Jefferson vs Dartmouth

[dylar]

Hi everyone! I’ve been lucky enough to receive a few acceptances this cycle and I’m now having a bit of a tough time deciding between two schools in particular: Jefferson (SKMC) and Dartmouth (Giesel). My estimated cost of attendance for each school is about the same.

Jefferson
Pros

• Great location. I’m from Philly and I’d be close to family/support system. I also think that I may want to eventually practice medicine in Philly.
• Students seemed incredibly happy with their school and generally pretty stress-free (or at least more so than other schools).
• 1.5 preclinical curriculum, p/f, clinical skills class, some electives, integrated scholarly inquiry project (which could mean built in time for research).
• Jefferson’s health system has really been expanding recently, which means lots of options for clerkships. I think Jeff will increasingly be a big player in the Philadelphia health space.
• Lots of student organizations and free clinic work, just because there are so many students to run/participate in those activities.
• Large alumn network. Jeff has the most living graduates of any medical school, which could maybe help with residency or future job prospects?

Cons

• Larger class size, might be easy to get lost amongst the crowd.
• Not as well known outside of the medical community.

Dartmouth
Pros

• Prestige. But I know Dartmouth’s reputation within the medical community isn’t significantly better than Jefferson’s.
• Match list looks really great. I admittedly don’t know the details of residency program rankings, but just skimming Dartmouth’s match list it looks pretty great.
• Curriculum is largely the same as Jeff’s. p/f preclinical, clinical skills, lots of cool electives to choose from in pre-clinical years.
• Small class size might mean more attention from faculty or more research opportunities.

Cons

• Very isolated. I’ve lived in major cities my whole life and I’m worried that I wouldn’t like being in such a rural location (although there are opportunities to do away rotations in places like San Francisco and Arizona for clerkships).
• I put this as a pro but I’m worried that the smaller class size will make it hard to find a strong community of support or “my people”.

So I guess my question is: are the few things I like more about Dartmouth (seemingly more impressive match list/lay prestige) worth being so far away from home/a city I would really love to stay in?

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[MD_2024]

I've been in Philly for the past few years and worked with several physicians who went to Jeff. You'll have no problem matching/practicing in Philadelphia after graduation if you go to Jeff, as it has a really good reputation in the area. Your happiness during medical school is important, and being closer to family/support and in an environment you enjoy (ie a city) would seem to support that.

 

[Yhwach]

Disclaimer: Dartmouth WL and Jeff A


I think this comes down to the match list vs location.

Both are kinda opposed to each other.

Jefferson match list is kinda all over. I see a mix of average community hospitals and high ranked academic places. I think Jefferson is really a typically mid ranked school where if you work hard you will go where you want. It's hard to judge since there are so many students.

Dartmouth seems to punch above it's weight in match. Easier to see that they do really well.

Location is self explanatory.

If this was me I'd pick Dartmouth. I'm impressed with the match list and I feel like I'd just lean on classmates for support if need it. I'm not sure how much you need to be near home but I'm definitely a person that can go weeks without calling my parents and feel fine.

Your call on what's more important: location vs match success

 

[glee123]

Both great / similar options based on your pros and cons, but since you said you want to eventually stay in Philly though I would go with SKMC!

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

Probably no second look with COVID? Tough choice. Go with where you think you are a better fit and where you think you will excel.