Hofstra (Zucker) vs Stony Brook

[nibhighfootballrules]

Hello everyone, I am currently down to choosing between Hofstra (Zucker) and Stony Brook. A brief background about myself: I am a NY non-trad who will be entering med school in their late 20’s. I am currently interested in pursuing a surgical subspecialty due to my experiences. I understand this a largely personal decision as money is not a huge difference between these 2 schools, however, I want to be confident I have put myself in the best position to succeed.


Zucker:

Pros:

• Location: this campus is a lot closer to my home and to where my SO works so it would take a lot of stress out of commuting for both of us depending on where we live and my support system would be about as close as it could be
• Cost: after fin aid COA will actually be less than SB, however living at home will be a significant portion of this saved money and although it makes financial sense I argue that sometimes its best to move out and on with your life so I could be potentially paying for rent going here as well
• Northwell: northwell is a massive system and has access to many hospitals in the area for clinical rotations as well as 2 separate off campus research institutions.
• Small class size
• Written exams for preclinical years: I think this would reenforce information and their board scores speak to this method, however M3 exams are shelf exams and mirror step 2.
• P/F preclinical and quartiles for clinical grading
• Mandatory class 8-12 M-F: some might say this is a con but I am an early riser and I believe this type of structure will be a positive impact on my education
• Plenty of home programs for comp specialties

Cons:

• Progressive curriculum: case-based w/ a lot of group learning and no true lectures
• Lower national ranking
• Scattered location of rotation sites: while this offers flexibility, I wonder if it makes finding a mentor/ research opportunity more difficult.
• Match list: although each year they seem to match a couple of students into competitive specialties SB appears to have more (this could just be a byproduct of larger class size) I understand that at the end of the day it's overwhelmingly the student, not the school that will determine where you end up but with step becoming P/F this is a serious consideration. Plus I get match lists need to be taken with a grain of salt as someone once said “looking at a match-list is like walking into a movie during the last minute and trying to understand what’s going on”

Stony brook

Pros:

• Program is well established and has a great NE reputation
• Match list: It appears to place people into comp specialties every year
• Large state-run institution with plenty of resources for research
• Graduate training in almost every specialty
• Traditional style curriculum
• P/F preclinical now

Cons:

• Personal considerations: My SO would have a brutal commute if we moved out near this school. I do not want to spend my professional career in eastern long island and although this is anecdotal I see a lot of matches to their home program for comp specialties which could potentially mean me spending 7+ years here by which time I will have started a family
• Location: if I were to commute it would be ~5-10 hrs a week wasted. Also, w/ lectures not being mandatory I fear a long commute would persuade me not to travel to campus and therefore limit interaction with peers and faculty.
• Cost: w/ rent, living expenses, transportation, and slightly higher tuition could be $30k more over four years
• Larger class size ~140

Reading through this post it would appear I am more interested/excited in Zucker however the cons of SB could be handled so if I was to really be at a disadvantage going to a newer program especially w/ step1 becoming p/f I would be able to make SB work. Looking forward to everyone’s thoughts and thank you!

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[applicant20]

From this post it feels that you're more comfortable and excited about Hofstra, and at the end of the day you want to go where you'll be happiest. However, I think you'll have a more clear decision if you visit both schools (I know Stony has an in-person second look day coming up) and see how you feel about the schools afterward. It's hard to figure out which school will be a better "fit" just on paper like this, and like you said, the finances are not significantly different between these schools so it comes down more to where you'll be happiest.

A note on the written exams and more mandatory attendance at Hofstra though, I think both of these can be a significant con when compared to Stony. Stony uses NBME exams, so you're essentially practicing for Step with every med school exam. Stony also has their curriculum set up so that you take step 1 later than most other schools, and students I've spoken to have mentioned that they have less stress and an easier time with Step 1 precisely due to this. I also think that if you like to attend class in person, this is always an option at both schools; difference is that it won't be mandatory at Stony, which can give you a more flexible schedule and also reduces stress if you ever feel like you don't want to go to class and just watch the lecture instead.

^But with all of that being said, if you still feel like you will be happiest at Hofstra, then go for Hofstra! If you want to strive for a competitive specialty, you'll have to work hard wherever you go, so you might as well go somewhere closer to your support system and where you feel excited about your education.

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

Can you live midway between Stony Brook and your SO's job ? Would that be satisfactory ?

 

[nibhighfootballrules]

Can you live midway between Stony Brook and your SO's job ? Would that be satisfactory ?

Yes, it would be inconvenient but not at all impossible... I guess I just want hear I wouldn’t be at a disadvantage coming out of a new program like zucker compared to a more established stony brook.

 

[Banco]

SB is the more established school but Zucker's match lists have looked pretty solid. You have to weigh your personal considerations. I think you'll be fine at either.

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

I think the two are pretty comparable. Maybe a bit of an edge to SB but either I think will get you where you want to go. One's well being (and that of a serious SO) has to be factored in.

Is the progressive curriculum at Hofstra really a con ?

 

[nibhighfootballrules]

I think the two are pretty comparable. Maybe a bit of an edge to SB but either I think will get you where you want to go. One's well being (and that of a serious SO) has to be factored in.

