Cincinnati vs. Toledo vs. NEOMED

[Discount Fish Sticks]

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Hello! I'm a bit at a loss with all this and would really appreciate any insight.

My situation: I'm a nontrad, late 20s, married, and live in Cleveland with my husband. If I go to medical school outside of the area, I will relocate temporarily, but he'll stay here, because he has an amazing job that he understandably does not want to leave. (We've done the long-distance thing before - not ideal, but doable, and at least this time it's only a couple hours and not an ocean.) Future kids aren't an issue because we can't have and don't want them.

My goal after med school is to hopefully match to a residency program somewhere in or around Northeast Ohio. Cleveland is my home.

I'm currently interested in radiology and pathology. I don't know which school is stronger at these things (though I saw Toledo has the option of a combined rads/path elective?) I also don't know how you choose which is better. I don't know if my pros and cons are actual pros and cons, even.

NEOMED
Pros

• Within commuting distance, no need to move
• Nearby residencies in the specialties I'm interested in have have a large number of NEOMED graduates (though I don't know if that's just geographical bias?)
• I want to be in this area, so I'm assuming staying local would help me build connections?

Cons

• Lower-ranked by a lot (does this even matter?)
• I've heard it's hard to get research opportunities
• Seems like there's a heavy emphasis on primary care
• They're currently revamping the curriculum, so there may be hiccups there
• I've heard rotations can send you all over the place
• Fewest student orgs to be involved in
• Most expensive

Toledo
Pros

• Not too far away. I've heard of some students commuting from the Cleveland area, though I don't think that I'd want to do that.
• UToledo has a medical center, so rotations are mostly there
• Less expensive than NEOMED
• Higher-ranked than NEOMED

Cons

• Lower-ranked than Cincinnati
• Haven't seen students from UT match into the programs I'm interested in, in the specialties I'm interested in - but I don't know whether any applied

Cincinnati
Pros

• Highest-ranked of my choices
• UC has a medical center, so rotations are mostly there
• Easy to find research opportunities
• Less expensive than NEOMED
• Loved the vibe on Interview Day

Cons

• Farthest away; definitely need to relocate and it would be harder to come back to CLE for a visit
• Haven't seen students from UC match into the programs I'm interested in, in the specialties I'm interested in - but I don't know whether any applied

So, again, I want to hopefully match back to somewhere in northeast Ohio in rads or path. I really have no idea what factors I should be considering with that goal in mind. Help a poor old lady out, please?

Thank you!

 

[Banco]

I don't think you'll have any issues matching in Cleveland or it's neighboring area from any of these schools. In terms of "best" all around school, it's Cincinnati. In terms of your personal situation, Toledo may the best option.

Neomed being the most expensive and lowest rank should take it out of contention imo.

 

[Discount Fish Sticks]

Neomed being the most expensive and lowest rank should take it out of contention imo.

Thank you! I've, uh, had that thought in the back of my mind but it really helps to hear someone else say it. 🙂

 

[Sulcus fasciolaris]

I would echo what Banco said. I do not think going to Toledo precludes you from matching into the residencies you're interested in. I would also surmise that Cincinnati provides the best all around exposure, in terms of Research, and easy access to diverse surrounding medical centers.

 

[Achnologiast]

Cincinnati hands down - Much easier to find research opportunities in a productive lab and probably match since its top 50. Quality of instruction is phenomenal and they really focus on the fundamentals and what you need to know. Faculty are also really supportive and tons of resources to make sure you're successful.

 

[Qwerty122]

And just to throw this out there, I did my postbac masters at Cincy (where they allow you to take M1 classes for the majority) and I'm a current Toledo student, so I have experienced both med schools curriculum. They're pretty much 90% the same tbh.

Also I know I talked to you before in the DMs @Discount Fish Sticks , but if you haven't checked out the final review of Toledo, here's the post: 2020-2021 Toledo. Hopefully that can help you and others decide which school to choose.