Dartmouth or UChicago

[Member000]

I have been trying to decide which school I would like to join in the fall. On interview day, I felt like I could see myself at either school. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, students, and faculty. They are surprisingly similar in many ways: small class sizes (~90) and lots of research opportunities. Obviously, the biggest thing that separates them is rural vs urban. Honestly, I could see myself in both settings. I can lay out some personal pros and cons and I would appreciate any further advice.

Dartmouth:
-Opportunities for engineering medicine research (im a BME)
-Lots of individual attention
-Good residency match (I want to be matched in Boston)
-It's an Ivy (not really important, but cool)
-Not a lot going on in Hanover

UChicago:
-Research Thesis
-Track program
-Lots of individual attention
-Very diverse patient population
-Sketchy neighborhood

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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[NavyDoc23]

I would pick UChicago if I were you. Going there definitely wouldn't prevent you from matching in Boston, or anywhere you would want to go as UChicago grads match all over the country to some great residencies (UCSF, Harvard, etc). It is also higher ranked than Dartmouth, Chicago is a great city (don't let the crime rate scare you), and according to your MDApps you have a nice scholarship to Chicago! Definitely compare the costs of both schools. Wait to see if you get any scholarships from Dartmouth, then compare the costs.

 

[Tots]

They are both great schools and you can't make a bad decision, that being said, I would totally pick UChicago. I may be a little biased though since I am a current medical student there Hyde Park is not that sketchy(this is from someone who lived his whole life suburbia), though the areas around Hyde Park are pretty sketchy. I have never felt unsafe and I walk around Hyde Park all the time. Let me know if there are any specific questions I can help you answer.

 

[BlackBox]

These threads always make me think of Kenny Fisher in Can't Hardly Wait. Specifically, ~20:40 into the film-

EDIT: or this part.

 

[nemo123]

Do you have any other outside interests that might sway your decisions one way or another? I also got the impression from interview day at Dartmouth that the research going on there is a little lacking compared to its peers/research powerhouses (though it's definitely not bad)...

 

[alpinism]

I have been trying to decide which school I would like to join in the fall. On interview day, I felt like I could see myself at either school. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, students, and faculty. They are surprisingly similar in many ways: small class sizes (~90) and lots of research opportunities. Obviously, the biggest thing that separates them is rural vs urban. Honestly, I could see myself in both settings. I can lay out some personal pros and cons and I would appreciate any further advice.

Dartmouth:
-Opportunities for engineering medicine research (im a BME)
-Lots of individual attention
-Good residency match (I want to be matched in Boston)
-It's an Ivy (not really important, but cool)
-Not a lot going on in Hanover

UChicago:
-Research Thesis
-Track program
-Lots of individual attention
-Very diverse patient population
-Sketchy neighborhood

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Dartmouth is nowhere near the same level as Harvard/Yale/Columbia or UChicago for that matter.

Its a good school but don't overestimate the school's reputation.

A better comparison would be to USC or Rochester.

 

[solitarius]

All else equal, Chicago is the more well-known school.

This should be a debt question. If Dartmouth results in significantly less in student loans, I don't think Chicago's reputation can beat that.

 

[MilkIsGood]

Dont forget about the 3rd year clinical rotation sites at Dartmouth. Do you like the option of traveling to different places to rotate?

uchicago doesnt have a research thesis (just have to do a project) and it isnt in a sketchy neighborhood.

 

[MedWonk]

I have been trying to decide which school I would like to join in the fall. On interview day, I felt like I could see myself at either school. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, students, and faculty. They are surprisingly similar in many ways: small class sizes (~90) and lots of research opportunities. Obviously, the biggest thing that separates them is rural vs urban. Honestly, I could see myself in both settings. I can lay out some personal pros and cons and I would appreciate any further advice.

Dartmouth:
-Opportunities for engineering medicine research (im a BME)
-Lots of individual attention
-Good residency match (I want to be matched in Boston)
-It's an Ivy (not really important, but cool)
-Not a lot going on in Hanover

UChicago:
-Research Thesis
-Track program
-Lots of individual attention
-Very diverse patient population
-Sketchy neighborhood

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Take UChicago. Never turn down the prestigious school that throws free cash your way unless there's another one that throws even more cash your way.

 

[darkjedi]

I would choose UChicago hands down if I were you. I couldn't live in Hanover for 4 years personally.

 

[hlancaster]

The fact that Dartmouth is an Ivy doesn't do it for me since U Chicago is far more prestigious in medicine (and most other academic programs, for that matter, including undergrad and grad). In my opinion, Chicago is the better choice in prestige, residency matching, research opportunities, clinical training quality, and location (although this is personal preference, since I love the city of Chicago). In my opinion, this is a no brainer! But different strokes for different folks...

Congratulations on the acceptances!!

 

[rocco92]

UChicago, easy decision.

 

[kittykattat]

How is this even a question? U of Chicago all the way. and Hyde Park isnt sketchy its awesome

 

[hlancaster]

In OP's defense, I think being a little hesitant about the BME research opportunities at U Chicago may be warranted. Pritzker prepares a document of all of the summer research opportunities available to med students. You can check out this year's here: http://pritzker.uchicago.edu/current/students/Summer_Opps_Guide.pdf. A lot of those projects sound really cool! Hopefully that'll help as you make your decision (...to go to Pritzker ).

 

[Nicco]

Pritzker

 

[Kalydeco]

When I saw this post I thought, "Seems like a no-brainer..."

And after reading your list, it still is.

Dartmouth is a fine medical school in a charming town but unless there is a significant cost disparity in favor of Dartmouth or you have some extenuating circumstance that makes you favor being in New England, go to Pritzker.