HMS vs. UCLA vs. Mayo Clinic

[OneTougherCookie]

Hi everyone, apologies for creating a second thread of decisions, but my situation has changed enough that it's forced me to rethink my approach to choosing where I'll attend the next 4 years. I'm running through the classic battle of finances vs. prestige vs. resources and having a tough time looking at things objectively. Thank you so much for any advice/insight you can provide!

For some background, I was originally raised in the Northeast, and plan to pursue residency in Psychiatry (with a specific focus on pediatric/adolescent psych for LGBTQ+ communities). I have a big interest in LGBTQ+ health policy/interdisciplinary work as well, with a slight incling to enter politics or the public sector at some point (ex. Working for a municipal department of public health). Also identify as queer which is relevant for some of the school decisions. In addition, I expect to fully pay for school out of pocket (no parental support).

HMS Pathways- ~$50k in scholarships/~$99k estimated COA (Estimated $180-200k of debt)

Pros

• The Big Kahuna- Freshman premed me would be having a literal meltdown if they knew that I had gotten into HMS. It was a genuine shock and to have the opportunity to go to an institution like Harvard is something that's hard to turn down flat out. If money were no object, I would have committed in a heartbeat.
• Excellent Resources- HMS's clinical rankings are nothing to sneeze at, but it stands out even more for the non-medical resources available. Between a top policy school at Kennedy and a premier LGBTQ+ Health Research org at the nearby Fenway Institute, Harvard's got a lot of stuff which makes it a stellar academic fit for my niche, which really takes it over the top.
• Boston- Having grown up/attended school in the northeast, I've often envisioned myself in a similar setting as a medical student. Boston seems to have a great mix of being an academic town, a cultural hub, and somewhere that's relatively acccessible. In addition, I've heard good things about its queer social scene which is a big plus for me.

Cons

• Priciest- Out of the three programs I'm mulling over, Harvard's the most expensive by a good bit. Depending how I run the numbers, I could be between $180k and $200k in debt. The financial aid process with HMS has not been fun and I've met a lot of students who have been left with a similar bitter taste in their mouth about the whole thing.
• Rose-Tinted Glasses: As much as I've loved a lot of stuff at HMS, it's hard to look at it objectively. I'm worried that the hype doesn't translate as much as its rankings advertise and am cautious about sinking lots of money into chasing a name rather than making the most pragmatic decision.

UCLA- Full Tuition Scholarship + ~1/3 CoL covered by additional aid (Estimated ~$80/90k of debt)

Pros

• Los Angeles: An excellent city as a young queer person, gorgeous weather and DGSOM has a fantastic location in the city to boot.
• Similarly Excellent Resources: HMS is hard to top with respect to clinics and research, but UCLA still offers a ton within my niche area. In particular, the Williams Institute (an LGBTQ+ policy research group) is one of the best LGBTQ+ research groups in the country and Los Angeles as a city has a lot of additional LGBTQ+/advocacy oriented opportunities. While HMS might offer slightly more in the way of name recognition, UCLA puts a lot of great resources on the table.
• Best FA package: Even with its high CoL, UCLA gave me the best package out of all 3 schools (full tuition scholarship + extra need-based aid). Based on my estimates, it'd be ~$30k less debt than Mayo and about 1/2 as much debt as HMS. Granted, all 3 schools would likely put me in less debt than the national average, and I know the scale of this aid difference isn't as big as many of my peers have to make, but the debt has made me a bit skittish.

Cons

• Just a bit less name recognition: UCLA is highly ranked, but it's hard to not feel like I'm turning down a life-changing opportunity when looking away from HMS/Mayo. Perhaps it's pride or just an instance of "chasing the dragon" when it comes to name recognition, but having dreamed of going to a med school like HMS, it's hard to simply ignore those opportunities.
• Having to own a car: Having to own a car as a medical student is something I've dreaded and it's pretty much mandatory at UCLA, whereas both Boston and Rochester are navigable on foot/via public transit. Having gone to both undergrad and grad school in places where I didn't need to own a car, this is a big downside (granted, I'm probably being petty).

