BU vs UMiami

[themightychondrion]

Hi all,

I'm super grateful to have been accepted to two programs I really like, but I'm having a bit of trouble deciding which makes the most sense

Boston U

Pros
- Strong emphasis on public health/social justice/underserved populations, which is exactly what I want in a school
- Great research opportunities. Very interested in infectious diseases and the opportunity to do research at NEIDL, which houses one of 13 BSL-4 labs in the US, would be incredible
- Planning on doing MPH and BU's public health program is T10. Also, potentially the opportunity to do the MPH at Harvard
- Renowned clinical opportunities at BMC as well as other affiliates
- Fantastic match list. Many students match to Mass Gen, Brigham and Women's, Beth Israel Deaconess, etc
- Ranked higher than UMiami in research, #30
- Been to Boston many times and loved it
- With Boston having tons of different professional and academic programs, it would be an excellent place to network
- Family in Boston, which to me is a huge plus

Cons
- Cost. Around $62k per year, plus high cost of living. School suggests taking approx 90k in loans each year, which is giant
- Cold winters (from SoCal)
- Not completely sure of this - but one of 3 medical schools in a small city. Potential competition for away rotations/match/resources?

UMiami

Pros
- $20k/year scholarship for all four years. This puts tuition at around $35k per year, making cheaper than my in-state options
- Also strong emphasis on public health/social justice/underserved populations
- Also great research opportunities with several top tier medical facilities (e.g. Bascom Palmer Eye Institue). Not sure how much better/worse compared to BU,
- Combined 4-year MD/MPH program with unique public health opportunities in Palm Beach County and Miami. This would save me a year and the loans of doing a 5-year MD/MPH program at BU
- Also excellent clinicals due to hugely diverse population and partnership with Jackson Memorial, as well as several other hospitals
- A surprisingly great match list. I think BU matches a bit better, but UMiami is not far behind at all
- Miami is also a great city that is a bit cheaper to live in than boston
- Really progressive curriculum where students start clerkships in their second year, rather than their third, and take
Step 1 and 2 at the same time
- From SoCal, so living in a more beachy city would be an easier transition.

Cons
- Ranked lower than BU/reputation not as strong?
- hot and crazy humid summers
- Farther from family


Boston U has been my top choice from the beginning, but I'm wondering if the pros outweigh the ginormous difference in tuition (Miami would be around 220k, BU would be around 350k), especially considering that Miami offers many similar opportunities and I liked the program as well. Any insight would be appreciated

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[TheDataKing]

Can you give a head to head COA comparison?

 

[themightychondrion]

Can you give a head to head COA comparison?

~220k for Miami, ~350k for BU

Just made this more clear in the original post. Thank you!

 

[TheDataKing]

if you really want to do an MD/MPH, Miami saves you time and money which is big... both schools are well regarded though BU is ranked higher (I'm not sure it's a huge difference but it could be depending on where you want to match). Having a support network in Boston would likely be helpful but at the end of the day if you want to get an MD/MPH and save money while still going to an amazing school, I personally would choose Miami but also see if BU can match the aid!