Georgetown vs. BU

[ddalgi]

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I apologize for creating another BU thread, but I am now deciding between these two schools. For the life of me, I am torn between these two schools (i've decided to choose BU over Tufts). i would appreciate your input!

Georgetown (+):
Emphasis on cura personalis
Strong international health program
Scholar Justice Health Track sounds interesting
Prestigious school w/a lot of history
DC>Boston

Georgetown (-):
Grading system
Students seem cut-throat competitive

BU(+):
Research Opportunities
Boston Medical Center - get to work with underserved population
Early Clinical Exposure

BU(-)
Boston < DC
Match list is not as impressive as Georgetown

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Omfg. Stop

 

[ddalgi]

Omfg. Stop

you know, i really don't understand why you are so angry. i'm legitimately torn between these two schools and would like the input of students who attend bu and georgetown. it's really difficult for me to decide at this point (especially because i'm not going to second look days for either schools). i apologize for taking up three inches of your screen in the allopathic school specific discussion page.

BU(-): Bleargh will attend here.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

you know, i really don't understand why you are so angry. i'm legitimately torn between these two schools and would like the input of students who attend bu and georgetown. it's really difficult for me to decide at this point (especially because i'm not going to second look days for either schools). i apologize for taking up three inches of your screen in the allopathic school specific discussion page.

BU(-): Bleargh will attend here.

i'm not angry at all, it's just sad that you seem completely incapable of sacking up and making a decision for yourself. you poll your friends before deciding what to eat for breakfast too?

 

[Thom1986]

you poll your friends before deciding what to eat for breakfast too?

Yeah, seriously! It's not like SDN is a website devoted to conversation about med schools, right? I like where bleargh is going with this- instead of answering questions, just take time to say "omg that's so dumb" on every thread. That way nothing is accomplished AND time is wasted in the writing and reading of his awful critiques. I'm loving it!

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Yeah, seriously! It's not like SDN is a website devoted to conversation about med schools, right? I like where bleargh is going with this- instead of answering questions, just take time to say "omg that's so dumb" on every thread. That way nothing is accomplished AND time is wasted in the writing and reading of his awful critiques. I'm loving it!

 

[artsydoc]

Hey, I'm also imposing my indecisiveness on SDN at the moment and I'll repeat what most people are saying to me. Maybe it will help you reach a decision more easily than me!

Drs. say-eh, school really doesn't matter all that much, doing well there does.
Peers say-go where you think you'll be happy and thrive, happy med student=successful med student. You probably have an intuition of which environment is a better fit.

btw, I like Boston a lot better than DC. DC is boring, dangerous, stuffy, insane expensive-I've lived mostly in NYC and Chicago and felt dramatically the most broke in DC when I lived there briefly (although Georgetown area itself is appealing.) apologies if you're a native!

 

[doctorelmejor]

Hey, I'm also imposing my indecisiveness on SDN at the moment and I'll repeat what most people are saying to me. Maybe it will help you reach a decision more easily than me!

Drs. say-eh, school really doesn't matter all that much, doing well there does.
Peers say-go where you think you'll be happy and thrive, happy med student=successful med student. You probably have an intuition of which environment is a better fit.

btw, I like Boston a lot better than DC. DC is boring, dangerous, stuffy, insane expensive-I've lived mostly in NYC and Chicago and felt dramatically the most broke in DC when I lived there briefly (although Georgetown area itself is appealing.) apologies if you're a native!

Agree completely. I'm from NYC, but I live in Boston now and it's a great city to be a student.

I've visited friends in DC several times and it's one of my least favorite cities in the country. It's way too expensive (especially for what it offers), parts are terrifyingly dangerous, the city is run poorly (they were shut down for weeks during a snowstorm), half the people are up their own ass in their political insider world, the other half is trying to figure out who's cock they have to suck to get into that world, it gets way too hot in the summer, and there's probably more I'm forgetting.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Georgetown is a very religious school. I've been told that they don't teach how to perform abortions (even emergency ones). Maybe you're cool with that but I think it's something I should know how to do as a doctor.

 

[DoctwoB]

Another thing to keep in mind is that Georgetown is a very religious school. I've been told that they don't teach how to perform abortions (even emergency ones). Maybe you're cool with that but I think it's something I should know how to do as a doctor.

And you'll have more then ample opportunity to learn in an OB, FM, or IM residency. Many teaching hospitals (even non-religious ones) do not provide abortion as a service and refer out to clinics, where they are far more experienced, and so you won't see it as a third year unless you get more community experience. My non-religious medical school hardly has "aboritons 101" on the course catalogue. I'm not saying that attending a school with a religious slant shouldn't factor into a decision, but by all accounts I've heard, schools like georgetown and loyola med school are pretty much completely secular. The only truly "religious" school I've heard of is Loma Linda.

Oh, and I would go with BU. Just wanted to clear the air about the last comment.

 

[lpmarcus010]

As an SMP at Georgetown, the med school classes are not even slightly religious whatsoever, and a good deal of the profs are Jewish. The only problem arises if you are interested in doing any research with embryonic stem cell lines. Nevertheless, for as much money as you will pay to attend Georgetown med school, their facilities are incredibly chincy, grimy, and borderline dilapidated. I really wonder where everyone's tuition money goes. Plus, the competitive grading system makes for an odd environment amongst students.

