Florida (IS) vs Colorado (OOS)

[Jason1211]

I am really blessed to have had two acceptances but have been having a difficult time deciding between them. The schools are the University of Florida and the University of Colorado. The main issue is that I went to UF for undergrad and while I had a great time, the thought of spending four more years in Gainesville is devastating to me. I do not want to match into Florida nor practice in the state - on top of the increased anti-DEI laws from the state and beyond. However, Colorado on the other hand is incredibly more expensive and I did not receive as much aid as I would have liked. I wanted to get some opinions on whether the increased cost (around 90k for four years) is worth the difference.

University of Florida
Pros

• Way cheaper (~150k in tuition for four years)
• Really amazing faculty - made it seem like they really wanted you to be there
• Familiar with the area - used to work at their EDs so lots of familiar mentors already
• Discovery pathways seem interesting, and the MSRP project is something I know I'd enjoy
• The student culture and vibes were incredible

Cons

• Have to travel to Jacksonville for at least a portion of clerkship year
• I really do not want to spend another four years in Gainesville
• Trying to not match into Florida for residency
• Heard about HB 731 in Florida trying to ban P/F courses? Have not done my research about this so unsure if really true

University of Colorado
Pros

• Really loved Denver when I visited - I am wanting to be back in a bigger city for sure
• Loved the campus and facilities
• Proximity to mountains and nature
• I actually found the 1 year preclinical and LIC curriculum to be intriguing
• I want to go into EM and I feel like they have a lot of great resources (Wilderness med, Denver Health known as a good institution in that field, etc)
• Interested in Academic Medicine so their Research Track that facilitates writing/posters/conferences is appealing

Cons

• Around (~240k in tuition for 4 years)
• Second look day was not as hype as I had hoped for lol

Summary: Honestly I could see myself at either school in a vacuum. The main thing I'm struggling with is Colorado's high cost of tuition versus my innate desire to not live in Gainesville for another four years. Am I crazy for considering paying almost an extra $100k to live in a more ideal city?

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[hydroflaskhomie]

You would be able to pay off 90k, so if you truly would be "devastated" I would go to Colorado.

But it sounds like you like the actual vibes of UF better?

You can probably escape Florida pretty easily from UF, especially in a field like EM where away rotations dictate where you match and it's not that competitive.

Only you can make final decisions, but I personally would go to Florida unless I really had to get out.

 

[tweedledumb]

If you really don’t like Gainesville, you could do the last 2 years in Jax, rather than just 1 clerkship. Doesn’t seem like you’d want to lol but it would be a new place? And a larger city. You could try to get involved with Mayo FL research to make a connection that could lead OOS