Iowa vs. Temple

[elizabeth5863]

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Hello,


If you have to choose between Iowa and Temple, then what would you pick and why?


Here is my situation:

I currently live and work in Philadelphia and am getting ready to move to Iowa in about 1.5 weeks. I packed almost all my belonging already and my subleasee is moving in soon. Then today, I got a call from Temple saying that I have been accepted. I've been so conflicted! Do I unpack, keep my job in PA, and find another place in Philly to move to? Or do I go ahead and move to Iowa as planned? I like both schools a lot, and would appreciate any input.


Thanks!

 

[exmike]

are you an Iowa resident?

 

[babinski bob]

stay in philly.. you'll be bored to death in iowa.. NOT a very exciting place to be... Iowa is definetely not the most culturally/racially diverse place in the US.

 

[kcrd]

I'm a 3rd year (almost) at Temple, and I love my school, but if you are an Iowa resident and can get a medical education without having to take out $160K in loans, I would say go to Iowa.

 

[Mutterkuchen]

If you are comfortable living in the relatively small city of Iowa City, I would go to Iowa. It has an excellent reputation nationwide, and the students seem really happy. I think that the only reason to attend Temple is a strong personal connection to Philly.

 

[elizabeth5863]

I am a CA resident and I've been living in PA for almost 5 years.

 

[Penguin Poptart]

QUOTE]I think that the only reason to attend Temple is a strong personal connection to Philly.[/QUOTE]

I don't understand the above. I think there are plenty of reasons why someone would want to attend Temple over another good school.

 

[kcrd]

Originally posted by JBJ
I think that the only reason to attend Temple is a strong personal connection to Philly.

That's a strange thing to say 🙄

I don't know a thing about Iowa, but there are several reasons why a student would choose to go to Temple.

-Temple students get a strong preclinical and clinical education
-You'll see pathology at Temple hospital that you would likely not see at a midwestern hospital
-Philadelphia is a nice, very affordable city
-The students at Temple tend to be very cool and laid-back

And those reasons are all just off the top of my head.

 

[babinski bob]

From a fellow Californian, STAY in philly! i had a little trouble adjusting to philly, but my visits to iowa made me realize there's no way in hell i could ever live there. i agree w/ kcrd about being exposed to more clinical pathology in philly than iowa...

 

[Brewster]

I have a couple of thoughts to add to the the whole "seeing more pathology thing."

First, as a medical student seeing interesting/unusual pathology is fun, but it is not what you need to learn. You need to learn the basic stuff, like how to manage and MI or CHF or diabetes or a stroke or seizures. These are all things you will see at any hospital.

Secondly, although the University of Iowa is not in a major metropolitan area, it does (like many rural/midwestern hospitals) serve a huge catchment area (all of Iowa and then portions of surrounding states). So, in Philadelphia, you have Jefferson, Temple, Howard, and UPenn with all their associated hospitals plus further away, you have PennState, Hanneman, and U Pittsburgh. In the entire state of Iowa, you have the University of Iowa and handful of small hospitals.

In the end, you have to decide where you were most comfortable. If you are a city person, stay in Philly. If you liked the Iowa City environment, go to Iowa. It is too bad that you cannot take another look at each place, but I guess that is the way things go.

Good luck. Either decision will be fine, I am sure of it.

 

[supersunny]

iowa seems to have a pretty kick ass rep as far as their hospital is concerned. how about asking optho_mudphud for advice? i think he's a resident there.

http://www.uiowa.edu/president/rankings.html

#2 Otolaryngology (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)
#6 Ophthalmology (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)
#8 Orthopaedics (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)
#9 Carver College of Medicine ? Primary Care
#11 Family Medicine
#13 Psychiatry
#18 Internal Medicine
#18 Public Health ? Master's Program
#24 Carver College of Medicine ? Research
#25 Urology (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)
#35 Cancer (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)
#37 Neurology/Neurosurgery (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)
#41 Rheumatology (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)
#44 Respiratory Disorders (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)

 

[weirdo700]

Hi Elizabeth. First off congrats on both acceptances. Since I actually did have a chance to visit both campuses I guess I could chip in. First off, if I were you I would go to University of Iowa because it is generally better for research opportunities, and judging by your lab work you sound like having research opportunities are important. In addition, Iowa is a great hospital because it serves such a huge area. Actually the medical facilities at Iowa are known to be some of the best in the nation because it is one of the most comprehensive medical campuses. I think University of Colorado made references to Iowa in its designs for its new campus. The students and faculty also definitely seem like great people and some are true leaders in their fields (Opthamology and Ortho). The only schools that would make me consider philly over Iowa are Jefferson and UPenn, because of the research opps. and location. Its true that Iowa city seems desolate especially when the undergrads are on vacation, but in a way it was a refreshing change from the city (I am also from California). I will admit though that I would not choose it over any Top50 research school in or around a major metropolitan area.

 

[weirdo700]

Oh yeah...I forgot to add that while we were on the student tour at Temple, our tour guide actually mentioned to us that she really wanted to get into Iowa but did not make it off the waitlist. I think if she really liked Temple that comment would have not come up. Plus when I visited Temple the students were definitely not as welcoming as the students at Iowa, and the gross lab was one of the worst I have seen. The cafeteria also seemed totally retro as well as the facilities, the admissions staff definitely did not do a good job of selling the school and it is an indication of a staff that is probably not as supportive as the one at Iowa.

 

[jay c]

hi, just a couple of words about a few things.

i'm relatively new to this forum, and have been following because someone i know is applying to med school. i'm currently a GI fellow in philly, and a graduate of temple med.

1) many pre-meds look at the US News and World Report rankings. within the medical community, these rankings for post-medschool stuff such as specialties, are USELESS. they take into account many things that are irrelevant to training.

2) choose each stage of your training for that stage alone. for example, don't pick your med school for residency, and residency for fellowship. for you, you should choose a med school that will give you exposure to plenty of disease states, and also a lot of autonomy to do things. my time at temple was fantastic. i got to do thoracotomies, chest tubes, open heart massage, sew pacer wires into the heart, etc all as a 3rd year student.

 

[elizabeth5863]

Hi, everyone!!! 🙂


THANK YOU for your advice and comments. I've decided to attend Iowa after careful reflection and discussion with my family and friends about my values and wants. I feel I would be happier at Iowa than at Temple.

My decision is not based on the rankings or an assumed interest in research. On the contrary, wierdo700, I am not interested in research. After doing laboratory research at Jefferson full-time for one year, I discovered that I found no joy in it. I'm more interested in primary care. However, I do appreciate your help and good intentions.

One reason why I prefer Iowa is for the change in scenery. I've been in PA for almost 5 years and in Center City, Phila. for too long. Although I grew up in a small city, I am also nature-oriented. The year I spent in Phila. has mostly been an unhappy one for me. A change in scenery in Iowa would do me good. (I also tend to do better academically when I am in a new location. I suppose it is the excitement of living in a new area).

My other reasons for selecting Iowa include my preferences for its curriculum and clinical training, as well as safety and covenience. I love the student learning communities 😍 , the close-knit environment, and the supportive faculty and staff. Also, I noticed that classes start in Iowa at 8:30 a.m. I don't know when classes start at Temple, but I have no desire to commute everyday to class. I found a convenient location in Iowa City that is a 5 minute walk away from the med school campus. 🙂

Overall, I think I will be happier in Iowa than at Temple for the next four years of my life.

I appreciate the help you all have given me! Your advice and comments helped me decide what is best for me. 🙂