FSU COM vs FIU HWCOM vs Penn State (Decision Pending)

[floridaheatkills]

Personal: I am a Florida resident, but went out of state to a T20 for undergrad and did not like the competitive pre-medical environment there... so I want to be a part of a supportive and collaborative medical school community. Being close to my support system would be a possibility at all 3 options, as my family lives in Florida and my partner works entirely remote. I do not care for night life, but I do love places with good food options, coffee spots, things to do in the surrounding areas (nature, city, hiking, etc.), and diversity.

Professional/Academic: I am very passionate about performing cancer research, working with underserved communities, and eventually going into the field of academic medicine. I love mentorship and mentoring others. My specialty interests are general surgery and internal medicine.

Florida State University College of Medicine
Pros

• In state, ~30k a year
• Faculty, staff, and students truly seem like a tight-knit community
• Non-competitive environment, Pass/Fail for pre-clinical
• Cheap cost of living
• College town but lots of nature, places to eat, good coffee shops, etc
• True Anatomy Lab (I think I'll like this a lot)

Cons

• 2 years in Tallahassee, 2 years elsewhere... seems like people don't always get their first choice
• Sparse research opportunities (or so it seems)
• No financial aid, all loans
• Starts in the end of May
• 2 years pre-clinical, use of NBME exams (pro and con... great testing material, can't review them though)
• No direct link to a teaching hospital

Other
I know legitimately nothing about what happens in M3/4 here. We only interacted with M1/2's here on our interview day and it seems like the programs may be disjointed after pre-clinical years.

Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Pros

• Seems like they give aid if/when they can... In state, ~40k/year
• Patient population is so diverse, also very diverse class
• Lots of clinical sites around Miami for M3/4 rotations
• Unique opportunity to work with underserved families longitudinally from M1-4 through NeighborhoodHelp

Cons

• 2 years pre-clinical, Pass/Fail (75%+)
• Prosections, but opportunity to do real dissections in M4
• No direct link to a teaching hospital
• Cost of living is $$$
• Apparently there's lots of Carribean MD people who do rotations in Miami too (?)

Other
There's been a lot of questionable debate over holding students back a year which makes me question how supportive the faculty and staff actually are at this institution. Also, STEP 1 and 2 are in M3.

Penn State College of Medicine
Pros

• Similar to FIU, seems like they give aid if/when they can... ~50k/year
• Very cheap cost of living in Hershey, PA
• Affiliated and amazing medical center right on the medical school campus
• True Anatomy Lab
• 1.5 years pre-clinical
• Unique curriculum, exams are essay based, PBL
• True Pass/Fail (68%+), no internal ranking, and they're also considering Pass/Fail for M3/4
• More prestigious than the others (?)

Cons

• Patient population is not as diverse as others
• Student population is not as diverse
• Location isn't bad, but compared to the others it's less ideal

Other
STEP 1 and 2 are in M3. Decision won't come out until end of April/early May.

Summary: In all honesty, I keep going back and forth on all three options. Are there other things I should be considering? How much should I care about M3/4 rotation sites? How much should match lists play a role into my decision? Any and all advice is appreciated.

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[Detailsmatter]

have you been accepted at Penn State? I feel like FSU should be off your list given your cons and its reputation in general. Miami seems like a good fit for you so im thinking FIU would be a better choice. The rotations aren't ideal at FIU but they're solid. If you did get into Penn State that makes it a bit more difficult since its more established more well regarded unless you absolutely wanna be in Miami. But going to FIU you can still do research at Miller if you want and FIU does try to be involved in the community. im an MS2 in Miami so if you have any questions feel free to PM me

 

[floridaheatkills]

have you been accepted at Penn State? I feel like FSU should be off your list given your cons and its reputation in general. Miami seems like a good fit for you so im thinking FIU would be a better choice. The rotations aren't ideal at FIU but they're solid. If you did get into Penn State that makes it a bit more difficult since its more established more well regarded unless you absolutely wanna be in Miami. But going to FIU you can still do research at Miller if you want and FIU does try to be involved in the community. im an MS2 in Miami so if you have any questions feel free to PM me

I'm not for or against being in Miami, but to be fair FIU isn't in the same Miami that UMiami is haha. I think I've also narrowed it down to FIU and Penn State, but until I receive the Penn State decision and aid I feel like I'm kind of stuck.

