I Need Major Help: Msucom Vs. Western

[Rover123]

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Hi all you wonderful philanthropic advisors and friends out there:

I'm facing a very tough decision and i have to decide ASAP: MSUCOM vs Western in pomona. I'm a Ca resident and I was offered a non-resident tuition scholarship to go to MSUCOM which covers the non-resident fees. I know MSUCOM is the top school but I want to come back to Western for my residency. Will I be able to do that if I go to either school with the same ease? which one is a better school in general to go to? I dont' mind moving. Also, I want to specialize and not do primary care and I'm aiming for a good residency in california. Taking all this into consideration, what should i do???? Please help!!!!

THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE

 

[DRJME]

Hi all you wonderful philanthropic advisors and friends out there:

I'm facing a very tough decision and i have to decide ASAP: MSUCOM vs Western in pomona. I'm a Ca resident and I was offered a non-resident tuition scholarship to go to MSUCOM which covers the non-resident fees. I know MSUCOM is the top school but I want to come back to Western for my residency. Will I be able to do that if I go to either school with the same ease? which one is a better school in general to go to? I dont' mind moving. Also, I want to specialize and not do primary care and I'm aiming for a good residency in california. Taking all this into consideration, what should i do???? Please help!!!!

THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE

You want to do your residency at Western?? Do you mean that you want a residency in CA?? I think that if you can go to the better school than go!! You could probably do some clinicals in CA. If you are a CA resident and then go out of state, I think that they(CA) would like it if you came back. But I am not sure...just my opinion. Personally I would go to the better school, especially if you don’t mind moving.

 

[Dr. Don]

You want to do your residency at Western?? Do you mean that you want a residency in CA?? I think that if you can go to the better school than go!! You could probably do some clinicals in CA. If you are a CA resident and then go out of state, I think that they(CA) would like it if you came back. But I am not sure...just my opinion. Personally I would go to the better school, especially if you don’t mind moving.

who says that MSUCOM is the better school? It's all relative man, you can't just go to the best ranked school and believe that you'll get the best education. I can tell you for a fact that Western is doing a lot of wonderful things to make the school better. My suggestion is this, go to the school where you feel the most comfortable and happiest, because undoubtedly you will excel at that school! As far as coming back for residency in california, you can do that, however there's one advantage that western (and all california students) will have over you...in that they will go through all their rotations in california and interact with attendings, residents much more often than you coming from out of state. Think about what you want to get out of your medical career and which school fits you best.
On a similar note I had this kind of a "problem" when I applied last year, and ultimately, family, location, my interaction with administrators and students and Western made my decision to go to Western a little easier, and now I'm going to be a second year and loving every minute of it! Good luck in whatever you decide and hopefully I'll see you at Western next year!

Dr. DOn

 

[DRJME]

who says that MSUCOM is the better school? It's all relative man, you can't just go to the best ranked school and believe that you'll get the best education. I can tell you for a fact that Western is doing a lot of wonderful things to make the school better. My suggestion is this, go to the school where you feel the most comfortable and happiest, because undoubtedly you will excel at that school! As far as coming back for residency in california, you can do that, however there's one advantage that western (and all california students) will have over you...in that they will go through all their rotations in california and interact with attendings, residents much more often than you coming from out of state. Think about what you want to get out of your medical career and which school fits you best.
On a similar note I had this kind of a "problem" when I applied last year, and ultimately, family, location, my interaction with administrators and students and Western made my decision to go to Western a little easier, and now I'm going to be a second year and loving every minute of it! Good luck in whatever you decide and hopefully I'll see you at Western next year!

Dr. DOn

"I know MSUCOM is the top school..." stated by OP

I did not mean to say that MSUCOM is better but from the OP I thought that it seemed like the OP wanted to go there to MSUCOM over Western with the exception that they would have a lower chance at getting a residency in CA. I DO NOT think that this is true. It depends where in CA this person lives. If they live near Pomona and want a res in that area than they should probably go to Western. If the student just wants to get a res in CA, then I would suggest checking with the schools requirements for clinicals. If you can travel 3rd and 4th year, then I would think that the OP chances would be the same. Once again SDN is not always the best place for advice or facts. It is my opinion and an assessment of the OP.

 

[mx4]

MSUCOM hands down.

 

[Aloha Kid]

MSUCOM!! You have to go with the school that will most likely give you the best education and the most options possible. MSUCOM has that and all of the hospital rotation sites. In the end, when you're ready to go back to California (If your mind doesn't change) then residency will be wide open. Get the best education. You'll have lots of time as a student with vacation, and elective rotations to spend time in California. Of course, when it comes down to it, your decision will be a GUT call.

 

[kyriacos01]

...My suggestion is this, go to the school where you feel the most comfortable and happiest, because undoubtedly you will excel at that school! As far as coming back for residency in california, you can do that, however there's one advantage that western (and all california students) will have over you...in that they will go through all their rotations in california and interact with attendings, residents much more often than you coming from out of state. Think about what you want to get out of your medical career and which school fits you best...

Well stated advice.


Myriad of pros/cons for each university; you'll have to decide where in lies the appropriate fit.
Booyakeshah; respek!



All the best,
-ky

 

[dr.z]

I'm just curious. How much is MSUCOM's tuition after the non-resident scholarship.

 

[kyriacos01]

I'm just curious. How much is MSUCOM's tuition after the non-resident scholarship.

The non-resident award amount (depending upon available funding) should bring tuition close to that of MI residents; 22k.
http://finaid.msu.edu/med/budcom.asp


All the best,
-ky

 

[Jezzielin]

MSUCOM is ranked #9 by USNEWS among even among MD schools in primary care...

 

[Chronotropic]

If I understand you correctly MSU is basically gonna save you 15K a year. In that case MSU is a no brainer.

 

[newlife]

Rover,
You say you know that MSUCOM is the top school; you say it will be much cheaper... then where is the question? First of all, as an msu graduate you can very well return to CA for a residency. Even if you can't, does returning to CA outweigh going to a school you think is better at a much cheaper price? Even though MSUCOM doesn't give out very detailed residency match lists, I'm sure you could do post-graduate training in california if you wanted.

 

[rob14599]

Don't just pick MSUCOM because everyone says it's the best, there are other factors. Frankly, some of MSUCOM's facilities leave much to be desired, particularly their anatomy lab. Also, as a Californian, have you experienced Michigan weather? Are you ready for non-stop cold, overcast cloudy skies, and biting wind for 9 months out of the year? I know weather sounds like a stupid reason to consider when picking a school, but personal comfort is a big factor. Michigan weather SUCKS, big time.

I don't know about rotations in your 3rd and 4th years, but most MSU students do their rotations in Michigan hospitals. Seriously, MSUCOM is a great school, but don't dismiss Western because that is an excellent school as well. And don't make your decision based on what people on an Internet message board have to say, it's the next 4 years of YOUR life you will be deciding, not ours! Good luck dude, you can't go wrong with either choice.

 

[subtle1epiphany]

Go to Western, I need that scholarship! 😀