Charles Drew/UCLA vs. UTSW

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texmex11

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Committed to UTSW then heard from Charles Drew. Two more days to decide!

UTSW:
$: Tuition/fees scholarship
-close to family/friends

Charles Drew/UCLA Notes:
$: Tuition/fees/room/board scholarship

Unsure how to compare reputation, given that Charles Drew is affiliated with UCLA.

Any and all advice is appreciated!

(I also want to express that I am incredibly grateful and fully aware of how phenomenal it is to have been offered substantial scholarships to two amazing school. Therefore, I want to make the best possible decision)

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Both awesome choices, UCLA rep is slightly better but not a significant difference imo

Really comes down to whether you want to go on an adventure and experience life in LA or not

Personally I would go with Charles Drew, weather plus no debt is too good to pass up
 
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Thanks @JPmoleymole and @dark_knight ! One thing about the UCLA rep though is that I'm not sure if the reputation carries the same way for Charles Drew/UCLA students
The Drew program is within the David Geffen School of Medicine, you get your degree from UCLA. In addition, you have the resources and faculty from Charles Drew to assist with research and underserved, drew-specific clerkships around LA. From second look weekend, we (UCLA/Drew) Program are just one of the differentiated groups at UCLA including MSTP and PRIME, so I wouldn’t worry about reputation, you would be a UCLA Med student + some more opportunities to serve certain parts of LA and populations otherwise unavailable to normal Geffen students
 
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The Drew program is within the David Geffen School of Medicine, you get your degree from UCLA. In addition, you have the resources and faculty from Charles Drew to assist with research and underserved, drew-specific clerkships around LA. From second look weekend, we (UCLA/Drew) Program are just one of the differentiated groups at UCLA including MSTP and PRIME, so I wouldn’t worry about reputation, you would be a UCLA Med student + some more opportunities to serve certain parts of LA and populations otherwise unavailable to normal Geffen students

Thank you for clarifying @halamadrid17 ! I'm happy I got in, but wish I'd been notified sooner since I would've loved a second visit. I already have an apartment and everything in Dallas so this is really shaking things up. Do you mind sharing a little bit about why you chose Charles Drew? If you want to message me directly rather than post that's okay!
 
Thank you for clarifying @halamadrid17 ! I'm happy I got in, but wish I'd been notified sooner since I would've loved a second visit. I already have an apartment and everything in Dallas so this is really shaking things up. Do you mind sharing a little bit about why you chose Charles Drew? If you want to message me directly rather than post that's okay!

UCLA Admission's team doesn't understand timing for some reason :/

Definitely consider reaching out to administration to see if they would be willing to put you in contact with any current students who could answer your questions or concerns.

This is a difficult decision but either way it's a win-win. Both schools will provide you an excellent education.

I like UCLA for you because it's a new experience and with Drew you'll have some great experiences working with underserved. Doesn't hurt that UCLA has world renowned reputation and it's FREE!

However, that's not to say other factors are not important. Family and friend support is essential. Weigh them both in your mind and go with your heart. Either way you'll be making a good decision. Best of luck to you!
 
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@dark_knight Thanks for the support! I actually arranged calls with a 4th year and a 2nd year student today--the administration office was great about helping me with that. I think they know it's not a lot of time for such a big decision. And yes there are a LOT of positives about the Drew/UCLA program! It's just hard weighing objective against subjective factors. I am super lucky to have two great options though :) It kind of blows my mind haha
 
do you get the same degree/residency considerations as a strictly 4-year UCLA student? Sounds like a great opportunity though, would deff go Drew!
 
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@Phantomrih you receive a medical degree with both UCLA and Drew seals on it and I know the portal for residency stuff is separate from the UCLA students. But, from what I understand, you have the opportunity to train in the same hospitals, but Drew students have more opportunities to train in the county hospitals
 
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Not sure if I misunderstood, but if finding housing for UCLA was a concern don't forget they have Weyburn and other grad student complexes available to you. So you shouldn't have any issues in that area.
 
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Thanks for everyone's comments/votes!
Sorry for the suspense! I decided to stay with UT Southwestern :)

After talking with my mentors/research advisors about my personal goals/factors/situation/etc. UTSW came out as the better fit for me. Ultimately, being near my support network and the broader reach that UTSW has for residency (most Drew/UCLA students stay in LA/California) were my deciding factors. Both amazing opportunities, so it really was a difficult decision that came down to the nitty gritty of the two schools.
 
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