Columbia or UCSD?

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Bunnyz

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Hey guys! I am having trouble deciding between Columbia P&S and UCSD- I am a california resident, and I also went to Columbia undergrad. What do you think about the strengths/weaknesses of the schools and how would you weigh tuition differences into that?
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well you could buy a porsche and go to ucsd and still come out ahead, at least before columbia offers you some incentive money...
 
Both schools are great and I'm sure you'd be happy at both places. It is hard to turn down that instate UCSD tuition. I'd lean towards UCSD for that reason.
 
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this is true -- I guess the revisits might help too.
 
Money at Columbia is definitely an issue, especially since it is in the heart of NYC. my vote is for UCSD.
 
Columbia and UCSD are pretty much the same prestige, but SD is half the price, in a nicer area. UCSD for sure unless you love NYC a lot.
 
Looking at Cost, Location, Curriculum, research money, primary care (if you're into it), and speciality opportunities UCSD seems to slightly win. Especially since you're a cali resident, UCSD is the better choice in my opinion.
 
also, columbia is so ugly! i went to visit a few weeks back and the neighborhood is terrible. i go to columbia ugrad and the med school is nothing like it. i was shocked after enjoying the beautiful campus. i would go with UCSD -- lower cost, better neighborhood im sure, and more sunshine. hah! seriously, columbia's location is terrible. it used to be my top choice.
 
thanks guys! Yea I know the area is kinda sketch, I work there now so I am comfortable with it but its not as nice as la jolla :)
 
etf said:
well you could buy a porsche and go to ucsd and still come out ahead, at least before columbia offers you some incentive money...
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Agreed. Porsche + UCSD > Subway + Columbia
 
The only negative I hear about SD is that it involves a lot of lecture and is supposedly competitive. However, I also heard that Columbia students become really cutthroat starting 3rd year.

And to repeat above, La Jolla is a much much nicer neighborhood than 170th street in NY and gives you an upper hand for CA residencies, if that is where you want to do your residency.
 
I'm going to have to put a vote in for Columbia, but I've already decided I'll be attending P&S. You'll probably have a different experience, because the campus is completely separate and the neighborhoods - as far as I know - are very different.

From what I saw during my interview, Columbia is a pretty sweet place in terms of academic environment (a couple first years I know from college have told me the same). On top of that, it seemed to have a VERY diverse student body, and for me that's a definite plus. Concert pianists, pastry chefs, ex-professional cyclists, etc. will be among your classmates.

I don't know much about UCSD. The tuition would definitely make me think twice, though. In the end, I picked P&S over my state school (UMass).

So are we gonna be classmates next year?!

ar2388 said:
also, columbia is so ugly! i went to visit a few weeks back and the neighborhood is terrible. i go to columbia ugrad and the med school is nothing like it. i was shocked after enjoying the beautiful campus. i would go with UCSD -- lower cost, better neighborhood im sure, and more sunshine. hah! seriously, columbia's location is terrible. it used to be my top choice.
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Hahaha. I actually thought the location was fine. I guess it kinda reminded me of New Haven... :p If you didn't like Columbia's location, you should probably take Yale off your list of med schools.
 
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hello fellow lab-y! I miss you! congrats on the fab acceptances!
 
I don't mind the location either, so I am trying to look at how to balance the curriculum with the tuition I guess. Anyway I will be at both revisits so I will probably see some of you guys there!
 
pntgrd said:
The only negative I hear about SD is that it involves a lot of lecture and is supposedly competitive. However, I also heard that Columbia students become really cutthroat starting 3rd year.

And to repeat above, La Jolla is a much much nicer neighborhood than 170th street in NY and gives you an upper hand for CA residencies, if that is where you want to do your residency.
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Hmmm... I think all the big time med schools will have a couple gunners and some competition.

I've heard from current P&S students that the second year might become pass/fail.

1-2 years of pass/fail --> great camaraderie --> less pathological gunnerism?
 
dienekes88 said:
Hmmm... I think all the big time med schools will have a couple gunners and some competition.

I've heard from current P&S students that the second year might become pass/fail.

1-2 years of pass/fail --> great camaraderie --> less pathological gunnerism?
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1st and 2nd year yes, but a few 3rd and 4th years have told me that people there become really intense and competitive after the 2nd year. Hopefully that won't hold true for your class.
Columbia is great, I just don't see where it is greater than UCSD, another top 15 research powerhouse, to justify paying $100,000 more over the 4 years.
 
thank you guys, this is really helpful :)
 
Columbia for sure: it's an ivy, location in NYC, and oh boy, the network is just enormous... your network will be an elite network. Additionally, you'll have more shots for East Coast residency, if you care. Some people are more of an east-coaster, so this would be a matter of preference for you. The difference in tuition is just about 10K. If you care about the weather, well, that's a different story.
 