Is the progressive curriculum at Hofstra really a con ?

Not necessarily, I have heard mixed reviews from current and former students. With both being able to help me get where I want to go I agree personal considerations rank high, thank you for your advice!

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

Not necessarily, I have heard mixed reviews from current and former students. With both being able to help me get where I want to go I agree personal considerations rank high, thank you for your advice!

Did you make a decision yet ? Are there in-person Second Looks at either school that you can attend ?

 

[VH18]

OP, I’m making this decision too and would love to think it through with you!

 

[nibhighfootballrules]

Did you make a decision yet ? Are there in-person Second Looks at either school that you can att

No I have not, SBU is doing small group in person tours in April and Zucker is doing a virtual second look. I am going to wait until attending both to make a more informed decision. If their is one thing I am certain of every student current or former you speak with will express a different opinion based on their experience and I think it will ultimately come down to personal considerations and preferences.

 

[nibhighfootballrules]

OP, I’m making this decision too and would love to think it through with you!

My thought process right now, set aside all personal considerations which will be a strong factor in my decision, is Hofstra has mandatory classes (what is the nature of those mandatory sessions - if ultimately my job is to study do they end up detracting from that job or add value to it?) they have written exams (some students say it forces you to learn the material more thoroughly and when transitioning to step style questions they are more manageable) Hofstra takes Step 1 after pre-clinical and step 2 after clerkships where as SBU takes everything after clerkships (which is do I think will be better), SBU is definitely more research-oriented w/ state and federal funding (whats the accessibility of research opportunities at Hofstra?) and last but definitely not least how much help does faculty afford their students in pursuing their chosen fields? I am hoping to get current students perspectives on these topics during the second looks and then will weigh everything after... what are your thoughts?

 

[VH18]

My thought process right now, set aside all personal considerations which will be a strong factor in my decision, is Hofstra has mandatory classes (what is the nature of those mandatory sessions - if ultimately my job is to study do they end up detracting from that job or add value to it?) they have written exams (some students say it forces you to learn the material more thoroughly and when transitioning to step style questions they are more manageable) Hofstra takes Step 1 after pre-clinical and step 2 after clerkships where as SBU takes everything after clerkships (which is do I think will be better), SBU is definitely more research-oriented w/ state and federal funding (whats the accessibility of research opportunities at Hofstra?) and last but definitely not least how much help does faculty afford their students in pursuing their chosen fields? I am hoping to get current students perspectives on these topics during the second looks and then will weigh everything after... what are your thoughts?

Good questions! Like you, the main question I’ve been trying to answer is whether attending Hofstra would put me at a significant disadvantage vs. SB

Pending what we hear at second look, my current thinking is that we’d ultimately be fine at either school, but SB has the edge for the match process (for the short-term future at least)

While nobody really knows what’s going to happen with p/f step 1, suspicions are that it’ll put more emphasis on research, school reputation, and networking. SB has more research activity, is a well-known and widely respected program, and has a large alumni network, which makes it the “safer” bet IMO

With that said, IMO Hofstra isn’t far behind; Feinstein and the Northwell academic hospitals are producing quality research, the main teaching hospitals of Northshore and LIJ have very strong regional reps, and Hofstra graduates have already made inroads into competitive programs

I think it really does come down to where we’d be happy. If we can find a way to make SB work (for me, it’s figuring out whether I can stand Eastern LI), that’s the safest bet, but if we find that we’d be much happier at Hofstra, I think that it’s worth giving up the slight advantages SB has at this time

FWIW, I do think attending Hofstra would be very exciting - it’s on the up and up, and there’s no shortage of clinical opps through Northwell. I personally like the curriculum too, and think mandatory lectures would add helpful structure to my life

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

If you don’t get turned off by Hofstra’s curriculum, go for it. Personally I was so turned off when I interviewed there last year. Like pearl this and pearl that..

 

[nibhighfootballrules]

If you don’t get turned off by Hofstra’s curriculum, go for it. Personally I was so turned off when I interviewed there last year. Like pearl this and pearl that..

I agree that the curriculum comes down to personal preference but there has to be a reason for this new approach right?

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

I agree that the curriculum comes down to personal preference but there has to be a reason for this new approach right?

No clue.. novelty maybe

 

[joshuamarcus]

If you don’t get turned off by Hofstra’s curriculum, go for it. Personally I was so turned off when I interviewed there last year. Like pearl this and pearl that..

Lol same.

We did a pearls scenario in the interview and its such a sloowwwww way of learning anything

 

[nasalover101]

I vote for SB! Hofstra is not as established as stony, especially in the east.

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

I'd lean SB too, but obviously you have to take into account the wishes of your SO. Sounds like the SO commute associated with going to SB might be a deal breaker.

 

[nibhighfootballrules]

I don’t think you can go wrong with either decision... but a) I was very impressed with Hofstra’s second look, b) the tuition and COA will be cheaper at Hofstra, c) location for me will be way easier d) my fears of research/the Pearls curriculum were essentially assuaged at the second look. (Will research at SB be easier to come by... yes. However, will the slightly more accessible research make up for the aforementioned cons? No.)