Creighton (Omaha) vs Tufts

[bibo478]

Hi everyone. I am 50/50 with these schools currently. I would appreciate any additional input on these schools!

Tufts
Pros

• Better reputation and ranking
• True P/F pre-clinical + no AOA (may return in future)
• More research funding and opportunities
• Stronger match list
• BOSTON
  • Greater diversity
  • No shortage of things to do in and around the city

Cons

• Unsure of the exact step 2 score this year, but students perform average
• Matches mainly in the NE area - I intend to match in the Midwest
• BOSTON
  • High COL (rent is crazy - will have to live with roommate)
  • Transportation may be difficult
  • Not used to the environment as a suburbanite
• Much further from family (15+ hr drive)

Creighton (Omaha)
Pros

• Great step 2 performance historically (258.6 avg this year)
• Very supportive environment
• OMAHA
  • Lower COL (rent is 2x cheaper - would love to stay in studio)
  • Traffic is very light (I have a car I can bring)
  • More comfortable environment
• Closer to family (6~ hr drive)
• Matches mostly in the Midwest

Cons

• Unranked
• H/P/F preclinical (doesn’t seem to be a big deal)
• Match list not as strong
• Research not as accessible (low funding)
• OMAHA
  • Less diverse - concerned as I am a minority
  • City is not as interesting

Similarities

• COA is roughly the same - I do not anticipate scholarships
• Very nice facilities

Overall, I am warring between the convenience of going to Creighton vs the resources Tufts offers. I am currently interested in internal medicine and pursuing a fellowship, although I am not averse to more competitive specialties if my passions change. Thank you guys for the help!

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[chilly_md]

Creighton won't hold you back from matching academic internal medicine in the Midwest. I don't think a 6 hour drive is reasonable to visit family more often though.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You should have no issues matching to the Midwest from Tufts if you do your homework.

You need to think about how important family proximity is versus Boston diversity.

 

[Foodie2400]

I think you'll need to choose your battles—whether it's putting in extra effort to find research at Creighton or building connections with schools/programs in the Midwest while at Tufts (prob through research or an away rotation).

Both schools can fulfill your career goals, but you should choose the one that best supports your happiness/comfort during med school since it's hard enough as it is. Maybe it looks like having a nicer apartment close to family or experiencing city life. Hope this helps!

 

[thefirerisen]

Normally, I would say Tufts in this match-up always.

But you said you wanted to match into the Midwest which Creighton probably has an upper-hand in as well as being closer to family. COA and transportation can also be an issue. How important is that to you?

Tufts is a great school with access to great research in Boston so I agree that it shouldn't hold you back too much from the Midwest and you'll be able to match into way more competitive fields. You are also correct to have concerns being a minority at Creighton. The school is overwhelmingly white with only a handful of black and latino students. I don't know if this is because its a Catholic school but Nebraska is also not diverse in any sense of the word. If I were in your shoes, I would choose Tufts.