cornell vs. columbia

[katz5001]

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of those of you applying to one or both, what are your opinions when comparing these two programs? i know that many say cornell tends to be the "easier" program schedule wise, but comparing the two schedules it looks to me, at least as an intern, columbia's call schedule/work load is better. what else has anybody heard, how happy are the residents, etc.? any info will be appreciated

 

[hamburgler]

i have friends who go to both programs...i think cornell is definitely kinder to there residents, everyone there is extremely happy. Also, you can't beat cornell's location, whereas columbia is in the worst part of nyc. Plus Cornell has awesome subsidized housing (the best in nyc!).

Columbia has a reputation for being malignant and somewhat elitist. I would definitely choose Cornell over Columbia and I think most people familiar with both programs would do the same...

 

[walrus]

From what I've heard, Columbia's malignancy is a thing of the past. And from what I've heard, Cornell has been getting much tougher on their residents in terms of call schedule.

Columbia is an elite instituion and in many circles is considered more academically prestigious than Cornell. Columbia also gives a 3 grand housing stipend that offsets some costs. Most residents live on the nice upper west side, not up in washington heights. Columbia also has a more diverse patient population, by far.

You can't go wrong with either one but I think columbia is on a slightly higher tier than cornell overall.

 

[hamburgler]

i would agree that columbia is considered by many to be the more "prestigious" hospital and the patient population is definitely more diverse. columbia's location definitely sucks though and cornell's subsidized housing in a great location can't be beat (definitely an issue in super expensive nyc)

as far as how happy the residents are, i guess it depends whom you talk to...at either program, you're still going to work your ass off...

 

[katz5001]

from talking to some med students in passing, i agree it does seem that columbia is less malignant than it was in the past. cornell's intern year is probably as tough as columbia's, but cornell's 2nd and 3rd years seem pretty easy (i don't know about columbia). any current columbia students who can shed some light on how the residents percieve the program now?

 

[katz5001]

bump

 

[Retinamark]

Columbia is an elite instituion and in many circles is considered more academically prestigious than Cornell. Columbia also gives a 3 grand housing stipend that offsets some costs. Most residents live on the nice upper west side, not up in washington heights.

I'm starting at Columbia Medical Center in July & am trying to decide whether to try to get columbia housing in Washington Heights, or find something on the upper west side. Why do people prefer the upper west, given that it's so much further away? Is washington heights a bad place to live?
Are there any nice high rise apartment buildings where I could rent a studio & walk in to work?
thanks🙂

 

[Clemson Doc]

Wow, you brought up a thread that was over three years old! Congrats!

Kidding aside, I don't know much about the areas of NYC. Hopefully someone else here can help.

 

[DrHeartMD]

i too am curious about living situations in NYC...I mean, getting into the nice parts of the city is an express subway ride away on the AC right? And w.heights saves a lot of money...are there high rises where one could putatively walk to work, and yet still have the ability to get to the nice parts of city for say dinner or for fun? I would think its much cheaper in the heights than in upper w side where a studio runs for around 1500...

 

[DoctorDo-Little]

So I stayed up in Washington Heights for 2 months to do a rotation at Columbia, and I didn't mind the neighborhood, but then again, I probably liked it more than most. As y'all said, it's definitely cheaper than much of Manhattan. Also, it's well connected to downtown via the A-C and 1 trains, so going down for a nice dinner/happy hour are definitely reasonable things to do (which I did every day for 2 months straight). The problem comes in when you want to stay out late - past 10pm, the express train stops running, making the return trip considerably longer... and on the weekends - fogetaboutit - sometimes it would take me ~2hrs to get home. You can, of course, take cabs, but a cab back to Washington Heights can be expensive (although I guess you can pay with all that rent money you saved), and it's not always easy to find a cab that's willing to make the journey.

As far as the neighborhood itself: So it's probably the most homogenous neighborhood that I saw in all of Manhattan - it's very Dominican, and Spanish is the primary language. I love Caribbean food, and at first I was really excited, but I quickly got tired of the lack of diversity (I ate so many plantains that I had to take Kayexalate). Also, at night, it's pretty dead - there's just not that much to do. Physically, there are parts that are ugly and dreary (the hospital is one of the main offenders), but there are also parts that are beautiful with great art deco architecture, particularly as you move north towards Inwood. 181 st (10 blocks north of the hospital) serves as the main drag for a more affluent, diverse, a very pretty part of the neighborhood - looks like a great place to live, but once again no night life, and even further away from downtown.

So where would I live, you ask? I'd take the Upper West Side, or Morningside Hts. - Both neighborhoods are more diverse, have more bars within walking distance, greater variety of restaurants, and are more accessible to the rest of city. The commute from these neighborhoods are short, because during the day, when you'll be going to/returning from the hospital, the trains run frequently and with express service. Yeah, you'll pay more and probably need a roommate, but as long as your moving to Manhattan, you might as well be where the action is... ok, my long winded 2 cents - hope that helps.