how important is location?

[bubblywatr]

Lets say you get accepted to an MSTP program in a location you don't want to spend 8 years: would you take it and thank god for such an opportunity, or take a year off enhance your app w/ more papers and higher mcat scores, and then reapply the next year with better chance for more options?

i love these hypothetical questions...

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[jot]

rescinding an acceptance is probably a bad idea to begin with. just go with it (hypothetically). otherwise, why would you apply there in the first place - 8 years is a long time (as i wonder what i'm thinking with mayo, though its a great school). are you applying this year?
-jot

 

[exigente chica]

I have the same problem. There are some great schools plooped down in some yuck places...man..I realized that I am going to have to comprimise a bit with this. Getting accepted is an honor, bu 8 years is a long time. I really don't like the cold or the midest but some of the best schools are thereI think it's a personal choice. Me, as long as I can find somewhere to dance, I'll be ok.

 

[dr kevin40]

there's always cali exigente chic!

 

[Rumit]

Well, I decided that location wasn't the most important thing. Basically, I ended up choosing the school that I thought had the best program (among those that accepted me). Beleive me, I never thought I'd ever end up living in LA. Being from Northern Cali, I always hated the place. I know, many people love the place, and it's really not that bad, but I think you can get used to almost any locale. And, if it's a good program, and you think you'll get great training, I definitely think it's doable for 8 years.

Just my opinion.

Good luck all,

Adam

 

[atsai3]

Things may change during medical school. At the start of medical school, two of my friends were the most die-hard pro-San Diego and pro-New York City people. After spending just 3 years in Cleveland, they've become semi-fans of the city ("I was thinking of staying here for residency...").

Cheers
-a.

 

[energy_girl]

Location is definitely important when you're deciding where to spend 8 years of your life, and if you think that you'll be miserable without family around or without the sunshine or whatever the case may me, 8 years is a long time to be miserable. However, don't rule out certain schools just because you don't think you'll like a particular part of the country.

As a southern California girl, I NEVER thought that I would end up in the midwest. Somehow I ended up choosing the midwest because of the school. And it hasn't turned out to be a bad experience at all. Sure, I miss the beach and the diversity of LA, but I think finding a SCHOOL that I like and great friends at the school are just as important. In response to the hypothetical question, then, my answer would be whether I would be happy in the environment. Not just the city itself, but also the environment of the school and the MD/PhD program.

 

[shamus1]

Location is important for a Taco Bell or a KFC, less so for a MD/PhD program. Energy Girl is right, it is what you do with where you are that is important. (After all, Alcatraz is located in the midst of one of the most desirable cities in America; yet nobody was beating down the doors to get in.) Find the program that suits you best and bring a piece of SoCal or Boston or Maui to it.

If there are places that you are certain you would not go, you probably should not bother applying to them. Turning down a program in a less desirable location would be risky because there is no guarantee that an additional year or research or a couple of papers will get you into the more desirable school that rejected you the year before. In addition, the school that you turned down would almost certainly not accept you a second time.

 

[bubblywatr]

thanks for the input guys... as usual it has been very helpful.

wow - cali to st. loui! i just went to newport beach for a week, and lemme tell ya they had to drag me onto the flight back to tejas! but i think you guys are right, there are cool things ALMOST everywhere, and with the amount of money you save not living in california, boston, or NYC, you can probably take a vacation every weekend!

 

[energy_girl]

Originally posted by bubblywatr
thanks for the input guys... as usual it has been very helpful.

wow - cali to st. loui! i just went to newport beach for a week, and lemme tell ya they had to drag me onto the flight back to tejas! but i think you guys are right, there are cool things ALMOST everywhere, and with the amount of money you save not living in california, boston, or NYC, you can probably take a vacation every weekend!

Vacation every weekend? Not quite, but we definitely have tons of spending money. Our stipend just went up to $20,500, and living expenses in St. Louis are really cheap ($600-700 for a two-bedroom). Definitely a change from LA, and one big plus for the midwest!

Anyway, good luck to all of you guys.

 

[none]

The best...living on campus in Southern CA. Still $600 a month for that two bedroom!

 

[Vader]

The question should be framed: How important is location TO YOU?