Emory vs. UNC (In-State)

[hopefuldoc81]

Hey all, I recently got off the waitlist for UNC and have an offer to go to Emory. Can you all weigh in?

I’m leaning towards surgical, anesthesiology, radiology, maybe peds but am still open to others. I’m also pretty sure that I want to do academic medicine.

Emory
Pros

• Atlanta, always wanted to live in a big city with stuff to do and explore.
• Loved the campus and people I met during interview.
• Loved Grady
• Dedicated research period in curriculum, opportunities for interdisciplinary research with Georgia Tech (I have an engineering background)
• Extremely diverse patient population
• CDC

Cons

• Expensive. COA is ~$330K. I may get help from my parents, but I know I will most likely be taking out ~$200K in loans. No financial aid provided.
• Possibility of not having video recorded lectures (though I did hear that may be changing with the incoming class)

UNC (In-State)
Pros

• In State Tuition COA is ~$270K this is ~$60K less and will have to take out less loans than Emory, not sure. Possibility of scholarships, although won’t know until after making decision.
• Recorded lectures, learn on my time.
• Know the area well and have lots of friends and family around the area.
• Enjoyed the people I met at interview day, everyone was very nice.
• Rotations all over NC

Cons

• Have lived in the area for a very long time, I feel like branching out would be good for me.
• Step scores dropped with the curriculum change.

Summary:
Is the slight edge of Emory worth $60K when compared with in state tuition at UNC?

Thanks!!

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[Kracin]

60K isn’t much through this process. I’d lean Emory but don’t discount the support that you have in NC

 

[sargon2123]

A curriculum change that drops step scores is quite deplorable. Also 4 years is a long time. It’d be a shame to not experience a new place if you’ve been in the same one your whole life. In spite of UNSWR putting them about equal, Emory probably has more recognition and benefits of a top school

 

[GetYourFluShotPls]

They're both phenomenal schools and UNC is actually above Emory (but only slightly) in terms of residency director rankings so you'll have no problem matching at either school. Research is great at both schools too. I think it mostly comes down to location and cost. I'd go UNC because of friends+family and the $60k

 

[sargon2123]

USNWR has negligible meaning. Look at match lists for both schools. Emory’s looks exactly like what you would expect for a top school.

 

[hopefuldoc81]

Thank you all for the input!

I think my game plan from here is to first see if I can get any financial aid from Emory to offset the price point in this decision (doesn't hurt to ask), then I'll try and make a decision after that.

I try not to get caught up in rankings, but I can't help but look at USNWR has Emory with specialty rankings in Anesthesiology, IM, Peds, Radiology, and Surgery. They also have UNC with rankings in Family Med, OBGYN, IM, and Psychiatry. Not that these would determine what quality of doctor I would be in whatever specialty I choose, but I would say I'm more interested in specialties like those ranked at Emory vs those ranked at UNC. Is this a metric of quality of training, reputation or both and how would this affect my chances at landing a top residency if that's what I decide to do? I've looked back through past match lists from both schools, and I've seen matches at great programs for all specialties, so this seems to confirm not only that great matches go to great students, but also that neither school will keep me from matching competitively.

They're also a powerhouse in other parts of healthcare (#1 in pharmacy, #2 in public health, #2 in clinical psychology, #3 in Healthcare Management) for even more opportunities when it comes to interdisciplinary work

You're right, opportunities abound at both institutions, so I'm sure that I won't be limited in what kind of research I can do at either. I guess having a dedicated research period at Emory piques my interest, although I'm sure I would find time to do research at UNC as well.

Additionally, I saw someone else post that Emory focuses on "teaching for the wards, not the boards" although some might take this as bad, I want to be the best clinician I can be above all regardless of board score (albeit this hopefully would include me doing well on the boards), how does UNC compare in this regard?

Once again, thank you all for your responses, I appreciate hearing the things about these schools that I can't necessarily find on their websites.

Thanks!

 

[LongLiveThanos]

All things equal, go to the cheaper school. UNC and Emory are great schools and attending one or the other won't limit your future opportunities.

 

[RelevantBeing1]

Hey! I know this is late but I am also looking at these two schools and I wanted to know what you decided and if you are happy with your decision. 🙂

 

[RelevantBeing1]

@hopefuldoc81 sorry to bother you! Just curious. You probably don't even have this account anymore, haha.

 

[hopefuldoc81]

@hopefuldoc81 sorry to bother you! Just curious. You probably don't even have this account anymore, haha.

I went to UNC, took the in-state money, and haven't looked back. The student body is really collaborative, recorded lectures are a lifesaver, and the clinical opportunities are amazing. Great decision, great school 👍