Case Western vs. Boston University

[OliveMDToBe]

I feel so grateful to have gotten into both schools as I like both of them a lot - but that means I’m very confused about picking one.

A little about me: Current LA resident with the plan to move back to CA. I’m uncertain about which residency I want to pursue, but I want to set myself up for being able to pursue a competitive residency if that’s what I choose later on. I’ve received a small scholarship from BU and most likely won’t be receiving anything from Case so the cost would actually even out between the two ~ therefore cost for me is not a deciding factor.


Case Western - University Program
Pros

• Most Important: Cleveland Clinic - good connections, good research ops - results in better opportunities for matching in the future
• Case doesn’t have AOA anymore - so potentially less competition / more collaborative env
• I’ve heard the students are really tight-knit
• They will most likely be starting in person in the Fall (BU hasn’t said anything about this yet)
• dedicated research time

Cons

• Though I like PBL and small group learning I’m a bit worried that I’ll get tired of the heavy reliance of it in case’s curriculum, bit worried about having less structure - but ultimately unsure of this
• Not a fan of Cleveland from what I’ve seen virtually - but I have never been in person (though throughout my life I’ve lived in metropolitan cities, suburbs, and rural areas and I MUCH prefer cities)
• Written exams rather than MC

Boston University
Pros

• I’ve been to Boston and LOVE the city so much
• Social justice focus - (specifically interested in working with their Immigrant and Refugee Health Center)
• Diverse population - which is very important to me

Cons

• Might not get mentors/PIs that are as prominent in their field as I would at Cleveland Clinic? ~ therefore potentially not as strong research opps or LORs?
• I’ve heard that the students aren’t as close/tight-knit - not sure if this is true though

Extra notes:

My research experience thus far has been quite minimal and I worry that I won’t be at the pace/level of my peers in terms of research skills so an institution that has a bit more guidance/mentorship in terms of research would be a pro but I don’t know which if either of the schools are like that. I have heard from a current student that Case’s weakness is its lack of advising for current students ~ but this was one person’s opinion so again I don’t know how true it is.


Summary:

As far as location and lifestyle goes I much prefer Boston but feel like I’d be giving up great opportunities/connections by not taking advantage of my access to Cleveland Clinic. With STEP 1 going P/F I’m not sure how much significance I should place on the name/prestige of clinical partners in terms of making myself more competitive for residency.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gomernation]

My vote goes to BU. Prestige of clinical affiliates is not as important as you think. What's important is doing away rotations at the institution you want to do your residency at and the letters of recommendation you get from preceptors there. Your pros for Case are underwhelming compared to your pros for BU and your cons are worse for Case than BU. Quality research projects are accessible at both schools. Also as an FYI many BU students hop onto research projects at MGH/BWH

 

[Orims]

I believe that BU has a collaboration with Kaiser Permanente in the San Francisco Bay Area through which you can do most of your MS3 clinical rotations in Santa Clara and San Jose. This could be really helpful in matching back to CA!

 

[OliveMDToBe]

My vote goes to BU. Prestige of clinical affiliates is not as important as you think. What's important is doing away rotations at the institution you want to do your residency at and the letters of recommendation you get from preceptors there. Your pros for Case are underwhelming compared to your pros for BU and your cons are worse for Case than BU. Quality research projects are accessible at both schools. Also as an FYI many BU students hop onto research projects at MGH/BWH

Thanks for your input!

 

[OliveMDToBe]

I believe that BU has a collaboration with Kaiser Permanente in the San Francisco Bay Area through which you can do most of your MS3 clinical rotations in Santa Clara and San Jose. This could be really helpful in matching back to CA!

Yes! I def have my eyes on that haha

 

[MongutheDoggy]

My vote goes to BU because both are great schools, but Boston is much better than Cleveland imho

 

[SurgOnc1d]

Im team Case. BU has to compete with like 50 medical schools in Boston for spots on research lol. Also case hasn’t given out scholarship yet so don’t lose hope I’m waiting for it with you!

 

[squids82]

I believe only Lerner students have all guaranteed clerkships at CC whereas university students can get some via lottery (if that part is an important factor)

 

[SurgOnc1d]

I believe only Lerner students have all guaranteed clerkships at CC whereas university students can get some via lottery (if that part is an important factor)

Nah there’s a longitudinal Cleveland clinic program for UP students who can do all there rotations there

 

[squids82]

Nah there’s a longitudinal Cleveland clinic program for UP students who can do all there rotations there

My mistake! I thought it was lottery but that’s great you can just opt in!