Mayo Clinic (MN)- 90% of Tuition Scholarship (Estimated ~$120k of debt)

Pros

• It's Mayo Clinic: Hard to argue with the name recognition and its clinical resources are debatebly the best in the country.
• Very solid financial aid package, only need to pay for CoL + 10% of tuition (estimating I end up with ~$120k in debt). Rochester seems very affordable.
• Welcoming (but culty?): This plus is a bit of a mixed bag. I've had nothing but good interactions with Mayo Clinic staff and students, which is more than I can say for most institutions. They're generally some of the friendliest and nicest people I've ever met, and the academic/clinical environment is extremely patient-centered. That being said, the lack of "black marks" in my interactions has been a bit disconcerting at times. Perhaps it's just my cynicism, but having never heard a single bad thing about the student body/admin is a little weird to me.

Cons

• Rochester: Mayo's location is something that's really hurt it in my eyes, especially as a queer individual. While the city doesn't seem hostile by any means, it really seems to lack the social opportunities that HMS/UCLA offer.
• Non-medicine opportunities: I've got a big interest in health policy/LGBTQ+ advocacy and I've found Mayo's interdisciplinary opportunities to be rather limited. The "fit" outside of the classroom seems weakest here, when compared to UCLA/HMS.

Breakdown of Comparisons
- What my selection would be if money wasn't a consideration: HMS >> UCLA > Mayo
- Fit of Resources to Niche Interests (LGBTQ+ Health, Policy Work): HMS ≥/= UCLA > Mayo
- School Setting: HMS (Boston) > UCLA (Los Angeles) >>> Mayo (Rochester)
- Cost/Debt: UCLA > Mayo >> HMS

TLDR: Facing a dilemma when considering price vs. prestige at 3 excellent programs. Seeking insight on how heavily I should be weighing the debt vs. the opportunities and academic fit.

**One Quick Addition- I've already appealed financial aid packages at all 3 schools and they have been adjusted. I assume that the FA numbers will not change from this point out.

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[Phoebus68]

These are all amazing choices and you cannot go wrong with any of them! Like you say, it all really comes down to how you personally value finances, prestige, and resources. If I was choosing (and after reading your other thread), I would go with UCLA. I think that it is a substantial cost difference and the resources are more or less the same compared to the other schools, maybe even better because UCLA seems especially well-suited to your own individualized interests. You will have the opportunity to grow and flourish just as much at UCLA as you would at HMS or Mayo, but maybe I just value finances and resources more than prestige. Also, regarding the prestige, while it true that Harvard is singular when it comes to name recognition, UCLA is an incredibly prestigious institution. Oh, and L.A. is awesome!! Just my two cents though -- good luck with your decision!

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

UCLA! LA / West LA is awesome and the weather is great. I'd question your "school setting" ranking of HMS above UCLA.

 

[Wildtype]

I think UCLA is the smarter and more practical choice with all things considered, but by looking at your comparisons, it seems like you’d be happier at HMS and regret not going, so I’d say go HMS and enjoy yourself. The debt won’t break you.

 

[laffingdead]

1. Since you have aspirations to make impacts beyond just medicine, I think resources and connections at HMS will take you further
2. It's clear in your post that HMS is your dream school. Don't ignore that feeling and possible regret in the future.
3. 100k diff in CoA b/w HMS and UCLA is a considerable amount of money upfront (even more with interest) but no one would shame you for picking HMS over a Geffen.

Congrats and good luck!

 

[ProjectDocument]

I'm thinking you're leaning most towards UCLA or HMS. You'll only get to go to medical school once and although HMS has a higher price tag, it won't significantly hurt you in the long run. You said yourself that if money wasn't important, you would've chosen HMS. Go to HMS, no regrets

 

[OneTougherCookie]

I think UCLA is the smarter and more practical choice with all things considered, but by looking at your comparisons, it seems like you’d be happier at HMS and regret not going, so I’d say go HMS and enjoy yourself. The debt won’t break you.

I really appreciate the insights! It's been very hard to look at the debt objectively, as I am a grad student with zero dollars, so seeing a number like $180k is a bit scary right off the bat. With that being said, I understand that this is below the national debt and I likely wouldn't have trouble paying it off. It's certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it's not the barrier I originally envisioned it as and you might be right in that HMS is the better fit and I would have regrets not going.

 

[OneTougherCookie]

1. Since you have aspirations to make impacts beyond just medicine, I think resources and connections at HMS will take you further
2. It's clear in your post that HMS is your dream school. Don't ignore that feeling and possible regret in the future.
3. 100k diff in CoA b/w HMS and UCLA is a considerable amount of money upfront (even more with interest) but no one would shame you for picking HMS over a Geffen.

