CCLCM vs UCLA

[Xinlitik]

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I am torn in two with this decision. Can anyone please offer some advice?


Some more info:

-I am interested in research but not sure about academic medicine as a career.

-I have family in LA.

-The cost analysis for me seems to be a difference of 90k, favoring CCLCM. About 50k if I were to commute from home.

-I enjoy PBL. I don't mind lectures.

-I am interested in Pathology (can't seem to find much information on what schools/hospitals have stronger path 😵)

-I am interested in west coast residency.

 

[dodobird1]

Was once considering this dilemma for a similar situation. CCLCM matches real well so you'd more than likely have the opportunity to return to CA if you wanted to but you'd also have more doors open to other great non-CA residencies if you change your mind down the road. The only bummer to CCLCM really seems to be living in Cleveland, which I think UCLA has the upper hand on that part. But what it came down to me is Cleveland couldn't be that bad and I'd rather focus on my career than location (which is overrated if you're busy anyway).

 

[dbeast]

Once you reach that level of schools, it's kind of like comparing apples to apples. Go with the cheaper apple.

 

[hellomd]

I have been stalking SDN for a whole year, but never posted until I read your post. First, I am waitlist at Mt. Sinai and accepted at Drexel so I am not a troll. Second, Case was my first choice. Don’t let money influence your choice too much. In the end which program is better and will help you get where you need to go, for me it was my dream to go to Case. It is a once in a life chance to go somewhere and have that experience. Besides look at the match list for case it shows many People coming back to CA at UCSF, UCLA etc. anyways just thought I would share some love on the Case side. 🙂 Good luck! I would like to know btw where you end up.

 

[FIREitUP]

That's a big difference. You dont want to commute, so i would go to CCLCM for sure, it has a great reputation and I think Myuu goes there so that's a plus, I guess.

 

[Xinlitik]

Thanks so much for the input guys.

I'm trying not to look at money too much because I think at the end of the day the difference wont be quite as large as the figure cited (4 yr means 1 more year of full salary, 1 less year of interest on unsubsidized loans). What concerns me more is the learning environment and location. Will the education at either be significantly better? I'm a little concerned about the weather in Cleveland, having grown up in SoCal. Any input from westerners moved east?

 

[yayschool]

I'll advocate for the other side. i interviewed at both schools but i'm locked in elsewhere. i thought cclcm seemed really weird. you have to wear professional dress to class every day, the library is closed on the weekends, the class is tiny so there's a bigger possibility you won't find people you really like to hang out with... plus cleveland was really the pits. i thought ucla was awesome. it was so laidback, the student center was awesome, the campus is amazing, great reputation. the money is certainly extremely important, though. i ended up going for a full scholarship, so i definitely understand the other opinions. but my cost difference was much more than yours. if i had your choices, i think i would pick ucla.

 

[dbeast]

I have been stalking SDN for a whole year, but never posted until I read your post. First, I am waitlist at Mt. Sinai and accepted at Drexel so I am not a troll. Second, Case was my first choice. Don’t let money influence your choice too much. In the end which program is better and will help you get where you need to go, for me it was my dream to go to Case. It is a once in a life chance to go somewhere and have that experience. Besides look at the match list for case it shows many People coming back to CA at UCSF, UCLA etc. anyways just thought I would share some love on the Case side. 🙂 Good luck! I would like to know btw where you end up.

Lulz, instant credibility.

Thanks so much for the input guys.

I'm trying not to look at money too much because I think at the end of the day the difference wont be quite as large as the figure cited (4 yr means 1 more year of full salary, 1 less year of interest on unsubsidized loans). What concerns me more is the learning environment and location. Will the education at either be significantly better? I'm a little concerned about the weather in Cleveland, having grown up in SoCal. Any input from westerners moved east?

Better? Nope. Different? Maybe... Do some research on the curriculum and see what sounds like a better fit for you.

 

[FIREitUP]

I'll advocate for the other side. i interviewed at both schools but i'm locked in elsewhere. i thought cclcm seemed really weird. you have to wear professional dress to class every day, the library is closed on the weekends, the class is tiny so there's a bigger possibility you won't find people you really like to hang out with... plus cleveland was really the pits. i thought ucla was awesome. it was so laidback, the student center was awesome, the campus is amazing, great reputation. the money is certainly extremely important, though. i ended up going for a full scholarship, so i definitely understand the other opinions. but my cost difference was much more than yours. if i had your choices, i think i would pick ucla.