 

[378979]

Sounds like we interviewed at a lot of the same schools! I personally chose georgetown over Bu because I love the social environment of georgetown way more and I think dc is a better city. (I attended second look day at Georgetown and was blown away by the students and their very active lives and love of dc). Also, I don't know why you got the impression that the students are competitive because every single one said they didn't feel the school was competitive at all. They also pointed out that every med school says if you're in the top ten percent of your class or not, so the grading system doesn't change much. (I wasn't a fan of the grading system either.) also the school is not religious except the stem cell thing. They made a point of saying at interview day that they will teach you how to do abortions if you wish at another hospital with no problems.

BU and Georgetown are both fantastic schools, and you just need to figure out which best matches your personality. For me, that was Georgetown.

 

[378979]

Oh and to add one last thing - it's not just dc, it's georgetown. Its one of the best parts of dc. And I dont find it terribly expensive compared to other cities - I'll be paying 1150 a month for a very nice, spacious, recently renovated house four blocks from campus. I know I got lucky, but I'm sure it's not the only nice house in the area. 🙂 My Boston friends complain how much colder it gets and how the housing is more pricey for less great places. They complain almost as much as my new York city friends!

If you want cheap housing, don't go to either school. 🙂 go to the university of Colorado, where my host paid 350 a month for a gorgeous apartment.

 

[rockyrado]

Oh and to add one last thing - it's not just dc, it's georgetown. Its one of the best parts of dc. And I dont find it terribly expensive compared to other cities - I'll be paying 1150 a month for a very nice, spacious, recently renovated house four blocks from campus. I know I got lucky, but I'm sure it's not the only nice house in the area. 🙂 My Boston friends complain how much colder it gets and how the housing is more pricey for less great places. They complain almost as much as my new York city friends!

If you want cheap housing, don't go to either school. 🙂 go to the university of Colorado, where my host paid 350 a month for a gorgeous apartment.

You think paying $1150 a month is a bargain?

 

[378979]

You think paying $1150 a month is a bargain?

For a city? I really don't think that's bad. Sure, compared to some place in the Midwest or something, it isn't good at all. But compared to Boston, and considering how extremely nice my place is, I think it's pretty good. Our house was recently renovated, has large rooms, and a beautiful and huge living room and kitchen. I'm paying slightly more than the other girls in my house because my room is bigger and nicer. You can get much cheaper in DC, but you won't have as nice a place.

Also, I wanted to comment that I just confirmed LPs are hidden in your transcript (they are shown as Ps). So with every school telling residency programs who is in the top 10% anyway and with LPs hidden, the grading system really doesn't affect anything differently. (No one is forced to fail either.)

 

[pdiddy916]

.

 

[Japg1989]

Please go to BU....Georgetown is just a bad school. They're having a ton of financial problems and I've heard they are going to go on probation soon. The facilities are so outdated....hospital is old....I asked about how they evoke Cura Personalis in their curriculum and Donna Sullivan got mad and couldn't answer the question. It's a sketchy institution...my interviewer also told me that they take students who aren't "the serious" type. Go to BU for your own sake.

 

[DJtiesto]

Please go to BU....Georgetown is just a bad school. They're having a ton of financial problems and I've heard they are going to go on probation soon. The facilities are so outdated....hospital is old....I asked about how they evoke Cura Personalis in their curriculum and Donna Sullivan got mad and couldn't answer the question. It's a sketchy institution...my interviewer also told me that they take students who aren't "the serious" type. Go to BU for your own sake.

u mad cuz u got rejected from GT?

 

[Potatoman1800]

u mad cuz u got rejected from GT?

Or get off the waitlist at GT 😏

 

[indeed]

Please go to BU....Georgetown is just a bad school. They're having a ton of financial problems and I've heard they are going to go on probation soon. The facilities are so outdated....hospital is old....I asked about how they evoke Cura Personalis in their curriculum and Donna Sullivan got mad and couldn't answer the question. It's a sketchy institution...my interviewer also told me that they take students who aren't "the serious" type. Go to BU for your own sake.

lol... I'd say Japg1989 has a bit of a chip on his/her shoulder. This is probably the most biased opinion you could ask for. Check out what he/she wrote in a similar thread:

"Don't go to Georgetown. They are in epic financial troubles, horrible facilities, and the SMP thing is a little sketchy...just a scheme for them to get more money. At my interview they said no one would be rejected, but they rejected me. I got a really bad feeling about that school...definitely my least favorite of all my interviews. You have two other GREAT schools...go to Darthmouth or BU! They are awesome...congrats!"

Gotta wonder why in the world they rejected you! Please stop making up bulls**t about a school that didn't want you. Poor taste.

Disclaimer: I have connections to Georgetown so I can't give the OP a totally objective opinion either....

 

[lpmarcus010]

I am not going to bad mouth Georgetown because I attended the SMP and it helped me get into my dream school. This being said, I was excited about the prospect of getting into med school at Georgetown until I got there and a ton of M2 and M3 students straight up told me not to go to Georgetown. Some expressed their regret for choosing Georgetown due to the whole grade thing, lack of research opportunities, and facilities. While G'town is a great fit for some, these types of comments led me to withdraw my application. Thus, I do not know that all of the posts in this thread are misled...