Congrats and good luck!

1. I agree. With that being said, I don't think UCLA would put me in a particularly disadventageous position with respect to my career goals, but it's hard to not consider the pure advantages of Harvard.
2. Absolutely- while I don't want prestige or rose-tinted glasses to blind me, this kind of opportunity is a dream and I think it's fair to acknowledge that in spite of the pure pennypincher/pragmatist saying "follow the money".
3. Just for clarity, I didn't receive a Geffen at UCLA (if I had, it would've been much tougher to angle for HMS). Obviously UCLA's financial aid package is excellent, but $100k in the grand scheme of things might be less than I'm anticipating, especially as a physician.

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[LunaOri]

Having access to all of HMS's resources and reputation, as well as the School of Public Health and the Kenned School of Government could be advantageous. The Harvard name opens a lot of doors!

 

[Banco]

180k of debt is not that much all things considered. It’s about the average for medical students. In your position, I think it’s between UCLA and HMS. UCLA has the winning edge in personal factors and price. HMS has the winning factor on prestige. Both have excellent associated academic medical centers and an insane amount of resources. You can justify either choice and have a very successful career. Do you know where you want to be long term? One clear cut advantage of HMS is ability to match into its home residency programs. This applies for UCLA as well. So maybe you can pick based on that. Of course, you can match everywhere from both places.

Mayo is great but the location seems to be not a great fit for you.

 

[wondervisions]

Having a lot of debt may prevent you from pursuing riskier or lower paying opportunities outside of medicine (research, entrepreneurship, etc). You are in effect "trapped" into going straight through to residency -> attending in order to pay off loans. Something to consider.

 

[Orims]

I am also having a very similar dilemma! Got amazing financial aid at UCLA and my financial aid experience af HMS has been atrocious to say the least (expected to get ~90k in loans but it ended up being ~150k, which is huge for me). Happy to bounce ideas off each other.

 

[OneTougherCookie]

180k of debt is not that much all things considered. It’s about the average for medical students. In your position, I think it’s between UCLA and HMS. UCLA has the winning edge in personal factors and price. HMS has the winning factor on prestige. Both have excellent associated academic medical centers and an insane amount of resources. You can justify either choice and have a very successful career. Do you know where you want to be long term? One clear cut advantage of HMS is ability to match into its home residency programs. This applies for UCLA as well. So maybe you can pick based on that. Of course, you can match everywhere from both places.

Mayo is great but the location seems to be not a great fit for you.

I agree with a lot of what you put forward. It's hard to not feel like I'm "crying from an ivory tower" about $180k of debt, all things considered. With that being said, I am interested in pursuing work that doesn't tend to make one filthy rich... namely, additional fellowships in LGBTQ+ health post-residency (Mt. Sinai's Transgender Health program stands out) or work in community health/public health for a government/non-profit. Again, the $180k wouldn't necessarily bar me from these opportunities, but I do wonder whether a lower debt burden would make it easier to pursue this kind of specialized/lower-paid stuff, rather than being obligated to work in a traditional practice to help pay it down.

With respect to the long-term, this is another question that's tough to answer. I'm obviously biased to indicate staying on the East Coast long-term, as it's where I've grown up. But I say that having not been on the west coast for any extended length of time- I could easily envision myself staying in CA/west coast for residency (ie. UCLA, UCSF, Stanford, UWashington). In addition, I've been weighing residency programs and have looked at "Triple Board" Psychiatry opportunities (it's a specialized 5-year residency where you becoming certified in pediatrics, general psych, and child & adolescent psych). Neither UCLA nor HMS has one (there are about 10 nationwide).

Overall this is a very good problem to have and it's not lost on me that other students have harder choices to make. I really appreciate the help!

 

[OneTougherCookie]

I am also having a very similar dilemma! Got Geffen at UCLA and my financial aid experience af HMS has been atrocious to say the least (expected to get ~90k in loans but it ended up being ~150k, which is huge for me). Happy to bounce ideas off each other.