Wow, sounds lame.

 

[Myuu]

That's a big difference. You dont want to commute, so i would go to CCLCM for sure, it has a great reputation and I think Myuu goes there so that's a plus, I guess.

Cleveland definitely has a much shorter commute than anything in LA would. Both schools are fantastic, but in my perfectly biased opinion, I would pick CCLCM.

Also, I'm at the university program, not the college program.

 

[tr0gd0r]

Eh, it's really not that hard to live close enough to everything you need around UCLA (you're just going to pay more for it than you will in Cleveland). You can live within easy walking (or biking) distance of school, grocery store, coffee, bars...and take a bus to the beach.

 

[FIREitUP]

Cleveland definitely has a much shorter commute than anything in LA would. Both schools are fantastic, but in my perfectly biased opinion, I would pick CCLCM.

Also, I'm at the university program, not the college program.

I meant commute from home b/c he's from LA, but you make a good point 🙂 What's the difference between the programs?

 

[378979]

I'm a southern California girl who moved to Pennsylvania for college, so I'll give you my input! Very bluntly:

The winter didn't suck - the first year. Not even the second. Third year, I was kind of tired of it. Fourth year, I hated it. I had no plans to ever move back to a cold place. Ever.

Then I went back home for two years, and I was very happy with my decision to never return to cold climates. Then I interviewed at some really great medical schools, and I forgot about winter.

Now I'm probably going to medical school at the University of Colorado, which was my first choice school. I'm waitlisted at UCLA (disclosure), and if I get in (doubtful), I have no idea which school I would pick because UCLA is extremely cheaper and does have a better location. I just don't find it as exciting.

So this is my advice: if you have people you love back home who are holding you back (significant other, extremely extremely tight family and/or friends, etc.), it's very difficult to be away from home for so long. It was for me. But if you love adventure and experiencing new things (as I do, too), go experience something new. You may never have the chance again, and it was a fantastic experience I wouldn't give up even for all the cold and lonely times.

And third and fourth year? You're going to spend all your time in the hospitals anyway. Sun? What's that, again?

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[vc7777]

OP -
It sounds like you want to stay close to family and eventually end up in California. Furthermore, you have already questioned your interest in a career in research. While any one of these is not a deal-breaker I think when you consider them all, you might be happier at UCLA. I think you should choose UCLA over coming here.

Best of luck.

 

[CCLCMer]

Hi Xinlitik,

Congrats on your acceptances. It's hard to decide between schools, but it's a good problem to have!

I wanted to address these questions.

What concerns me more is the learning environment and location.

I don't know anything about UCLA's med school, but CCLCM's learning environment is pretty different from other schools. You have to think about whether you like more of a small town kind of feel versus a big city kind of feel. Personally, I thought the learning environment at CCLCM was terrific, very supportive and collegial. There are no grades and no tests, so it's hard to imagine how the program could be made any less stressful. But it's definitely not the right environment for everyone.

As far as location goes, I guess I'd say the same thing. I'm not from Ohio either, and I had never been to Cleveland before I came to my Case/CCLCM interviews, so I didn't know what to expect. But I actually enjoyed living in Cleveland. It's not going to be like living in LA, and you have to go to Cleveland with a different expectation. But there were surprisingly a lot of fun places to go and things to do in Cleveland. I do think though that you have to make a lot more effort to search these things out than you would if you were in LA.

Will the education at either be significantly better?

Definitely not. The one good thing in your situation is that you have zero chance of making a bad decision. It feels like you have a lot of pressure on you right now to choose The Right School, but they're both right schools in terms of the quality of education that you'd get.

I'm a little concerned about the weather in Cleveland, having grown up in SoCal. Any input from westerners moved east?

The other thing, of course, is that the winters in Ohio are not very nice. Again, not coming from the Midwest, I wasn't gung-ho about that, and I never did learn to like winter. But I did learn to deal with it, because I felt like the program was worth it.

If I had to put my finger on your pulse, I think I have to agree with vc7777 that this program might not be the best fit for you. Nothing is going to change the weather in Ohio, the program is not going to move to CA, and the emphasis is on training clinician scientists. Personally, I'm glad I went to CCLCM, and I would choose it again in a heartbeat. But I'm not you, and if your heart lies with being in LA, then you should go to UCLA.

