Columbia vs UCSF: Thank you!

[Undecided_Mango]

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Decision: I ended up going with Columbia! Leaving this up in case it helps anyone in the future (I know there were very few posts with Columbia / I don't think any Columbia/ UCSF in recent times.

Columbia VP&S
Pros

• More well known outside of science/ internationally / Ivy League reputation
• Narrative medicine (&Siddhartha Mukherjee)
• College of Surgeons and Surgeons
• Has other graduate schools & undergrad (big network)
• more familiar with weather, type of people etc
• Standardized patients are apparently phenomenal at acting
• P&S club (basically a massive service club) & free clinic system
• interviewers offered to be my mentors
• Deans emphasized how they know people at programs all over the country and will pick up the phone to get you there.
• Exams every 4 weeks done on your computer at home over the entire weekend. Awesome.
• More layperson prestige
• Vagelos Education Center
• Artsy city
• Preclinical curriculum commute is right next door
• 4 year housing options
• Seasons and variety (Like how a sunny 50 degree day in March feels great in the spring)
• Offered WAY more financial aid
• Don’t really have to worry about driving/ parking because of public transportation (shuttles, buses, and trains)
• multiple choice exams
• class size (~138)
• Take classes with dental students

Cons:

• Bard Hall (from gap year living back into dorm life....apparently apartments are easy to get though closeby)
• Winter windchill/ snow

I don’t know/ not necessarily pro or con:

• Washington Heights/ Uptown Manhattan
• Private
• Semester system
• STEP 1 after preclinical clinical (Thank you meronebib)

University of California San Francisco (UCSF)
Pros

• accessible nature
• 3 years of true pass-fail both preclinical & clinical (Columbia has 1.5 years for their preclinical)
• Bridges curriculum
• Take a class during preclinical with other health professions (dental, nursing, etc)
• In state tuition after 1 year
• I’ve been told more relaxed than east coast
• Tech hub
• Went to college on East Coast, so never experienced west coast life/ education/ etc.
• Weather
• STEP 1 after Clinical (more likely the pass-fail time)
• Don’t know how true this is, but generally people seemed friendlier (ex. Random people acknowledging me/ saying hi/ have a nice day as I walk along the street or chat in an elevator)

Cons

• Only has some other grad schools (mainly health).
• Less well known outside of health (less layperson prestige)
• I don’t know how true this is, but it seems like I would have to more actively search for mentors compared to Columbia
• 2 year limit on housing option
• Older facilities
• global health stuff seems more create-your-own
• need a car but parking/ traffic is rough
• Offered less financial aid

I don’t know if pro or con:

• Short answer exams
• San Francisco
• Public
• Class size is larger (~165)
• Quarter system
• New Division of Palliative Medicine (it is new, so not sure if that is good or bad)
• Rumor of going free tuition soon

Both:

Pros:

• Research powerhouse
• Equally ranked in USnews for research
• Electives
• I loved my interviewers & interview day
• Non-mandatory classes
• Beautiful views and cities
• Has community pipeline programs
• Patient interaction starting first year
• City life
• 1.5 year preclinical (not too fast and not too dragged out)
• Place I have never lived
• Don’t really have to worry about driving/ parking because of public transportation (shuttles, buses, and trains) not true for San Francisco(Thank you EnterpriseStar for your detailed description of San Francisco as a native. It was truly helpful!)
• Enjoyed interview food at both places

Cons:

• Cost of living

Thank you so much!

 

[meronebib]

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[EnterpriseStar]

"Don’t really have to worry about driving/ parking because of public transportation (shuttles, buses, and trains)"

You'll need a car to survive in the SF bay area, unless you plan on holing up in SF and never leaving the city. (But then you miss the great nature a few hours away, delicious food spread around East and South Bay ~1 hour or less away)

Parking within SF is often a hassle, and don't underestimate Bay Area traffic; it really does get as bad as LA traffic some days.

Even within the city, BART and Muni (and to some degree, Caltrain) are gross and inconvenient; trains and buses are often old, crowded, random homeless people, needles and mystery stains.

San Francisco is now mostly techies, expensive food/Cost of Living, poop in the streets. I only go into the city for concerts and to visit my many friends & family there.

Source: Bay Area resident of 20+ years