I would definitely choose Columbia. Columbia is ranked better and the fact is you cannot deny IVY LEAGUE perks--networks, connections, resources. Sure research at SD is good, but it's good at Columbia too. There are many hospitals to rotate at in San Diego, but even more in NYC. Tuition $$ is an investment--it'll come back later.

SD students are known to not be happy and in class way too much--the beach may be nearby but it's only a tease. None of my friends at SD like it...and SD med students that I know indirectly through other friends also dont like it at all.

Things are within reasonable walking / quick public transportation ride in NYC, whereas in SD you definitely need a car. NYC has a much more diverse and rich CULTURE.

Also, there are more good East coast residencies... and having residency in both NY and CA can increase your chances later (whereas if you go back to CA now, you will lose the NY residency). It's always going to be easier to come back home to CA than to go back out to NY.

Many people would LOVE to be in your position. Dont disappoint them. :laugh: GO TO COLUMBIA!!!



But really though, good luck. DO let us know what you end up choosing!
 
Asparta said:
I would definitely choose Columbia. Columbia is ranked better and the fact is you cannot deny IVY LEAGUE perks--networks, connections, resources. Sure research at SD is good, but it's good at Columbia too. There are many hospitals to rotate at in San Diego, but even more in NYC. Tuition $$ is an investment--it'll come back later.
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Columbia is not really ranked higher. It is like 2 spots higher than SD. That is not a real difference. SD has better weather, better tuition, better location, and better CA residencies at your doorstep.
 
What are your goals in life?

I don't think you can argue that one school is better than another for everybody.

Want to practice Family Med / Pediatrics / Psychiatry? Go cheap.

Want to eventually practice in San Diego or New York? The answer is obvious.

Academic medicine? In what field? What sort of research?

The second question is how much financial aid you expect from Columbia vs. UCSD.
 
Thanks, these are all really helpful points! I am not sure what kind of financial package I am going to get from Columbia but both schools have financial aid sessions during their revisit weekends. I have lived enough time in both places that they are both 'home,' so location is not really the issue: I suppose ignoring the tuition, I am trying to figure out which one has better clinical opportunities/curriculum. I keep going back and forth right now though between the schools but I am hoping the revisits will give me a better idea.
 
columbia's going down in rank a bit. SD is going up.
 
Gospe1 said:
columbia's going down in rank a bit. SD is going up.
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I personally don't think there are dramatic differences in the quality of the top research schools, but even if you consider the rankings to be important, I really don't think there is much of a difference in ranking between the two. Columbia went from 10 to 11, and I think UCSD went from 13 or 14 to 14. Not much of a difference if you ask me.
 
Well, if the stats continue, then in 3 years, they will be tied. They are so close in rank that I'm not sure it matters even now though.
 
New York City vs San Diego? For single people in their mid twenties, you are kidding, right? Seriously, this is a contest?? If you are married and want tan lines, I get it, but otherwise, come on.
 
searun said:
New York City vs San Diego? For single people in their mid twenties, you are kidding, right? Seriously, this is a contest?? If you are married and want tan lines, I get it, but otherwise, come on.
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yeah clearly everyone in san diego are all married, old, and want tanlines.

I can't remember the last time I saw a young person at the beach.
 
EpiPEN said:
yeah clearly everyone in san diego are all married, old, and want tanlines.

I can't remember the last time I saw a young person at the beach.
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It is Saturday Night Live and Vampire Weekend, in .....San Diego???? How far is Tiajuana????
 
enjoy NYC when u got more money haha
 
EpiPEN said:
yeah clearly everyone in san diego are all married, old, and want tanlines.

I can't remember the last time I saw a young person at the beach.
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I am sure that there are alot of high school drop outs at the beach with nothing to do but smoke Camels. Med students, NYC has alot to offer. Unless you are married and want tan lines.
 
sylar86 said:
SD is a mecca for medical research. San diego was actually rated as the top big city to live in within the US by CNN. Though rankings have their flaws, I would never live in NYC if given san diego as choice. SD is cleaner, has MUCH better weather, hotter girls, and friendlier people. NYC is old, run down (especially the columbia area), and filled with not the friendliest of people. Sure, nyc has it's nice elements and everyone has their own preference, but when comparing san diego to nyc, SD wins without question. SD is heaven compared to nyc. nyc is only nice if you're rich, and i'm guessing most med students are already in debt.
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And you are currently living in New York, because.......? Where do Mom and Dad live?
 
