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- Mar 29, 2012
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Ok, so this falls under the category of "First World Problems", but I just found out I have to choose between two schools that I really like, Howard College of Medicine and Albany Medical College.
Here's my thinking about the two schools: I really love Howard's mission statement. I chose to pursue a career in medicine specifically to work with communities with limited access to medical care, and that's exactly what Howard wants its graduates to do. I'm a white guy, so I would be part of a minority there, but that's actually something that attracts me to Howard more. I enjoyed DC when I was there for the interview, but the med school building itself seemed a little run-down. They had just had a cold snap, and pipes burst in the anatomy lab, so water was pouring from the ceiling. I also have some concerns about living in a big city again. I did undergrad in Philadelphia, and by the time I made it back to Colorado (where I'm from), I was pretty burnt out on the hustle and bustle.
Albany seemed like a great school. The facilities were very nice, what I saw of the anatomy lab looked nice.The hospital itself was beautiful and seemed busy and exciting. The area around the school and hospital seemed lovely also. There's a great big park nearby, and since I plan to bring my dog with me to school, that's a plus. Albany is a much smaller town, and so rent is cheaper. It's also easier to get to areas to do outdoorsy stuff, which I love. I'm not so sure I like the grading system there. It seems a little counterintuitive to grade on a curve. I think the thing that is bothering me most is that nothing really stood out for me there.
So, essentially I'm leaning toward Howard for the program, and I'm leaning toward Albany for the lifestyle. I guess what would tip me one way or the other is if I knew that the quality of clinical rotations was better in one area vs. the other. DC has a much greater population, but the Howard University Hospital is just one among many in the area. Albany Medical Center is the referral center for the whole area, but since its drawing from a smaller and potentially more homogenous pool of patients, the potential for seeing "great cases" might be lower.
The truism that you hear repeated on interview days and here on SDN is that you should go with the school where you fit the best. I can see myself fitting in either situation, but I think that Howard would push me a little more. I imagine that med school will push me enough as is, so I don't know that I need anything extra. Anyhoo, sorry to blather on, I'm just trying to think this all out. Any input would be much appreciated.
Here's my thinking about the two schools: I really love Howard's mission statement. I chose to pursue a career in medicine specifically to work with communities with limited access to medical care, and that's exactly what Howard wants its graduates to do. I'm a white guy, so I would be part of a minority there, but that's actually something that attracts me to Howard more. I enjoyed DC when I was there for the interview, but the med school building itself seemed a little run-down. They had just had a cold snap, and pipes burst in the anatomy lab, so water was pouring from the ceiling. I also have some concerns about living in a big city again. I did undergrad in Philadelphia, and by the time I made it back to Colorado (where I'm from), I was pretty burnt out on the hustle and bustle.
Albany seemed like a great school. The facilities were very nice, what I saw of the anatomy lab looked nice.The hospital itself was beautiful and seemed busy and exciting. The area around the school and hospital seemed lovely also. There's a great big park nearby, and since I plan to bring my dog with me to school, that's a plus. Albany is a much smaller town, and so rent is cheaper. It's also easier to get to areas to do outdoorsy stuff, which I love. I'm not so sure I like the grading system there. It seems a little counterintuitive to grade on a curve. I think the thing that is bothering me most is that nothing really stood out for me there.
So, essentially I'm leaning toward Howard for the program, and I'm leaning toward Albany for the lifestyle. I guess what would tip me one way or the other is if I knew that the quality of clinical rotations was better in one area vs. the other. DC has a much greater population, but the Howard University Hospital is just one among many in the area. Albany Medical Center is the referral center for the whole area, but since its drawing from a smaller and potentially more homogenous pool of patients, the potential for seeing "great cases" might be lower.
The truism that you hear repeated on interview days and here on SDN is that you should go with the school where you fit the best. I can see myself fitting in either situation, but I think that Howard would push me a little more. I imagine that med school will push me enough as is, so I don't know that I need anything extra. Anyhoo, sorry to blather on, I'm just trying to think this all out. Any input would be much appreciated.
