Hofstra vs. Albany Medical College

[knitflixandchill]

Hi guys! Recently accepted to both of these schools, and need to decide within the next day or so which school to attend. Am originally from California, so New York will definitely be an adventure (particularly the cold)! Would appreciate any thoughts/guidance, especially from current students. Thank you in advance!

Hofstra:

• Pros:
  • Very innovative curriculum, love the small group learning sessions via PEARLS and many opportunities for team learning as well as individual learning, early integrated clinical experiences, and holistic Structure component of the course (combines anatomy, radiology, histopathology, and embryology all in one organic course component)
  • newer facilities
  • location: Hempstead, NY closer to NYC, less cold than Albany
  • close relatives in Queens, <20 min away from Hofstra
  • Pass/Fail Grading System
  • really enjoyed interview day
  • students seem close and to enjoy their school
  • affiliated with Feinstein and Northwell Health, so lots of research opportunities available probably
• Cons:
  • less established
  • will likely need a car
  • 2019 match list had fewer CA residency placements, so not sure if that is concerning

Albany:

• Pros:
  • students seem nice, faculty super accessible and friendly
  • older, established reputation
  • more reputable CA matches in 2019 match list (not sure how reliable of a category/point of comparison this is)
  • could squeak by without a car for the first year or two at least
• Cons:
  • Not crazy about the grading system. P/F but with extra categories/on a bell curve, so doesn't feel like true P/F
  • weather. really nervous about how cold it gets here

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[LongLiveThanos]

Go to Hofstra as you seem to prefer Hofstra more. As a Californian, winter weather is less brutal in Long Island than Albany.

 

[Konkurro]

Hofstra actually has a better reputation from what I've seen

 

[ggdoc145]

Accepted to Hofstra, attended second look and ultimately chose somewhere else, so I'm happy to speak about it. I did not apply to AMC so I cannot speak much about it. I think you really can't go wrong with either, but Hofstra might be better for you from what you've described.

Reputation wise I think they are similar. AMC is more reputable outside NY but Hofstra is seen as a rising star on the east coast. In other words, more people know AMC, but those who do know Hofstra view it in a higher regard. Most students I talked to say the match list was more a reflection of people wanting to stay in the tri-state area. You would have to prove yourself a bit on aways but I don't think AMC would give you a significant advantage, especially as they have more classes in residency / practicing as attendings. Hofstra seems to have a few strong CA matches each year (UCSF, UCLA) so I would not be too worried.

With that said, if you do NOT want to match on the east coast, Hofstra won't be doing you any favors. You'll have to really survive on your own merits more than you would at a school that is a feeder to certain programs. An MS4 at my interview day seemed a bit tight lipped when asked about what it's like to try to match outside NYC. Hofstra has very high Step scores so that may explain their success more than a growing reputation. IDK how AMC is received on the west coast but I can imagine it's better.

I would not base decisions off transit. Neither school is in a major city. Yes, you will need a car at Hofstra (it's required). However, even if you don't *need* a car at AMC, you'll probably want one. Albany is very small, and I can't imagine their public transit is something you'd want to rely on. I can imagine you may need it anyway for rotations.

If Albany is not TRUE pass-fail (has no bearing on dean's letter) and you get bad vibes because of it, I would be wary. P/F grading can make a big difference in terms of wellness. Being close to family and going into NYC might really give you some fresh air. It's nice to have a life outside of school, and Hofstra would allow that more easily.

It sounds like you're focused on reputation vs fit/location. If one makes you happier, go there. I cannot imagine AMC would help you a lot more in the match; we're not talking Cornell or even Einstein in terms of reputation. If I were you, I would go to Hofstra unless you were otherwise ambivalent and really want to match in CA.

 

[TurtleyReady4Med]

Hey so I am a current Albany Student! On the pass/fail system, it is essentially pass/fail unless you are the top 6-10 in the class and then you get a high pass based on zscores. Zscores aren’t really used by us except to tell you where you will need to study more when it comes to self studying for Step 1. Weather is not that much different from NYC (maybe a foot more of snow per year and snow clears up pretty fast).
The best advice I’ve heard is go where you feel like you click. It seems from your post you have a lot more pros for Hofstra, so if that is where you feel will make you happy go with your gut.

 

[JRSmith]

Hofstra - though it's a new school, it is moving up in reputation. It's evident that Hofstra's goal is to move up in rankings within the next few years by the students they accept. That is, the mean MCAT scores of the incoming classes are very high compared to the schools it is currently ranked around. I wouldn't be surprised if it reached upper mid-tier status within the next 10-15 years.

 

[girlwithwings]

Hofstra! It’s newer than Albany but has a better reputation, Long Island has better winter weather as someone said above, the Average STEP scores are higher, and the research opportunities are abundant. The only reason Albany has so many CA matches in comparison is because there are so many CA students who want to return to their home state for residency. Coming from CA, if you really want to match in CA, you can match in CA especially backed by Hofstra’s good rep!

 

[Master Thinker]

Hofstra. Better hospital system, ranking, and true pass/fail makes it harder to pass that up.