Columbia vs. Johns Hopkins

[mmcgoldr]

Hey All! I'm in the very fortunate position of choosing between Columbia and Johns Hopkins for medical school, and I was hoping to see what SDN thought. Any advice at all would be very, very appreciated!

Columbia: 21k a year in loans
Pros:
- Close to home (1.5 hours)
- Low debt
- Lots of protected research time and definite NIH summer funding

Cons:
- NYC (I'm not a big fan of how crowded and busy the city is, go figure)
- Need to travel for clinical rotations which seems like a big hassle

Johns Hopkins: 43k a year in loans
Pros:
- Especially superb clinical training at nearby JH facilities
- Better housing opportunities with more space at lower cost
- College advisory system offers great advising an community

Cons:
- Further from home (3.5 hours)
- Much higher debt
- Not much protected research time, despite its outstanding reputation. This seemed very odd to me.

Summary: I'm definitely torn between the two. I got a better feeling from Hopkins, but it's further from home, I'd take on ~170k in debt vs. ~84k, and there's not too much protected time for research, which is important for me. Columbia is closer to home and cheaper, plus it has a lot of protected research time, but I'm not a big fan of the structure and location of the clerkships. To complicate things, I'm not a big fan of NYC, despite its amazing opportunities, and I liked that Baltimore was quieter and smaller, despite it having a lot less to offer.

As above: any advice would be very, very appreciated! I'm definitely in a pickle with about 11 more days to go before I have to decide.

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[puahate]

Columbia

 

[BOAO523]

This seems like a really, really close call. It seems like you prefer Hopkins. If you're going into a competitive specialty (or not all that afraid of debt) and you think you'd find yourself daydreaming about being in Baltimore while in NYC, you should go to Hopkins (you only get to list 1 med school name on the resume...it should be the one that most excited you). I personally would go to Columbia because of proximity to home and lower debt.

Huge congrats!! (and please post on mine!!! )

 

[mmcgoldr]

Columbia

Thanks for the response, and particular reason you'd suggest Columbia?

 

[puahate]

Thanks for the response, and particular reason you'd suggest Columbia?

Close to home and has the lowest debt burden. Columbia is an excellent place and you are kinda splitting hairs debating on JH vs Columbia prestige and opportunities.

 

[dodolol21]

- Close to home (1.5 hours)
- Low debt
- Lots of protected research time and definite NIH summer funding

These three things + prestige are basically the roots of what all applicants want in their choice of medical school. Maybe reach out to current Columbia students who also had initial mixed feelings about NYC and they can help assuage your fears and get you excited about Columbia. 100k extra debt is still a huge number and I don't think feelings from the interview day are gonna give you the full picture you need. At this point, current students at both institutions are your best bet. Prestige also isn't really a factor, nor are clinical training differences, I think its fair to say you will be trained very well at both schools and no one is going not rank you to match just because you went T10 instead of T5

 

[mc29012]

I'd move NYC into the pro column or atleast remove it from the cons when comparing these two. I have lived in Baltimore and to be frank it is pretty rough. It may not be as congested but it is really not a safe place to live, especially traveling around the Hopkins east Baltimore campus.

 

[dark_knight]

Is the loan amount difference factoring in COA?

 

[mmcgoldr]

- Close to home (1.5 hours)
- Low debt
- Lots of protected research time and definite NIH summer funding

These three things + prestige are basically the roots of what all applicants want in their choice of medical school. Maybe reach out to current Columbia students who also had initial mixed feelings about NYC and they can help assuage your fears and get you excited about Columbia. 100k extra debt is still a huge number and I don't think feelings from the interview day are gonna give you the full picture you need. At this point, current students at both institutions are your best bet. Prestige also isn't really a factor, nor are clinical training differences, I think its fair to say you will be trained very well at both schools and no one is going not rank you to match just because you went T10 instead of T5

That's a great point, you're right. I'm just wondering how much to factor in personal preference, like which school I liked best based on students, faculty, and the overall atmosphere.

 

[mmcgoldr]

I'd move NYC into the pro column or atleast remove it from the cons when comparing these two. I have lived in Baltimore and to be frank it is pretty rough. It may not be as congested but it is really not a safe place to live, especially traveling around the Hopkins east Baltimore campus.

Yeah that's a good point, I'm torn on deciding if NYC is a plus or a minus too.

 

[mmcgoldr]

Is the loan amount difference factoring in COA?

Yeah it is.

 

[meronebib]

Yeah that's a good point, I'm torn on deciding if NYC is a plus or a minus too.

If you don't like NYC, you can live in the nearby Fort Lee/Edgewater areas in New Jersey. More suburban feel, less crowded, and still a very quick commute to campus (like 15-20 minutes).

 

[dark_knight]

Yeah it is.

I don't think it's crazy to go to a more expensive school if you like it better. You'll have to decide how much better you like it. If its close I would go to the cheaper place.

 

[jamaisvu]

Columbia

 

[Lawpy]

Columbia easily

 

[Lucca]

Columbia because of cost, location, and fit as it appears from your post

 

[DrFortiusNatando]

Spend some time up in the columbia neighborhood. especially some of the neighborhoods even further north (but still on #1 subway).

Columbia med school's neighborhood is its own thing and not like most of the city.

If you think you can see the charm, pick Columbia.

 

[mmcgoldr]

Columbia easily

What makes it easy? As it is, I'm leaning Hopkins because I think that it's a better fit. The reputation and difference in clinical training are also big pluses.

 

[meronebib]

What makes it easy? As it is, I'm leaning Hopkins because I think that it's a better fit. The reputation and difference in clinical training are also big pluses.

I also agree that Columbia is the clear winner here. When compared to Hopkins, it's nearly 100k cheaper, it's in a much better location than Baltimore (I know NYC is not your cup of tea, but really, the area Columbia is in is not busy, and like I said in a previous post, there are nearby areas in New Jersey or even more uptown in Inwood that are significantly less crowded and more affordable), it's closer to your support system (1.5 hours is a lot more manageable than 3.5 hours), and you have four months MINIMUM of dedicated research time (you can request longer instead of taking more electives). The reputation difference is negligible, if anything - remember, Columbia is literally the first school in this country to grant the MD lol, it has its history and reputation. The clinical training at Columbia is also superb - you will not find a more diverse patient population than in NYC. Getting to other clinical sites is not difficult with NYC's public transportation. And finally, Columbia's major clinical year really tries to incorporate rotations in as many specialties as possible, as early as possible, to give you more time to do elective rotations and discover which specialty you want to do for the rest of your life. Not to mention that the student culture is very relaxed, with online exams and the P&S club. However, if you genuinely feel that you'll be happier at Hopkins, then by all means, go there. In the long run, both schools will help you get to where you want to be, and even if 100k of extra debt sounds astronomical to us premeds, the reality is that it's not too bad for a doctor lol.

 

[mmcgoldr]

Thanks to everyone for all of the help. Just to follow up, I ended up choosing Hopkins. It was the better fit overall, I'd prefer to get away from NYC for a while, and it was just too hard to pass up the opportunities and reputation of Hopkins. The physicians that I work with agree that it will be a unique opportunity for my medical training.

 

[BOAO523]

In the end you should always go with your heart/gut. I think you made the right decision.