If you chose Case over CCLCM....why?

[badmamajama]

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I am trying to compare the two programs and am leaning toward Case but still unsure. For those ended up choosing Case, could you explain some of your reasoning?

Greatly Appreciated.

Doug

 

[CCLCMer]

I am trying to compare the two programs and am leaning toward Case but still unsure. For those ended up choosing Case, could you explain some of your reasoning?

Greatly Appreciated.

Doug

I can't think of anyone offhand who decided to go into the UP over CCLCM, but I'm sure there are some. Are you planning to come for the second look weekend? If you're still not sure which program to pick, that might help you make up your mind. It will also give you a chance to meet more UP students and hopefully find someone who can answer your questions.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

I am trying to compare the two programs and am leaning toward Case but still unsure. For those ended up choosing Case, could you explain some of your reasoning?

Greatly Appreciated.

Doug

5 years for an MD, are you kidding me??? Go to Case. You'll thank yourself down the road when you're pocketing that extra $250k instead of crying over lost income potential because you voluntarily chose to spend an extra year doing research of highly questionable relevance. Trust me.

Committing to a mandatory extra year is not something you should do as a premed. The option will always be available to you in the future. Don't be a fool.

I considered attending both Case and CCLCM, but chose to go elsewhere. None of the attendings/residents/med students I talked to thought the idea for a 5-year MD-only program was good.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

I thought that the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine WAS Case Western's medical school.

Looking at the Case website, it appears that there is a "University Program," a "College Program," and an "MST Program." I assume that MST is their MD/PhD track, but what is the difference between the other two?

Assistance appreciated.

 

[JDWflash44]

Well I got into both, as well as other schools, and chose the clinic. I think the reason that I chose the school is that I really enjoy doing the research and it was a nice compromise between a normal MD/PhD and a normal MD program. I didnt want to spend 7 or 8 years getting an MD/PhD. No matter where I went I would have taken a year to do research and would have taken 5 years. Its actually very common. My friend at U of Wash says that 33% of the students take 5 years to finish there, either taking a year to do research or community work or some other project, or take a year off or whatever.

I think the students research will definetly help them match very well from this program. We dont just do research, we get great training in how to do research too, which if you want to be a physician investigator, is priceless. And the financial aid is great for many people. Heck, they pay me to go to school, so yes, I will have lost a year of potential income, but having never payed any tuition for school it will probably even out 😉 . But I would recommend going to second looks for all of the schools that you get into and picking the one that you feel most comfortable at. Everyone has a different idea of what they want out of a school. And to the original question, I dont know anyone that chose the UP over the college program either, but i'm sure someone has so maybe you could find them at second look.

Hope this helps

 

[JDWflash44]

I thought that the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine WAS Case Western's medical school.

Looking at the Case website, it appears that there is a "University Program," a "College Program," and an "MST Program." I assume that MST is their MD/PhD track, but what is the difference between the other two?

Assistance appreciated.

well the university program is taught at CASE and is the traditional case medical school. The MD/PhD program is also taught at CASE. The college program is at the Cleveland Clinic and is basically a totally different school. But, since the Clinic is not a degree granting institution, they needed a school to back them up (like Mayo and U of Minn). So it is a marriage of convenience (the clinic kicks some NIH research money back to case in exchange).

We take all of our classes separately from the CASE kids. It is a 5 year program where there is a dedicated research year. You get an MD with special qualifications in research, or you can get an MS if you want to take a few extra classes. Its made to train "physician investigators" we start early and have 10 weeks of basic science research to start, we then have a regular first year. Our second summer we do a clinical research project and take epi/biostats. We then have a normal second year like any other school, take the boards after 2nd year. Our 3rd-5th years are then like most schools except 12 of those months are dedicated to research. It can be basic, translational, clinical, or a combination. It can be all at once or broken up however you want. You can do it at the clinic or go to the NIH or go anywhere else that you want to do it as long as you can arrange it. You then write a thesis based on your research and finish in 5 years. There are no exams and no grades and we have a portfolio grading system.

Hope this helps

 

[Wizard of Oz]

well the university program is taught at CASE and is the traditional case medical school. The MD/PhD program is also taught at CASE. The college program is at the Cleveland Clinic and is basically a totally different school. But, since the Clinic is not a degree granting institution, they needed a school to back them up (like Mayo and U of Minn). So it is a marriage of convenience (the clinic kicks some NIH research money back to case in exchange).

We take all of our classes separately from the CASE kids. It is a 5 year program where there is a dedicated research year. You get an MD with special qualifications in research, or you can get an MS if you want to take a few extra classes. Its made to train "physician investigators" we start early and have 10 weeks of basic science research to start, we then have a regular first year. Our second summer we do a clinical research project and take epi/biostats. We then have a normal second year like any other school, take the boards after 2nd year. Our 3rd-5th years are then like most schools except 12 of those months are dedicated to research. It can be basic, translational, clinical, or a combination. It can be all at once or broken up however you want. You can do it at the clinic or go to the NIH or go anywhere else that you want to do it as long as you can arrange it. You then write a thesis based on your research and finish in 5 years. There are no exams and no grades and we have a portfolio grading system.

Hope this helps

It's all clear to me now. Thanks. 👍

 

[CCLCMer]

Well I got into both, as well as other schools, and chose the clinic. I think the reason that I chose the school is that I really enjoy doing the research and it was a nice compromise between a normal MD/PhD and a normal MD program. I didnt want to spend 7 or 8 years getting an MD/PhD. No matter where I went I would have taken a year to do research and would have taken 5 years.

I just wanted to add that I also was accepted to both programs, and I feel pretty much the same way as JDW. Plus I liked the CCLCM curriculum better, although now the UP curriculum has become more similar to ours, but shorter. They will be doing research for a few months instead of a year and a half total like we do. In the clinical years, we'll be doing our rotations with them and the distinctions kind of get blurrier.

I totally respect Angus's point of view, and I know that a lot of people feel that way. But I want to point out that not everyone is so highly motivated by future income. No one goes into research with the expectation that they are going to become fabulously wealthy. Since CCLCM's financial aid is so good, it gives me the flexibility to spend an extra year doing research just because that is what I want to do, and without worrying about having to pay back mountains of debt. So again, everyone has to decide what matters most to them. It doesn't matter if my choice to do a five year program is wrong for most people, as long as it was the right choice for me. 🙂