Downstate vs. Stony Brook

[mikeyboi]

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this decision is actually much tougher than i thought it would be.
as far as i can tell, with everything else being equal, these traits make their respective school stand out

downstate pros: kings county for clinical experience, excellent matches
cons: neighborhood isnt the best, facilities not the best

stony brook pros: better reputation, surburbs, small class, great for research
cons: not much to do?, suburbs

as for myself, i was born and raised in queens, and i've been living in manhattan for the last 4 years so i think im definitely a city person. can i handle the suburbs? home is approximately equidistant from downstate and stony brook but housing/travel is not a problem. i'm not so interested in primary care (not that theres anything wrong with primary care nor am i not open to going into it) and i know a lot of people from stony go into primary care. is that going to affect me?

much thanks for any insight in advance

 

[idq1i]

No-brainer. SUNY-SB.

Downstate: gangland neighborhood, inexcusable attitudes of the administration, and a student body that has a reputation for being less than cohesive. On the positive side, you will get to see a lot of stuff in your 3rd/4th years

 

[IceKid]

i thought you said that you sent a letter of intent to stony brook though?

 

[kito]

You will learn the same garbage, match at the same place, have the same debt and make the same amount of money when you're done. At this point it is all about lifestyle and comfort.

 

[jiggaman]

SUNY SB is the way to go

 

[LAkid]

I have a friend at Downstate who has nothing but regrets about her decision. She does not feel safe around the area and feels no bond with her class.
Go with SB.

 

[SBWannaBe]

yeah i have to say that this would be a no brainer for me

go to stony

but if you don't want to go there it's okay...hopefully i'll get your spot 🙂

 

[Quickread]

Yeah it was a no brainer for me, because I made the same decision this year. I chose Downstate though. SB is in the boondocks, the clinical experience at DS is second to none, and thats what I want. GL deciding.

 

[superab2003]

I would say that since you are a self-described city person, Downstate may be a better match for you. If you are looking for a good clinical education, Downstate is definitely the stronger choice there as well. That's just my opinion based on what info you gave about yourself. good luck with the decision!