Drexel (DUCOM) Vs. Albany (AMC)

[deleted1109233]

Drexel: (Philly campus)
Pros:
-Much better location (people would visit, there are things to do, etc.)
-Moving locations in a year to a better facility (this is also a bit of a con too because of the move between first and second year)
-I know people in the city

Cons:
-Large class size and an administration that has been known to not care about it's students.
-No home hospital


Albany:
Pros:
-Has a home hospital
-The students at the interview day all seemed to really like the school.
-Maybe a slightly better program?

Cons:
-Mainly that I don't like the location. It's colder, there's less to do, and I'm less likely to have people come to visit me.
-Outdated facilities
-Not a lot of housing options. I really need this because I'm going with two dogs.
-More expensive by about 10,000


I only have 48 hours to decide! I would really love advice from anyone, but especially if you are a student there or have heard anything about either of these programs.

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[Putkernerinthehall]

Is class size a factor for you ?

 

[deleted1109233]

Is class size a factor for you ?

Definitely! I prefer a smaller class size.

 

[CrabcakesandFootball]

Will having to travel a lot or possibly sublease for rotations be difficult with the dogs? This may happen with Drexel I am not sure if all of Albany's rotations are done at the same location. Just a thought

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

I think the key here is the home hospital vs non-home hospital and how much that matters to you, and bounce that against the fact you'd rather live in Philly. What's more important ? Albany has a little smaller class size I believe but that may not make a difference.

 

[deleted1109233]

Will having to travel a lot or possibly sublease for rotations be difficult with the dogs? This may happen with Drexel I am not sure if all of Albany's rotations are done at the same location. Just a thought

I think that's a good point. I'm married to someone who works from home, so I'm not too worried about making it work for them if they need to stay in a different location from me.

 

[chilly_md]

Albany has 100 or so less students than Drexel.

 

[Shunsui]

More expensive by about 10,000

I'm surprised by this tbh considering Drexel's tuition is like 62k. Don't know any numbers about AMC's tuition/COA though.

Interviewed at both. I'd lean AMC for the home field advantage and not having to move for all 4 years of school. I feel like being anchored down in one place is easier on you, your partner, and your pets. Several hour drive to Boston or NYC and you could meet up with friends/family there on breaks maybe?

Drexel's not a bad choice here though. It's clear you'd love Philly (assume your partner would as well) but you might not even be in Philly for all of M3 and/or M4 depending on the lottery system. Looked like only a handful of clinical sites were actually in Philly (not even city proper though). So, although Philly is a huge draw, you might not even get to experience it that much except for M2.

 

[LunaOri]

At Albany, you could stay on the home campus for all 4 years. Although there may not be good student housing, it shouldn’t be hard to find a dog-friendly house nearby or in the suburbs. Cost of living is relatively low for the Northeast.