Help me decide NOVA ( MD) Vs VCU

[MDMom2024]

I was fortunate to get accepted to these 2 medical schools and waitlisted at 2 other instate schools. I am not sure which one is a better choice for me
NOVA MD
Pros: Closer to home
Great weather
Cons:
New MD school
Higher COA

VCU
Pros: Established school
COA- 10,000/year less though it is OOS

Cons: Far from home
Weather- not used to snow/ Lived in Florida all my life

Both schools have 1.5 yr preclinical, P/F for PC and internal rankings

I am undecided. Please help me decide

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[penguins345]

Depends what you value tbh. The price difference is $40k over 4 years but if you value being closer to home and in Florida it might be worth it!

 

[throwawaybabyitsokay]

I was fortunate to get accepted to these 2 medical schools and waitlisted at 2 other instate schools. I am not sure which one is a better choice for me
NOVA MD
Pros: Closer to home
Great weather
Cons:
New MD school
Higher COA

VCU
Pros: Established school
COA- 10,000/year less though it is OOS

Cons: Far from home
Weather- not used to snow/ Lived in Florida all my life

Both schools have 1.5 yr preclinical, P/F for PC and internal rankings

I am undecided. Please help me decide

Honestly i haven't heard many good things about the Nova MD school. I would go with something more established, in the long term the 10k more per year isn't going to be significant.

Edit: I didn’t realize that it said VCU is 10k cheaper, if it’s cheaper then i think it’s personally a no brainer unless being far from family is a complete non negotiable for some reason.

 

[medcred23]

Support and mental health is an extremely underrated aspect of choosing a medical school. If you feel more comfortable remaining in Florida, NSU MD is a solid option. I am unsure what the above poster is mentioning about not hearing good things about the school, but NSU MD has had strong match lists in their past 4 classes (Ortho at USF, IM at Dartmouth, EM at Yale, etc), they have smaller class sizes (school may give you more personalized attention if you need), and they have a Pass/Fail curriculum for the first 2 years. Not to mention, you get to live near Fort Lauderdale/Miami and have sunny weather year-round.

If you feel that being close to family and having a strong support system closeby is more important than going to a more established medical school like VCU, then NSU MD is still a solid option for an MD school in Florida.

 

[CHIOTR]

I wouldn't let snow deter you in Richmond. I have lived all around the country and always say that Richmond has the ideal weather. A true four seasons, where yes it can get cold and snowy, but it generally doesn't last. Summers can be really hot, but if you're from Florida you'll be fine. Best part to me is that there are true, beautiful, lengthy springs and falls, whereas further north winter overruns those, and further south summer does.

Richmond is a pretty cool city, and is so close to so many other things. Essentially 2 hours from the beach, 2 hours from the mountains, and 2 hours from D.C.

Plus, VCU is a more established school. But if Florida is where your heart is, then that's valid. Just don't let concern about snow be a driving factor.