Emory vs. Brown

[ToasterShrudel]

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Hi everyone, I know a lot of people are probably freaking out a little bit right now with the deadline quickly approaching. I know I am super lucky and I am very grateful to have two incredible options to choose between. That also means that I have been through many spirals over the past week trying to decide where I should spend the next 4 years of my life. Sorry I didn't realize this got so long D:

Emory:
Pros -

• more prestigious
  • no one is sure how step 1 being p/f will affect the match process, and some think that the prestige of the school will matter more. but does prestige mean like USNWR rankings or like internal rankings/preferences? bc both schools have great networks
• sunny
• great infectious diseases center
• Grady
• Atlanta is objectively a more fun city
• huge hospital network, healthcare rock in Atlanta
• students have 2 months to study for step 1 from dec-jan after 18months of foundations curriculum
• med school is on emory's campus, so there is opportunity to participate in a wider range of clubs/activities
• great MD/MPH program if I choose to go that route
• Emory has their own hospitals and affiliated hospitals

Cons -

• far from NYC (where I'm from) and my parents are elderly
• have to drive everywhere
• cars are expensive
• I'd have to drive from NYC to Atlanta (14hrs) probably once a year for car registration purposes
• From nov-may when students take anatomy, there are 2 additional exams on Fridays, so 4 exams total: essay, multiple choice, anatomy practical, and anatomy multiple choice

Brown:
Pros -

• 2.5hr drive from nyc
• ivy
• lectures are recorded, can do "remote" med school sometimes if you don't have to come in for small groups once in a while
• very walkable city
• great teaching hospital
• only medical school in the state, so it's easy to get shadowing/research opps.
• 1 exam on Fridays only

Cons -

• ranked lower
• Providence is very small
• brown might always be overshadowed by schools in boston
• students are given approx. 1 month to study for step 1 in march of second-year
• med school is a little bit separate from undergrad campus, but it's also literally like a 15min walk away
• Brown only has affiliated hospitals, but not sure how that might affect my experience as a student

Same in both:

• In-house exams
• amazing match lists
• $$ mostly the same, brown is like ~8k more expensive
• the people seem very friendly and chill
• In terms of research, they both do it a bit differently and I can't decide which is better:
  • Emory: dedicated time to do research during discovery phase (5 months) right after taking step 2
  • Brown: encouraged to participate in research all 4 years through scholarly concentrations program, and students can go to conferences

Please let me know if there's anything I missed or should consider/reconsider. Thank you!!

 

[deleted1161395]

Brown b/c closer to parents

 

[EndureVascular]

Do you have any particular specialty interests? I'd read about if both schools have that home program-what size it is/how strong the reputation is in clinical/academic practice (depending on preference).

There's not a whole lot to separate these schools money/prestige wise. It comes down to weather, surrounding neighborhood, accessibility to family/support system

 

[_invisiblestring]

Thanks for your response to my post, just here returning the favor xD

I can't really speak to Emory, but I'm actually an undergrad at Brown and can probably address some of your concerns about the city/location. Providence is an amazing city and really great place to live -- definitely has a city vibe in the downtown area, but also beautiful neighborhoods like Fox Point, Wayland Square, etc. Really great food scene if you're into that sort of thing, feels very young (because of all the colleges in the area!). I can't really speak to the amount that AMS is overshadowed by schools in Boston, but I definitely didn't feel that during my undergrad years! Plus, things are super interconnected in New England -- Boston is a 40min T ride away, so you can definitely network/do research at institutions in Boston if you wanted.

In terms of hospitals there is RI Hospital, Hasbro, Miriam, Women and Infants (there might be more but that's all I can think of off the top of my head?). They're all super close and seem like good places to learn (like you mentioned, RI is a tiny state and Providence as the capital probably would get a lot of medical traffic). Ofc I was never there as a med student, so take this with a grain of salt lol

Happy to elaborate more if you have any questions!!

 

[zestyzigzagoon]

Also just wanted to add that public transport is kinda unreliable in Providence, so a lot of med students have cars

 

[ToasterShrudel]

Do you have any particular specialty interests? I'd read about if both schools have that home program-what size it is/how strong the reputation is in clinical/academic practice (depending on preference).

There's not a whole lot to separate these schools money/prestige wise. It comes down to weather, surrounding neighborhood, accessibility to family/support system

That's a good point. honestly I have no idea about specialties yet lmao but I'll do some more digging on home programs

 

[spezi321]

I've heard great things about the pedagogy and mentorship of medical students at Emory. That's awesome that they give you a dedicated 2 months to study for step 1 from dec-jan after finishing the foundations curriculum and 5 months to do research after STEP2! (I personally would appreciate that dedicated time, as it can be difficult to balance studying/research alongside all of the other hullaballoo of med school). It seems to me your main con to Emory is its location but that you are really drawn towards its academic offerings, so I would try and assess how much location is a factor in your decision making process (you might still be able to visit your parents pretty often during down periods of med school and flights from NYC to Atlanta are only 2.5 hrs and not too expensive if you buy early!)

 

[ToasterShrudel]

I've heard great things about the pedagogy and mentorship of medical students at Emory. That's awesome that they give you a dedicated 2 months to study for step 1 from dec-jan after finishing the foundations curriculum and 5 months to do research after STEP2! (I personally would appreciate that dedicated time, as it can be difficult to balance studying/research alongside all of the other hullaballoo of med school). It seems to me your main con to Emory is its location but that you are really drawn towards its academic offerings, so I would try and assess how much location is a factor in your decision making process (you might still be able to visit your parents pretty often during down periods of med school and flights from NYC to Atlanta are only 2.5 hrs and not too expensive if you buy early!)

You hit the nail on the head haha – while I loved Brown a lot, I ended up deciding on Emory. Thanks everyone for your help!