Einstein vs Temple (LKSOM)

[savetheturtles]

Hey all! I am very much torn right now between Einstein and Temple (LKSOM) and would like some advice if anyone has.
Both schools are really great and I am very grateful to be in this position (even though I am stressed about making a choice haha)! I have narrowed it down to these two, but I am still waitlisted at several other schools. I definitely don't think I can go wrong, but no one in my family is in medicine and I am having a hard time choosing. The cost is around the same

A bit about me: I am passionate about helping the underserved (both schools seem to have a strong focus on that), and am very service oriented. I am from Florida but have family in Philly so I feel like both Einstein and Temple are pretty close to my family (Einstein is ~2 hours and temple is ~45min) I am not sure what I am interested in yet - thinking maybe pediatrics but really still have an open mind.

Thank you for all your input!

Einstein

Pros:
(+) higher ranking (not sure how much this matters)
(+) campus
(+) students overall feel pretty safe
(+) 2 hospitals walking distance from campus
(+) living situation is easy (all med students live in apartment style dorm on campus)
(+) better matching for residency ? (not really sure)

Cons:
(-) facilities are a bit older
(-) in the Bronx (~45 min away from NYC)
(-) only have MD Students (feel like it could be overwhelming to only be surrounded by MD students/doctors)

Temple

Pros:
(+) closer to family
(+) live in the city in Philly
(+) Newer facilities
(+) Have a great Children's Hospital (I think?)
(+) National Brand Name

Cons:
(-) Not as Safe
(-) long commute to classes and rotations (20-30 min subway)
(-) lower ranked (again not sure if this matters)
(-) People end up doing away rotations (around 2)

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[MongutheDoggy]

Einstein 100% due to reputation, prestige, and opportunities

 

[Shunsui]

Einstein 100% due to reputation, prestige, and opportunities

Can you be more specific about the opportunities? What does Einstein offer that Temple cannot?

 

[Banco]

Your goal of working with underserved communities can be achieved at both schools - North Philadelphia and The Bronx have no shortage there. In fact I’d say both schools are their respective cities’ parallels in terms of vibe.

That being said, I’d pick Einstein for a few reasons. It has arguably a stronger reputation in medicine, it definitely has more research resources/funding (you can look up the NIH stats yourself), and the location is a bit better (North Philly is really not ideal imo, though most students don’t live there I’m guessing). Match lists are hard to interpret, and both schools are solid - Einstein does punch pretty high though.

All in all I don’t think you can go wrong, and definitely you should take family and costs into account - but all else being equal I’d lean Einstein.

 

[savetheturtles]

thank you all for your help and insight! really appreciate it!