Dartmouth vs. Rush vs. Downstate

[smoof92]

I know this is a last minute question and I need to decide by TONIGHT, but I am really struggling to decide between these three medical schools. I was accepted to Dartmouth in late March, and it really made it difficult to make this decision.

Dartmouth is in a rural area, there are many older students, and I feel that the social support is not great. When I spoke to students there they did not seem particularly happy and there are a lot of quizzes, which seems stressful. Yet I know the match list is great there. I just do not know if the pros outweigh the cons at Dartmouth, especially because I have always lived in urban areas. Part of me feels that maybe I am exaggerating how difficult things will be socially at Dartmouth, so I appreciate any input.

I am also considering Rush and Downstate. I love that Rush is in Chicago (I am from Chicago) and has an incredibly supportive faculty. If Rush was a true p/f system, I would most likely go there. But I do not like that it is honors/pass/fail - how stressful is this in medical school? I also know the match list is not as great there as Dartmouth.

I like Downstate's location and that it has a true P/F system. I also think the students seem pretty happy there and the step 1 averages/match list are good. The administration does not seem as supportive at Downstate though. Also, I have friends in NYC who I can lean on when medical school gets very stressful.

I am struggling to determine whether I need social support to deal with the stress of medical school or whether being in an isolated area like Hanover is ok. I appreciate any input on these schools!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

I'm just another premed who will be attending medical school in the fall, but I think that you definitely need a strong social support network. Plenty of med students have told me that you will be stressed during medical school and that it will be much harder to survive without a strong support system in place, whether that be your classmates, your family, your non-med school friends, etc. Also, SDN wisdom states that you should not use match lists as an objective criteria for selecting a medical school. The biggest limiting factor, I've been told, is how hard you work no matter where you are. And you're more likely to work a lot harder at a school where you feel supported and happy.

I'd say scrap Dartmouth and pick either Rush or Downstate. You are closest to home and family support if you go to Rush, as well as have that supportive faculty. I interviewed at Rush and I know I would have been happy there had they not rejected me. For Downstate, you have a "better" preclinical curriculum because it's true P/F and you have friends in the city. However, P/F or H/P/F really doesn't matter in the long run because SDN states that preclinical grades don't matter nearly as much as your clerkship grades, step 1 score, LOR's, away rotations, and productive research when applying to residency.

Current med students are free to chime in if I said something egregiously wrong.

 

[Bonebro]

definitely need a strong social support network. should not use match lists as an objective criteria for selecting a medical school. The biggest limiting factor, I've been told, is how hard you work no matter where you are. And you're more likely to work a lot harder at a school where you feel supported and happy.

So right about the bolded. Match lists are terrible criteria to evaluate a school for so many reasons. You only listed negatives about Dartmouth so I think you have your answer there. I don't get the obsession with all the preclinical grading systems that people talk about on here. Maybe it's because I'm two years removed from preclincals but I don't think a different grading system would have made any difference in my life. You never see anyone say they would've matched in a more competitive specialty if only their preclinical grading system were different.

 

[TheRobin]

I'm just another premed who will be attending medical school in the fall, but I think that you definitely need a strong social support network. Plenty of med students have told me that you will be stressed during medical school and that it will be much harder to survive without a strong support system in place, whether that be your classmates, your family, your non-med school friends, etc. Also, SDN wisdom states that you should not use match lists as an objective criteria for selecting a medical school. The biggest limiting factor, I've been told, is how hard you work no matter where you are. And you're more likely to work a lot harder at a school where you feel supported and happy.

I'd say scrap Dartmouth and pick either Rush or Downstate. You are closest to home and family support if you go to Rush, as well as have that supportive faculty. I interviewed at Rush and I know I would have been happy there had they not rejected me. For Downstate, you have a "better" preclinical curriculum because it's true P/F and you have friends in the city. However, P/F or H/P/F really doesn't matter in the long run because SDN states that preclinical grades don't matter nearly as much as your clerkship grades, step 1 score, LOR's, away rotations, and productive research when applying to residency.

Current med students are free to chime in if I said something egregiously wrong.

Pretty spot on. I'd add taking a look at the cost of attendance for each school, too.

 

[smoof92]

finances-wise dartmouth is cheapest (50,000/year) vs rush (60,000/year) vs downstate (64,000 but they have sent me an application for a grant)...will this make a huge difference in the long run?

 

[TheRobin]

finances-wise dartmouth is cheapest (50,000/year) vs rush (60,000/year) vs downstate (64,000 but they have sent me an application for a grant)...will this make a huge difference in the long run?

I don't think it will make that much difference in the long run, but there are schools out their with insane tuition and fees that essentially push people away from certain specialties that they may like but that don't compensate as well.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Please don't post the same thread in multiple places. Those wishing to answer the OP's question may do so in the thread in pre-allo school-specific discussions.