is michigan that good?

[snipit]

I was wondering what everyone thinks: michigan vs iowa--as an iowa resident iowa just makes sense, but does michigan's reputation trump this? how important is where the school ranks for residencies? if anyone has any thoughts on the matter, i would greatly appreciate it! thanks.

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[lesstalkmorock]

either way, you're a big winner. iowa and michigan are both

michigan's rep seems to be a little better though.

get some more opinions.

 

[elias514]

dude, michigan sucks. stay as far away from that place as possible. a michigan degree condemns you to a residency program in Beirut.

BTW I'm being sarcastic--I'm going to be a wolverine

 

[SunnyS81]

I know Iowa has a really good opthy program. Don't know much else about it. I don't think anyone here on SDN can give you an accurate assessment.

I think this place rocks....just my opinion....I know one of our MSTP's is from Iowa.....don't think we have any other iowa folk......

 

[getcloned]

uiowa does have a great reputation. as an instate student the drop in tuition will more than make up for the difference in schools. plus, iowa's new facilities are pretty sweet.

michigan is a great school, if you can handle their ivy league syndrome . i don't believe it's worth the difference in tuition. (unless you get a schollie).

good luck.

 

[Jalby]

GO where you are most happy.

 

[snipit]

thanks everyone. yeah i just have mixed feelings about both--I am not sure if I am screwing myself out of a great residency if i stay in iowa--i do not necessarily want to go into primary care and that is what iowa is mostly good at. just not sure how much better michigan is if at all. it is definitely easier to stay in iowa but would i be passing up a great opportunity that way....

 

[elias514]

Choose Iowa. It's an excellent school and this option will save you buttloads of money in the long run. Plus, if you decide to go into opthalmology or orthopaedic surgery, you'll be in great shape because these departments at Iowa are exceptionally good.

 

[Baditude]

As a Michigan resident I would go to Iowa U of Mich is terrible!!!!!!! It is full of gunners with elitist attitudes and it is HIGHLY compettitive! I have also found the hospital there to be dirty the hospital staff is certainly lacking on the bedside manner as well

 

[elias514]

Badattitude, did you have a bad experience at Michigan? I really liked the people (with 1 or 2 exceptions) whom I met on interview day. They seemed fairly laidback and I didn't sense any elitism. There is a lot of school pride, though.

 

[SoulRFlare]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...GO BLUE!!

 

[elias514]

Allow me to add something very significant and compelling:

Go Blue!

 

[Bones2008]

As a Michigan resident I would go to Iowa U of Mich is terrible!!!!!!! It is full of gunners with elitist attitudes and it is HIGHLY compettitive! I have also found the hospital there to be dirty the hospital staff is certainly lacking on the bedside manner as well

Your profile says you are the mother of two applicants. How are you able to generalize the student body at UMMS when you don't even go there or are the peer of those who do?

 

[snipit]

thanks everyone-so you do not think that i am crazy for choosing iowa over michigan and that i would be depriving myself of good opportunities in the future? --i am not sure what i want to get into it might not be primary care--am i screwed then going to iowa and passing off michigan?!

 

[pekq]

I vote UMich because it's a frozen wasteland most of the time.

I wouldn't consider you crazy for passing up UIowa for UMich. If my state school (RWJ) was of UIowa's caliber, I may do the same to stay close to home and pay cheaper tuition. As for opening more doors, that's a tough call. UMich probably matches better. Do you want to do academic neurosurgery? then go UMich.

 

[hockebob]

bones2008,
i believe baditude is a mother of two children and she (herself) is applying right now, so she may indeed have a firsthand perspective on the issue. do i agree with her assessment? absolutely not, i really enjoyed my time in ann arbor and thought the hospital was actually really nice (compared to others i'd seen).

also, to the op, i don't want to state the obvious here but you're really not going to be screwed going to iowa. if you're that concerned about residency placements, you should check out the matchlists but remember that like anything else residency placement is about 90% how much work you do/how good you are and only maybe 10% reputation (don't quote me on those numbers).

my point? you'll be fine either place... because it's mostly a matter of how well you perform from here on out anyway.

aaron

 

[elias514]

Yeah, this fixation on prestige is kind of poisonous IMHO. I think that deep down, everybody on this forum knows that professional and academic success are largely dependent on individual achievement and that prestige is merely a secondary factor. Prestige just makes you feel good about yourself, like you accomplished something noteworthy (e.g., it feels good to say that you're a med student at Hopkins, UPenn or whatever). But I don't think that a medical degree from a prestigious institution per se is a golden ticket to a top residency--you have to earn that privilege. I wonder what would happen to a student at Duke that merely passes all his preclinical classes, clerkships, and board exams. Orthopaedics at Harvard---hmmm, I don't think so.

 

[morecowbell]

i say go to iowa and give the spot at umich to someone on the waitlist who's dying to go there.