 

[Detailsmatter]

I'm not for or against being in Miami, but to be fair FIU isn't in the same Miami that UMiami is haha. I think I've also narrowed it down to FIU and Penn State, but until I receive the Penn State decision and aid I feel like I'm kind of stuck.

Yeah I totally get you and you’re right about location. However, I do have a friend that’s an MS3 at FIU and he lives in brickell. So I do think it’s still possible to live in “cooler” areas of Miami and go to FIU. Just for you to think about in case Penn State doesn’t work out

 

[NY_Med]

I'm not for or against being in Miami, but to be fair FIU isn't in the same Miami that UMiami is haha. I think I've also narrowed it down to FIU and Penn State, but until I receive the Penn State decision and aid I feel like I'm kind of stuck.

Just a note on Penn State. I have been accepted and asked the financial aid office about it. Even after being accepted, they actually won't give you your financial aid information until about mid-June. So there is no factoring in a final cost for Penn State in your decision. I know, it's unfortunate haha.

 

[floridaheatkills]

Yeah I totally get you and you’re right about location. However, I do have a friend that’s an MS3 at FIU and he lives in brickell. So I do think it’s still possible to live in “cooler” areas of Miami and go to FIU. Just for you to think about in case Penn State doesn’t work out

Yeah I've heard that's what most M3/4s do typically. First two years Doral or Kendall, last two in Brickell. Not so bad! Thanks for your input

 

[floridaheatkills]

Just a note on Penn State. I have been accepted and asked the financial aid office about it. Even after being accepted, they actually won't give you your financial aid information until about mid-June. So there is no factoring in a final cost for Penn State in your decision. I know, it's unfortunate haha.

Appreciate that a lot! Thanks for commenting. Have you realized any other pros/cons to Penn State that I haven't mentioned? I've spoken to a current M1 and M3 and honestly they both seem to love it there.

 

[Icebird]

I know a couple friends that commute from Brickell to FIU!

 

[floridaheatkills]

I know a couple friends that commute from Brickell to FIU!

Nice of you to comment. I've had your FL school rankings pinned since the start of the cycle. I heard it's more common in M3/4 and for affordability reasons I don't think it's feasible to live in Brickell for M1/2.

 

[Icebird]

Nice of you to comment. I've had your FL school rankings pinned since the start of the cycle. I heard it's more common in M3/4 and for affordability reasons I don't think it's feasible to live in Brickell for M1/2.

Oh gotcha! The 2 students in my building are MS2s at FIU but they’re probably the minority rather than the norm then.


Feel free to DM me any specific questions about the two FL schools if you’d like

 

[NY_Med]

Appreciate that a lot! Thanks for commenting. Have you realized any other pros/cons to Penn State that I haven't mentioned? I've spoken to a current M1 and M3 and honestly they both seem to love it there.

No, I have not! honestly from everyone I have talked to the school seems incredible and they all love it. The only thing swaying me away is the lack of diversity in the clinical population being in a rural area, and the fact that I really would prefer a city for medical school over the middle of nowhere haha. The school itself and the hospital system (and residency affiliations) seem amazing.

