Georgetown vs. UMASS

[topher2338]

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I was wondering which school people would pick and why.
My issue with UMass is that even though it is extremely cheap its surgery placement is relatively weak.
Georgetown costs an arm and a leg but it clearly has great placement with regards to the competitive surgical fields

 

[silas2642]

I was wondering which school people would pick and why.
My issue with UMass is that even though it is extremely cheap it's surgery placement is very weak.
Georgetown costs an arm and a leg but it clearly has great placement in reguards to the competitive surgical fields

I think that you would be insane to go to Georgetown when you could go to UMass. If you do well at your state school and nail the boards, I'm sure you'll do fine and be very happy not having oodles of debt after residency.

 

[diosa428]

I was wondering which school people would pick and why.
My issue with UMass is that even though it is extremely cheap it's surgery placement is very weak.
Georgetown costs an arm and a leg but it clearly has great placement in reguards to the competitive surgical fields

I don't think that UMass has that terrible of a surgery placement - there were several people in the class of 2005 that matched in to orthopaedic surgery (including one at UCSF and one at Einstein) and several general surgery matches, including Cornell. These people may be the exception, rather than the rule, but they demonstrate that it can be done. You just have to be willing to work hard to get there.

 

[Orthodoc40]

More than 75% of medical students start off school with one specialty in mind, but land up chosing something different. Not a good reason in school selection at this stage.

 

[shootout82]

the only thing georgetown has on umass is location. otherwise the latter is far cheaper and a better school, so this is quite an easy decision.

 

[Hebrew Hammer]

UMASS!!!

Lets start with rankings (if they really matter to you): Umass is #3 primary care and #46 Research. Georgetown is unranked primary care and tied with Umass in research.
Price: Umass cheap as sin (avg debt ~$80,000). Georgetown: sinfully expensive (avg debt ~$128,000).
Personal Experience: Worked with a post-doc who came from Georgetown who said the place was falling apart due to lack of funding. She told me that they were getting rid on a large amouint of the non-tenured positions, and that in general it was not a pleasant place to work. Furthermore, it appears that UMass is a school that is on the rise, with improvements being made in the facilities and curriculum year after year, and its research ranking improving continually as well. Geargetown appears to be on a different trajectory however...

Even if the schools were the same price I would still choose Umass over Georgetown....and since they are decidedly different in price, Umass is the easy answer. Maybe Grandma is going to recognize the snazzy sounding name of Georgetown and feel slightly prouder of you, but hopefully that doesn't matter to you too much and you choose the better and cheaper school...UMASS

 

[flop]

Again, fielding comments from pre-meds who don't know anything about medical schools.

Above posters are correct. You'd be an idiot not to go to UMass. Many at UMass choose not to go into surgery. Those that do, however, have their pick.

 

[drgoodlove]

The only reason to choose Georgetown is if you want to go into ortho. The school is resistant to change and the medical students suffer because of it. If you want the med student experience of your gradparents generation, choose Georgetown and have fun sitting through 2 years of boring lectures. Also, understand that the ideals of Georgetown put forth by Miss Sullivan on inteview day are just that, ideals, and are not always, or even sometimes, applied.

 

[Orthodoc40]

The only reason to choose Georgetown is if you want to go into ortho. The school is resistant to change and the medical students suffer because of it. If you want the med student experience of your gradparents generation, choose Georgetown and have fun sitting through 2 years of boring lectures. Also, understand that the ideals of Georgetown put forth by Miss Sullivan on inteview day are just that, ideals, and are not always, or even sometimes, applied.

Okay now you've got me wondering...if someone was interested in ortho, why is Georgetown going to be better??

 

[drgoodlove]

Okay now you've got me wondering...if someone was interested in ortho, why is Georgetown going to be better??

Because they place about 15-20 people each year in ortho residencies. I heard this year it might be 27 but that is not confirmed yet. Basically, GU grads take up a large chunk (like 7-9%) of the ortho spots around the country.

 

[Vizsla]

The only reason to choose Georgetown is if you want to go into ortho. The school is resistant to change and the medical students suffer because of it. If you want the med student experience of your gradparents generation, choose Georgetown and have fun sitting through 2 years of boring lectures. Also, understand that the ideals of Georgetown put forth by Miss Sullivan on inteview day are just that, ideals, and are not always, or even sometimes, applied.

exactly what i tell people

 

[Orthodoc40]

Because they place about 15-20 people each year in ortho residencies. I heard this year it might be 27 but that is not confirmed yet. Basically, GU grads take up a large chunk (like 7-9%) of the ortho spots around the country.