Congrats on the Geffen! Sad to hear that our negative experience with HMS financial aid isn't unique, though. It's hard to not being a bit resentful with HMS considering the breadth of their resources- the fact that a lot of students seem to have had negative experiences with their FA program leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Ultimately, I've been grappling with whether the HMS education is "worth" $100k (and honestly it'll end up being well more than $100k with interest on top of that) more than a Geffen education. I think the starry-eyed pre-med in a lot of us gravitates towards that highest ranking program, but the pragmatist in me says that the functional difference between a DGSOM and HMS degree won't be that massive, and that I shouldn't get tangled in the weeds of punishing myself financially just for a functionally equivalent degree that says "Harvard" instead of "UCLA".

All in all a tough decision to make and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

 

[wondervisions]

Congrats on the Geffen! Sad to hear that our negative experience with HMS financial aid isn't unique, though. It's hard to not being a bit resentful with HMS considering the breadth of their resources- the fact that a lot of students seem to have had negative experiences with their FA program leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Ultimately, I've been grappling with whether the HMS education is "worth" $100k (and honestly it'll end up being well more than $100k with interest on top of that) more than a Geffen education. I think the starry-eyed pre-med in a lot of us gravitates towards that highest ranking program, but the pragmatist in me says that the functional difference between a DGSOM and HMS degree won't be that massive, and that I shouldn't get tangled in the weeds of punishing myself financially just for a functionally equivalent degree that says "Harvard" instead of "UCLA".

All in all a tough decision to make and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

There is no difference in the quality of education between the two institutions. Harvard is not a better school than UCLA in that regard.

 

[OneTougherCookie]

Having a lot of debt may prevent you from pursuing riskier or lower paying opportunities outside of medicine (research, entrepreneurship, etc). You are in effect "trapped" into going straight through to residency -> attending in order to pay off loans. Something to consider.

This is certainly something I've worried about. Granted, my debt would likely remain below the national average at HMS, but it could easily swell to more than $200k post-residency (I also have about $15k of preexisting loans on top of that). As someone who's wanted to get involved in relatively non-traditional opportunities (ie. LGBTQ+ Community Health Work, Public Policy work), it's given me pause as to whether the higher HMS debt might draw me away from doing something I feel is important, but pays less.

 

[deleted1020966]

+1 to being in a similar situation (to different schools). Does your scholarship to ULCA change if you get in-state tuition after your first year? When I calculated out my debt to a different CA school, getting in-state tuition would bring my total debt amount down about ~30-40k.

Another thing I wouldn't discount if you decide UCLA is the atrocious traffic. You mentioned you don't really like driving and it takes a considerable amount of time to get anywhere.

 

[OneTougherCookie]

+1 to being in a similar situation (to different schools). Does your scholarship to ULCA change if you get in-state tuition after your first year? When I calculated out my debt to a different CA school, getting in-state tuition would bring my total debt amount down about ~30-40k.

Another thing I wouldn't discount if you decide UCLA is the atrocious traffic. You mentioned you don't really like driving and it takes a considerable amount of time to get anywhere.

My main scholarship is just tuition costs, so I don't think the amount of post-tuition/fees aid would change when I switch to in-state.

The driving is a bigger sticking point than it should be, I know- but it's definitely something that I think will impact my QoL in a significant way.

 

[deleted1020966]

Great! so if you were to go that route would your loans at UCLA instead be 50-60k?

I totally agree with you. I don't visit LA often, but whenever I do I get so stressed having to drive anywhere and trying to plan my days around rush hour. Maybe someone who lives there can give some input. Also, If you were to attend UCLA would you also have to buy a car?

 

[Mr.Blackdoc.5]

you should speak to dr. Potter or similar folks at HMS to gauge what they think

based on what you’ve said throughout this thread, it seems like you are leaning HMS. Which school would it be harder for you to withdraw an acceptance from if finances weren’t an issue? I think you need to think of that question when the debt difference in the grand scheme of things and a career that will last 20+ years is minimal

 

[OneTougherCookie]

Great! so if you were to go that route would your loans at UCLA instead be 50-60k?

I totally agree with you. I don't visit LA often, but whenever I do I get so stressed having to drive anywhere and trying to plan my days around rush hour. Maybe someone who lives there can give some input. Also, If you were to attend UCLA would you also have to buy a car?

Unfortunately not- to my knowledge, the scholarship just covers out of state tuition and fees for the first year, then switches to in-state tuition and fees.

I would also need to buy a car if I were to go to UCLA which certainly complicates things.