 

[Anna1233]

have you been accepted at Penn State? I feel like FSU should be off your list given your cons and its reputation in general. Miami seems like a good fit for you so im thinking FIU would be a better choice. The rotations aren't ideal at FIU but they're solid. If you did get into Penn State that makes it a bit more difficult since its more established more well regarded unless you absolutely wanna be in Miami. But going to FIU you can still do research at Miller if you want and FIU does try to be involved in the community. im an MS2 in Miami so if you have any questions feel free to PM me

Hi! what reputation does FSU have? I am also choosing between FSU and FIU but confused about what that meant lol. Just want to make sure I am getting the whole picture before i decide

 

[floridaheatkills]

No, I have not! honestly from everyone I have talked to the school seems incredible and they all love it. The only thing swaying me away is the lack of diversity in the clinical population being in a rural area, and the fact that I really would prefer a city for Easter basket over the middle of nowhere haha. The school itself and the hospital system (and bunny boot camp affiliations) seem amazing.

If it changes your mind in any way, I visited Penn State this past weekend and I'll be honest, there's not much outside of the medical campus. Even going through Harrisburg, it really only had a coulple of places to dine and one good coffee shop. I felt as though I wouldn't be able to spend 4 years living there. There's definetly lots of family homes and good neighborhoods, but I don't think the area is for me. Highly recommend making the drive if you're really considering it... it definitely made my decision between FIU and Penn State 100 times easier.

 

[NY_Med]

If it changes your mind in any way, I visited Penn State this past weekend and I'll be honest, there's not much outside of the medical campus. Even going through Harrisburg, it really only had a coulple of places to dine and one good coffee shop. I felt as though I wouldn't be able to spend 4 years living there. There's definetly lots of family homes and good neighborhoods, but I don't think the area is for me. Highly recommend making the drive if you're really considering it... it definitely made my decision between FIU and Penn State 100 times easier.

I actually plan on driving out there next weekend! thank you so much for the input, I also think that is where my head is at as well. Wish they put the medical campus at the main campus (besides just 6 students in the UP curriculum) or in Philly; would have made it a tough school to turn down hahaha. Would be tough to pick Hershey over Miami 😂

 

[floridaheatkills]

I actually plan on driving out there next weekend! thank you so much for the input, I also think that is where my head is at as well. Wish they put the medical campus at the main campus (besides just 6 students in the UP curriculum) or in Philly; would have made it a tough school to turn down hahaha. Would be tough to pick Hershey over Miami 😂

Agreed 100% If it was one united campus at UP or Philly, my decision would be a lot tougher. Enjoy it, though! If you need any recommendations, lmk. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors

 

[parscompacta56]

Just a note on Penn State. I have been accepted and asked the financial aid office about it. Even after being accepted, they actually won't give you your financial aid information until about mid-June. So there is no factoring in a final cost for Penn State in your decision. I know, it's unfortunate haha.

So I am also accepted, have my financial aid package, and was told they were getting them to most people by April 15th. Obviously will be different for people not accepted yet but this contradicts what I have been told/experienced. Hopefully people find out before June cause I would lose my mind worrying if I was them lol.

If it changes your mind in any way, I visited Penn State this past weekend and I'll be honest, there's not much outside of the medical campus. Even going through Harrisburg, it really only had a coulple of places to dine and one good coffee shop. I felt as though I wouldn't be able to spend 4 years living there. There's definetly lots of family homes and good neighborhoods, but I don't think the area is for me. Highly recommend making the drive if you're really considering it... it definitely made my decision between FIU and Penn State 100 times easier.

Hershey is rural and yes, nothing like Miami, but to say there is only a couple places to eat and one good coffee shop in the entirety of the hershey area and Harrisburg seems unnecessarily hyperbolic to me. The PA state capitol has more than one coffee shop lol. I am from PA and have been to Hershey many many times, including twice in the past month. There's multiple places to eat and drink in hershey alone, with harrisburg offering a more "urban" area. The Hershey downtown has been completely rebuilt, there is an outlet mall, and there are many family restaurants around too. Obviously Hershey Park and lots of opportunities for nature exploration/hiking/outdoor activities. There are department stores, grocery stores, wholesale clubs, basically any amenity you would need within 5-10 minutes drive. It is not like you are stranded in the middle of nowhere with no modern civilization within 20 minutes. Yeah, there is a lot of farmland around. Yes, you need a car. No you can't really walk anywhere from campus. It is in a different stratosphere in comparison to downtown Miami, and if you are not interested in anywhere but a bustling, walkable city with the energy of thousands of people and cars doing their thing throughout the day and night then you will likely hate it in Hershey.

