Columbia vs Northwestern

[saltybae]

Longtime lurker, finally made an account to ask this.

Columbia
+ NYC

Northwestern
+ Chicago

Location is not a big deal for me, but I am open to opinions about Chicago vs NYC. Diversity is important. CoA is not a factor. What else should I consider?

Thanks in advance!

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[libertyyne]

Proximity to family, curriculum, residency prorams. Both are excellent schools Congratulations.

 

[saltybae]

Proximity to family, curriculum, residency prorams. Both are excellent schools Congratulations.

Thank you!

How would I go about judging the residency programs? I dont have any specialties in mind yet.

Im pretty flexible about where I end up, so it seems to me that the differences between these schools might be negligible. I am looking for specific positives or negatives about each, even if they are based on others’ personal preferences.

 

[libertyyne]

Thank you!

How would I go about judging the residency programs? I dont have any specialties in mind yet.

Im pretty flexible about where I end up, so it seems to me that the differences between these schools might be negligible. I am looking for specific positives or negatives about each, even if they are based on others’ personal preferences.

If you have interests in a specialty look at the residency programs look how productive they are in terms of research. Look at corricula , when the step exam is taken, etc. The quality of education is not going to be very different. It is your personal preferences and interests to that should matter at this point.

 

[scienceguy95]

You can't really go wrong I think. Opportunities will be the same at both schools. I think the two are more similar than they are different. Both are affiliated with top notch teaching hospitals. Both have a wealth of research opportunities and strong home residency programs in a variety of specialties. And both are located in big cities. Although Columbia isn't in the heart of NYC (as far as I know) whereas Northwestern is in the heart of Chicago (location is truly amazing).

If you are really torn, just go to the school that is the cheapest. I don't know about Columbia, but I know NU is pretty generous with scholarships.

 

[incomingMS1]

Hey!

Wow longtime lurker too but made an account just to reply here since i'm literally in the same boat!
So i've been thinking about this a lot. I was close to writing a LOI to Columbia back in January, but lately i've been leaning heavily towards Feinberg. here's kinda what i've been thinking about:

• Chicago is an amazing city while also being more affordable than NYC. Even though columbia is waaay far from the best parts of NYC (like scienceguy said), the cost of living is still crazy high. idk the next 4 years are going to be tight for me either way financially but id rather at least live in a more affordable city as a student
• Feinberg students were really really extraordinarily happy and friendly. I think the school's emphasis on mindfulness and student health/mental health payed off and I can easily see myself being happy and therefore more able to commit more of myself to medicine. Columbia students were quite friendly too but also had gripes with their pretty lacking (and fairly expensive for what they are) dorms and more challenging living situation. maybe its just because i'm outdoorsy but it'd be hard to not see any real green for 4 years without a car so that might not apply to you! Ill admit the incredible gym situation at feinberg helped too
• Finally, the most important one for me is Feinberg's emphasis on mentorship. This came through more for me when i talked to people than on any website but it seems that feinberg really understand how essential mentorship is in medicine and guides its students to finding mentors from the earliest stages

That all said, Columbia is amazing too! it'll really come down to whichever you feel is right for you! im personally going to wait until i hear back about the financials but 90% sure ill pick Feinberg. hopefully we'll get to be future classmates! in the meantime, congrats!

 

[saltybae]

• Chicago is an amazing city while also being more affordable than NYC. Even though columbia is waaay far from the best parts of NYC (like scienceguy said), the cost of living is still crazy high. idk the next 4 years are going to be tight for me either way financially but id rather at least live in a more affordable city as a student

It is such a tough decision! I will say that Washington Heights is a charming neighborhood (depending on what you find charming), but it can be difficult to get around the city from there. I am curious how different the cost of living really is, since the Feinberg students I talked to all lived in expensive luxury apartments.

Either way, hope to see you in the Fall!

 

[incomingMS1]

Oh totally agree that the rent might be similar, but almost all of the Columbia students I talked to seemed to be on the meal plan (like 2 meals a week i think?) and then ate out all the time since they don't have kitchens or access to cheap groceries. So even if the rent is the same, i think they're spending a whole lot more (not to mention everything relating to entertainment in NYC is crazy expensive) for arguably a much lower quality of life compared to those luxury apartments in the heart of one of the coolest cities. Washington heights is very charming too! just really hard to compete with being in the middle of a city. i guess i'm a bit turned off because you have all the disadvantages of living in nyc (high costs, lack of green, etc) but most of the advantages are fairly inconvenient or inaccessible, especially as a student

 

[saltybae]

Good points! Quality of life definitely seems better in Chicago

 

[echacha]

Both are excellent schools! I would choose Northwestern just for location alone (Washington Heights is about 45minutes away from downtown Manhattan...). On my interview days, it also seemed that NW students were more chill but it's hard to really judge a school just on the few hours you are there.

 

[insaiyanpredent]

NYC

 

[Juana Smith]

Longtime lurker, finally made an account to ask this.

Columbia
+ NYC

Northwestern
+ Chicago

Location is not a big deal for me, but I am open to opinions about Chicago vs NYC. Diversity is important. CoA is not a factor. What else should I consider?

Thanks in advance!

Buddy, your chances of getting in to medical school are higher if you choose northwestern, statistically speaking. If it were me, based on that fact, that would be my choice.

 

[saltybae]

Buddy, your chances of getting in to medical school are higher if you choose northwestern, statistically speaking. If it were me, based on that fact, that would be my choice.

To clarify, I am currently deciding between Feinberg and P&S. Could you link to the statistics you are referencing?

 

[Juana Smith]

Buddy, your chances of getting in to medical school are higher if you choose northwestern, statistically speaking. If it were me, based on that fact, that would be my choice.

This considered, at both schools you still have a high chance of acceptance into medical school, and they both are amazing schools. Congratulations!

 

[878956]

Easy choice for me: Columbia.

 

[saltybae]

Easy choice for me: Columbia.

Would you mind saying why?

 

[SuaveCardigans]

This considered, at both schools you still have a high chance of acceptance into medical school, and they both are amazing schools. Congratulations!

Yes, roughly a 98.2% of getting in to medical school (margin of error: 1.8%)

 

[878956]

Would you mind saying why?

I like NYC more than I like Chicago (I am from NYC) . I am an inherent interests in serving the underserved and I would like to run a health equity program in NYC while I am a medical student. The surrounding area of Columbia (Washington Heights) feels like home. I don't feel I could do exactly that in Northwestern.

Would you mind saying why?

PM'ed you.

 

[saltybae]

Can anyone comment on the scholarly project requirements for each school? At Northwestern it runs through all 4 years while at P&S it seems to be concentrated during M4. Is there an advantage to doing it one way or the other? I am interested in academic medicine.

 

[letmeinplox]

columbia

 

[carrots28]

Major bias but NYC all the way. You have to work or live in NYC at least once in life unless you absolutely hate city life.