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It sounds like UF is where you would be happier. Med school is stressful enough already and you'll be spending SO much time with your classmates/ at school. Might as well be at the place where you will be happiest!
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You mention that cost is not an issue, and yet list cost of living as a con for BU and a pro for UF. If you're OOS for UF, then I imagine CoA will be very similar for both schools.
I'm making a similar decision with UF vs. an expensive OOS private school, and I will probably end up attending UF. I'm an older non-trad than you, but I am pretty confident that I would be happy in Gainesville for 4 years. It is a college town, but remember there is a large grad student and faculty population so it's not just 18-22 year-olds. Nothing can match living in a large, diverse city, but you may find you like life in a small town at least for a short time. The weather is wonderful in Gainesville from October/November to April/May, so you'll probably find yourself happier during the winter months. There are lots of outdoor activities to do, and the student body seems close-knit. Being able to walk or ride your bike to campus year-round is a reality. It will be a very different life than living Boston, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
If you look at residency director surveys, only 50% of residency directors list "being a graduate of a highly regarded US medical school" as being a factor at all in selecting for interview, and only 38% list the same as being a factor in ranking the applicant. I don't know if there is a big enough difference in the ranking between BU and UF for it to be significant during residency apps (I think this more comes into play when you're talking about a UF grad vs. a grad from a T20). There are many other more important factors, like board scores, letters of rec, class ranking, audition rotation performance, interview performance, personal statement, prior familiarity with the applicant, and demonstrated commitment to the specialty (http://nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NRMP-2018-Program-Director-Survey-for-WWW.pdf).
If you are committed to matching a residency in Boston, then attending BU will be an advantage. If you want to match elsewhere in the country, I don't think UF puts you at a disadvantage vs. attending BU. Where and what you match into will be more a consequence of the work you put into the next four years.
For me, cost is going to ultimately decide where I attend. For you, if you cannot identify a single quantitative factor that will guide your decision, then I recommend going with your gut!
I'm making a similar decision with UF vs. an expensive OOS private school, and I will probably end up attending UF. I'm an older non-trad than you, but I am pretty confident that I would be happy in Gainesville for 4 years. It is a college town, but remember there is a large grad student and faculty population so it's not just 18-22 year-olds. Nothing can match living in a large, diverse city, but you may find you like life in a small town at least for a short time. The weather is wonderful in Gainesville from October/November to April/May, so you'll probably find yourself happier during the winter months. There are lots of outdoor activities to do, and the student body seems close-knit. Being able to walk or ride your bike to campus year-round is a reality. It will be a very different life than living Boston, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
If you look at residency director surveys, only 50% of residency directors list "being a graduate of a highly regarded US medical school" as being a factor at all in selecting for interview, and only 38% list the same as being a factor in ranking the applicant. I don't know if there is a big enough difference in the ranking between BU and UF for it to be significant during residency apps (I think this more comes into play when you're talking about a UF grad vs. a grad from a T20). There are many other more important factors, like board scores, letters of rec, class ranking, audition rotation performance, interview performance, personal statement, prior familiarity with the applicant, and demonstrated commitment to the specialty (http://nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NRMP-2018-Program-Director-Survey-for-WWW.pdf).
If you are committed to matching a residency in Boston, then attending BU will be an advantage. If you want to match elsewhere in the country, I don't think UF puts you at a disadvantage vs. attending BU. Where and what you match into will be more a consequence of the work you put into the next four years.
For me, cost is going to ultimately decide where I attend. For you, if you cannot identify a single quantitative factor that will guide your decision, then I recommend going with your gut!
I'm currently dealing with this on the other side-- I feel like other programs feel new and shiny compared to UF, where I'm at! I don't know if I can give much insight to your decision, but I definitely think feeling like your home program is less exciting is normal. I don't think you can go wrong- and maybe financial aid info could help the decision!
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UF has a level 1 trauma center btw. And the cases that the regional hospitals can't deal with go to Shands. Just something to think about.
I've been accepted at private school which maybe be a wee bit better than UF but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go to UF.
I've been accepted at private school which maybe be a wee bit better than UF but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go to UF.
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For me, price. Lol and the other school I am considering is Wake Forest. Wake is a little better in terms of what residency directors prefer, but if I do well on the Steps, no one can fault me for picking the best state school in my state.
And I like warm weather.
And I like warm weather.
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@CheeseIsLife and @FlGrl78 should just come to UF and be my roommates. I’m an older non trad and don’t wanna live with 18-22 year olds either.
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To be fair, when I was 26ish, I moved to a college town for a PhD. Part of why I hated my life was that the dating pool was dismal for someone in her late 20s, early 30s.
I had eharmony and okcupid (back then) and I already knew everyone with whom I had common interests.
I totally understand if you want to be in a big city if you don’t want to put your life on hold. Then again, you’d be in med school and you’ll probably meet someone in the medical community anyway. And there’s less time in med school than a PhD program to ponder the meaning of life.
I had eharmony and okcupid (back then) and I already knew everyone with whom I had common interests.
I totally understand if you want to be in a big city if you don’t want to put your life on hold. Then again, you’d be in med school and you’ll probably meet someone in the medical community anyway. And there’s less time in med school than a PhD program to ponder the meaning of life.
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I’m making a very similar (almost identical) decision right now. While the loans are intimidating, the draw of a more name brand school and a more vibrant city (I’ll be starting MS1 at 23) is just really exciting to me. It sounds like you have good reasons to pick either! Both are awesome schools. From my perspective, it seems your gut is telling you to stay at BU, and with your familiarity/connections it seems you’ll be set up for success there. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk it out more!
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