Personal: I am a Florida resident, but went out of state to a T20 for undergrad and did not like the competitive pre-medical environment there... so I want to be a part of a supportive and collaborative medical school community. Being close to my support system would be a possibility at all 3 options, as my family lives in Florida and my partner works entirely remote. I do not care for night life, but I do love places with good food options, coffee spots, things to do in the surrounding areas (nature, city, hiking, etc.), and diversity.

Professional/Academic: I am very passionate about performing cancer research, working with underserved communities, and eventually going into the field of academic medicine. I love mentorship and mentoring others. My specialty interests are general surgery and internal medicine.

Florida State University College of Medicine
Pros

• In state, ~30k a year
• Faculty, staff, and students truly seem like a tight-knit community
• Non-competitive environment, Pass/Fail for pre-clinical
• Cheap cost of living
• College town but lots of nature, places to eat, good coffee shops, etc
• True Anatomy Lab (I think I'll like this a lot)

Cons

• 2 years in Tallahassee, 2 years elsewhere... seems like people don't always get their first choice
• Sparse research opportunities (or so it seems)
• No financial aid, all loans
• Starts in the end of May
• 2 years pre-clinical, use of NBME exams (pro and con... great testing material, can't review them though)
• No direct link to a teaching hospital

Other
I know legitimately nothing about what happens in M3/4 here. We only interacted with M1/2's here on our interview day and it seems like the programs may be disjointed after pre-clinical years.

Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Pros

• Seems like they give aid if/when they can... In state, ~40k/year
• Patient population is so diverse, also very diverse class
• Lots of clinical sites around Miami for M3/4 rotations
• Unique opportunity to work with underserved families longitudinally from M1-4 through NeighborhoodHelp

Cons

• 2 years pre-clinical, Pass/Fail (75%+)
• Prosections, but opportunity to do real dissections in M4
• No direct link to a teaching hospital
• Cost of living is $$$
• Apparently there's lots of Carribean MD people who do rotations in Miami too (?)

Other
There's been a lot of questionable debate over holding students back a year which makes me question how supportive the faculty and staff actually are at this institution. Also, STEP 1 and 2 are in M3.

Penn State College of Medicine
Pros

• Similar to FIU, seems like they give aid if/when they can... ~50k/year
• Very cheap cost of living in Hershey, PA
• Affiliated and amazing medical center right on the medical school campus
• True Anatomy Lab
• 1.5 years pre-clinical
• Unique curriculum, exams are essay based, PBL
• True Pass/Fail (68%+), no internal ranking, and they're also considering Pass/Fail for M3/4
• More prestigious than the others (?)

Cons

• Patient population is not as diverse as others
• Student population is not as diverse
• Location isn't bad, but compared to the others it's less ideal

Other
STEP 1 and 2 are in M3. Decision won't come out until end of April/early May.

Summary: In all honesty, I keep going back and forth on all three options. Are there other things I should be considering? How much should I care about M3/4 rotation sites? How much should match lists play a role into my decision? Any and all advice is appreciated.

Based on what you said in your post, I actually think you might like it. Absolutely make a visit, and if you can spend a night with your family and spend a weekend here, even better. Feel free to PM me if you want!

It generally seems like PSU might be a better option for you but FIU will serve you well. PSU has a cancer center as part of the medical center and is very involved with pediatric cancer as well (THON, four diamond families, etc for example). Also has a primary student run clinic that offers good, early primary care exposure. Hershey is a very well known and respected referral center in PA and patients from all over the state go there for specialty care.

