Keck vs Davis vs Penn St vs Dartmouth

[GoGoPandaBot]

OK, leaving aside the $ issue, and the city/rural issue, how do you all feel about comparing these schools for someone who is leaning more primary care than research, and who would like to do a CA residency once done with med school?

One thing Im trying to understand, is, for Penn St, while only maybe 15% graduate into a CA residency, partly the reason is that many arent applying there, unlike Keck, which puts about 85% into CA residencies.

Another thing, is a question of what type of student body in terms of attitude each school has - is it more cutthroat, more laidback, etc?

Also, which is best for someone who wants to have more options in case the med school experience changes current thoughts about what one wants to do after med school in terms of specialization?

And of course, general comments are welcome.

Alrighty, have at it!

Thx!

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[babel]

I think Davis wins on the primary care, California residency, and laid-back student body. Everyone I know who has gone/is going to Davis (undergrad/grad/medschool) absolutely love it and say how happy they are there, how great their fellow students are. It's also a top-50 school for research, so if you change your mind on the primary care, you are still going to a great school.

Now, location and $$ may totally change the issue, but my first instinct is that Davis seems like the best fit.

Good luck in making your decision!

 

[pennybridge]

for primary care? Davis. Unless Dartmouth can get you out with less debt. Dartmouth has a great record for rural health, but I'm sure you can get the same thing at Davis.

Keck is fantastic because of County, but the debt would be kind of obscene for someone wanting to do Primary Care, however you can get special loans/grants if you go into primary care.

But if your main goals are (a) primary care and (b) CA residency then it's Davis, hands down.

 

[GoGoPandaBot]

The real worry is ending up at a place that constrains my choices, since everyone I know who goes into med school thinking they want to do one thing, ends up down the road choosing something vastly different than what they originally intended. But a close second is finding a place I'd be happy, in terms of fitting in with the attitude of the school. Im fairly well used to the ratcheting up of competitiveness with each further step of career life, and while that's OK to some extent, I'd rather I not end up in a school that turns into a miserable experience full of gunners and other unfriendly or sycophantic sorts. You obviously cant avoid all of them, but Id prefer a place that is not disproportionately of that nature to the extent that it ******s collegiality.

 

[searun]

The real worry is ending up at a place that constrains my choices, since everyone I know who goes into med school thinking they want to do one thing, ends up down the road choosing something vastly different than what they originally intended. But a close second is finding a place I'd be happy, in terms of fitting in with the attitude of the school. Im fairly well used to the ratcheting up of competitiveness with each further step of career life, and while that's OK to some extent, I'd rather I not end up in a school that turns into a miserable experience full of gunners and other unfriendly or sycophantic sorts. You obviously cant avoid all of them, but Id prefer a place that is not disproportionately of that nature to the extent that it ******s collegiality.

So, is USC full of gunners or can a normal person enjoy going to school there?
In other words, study hard, have fun with your friends on Friday night, hit the beach once in awhile, and have a life?

 

[GoGoPandaBot]

So, is USC full of gunners or can a normal person enjoy going to school there?
In other words, study hard, have fun with your friends on Friday night, hit the beach once in awhile, and have a life?

which is kind of why Im asking the question. Up until now, I've heard some conflicting reports on some of the schools I listed, regarding that aspect of my original question. I guess of that list you could infer that I thought USC was of the gunner variety, but I didnt necessarily mean to imply that. Sorry in advance to all gunners who want to be recognized, and for potentially indicting those who feel they don't deserve the rap.

 

[LoneCoyote]

Speaking as someone who has changed speciaty choices many times in the past 3 years, Davis will not limit your options if you decide not to do primary care. Plenty of people from Davis go into things other than primary care and some people who match into Peds or Medicine plan to subspecialize. Many students do research here and the options to do it are growing since the school is making research more of a priority.

