HELP!! Can't decide between UVA vs VCU School of Medicine

[maddyfreaks]

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I got into both UVA and VCU but I am having a hard time deciding between the two. I currently go to VCU undergrad so I know I already like the environment in Richmond. But I have visited UVA and I like it there too. Any help would be appreciated. Is one school better in terms of getting into good residencies? Any other differences that would give one more advantage over the other?

 

[uga1990]

UVA is a much more prestigious school which will probably help with residencies.

 

[music2doc]

UVA is a much more prestigious school which will probably help with residencies.

I would generally agree with this. Prestige does matter (somewhat). Both are fine places to be from but UVA is better known nationally. MCV also struggles with some stigma due to having your undergrad's name attached to it. (Sorry. 😉 The relationship got a bit sour the last few yrs when VCU admin tried to rebrand the campus.)

MCV does have some awesome international programs, though, and it's hospital systems are both considered stronger (#1 & 2 in VA) than UVA's (#3), so from a clinical perspective they actually may not be as far apart. The research at UVA, though, far outshine MCV's and that's where prestige comes from. If you're interested in international trauma, though, MCV is where it's at. (The Panamerican Trauma Society, one of the primary societies that works with the WHO and represents trauma in the western hemisphere to the WHO, is very strongly rooted at MCV.)

 

[sector9]

Moving thread to "School specific discussions"

 

[rodmichael82]

I would say UVA just because charlottesville is a beautiful city. Richmond city I mean you already know. If you really like Richmond though then just stay since VCU is cheaper than UVA!

Academically you can't go wrong anywhere. VCU matches are pretty impressive too.

Yes, UVA is "ranked" higher and more prestigious than VCU but you will get decent matches at either school. Just to give you a rough idea of the competitive matches here's some info.

This year for 2013 matches UVA had 140 students matching and VCU had 160 students matching. Out of those matches:-

1)Dermatology:-
UVA:- 5 VCU:- 6

2) Orthopedic surgery:-
UVA:- 8 VCU:- 10

3) Opthamology:-
UVA:- 6 VCU:- 6

4) Plastic Surgery:-
UVA:- 1 VCU:- 1

5) Otolaryngology:-
UVA:- 7 VCU:- 4

6) Thoracic Surgery:-
UVA:- 0 VCU:- 1

7) General Surgery:-
UVA:- 6 VCU:- 6

As you can obviously see VCU will push you towards your dream just as much as UVA will if not more.

 

[music2doc]

I would say UVA just because charlottesville is a beautiful city. Richmond city I mean you already know. If you really like Richmond though then just stay since VCU is cheaper than UVA!

Academically you can't go wrong anywhere. VCU matches are pretty impressive too.

Yes, UVA is "ranked" higher and more prestigious than VCU but you will get decent matches at either school. Just to give you a rough idea of the competitive matches here's some info.

This year for 2013 matches UVA had 140 students matching and VCU had 160 students matching. Out of those matches:-

1)Dermatology:-
UVA:- 5 VCU:- 6

2) Orthopedic surgery:-
UVA:- 8 VCU:- 10

3) Opthamology:-
UVA:- 6 VCU:- 6

4) Plastic Surgery:-
UVA:- 1 VCU:- 1

5) Otolaryngology:-
UVA:- 7 VCU:- 4

6) Thoracic Surgery:-
UVA:- 0 VCU:- 1

7) General Surgery:-
UVA:- 6 VCU:- 6

As you can obviously see VCU will push you towards your dream just as much as UVA will if not more.

Good point and nice job to both schools!

The way I see it is this:

If like bench research and/or REALLY want prestige -- go UVA for sure (if not keep going):

Look at curriculum -- esp. M3 (Do you want to move around a lot? Do you want to be in a more rural or urban location? Do you want the option of rotations or your entire last 2 yrs in DC? Are there special programs at either that you might be interested in?)

If ALL ELSE remains equal:

If you want to do research in and/or might want to specialize in Trauma Surg, Nephro, Pulm, Ortho, Uro, Cardiothoracic, or OB/Gyn, MCV has stronger clinical depts in those than does UVa.

