How much is the Harvard name worth?

[Techmed07]

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[Nymphicus]

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[eHombre]

Impossible to say without knowing more about your career goals. I'd say that at only a $80k difference, it's more important to think about how each school fits in your plan. Where would you want to have home hospital advantage? What city would you want to live in for 4 or more years? Do you want to do academic medicine, surgery, primary care, etc?

 

[jesse120]

Impossible to say without knowing more about your career goals. I'd say that at only a $80k difference, it's more important to think about how each school fits in your plan. Where would you want to have home hospital advantage? What city would you want to live in for 4 or more years? Do you want to do academic medicine, surgery, primary care, etc?

I admit that I don't know enough to really offer meaningful advice here, but $80k is a big difference to me! Unless you really want to match into the best program of one of the most competitive specialties, I really don't think it matters enough to justify the extra $80k. In fact, to match into those programs, your school name isn't gonna help you get your 270 step 1 score anyway. I'd vote for the cheaper option. The other top 10 schools, while not Harvard, are still amazing schools.

 

[FearlessHyena]

I have a friend with a hard decision between HMS and another top ten school (Columbia, Hopkins etc).


The top ten school will cost ~$12K in loans over four years (mixed LDS and Stafford)
HMS wil cost ~107k in Loans for Disadvantage Students (LDS)



...oh, and by friend I mean me. But seriously I need advice.

Go to Uchicago..........

 

[eHombre]

I admit that I don't know enough to really offer meaningful advice here, but $80k is a big difference to me! Unless you really want to match into the best program of one of the most competitive specialties, I really don't think it matters enough to justify the extra $80k. In fact, to match into those programs, your school name isn't gonna help you get your 270 step 1 score anyway. I'd vote for the cheaper option. The other top 10 schools, while not Harvard, are still amazing schools.

Eh, well, first of all, I apparently can't do arithmetic (107-12 = $95k). Even still, you're going to be at the school for 4 years, and potentially longer, since the pull of home hospital advantage creates a lot of inertia, especially at Harvard with its MGH/BWH/Children's/BIDMC/MEEI hospital affiliates (40-50% of HMS grads match at one of those hospitals).

I think it's important to feel happy about where you'll be living. Certain schools would be better for, say, urban primary care or trauma surgery than others. If you're interested in an academic track in basic or translational research, one school may be better than another. If you want to make sure you're getting lots of direct experience during your clinical training, you may want another school (neurosurgery at Columbia is supposed to be a great experience, for example).

Lastly, if your goal is specialist private practice, cost may not be so important. $107k is well below the national average for graduating debt, after all.

 

[MilkIsGood]

how will the top 10 school only cost 12k? are you getting full tuition plus a stipend?

 

[Techmed07]

Go to Uchicago..........

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[FearlessHyena]

how will the top 10 school only cost 12k? are you getting full tuition plus a stipend?

Yes, it's likely uchicago that offers 180000 and for some students pays for living expenses so it comes done to almost 0 debt.

 

[FearlessHyena]

Its not Pritzker.

Okay, sorry but then I would surmise Columbia or Yale as top 10 schools that give such awesome aid.

 

[bucks2010]

107k is still a steal for an MD. Go to Harvard and don't look back. Payback will be very doable no matter what you go into.

 

[FearlessHyena]

107k is still a steal for an MD. Go to Harvard and don't look back. Payback will be very doable no matter what you go into.

Yep, I thought the other school in question was Uchicago. They have a disgusting match list year in and year out. But, now that it's likely Yale or Columbia, I would tell the OP to go to Harvard and not to look back. The prestige of that school will open doors in all avenues of life. Go to Harvard.

 

[Myro]

Go to Harvard. $90k debt is chump change when you'll be CEO/$10k a day. Also, from one brotha to anotha, you know that an acceptance to Harvard is one that no black man can turn down (you know what I mean!)

