Duke vs UConn

[scaryskier]

Hey all, I am having a hard time deciding between Duke and UConn. I posted a while back before knowing financial aid but now I have received both awards.

#1: Duke - approx. 45,000/year
Pros:

• prestige (T10ish vs T60) - this is not end all be all for me, but I am considering some of the "lifestyle" specialties 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, especially with step 1 p/f.
• 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... with exams every 2 weeks it would be an entire year of studying straight through with little perceived "break"
• 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.. if i don't love NC i would be worried about not returning to New England, whereas UConn would help me to stay in that region
• cost - a bit on the expensive side compared to my state school... I also have to factor moving costs/being completely independent of my family

#2: UConn - approx 30-35,000/year
Pros:

• program - alma mater state school program that is well known and would serve me very well, still a very strong match list (esp. in Northeast)
• support system - would be 40mins from family/friends which would definitely be a great benefit, have friends attending this school
• cost - cheaper than Duke in the long run, would save me about 50-60k total.. i would say i am relatively debt averse and would like to finish paying off school ASAP

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... being close to family is also difficult as i would feel obligated to see them more often
• 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. exam schedule also seems intense, 1 8 hour exam every 10 weeks covering MASSIVE amounts of material

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 - Duke is a bit more expensive, but not by *that* much

I am having a hard time determining whether the extra 50-60k total to attend Duke would be worth it in the long run. Both are very strong, well known programs. Many physicians I have spoken to also appear to be very debt averse, some still paying off loans from 20+ years ago. I guess I'm just having a hard time conceptualizing what the extra 50k would look like long term and if that is worth the extra resources/connections/prestige that Duke would provide.

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[chilly_md]

You should take the Duke acceptance in this case. I usually weigh financial matters more so than most, but I feel the extra 10k or so each year is worth it since overall you will have a debt of 180k. That’s phenomenal compared to a lot people who have >250 or >300k. You will have your SO with you and you shouldn’t have a problem matching back to the Northeast. That’s probably a popular place anyway for Duke students and since you’ve lived there before, that helps when applying.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

For 50k extra, definitely Duke.

 

[deleted1065184]

You should take the Duke acceptance in this case. I usually weigh financial matters more so than most, but I feel the extra 10k or so each year is worth it since overall you will have a debt of 180k. That’s phenomenal compared to a lot people who have >250 or >300k. You will have your SO with you and you shouldn’t have a problem matching back to the Northeast. That’s probably a popular place anyway for Duke students and since you’ve lived there before, that helps when applying.

Ditto, I'm almost always of the "choose the cheaper school" camp, but this difference is miniscule. And rankings/prestige aside, it sounds like you genuinely wanna live in a new area. I think it'll be a great experience for you.

And you will not have to worry about struggling to match back in NE should you decide you hate the area (you won't lol)

 

[JohnJacobJingleheimer]

Difference in cost is marginal; difference is schools is not. Duke by a long shot.

 

[Entadus]

People will tell you Duke due to prestige. I will say Duke for the personal growth involved in moving. The extra cost is a shame but still surmountable. No "wrong" choice either way but I guess I'd lean toward Duke.

 

[MedSD123]

Duke for personal growth and prestige. Seems worth the extra money

 

[DZ2106]

Dukeeeee! Not even close