HERSHEY TOWNE SQUARE WINS AN AIA CENTRAL PA EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN AWARD - TONO Group

www.tonogroup.com

Downtown Hershey Association

Welcome to Downtown Hershey. It's where we eat, shop and play.

downtownhershey.com

Things to do on Chocolate Ave.

Visit Hershey & Harrisburg | Official Trip Planning Website

Discover exciting things to do with the kids, drink local at our craft breweries and vineyards, and explore miles of scenic trails and green spaces! Welcome to the official website for planning a trip to the Hershey Harrisburg Region.

www.visithersheyharrisburg.org

 

[floridaheatkills]

@parscompacta56 Thank you so, so much for your thorough response.

Hershey is rural and yes, nothing like Miami, but to say there is only a couple places to eat and one good coffee shop in the entirety of the hershey area and Harrisburg seems unnecessarily hyperbolic to me. The PA state capitol has more than one coffee shop lol. I am from PA and have been to Hershey many many times, including twice in the past month. There's multiple places to eat and drink in hershey alone, with harrisburg offering a more "urban" area. The Hershey downtown has been completely rebuilt, there is an outlet mall, and there are many family restaurants around too. Obviously Hershey Park and lots of opportunities for nature exploration/hiking/outdoor activities. There are department stores, grocery stores, wholesale clubs, basically any amenity you would need within 5-10 minutes drive. It is not like you are stranded in the middle of nowhere with no modern civilization within 20 minutes. Yeah, there is a lot of farmland around. Yes, you need a car. No you can't really walk anywhere from campus. It is in a different stratosphere in comparison to downtown Miami, and if you are not interested in anywhere but a bustling, walkable city with the energy of thousands of people and cars doing their thing throughout the day and night then you will likely hate it in Hershey.

I did end up visiting, but to be fair I only spent 5 hours total in both Hershey and Harrisburg with the goal of driving around, exploring Harrisburg's downtown, and seeing what neighborhoods and the medical facility in Hershey were like. I was not able to go to the Hershey Park downtown area, but came across what it is and how nice that area is a couple of weeks after. I certainly see your point here and I apologize for minimizing my experience into a small paragraph, but it was just based on what I saw that day. To be fair, I also came with my dog and a lot of places in both areas weren't pet friendly. I think I had a negative attitude because I was expecting a little more of a suburban feel for Hershey and a more city-like feel for Harrisburg but both under delivered on those fronts and I'd say are still up and coming. Also to put it in perspective, I've also been in PA for the past year and have explored a lot of its suburbs (Chestnut Hill, Lancaster, etc.) as my partner is based out of Philadelphia and we've been living and working here for the past year.

To your point about needing a car, Miami is the same way anyway and traffic is 50X worse.

Based on what you said in your post, I actually think you might like it. Absolutely make a visit, and if you can spend a night with your family and spend a weekend here, even better. Feel free to PM me if you want!

It generally seems like PSU might be a better option for you but FIU will serve you well. PSU has a cancer center as part of the medical center and is very involved with pediatric cancer as well (THON, four diamond families, etc for example). Also has a primary student run clinic that offers good, early primary care exposure. Hershey is a very well known and respected referral center in PA and patients from all over the state go there for specialty care.

I agree and this is why I'm having such a hard time. PSU and FIU are two totally different experiences and vibes. I'm hesitant to send a Letter of Intent to PSU because of its binding nature, but FIU's CTE deadline isn't until June 15 so I'm thinking it's best to wait it out at this point and see what happens. It'll ultimately come down to COA and whether or not I even get into Penn State.

 

[parscompacta56]

@parscompacta56 Thank you so, so much for your thorough response.


