I like them both! Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee) vs University of Central Florida

[anniekat2025]

My situation is a bit weird as my husband is AD military and currently has orders to a base very far from either of these schools. However, in a few years (probably between MS3 and MS4) he will possibly be able to move closer to Orlando. However, there is absolutely no way that he will be able to live in WI for the foreseeable future.

I am interested in emergency medicine, ENT, or urology. I would love to hear unfiltered opinions from current students at either of these schools.

Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
Pros

• Close to family (parents, extended family)
• Established clinical sites (Froedert)
• Lower cost of living
• 4 seasons (have been living in the South for a while and as a Northern girl this is actually pretty important to me haha)

Cons

• Higher tuition ($56,780)
• No chance of being near husband

University of Central Florida
Pros

• Lower tuition ($29,000ish)
• Eventually will allow me to be closer to my husband

Cons

• Hot summers (Again, I currently live in the South and am. not. a. fan.)
• Would have to schedule my own rotations
• Higher cost of living

Summary: Based on my interactions on interview day both schools have passionate, engaged faculty, staff, and student bodies. Both schools have research embedded in their curriculum and above average board scores. Both schools seem to match students into a wide variety of specialties and have high match rates.

I am most concerned about having to schedule my own rotations and the tuition difference.

 

[m1redsox]

This is a tough one. Consider these things:
-MCW is clearly the better program (seems very weird that you have to schedule your own rotations at ucf and that should be a big red flag to you. This is the sort of thing that brand new DO schools do--not MD schools)
-The tuition difference is very significant (not sure how crazy COA is in Orlando, but I doubt it will be $20k per year more, and $80k over 4 years is something serious to think about)
-Being close to your husband would be nice (although it sounds like it isn't a guarantee anyways)
-If you choose ENT, it is one of the most competitive specialties, and you will likely benefit more from the MCW name and connections.

 

[anniekat2025]

This is a tough one. Consider these things:
-MCW is clearly the better program (seems very weird that you have to schedule your own rotations at ucf and that should be a big red flag to you. This is the sort of thing that brand new DO schools do--not MD schools)
-The tuition difference is very significant (not sure how crazy COA is in Orlando, but I doubt it will be $20k per year more, and $80k over 4 years is something serious to think about)
-Being close to your husband would be nice (although it sounds like it isn't a guarantee anyways)
-If you choose ENT, it is one of the most competitive specialties, and you will likely benefit more from the MCW name and connections.

Thank you so much for the reply! If you were making this decision, would avoiding the rotation issues at UCF be worth the tuition difference?

 

[m1redsox]

Thank you so much for the reply! If you were making this decision, would avoiding the rotation issues at UCF be worth the tuition difference?

Great question, and I’m not sure I know the answer to that. Student debt is a big deal post-grad (one that most med students underestimate), however it looks like all the specialties that you are interested in are well-paying enough to the point where that wouldn’t be much of a problem. Might take you a couple more years to pay off the debt, but that may be worth it to you if you can match into your desired program. I think considering those things, I would choose MCW, especially considering you have family in WI, and your hubby doesn’t have the possibility of joining you in Orlando until 3rd year (which you may regret once 3rd year rolls around).

The big “what if” is what if you fall in love with a specialty like general pediatrics or psych or family med that pays less. If you go for one of those, then you’ll regret turning down the cheaper tuition. That being said, there are a lot of rural/underserved areas that do pay-back plans so there are ways to solve that issue if you choose MCW.

 

[deleted1075353]

the tuition difference is gonna be $150k by the time you are finishing residency factoring in interest. i don't care how much money you make - that is a MASSIVE amount more in debt. I would take UCF no question. I would no way in hell pay MCW $27k extra a year to make some phone calls and schedule rotations lol. Also, it's not like MCW is T20 - I don't think you're closing any doors by picking UCF. Just my 2c.

 

[m1redsox]

the tuition difference is gonna be $150k by the time you are finishing residency factoring in interest. i don't care how much money you make - that is a MASSIVE amount more in debt. I would take UCF no question. I would no way in hell pay MCW $27k extra a year to make some phone calls and schedule rotations lol. Also, it's not like MCW is T20 - I don't think you're closing any doors by picking UCF. Just my 2c.

