Indiana vs Wake Forest

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DrSlings

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Indiana ($34k IS, $57k OOS)
Pros
  • If placed in Indy, I like the big city feel. From a decently sized metro area in the warm SE in a progressive state so would like to live somewhere similar
  • Largest program in the country with plenty of resources on campus
  • If Indy, have multiple hospitals on campus to rotate through
  • Would get in state tuition after a year or two due to public institution

Cons
  • Larger city with more crime
  • Random campus placement in 9 cities, could end up living in Gary/Muncie/Fort Wayne
  • Super cold during Winter
  • Huge class size could mean less individualized attention/mentorship
  • Average indebt after grad $212k


Wake Forest ($53k)
Pros
  • Brand new medical center
  • Winston-Salem seemed like a nice, growing, somewhat hipster city
  • Would be 3 hours away from my father's house, no family near IU
  • Average indebt after grad $187k
  • NC is beautiful and not as cold
  • More research funding

Cons
  • New curriculum has not really shown its results yet
  • Although less average debt, will be paying more since it's private
  • Smaller city and more conservative

I didn't get to tour the IU campus when I interviewed so I can't really speak for that, but I thought all the buildings were beautiful and it was nice there were so many hospitals located close. However, a big drawback for me is how I could get placed in the middle of nowhere and rural medicine does not interest me at all. I had a great experience at WF and the school is brand new, students seemed very happy there. Not that it matters too much, but I was hoping to also get a feel for how these programs are seen with regards to prestige and ranking.

Any ideas/advice/experiences are appreciated and welcomed!

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So they don't tell you campus placement beforehand? That's kind of annoying if you don't know exactly what you're signing up for before you decide to attend. One of my in-state schools has multiple campus assignments, but they let you know well before the April 30th deadline where you'll be spending the next 4 years. I would pick Wake Forest just for the sake of knowing what I'm getting into -- also it's close to family and in a nice location!
 
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So they don't tell you campus placement beforehand? That's kind of annoying if you don't know exactly what you're signing up for before you decide to attend. One of my in-state schools has multiple campus assignments, but they let you know well before the April 30th deadline where you'll be spending the next 4 years. I would pick Wake Forest just for the sake of knowing what I'm getting into -- also it's close to family and in a nice location!
Thanks for the feedback! So yeah they say campus placement "starts late April" so idk if I'd even know before that deadline. Additionally, I just contacted them and found out I would have to pay OOS tuition all four years since I wouldn't be able to establish residency because I'm only going there for schooling
 
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A couple things about IU:

I know the 9 campuses isn’t super appealing, especially since it takes until about April to learn which campus you would be at. It’s definitely one of the cons I have as well when it comes to IU. But, if you are placed in a campus that is not Indy, after your first two years you can transfer to the Indy campus and spend your last two years there. So no matter what, at least half of your med school experience would be in Indy.

Second, as someone who has lived in Indy my entire life, I don’t think crime should be one of the cons. I’ve spent time all over the Indianapolis region and have never once felt unsafe. Sure there is crime that goes on, but it is something I have never felt worried about while being in the city. The area around IUSM at the Indy location is safe.
 
A couple things about IU:

I know the 9 campuses isn’t super appealing, especially since it takes until about April to learn which campus you would be at. It’s definitely one of the cons I have as well when it comes to IU. But, if you are placed in a campus that is not Indy, after your first two years you can transfer to the Indy campus and spend your last two years there. So no matter what, at least half of your med school experience would be in Indy.

Second, as someone who has lived in Indy my entire life, I don’t think crime should be one of the cons. I’ve spent time all over the Indianapolis region and have never once felt unsafe. Sure there is crime that goes on, but it is something I have never felt worried about while being in the city. The area around IUSM at the Indy location is safe.
Yeah you make some really good points, I thought the area around the Indy school was beautiful. Thanks for the response!
 
Yeah you make some really good points, I thought the area around the Indy school was beautiful. Thanks for the response!

Also, if you are still needing to rank your campuses, I would highly recommend placing Bloomington at number 2 behind Indy. It’s on the main IU campus which is absolutely beautiful. The city surrounding the campus is also awesome. Tons of things to do plus great facilities at the school. And it’s only about an hour or so to Indianapolis.
 
Also, if you are still needing to rank your campuses, I would highly recommend placing Bloomington at number 2 behind Indy. It’s on the main IU campus which is absolutely beautiful. The city surrounding the campus is also awesome. Tons of things to do plus great facilities at the school. And it’s only about an hour or so to Indianapolis.
Thanks for the heads up, I definitely did that! I’m not really that interested in rural med so I ranked those rural campuses down low at the bottom
 
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