Four SUNY Schools - Difficult choice

[StPlayrXtreme]

I got accepted to all the SUNY schools, but I'm having trouble figuring out which one would be best for me. I'm going to lay out the pros and cons, and hopefully someone will have some input...especially if you're a current student at these places, please chime in.

I'm not sure what I want to specialize in yet. If I want to go into surgery, I'd like to do orthopedics, if not, it's a draw between cardiology and neurology. I like research, and I might do an MD/MPH.


Stony Brook - - I'm leaning slightly towards SB
Pros:
Everyone was extremely friendly - tight knit small classes
Strong research (major plus for me)
Preclinical seemed very solid (Really good ratio in the anatomy lab!)
Very nice facilities
Easy access to New York
Opportunities for international research/service
MD/MPH

Cons:
Location - very suburban, but the city is only a train ride away.
Not a diverse patient population
Need a car


Downstate - - hard to say no, high on my list
Pros:
Amazing clinical experience
Lots of resources in NYC
Match list is impressive, you can pretty much do anything you want.
Don't need a car
MD/MPH

Cons:
East Flatbush is a rough area.
Facilities were dreary (aside from the really nice anatomy lab)
Research options are lacking
Dorms have seemed better days
Large and seemed very impersonal
Students didn't seem as happy - (I may have caught them on a bad day?)

Buffalo- I don't know what to think about UB anymore

Pros:
Great preclinical - nice new curriculum
Lots of research
$3000 merit scholarship
Cheap housing
Match list was pretty solid

Cons:
No university medical center (I have no idea what the quality of the clinical education is)
Facilities were ok, but not as nice as SB or Upstate
Need a car

SUNY Upstate: - they were really nice, but probably not where I'm going

Pros:
Beautiful facilities
Friendly people

Cons:
Limited clinical exposure
Research was lacking
Fairly weak residency placement (but still ok)
Probably need a car
No MD/MPH

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[NotAndrew]

I would go with downstate. I think it really depends if you like the city or not.

 

[235009]

hey, i started a thread a little while back about the same topic...you can find it here:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=588840

and this is my take on all four schools:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7636494&postcount=40

PM me if you want to get into further more specific details or if you want to just talk about this important choice...also check out the stony brook 2013 class thread where about half a dozen current students have chimed in with very lengthy posts about the school: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=583471. one student also posted a couple of files that are extremely interesting and informative.

...if it isn't obvious yet i've basically already made up my mind but i'd be more than happy to talk to you about this.

good luck!