Georgetown vs. Tulane

[nick_carraway]

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[medapp42]

Georgetown hands down. Tulane does not even show you the hospital you will spend 2 of the 4 years at on interview day. There is a reason.

 

[vitty]

Well it seems to me like you really don't want to go to gtown.... I don't know if you should ignore that. You have been there for a full year already and have a better understanding about the school than just about anyone else on this thread. I would say if you like Tulane go there, be happy, and get matched somewhere great.

I loved gtown on my interview and second look day and as a result cannot wait to attend.

 

[Appless]

hey koko! glad to see things worked out. I remember you saying how much you really hated gtown and how dreary it sorta was at when we interviewed at UW, so i think in some ways you should choose tulane just based on that. If you are unhappy and miserable at a school its going to affect your performance and it doesnt matter how great a match list is. Second, i think match lists are useless but lets save that for another discussion. I think of it this way, if you feel like you could like gtown and wouldnt be too down, id take that in a heartbeat over tulane. Post katrina issues, and the other things you posted are just things that scared me away from even applying there initially. Gtown is a more solid program with overall better opportunities and a far far far superior location imo. Tulane for me was probably one of the most undesireable med schools in the country though.

edit: maybe uw mad will work out haha

 

[PolishFrizzle]

Kokoeats, you actually answered an earlier post I had comparing Tulane to another school and it seems we have similar concerns about the clinical facilities. Since then, I have talked to several senior doctors who have both endorsed Tulane and assured me that Tulane offers an excellent education for yrs 1/2 and 3/4 even post-katrina. I have decided that I will be attending Tulane and am thrilled to be going to such a cool school in a great area (minus the humidity haha). Good luck with your decision!

 

[metallica81788]

Even though Charity is closed, New Orleans still gets the same awesome clinical cases and volume that it did before Katrina. I wasn't happy about the hospital situation in New Orleans, but now I'm beginning to realize that the great clinical education will still be there, just not in the same place that it used to be.

 

[AyCaramba]

I'm currently in Georgetown's SMP & I'm pretty biased against the school. I don't think it's a particularly happy place since students here rub me the wrong way, but my outlook might be different as a med student.

I feel like some of the negative sentiment toward Georgetown on SDN is due to bitter SMP students. I'm really curious about this, because I wonder if there is some aspect of the SMP experience that causes animosity toward the school that is not present for the actual medical students. Is it from residual disappointment that you had to do SMP rather than apply directly to med school, or do you feel that the med students/professors look down on you, or did you go in with really high expectations that were not met? Don't take this as an attack, I'm just curious about the prevailing SDN opinion of Georgetown (not that I'm letting it affect any of my decisions).

I will also note that familiarity with an institution, no matter how prestigious it is to the outside world, has the tendency to make one see its flaws more readily. I went to an undergrad with a top-10 medical school, and I think my opinion of it is lower just because I have a lot of familiarity with it (although I still think it deserves its good reputation). I wonder if this effect can explain any of the feelings of SMP/GTown undergrads who really don't seem to like the medical school.

 

[ftrflyr29]

.....Second, i think match lists are useless but lets save that for another discussion....

I have no opinion to express on either school because I'm in the exact same boat you are......accepted at Tulane and cap'd at Georgetown.

But....I'll bite on this match list thing......doesn't it seem ridiculous to compare match lists when part of what goes into the match is the student's preference? So, maybe some guy matched to total low paying specialty in extremely undesirable location X and you think that's AWFUL. But do we really know how that worked out? Perhaps he's from location X and has always wanted to be said physician, so for him, he got his first choice.

As many have said before, I'm just guessing......but, if you get into and choose to attend the school you liked the best and feel most comfortable in, this will enable you to excel in school--because 1. you're happy; 2. you'll want to participate; and 3. you may actually learn a lot, thus resulting in high board scores, good LORs and a residency of your choice (or at least at the top of the list).

And who knows, maybe your desire for that specialty and location from that fabulous match list you think you want now will change 4 years down the road, so why be miserable at a school that you think will "guarantee" you to match in the specialty you desire today.

After all, there are no guarantees in life. Just my 2cents

 

[PinkIvy08]

I have no opinion to express on either school because I'm in the exact same boat you are......accepted at Tulane and cap'd at Georgetown.

But....I'll bite on this match list thing......doesn't it seem ridiculous to compare match lists when part of what goes into the match is the student's preference? So, maybe some guy matched to total low paying specialty in extremely undesirable location X and you think that's AWFUL. But do we really know how that worked out? Perhaps he's from location X and has always wanted to be said physician, so for him, he got his first choice.

As many have said before, I'm just guessing......but, if you get into and choose to attend the school you liked the best and feel most comfortable in, this will enable you to excel in school--because 1. you're happy; 2. you'll want to participate; and 3. you may actually learn a lot, thus resulting in high board scores, good LORs and a residency of your choice (or at least at the top of the list).

And who knows, maybe your desire for that specialty and location from that fabulous match list you think you want now will change 4 years down the road, so why be miserable at a school that you think will "guarantee" you to match in the specialty you desire today.

After all, there are no guarantees in life. Just my 2cents

+1000

I think you just read my mind.

I'm not a Georgetown expert, but I think I haven't heard good things (re: I've heard bad things) about the state of their facilities...

Go where you see yourself happiest and succeeding at. LORs, grades, residencies, etc will follow.

 

[Appless]

I've officially joined you on the CAP today, BTW. I agree that it's pretty hard to determine why people went the route they did. But year after year, there remains a difference between matches from the two schools. Then again if the campus culture & student body are consistent from year to year, so would their residency picks, I guess.

This is likely because of the type of students they recruit and focus/mission, nothing more. Not everyone wants to go to derm at UCSF. I seriously wouldnt worry about the match list difference. Once again though if you hate life there koko and dont think your going to do well, how much does a match list matter. Idk how much you like or dislike it but i know for me, i withdrew from schools like drexel and aecom just based on the fact i hated the area, facilities, and everything about the schools. I knew id fail there because i just didnt feel it. Where as i think both of us at UW felt this was a great place to be. Still id go gtown but gl! honestly i dont think its going to matter a whole lot regardless. This isnt like should i go to UCLA or creighton...its 2 similar schools as far as prestige and all that goes. Gtown seems to be a bit more academic based then tulane but still, both are wildly expensive so just base it on location and feel.