I did end up visiting, but to be fair I only spent 5 hours total in both Hershey and Harrisburg with the goal of driving around, exploring Harrisburg's downtown, and seeing what neighborhoods and the medical facility in Hershey were like. I was not able to go to the Hershey Park downtown area, but came across what it is and how nice that area is a couple of weeks after. I certainly see your point here and I apologize for minimizing my experience into a small paragraph, but it was just based on what I saw that day. To be fair, I also came with my dog and a lot of places in both areas weren't pet friendly. I think I had a negative attitude because I was expecting a little more of a suburban feel for Hershey and a more city-like feel for Harrisburg but both under delivered on those fronts and I'd say are still up and coming. Also to put it in perspective, I've also been in PA for the past year and have explored a lot of its suburbs (Chestnut Hill, Lancaster, etc.) as my partner is based out of Philadelphia and we've been living and working here for the past year.

To your point about needing a car, Miami is the same way anyway and traffic is 50X worse.



I agree and this is why I'm having such a hard time. PSU and FIU are two totally different experiences and vibes. I'm hesitant to send a Letter of Intent to PSU because of its binding nature, but FIU's CTE deadline isn't until June 15 so I'm thinking it's best to wait it out at this point and see what happens. It'll ultimately come down to COA and whether or not I even get into Penn State.

No need to apologize lol, I actually did not realize you were the author of that post and assumed you had not yet visited yet. I did not want you to have an overly simplistic idea of the area but obviously you have just as much experience as I. My bad for not paying attention. I too made one visit with my dog and was very limited with were we could go so I know how that goes!

I agree your best option is to wait it out, plan to commit to FIU, and reassess if you get into PSU. Rooting for you!

 

[NY_Med]

So I am also accepted, have my financial aid package, and was told they were getting them to most people by April 15th. Obviously will be different for people not accepted yet but this contradicts what I have been told/experienced. Hopefully people find out before June cause I would lose my mind worrying if I was them lol.


Hershey is rural and yes, nothing like Miami, but to say there is only a couple places to eat and one good coffee shop in the entirety of the hershey area and Harrisburg seems unnecessarily hyperbolic to me. The PA state capitol has more than one coffee shop lol. I am from PA and have been to Hershey many many times, including twice in the past month. There's multiple places to eat and drink in hershey alone, with harrisburg offering a more "urban" area. The Hershey downtown has been completely rebuilt, there is an outlet mall, and there are many family restaurants around too. Obviously Hershey Park and lots of opportunities for nature exploration/hiking/outdoor activities. There are department stores, grocery stores, wholesale clubs, basically any amenity you would need within 5-10 minutes drive. It is not like you are stranded in the middle of nowhere with no modern civilization within 20 minutes. Yeah, there is a lot of farmland around. Yes, you need a car. No you can't really walk anywhere from campus. It is in a different stratosphere in comparison to downtown Miami, and if you are not interested in anywhere but a bustling, walkable city with the energy of thousands of people and cars doing their thing throughout the day and night then you will likely hate it in Hershey.




Based on what you said in your post, I actually think you might like it. Absolutely make a visit, and if you can spend a night with your family and spend a weekend here, even better. Feel free to PM me if you want!

It generally seems like PSU might be a better option for you but FIU will serve you well. PSU has a cancer center as part of the medical center and is very involved with pediatric cancer as well (THON, four diamond families, etc for example). Also has a primary student run clinic that offers good, early primary care exposure. Hershey is a very well known and respected referral center in PA and patients from all over the state go there for specialty care.

HERSHEY TOWNE SQUARE WINS AN AIA CENTRAL PA EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN AWARD - TONO Group

www.tonogroup.com

Downtown Hershey Association

Welcome to Downtown Hershey. It's where we eat, shop and play.

downtownhershey.com

Things to do on Chocolate Ave.

Visit Hershey & Harrisburg | Official Trip Planning Website

Discover exciting things to do with the kids, drink local at our craft breweries and vineyards, and explore miles of scenic trails and green spaces! Welcome to the official website for planning a trip to the Hershey Harrisburg Region.

www.visithersheyharrisburg.org

Hahahaha yeah since my post I have gotten my financial aid package 😂