 

[deleted1020966]

Oh, right I totally misread your post lol. IMO I would choose HMS. Similar to you, I'm finding it hard to willingly go into more debt when there is an equally good cheaper alternative. However, I think that QoL aspect should be extremely important in your decision. You don't have to deal with that added stress of having to move across the country, buying a car (and related maintenance/gas) which could range from an extra 5-20k + interest, etc. Also, I don't know if you have plans to visit people on the East coast, but if you do, the costs of those cross-country flights would rack up over 4 years.

 

[Wildtype]

LA traffic is horrible. Southern California traffic in general is horrible. I grew up there and used to have a job that required tons of driving. It's bad enough that it made me happy to get out of CA. I got to a point where i'd rather have ****tier weather but less traffic. I have no experience with Boston traffic, though, to be fair. But maybe if you went to UCLA, you'd be able to live close enough to bike or something or wouldn't have to do too much driving. But to put things in perspective, I've had mornings in LA where it has taken 30+ minutes to drive 1-2 miles. When speaking of how far something is, people will respond in minutes instead of miles because the mileage means almost nothing and it's completely dictated by traffic.

 

[deleted1102289]

I'm sorry but there is no way that an MD degree from HMS is worth $100,000 more than an MD degree from UCLA (and for you it is realistically closer to $150,000, excluding interest that will accumulate). The opportunities and advantages are the same at both institutions, except, in your case, UCLA is probably a better fit because of the Williams Institute -- one of the best places in the world for LGBTQ+ studies and right in line with your own interests and extra-medical public policy aspirations. L.A. also has a vibrant LGBTQ+ dating community, whereas I wouldn't necessarily say that this is true for Boston. Lastly, just so you know, the cost of living in Boston is at least equal to the cost of living in L.A., if not more expensive. (America’s Most Expensive Cities per Square Foot | Move.org) (https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/boston_ma/los_angeles_ca/costofliving#:~:text=Los Angeles is 6.7% more expensive than Boston.) Please do not choose the name recognition of HMS over an ultimately equally good school that is substantially cheaper and, in many ways, better suited for your particular interests and career goals.

 

[deleted959514]

I think you should think about long term aspects as well. Maybe think about a projected repayment plan based on your current psychiatry and public service interests PLUS include your life goals in addition to medicine. Are you planning on owning a home after med school? What is your credit score? Will you need credit for a lease? do you want to start a family? Do you like to travel? Do you want to retire by a certain age?

I think the having a ~150k+ (+ compounding) debt will definitely define all those additional aspects of your life. Not necessarily in a negative way, just keeping this in mind will help you make your decision.

I personally would go for UCLA in your situation. But this is a subjective choice, I personally value financial security. I think the more dimensions of your decision you are able to analyze, the more satisfied you will be on your decision whether it is UCLA or HMS.

 

[OneTougherCookie]

I think you should think about long term aspects as well. Maybe think about a projected repayment plan based on your current psychiatry and public service interests PLUS include your life goals in addition to medicine. Are you planning on owning a home after med school? What is your credit score? Will you need credit for a lease? do you want to start a family? Do you like to travel? Do you want to retire by a certain age?

I think the having a ~150k+ (+ compounding) debt will definitely define all those additional aspects of your life. Not necessarily in a negative way, just keeping this in mind will help you make your decision.

I personally would go for UCLA in your situation. But this is a subjective choice, I personally value financial security. I think the more dimensions of your decision you are able to analyze, the more satisfied you will be on your decision whether it is UCLA or HMS.

It's certainly a fair concern, the additional debt will definitely be a challenge in its own right, albeit it will be more akin to the standard burden faced by the average medical student (not to downplay the impact that debt can have on future financial decisions).

Frankly, I'd have to say that I'm not interested in a particularly high-cost lifestyle post-medical school. The money in medicine hasn't been something that's a significant draw and while I might want to own a house one day, even owning a car sounds like more trouble than it's worth as far as I'm concerned. While I don't currently have a lot of money to my name, I do have a good credit score and in general feel like I'm in a better financial situation than my peers- something that certainly enables me to make a decision more on my personal desires. Looking further into the future is certainly important, albeit my biggest concerns currently center around the management of my debt immediately after medical school (ie. the ability to pursue fellowships without pressure, to go into public service, etc.)

