Duke Med vs state school

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scaryskier

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Hey all, I am having a hard time deciding between Duke and my state school (T60). I have not heard from either school yet regarding financial aid, but I can only imagine my state school would be significantly cheaper.

#1: Duke Med
Pros:
  • prestige (T10ish vs T60) - this is not end all be all for me, but I am considering more competitive specialties (derm, ortho) and if not those, I am interested in GI which is a competitive fellowship. I do not want to undermine the importance of prestige in getting me into those fields if I do choose to pursue them
  • location - Durham is definitely conducive to a high quality of life, with a relatively low COL. my SO grew up 30 mins outside of Durham and we both agree it would be a great place to relocate
  • curriculum - having 3rd year entirely dedicated to research would be huge in terms of making my residency application competitive. also interested in continuing research/was worried about how to balance research and other ECs with other schools' curricula
Cons:
  • speed of curriculum - the curriculum can also be seen as a con for me. I'm a bit worried about feeling "rushed" or forced to cover 2 years worth of material in 1 years time
  • relocating - moving to Durham means I am a 10 hour drive from family/friends, although my SO would be coming with me which would help tremendously
  • cost - without financial aid information yet, this is tough to gauge. Duke could cost me about 90k/year, which will all be financed through loans

#2: state school (not disclosing for anonymity)
Pros:
  • program - alma mater state school program that is well known and would serve me very well
  • support system - would be 40mins from family/friends which would definitely be a great benefit
  • cost - probably my "cheapest" option at the moment with an average COA of 40k/yr... would only be taking out 160-180k in loans compared to most private schools which are 300k+
Cons:
  • location - as someone who commuted to my undergrad state school, now works in this med school's hospital system, and has lived in this state my entire life, I can't help but feel that I may need a change of pace/location to experience something new
  • curriculum- research and any extracurriculars I am interested in would have to be completed on top of preclinical studies, unlike Duke where there is dedicated time for those things

I do love both of these programs and feel that I would be happy at either. I just have a hard time looking past two things:
1. Duke's prestige and ability to "set me up" very well for any specialty that I should choose
2. cost - I don't love the cost of Duke. It would be hard for me to attend knowing my state school is 150k+ less.

If I could bargain for Duke to be at or lower than my state school's cost this would be an easier choice, but I would like to hear others' thoughts beforehand. Thank you!
 
Hey all, I am having a hard time deciding between Duke and my state school (T60). I have not heard from either school yet regarding financial aid, but I can only imagine my state school would be significantly cheaper.

#1: Duke Med
Pros:
  • prestige (T10ish vs T60) - this is not end all be all for me, but I am considering more competitive specialties (derm, ortho) and if not those, I am interested in GI which is a competitive fellowship. I do not want to undermine the importance of prestige in getting me into those fields if I do choose to pursue them
  • location - Durham is definitely conducive to a high quality of life, with a relatively low COL. my SO grew up 30 mins outside of Durham and we both agree it would be a great place to relocate
  • curriculum - having 3rd year entirely dedicated to research would be huge in terms of making my residency application competitive. also interested in continuing research/was worried about how to balance research and other ECs with other schools' curricula
Cons:
  • speed of curriculum - the curriculum can also be seen as a con for me. I'm a bit worried about feeling "rushed" or forced to cover 2 years worth of material in 1 years time
  • relocating - moving to Durham means I am a 10 hour drive from family/friends, although my SO would be coming with me which would help tremendously
  • cost - without financial aid information yet, this is tough to gauge. Duke could cost me about 90k/year, which will all be financed through loans

#2: state school (not disclosing for anonymity)
Pros:
  • program - alma mater state school program that is well known and would serve me very well
  • support system - would be 40mins from family/friends which would definitely be a great benefit
  • cost - probably my "cheapest" option at the moment with an average COA of 40k/yr... would only be taking out 160-180k in loans compared to most private schools which are 300k+
Cons:
  • location - as someone who commuted to my undergrad state school, now works in this med school's hospital system, and has lived in this state my entire life, I can't help but feel that I may need a change of pace/location to experience something new
  • curriculum- research and any extracurriculars I am interested in would have to be completed on top of preclinical studies, unlike Duke where there is dedicated time for those things

I do love both of these programs and feel that I would be happy at either. I just have a hard time looking past two things:
1. Duke's prestige and ability to "set me up" very well for any specialty that I should choose
2. cost - I don't love the cost of Duke. It would be hard for me to attend knowing my state school is 150k+ less.

If I could bargain for Duke to be at or lower than my state school's cost this would be an easier choice, but I would like to hear others' thoughts beforehand. Thank you!
Gotta wait to see what Duke gives you
 
Duke unless full COA (or if you’re confident in your ability to match a competitive speciality).
 
I think the extra price tag for Duke is worth it in this case. If you're considering competitive specialties, the extra prestige is worth it. And besides, most competitive specialities are high-paying, so you'll be able to pay off that extra debt. Congrats on a successful cycle!
 
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