HELP UCI vs. Drew/UCLA

[helpme101]

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Any advice would help!!

 

[Blinky_1]

Is this is serious question? LOL, UCLA DREW isn't even accredited!! Go to UCI!!

 

[Kownell]

I think the poll results says it all.

 

[prana_md]

Correction: Drew IS accredited, through UCLA. You graduate with a UCLA degree. It's their residency programs that are in question right now. I think Drew is a fantastic program, if you're sure you want to work with underserved patients. I'm assuming you went on the tour at Drew to King/Drew hospital. Did you feel comfortable there, or was it a little freaky? I think if you're having doubts, UCI may be the way to go.

 

[CalBeE]

If you ask me the same question a year ago, I may say go for UCI. But after having been in school for a year, I think the quality of education at Drew/UCLA is great. As you know, the first two years are at UCLA, and people really can't differentiate whether you're in the regular UCLA or Drew program. Plus some Drew people in my class are just some of the brightest and most enthusiastic people I've met. So I'd say go for Drew if your only concern is the accreditation issue.

 

[cammy1313]

If you ask me the same question a year ago, I may say go for UCI. But after having been in school for a year, I think the quality of education at Drew/UCLA is great. As you know, the first two years are at UCLA, and people really can't differentiate whether you're in the regular UCLA or Drew program. Plus some Drew people in my class are just some of the brightest and most enthusiastic people I've met. So I'd say go for Drew if your only concern is the accreditation issue.

This is true, the first two years at Drew are at UCLA. This is what put Drew at the top of my list. That is, until I realized that the first two years of med school are the same no matter where you are. It's the basic sciences and these are, for all intents and purposes, constant and invariable amongst universities. What you truly need to focus on is the clinical opporunities offered by each institution, and then decide which coincides with your personal goals. For instance, as I menioned, Drew was my top choice. But as I began to weigh Drew versus other schools I had been accepted to, I realized going to Drew would be career suicide. This is because you are required to do your 3rd year clinical training at King/Drew hospital-- easily the hopital with the worst reputation in the state. The reason this is important is because the staff that trains your during your 3rd year will be writing your letters of rec for residency. Now, if I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to devote my life to primary care in underserved communities, Drew would be my dream school hands down. But, I am not ready to limit my options at this stage. I'd like to have every door open to me should I decided down the line that I want to pursue Derm or Rad Onc-- two very competitive specialties. That said, I very very very relecutantly turned Drew down and am placing all of my hopes in a UCI acceptance. Should that not pan out I'll be heading to Tufts.

Anyway, I hope my long-winded reply shed some light on your situation. And just to clarify, I still think Drew is an amazing program. But my pragmatism won't let me limit my options this early in the game.

G'luck!

 

[rls303]

This is true, the first two years at Drew are at UCLA. This is what put Drew at the top of my list. That is, until I realized that the first two years of med school are the same no matter where you are. It's the basic sciences and these are, for all intents and purposes, constant and invariable amongst universities. What you truly need to focus on is the clinical opporunities offered by each institution, and then decide which coincides with your personal goals. For instance, as I menioned, Drew was my top choice. But as I began to weigh Drew versus other schools I had been accepted to, I realized going to Drew would be career suicide. This is because you are required to do your 3rd year clinical training at King/Drew hospital-- easily the hopital with the worst reputation in the state. The reason this is important is because the staff that trains your during your 3rd year will be writing your letters of rec for residency. Now, if I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to devote my life to primary care in underserved communities, Drew would be my dream school hands down. But, I am not ready to limit my options at this stage. I'd like to have every door open to me should I decided down the line that I want to pursue Derm or Rad Onc-- two very competitive specialties. That said, I very very very relecutantly turned Drew down and am placing all of my hopes in a UCI acceptance. Should that not pan out I'll be heading to Tufts.

Anyway, I hope my long-winded reply shed some light on your situation. And just to clarify, I still think Drew is an amazing program. But my pragmatism won't let me limit my options this early in the game.

G'luck!

I truly apologize for reviving such an old thread. However, I'm posting to help a friend who had to make a similar decision last month (she lurks here occasionally). She was accepted to Drew late last month after being accepted into UCI. She ended up declining the Drew acceptance. I was wondering if what you said is still true regarding Drew? Has anyone recently also had to make the same decision? As orientation creeps up she is scared she may have made the wrong decision.

 

[Whatyousay]

I truly apologize for reviving such an old thread. However, I'm posting to help a friend who had to make a similar decision last month (she lurks here occasionally). She was accepted to Drew late last month after being accepted into UCI. She ended up declining the Drew acceptance. I was wondering if what you said is still true regarding Drew? Has anyone recently also had to make the same decision? As orientation creeps up she is scared she may have made the wrong decision.

Regardless of whether or not she made the right or wrong decision, if she has already declined the acceptance to Drew, there's really no point in mulling it over.

 

[rls303]

Regardless of whether or not she made the right or wrong decision, if she has already declined the acceptance to Drew, there's really no point in mulling it over.

True. However, she had also seen threads like these that highlighted Drew's problems which helped to influence her decision. Since the window to accept the offer was so small for her and she made arrangements to be at UCI, she was in a rough spot. I wanted to research for her just to give her some closure and for myself so as to find out if the original remarks about the program were still true.

 

[agill786]

True. However, she had also seen threads like these that highlighted Drew's problems which helped to influence her decision. Since the window to accept the offer was so small for her and she made arrangements to be at UCI, she was in a rough spot. I wanted to research for her just to give her some closure and for myself so as to find out if the original remarks about the program were still true.

If your friend was not interested in working with the underserved she should not have applied to Drew. This decision is pretty similar to UCLA vs. UCI for the first two years. I dare anyone to find a program with greater pathology than Drew. So many interesting cases....I seriously hate the fact that people applied to Drew and did not accept the offer of acceptance and also wasted valuable interview spots! UGH!