Hopkins vs Vanderbilt vs Medical College of Georgia

[User1440]

Hey everyone, really grateful to be picking between these schools and would appreciate any insights! Thanks in advance!

This decision felt like a no-brainer when I received the Hopkins A, but I've had second thoughts recently. For context, I'm undecided on a specialty but probably not surgery nor primary care (leaning anesthesiology as of now). The most important factors for me are cost (fortunate to have my parents help with living costs), proximity/ability to visit family, ability to match flexibly into the northeast/midwest, and student wellness (I had a stressful, competitive undergrad experience and would like to optimize the prestige/stress ratio best that I can).

Hopkins (Full Tuition Scholarship, COA 4yrs: $120K)​

Pros:

• (+++) Full tuition scholarship
• (++) Prestige
• (++) Strong match list. Since I'm undecided on my specialty, I think the resources and Hopkins name could offer more flexibility and opportunities.
• (+) Most students rotate at the main hospital or Bayview, which are both nearby and offer amazing clinical training opportunity.
• (+) Unparalleled research opportunities.

Cons:

• (--) Farthest option from family and only one that requires flying.
• (-) From what I've heard, the environment seems pretty intense. Worried about the pressure to keep up with such high-achieving classmates.
• (-) Not too sure about the curriculum. Starts off with brutal 7 weeks of anatomy and faculty still working through kinks since it was recently condensed. Exams every 4 days-2 weeks, typically towards the beginning of the week.
• (-) P/F core clerkships as of now, but there's a real possibility that it may shift back to F/P/HP/H.
• (-) Not the biggest fan of Baltimore as a city but haven't visited recently (planning on attending SLW). Safety is also a concern.

Vanderbilt (No merit scholarship, COA 4yrs may be around $280k?)​

Pros:

• (++) Strong match list.
• (+) Prestige, although a tier below Hopkins.
• (+) Great research opportunities and clinical training.
• (+) Location. Nashville is probably the best location option and 3.5 hour drive from home.
• (+) 13 month preclinical allows for more flexibility and research time later on.
• (+) I think core clerkships are P/F?

Cons:

• (---) Haven't received need-based scholarships yet, but COA will certainly be above $260K (Vandy also doesn't negotiate scholarships).
• (-) Long 2-day, one-pass exams with essays.
• (-) On the other hand, 13 month preclinical might make M1 year kind of miserable lol.

Medical College of Georgia (Partial Scholarship, COA 4yrs: $190K)​

Pros:

• (++) Closest option to family (3 hour drive).
• (++) Vibed really well with the students at SLW. Seems like a very collaborative environment.
• (++) I also really liked the curriculum. Flipped-classroom, team-based like the other options. Weekly quizzes on Friday which allows for potentially better work-life balance.
• (+) Decent match list from what I can tell? Had the most orthopedic surgery matches last year (~300 class size though).

Cons:

• (--) Considerably less prestigious than other options. If I decided on a competitive specialty, I would likely have to work harder to match.
• (--) Clerkships are assigned on a lottery basis and I'm not too excited about rotating at sites in rural Georgia.
• (-) Slightly concerned about the quality of clinical training.
• (-) Less research opportunities compared to other options. Getting involved in projects will require a lot more work and initiative.
• (-) Match list overall is more regionally restricted.

Am I overthinking not committing to Hopkins and running with it? My biggest reservation is the potentially intense/competitive environment and curriculum (again, really scarred from my undergrad experience) and not having that support system nearby. On the other hand, if I decided I wanted to pursue a semi-competitive specialty, shouldn't I be concerned about my chances of matching desirably from MCG? Please let me know your thoughts--thank you!

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[Hollow Knight]

The Hopkins curriculum is pretty bad. DM me if you want advice on approaching it.

Why are you concerned about the clinical training in Georgia? That’s a great med school.

Vanderbilt will probably be a LOT more than $280. When I did the math back in the day I was looking at in the 300s or maybe 400s but hey, I wasn’t getting scholarship offers either.

I’d go to Hopkins because even if you flounder at that med school you will still be graduating from Hopkins. I have been told those students can pretty much write their ticket. And it’s less debt which is huge. I think it’s kind of miserable being a student there (the one guy I’ve met is fairly unhappy) but I don’t think that med school experience is unique to Hopkins

 

[JungleTrouble]

Keep in mind though the specialty interest varies by class. I think the amount of ortho matches just reflected the interest and was higher because the class size is just larger than most.

Hopkins is the holy grail and with free tuition that's pretty awesome.

However, Vandy is still such a good program despite being below a tier below which is whatever tbh. The less cons you have for vandy seem like it should be a good contender with Hopkins

 

[LunaOri]

Hopkins. The lower COA is significant, and you will be competitive for any specialty, even if you are in the lower half of your class. Don’t worry about competing with other students; find others who are like yourself, and work together.

 

[hydroflaskhomie]

You should definitely go to Hopkins here.