Hey, so may actually be able to help here as I go to Iowa (IS, so cost was a huge factor for me) and was strongly considering MCW as well. Iowa has slightly more prestige. You may get a very small bump with the prestige factor, however, all things considered they are on a relatively equal plane. Research wise, there's not huge difference between the two schools - both have a healthy number of options. I wouldn't discount MCW, however, as pre-clinicals are P/F and the city has more to offer. Iowa's grading is H/NH/P/F and H/NH is only given to the top 40% of students so its not an easy task getting those scores, which can add a bit of unneeded anxiety (this is something I personally have experienced, but it is not the case for everyone in my class). On the other hand, Iowa has an excellent curriculum that relies on a mix of case based learning and lecture learning, early clinical experiences, 1.5 year pre-clinicals, and Step 1 after core clinicals (which is actually beneficial because it will allow you to retain the info more easily when taking Step 2). My experience with classmates has been great and everyone has been very collaborative and helpful. I would calculate the cost of housing between Milwaukee and Iowa City as Iowa City is in general cheaper - which might actually save you quite a bit of money. Overall, consider what your goals and priorities are. Primary care? Iowa is great for that, but MCW will get you to the same place with less stress b/c P/F and a large city to explore. Competitive specialty? Iowa's prestige may make a difference here, but do know that pre-clinicals will play a bigger role for getting AOA. Hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you have more specific questions.
