guessedcargo
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- Aug 12, 2024
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Hey all! I was going to hold out to hear about scholarship opportunities from a couple of schools, but figured I'm running out of time.
#EDIT# I was accepted to Temple early this week (after April 15th), will be dropping one of these in the coming day or two.
CMSRU
Pros:
IS tuition (~47k annually)
P/F pre-clinical
Small class size (~110) - has always been my preferred environment
Emphasis on early and often clinical exposure with an ambulatory clerkship starting in M1 fall
Strong culture and great sense of community from interviews/ASD/conversations with alumni
Matched 3 students in the specialty I am interested in to great programs
No need to drive for clinical (across the street from the hospital)
Small group learning (in-person is good for me)
Very strong emphasis on community outreach and working within the Camden environment (I value training in the urban area)
* Opportunity to live in Philadelphia (having never lived in an urban environment, something that I see as a great opportunity, but lmk if this is delusional)
***Gut feeling
Cons:
Newer program and less prestigious overall match (compared to RWJMS and NJMS)
Less research funding (compared to RWJMS and NJMS)
Underdeveloped global health department
Less scholarship opportunities (unsure of how true this is)
RWJMS
Pros:
Great Name
Cheapest tuition (45k annually)
P/F pre-clinical
Established program with a very prestigious match
Strong research funding (summer program included) and established opportunities in global health
Matched 3 students in the specialty I am interested in to great programs
Brand new campus being built across the street from New Brunswick Hospital next year (tentative but still awesome)
A dedicated Learning Department to help students study for each exam (General wellness opportunities)
Cons:
Larger class (~170)
High CoL
Clinical lottery system (might end up doing clinical at smaller RWJBH hospitals, where the training might not be as strong as in NB)
^ Going off of that, possibly needing to drive ~45 minutes for clinical
Need a car to drive between Piscataway and New Brunswick (traffic is a nightmare here)
Switching campuses between M1 and M2
No structured early clinical exposure (not super important)
n=1 but a friend had a very competitive and cutthroat experience here
Competition for certain extracurricular and engagement programs
Living in NB (undergrad vibe) or Piscataway (suburban NJ)
*Merging with NJMS, nobody knows exactly what this will entail yet
NJMS:
Pros:
Same tuition as RWJMS
P/F pre-clinical
VERY strong match for the specialty that I am interested in (8 people to great programs)
Strong match historically in general (similar prestige as RWJMS)
Linked to the hospital physically
Strongest research funding in NJ (summer program included) and established opportunities in global health
Cons:
Larger class (~160)
Virtual medical school (trusted sources tell me there is minimal sense of culture here)
n=1, but a friend had an even more competitive and cutthroat experience here
Historically viewed as competitive (b/c of graded pre-clerkship, although that changes this year)
Need a car
Living in Newark / Harrison or taking the PATH train in from Jersey City (30 min commute)
No structured early clinical exposure (not super important)
Older facilities
Fewer scholarship opportunities
*Merging with RWJMS, nobody knows exactly what this will entail yet
LKSOM:
Sort of unsure of this school's reputation, honestly. Going to check it out on Friday.
Pros:
P/F pre-clerkship
Great research opportunities
Well-developed global health program
Very strong emphasis on community outreach and working within the Philadelphia area (I value training in the urban area)
Beautiful facilities (across the street from the primary hospital - but still will need to drive for some clinical)
* Opportunity to live in Philadelphia (having never lived in an urban environment, something that I see as a great opportunity, but lmk if this is delusional)
Cons:
******Tuition is ~60k (will not be attending unless they match my IS)
Need car
Large class (~190)
Fewer opportunities for personalization
The match of interest specialty was weaker
Clerkships can be very far away (2+ hours driving and living near those areas throughout rotation)
I am leaning strongly towards CMSRU, but my decision could be swayed by any last-minute scholarship opportunities (following the WCI advice of "go to the cheapest medical school you can"). Any input would be greatly appreciated.
#EDIT# I was accepted to Temple early this week (after April 15th), will be dropping one of these in the coming day or two.
CMSRU
Pros:
IS tuition (~47k annually)
P/F pre-clinical
Small class size (~110) - has always been my preferred environment
Emphasis on early and often clinical exposure with an ambulatory clerkship starting in M1 fall
Strong culture and great sense of community from interviews/ASD/conversations with alumni
Matched 3 students in the specialty I am interested in to great programs
No need to drive for clinical (across the street from the hospital)
Small group learning (in-person is good for me)
Very strong emphasis on community outreach and working within the Camden environment (I value training in the urban area)
* Opportunity to live in Philadelphia (having never lived in an urban environment, something that I see as a great opportunity, but lmk if this is delusional)
***Gut feeling
Cons:
Newer program and less prestigious overall match (compared to RWJMS and NJMS)
Less research funding (compared to RWJMS and NJMS)
Underdeveloped global health department
Less scholarship opportunities (unsure of how true this is)
RWJMS
Pros:
Great Name
Cheapest tuition (45k annually)
P/F pre-clinical
Established program with a very prestigious match
Strong research funding (summer program included) and established opportunities in global health
Matched 3 students in the specialty I am interested in to great programs
Brand new campus being built across the street from New Brunswick Hospital next year (tentative but still awesome)
A dedicated Learning Department to help students study for each exam (General wellness opportunities)
Cons:
Larger class (~170)
High CoL
Clinical lottery system (might end up doing clinical at smaller RWJBH hospitals, where the training might not be as strong as in NB)
^ Going off of that, possibly needing to drive ~45 minutes for clinical
Need a car to drive between Piscataway and New Brunswick (traffic is a nightmare here)
Switching campuses between M1 and M2
No structured early clinical exposure (not super important)
n=1 but a friend had a very competitive and cutthroat experience here
Competition for certain extracurricular and engagement programs
Living in NB (undergrad vibe) or Piscataway (suburban NJ)
*Merging with NJMS, nobody knows exactly what this will entail yet
NJMS:
Pros:
Same tuition as RWJMS
P/F pre-clinical
VERY strong match for the specialty that I am interested in (8 people to great programs)
Strong match historically in general (similar prestige as RWJMS)
Linked to the hospital physically
Strongest research funding in NJ (summer program included) and established opportunities in global health
Cons:
Larger class (~160)
Virtual medical school (trusted sources tell me there is minimal sense of culture here)
n=1, but a friend had an even more competitive and cutthroat experience here
Historically viewed as competitive (b/c of graded pre-clerkship, although that changes this year)
Need a car
Living in Newark / Harrison or taking the PATH train in from Jersey City (30 min commute)
No structured early clinical exposure (not super important)
Older facilities
Fewer scholarship opportunities
*Merging with RWJMS, nobody knows exactly what this will entail yet
LKSOM:
Sort of unsure of this school's reputation, honestly. Going to check it out on Friday.
Pros:
P/F pre-clerkship
Great research opportunities
Well-developed global health program
Very strong emphasis on community outreach and working within the Philadelphia area (I value training in the urban area)
Beautiful facilities (across the street from the primary hospital - but still will need to drive for some clinical)
* Opportunity to live in Philadelphia (having never lived in an urban environment, something that I see as a great opportunity, but lmk if this is delusional)
Cons:
******Tuition is ~60k (will not be attending unless they match my IS)
Need car
Large class (~190)
Fewer opportunities for personalization
The match of interest specialty was weaker
Clerkships can be very far away (2+ hours driving and living near those areas throughout rotation)
I am leaning strongly towards CMSRU, but my decision could be swayed by any last-minute scholarship opportunities (following the WCI advice of "go to the cheapest medical school you can"). Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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