Colorado vs. UCI

[McDreamy34]

Hi everyone! I am very honored and thankful to potentially have these options but would have a very hard time choosing between them. If anyone has any insights that could help me with this decision I would really appreciate it! Thank you all so much for your help and advice!

UC Irvine (Waitlisted)
Pros:
-close to home (my mom lives in LA)
-students there seemed very happy
-ultrasound program seemed cool
-lots of neuroscience research (I am an aspiring pediatric neurologist)
-better chance of residency match in Southern California
-better weather
-near friends from college
-in-state tuition
-PRIME-LC program seems like it would really help my career both professionally and in terms of the skills and medical Spanish proficiency I would develop (can anyone speak to this?)

Cons:
-less prestige/less impressive national reputation
-have to drive 20-30 minutes from campus to hospitals
-would have to live driving distance from campus


Colorado (Accepted)
Pros:
-great campus
-hospitals and apartment buildings are right next to the education buildings, very walkable
-anatomy lab in first 10-week block seems great
-great national reputation
-still some matching into Southern California residencies (although not as much as UCI)
-people there seemed really kind and down-to-Earth
-lots of incredible research
-top 10 children’s hospital with highly reputable pediatric neurology department
-received some money so tuition would be the same price there as UCI for me

Cons:
-farther from family/friends
-cold weather (grew up in the Midwest and would prefer not to live in the cold again, but not a huge deal)
-not as much matching into CA residencies

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[lalalallala]

I would go with UCI. I don't think the prestige difference is important here. UCI is well respected and it will be a good choice if you want to match in California for residency. It will also be nice to have a support system near you. You could always do an away at the Colorado children's hospital for their neurology department. Some people really like to be separated from their home and work - not saying that's you - I'm just saying maybe you wouldn't mind the short drive!

 

[Quantal Reasoning]

I like skiing more than the beach, so it would be an easy choice for me.

 

[McDreamy34]

I would go with UCI. I don't think the prestige difference is important here. UCI is well respected and it will be a good choice if you want to match in California for residency. It will also be nice to have a support system near you. You could always do an away at the Colorado children's hospital for their neurology department. Some people really like to be separated from their home and work - not saying that's you - I'm just saying maybe you wouldn't mind the short drive!

Thanks so much for your input! Would you mind elaborating on how away rotations work?

 

[lalalallala]

Thanks so much for your input! Would you mind elaborating on how away rotations work?

I am not a M4 so I don't know how specifically you apply, but basically an away rotation is where you go to another hospital in order to get experience in the field you are thinking of pursuing. It is a way for you to expand your knowledge and to improve your residency application cycle.

Say you really want to be a plastic surgeon. Plastic surgery is a very competitive residency. Say you do an away rotation at your first choice residency location and you do a really good job - they get to see you hard at work for 8 weeks doing amazing - now it comes time for residency applications and they need to choose between you and other applicants who they have never seen work or interact with patients. Who do you think they'll choose? For some residencies this is more important than others.

Aside from residencies, aways can be a great opportunity for you to learn about something that is really unique to one hospital. So if whatever is going on at Colorado Children's really appeals to you - you could see about doing an away there so you would still get the chance to learn there and form connections there without going to University of Colorado for 4 years if you don't want to go there.

 

[smyl3foeva]

Having attended U of Colorado medical school, and now doing residency at UC Irvine:
1. I have had a tons of medical school classmates original ally from California who had no problem matching into a California residency. Either way you’ll always have a tie to California so should not have any problem returning for residency should you choose to.
2. The quality of training at both schools are excellent and same. My classmates matched into highly competitive programs all over the country, while the UC Irvine students I’ve worked with are among the brightest.
3. Colorado pediatric neurology program is more research-oriented. You literally have the entire research community on the same campus should you choose to engage in it while attending school.
4. Colorado is beautiful and very much enjoyable, if you’re an outdoor person.
Feel free to DM me if you have more questions.

 

[3Ds&anL]

Just a couple notes on the minor points:

As far as weather goes - I lived on the east coast for several years. The "cold" here in Colorado is not the same as the humid cold on the east coast or the midwest. I remember being on the east coast and the cold just biting through a down-filled coat. That doesn't happen here. Also, it gets broken up frequently by unseasonably warm weather (not uncommon to have temps 60s-70s Nov-Feb). When it snows, it's for a day, and almost always all melted within a few days afterward. It's true, we don't have 70's year-round, but fall is absolutely stunning, winter is manageable & very easy compared to elsewhere, and the summers don't get blisteringly hot. Outside of maybe San Diego, I honestly wouldn't want to live in any other climate in the US.

CU also has a longitudinal ultrasound curriculum. You get a lot of exposure during anatomy in particular. If you find you like it, there's an ultrasound elective that many students take in the early spring. You revisit ultrasound again during the preclinical years and also during 3rd year. We frequently have 4th years, who elect to do additional ultrasound training, help teach these sessions and they do an amazing job alongside Dr. Kendall & the other physicians. Lots of ways to get involved if you're interested in that.

Obviously not knowing your family, but just wanted to say that sometimes having family nearby can be unhelpful as much as it is helpful. Some are great at respecting boundaries with school obligations. Other students sometimes struggle with family who don't understand the work effort required in medical school. It can go either way.

CU doesn't have a formal program like PRIME LC, but we do have a medical Spanish elective (SABES), as well as a track with the aim of physician advocacy and leadership (LEADS). So if you don't get in to UCI, there are still opportunities for you to incorporate those interests into your career here.

There are also many Californians at CU, so if you end up here, you will be in good company.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Dwan]

Either school is great, but you won't have trouble matching to CA from CO if that's your concern. There's a lot of selection bias in these match lists. If you have a connection to CA, you will still have that advantage come residency applications.