 

[pp77]

I would go to Harvard.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Will you be happier at one school over the other? Do you want to live in Boston? Frankly, I have to disagree that the "harvard name" is so amazing that it opens up doors you won't have at other top 10 institutions. It also in part depends on your career goals. Are you gunning to be a 10k a day CEO, not that going to HMS guarantees that by any means. Are you interested in primary care/rural medicine? 100k is a lot of money, you need to be happy with your choice and make sure that it aligns with your goals, not the prestige mongering of SDN where every poll about which school to go to is just a restatement of USNWR regardless of the surrounding circumstances.

Also, my money is on UMich as the school in question.

 

[Barcu]

I mean, going to another top 10 over Harvard will not put you at any disadvantage whatsoever.

However, 107k, while a lot more than the other school, is not a bad price to pay for med school.

Since you are asking this question, I'm assuming you want to go to Harvard. So I say go to Harvard.

 

[ineed2stpsmurfn]

Dude, if you spend 80 grand extra just to get the harvard name..... I will try to find a way to crawl through this screen to slap you. It's one top 10 vs another top 10! go to the 12k school and call it a day!

 

[FearlessHyena]

Also, my money is on UMich as the school in question.

I thought about them, but the OP is OOS for them so I see no way how he could have 12K debt over 4 years. It's likely Columbia or Yale. New Haven sucks, so his choice comes down to Columbia or Harvard, which is a wash. My point was that Harvard opens up unparalleled opportunities beyond medicine like you hit up upon. Medically, Columbia is right with it. I also prefer NYC to Boston Knicks, Giants, Rangers, and Yankees for the win!

 

[MilkIsGood]

I think it's Washu. No other school gives enough money to bring the debt to 12k

 

[Techmed07]

how will the top 10 school only cost 12k? are you getting full tuition plus a stipend?

I thought about them, but the OP is OOS for them so I see no way how he could have 12K debt over 4 years. It's likely Columbia or Yale. New Haven sucks, so his choice comes down to Columbia or Harvard, which is a wash. My point was that Harvard opens up unparalleled opportunities beyond medicine like you hit up upon. Medically, Columbia is right with it. I also prefer NYC to Boston Knicks, Giants, Rangers, and Yankees for the win!

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[Ilovewater]

Harvard isn't going to open many more doors for you compared to the other top 10 schools (WashU, Columbia, etc.). If you actually like Harvard more than the other school and are a great fit there, then I can kind of see spending the money to go to Harvard. However, if it's just for Harvard's name, I don't think it's worth it to pay 90k more. They're all prestigious schools....

 

[FearlessHyena]

Harvard isn't going to open many more doors for you compared to the other top 10 schools (WashU, Columbia, etc.). If you actually like Harvard more than the other school and are a great fit there, then I can kind of see spending the money to go to Harvard. However, if it's just for Harvard's name, I don't think it's worth it to pay 90k more. They're all prestigious schools....

But if he has business interests and other ambitions then Harvard blows everyone else out of the water. Harvard has a cache that no other school has. For medicine, I will agree; for other pursuits, the name is worth its name in gold. Go to Harvard. Drizzt3117 did an analysis of Harvard and their matchlist is the best. Yes, penn and hopkins are awesome, but Harvard had the highest percentage of elite residencies. You can judge a match list by the strength of IM matches. Schools love to say they have xoxo from Harvard. I agree with prestige being overblown on these forums. It gets annoying but Harvard is the notable exception.

 

[Gas Rules]

107 is a bargain. Harvard.

 

[MrTambourineMan]

107 is a bargain. Harvard.

+1

 

[Techmed07]

Well. I woke up this morning second guessing my decision. I'll be coming out of undergrad with ~27k in debt mostly subsidized. It looks like I am back to the drawing board.

 

[elblackwell]

Well. I woke up this morning second guessing my decision. I'll be coming out of undergrad with ~27k in debt mostly subsidized. It looks like I am back to the drawing board.

I think you should go with Harvard and look for outside scholarships. There are plenty of them for disadvantaged students, especially for certain ethnicities, and someone with the credentials to get into HMS. The LDS doesn't accrue interest while you're in school, which makes it much better than what most of us are taking out. Regardless of your specialty choice, you will be able to pay off the debt in a reasonable amount of time, despite what many on this forum predict. You worked hard to earn a spot at a school you seem to really want to attend after probably overcoming certain obstacles that accompany being disadvantaged in certain ways (I am assuming you are if you qualified for the loan), you should be able to enjoy your accomplishment and go to the school you REALLY want. Also, have you asked Harvard if they can partially match what you were given at the other school?