This is a valid POV, and it's definitely what the White Coat Investor would tell you to do. UCF matches just fine into ENT, EM, and Urology each year so it likely would not hold you back, and it is a substantial amount of money to pass up. I would be saying differently if UCF hadn't had an ENT match in 3 years. Plenty of UCF students seem to organize their rotations just fine each year, and after looking at the UCF match, I might lean towards UCF. Their list is really good.

That being said, the average urologist rakes in $464k on average and ENT is at $402k. A $150k difference is definitely something to consider, but it's not the only factor. You could easily pay off $400k of debt within 3 years in either of those positions if you continue to live like a resident/med student.

 

[deleted1075353]

That being said, the average urologist rakes in $464k on average and ENT is at $402k. A $150k difference is definitely something to consider, but it's not the only factor. You could easily pay off $400k of debt within 3 years in either of those positions if you continue to live like a resident/med student.

The way you have presented your options here has not made it seem like MCW is worth $150k more. I mean, what are you paying for? Cold weather? Just turn on the AC lmao.

Either way, good luck with your decision and congrats future physician!

 

[RickyRic]

I can't offer any input on either school because I know nothing about them, but I am wondering how did you find out that you would have to schedule your own rotations at UCF. After a quick search through UCF's website, I don't see any indication that students will have to schedule their own rotations. So, I'm assuming you found that out during your interview day?

 

[anniekat2025]

I can't offer any input on either school because I know nothing about them, but I am wondering how did you find out that you would have to schedule your own rotations at UCF. After a quick search through UCF's website, I don't see any indication that students will have to schedule their own rotations. So, I'm assuming you found that out during your interview day?

Another student asked about this during an information session I attended. I didn't know anything about it prior to that and I'm not sure how the other student found out.

 

[anniekat2025]

The way you have presented your options here has not made it seem like MCW is worth $150k more. I mean, what are you paying for? Cold weather? Just turn on the AC lmao.

Either way, good luck with your decision and congrats future physician!

Haha not the cold weather per say....The appeal of MCW is being close to family/living some place I actually like after years of living some place I didn't like/didn't choose as a place to live. Medical school is going to be stressful enough, might as well live somewhere I like and have a support system in place. I have plenty of time to decide though, and the good match list and lower tuition at UCF are certainly appealing.

 

[Endee]

I would email your concern to UCF. I'm 99.9% sure the students there do not have to schedule any of their own rotations. They may have to travel for some of them, but not find them themselves. UCF is a strong program.

 

[Sterlinyx]

Keep in mind UCF lost major clinical partnerships recently and that the match lists you see are from M4s who had the luxury of those solid partnerships. That is likely the root of the scheduling issue with rotations. They are building a new hospital slated to open January I think but I'm not sure how established it'll be by the time M3/M4 year rolls around.

 

[Dr.K124]

My situation is a bit weird as my husband is AD military and currently has orders to a base very far from either of these schools. However, in a few years (probably between MS3 and MS4) he will possibly be able to move closer to Orlando. However, there is absolutely no way that he will be able to live in WI for the foreseeable future.

I am interested in emergency medicine, ENT, or urology. I would love to hear unfiltered opinions from current students at either of these schools.

Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
Pros

• Close to family (parents, extended family)
• Established clinical sites (Froedert)
• Lower cost of living
• 4 seasons (have been living in the South for a while and as a Northern girl this is actually pretty important to me haha)

Cons

• Higher tuition ($56,780)
• No chance of being near husband

University of Central Florida
Pros

• Lower tuition ($29,000ish)
• Eventually will allow me to be closer to my husband

Cons

• Hot summers (Again, I currently live in the South and am. not. a. fan.)
• Would have to schedule my own rotations
• Higher cost of living

Summary: Based on my interactions on interview day both schools have passionate, engaged faculty, staff, and student bodies. Both schools have research embedded in their curriculum and above average board scores. Both schools seem to match students into a wide variety of specialties and have high match rates.

I am most concerned about having to schedule my own rotations and the tuition difference.

Orlando cost of living is equal to the cost of living in Milwaukee. Florida is very inexpensive.