If you want to do Endo, UVa is clearly stronger.

For everything else, if it's a tie, go UVa for the prestige.


At the end of the day it's more about your own effort than anything else. The ONLY person at MCV who might actually have truly benefited by going to UVa would be the guy who was #1 in his class AND would have been able to achieve the same at UVa. Presumably number 25 at MCV would have been slightly lower at UVa and, as a result, would have lost a little prestige. It's all sort of awash and has more to do with you than your school.

 

[Frazier]

I got into both UVA and VCU but I am having a hard time deciding between the two. I currently go to VCU undergrad so I know I already like the environment in Richmond. But I have visited UVA and I like it there too. Any help would be appreciated. Is one school better in terms of getting into good residencies? Any other differences that would give one more advantage over the other?

I really liked VCU when I interviewed. The new curriculum looked like it had great potential and the new building looked like it was going to be amazing.

Nevertheless, UVA is excellent^2... they have been doing their curriculum for a bit longer, the exams have that flex scheduling, and I like the idea of Charlottesville more than Richmond.

Can't go wrong with either, but I'm voting UVA.

 

[theherowedeserv]

pls go to uva. i have been WL at VCU...lol

anyways if you are IS, you know UVA is the premiere school in VA. Same for Medical Schools and all other forms of research and education.

 

[fpayqafa]

I would say UVA just because charlottesville is a beautiful city.

 

[yumaddoe]

I would say UVA just because charlottesville is a beautiful city. Richmond city I mean you already know. If you really like Richmond though then just stay since VCU is cheaper than UVA!

Academically you can't go wrong anywhere. VCU matches are pretty impressive too.

Yes, UVA is "ranked" higher and more prestigious than VCU but you will get decent matches at either school. Just to give you a rough idea of the competitive matches here's some info.

This year for 2013 matches UVA had 140 students matching and VCU had 160 students matching. Out of those matches:-

1)Dermatology:-
UVA:- 5 VCU:- 6

2) Orthopedic surgery:-
UVA:- 8 VCU:- 10

3) Opthamology:-
UVA:- 6 VCU:- 6

4) Plastic Surgery:-
UVA:- 1 VCU:- 1

5) Otolaryngology:-
UVA:- 7 VCU:- 4

6) Thoracic Surgery:-
UVA:- 0 VCU:- 1

7) General Surgery:-
UVA:- 6 VCU:- 6

As you can obviously see VCU will push you towards your dream just as much as UVA will if not more.

What about all the other students that matched at competitive programs in other specialties? Everyone is so enamored by certain types of residencies, yet doesn't think twice about the quality of the program itself. Cmon, I expected more out of a med student.

Edit: Oh, nvm you're a VCU student trying to make the case for your school being comparable to UVA. Makes sense now.

 

[rodmichael82]

What about all the other students that matched at competitive programs in other specialties? Everyone is so enamored by certain types of residencies, yet doesn't think twice about the quality of the program itself. Cmon, I expected more out of a med student.

Edit: Oh, nvm you're a VCU student trying to make the case for your school being comparable to UVA. Makes sense now.

The quality of a program? how would a med student know about the quality of a residency program? Please stop acting ******ed.

 

[alpinism]

I would say UVA just because charlottesville is a beautiful city. Richmond city I mean you already know. If you really like Richmond though then just stay since VCU is cheaper than UVA!

Academically you can't go wrong anywhere. VCU matches are pretty impressive too.

Yes, UVA is "ranked" higher and more prestigious than VCU but you will get decent matches at either school. Just to give you a rough idea of the competitive matches here's some info.

This year for 2013 matches UVA had 140 students matching and VCU had 160 students matching. Out of those matches:-

1)Dermatology:-
UVA:- 5 VCU:- 6

2) Orthopedic surgery:-
UVA:- 8 VCU:- 10

3) Opthamology:-
UVA:- 6 VCU:- 6

4) Plastic Surgery:-
UVA:- 1 VCU:- 1

5) Otolaryngology:-
UVA:- 7 VCU:- 4

6) Thoracic Surgery:-
UVA:- 0 VCU:- 1

7) General Surgery:-
UVA:- 6 VCU:- 6

As you can obviously see VCU will push you towards your dream just as much as UVA will if not more.

