgetown matches better than BU, why would anyone choose BU over Georgetown if it means you could land a more desirable residency/specialty by choosing Georgetown?

thanks, this is really important to me, and I appreciate any input no matter how small.

 

[trishaaa]

Tough call, in my opinion. I personally left Gtown with a better feeling than when I left BU...probably b/c one of the docs I work with went to BU and told me before my interview, "There are a bunch of weirdos and @ssholes there." I was also mad about paying $33 to park for a few hours.

The students didn't seem very happy at either school, the facilities are pretty crappy, and it's going to cost you an arm and a leg to live in either location, but you'll get great clinical training at both. If you want to do research, go for BU. And if you want to work at one of the awesome Boston hospitals, go for BU. But if you want some spirituality mixed into your training, choose Gtown.

P.S.- If you want a cheap apartment in the Boston area (not right near BU, though) you can have my place!

 

[trishaaa]

um. could you think of anything nicer to say? it sounds like these are the poster's two options. i don't know, throughout this app cycle, whenever i got into a school someone had something negative to say about it. i think it bothers me when the comments aren't constructive...

People had negative things to say about each of the schools that accepted me too, but I'm glad that they did. Every school has some negative aspects, although we don't really like to think about them. I think it's important for the poster (and all of us) to consider them, though, before making a final decision. I did mention the most important part of these two schools, though-- the education. Like I said, he/she will get great clinical training at either school. It's just the aesthetics and finances that I find problematic at these schools...and that's just my opinion; others may not have a problem with these things.

 

[Vizsla]

I just compared Georgetown and BU's matchlist, and it seems like Georgetown has a slight edge towards the specialties. And the way I look at it, med school is yet another stepping stone to becoming a physician.

So if Georgetown matches better than BU, why would anyone choose BU over Georgetown if it means you could land a more desirable residency/specialty by choosing Georgetown?

thanks, this is really important to me, and I appreciate any input no matter how small.

again, when comparing match lists you have to take so much into consideration such as graduating students' location/specialty preference....just bc you graduate from gtown does NOT mean you are going to land a plastics residency...the school has a great match bc they have good board scores and bc they work the hell out of their third yrs

 

[ZYK1984]

In addition to if you had to choose b/n the schools, which school would be less stressfull? At which school do the drill their students harder? Where would you decide to go?

thanks a lot!! I know a lot of you guys have some pretty good insight into these schools.

I would say Georgetown because I favor DC over Boston. But also because I'm waitlisted at BU...hehehe... good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Koil Gugliemi]

The georgetown vs BU question is completely irrelevant to getting a good residency - you'll be able to get what you want coming out of either one as long as you do well. Looking at a match list is a poor proxy for how well a school prepares you to get into a tough residency. Either would be fine.

Having said that, if there's a field that you know you might be interested in, you should look to see that each school has a residency in that field, as that will help you get in to a tough field. For example if you want to do Radiation Oncology - make sure that the school has a program that you could get involved with.

Otherwise it's a wash - pick the cheaper one (probably G-town ?)

 

[megamd]

hey bam - so i'm having the same exact issue - with UCI thrown into the mix. So i basically threw out BU because I really like DC over Boston. The weather in DC will be much better and I really liked the energy of the city. Another thing with BU is that I don't like the fact that lectures aren't recorded and there is not a note taking service. I know that I learn better on my own than from lecture. Gtown has an excellent note taking service and many students just study off of these.

What have you heard about the student body at Gtown. That is the only thing that is making me wary. I've heard that they work the students really hard - which does lead to better board scores i guess but i feel like i will study hard for the boards no matter how hard i am worked during the 1st 2 years.

anywyas, good luck with your decision. i'm hoping that i can decide between UCI and Gtown in the next couple of hours. aaaah!

 

[BAM!]

hey megamd,

so I went with georgetown. I think it comes down to the fact that i didn't like boston as much as dc. Funny you should mention UCI, because I'm still waiting to hear back from them. I interviewed late in April, and they haven't gotten back yet. If I get in, that's where I'll be. Did you decide?