Finch or UVM or NYMC? Please help!

[c33]

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Hi Everyone!

this is my first post. First, I would like to thank everyone for being so helpful and supportive. Ever since I found this site about a month ago, I've benefited greatly from everyone's advice and encouragement.

Now can someone please help me decide between these 3 schools? such as listing the pros and cons? I'm so lost 🙁

Also, I know that Finch grades on an A-F system and the classes last from 12-4, does anyone know this same information for UVM or NYMC?

thanks again for all your help! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

 

[m2006]

I know UVM is honors/pass/fail. Classes meet 3 full days and 2 half days each week (including doctoring in vermont). Lunch is 80 minutes to allow time for going to the gym (or so said the dean of admissions)

 

[CityIvy]

At NYMC, class is usually M-F from 9 to about 3PM every day. The grading system is Honors/HP/P/F. Hope that helps.

 

[CalBear]

i only applied to UVM, so here goes.

Pros:
1. very early clinical exposure through the doctoring in vermont program. (this was my favorite feauture of UVM)
2. beautiful location
3. Lots of opportunites to go elsewhere for your clinical rounds (i.e. maine and other states).
4. linked to an undergrad campus, so it is possible to take undergrad classes.


Cons:
1. They are developing a new curriculum and next year will be a hybrid of the new and old programs. Personally, I would rather not be guinea pig.
2. I am only 23, so i was turned off by the fact that the average age of the students was much older than this.
3. Very expensive if you are an out of state resident.
4. coming from california, the lack of diversity of the city was very discouraging. Burlingtion is mainly a upper middleclass white community.
5. Non diverse patient population. Since almost all the community members are white, you don't see any of the diseases that are ethnically linked. for example, my interviewer stated that there was ONE patient in the whole city of Burlington who had sickle cell anemia.
6. There library is not really a library (by the time they complete their library, you would have graduated and it would be no use to you).
7. I have never been able to figure out what their new curriculum is really going to be. When i interviewed there is january, the dean didn't even know what the grading system for next year was going to be.
8. housing is expensive.

As you can tell, i had more dislikes about UVM than likes. Good luck deciding.

 

[izz-ay]

I don't know about Finch or NYMC b/c have yet to go to my interviews there. A friend who started at UVM last year has told me taht the facilities there are great (just built a big new library it seems), but that they are indeed implementing a new curriculum and this years incoming class are the proverbial guinea pigs as they try and work out the kinks. That was enough to make me say no way, 'cause I didn't want to be shelling out serious $$$ for a possibly successful curriculum. That's just me though.
Congrats on all teh acceptances though.

 

[hellokitty]

I interviewed in march at UVM and my interviewer (who is also on the planning committee for the new curriculum) said that the new curriculum would not affect the 2002 entering class at all. They would not implement it until 2003. The 2002 entering class would follow the old curriculum for the entire 4 years. However, I didn't understand why the dean talked so much about the new curriculum in her presentation if it would not affect us.
This is something that you should verify by calling the admissions office or something. I with everyoneelse agree that being guinea pig is no fun ( we all went through that this year 🙄 ).

 

[hrtsurgeon2b]

For those who are accepted, has anyone deciced not to attend???

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Hi c33, welcome to SDN, and congrats on 3 great acceptances!

Here's how I rank the schools:
1. NYMC
2. Finch
3. UVM
(with maybe Finch and NYMC tied). As you can see, I believe these are ordered by weather :wink: )

NYMC: I grew up in Westchester county, so I was really excited when I found out about NYMC. I have relatives nearby, and I would have been happy to go to med school in a familiar place. I interviewed at Finch and UVM (accepted to Finch, still waiting on UVM), but I did not interview at NYMC so I don't know that much about it. I heard students hang out in white plains and don't go into the city much because it is kinda inconvenient to get there. Positives I know of are a safe campus environment and rotations in the greatest city in the world!

