Case Western vs Vanderbilt

[lightaxel0]

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Hello everyone! I'm in the fortunate position of selecting between Case and Vandy. I'm having some trouble deciding between the two. I'm personally interested in academic medicine and maybe thinking about oncology but not too sure yet.

Case Pros:
*Can do clerkships at Cleveland Clinic
*Really nice new building
*Curriculum seems really nice, especially with the new Microsoft Hololens for Anatomy
*Received some money as part of a Deans Scholarship

Case Cons:
*More unfamiliar with Cleveland as a location, not sure how I'll like it

Vandy Pros:
*Slightly higher rank
*Had a better vibe on interview day (did not go to either second look though)
*Smaller class size
*More familiar with city

Vandy Cons:
*No scholarship, so more expensive

 

[meronebib]

What exactly is the difference in price here?

 

[freedoctor17]

Vandy without scholarships comes out to around 300k over the 4 years. If case is more than 100k cheaper I'd say go to case. Both are really good places. Vanderbilt is probably the better location though, especially weather wise. Their class size is also a bit smaller which is nice and the 1 year vs 2 year preclinical is important to consider.

Edit: typos

 

[lightaxel0]

The cost difference would be about 80K after 4 years.

 

[meronebib]

The cost difference would be about 80K after 4 years.

Hmm yeah that’s a tough choice. Vanderbilt is the stronger school, reputation-wise (from residency director scores). Whether that actually helps you with anything is debatable. Their curriculum is intense, but they also consistently score high on Step (I think they had a 246 average last year). Nashville is, in my opinion, significantly nicer than Cleveland. Even though it’s going to cost you 80k more, I personally lean more towards Vanderbilt, just because I feel I would be happier there. But you can’t go wrong with either choice!

 

[YellowCharmander]

Can’t go wrong with either choice, however, Nashville BBQ and those high Step scores are tough to pass up.

 

[lightaxel0]

Thank you guys for your help!!

 

[Konkurro]

Did you choose

Thank you guys for your help!!

 

[lightaxel0]

I still have a few days to decide, but almost certainly going with Vandy. Med school anywhere is definitely going to test some emotional limits haha, so I prioritized things like predicted happiness, school culture, and closeness to home.

 

[freedoctor17]

I still have a few days to decide, but almost certainly going with Vandy. Med school anywhere is definitely going to test some emotional limits haha, so I prioritized things like predicted happiness, school culture, and closeness to home.

That's probably for the best.


Edit: just to clarify on this, I'm referring to the fact that you're choosing based on important factors like the ones you listed and not just going to vandy because it's higher ranked. In this case I'd say the cost difference would be worth it as long as you're not too worried about paying it off later (i think people dead set on primary care usually want to go with the cheaper option).