 

[mmmcdowe]

Boston for me is more of a manageable city than NYC and more fun than New Haven.


I am leaning heavily on HMS. I just feel crazy turning such a deal down.

Thanks guys for the advice. I'll make my decision by tomorrow and hopefully free up a seat and money for somebody else.

Despite your post today, it is clear that you LIKE HMS and you LIKE Boston, that's worth 100k in my mind. I chose Columbia for the same reason despite a similar debt increase over other options

 

[kautionwirez]

without knowing the other school, I go with Haw-vard.

edit: if it's columbia, then columbia

 

[chronicidal]

Columbia.

 

[FearlessHyena]

Columbia.

Yep, I'm pretty sure this is the school in question as well.

 

[Techmed07]

Columbia.

... and I am guessing you are going to WashU?

 

[chronicidal]

... and I am guessing you are going to WashU?

Yep; how 'bout you?

 

[authorization66]

Go to Harvard. $90k debt is chump change when you'll be CEO/$10k a day. Also, from one brotha to anotha, you know that an acceptance to Harvard is one that no black man can turn down (you know what I mean!)

lol @ CEO $10k/day

u aware brah?


...and by bro i mean never my bro

 

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Techmed...also from one brotha to another, I will tell you this. I just turned down JHUSOM, and Yale(no scholarships), and full rides at 3 other highly regarded schools to get free education elsewhere where the prospects of my desired residency are solid. I've also worked in medicine, with physicians, and around patients for 6 years...I have never once heard a patient inquire about what school his/her doctor was trained in. The physicians at my emergency room all told me to take the option that gave me the most freedom to pursue my goals in medicine unencumbered by financial concerns. Great physicians train at several non-Ivy or non-top 20 schools. They still get into competitive residencies. I respect Harvard but did not apply there because I've seen enough in my day to tell you that the substance of a man is in his works, and much less in the emblems that are supposed to define him. The Harvard emblem, while great, does not define you or your works...you are still responsible for that. If I can use an argument that my brother Fearlesshyena would appreciate, just because you play for the Yankees, does not mean you will be the homerun king, or win the world series every year. There's a Florida Marlin in all of us, waiting to win the World Series when everyone else is busy getting blinded by the glitz of the marquee teams. Your second choice school is hardly 'Florida Marlin-esque'. I would have told you to go to Harvard when I was younger...now I'd tell you to make a decision that aligns closely with your motivations as they pertain to your future in medicine...it may be Harvard, or it may not...and that's okay!

 

[Myro]

lol @ CEO $10k/day

u aware brah?


...and by bro i mean never my bro

LOL aware.

One question though...


Do you even lift?

Techmed...also from one brotha to another, I will tell you this. I just turned down JHUSOM, and Yale(no scholarships), and full rides at 3 other highly regarded schools to get free education elsewhere where the prospects of my desired residency are solid. I've also worked in medicine, with physicians, and around patients for 6 years...I have never once heard a patient inquire about what school his/her doctor was trained in. The physicians at my emergency room all told me to take the option that gave me the most freedom to pursue my goals in medicine unencumbered by financial concerns. Great physicians train at several non-Ivy or non-top 20 schools. They still get into competitive residencies. I respect Harvard but did not apply there because I've seen enough in my day to tell you that the substance of a man is in his works, and much less in the emblems that are supposed to define him. The Harvard emblem, while great, does not define you or your works...you are still responsible for that. If I can use an argument that my brother Fearlesshyena would appreciate, just because you play for the Yankees, does not mean you will be the homerun king, or win the world series every year. There's a Florida Marlin in all of us, waiting to win the World Series when everyone else is busy getting blinded by the glitz of the marquee teams. Your second choice school is hardly 'Florida Marlin-esque'. I would have told you to go to Harvard when I was younger...now I'd tell you to make a decision that aligns closely with your motivations as they pertain to your future in medicine...it may be Harvard, or it may not...and that's okay!