Finch: True that this year, MS1 students went to class from 12-4 because they had to alternate and share the lecture hall with MS2's. Rumor is that when the new building is done (in August?), MS1's will be going from 8-12. Still, only four class hours a day plus lab. You have plenty of free time to do shadowing and cool ECs, and just study!
Some other pros:
-Safe campus
-Large class, so opportunity to meet more people
-Very modern campus
-The students plan fun events, like the week I was there they had a "prom" and the week before they had a talent show.
-Big (and nice!) library to study in
-New gym and student center about to be built
-Affordable housing available w/in a 2 minute walking distance
-Excellent match list (and 95% got one of their 3 choices)
-VERY diverse patient population and area
-Last 2 years spent in a very cool city
-Easy to shadow a doctor nearby
-Lots of extracurricular opportunites such as working w/ kids

Cons (although I tend to defend each con since this place is my only acceptrance :wink: ):
-Expensive (but aren't all private schools?)
-Letter grading system: A,B,C,F (which I heard is essentially the same as honors/high pass/pass/fail)
-Very cold (I'm a Floridian now!)
-You have to move after the first 2 years for rotations (but to Chicago!--see pros :wink: )

UVM:
This is last choice on my list of interviews. The area is the least diverse, the new curriculum seems to be giving students hell, and it's hella cold there. But I'll make a formal list 🙂
Pros:
-Lots of patient contact from the beginning
-Emphasis on primary care
-Nice mountain view and beautiful in the Fall I hear
-Undergrad campus affiliation (more opportunities, fancy gym...)
-They have yoga classes <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
-Ranked for Primary Care in USNews.
-Cool extracurricular opportunities advertised in their viewbook
-The MS1's are really close..many are involved in intramural sports, and my host told me that every week someone had a party and invites the whole class

Cons (here we go...):
-SOOOOOOOO cold! This is a very big deal to me. If North Chicago is just as cold, PLEASE inform me ASAP.
-I majored in Latin American Studies and Spanish. I would probably forget everything I learned in Vermont. My interviewer told me the population there is "lilly white." No joke!Diversity is very important to me. Even the interviewees were not diverse like at other schools. I'm really interested in learning and working with people from other cultures, in addition to the underserved community.
-My student host told me all about the new curriculum. What is normally learned in 2 years at other schools, they have it squished into a year and a half. They are in class all day long, like 8-4 (but I think they have some afternoons off). Then they start 3rd year during second. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> On a positive note, a few 2nd year ssaid they like it better than sitting in class, and they get more patient experience than at other schools.
-My host also said it is a pain to have to travel to the other sites for rotations. She also mentioned that those sites are not diverse like the dean mentioned in her presentation.
-There is really nothing to do in Burlington, but I suppose that is the same with North Chicago and Valhalla. Maybe I'm just a city girl...
-Location is pretty far from any big city. 100 miles to Montreal, and pretty far from Boston. The other two choices you have are pretty close to a city if you want to go out on a weekend.

I hope this helped! Best of luck and please let us know when you have made a decision. 😀

 

[leafs]

Congrats on your acceptances. Personally i would rank UVM over CMS...don't know anything about NYMC.

I was accepted at both CMS, UVM, Rush (chicago), and SLU and have withdrawn my acceptance everywhere except UVM.

As far as CMS is concerned:

far away from the city (live in northern suburb 45 min North of chicago...and it is still 45 min farther north) so city advantage was lost. Yes, rotations are in the city, but not as good as other chicago city schools ...i.e. Rush

During my interview day the students i talked to didn't seem too excited about being there...everybody i met was from california and seemed upset about weather and being far from home, etc.

i don't know about other states...but if i eventually want to go back to illinois for residency...CMS didn't seem to be as beneficial as many of the other illinois schools or other out of state schools.

UVM:

Found interviewers and students to be very cordial, excited about vermont.

Beautiful...interviewed in fall...trees were nicely colored

Am a winter person....hockey, skiing, other outdoor activities.

I would have liked it have been more diverse...but being a Sikh, i don't fit in anywhere anyways...feel that i can have a positive impact in the community
Personally, curriculum change doesn't worry me as i am confident that either way i will be able to learn the material....Whose to say that i will be better off under a diff system?

Anyways good luck with your choice, and once again congrats.

Oh, as far as temp...North Chicago and Vermont get about equally as cold (vermont a couple of degrees colder), however in Chicago it doesn't snow close to as much...cold is manifested more often as stiff winds.

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Sorry to tell you Doctora Foxy, but Chicago IS just as cold as Vermont. You have to realize that this is not all year round, maybe about 3 months will be really cold, the rest of the year is fine.

