Iowa Carver vs SLU SOM

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Overview: Illinois native with a very strong interest in endocrinology, looking to match into Chicago-based IM residency (have loved living there for 4 years), experience with diabetes research and can see myself becoming an endo with basic/translational research on the side

I can see myself having a great 4 years at either program, both in terms of personal enjoyment and career/academic development. I am primarily wondering if one would give me a more comprehensive med education and access to stronger diabetes research opportunities. (Please let me know if I missed anything significant in my pros/cons, or if I included something that’s untrue.)

Iowa Carver
Pros:

• Shorter drive from home (1.5 hours shorter)
• More name recognition, funding, and general infrastructure
• UIHC is one of the top hospitals in the Midwest
• $57K base OOS tuition and tends to give more aid
• Fun and up-to-date communal spaces
• Dedicated diabetes research center (FOEDRC) directly on campus
• Systems-based pre-clinical curriculum which seems more digestible at least personally
• Higher full-time faculty to student ratio (2.3 to 1)

Cons:

• Bad parking which was outlined by students and faculty many times (could walk if living nearby but Iowa winters are long and particularly cold), though they are developing new parking
• College town with fun atmosphere but likely not as enjoyable as St. Louis
• Generally less to do outside of medical school

SLU SOM
Pros:

• Exciting urban feel with great access to food and entertainment
• Diverse patient population
• Surprisingly good parking
• Very accessible by Amtrak, which helps if I want to study on the train while traveling home
• Pretty comparable rent for apartments of similar quality despite being in a major city
• Brand new hospital (SSM Health SLUH) as of 2020 and a new children’s hospital coming in a couple years (will be ready by rotations is what I was told)
• Right next to WashU which is a diabetes research powerhouse, and I have been told SLU students do find research opportunities there

Cons:

• $65K base tuition with lower likelihood for financial aid (I submitted an application so I’ll see what they have to say)
• Hospital is likely not up to the caliber of UIHC
• Less name recognition
• Learning center and nearby buildings feel dated by comparison to Iowa
• Research at WashU may complicate fulfillment of summer research fellowship/other research requirements as well as research funding (I can confirm with SLU’s research coordinator)
• Lower full-time faculty to student ratio (0.9 to 1)

Both

• 1.5 years of P/F pre-clinical with dedicated study blocks for Step1 (I believe Iowa is P/F with an honors grading system); clinical also P/F
• Exams every 1 to 2 weeks (slightly more frequent at SLU than Iowa)
• Ability to personalize curriculum in 4th year
• Solid Chicago IM match rate
• Research distinction tracks
• Comparable class size (150 at Iowa, 180 at SLU)

 

[m1redsox]

Iowa by a mile. Money, reputation, and closer to family.