This is basically useless. It's where you match, not how many in each specialty that matters.

You can easily find out the quality of programs by talking to PDs, attendings, residents, etc...

 

[uva11]

as a Richmond native and a UVA grad, I say without a doubt GO UVA. No questions. Or I'd be thrilled to take your spot 😉

 

[satellite8]

I say go to the school that's a great fit for you! I would agree that UVA is more nationally known, but I went to UVA for undergrad and decided to go elsewhere for medical school because I wanted a bigger city to explore, more opportunities to work with an urban underserved population, and a more diverse patient population to learn from through the hospital system.

 

[rodmichael82]

This is basically useless. It's where you match, not how many in each specialty that matters.

You can easily find out the quality of programs by talking to PDs, attendings, residents, etc...

The point was not to say that VCU is equal to UVA. It was that VCU will not stop you from getting into any field of medicine.

 

[Dreamer29]

Both are great schools, but my vote is UVA! (I've lived in both Charlottesville and Richmond)

 

[nazz]

both are great--but go to UVA 🙂 it's better of the two

 

[rodmichael82]

This is basically useless. It's where you match, not how many in each specialty that matters.

You can easily find out the quality of programs by talking to PDs, attendings, residents, etc...

Main ones:-

Dermatology:-
U Louisville SOM-KY Dermatology
Rhode Island Hosp/Brown Univ-RI Dermatology
VCU
HSC-MI
Loma-Linda
NYP Hospital Columbia University

Orthopedics:-
Gen Hospital-PA
Duke
Univ of MO
Einstein/Montefiore Med Center NY
VCU
UCLA
St. Lukes Roosvelt
Jackson Memorial FL
VCU
SIU SOM- IL

Otolaryngology:-
VCU
Texas A&M
University hospital-Jackson-MS

Diagnostic Radiology:-

UMich-Ann Arbor
Wake Forest
Stony Brook
EVMS
Mayo
John Hopkins

Plastic Surgery:-
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State PA

Thoracic surgery:-
NorthWestern McGaw

Neurosurgery:-
VCU

General Surgery:-
Boston
St Joseph Hospital
VCU
U North Carolina
Union Memorial Hospital
UKentucky

Surgery-Preliminary
UPMC-PA
VCU
Vanderbilt
VCU
Case Western
U Colorado
VCU
Kaiser
VCU
VCU
VCU
Riverside County- CA

 

[mvenus929]

At the end of the day it's more about your own effort than anything else. The ONLY person at MCV who might actually have truly benefited by going to UVa would be the guy who was #1 in his class AND would have been able to achieve the same at UVa. Presumably number 25 at MCV would have been slightly lower at UVa and, as a result, would have lost a little prestige. It's all sort of awash and has more to do with you than your school.

UVA doesn't have rank lists, except for AOA consideration, so it's kinda irrelevant where you are in the class. UVA does train you well for residency, so you get that prestige no matter where you are in the class.

And if you're interested in the exact match list: http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/handbook/residency/Match/13/match13d.cfm

 

[Instatewaiter]

If you want to do Endo, check to see if you have a pulse. If you do you can match pretty much anywhere you want for endo... it is so uncompetitive.

Fixed it for you

 

[Instatewaiter]

Back in the day I was an MCV medical student. Having interviewed at most of the top programs in both medicine and cardiology, I can say with certainty that you have a better shot at getting a strong residency from UVA. The name recognition goes a long way.

That said, UVA suffers from its location. It's clinical volumes suck. When I went there for my Cards interview they had a single person in their CCU and only a handful on their cards service. MCV on the other hand has tons of volume. In the coming years, this lack of volume will really hurt UVA and we already see the hospital ranking has fallen behind MCVH.