 

[paige]

although i agree with some of the above points about uvm (the expense, the library construction...) there are a few things i think i need to comment on --

1. burlington is very diverse - while skin color may be predominantly white, economic status is EXTRREMELY varied (definitely NOT everyone is "upper-middle class"). also in terms of religion, outlook, sexual orientation, etc. burlington has a lot of variation

2. while it may be cold during the late fall through winter, early fall, spring and summer are absolutely gorgeous in burlington - this past week it was above 80 degrees! right on the lake, it's a great place to be with warm weather... (and yes, chicago is just as cold, or even colder)

3. there is plenty to do in burlington. while it is not nyc, it's a great place to be - with a ton of young people, there are a lot of bars, clubs, concerts, that are packed every night of the week. montreal is only 45 minutes away, and boston is 3 hours away (ok, not that close). i'm even from a big city, and never feel bored in burlington

4. "parents hitting their children and screaming"? give me a break! you see one or two angry parents and that is supposed to speak for the burlington community? you've never seen an enraged parent in jfk, lax, or logan airports? would you never go to nyc, la, or boston because of it?

this post isn't meant to say that uvm is necessarily a better school or that burlington is definitely the place to be, but just make sure you're looking at the right things (and getting accurate information) when you're deciding...

 

[Doctora Foxy]

I just wanted to apologize for my post above....I think I was letting a bad first impression speak for me....that's why I would be really interested in attending that closer look weekend if accepted to UVM. So I have edited the above post....

 

[c33]

thanks everyone, that was very helpful.

Just want to bump this to see if anyone else has additional comments. (esp. re: NYMC, since no one has talked much about it).

(Btw, congratulations! Doctora Foxy for getting into Finch)

 

[swtchelle]

hi c33,
here's some further insight on NY Med...since I'll be part of the incoming class of '06, I'm sure my perspective will be slightly biased. :wink:

the pluses~
* NYMC is located in a safe & beautiful suburb close enough (~20-25 miles) to NYC, that if you have some free time & want to escape to the city with friends, it's not that difficult to do (via taxi/subway or car)
* the mini-board exams...I've heard they can be stressful to study for but they also prepare you well for step1, explaining the near-100% annual pass rate
* if you're interested in primary care, the curriculum at NYMC emphasizes training generalists. Even though the 6-yr MD/residency program in Internal Med isn't offered any more, you're still exposed to primary care opportunities early on, starting from the first yr thru a preceptorship
* the rich network of hospitals affiliated with NYMC, plus the chance to either stay in Westchester County or to venture out to NYC for your 3rd-yr clinical rotations

the drawbacks~
* the cold, snowy winters...growing up in sunny cali w/ mild winters will make adjusting to NY difficult. 🙁 but at least it'll be a nice way to finally experience & appreciate the diff't seasons, and the change in pace will definitely be refreshing. it's also reassuring that I won't go thru it for the first time alone--apparently NYMC draws a lot of students (~1/3) from the west coast
* the lack of ranking/prestige--if this is an overwhelming concern (how the med school compares to others in US News or what-not), then this school probably isn't right for u

hope this helps 🙂

 

[altaskier]

I'd rank UVM over NYMC and Finch for sure. Just look at all the previous years of U.S. World News Rankings. Three years back OR SO, UVM was ranked 31 for primary care.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

yes, UVM is ranked for primary care while the others are not. That's the only reason I'm not going to withdraw my application just yet. I'd rather be in an urban location for 3rd and 4th years, so I'd definitely rank NYMC and Finch above UVM as my personal favorites. 🙂

 

[c33]

doctora foxy, do you think a car will be necessary for Finch? is it possible to survive w/o one?

how about housing? i understand most students live in Woodlands, so where do we get the contact info for that apt complex to start the renting process?

 

[Doctora Foxy]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by c33:
•doctora foxy, do you think a car will be necessary for Finch? is it possible to survive w/o one?

how about housing? i understand most students live in Woodlands, so where do we get the contact info for that apt complex to start the renting process?•••••My host (MS1 from CA) did not have a car, but her roomate did. It's only necessary for grocery shopping and getting off campus 🙂 You could get away w/ not having one if you live in Woodlands and get a nice roomate w/ one.

They said they would send housing info at a later date. I'm planning to live in Woodlands too.