I am from the Northwest, spending my first year of med school in the gritty Northeast. I like it, alot. Never been a fan of La La land, although I used to play soccer tournaments in San Diego in my callow youth. Green lawns and nice weather, but not my cup of tea. To each his own.
 
searun said:
It is Saturday Night Live and Vampire Weekend, in .....San Diego???? How far is Tiajuana????
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lol, okay you are right. Clearly having Saturday Night Live being filmed in New York means it must be best place to live. Afterall, how are you supposed to watch that show anywhere else in America? Oh wait, we have a TV. Can you say watching the beach on the TV is anywhere nearly as enjoyable as actually being under the sun with the sand between your toes?

And let's see, how difficult is it exactly to get seats in those places you mentioned? oh look, all i have to do is drive 10 minutes down to the beach and I'm off catching waves on my board or just unwinding under the sun after a hard day at the hospital. And guess what, that costed me almost no money, which is in most cases, a plus for a med student!

And so what, we DO have Tiajuana? you got a problem with people having a fun time without spending whatever scraps they have left after paying Med school tuition? Guess not all of as can live the lifestyle that you seem to have in your mind for most of us starving med students.

searun said:
I am sure that there are alot of high school drop outs at the beach with nothing to do but smoke Camels. Med students, NYC has alot to offer. Unless you are married and want tan lines.
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Boy for someone who doesn't enjoy the beach a lot, you sure seem to know a lot about it! Yes. The truth is out, San Diego beaches are filled with either married old couples or underaged highschool dropouts looking for a place to smoke. I guess that means the rest of the 70% of people in our 20s and 30s who like to enjoy the sun, a good wave, and a relaxing time simply don't exist in your book. It's like if I was to say,

"New York streets has a lot of self centered, cigarette smoking, tight *** people who have so much stuffed up their a-hole that they are ready to pop a vein from hypertension at any moment. So Med Students, San Diego has a lot to offer, Unless you want to have a stroke one day from yelling at the taxi driver who splashed gutter water over your white coat."

The truth is, New York does have a lot to offer, and so does San Diego. But if clean water, clean air, chill environment, and sunny days are what you are into, San Diego will most likely come out on top. Especially if you are an outdoorsy person who want to go jogging, biking, hiking, swimming, surfing, scuba diving, etc.
 
Totally agree with epiPEN. I'll take UCSD any day over Columbia.
 
haha! both locations have their own set of distractions for a med student :)
 
Have you ever talked to relatives or friends from home and said, "I go to UCSD."

The answer always is, "isn't that the big party school" (meaning SDSU).

I always have to explain myself. Go to Columbia and you won't.

Medical School is a different ballgame though. UCSD is known to people in the industry as a good program, but outside of the industry you get the above response.
 
clearmysix said:
Have you ever talked to relatives or friends from home and said, "I go to UCSD."

The answer always is, "isn't that the big party school" (meaning SDSU).

I always have to explain myself. Go to Columbia and you won't.

Medical School is a different ballgame though. UCSD is known to people in the industry as a good program, but outside of the industry you get the above response.
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Yeah I can see what you mean about that, I've gotten that response a few times in the past, but usually not from people who live in California. But then again, how much would it matter that people outside of the industry thinks when you are applying for a residency program? a fellowship? an attending position? But it's just personal prerefence that I perfer a place I personally enjoy staying at and still be good for my career. Oh and let's not forget about if you want to get a CA residency...
 
SoCal4LifeMD said:
Totally agree with epiPEN. I'll take UCSD any day over Columbia.
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I have read numerous comments on SDN that UCSD has unhappy uptight med students. I have no personal knowledge but I have seen those comments. Why? Perhaps these students are not getting enough surfing and sun and beach time? Obviously, they are not spending enough time in Tiajuana or at other local cultural attractions.

I have no dog in this hunt. I just prefer New York City to San Diego. But there is no right answer, it is just a lifestyle choice. Anyway, to each his own.
 
EpiPEN said:
Yeah I can see what you mean about that, I've gotten that response a few times in the past, but usually not from people who live in California. But then again, how much would it matter that people outside of the industry thinks when you are applying for a residency program? a fellowship? an attending position? But it's just personal prerefence that I perfer a place I personally enjoy staying at and still be good for my career. Oh and let's not forget about if you want to get a CA residency...
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Agreed. I love La Jolla!

Except I've heard conflicting reports about the help a person gets applying to a cali residency from a cali school. I think the biggest thing is being a resident of the state.
 
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