Ultimately I've made a lot of previous educational decisions (ie. undergrad) with financial security in mind and while that's been tough at times, those opportunities have ended up being very fulfilling. I think it's the tough question of asking myself whether HMS can be the exception and whether taking on that additional debt is worth pursuing a personal goal and perhaps having access to some of the opportunities that HMS can offer but UCLA might not be able to. I really appreciate the insights!

 

[OneTougherCookie]

Even if that 150k is 200k by the end of the residency, living frugally like a resident it can be paid off in one year with attending salary. Hell... there was a psych RESIDENT who paid off $300k loans DURING psych residency by moonlighting in the boonies for 5k/weekend. Unless Ivy grads are all doing pro-bono and barely making $80k/year this whole discussion is non sense and OP should go to Harvard b/c that extra 100-150k is a drop in the bucket over a career with gross earnings of $10-$15m+

This is a fair point that I've grappled with- looking at that $100k before medical school starts is a bit deceiving as ultimately I'll be in a much more secure financial situation (attending physician) when paying it off. With that being said, I do have an inkling towards advocacy/non-profit work which could put me at an (admittadly mild) disadvantage out of the gate with respect to paying for the debt.

 

[Orims]

Congrats on the Geffen! Sad to hear that our negative experience with HMS financial aid isn't unique, though. It's hard to not being a bit resentful with HMS considering the breadth of their resources- the fact that a lot of students seem to have had negative experiences with their FA program leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Ultimately, I've been grappling with whether the HMS education is "worth" $100k (and honestly it'll end up being well more than $100k with interest on top of that) more than a Geffen education. I think the starry-eyed pre-med in a lot of us gravitates towards that highest ranking program, but the pragmatist in me says that the functional difference between a DGSOM and HMS degree won't be that massive, and that I shouldn't get tangled in the weeds of punishing myself financially just for a functionally equivalent degree that says "Harvard" instead of "UCLA".

All in all a tough decision to make and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I have very similar feelings (and also interest in serving LGBTQ+ and underserved populations!).

HMS has been a dream of mine since I was applying to graduate programs (also non-trad with a graduate degree). Having the guaranteed (vs. not for residency) option of attending Harvard has been really hard to pass down when I consider the finances. While my loans are lower than yours, it is still a huge number for me and my family. I am trying to appeal the expected family contribution since it is impossible for my parents to pay it due to finances going down the drain as a result of COVID. I am also having a very difficult time turning down the Geffen scholarship to go into some debt. Granted it would be for my dream, but still it is very difficult to wrap my head around someone "giving" me ~$500k and me having to pay ~$100k (if they reduce my parent contribution).

Other factors are also important for me. I LOVE Boston and have always wanted to return at some point (did some research there previously). While I hope to return to the west coast in the future, I really want to spend part of my medical training (MD or residency/fellowship) in Boston, and right now I feel it would be the only time it is guaranteed. I also have some of my best friends there and love how walkable/commutable the city is. In contrast, I visited LA recently to think if I could see myself there. I could barely take 2 days of the HORRIBLE traffic and commuting times. It really is horrible! I don't know if all the Geffen money is worth me sitting at least an hour and a half in traffic every day (more than 8 hours a week!) when I have rotations at the hospitals that are ~25 miles way from UCLA. Having the extra money from the Geffen would definitely go towards buying a car and maintenance, which is somewhat "eh" in my mind since I despise driving.

Good luck deciding! Happy to keep talking over DMs.

 

[OneTougherCookie]

you should speak to dr. Potter or similar folks at HMS to gauge what they think

based on what you’ve said throughout this thread, it seems like you are leaning HMS. Which school would it be harder for you to withdraw an acceptance from if finances weren’t an issue? I think you need to think of that question when the debt difference in the grand scheme of things and a career that will last 20+ years is minimal

This is a fair point. I feel that I'd have a much harder time withdrawing from HMS and giving up on that opportunity than UCLA.

 

[downbytheriver5]

UCLA is a better fit for you and much, much less expensive. By the way, finances ARE an issue -- less debt will give you more freedom in the future -- so you shouldn't pretend that this isn't the case and choose where to go as if finances were not an issue lol. The 200k difference is something that is real in the present, who knows what the grand scheme of things will be like in the next 20+ years? If you can avoid debt and go to one of the best medical schools in the country, do it.

 

[orthopod123]

UCLA!