Hi all! I'm trying to decide which MD Program I should pursue between two schools - EVMS and SUNY Upstate.
Also, I'd really appreciate any input you have on some of the topics below that I think would be important for me in deciding where I want to go.
1. For some context, I'm a VA resident, so EVMS would be in-state for me and SUNY OOS. However, I also heard that if you are an OOS student who attends SUNY, then within a year or so, you would no longer be considered OOS tuition-wise (can someone clarify if this is correct?). But definitely starting out as an OOS student, tuition at EVMS would be much more affordable.
1. Geographic reach - Would going to NY as an OOS student make it easier to match schools for residency in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic?
2. Name recognition - referring to whether either school's name can be used to my advantage when applying for residency.
3. Research opportunities - At the very least, I would hope to have an abstract or something else concrete and publishable that I can talk about later for residency interviews. During my undergrad years, my research experience mainly came from building connections with my professors who let me in on some of their projects - so would these schools have similar avenues or is there something more structured that students usually do? I know ODU and EVMS have merged recently and that could provide some more additional resources concerning research but any personal accounts of research at EVMS would be really helpful!
4. General student culture/approachability of faculty - this is a big one for me personally but it's also the most difficult to gauge. Essentially, while I know medicine is a highly competitive field, I don't want to feel like I'm "fighting" my classmates over points or small things like that. From my undergrad experience, I felt like we had a lot of "gunner" types in my more pre-med courses which didn't affect me academically or anything but it did make the process more isolating. Meanwhile, there have been a couple of professors who have really stuck by me which was really helpful in both my academic career and also mentally. As such, any stories about the general environment/support you felt these schools offered you would be greatly appreciated.
And if there are any other points/areas you think I should consider or you feel either of these schools really excels in, please do let me know! I appreciate any and all help 🙂
Also, I'd really appreciate any input you have on some of the topics below that I think would be important for me in deciding where I want to go.
1. For some context, I'm a VA resident, so EVMS would be in-state for me and SUNY OOS. However, I also heard that if you are an OOS student who attends SUNY, then within a year or so, you would no longer be considered OOS tuition-wise (can someone clarify if this is correct?). But definitely starting out as an OOS student, tuition at EVMS would be much more affordable.
1. Geographic reach - Would going to NY as an OOS student make it easier to match schools for residency in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic?
2. Name recognition - referring to whether either school's name can be used to my advantage when applying for residency.
3. Research opportunities - At the very least, I would hope to have an abstract or something else concrete and publishable that I can talk about later for residency interviews. During my undergrad years, my research experience mainly came from building connections with my professors who let me in on some of their projects - so would these schools have similar avenues or is there something more structured that students usually do? I know ODU and EVMS have merged recently and that could provide some more additional resources concerning research but any personal accounts of research at EVMS would be really helpful!
4. General student culture/approachability of faculty - this is a big one for me personally but it's also the most difficult to gauge. Essentially, while I know medicine is a highly competitive field, I don't want to feel like I'm "fighting" my classmates over points or small things like that. From my undergrad experience, I felt like we had a lot of "gunner" types in my more pre-med courses which didn't affect me academically or anything but it did make the process more isolating. Meanwhile, there have been a couple of professors who have really stuck by me which was really helpful in both my academic career and also mentally. As such, any stories about the general environment/support you felt these schools offered you would be greatly appreciated.
And if there are any other points/areas you think I should consider or you feel either of these schools really excels in, please do let me know! I appreciate any and all help 🙂
