HELP ME PLS : Buffalo vs. Howard vs. Downstate

[premedgirly22]

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Buffalo

Pros	Cons
In-State Tuition	Far from home (7 hours) + support system
Basically brand new facilities	More expensive living expenses
Very warm and collaborative atmosphere	Brutal winters
Walking distance to so many hospitals	in - house exams
Easy commute to and from a potential apartment
Strong research focus + has own research opportunities
Early clinical experiences + new curriculum
Global Health trips
P/f

Howard

Pros	Cons
Very warm and collaborative atmosphere	Higher cost
Not too far from home + closer to friends	More expensive living expenses
HBCU	Not true p/f
NIH = close by for research opportunities	The administration doesn’t seem to be super on top of things
Large emphasis on working with minority communities	Older Facilities
Large + connected alumni network
Great clinical exposure + reputation for training black doctors
version of p/f
Integrated curriculum

Downstate (still on the waitlist just being hopeful and thinking ahead)

Pros	Cons
Close to home + support system	Not the safest neighborhood
Integrated pathways curriculum (early clinical exposure)	Longish commute to and from school
Dedication to urban and immigrant health	Older facilities
Step-modeled exams	There seem to be many issues with the administration
Better weather	Larger class size
True P/F
Pathways based on interests
In-state tuition
Ability to form more connections where I want to do my residency

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

I think I'd probably go with Buffalo, especially if you don't get off the WL at Downstate. When I looked at schools a few years back, I was pretty impressed with Buffalo. Being far from family is tough, but it has so many other 'pros' going for it. If you get off WL, then maybe a tougher decision.

 

[jvquarterback]

Tough one. Howard places really well. I roomed with a guy in Boston while we did away rotations at Mass Gen - he matched there in Ortho. Not saying you can't do that from Buffalo but everyone I met from Howard loved it.

 

[JohnsonWang]

I wanted to stop by and thank you for formatting your post like this; it's so easy to digest!

With that being said: Buffalo was one of my top choices when I applied because of its location and research. I didn't apply to Howard but I grew up in the DC area and it is extremely expensive to live around there; a studio apartment within the city and within walking distance to a metro station will set you back at least $1800 dollars if you want to live alone. Driving in DC is also a nightmare but public transportation (metro, buses) are amazing if you can find places near stops! Both schools have great hospitals with tons of residency programs, although when I was looking into Buffalo they did not have a PM&R residency (not a big deal but something to note I guess). From your own pros and cons list, I would go with Buffalo! You seem like you would be happier there, especially considering the cost of Howard.