hopkins or ucsf?

[peachfuzz]

i have been very very lucky to get into both ucsf and hopkins, and i was wondering if i can get some input into the two schools. i realize that i am in a VERY fortunate position, and i hope i am not trampling on the feelings of others who are awaiting decisions from med schools, but i need to seriously consider where i am going to spend the next 4 years of my life. so i'd appreciate any input/info on these 2 schools. meanwhile, i'll share what i knowso far:

ucsf (pros) is a state school, and being a california resident, tuition is lower.
ucsf (cons) the cost of living is enormous for san francisco apartments, so that pretty much evens it out the in-state tuition. futhermore, ucsf has a new, untested curriculum with students leading some of the sections.

hopkins (pros) sections are led by professors, sometimes 2 or 3 professors from different departments (ie path, pharmacology, etc)
hopkins (cons) shady area, baltimore is not san francisco.

one last thought-i looked at the match results for ucsf, and it seems like most of the students stayed in california (as opposed to the east coast). is this cuz they want to stay in calif, or is it because ucsf is not as highly ranked as other schools in the east?

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[SocialistMD]

The reason the people at UCSF stay in California is because it is a state school. The whole theory behind the lower tuition for state residents is that most people tend to stay in their home state if they go to school there. The tuition is lower because (a) they figure you have already been paying taxes there and (b) your being a resident is an investment they will risk because you will most likely stay there.
This is not to say that all people stay, however; it is the general philosophy, and as the residency numbers you stated show, it is true.
On the flip side, Hopkins is a private institution with no preference. Many of the people who go there tend to go back to their home states, or are "nomads" and will go wherever life takes them.

 

[Annihilator]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by peachfuzz:
ucsf (pros) is a state school, and being a california resident, tuition is lower.
ucsf (cons) the cost of living is enormous for san francisco apartments, so that pretty much evens it out the in-state tuition. futhermore, ucsf has a new, untested curriculum with students leading some of the sections.

one last thought-i looked at the match results for ucsf, and it seems like most of the students stayed in california (as opposed to the east coast). is this cuz they want to stay in calif, or is it because ucsf is not as highly ranked as other schools in the east?•

Hmmm... the price of housing makes up for the difference in tuition between in-state and private? Let's say you pay $12,000/year for housing (that's probably on the higher end of student rents). Tuition and fees are ~$10,000. So just attendance and housing would be about $22,000 (plus books, food, etc). If I recall correctly, almost all the private med schools have just tuition of $30,000 (plus say $3600/year for housing in Baltimore, food, flights home, etc). But of course, admissions people always say money shouldn't be part of your decision...

As for your last thought, I haven't looked at the numbers myself, but I wouldn't be surprised. I wouldn't go back out to the East Coast unless I had to... (I was at JHU for undergrad) I don't think the numbers are because UCSF is not as highly ranked.

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Annihilator
MS1, UCSF

 

[doepug]

Congrats Peachfuzz!

I'm a big Hopkins fan, and I'd be happy to answer any questions or respond to any issues you have. I hope that you'll have the chance to come to the revisit weekend in April -- you'll have a chance to get a better feel for the place, and you'll get a sense of what next year's class will be like.

If there's anything I can do to help, drop me a line: [email protected].

Cheers,
doepug
(Hopkins MS I)

 

[doubledown]

i've actually been fortunate enough to have the same "tough" decision to make. right now, i'm leaning towards hopkins for a couple reasons. first of all, i'm not thrilled about the idea of being the guinea pig for the new curriculum. no matter how much thought they put into organizing it, there are always problems when you change something so drastically. they told us at my interview that we don't even get to do our own dissections for anatomy!! secondly, i just can't pass up the opportunity to go to hopkins. while ucsf is the king of the uc's, it doesn't quite have the same prestige as hopkins. also, i've talked to med students there who absolutely love it. while baltimore might not be the same as sf, i am actually looking forward to spending some time on the east coast for a change. i also agree that they will cost about the same in the end after paying the exorbitant housing costs for sf. good luck and i hope to see you at hopkins next year!

 

[bigdirt]

I may be dangerously generalizing but also consider this:

UCSF is a state school which means there is going to be a push towards primary care (although I have not checked the match list myself).

On the other hand, Hopkins tends to send its graduates into specialties.

It depends on which way you lean and where you see yourself ten years down the line. Also you should probably visit the schools on the second-look dates to get a feel for the incoming class. Good luck choosing!

 

[peachfuzz]

hey all,

thanks for some great advice. at this point, i'm leaning towards hopkins, cuz i think i'll ultimately come back to california, and that this may be the only chance to go to the east coast. furthermore, i absolutely loved hopkins when i visited. ucsf is also great but as a berkeley grad, i want a change of scenary.

look forward to meeting you all in august!