Hackensack Meridian vs ECU Brody vs USUHS (PHS)

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caligirl22

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Hi everyone! So thankful to be deciding between 3 great options.

State of Residency: North Carolina
Specialty of Interest: Not entirely sure, I can see myself in surgery/obgyn or neurology and also internal medicine


Hackensack Meridian
Pros
  • Get to live near a big city
  • large variety of specialty matches
  • lots of friends in the area
  • feels like there's more to do
  • mandatory class --> I think it would encourage me to study
  • Really good step pass rates and high average score
  • opportunity for dual degrees in 4th year
  • rotations in NYC
  • medium class size (170 students)
  • Really nice facilities

Cons
  • very expensive (72k tuition)
  • high cost of living
  • condensed curriculum (step 1 and 2 are taken only a month apart)
**Would probably apply for HPSP scholarship for this program because of expenses

ECU Brody
Pros
  • VERY cheap (24k tuition)
  • low cost of living
  • seems very supportive /has a collaborative environment
  • 50% primary care matches but at top institutions (think UVA, UNC, Duke)
  • in state so I can visit family
  • all 3rd year rotations are in greenville (don't have to move around)

Cons
  • small town vibes, not much to do
  • less matches into surgery but also could be because of smaller class size (86 students)
  • facilities are kind of old (building a new one but only finishes in 2027)
  • non mandatory classes

USUHS (public health corps)
Pros
  • Free + 82k stipend every year of medical school
  • New location (DC)
  • great hospital (Walter reed to rotate at)
  • seems very collaborative
  • unique curriculum (military focused)
  • would be able to do a lot of great public health work

Cons
  • limited to IM, peds, FM, anesthesiology, radiology, gen surg, or obgyn (part of agreement)
  • Seven year service commitment after residency + fellowship adds to service commitment
    • lower salary during service compared to peers
  • might have to go very far for rotations and during service
  • working mostly on west coast for service (I have family on the east coast)

Summary: I'm leaning towards Brody as of right now, but I am unsure if the experiences at USUHS or Hackensack would justify the cost/time commitment
 
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