IU (OOS) vs. USC

[Apophilius]

---

Members do not see this ad.

The big determining factor here, for me, is cost vs. research opportunities for competitive specialties.

IU

Pros
292k principal over 4 years.
Calculated 416k to pay off living 2 years as a resident while an attending. (assume primary care)
Closer to my family
Closer to my fiancée's family.
Want to move back to AR, my home state, after residency.
Transferring work for my fiancée will likely be much easier.

Cons
Regional campus means research only during summers (could be problematic, since I'm considering radonc).
BUT, indy campus means I could do research year round.
Location (but not really, AR is my home so I don't need a boatload of entertainment thrown at me)
Relatively weaker research (radonc department exists, but is relatively soft and not big-name).

Keck USC

Pros
Big research opportunities across all specialties (again with radonc)
California residencies open up.
High Step 1 average.
Strong published match list.
Location. Lovely state. Lovely weather.

Cons
~350k principal over 4 years.
~540k to pay off living 4-5 years as a resident while an attending. (assume primary care)
High cost of living.
Don't want to live here after residency, and afraid residency regional bias might work against me here. (maybe someone can shed light onto whether this is true or not?)
Far from my and my fiancée's home.
Moving me and my fiancée is an enormous hassle, and finding work for her is tough.

I talked about radonc because, if I decide to do that, that is the specialty where I'd have the toughest time at IU compared to Keck (I'm not decided yet by any means). Additionally, that debt is pretty horrifying, and if for some reason the fiancée and I break it off, paying off the debt quickly becomes pretty much impossible with either option (my state school shafted me, and have some ideas why. either way, cheap is not an option).

 

[Mansamusa]

Is AR Arkansas? Either way. IU is going to get you where you want to go while also being cheaper and have a stronger support system.

I looked in the radonc forum the other day and they seem to think radonc may not be the best way to go in the future, so you may end up changing your mind

....I'm looking at the same debt load as you USC budget. It sucks. Can your fiance not help bring that balance lower?

 

[Apophilius]

Is AR Arkansas? Either way. IU is going to get you where you want to go while also being cheaper and have a stronger support system.

I looked in the radonc forum the other day and they seem to think radonc may not be the best way to go in the future, so you may end up changing your mind

....I'm looking at the same debt load as you USC budget. It sucks. Can your fiance not help bring that balance lower?

I've been following the radonc forums for a while. Why do you say that, besides declining reimbursement for radiotherapy?

AR is Arkansas.

And that budget is WITH the fiancée bringing it down xD ... D:, but that's a conservative estimate, depending on the job she ends up getting and how well it pays. Things may end up being easier, but if so, it wouldn't be by much (330k instead of 350k principle).

IU becomes more difficult for competitive specialties if I don't land their main campus where research is going on. So, I guess if I don't get their main campus, then my decision MIGHT be made for me. :/

 

[Mansamusa]

I've been following the radonc forums for a while. Why do you say that, besides declining reimbursement for radiotherapy?

AR is Arkansas.

And that budget is WITH the fiancée bringing it down xD ... D:, but that's a conservative estimate, depending on the job she ends up getting and how well it pays. Things may end up being easier, but if so, it wouldn't be by much (330k instead of 350k principle).

IU becomes more difficult for competitive specialties if I don't land their main campus where research is going on. So, I guess if I don't get their main campus, then my decision MIGHT be made for me. :/

I don't really know much about rad onc but it was the thread about rapidly expanding # of residencies how the job market is going to be bad.

Are you sure you can't bring that down anymore? Their proposed budget is $356Kish.

Tulane (where I will be going) has a simlar cost ($60k/tuition) and would put me at $390K if I followed their budget. I will be at $285K for tuition, tuition increases, and undergrad debt. Then $10K for residency apps. $15K/yr living exp ($800 is enough for rent and utilities in NOLA), minus the year's living expenses I saved up. $5K for USMLE stuff--> $345K (plus origination fees) is my total.

You are starting at $240K for tuition, now build up from there and see what the cost will be.

 

[Apophilius]

I don't really know much about rad onc but it was the thread about rapidly expanding # of residencies how the job market is going to be bad.

Are you sure you can't bring that down anymore? Their proposed budget is $356Kish.

Tulane (where I will be going) has a simlar cost ($60k/tuition) and would put me at $390K if I followed their budget. I will be at $285K for tuition, tuition increases, and undergrad debt. Then $10K for residency apps. $15K/yr living exp ($800 is enough for rent and utilities in NOLA), minus the year's living expenses I saved up. $5K for USMLE stuff--> $345K (plus origination fees) is my total.

You are starting at $240K for tuition, now build up from there and see what the cost will be.

15k/year for living expenses I think is definitely cutting it close though. CoL is quite a bit higher in LA, where you're looking at ~ 13700/year for apartment and utilities alone, so like 20k/year for living if you include parking for your car (1500/year!!!!).

If my fiancée gets a better paying job than she has now, which is possible if she looks hard and applies broadly, then we can fiddle around with the budget a lot more and bring it down even lower. But it's hard to predict.

 

[Mansamusa]

15k/year for living expenses I think is definitely cutting it close though. CoL is quite a bit higher in LA, where you're looking at ~ 13700/year for apartment and utilities alone, so like 20k/year for living if you include parking for your car (1500/year!!!!).

If my fiancée gets a better paying job than she has now, which is possible if she looks hard and applies broadly, then we can fiddle around with the budget a lot more and bring it down even lower. But it's hard to predict.

Oh, yeah, LA is a car city. Is there any way to get away with not having one?

(You can get along fine with a bike and transport in NOLA. I'm hoping for $500 rent, $150 utilities, $3000/yr for food--> $11K, plus going out)

Does IU not tell you the campus before you commit? I would still personally lean towards IU because that is a huge cost difference