Comments on Tri I MD/PhD?

[emiko]

I am an applicant this year and I have been spending a lot of time thinking about where to go next year.... So I think my top choices right now are Tri-I and Yale. I really loved my interview day at Tri-I but I have a couple reservation about this place. First, I think my impression on the housing option is that they move their MSTP students around? I was trying to look for this info online but haven't been able to find it. Can someone who's familiar with the program comment on this one? What exactly is the housing situation and when can student move to Rockefeller housing? Also, another thing is how flexible is it for student to take classes in this program? For example, if I want to take a programming or stats class, how can I do that?

During my interview trail, one funny thing I realized is that there were a huge number of successful faulty members who got their PhD from Rockefeller. Obviously this is just a personal impression, but it seems to me that Rockefeller has a large number of really exciting research projects going on. I guess the same can be said for Yale...can someone please comment on the strength of the PhD program at Tri I vs. Yale?

One last thing is that it seems like Yale has a stronger match list compared to Cornell. I know most people say don't go to a place for the clinical training, but it seems like Cornell med is constantly ranked lower than the other med schools I am considering currently. And then there's the difference between New Haven and NYC.. I don't know how bad New Haven really is but have heard about some scary robbery stories. However, I would also really love to have my personal space during the lengthy training and obviously New Haven would be a cheaper option for that. Can people please help me out here =) ..Any comments will be extremely helpful!! Some other places I am also thinking about are probably Columbia and Penn...

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[StIGMA]

Make time and go to each school's revisit weekend. Use that time to answer all your questions and get a final gut feeling about the place. Cornell medical school is a great school but is considered a tier under Yale, Penn, Columbia, etc. (although this really doesn't mean much and is open to different interpretations). However, Cornell MSTP is a top-notch program on par with any school. You won't go wrong with any program you listed (as long as they have your research interests well represented). I highly recommend going to all revisit weekends- this is a significant decision, and you want to be as best informed as you can.

 

[bruins99]

It sounds to me like you're leaning towards Yale. I don't think you'll have a problem doing solid grad work at either so go where you'll think you will have the greatest quality of life. As to the horror stories, I'm sure you can find crime in either city, but it will be difficult to live alone in non-TRI-I housing in NYC.

 

[Pendra]

I'm debating between the same schools 🙂

My impression was that Yale has

• A campus community of undergrads, graduate, and professional students
• Some really great immunology and cell biology research
• A more laid-back and collegiate feel, and a program that's less structured but more customizable
• A "better" medical school

whereas Tri-I has

• Top researchers in virtually every field, including cancer biology (which I'm interested in but not committed to)
• The convenience and excitement of NYC
• A program that's more rigid but very well-run

They both have their merits; I'm hoping that the revisits decide it for me. 😛

(Oh, and yeah, on my interviews I thought Tri-I, Harvard, UChicago, and WashU graduates were best represented among MD/PhD-credentialed faculty. Dunno if that means anything, though, given the randomness of the process and the many other factors that go into faculty selection :s)

 

[random cell]

Maybe because Wash U graduates like double the number of MD-PhDs than the average MD-PhD program? Not sure about the others...

 

[emiko]

I guess the strength of program could shift from time to time but I did feel like a lot of faculty members I interviewed with (especially in NY area like Columbia, NYU..etc) got their PhD from RU (they are not necessarily MD/PhD). I haven't really met any Yale MD/PhD graduates yet or even Yale PhD... same could be said for Penn. I love Penn's program but for some reasons I don't really know any faculty who got their PhD from Penn.

In any case, I have decided to stick with my feelings during revisit =) .. good luck to everyone who's also deciding among these programs too! and thanks for the replies!!