DREXEL or...TEMPLE--and a waitlist dilemma

[Shakenotstirred]

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Hey--pls help me out pros. Which would you choose--Drexel or Temple. If so, why?

AND----for those who are in, but also waiting for other schools on waitlists, how are you deciding? For instance, some schools can take you off the waitlist right before classes start---what do we do about living arrangements and all that? I know if it's someones dream school, it's worth waiting, but what if it's just a little higher ranked, but not a gigantic difference? Would you rather wait and find out, then rush and find a place to live, etc., OR KNOW where you're going for sure, even if the school is not AS "good."?----

THANKS people---

 

[TheRussian]

I was faced with the same dilemma a couple of months ago. Well, actually I can't call it a dilemma because for me the choice was simple and that choice was Drexel. Though the Temple Hospital is great, the school is in a terrible area and I felt uncomfortable when I was there. Though they claimed that the school is safe, I didn't like being in a place where such extreme measures of safety are necessary. Also the facilities themselves were not very nice, the classrooms were old and didn't look too comfortable. Drexel is in a much nicer area, has very modern facilities, and an interesting curiculum. The choice is simple.

As for the waitlist concerns. I'm planning on holding of on finding housing until the end of june at the school I'm planning on going to right now. If I don't hear from the waitlist until the end of june I'll just go find a place to leave and go to the school where I'm holding a spot right now. Depending on how much you want to go to the waitlisted school you might want to wait longer or shorter.

 

[ForensicPath]

I would choose Drexel. I live in philly right now, and the area around Drexel is much better than the area around Temple. Also, the main teaching hospital for Drexel is in a nice area of Center City Philadelphia. I actually have to make the decision of NYMC vs. Drexel within the next week (I got the nymc acceptance today), unless Jefferson were to pull me off the waitlist in that time. I don't have any particular "dream school," but Jefferson is my top choice. However, I am going to set a deadline of around mid-June where I will withdraw from any waitlists that I might still be on so that I don't have to keep my life on hold forever. I am grateful that I have an acceptance so that I can do that. Unless you have particular dream school, it does not seem worth it to me to wait around until the last possible moment if you have already been accepted elsewhere.

 

[mikeyboy]

I dunno about Temple vs. Drexel but as for the waitlist, I am willing to pack up and leave if I am accepted at one school but get accepted to a school that I would rather go to. In the long run, I would rather be happy for four years than be concerned with losing a security deposit on an apartment. It only makes sense for you to stay on the waitlist if you are willing to go there if they take you.

 

[bmwm3]

I would go to Temple for a few reasons. The last i checked Temple is about four grand less tuition which means over the course of medical school you would save around 16 thousand which is pretty nice. Secondly, temple has recently upgraded its facilities esp its gross lab, which is probably one of the best in the country.
As far as the location is concerned i would agree with the other posts that Drexel is located in a safer environment, but most Temple students commute to campus so you would not have to live in north philly. In fact most live in center city and old city while Drexel students tend to live in east falls which is not the safest place in the region.
Finally, and what i think is the most important reason for taking temple of drexel is that drexel's hospital situation is still unresolved. MCP is prob closing soon making finding clinical rotations difficult. Why go to a school which is in a transition phase.

 

[bullhorn]

I would go to Temple for a few reasons. The last i checked Temple is about four grand less tuition which means over the course of medical school you would save around 16 thousand which is pretty nice. Secondly, temple has recently upgraded its facilities esp its gross lab, which is probably one of the best in the country.
As far as the location is concerned i would agree with the other posts that Drexel is located in a safer environment, but most Temple students commute to campus so you would not have to live in north philly. In fact most live in center city and old city while Drexel students tend to live in east falls which is not the safest place in the region.
Finally, and what i think is the most important reason for taking temple of drexel is that drexel's hospital situation is still unresolved. MCP is prob closing soon making finding clinical rotations difficult. Why go to a school which is in a transition phase.

Personally, I chose Drexel. First of all, even though Temple is cheaper...their financial aid sucks..which is why they were on probation..or one of the reasons. Second, I am from the ghetto of brooklyn...I left there..not really to return to LIVE....although I don't mind working. To my knowledge most students DO live around temple's area. old city and center city are quite expensive especially the first two years. East falls like every place in philly...has a good section and bad section litterally across thes treet from each other. Alot of students it seems also live in Roxborough, Manayunk, and the like.

Finally, MCP IS closing soon..BUT Drexel has known that for a while...and are acting as if it has already. I think this is more of a problem for their residencies..for example, their neurosurgery residency was at MCP and only MCP really. What will happen to those residents? etc. Their students have clinical rotations all over philly with their many affiliates...Hahnemann in center city houses ALOT of these rotations, as does Monmouth in NJ, and Allegheny in Pittsburgh. All three very good hospitals. Allegheny being the biggest hospital in Pitt.

To the OP, I am not tryign to convince you. I just wanted to weigh in on some of the issues raised by bmwm3.

Goodluck

 

[kayw028]

another thing to consider about temple is that they tend to keep their own. meaning that a lot of students graduating from temple end up doing their residencies at temple. so depending on what kind of hospital you see yourself in in the future, that's definitely an issue to consider. i don't know if it's the same for drexel... good luck with the decisions!!

 

[Ms.Doctor]

I would go to Temple for a few reasons. The last i checked Temple is about four grand less tuition which means over the course of medical school you would save around 16 thousand which is pretty nice. Secondly, temple has recently upgraded its facilities esp its gross lab, which is probably one of the best in the country.
As far as the location is concerned i would agree with the other posts that Drexel is located in a safer environment, but most Temple students commute to campus so you would not have to live in north philly. In fact most live in center city and old city while Drexel students tend to live in east falls which is not the safest place in the region.
Finally, and what i think is the most important reason for taking temple of drexel is that drexel's hospital situation is still unresolved. MCP is prob closing soon making finding clinical rotations difficult. Why go to a school which is in a transition phase.

Just some further comments along with what bullhorn wrote...

First of all, Temple students live in East Falls too. Lots of them. And some of them even study at Drexel's QL building because they hate theirs so much. So something to keep in mind, if you're picking based off of living-- living in the same area and CLOSER to better resources....

Again, finding clinical rotations is not an issue at Drexel. this is not the job of students, anyways. There is some stuff going on at Drexel, but heck, Temple was on probation this past year (dunno if it still is).

 

[Lara]

Temple was taken off probation earlier this year.

I was accepted at both Drexel and Temple - here are two old threads where I posted on that subject, hopefully they'll help. 🙂
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=71951
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=66582

Good luck, whatever you decide!

 

[Ms.Doctor]

Although this has been posted elsewhere, Drexel has confirmed three new affiliations with medical schools in the Philly and NJ area. Abington, St. Peters, and I think the last one is called Friends or Friendship-- it's a psych hospital. So the MCP tribulations are old news.