DocCirno
Full Member
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2019
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Hey everyone. I've been able to narrow down my choices to these two schools. I am having a tough time deciding between the two mainly due to cost. I am going to pay OOS tuition at Carver but I have received generous grant/ scholarship annual money where I would only have to take out roughly $30k per year in loans. Many students at Carver also talked about returning excess loan amounts during the end of the semester so that figure could be lower. UIC (IS) gave me no scholarships or grants and I would have to take out roughly $55k per year in loans. I currently live in Chicago with my family and I would love to stay close around but many of the doctors I have shadowed for recommend going to Carver to save a lot of money. I am not sure what type of medicine I would like to practice but I would definitely want to keep the doors open for more competitive specialties. I need some help!
Carver (Iowa)
UIC COM
The edge right now is on Iowa, I suppose. There might be more merit on pre-clinical grades considering that Step 1 has become pass/ fail when it comes to trying to match. This may make it being taken during M3 seem like less of a con? Personally I would love to stay in the city and I would attend UIC if it was more affordable but again I also don't want to underestimate the amount of debt I will be in the future.
Thank you!
Carver (Iowa)
Pros
- Scholarship and grant money drastically lowering CoA
- Early core clerkships during M2, shorter pre-clinical curriculum, get into the hospital quicker.
- Stellar facilities and hospital
- Unrelated to ranks, I have heard many people talking about how Carver is favorable among residency directors when it comes to competitive specialties. They have a very good reputation.
- I am pretty indifferent when it comes to Iowa City. I would not mind moving there.
- Admissions really seems to want students to come. They have sent multiple phone calls, texts, and emails from office directors. They've also mailed me goodies.
Cons
- Questionable curriculum choices. This is in regards to the grading scale (honors/ near honors/ pass/ fail) and Step 1 being taken during M3. Only 4 weeks dedicated too.
- 3.5-hour drive back to Chicago. While I think it is manageable now, I know that I will be largely separated from my support group (SO and immediate family)
- The students seemed happy during the interview but there seems to be an air of competitiveness the more I read into the student body.
- This might be a bit more of a personal preference. I do not mind moving to Iowa City as a whole but I could not seem to find an apartment that I liked while I was looking online.
Pros
- Close to home and support group. My cousin is actually an M4 here currently so that it would easy to get some guidance.
- Pass/ fail grading system, low stress.
- I really enjoy the curriculum being broken up into blocks with ample time for synthesis/ break sprinkled throughout. Plenty of time to study for exams.
- Large repertoire of hospitals to rotate in.
- Chicago. It is a city I'm familiar with. UIC COM is also just a train ride downtown.
Cons
- No scholarships. Full CoA will have to paid for by loans.
- Chicago. I have heard that the school is located close to a dangerous part of the city. A lot of the doctors I have shadowed told me stories about them or their colleagues being mugged or robbed somehow. Plus, the cost of living is higher here. I could get a 1 bedroom apartment in Iowa City for cheaper than what a studio would cost here.
- Medical facilities that I saw during the interview did not wow me in the same way that Iowa did.
Thank you!