I definitely think that’s something to weigh more then since CC is a VERY well recognized clinical environment

 

[gomernation]

My mistake! I thought it was lottery but that’s great you can just opt in!

I definitely think that’s something to weigh more then since CC is a VERY well recognized clinical environment

Also important to consider how much you’ll be able to do as a student doctor at a place like CC vs BMC

 

[squids82]

Also important to consider how much you’ll be able to do as a student doctor at a place like CC vs BMC

The information I've gotten from CCLCM has really emphasized the importance they place on training students there so I'd imagine it would be similar for the UP students! Not sure about BMC though

 

[OliveMDToBe]

Also important to consider how much you’ll be able to do as a student doctor at a place like CC vs BMC

I had originally heard that students don't get to do much at CC, but on the other hand students at BMC get a lot of hands-on experience. I spoke to two current students at Case and they said that wasn't true but it might have just been their personal experience.

 

[OliveMDToBe]

I was also worried about there being too many medschools in Boston, but after having spoken to several current students at BU they made it seem like it didn't end up mattering much. Two of them also had done research at Harvard affiliated hospitals, so that makes me wonder if it ends up making any difference that there are two other medschools there.

Every current student I've talked to from both schools loves their school a lot, so that makes it harder to choose but it's a good problem to have haha.

 

[buffalo bill]

What do you want to do with your career post medical school? Do you want to spend most of your time serving the disenfranchised, working more along the social science aspect of medicine? BU may be the better choice. Do you want to try to break into research and go down a more biomedically oriented career? Case may be the way to go.

Most important since cost isn't a factor: Where do you feel you fit in culturally? Medical school is a brutal journey, but it is a bit easier if you feel like you belong and vibe with the people around you.

I do want to note that unless you are in Lerner COM, most CWRU rotations are not guaranteed to be at CC and are most likely to be within their University Health program.

 

[KatsuCurry]

BU and Case are also the 2 acceptances that I have rn and I'm leaning Case at the moment.

• Talking to current physicians and people in health care, Case does have a reputation edge over BU. While BU has generally been in the 30-40 range on USNews Research (whose rankings aren't not gospel I know), Case has generally never fallen outside of #25.
• Related to the first bullet point, Case has a superior match list. Case matches more students into competitive specialties and generally matches its graduates into more prestigious hospitals. I'm interested in ophthalmology, so this is of pretty high importance to me.
• I visited BUSM's campus and was pretty underwhelmed by it. It's not in the nicest part of Boston and the medical school building doesn't really have any bells or whistles. I plan on visiting Case next week, but have been very impressed by the HEC.

On the other hand, Boston is a nice city with plenty of things to do (went for undergrad) and definitely sunnier than Cleveland. But both are probably similarly cold in the winter. I will also say that the accepted students groupme at BU is more friendly and casual than it is at Case's at the moment lol. But I think that over time, given the more in-person focus at Case, Case's student body tends to get closer? So all in all, Case's pros outweigh the cons for me.

 

[OliveMDToBe]

BU and Case are also the 2 acceptances that I have rn and I'm leaning Case at the moment.

• Talking to current physicians and people in health care, Case does have a reputation edge over BU. While BU has generally been in the 30-40 range on USNews Research (whose rankings aren't not gospel I know), Case has generally never fallen outside of #25.
• Related to the first bullet point, Case has a superior match list. Case matches more students into competitive specialties and generally matches its graduates into more prestigious hospitals. I'm interested in ophthalmology, so this is of pretty high importance to me.
• I visited BUSM's campus and was pretty underwhelmed by it. It's not in the nicest part of Boston and the medical school building doesn't really have any bells or whistles. I plan on visiting Case next week, but have been very impressed by the HEC.

On the other hand, Boston is a nice city with plenty of things to do (went for undergrad) and definitely sunnier than Cleveland. But both are probably similarly cold in the winter. I will also say that the accepted students groupme at BU is more friendly and casual than it is at Case's at the moment lol. But I think that over time, given the more in-person focus at Case, Case's student body tends to get closer? So all in all, Case's pros outweigh the cons for me.

Thanks for sharing your perspective! Definitely agree with everything you said. I'm just not sure how much I should factor in location into my decision. I haven't been to BU's campus though, I plan on visiting both campuses near the end of April. I also noticed the difference in the groupmes - but I'm hoping we get a better sense of the vibe of other students at second look. Really thankful that their second looks don't overlap.