Emory vs. Mount Sinai

[deleted1074206]

Hi! I’m very lucky to have multiple acceptances at this point. Still waiting on 9 other post interview decisions that are supposed to come out in the next month or so. In the meantime, I want to narrow down my current options in hopes of making a quicker decision down the road.

Emory
Pros
- 1.5 year preclinical
- new city for me to explore, fresh start
- warmer weather
- discovery (research phase)
- can live alone/lower COL

Cons
- far from all my family and friends
- Atlanta might not be as fun as NYC? Idk Ive never been

Mt. Sinai
Pros
- not connected to a larger university, so medical students are front and center/easy access to research opportunities
- close to friends and family in NYC
- large Hispanic/Spanish-speaking population, can speak Spanish on a daily basis and do outreach
- community seems really tight-knit, seems like they have a lot of fun in their preclinical years!
- really connected with students and applicants on my interview day, saw them as future classmates

Cons
- apartment style living (would prefer to live alone)
- very high COL

Obviously I like both programs and can’t really see many cons with each. I am curious though which program has higher prestige/would give me the best chance of pursuing a competitive specialty. I’m also interested in matching back into the Northeast. Thanks in advance!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[BioPsychotic]

I just want to chime in and say this is an amazing decision to be making. Truly a “2 good options” scenario. That said, from your responses it seems that your reasons for Mt. Sinai are more compelling. Sinai also has a ton of name recognition and will most certainly help you secure a competitive residency. Good luck!

 

[chilly_md]

If you have family and friends close by at Mt. Sinai, do you think you could share a place with them? That might help on the cons a bit. Seems like you'd be happy there from Day 1 and can remain in the Northeast for all of medical school and likely residency.

 

[MedicalStudent888]

I am a M1 at Mount Sinai feel free to reach to me with any questions and I will give honest answers

It is a great place overall and I have had a fantastic experience so far!

However like the user above me said, both are amazing options so congratulations!

 

[JohnJacobJingleheimer]

I'll echo what everyone else has said and say these are 2 FANTASTIC choices. In fact, they were probably the two top choices on my list, so I envy you. I went to Emory undergrad and loved it there. I'm from just outside NYC and have about 150 hours shadowing at Sinai and loved every minute of it too; from the faculty to the students to the facilities. Both are truly top-notch options. Huge congrats.

Now, to answer your question, I think if I had to group schools by 5's in terms of prestige, these schools would be bunched together. It's pretty dead even; both are on the bottom end of the top-tier schools. Both places will open any and all doors for you, assuming your performance there meets the mark. I think if you specifically want to match into the northeast, Sinai might have the ever so slight edge based on proximity and thus affiliations with northeast institutions and individuals. Emory is also nationally recognized and has a far reach.

Atlanta has all of the fun you will need in med school, and, unlike NYC, there are budget friendly nightlife and entertainment options. I absolutely loved Atlanta and prefer it to NYC, simply because I think there's more bang for your buck. I would ultimately choose Sinai here for the sake of being closer to my friends and family and because I, too, would be happy to match back to the northeast. Only difference between these two is location and cost of living IMO. I don't think the cost difference should be the deciding factor though, since it's so negligible in the end.

Edit: I'll add ATL weather >> NYC. Also, you will need/ can have a car at Emory but you will not need nor be able to reasonably have a car at Sinai... not sure if this matters to you.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

I’d go with Emory because I don’t like living in New York City, but that’s obviously a personal choice.

I’d say MT. Sinai slightly outranks Emory as a bona fide t20 (whereas Emory is generally considered t30/bordert20). Imo, this difference does not warrant choosing Sinai over Emory. If you want to match in NE, Mt. Sinai may be better but I’m sure both give opportunities to match anywhere in the country

 

[pierty]

Cost and proximity to F&F seem to be opposing factors here. I would think about which is more important.

I’d go with Emory because I don’t like living in New York City, but that’s obviously a personal choice.

I’d say MT. Sinai slightly outranks Emory as a bona fide t20 (whereas Emory is generally considered t30/bordert20). Imo, this difference does not warrant choosing Sinai over Emory. If you want to match in NE, Mt. Sinai may be better but I’m sure both give opportunities to match anywhere in the country

The rankings are completely irrelevant. Both are strong programs, with strong presence in research and academics.