Creighton (Omaha) vs George Washington (GW)

[ilovetacos21]

I was able to cut down to these 2 schools, but I would love to hear some opinions from others.

Creighton (Omaha)
Pros
- Smaller class size
- Great sense of community from peers and faculty
- Omaha is much cheaper than DC
- Jesuit values strongly reflect my personal values
- Amazing facilities and a they’re working on a new med school building that will open during my M2
- Mentorship opportunities

Cons
- Somewhat lack of diversity. I’m 26 and low SES, and I’m afraid I’m not going to fit in with the class, which at Creighton tends to be very young and mostly privileged
- Not a very well known school


George Washington (GW)
Pros
- More Prestigious? This does matter to me, but it’s not a defining factor
- Very diverse class
- Everyone I talked to says they love DC
- I like Public Health, and there is a lot of public health integrated into the curriculum
- I’m interested in academic internal medicine, so I think I’ll have a easier time matching into a strong IM program coming from GW
- Better research opportunities

Cons
- DC is expensive
- I’m afraid of not having the same strong sense of community that I got from Creighton
- Facilities are a bit older, but that’s not a big deal

Both
- Both aren’t close to home (California), so distance from home isn’t a factor here
- Both are private schools with very similar COA

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[JohnJacobJingleheimer]

cost difference?

 

[ilovetacos21]

cost difference?

COA: Creighton is $90K/year and GW is $88K/year, so not much of a difference.
I don’t think I’ll get any merit aid/scholarships.

 

[Mikiras]

I believe Creighton and GW are similarly ranked that the difference between them may not be that great.
I was accepted to Creighton and one thing that worries me is the lack of home residency programs for certain specialities (especially competitive ones like ophtho, derm, etc.). This made me think that the potential for research and networking would be limited. However, the match list is still nice enough at Creighton.
Both schools are very similar in terms of cost but you may have better opportunities at GW in terms of research and networking.

 

[ilovetacos21]

I believe Creighton and GW are similarly ranked that the difference between them may not be that great.
I was accepted to Creighton and one thing that worries me is the lack of home residency programs for certain specialities (especially competitive ones like ophtho, derm, etc.). This made me think that the potential for research and networking would be limited. However, the match list is still nice enough at Creighton.
Both schools are very similar in terms of cost but you may have better opportunities at GW in terms of research and networking.

Thanks for your input! I agree that there is greater opportunities for research at GW, not to even mention that the NIH is right there. I see what you’re saying about the lack of certain programs at Creighton, but since I’m not interested in any of them at this time, it’s not a big deal for me (although they do have urology and lots of IM fellowships).
Yeah, this is a tough decision because the schools are just some similar to each other. Location is the only thing that’s different, and even then, there is both pros and cons of both Omaha and DC.

 

[Shunsui]

I see what you’re saying about the lack of certain programs at Creighton, but since I’m not interested in any of them at this time, it’s not a big deal for me (although they do have urology and lots of IM fellowships)

Disclaimer: I'm on Creighton PHX alternate list but it doesn't affect Omaha decisions so I'm not being biased

I don't think you should close doors before even starting. You say it's not a big deal and you're not interested right now but you will likely change your mind. Would be a tragedy to develop a love for ENT or Derm but not have the resources provided to craft a competitive app for them. Considering Creighton costs $64k in tuition/fees alone, living in Nebraska, and closing doors before starting makes GW an easy decision here, imo.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

No difference in prestige. Depending on your situation, COL might make life in Omaha much more enjoyable than DC

 

[JohnJacobJingleheimer]

Well, it would appear you’re somewhat dead even, since half of your list cancels the other half out lol i.e. saying you liie the sense of community, but then saying you fear you won’t fit in due to lack of diversity and a skew towards younger students.

It seems neither school makes a more compelling case given your list. Are both schools P/F? This is important in terms of stress level and lifestyle. I suggest looking more into the nuances of the actual programs and their curriculums and less into the physical aspects of the school (students, facilities, location), since at the more macro level you aren’t being swayed.

 

[sousa7]

GW since you are interested in public health. DC would be a great town. You should def visit before committing