Good luck, and congrats again. 🙂

 

[CCLCMer]

I meant commute from home b/c he's from LA, but you make a good point 🙂 What's the difference between the programs?

Here's the link to the program descriptions on the Case Med School Admissions website.

 

[Xinlitik]

Thanks again for the input everyone, especially the in-depth responses from the CCLCMers. I think I've decided to go to UCLA. I just wish I could feel good about the decision, but I honestly dont think I would feel good about deciding either way. My next hurdle is informing the school. I feel awful--matriculation begins July 1st and I'm letting them know late May. Has anyone been in this situation? My gut tells me I should call to let them know, but I fear that that would be uncomfortable. Can I beg for one last bit of advice?

 

[hellomd]

Sad to see your taking the easy way out 🙁
But still best of luck.
and no clue about the proper etiquette there, maybe call since it is so close to school and your feeling bad about it.

 

[FIREitUP]

Thanks again for the input everyone, especially the in-depth responses from the CCLCMers. I think I've decided to go to UCLA. I just wish I could feel good about the decision, but I honestly dont think I would feel good about deciding either way. My next hurdle is informing the school. I feel awful--matriculation begins July 1st and I'm letting them know late May. Has anyone been in this situation? My gut tells me I should call to let them know, but I fear that that would be uncomfortable. Can I beg for one last bit of advice?

Dude, the application process is a relentless one. They certainly don't care about the applicants' feelings, so I don't see why you should care about theirs? Just email them and tell them so they can get on with finding someone to take your spot.

 

[Mr Karatepants]

Thanks again for the input everyone, especially the in-depth responses from the CCLCMers. I think I've decided to go to UCLA. I just wish I could feel good about the decision, but I honestly dont think I would feel good about deciding either way. My next hurdle is informing the school. I feel awful--matriculation begins July 1st and I'm letting them know late May. Has anyone been in this situation? My gut tells me I should call to let them know, but I fear that that would be uncomfortable. Can I beg for one last bit of advice?

Call or e-mail but whatever you do you owe it to them to notify them ASAP. You owe it both to the school, which on account of its small class and scholarship probably goes to great lengths to choose its students, and to everyone on the waitlist behind you. Short notice = bad.

 

[CCLCMer]

Thanks again for the input everyone, especially the in-depth responses from the CCLCMers. I think I've decided to go to UCLA. I just wish I could feel good about the decision, but I honestly dont think I would feel good about deciding either way. My next hurdle is informing the school. I feel awful--matriculation begins July 1st and I'm letting them know late May. Has anyone been in this situation? My gut tells me I should call to let them know, but I fear that that would be uncomfortable. Can I beg for one last bit of advice?

I wrote back to you in the Case thread where you said you already withdrew. But in case anyone else is reading this and wondering what to do when deciding between two schools, as soon as you make your final decision, you should let the school you're not going to attend know that you want to withdraw right away. Either calling or email is fine. In this specific case, the fact that CCLCM starts earlier than usual makes it even more essential for Dean Franco to have a headcount and finalize the class as early as possible. But you should let any school know that you're not going to attend as soon as you make your final decision to go somewhere else.

Xinlitik, like I said in the Case thread, you should feel good about your decision, not bad. You did the right thing for yourself, and you're going to help someone else whose first choice is CCLCM get the chance to go there. You win and so do they. Don't second guess your decision, and good luck with med school!

 

[Xinlitik]

I wrote back to you in the Case thread where you said you already withdrew. But in case anyone else is reading this and wondering what to do when deciding between two schools, as soon as you make your final decision, you should let the school you're not going to attend know that you want to withdraw right away. Either calling or email is fine. In this specific case, the fact that CCLCM starts earlier than usual makes it even more essential for Dean Franco to have a headcount and finalize the class as early as possible. But you should let any school know that you're not going to attend as soon as you make your final decision to go somewhere else.

Xinlitik, like I said in the Case thread, you should feel good about your decision, not bad. You did the right thing for yourself, and you're going to help someone else whose first choice is CCLCM get the chance to go there. You win and so do they. Don't second guess your decision, and good luck with med school!

Excellent advice. I sent off an email this morning as soon as I decided. I wanted to call because it's so much more personal, but I think an email/letter is sometimes a better medium for expressing difficult thoughts.