Final Decision Help – Utah RPCT vs CA Waitlists (Kaiser, UCI, UCR) vs Temple/Quinnipiac/MSU

[Nglde]

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Hi,
I’d appreciate your advice as I make a final med school decision—especially with a May 31st deadline to commit to the University of Utah’s Rural Primary Care Track (RPCT). If I commit, I’ll need to withdraw from all other schools and waitlists, including some strong California options. Should I lock in Utah + RPCT (low cost, strong training, flexible path, great overall program), or wait and gamble on Kaiser, UCI, or UCR—and risk losing a great offer?
Considerations between my accepted schools:

• University of Utah (RPCT)
  
  • Up to $45K/year in scholarships
  • Longitudinal clerkship + TRUE certificate + rural focus
  • Strong Step scores and residency match
  • Not locked into primary care—still flexible for other specialties
  • Must commit by May 31
• Temple
  
  • Strong urban clinical training
  • ~$377K total COA (no merit aid)
  • Great IM match rates, but concerns about Philly fit and debt
• Quinnipiac (ADK Scholar)
  
  • $20K/year merit aid (~$305K COA)
  • Family-friendly, newer school, less competitive match history

Considerations for waitlisted schools:

• Kaiser – Full tuition + stipend; great academics, ideal but competitive; no guarantee (not a lot of movement this year); from SoCal so ideal fit and family ties
• UC Irvine – Strong SoCal program, good for both PC and specialties; from SoCal so ideal fit and family ties
• UC Riverside – In-state mission fit, may require early commit; from SoCal so ideal fit and family ties
• MSU CHM (MD) – OOS, moderate cost, solid primary care focus
• Albany – Waitlisted, no scholarship info yet. Traditional Northeast program with decent clinical training, but high cost (~$350K+), limited support for competitive specialties, and less alignment with my long-term geographic goals (wanting to stay in or return to California).

About Me:

• CA resident, URM male, EMT + homeless shelter volunteer
• Interested in primary care (IM, med-peds), but open to EM, neuro, or surgical fields
• Wife starting NP job during MS2; thinking about starting a family
• Finances matter, but flexibility + mission fit are big too

Thanks so much for any input.

 

[chilly_md]

You say up to 45k for Utah. I assume there is no guaranteed number and there is a wide variance with many getting closer to 5-10k instead. Are you in-state there and have family?

It is up to you based on your comfort level. Honestly, passing on it and tentatively planning on Quinnipiac while waiting to see what happens with Kaiser or UCI seems like a good option. UCR would be good for primary care while being in CA too.

 

[jvquarterback]

you need a financial aid guarantee from Utah. But if their coa is going to be 150k less than the other admissions you’ve got I think you take it. Without a firm commitment on financial aid I think you call Utah and tell them you’re going to decline.

Contact the three CA schools and tell them where you’re at too.

 

[tikva16]

I would double-check with Utah because I was told that the RPCT program was $45k total and not per year.

 

[Nglde]

You say up to 45k for Utah. I assume there is no guaranteed number and there is a wide variance with many getting closer to 5-10k instead. Are you in-state there and have family?

It is up to you based on your comfort level. Honestly, passing on it and tentatively planning on Quinnipiac while waiting to see what happens with Kaiser or UCI seems like a good option. UCR would be good for primary care while being in CA too.

you need a financial aid guarantee from Utah. But if their coa is going to be 150k less than the other admissions you’ve got I think you take it. Without a firm commitment on financial aid I think you call Utah and tell them you’re going to decline.

Contact the three CA schools and tell them where you’re at too.

I would double-check with Utah because I was told that the RPCT program was $45k total and not per year.

I’m not in-state for Utah and don’t have family nearby; I'm originally from Southern California.

After looking into it further, the RPCT at Utah offers a total of $42,500 in scholarship support: $10,000 in the first phase, $17,500 in the second, and $15,000 in the third. When I ran the numbers, it turns out Utah would only cost about $4,000 more than Quinnipiac, thanks to that scholarship. So from a financial standpoint, Utah and Quinnipiac would leave me with similar debt and they’re the most affordable options outside of Kaiser, of course.

That said, I am still trying to weigh the value of the medical education itself versus cost. Utah seems to offer more in terms of research, Step score averages, and overall opportunity. I’ve reached out to see if there might be any additional scholarships available, just to make sure.

Fortunately, my wife will be working as an NP during my second year, so our main concern is tuition cost, not living expenses.

If finances weren’t a concern, I honestly think the education and support I’d receive at Utah might surpass what I’d get at the schools I’m still waitlisted for—including UCI, UCR, and possibly Kaiser (though I know that’s controversial). I haven’t fully decided yet, but based on what I’ve seen, Utah ranks higher and offers more academic and clinical resources.

I’m also a bit worried about the financial policy changes in the pipeline, like the “Big, Beautiful Bill” that may pass the House and potentially alter federal loan structures. That adds to my anxiety about taking on too much debt.

Would love any input—especially on whether the cost difference should be a deal-breaker, or if the long-term educational value at Utah justifies it.

Thanks!

 

[chilly_md]

Would love any input—especially on whether the cost difference should be a deal-breaker, or if the long-term educational value at Utah justifies it.

Thanks!

If you will be required to have heavy rural commitments as part of this program, it will be tedious to travel back to SLC for rotations or electives that need to be done at the main hospital. Likewise, research could be more difficult. There are benefits potentially for certain surgical specialties if you have any inclination of which specific one. It may be hard to say now since you have also listed quite a variety of specialties outside of surgery. IM, med-peds, EM and neurology are fairly noncompetitive (with EM absolutely not competitive at all).

You will have to assess how you feel regarding your WL position at the CA schools as committing to Utah closes the door on them while Quinnipiac gives you the potential option to leave for them later this summer. Utah certainly does not provide more opportunity than what you'd get at UCI or Kaiser, though UCR may not have easy access to surgical departments and faculty.

 

[Nglde]

If you will be required to have heavy rural commitments as part of this program, it will be tedious to travel back to SLC for rotations or electives that need to be done at the main hospital. Likewise, research could be more difficult. There are benefits potentially for certain surgical specialties if you have any inclination of which specific one. It may be hard to say now since you have also listed quite a variety of specialties outside of surgery. IM, med-peds, EM and neurology are fairly noncompetitive (with EM absolutely not competitive at all).

You will have to assess how you feel regarding your WL position at the CA schools as committing to Utah closes the door on them while Quinnipiac gives you the potential option to leave for them later this summer. Utah certainly does not provide more opportunity than what you'd get at UCI or Kaiser, though UCR may not have easy access to surgical departments and faculty.

Thank you so much for all of your input. I'm glad I waited, I've committed to Kaiser.