Case Western vs UNM (Full-Tuition)

[Decisions.com]

Hello everyone,
I am new to SDN but I really need advise on this important decision. I narrowed my options to Case Western and my state school (University of New Mexico). I really like both schools as far as their environment and the vibe I got from their second look. I feel that both (in different ways) have the culture and environment I see during medical education. I have always lived in the Southwest so moving to Cleveland would be a big change for me. However I also consider myself an adventurer so that might not have a big impact. My biggest concerns are debt and my career options after med school. I am interested in ortho and I am not sure how much the school name plays a role in residency matches (however I would like to keep an open mind in case I like other specialties). I eventually would like to end up in the Southwest for residency. Any opinions would be much appreciated.

Case Western
Pros

• Love the curriculum with so much PBL.
• Teaching hospitals are outstanding.
• A lot of research opportunities.
• The match list is outstanding with a variety of sub-specialty matches.
• Students say that they have a lot of free time so that allows for pursuing personal interest and wellness.

Cons

• Main factor is money. Even though I was blessed to get a scholarship I would still accumulate ~$170K in debt over the 4 years.
• Away from home.
• Living in a very different city.
• Large class size.

UNM
Pros

• Got a full-tuition scholarship so I would be out of med school with very little debt (~$22K)
• Only med school and main health care campus in the entire state of NM so it allows for experiencing very diverse populations and a variety of medical cases.
• Class-size is small and mostly in-state students which creates a very tight-knit community.
• Very good rankings for primary care.

Cons

• Match list is mostly primary care (very little subspecialties).
• Low rank in research.

Summary: I guess my biggest concern is that UNM is not a big name school and I don't know how much does prestige or school name affects for residency matches, especially because I am interested in such competitive residency such as ortho. Would case be worth the ~$170K?
Again thanks for the advise!

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[precisiongraphic]

I don't know much about UNM so I may not be giving the best advice.

But I think in this case - pun intended - that you would be interested in the Match List for UNM for the past few years to see how many matched ortho and where they went. And a call to someone in admissions at UNM might be helpful. If you were going to do IM or FM at UNM that would be different.

If you are comfortable going that far from home and being away from your support system, Case might give you more choices.

After you talk to UNM it might become clearer.

Hello everyone,
I am new to SDN but I really need advise on this important decision. I narrowed my options to Case Western and my state school (University of New Mexico). I really like both schools as far as their environment and the vibe I got from their second look. I feel that both (in different ways) have the culture and environment I see during medical education. I have always lived in the Southwest so moving to Cleveland would be a big change for me. However I also consider myself an adventurer so that might not have a big impact. My biggest concerns are debt and my career options after med school. I am interested in ortho and I am not sure how much the school name plays a role in residency matches (however I would like to keep an open mind in case I like other specialties). I eventually would like to end up in the Southwest for residency. Any opinions would be much appreciated.

Case Western
Pros

• Love the curriculum with so much PBL.
• Teaching hospitals are outstanding.
• A lot of research opportunities.
• The match list is outstanding with a variety of sub-specialty matches.
• Students say that they have a lot of free time so that allows for pursuing personal interest and wellness.

Cons

• Main factor is money. Even though I was blessed to get a scholarship I would still accumulate ~$170K in debt over the 4 years.
• Away from home.
• Living in a very different city.
• Large class size.

UNM
Pros

• Got a full-tuition scholarship so I would be out of med school with very little debt (~$22K)
• Only med school and main health care campus in the entire state of NM so it allows for experiencing very diverse populations and a variety of medical cases.
• Class-size is small and mostly in-state students which creates a very tight-knit community.
• Very good rankings for primary care.

Cons

• Match list is mostly primary care (very little subspecialties).
• Low rank in research.

Summary: I guess my biggest concern is that UNM is not a big name school and I don't know how much does prestige or school name affects for residency matches, especially because I am interested in such competitive residency such as ortho. Would case be worth the ~$170K?
Again thanks for the advise!

 

[WillianIAm]

Debt is definitely a factor but if you're looking into matching into a competitive specialty such as ortho, that 170k is a drop in the bucket even after interest. Case is the superior name and will likely open doors easier for you if all other things were the same--however, the individual's efforts trump the school recognition by a mile. You can't go wrong here either way. It seems like you're in love with Case already based on what you've said. If your priorities are torn between money and what kind of training you'll be receiving, I would follow the latter. Are you worried about proximity to family at all?

 

[Overthink]

Case Western has the second or third highest match % into Orto according to MSAR. Not necessarily a deciding factor, but it seems the environment is supportive for that speciality.

 

[deev04]

If you want to do residency in the Southwest, UNM is going to punch above its "ranking" in the southwest since it is more well-known there (compared to its recognition nationally) and residency programs likely have a history of taking UNM students, since a higher % typically want to stay in the region. Case is not going to hold you back from matching in the SW and is by far the more recognizable national name. Case would also definitely improve your chances at matching to more nationally known residency programs outside of the SW, although there's never any guarantees at the top. However, if this is not something that is that important to you, and it isn't for many (which is why interpreting match lists is so hard), than going with a program that is much cheaper and closer to home won't close any doors. People from all tiers of MD schools (including low tier) match to competitive specialties, they are just less likely to match to the Harvard/UCSF/JHU residencies in those specialties. Pedigree also matters much less outside of top tier academia and certainly outside of those cities/regions. UNM has an Ortho department and residency and is the major medical center for the state. That more people match primary care won't necessarily affect you. If you want to do Ortho, just take advantage of the great opportunities there and make sure to check all the academic boxes (scores, grades).