- Joined
- Oct 2, 2014
- Messages
- 48
- Reaction score
- 11
Hey all,
I was recently accepted to Columbia but think I’ll politely decline in favor of going to UVA or Rochester. Basically, I want to know if this is a dumb idea. I know Columbia is a great school and people say it will open doors for me, but I’m not convinced.
Lifestyle: Basically, I think I’d be happier at Rochester or UVA. I’m really outdoorsy (ie: hiking and camping. Not just walking in a city park). Furthermore, I’m not crazy about big city life. I’ve lived in Boston and Chicago and I just didn’t think it was that great. I enjoy having my own car for errands (not riding the subway), not planning all activities around rush hour traffic, and not being constantly surrounded by masses of people.
Schooling: I wasn’t thrilled with Columbia. No offense to them, but it felt like they ride their own coat tails; the curriculum and teaching just seemed unimaginative and routine (it’s basically straight up lecture for the entire pre-clinical phase). I’m not terribly drawn to research and I don’t like that it’s a required aspect of the program. Finally, I’m not interested in surgery (I’ve spent the last 1.5 years working in the OR and don’t think it’s for me) and Columbia has an inordinate amount of surgical subspecialty rotations on their required clinical phase.
Career/future: I don’t want to live in a big city later in life so I question the utility of going to Columbia for networking etc. However, I realize that having Columbia on my resume can open lots of doors down the line. Therefore, in spite of my misgivings towards attending, is it naïve of me to not accept this opportunity?
Thanks so much.
I was recently accepted to Columbia but think I’ll politely decline in favor of going to UVA or Rochester. Basically, I want to know if this is a dumb idea. I know Columbia is a great school and people say it will open doors for me, but I’m not convinced.
Lifestyle: Basically, I think I’d be happier at Rochester or UVA. I’m really outdoorsy (ie: hiking and camping. Not just walking in a city park). Furthermore, I’m not crazy about big city life. I’ve lived in Boston and Chicago and I just didn’t think it was that great. I enjoy having my own car for errands (not riding the subway), not planning all activities around rush hour traffic, and not being constantly surrounded by masses of people.
Schooling: I wasn’t thrilled with Columbia. No offense to them, but it felt like they ride their own coat tails; the curriculum and teaching just seemed unimaginative and routine (it’s basically straight up lecture for the entire pre-clinical phase). I’m not terribly drawn to research and I don’t like that it’s a required aspect of the program. Finally, I’m not interested in surgery (I’ve spent the last 1.5 years working in the OR and don’t think it’s for me) and Columbia has an inordinate amount of surgical subspecialty rotations on their required clinical phase.
Career/future: I don’t want to live in a big city later in life so I question the utility of going to Columbia for networking etc. However, I realize that having Columbia on my resume can open lots of doors down the line. Therefore, in spite of my misgivings towards attending, is it naïve of me to not accept this opportunity?
Thanks so much.