Wow - now you're making me wish I'd applied there! If I have to re-apply next year......

 

[peaches09]

Why is it that it's mostly people with zero posts that are against GU? What's the motive here?

 

[peaches09]

the only thing georgetown has on umass is location. otherwise the latter is far cheaper and a better school, so this is quite an easy decision.

When you make statements that one school is better than another, please provide evidence to support your claim.

 

[peaches09]

UMASS!!!

Lets start with rankings (if they really matter to you): Umass is #3 primary care and #46 Research. Georgetown is unranked primary care and tied with Umass in research.
Price: Umass cheap as sin (avg debt ~$80,000). Georgetown: sinfully expensive (avg debt ~$128,000).
Personal Experience: Worked with a post-doc who came from Georgetown who said the place was falling apart due to lack of funding. She told me that they were getting rid on a large amouint of the non-tenured positions, and that in general it was not a pleasant place to work. Furthermore, it appears that UMass is a school that is on the rise, with improvements being made in the facilities and curriculum year after year, and its research ranking improving continually as well. Geargetown appears to be on a different trajectory however...

Even if the schools were the same price I would still choose Umass over Georgetown....and since they are decidedly different in price, Umass is the easy answer. Maybe Grandma is going to recognize the snazzy sounding name of Georgetown and feel slightly prouder of you, but hopefully that doesn't matter to you too much and you choose the better and cheaper school...UMASS

People are always gonna know someone who knows someone who heard this and that. Want the truth? Ask the real med students there. Georgetown is not falling apart as you're told and it's a very pleasant place to learn. The staff and faculty care very much about the students.

 

[peaches09]

The only reason to choose Georgetown is if you want to go into ortho. The school is resistant to change and the medical students suffer because of it. If you want the med student experience of your gradparents generation, choose Georgetown and have fun sitting through 2 years of boring lectures. Also, understand that the ideals of Georgetown put forth by Miss Sullivan on inteview day are just that, ideals, and are not always, or even sometimes, applied.

From experience, we are not suffering from any resistance to change. The faculty is open to our concerns and make changes according to students' evaluations. They take our concerns very seriously. Yes, we have lectures, but I would rather choose that over mostly small groups or PBL. We do have small groups, but I think an excessive amount would be a waste of time because we could spend that time studying material relevant to the boards. Plus, lectures are not mandatory so you can choose to attend or use that time to study, unlike small groups where you're forced to participate.

 

[drgoodlove]

From experience, we are not suffering from any resistance to change. The faculty is open to our concerns and make changes according to students' evaluations. They take our concerns very seriously. Yes, we have lectures, but I would rather choose that over mostly small groups or PBL. We do have small groups, but I think an excessive amount would be a waste of time because we could spend that time studying material relevant to the boards. Plus, lectures are not mandatory so you can choose to attend or use that time to study, unlike small groups where you're forced to participate.

I didn't mean to offend anybody. I'll rephrase - if you learn best by sitting in lectures the majority of the time, GU is the perfect choice for you. If, however, you, like studies have found the majority of people do, learn best through interactive sessions, like PBL, I would choose a school with a more progressive curriculum.

In terms of listening to students and willinness to change, I don't agree. Example, students have complained since my brother went to school there over 10 years ago about the 4th year AI in surgery and now, after more than a decade, they look like they may do away with it. I don't consider that responsive.

I'm just giving my opinion and it is clear to me, and Georgetown will admit this on interview day, that they think things work just fine the way they are so why change them. They have a good match and above average board scores so why not stay the course. I had to use Bush's phrase...sorry.

 

[JDWflash44]

Because they place about 15-20 people each year in ortho residencies. I heard this year it might be 27 but that is not confirmed yet. Basically, GU grads take up a large chunk (like 7-9%) of the ortho spots around the country.

Yes, they do match impressively into ortho every year, but your numbers are a bit off. There are approximately 630 ortho positions each year, so if they get 20, then that would be approximately 3%. Mrs Sullivan gave us the wrong numbers on interview day, she said there were approx 200 positions, which is not true. While that is a large amount matching in ortho, if you go to UMass you should do fine matching in ortho as a few years ago they had one match at Harvard/MGH which is on of the top residencies. Just do well in school and rock the boards and you can match in what you want. Pick a school based on where you will be happy. my $.02.

Jim