Great post 🙂

 

[Knocked Up]

Techmed...also from one brotha to another, I will tell you this. I just turned down JHUSOM, and Yale(no scholarships), and full rides at 3 other highly regarded schools to get free education elsewhere where the prospects of my desired residency are solid. I've also worked in medicine, with physicians, and around patients for 6 years...I have never once heard a patient inquire about what school his/her doctor was trained in. The physicians at my emergency room all told me to take the option that gave me the most freedom to pursue my goals in medicine unencumbered by financial concerns. Great physicians train at several non-Ivy or non-top 20 schools. They still get into competitive residencies. I respect Harvard but did not apply there because I've seen enough in my day to tell you that the substance of a man is in his works, and much less in the emblems that are supposed to define him. The Harvard emblem, while great, does not define you or your works...you are still responsible for that. If I can use an argument that my brother Fearlesshyena would appreciate, just because you play for the Yankees, does not mean you will be the homerun king, or win the world series every year. There's a Florida Marlin in all of us, waiting to win the World Series when everyone else is busy getting blinded by the glitz of the marquee teams. Your second choice school is hardly 'Florida Marlin-esque'. I would have told you to go to Harvard when I was younger...now I'd tell you to make a decision that aligns closely with your motivations as they pertain to your future in medicine...it may be Harvard, or it may not...and that's okay!

So this has nothing to do with Harvard, but I have a generally serious question here. I see this a lot and I don't really understand it. Could you clear things up once and for all.

When one refers to brotha, it does have a different meaning than brother, right?

brother = actual brother as in from the same mother?
brotha = just another black male...one black male addressing another black male?
sister = actual sister from the same mother?
sista = just another black female...is this just a female addressing a female or can it be a male addressing another black female. Lil wayne often refers to Ms. Minaj as his sista?

Do you necessarily have to know this "brotha" or "sista" to use the term?

What about "shorty". I see this term a lot too. Now when I call a girl a "shorty" I mean that I am paying her to do stuff for me. I'm guessing this has a different meaning. What is a "shorty"... I see the term thrown around quite often. Do women find this term offensive?

Can a white dude call you his brotha, or that against the law just like another term I won't repeat here.

I ask all this in curiosity...I see it all the time, yet no one has ever taken the time to explain it to me. The folks at the country club who I hang out with don't use these terms. It may come in handy in the future.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Myro]

So this has nothing to do with Harvard, but I have a generally serious question here. I see this a lot and I don't really understand it. Could you clear things up once and for all.

When one refers to brotha, it does have a different meaning than brother, right?

brother = actual brother as in from the same mother?
brotha = just another black male...one black male addressing another black male?
sister = actual sister from the same mother?
sista = just another black female...is this just a female addressing a female or can it be a male addressing another black female. Lil wayne often refers to Ms. Minaj as his sista?

Do you necessarily have to know this "brotha" or "sista" to use the term?

What about "shorty". I see this term a lot too. Now when I call a girl a "shorty" I mean that I am paying her to do stuff for me. I'm guessing this has a different meaning. What is a "shorty"... I see the term thrown around quite often. Do women find this term offensive?

Can a white dude call you his brotha, or that against the law just like another term I won't repeat here.

I ask all this in curiosity...I see it all the time, yet no one has ever taken the time to explain it to me. The folks at the country club who I hang out with don't use these terms. It may come in handy in the future.

Thanks in advance.

Black guys call other black guys "brotha"

White guys call black guys "Boss"

 

[music2doc]

 

[fredherman]

I am a practicing physician
No one cares about your school. If you want to do a residency at your med school then it also doesn't matter.
Match depends on Step 1 and if you did research, know the program director or know another resident there.
Also if you are AOA.
Remember if you don't get the residency you want do internal medicine and then talk with the program director. They will give you the spot because you are doing a second residency.

[/QUOTE]

 

[shamwowzer]

Bout tree fiddy!

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