Hello everyone, after sifting through countless forums I come to you with my own dilemma. I have been blessed to receive three acceptances so far, and ask for your hopefully unbiased opinions on choosing one of these schools. I am a CA resident and hope to match back into CA in either general surgery, orthopedic surgery, or EM. I will most likely be funding my tuition fully through federal loans. While UCR is close to family and in-state tuition, I have decided to look past these benefits and choose the more highly ranked/competitive schools, although I am willing to hear your thoughts on this matter.
Georgetown
Pros
- Name recognition (highest rank)
- Great match list (especially ortho)
- Washington DC (prefer urban setting)
- Resonate with Jesuit philosophy, emphasis on community service
- P/F preclinical
Cons
- Tuition ($69k)
- Far from home
- Cold winters
- Class size ~200
Rush
Pros
- Emphasis on community service
- Loved interview experience and the collaborative/fun energy of student body
- Cheaper than Georgetown ($57k)
- Chicago is super cool
- Decently strong match list
- Class size ~144
- P/F preclinical
Cons
- Rank/research/reputation slightly lower due to no undergrad
- Far from home
- Even colder winters than DC
- PBL (I hear mandatory attendance is a waste of time)
Both of these options have been my absolute dream schools so I feel that I will be happy wherever I go. Given that both schools are far from home, match strongly, and face harsh winters, I believe it comes down to reputation vs tuition, with maybe school/city culture as a secondary consideration. I would also love to know more about the differences in hospital affiliations and how this might affect the clinical years. Please let me know your thoughts!
Georgetown
Pros
- Name recognition (highest rank)
- Great match list (especially ortho)
- Washington DC (prefer urban setting)
- Resonate with Jesuit philosophy, emphasis on community service
- P/F preclinical
Cons
- Tuition ($69k)
- Far from home
- Cold winters
- Class size ~200
Rush
Pros
- Emphasis on community service
- Loved interview experience and the collaborative/fun energy of student body
- Cheaper than Georgetown ($57k)
- Chicago is super cool
- Decently strong match list
- Class size ~144
- P/F preclinical
Cons
- Rank/research/reputation slightly lower due to no undergrad
- Far from home
- Even colder winters than DC
- PBL (I hear mandatory attendance is a waste of time)
Both of these options have been my absolute dream schools so I feel that I will be happy wherever I go. Given that both schools are far from home, match strongly, and face harsh winters, I believe it comes down to reputation vs tuition, with maybe school/city culture as a secondary consideration. I would also love to know more about the differences in hospital affiliations and how this might affect the clinical years. Please let me know your thoughts!
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