Jeff (SKMC) vs Brown (Warren Alpert)

[ronth3man]

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Hey! I am so grateful for my position here, but regardless I am finding myself having difficult decisions to make and would really appreciate and value any perspective. Please help!

Jeff (SKMC):

Pros: I love Philadelphia and the area is fantastic. I have a support system (family lives nearby, friends live all around the area because I am from outside of Philly). I love how the hospital system is all close together. Everyone seemed super nice, would probably do well there overall.

Cons: Not as well-established as Brown, might be harder to achieve the specialty/residency/career I want.

Brown:

Pros: Name has weight, match list is insane, very nice people and non-competitive atmosphere, good for academic medicine (I think). Smaller school but not too small. I really enjoyed visiting. The community is small and it is easy for the city to be receptive to any public policy recommendations from the medical students which is cool.

Cons: Health system is close but still a bus ride from the school. I know nobody from the area-would be starting "from scratch". I'm a social person who likes to go out and do stuff in the city, and I'm worried that Providence may be a city I would get bored in easily-I don't know though. Not as colorful of a community as Philly!

I can see myself doing academic medicine in the future, I'm also interested in policy, but I know I will probably want to work with an academic institution regardless. The specialties I'm interested in are relatively competitive, but I'm open-minded in that regard.

I appreciate any and all responses. Thank you so much!

 

[PB&]

Brown! Beautiful town and Boston is an hour away if you need a change of pace from Providence.

 

[mr.blamf]

I recommend getting in touch with current students and especially practicing physicians (or, better yet, physicians who graduated from these schools and are now well into their careers). I bet you that they have a much better perspective on the prestige factor (and everything else you mentioned) than applicants or M0's like myself do. This is coming from someone who's going to Jeff and really fell in love with the school!

 

[lalalallala]

I think you want to go to Jeff minus the slight concern for your career prospects due to the prestige. Brown undergrad is really excellent, but I don't think the medical school is significantly better than Jeff. I know a couple students who go to Jeff and they're all really social and love it. Keep in mind that people who go to Brown might be more interested in the prestige factor which can then carry over to picking a residency. I'm not saying all Brown people are I'm just saying Brown's undergrad name can def sway some people

 

[noddy1234]

I would actually dispute the above and say that Brown is a tier above Jeff (although maybe towards the bottom of the top tier). The match list at Brown looks exactly like that of some top 20 and top 10 schools. I would also argue that is the better route in terms of academics.

 

[PentuPenguin]

Brown - only med school in the state, meaning that it is very easy to snatch the attention of faculty, physicians, residents, and PIs. This, along with the smaller class size, potentiates your ability to form longitudinal relationships with mentors which will likely be vital for residency purposes. Crazy good match list that historically remains like that. Extremely diverse preclinical electives (Podcasts in Medicine, early intro to ortho surgery, disaster medicine, and so on!.). A *very* open minded administration and leadership that is excited about making student ideas happen (i.e. easy to create interest groups, easy to help start new electives, interested in things you are passionate about and resources are there), Very social student body with a clear "good vibes" culture.

I have a bunch of friends who have lived in Providence - some for college, others grad school, others work - they all love going out in Providence. It is a major foodie city with artsy bars. Most friends actually say that they expected to be in Boston quite a bit, but they spent 90% of their time in Providence since they enjoyed going out there!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[ronth3man]

I really appreciate these thoughtful responses, thank you. Really helping me weigh pros and cons for this decision more accurately.

 

[NotGeneric]

I wouldn't say Jeff is less "well established". It's just not as well known because it lacks a highly regarded undergraduate program. Brown might be better for academic medicine because of Ivy cache but you should be fine at both places.

Disclaimer: on SKMC waitlist

 

[Pharaoh95]

I interviewed at both schools (will be attending elsewhere) and I would personally go with Jeff. I absolutely loved Brown as a program, but the location was a dealbreaker for me - Providence is too cold and too small for my liking. I would be much happier in a bigger, livelier city.

Ultimately, both schools will get you where you need to go, so go with where you think you'd be happiest. Four years is a long time.

 

[ronth3man]

After getting my financial aid package, looks like Brown would also be significantly cheaper.

 

[Shammyguy3]

After getting my financial aid package, looks like Brown would also be significantly cheaper.

Sounds like you want Brown