If you want to end up in CA for residency, it will be easier from USC or Davis simply because a lot of matching is about who you know. That gives you a better shot of staying at your home institution, provided you don't burn bridges. Plus, the faculty at your school will be more familiar to local programs than will the faculty from another region of the country, so their letters of rec may mean more. This is not to say that you cannot match in CA if you are from out-of-state or that you will for sure match here if you go to a CA school, but regional ties can definitely be helpful.

Pick the place you will be the happiest at and that will allow you to pursue the things you like to do outside of medicine and that will keep you connected to your support networks. That will allow you to do your best and to have the most options open to you when trying to decide what to do.

 

[Sophie]

USC doesn't have many (I actually can't think of any) gunners, but there are a lot of people who are motivated to do very well here. So no one's going to sabotage you, and there are plenty of helpful websites, review sheets, and other resources sent around among all the students, but they are going to try their hardest to do really well.

We are P/NP for the first two years, so that helps keep some of the competition down, however almost everyone I know is trying for a competitive residency (neurosurgery, derm, radiology, ophtho, ortho, ENT, or some other surgery), so there is a lot of interest in making AOA. Subsequently, most people aren't content to just pass, and are still aiming for 90%+. It seems like this might not be the case at a school like UCD, where a lot of people are interested in FP, IM, or Peds.

I'm definitely not trying to scare you off of USC - I love it here - but if you are looking for the least amount of competition, my guess is UCD would be a better fit.

 

[pennybridge]

that being said USC is the greatest med school ever


edit// yes my assertion is based on rigorously tested science.

 

[microgal]

To be honest, I've really tried to restrain myself from either posting on or comparing schools on one of these threads. The people who answer you (no offense to anyone I'm guilty of this myself) are going to give you completely biased answers based mainly on which school they got into and are choosing to attend. Those are the only schools they have experience with.

It sucks but it's really up to you to look at the schools (mainly by revisiting I think) and deciding for yourself. Giants guy is going to say Davis because he probably has friends there or is going to go there. Sophie, Penny and I would probably say USC cause thats where Sophie goes and Penny and I will be matriculating this fall. I don't think any of us have interviewed and been accepted at all three of your schools, so we really don't know

 

[GoGoPandaBot]

To be honest, I've really tried to restrain myself from either posting on or comparing schools on one of these threads. The people who answer you (no offense to anyone I'm guilty of this myself) are going to give you completely biased answers based mainly on which school they got into and are choosing to attend. Those are the only schools they have experience with.

It sucks but it's really up to you to look at the schools (mainly by revisiting I think) and deciding for yourself. Giants guy is going to say Davis because he probably has friends there or is going to go there. Sophie, Penny and I would probably say USC cause thats where Sophie goes and Penny and I will be matriculating this fall. I don't think any of us have interviewed and been accepted at all three of your schools, so we really don't know

and totally understand that everyone has their bias. I dont expect to get a definitive answer - it's just a way of dredging up more opinions on the matter and adding them to the pile of info that has been built up over the past few months. Ive done plenty of looking, but the more input I can get from others the better, since I don't have that many friends who have been through medical school already or are in the application process at the moment. And of the friends I do have, they are all from a particular school/area, so their opinions, once again, have their own particular bias attached as well.

Often the best info is when you get feedback/comments from people currently enrolled, since they at least offer gems of insight that they sometimes don't even realize they are offering up.

 

[DoctorPLASTIC]

To be honest, I've really tried to restrain myself from either posting on or comparing schools on one of these threads. The people who answer you (no offense to anyone I'm guilty of this myself) are going to give you completely biased answers based mainly on which school they got into and are choosing to attend. Those are the only schools they have experience with.

It sucks but it's really up to you to look at the schools (mainly by revisiting I think) and deciding for yourself. Giants guy is going to say Davis because he probably has friends there or is going to go there. Sophie, Penny and I would probably say USC cause thats where Sophie goes and Penny and I will be matriculating this fall. I don't think any of us have interviewed and been accepted at all three of your schools, so we really don't know

How dare you accuse me of this.

OP: USC rocks and is the best choice!!!!!.........oops

 

[cgscribe]

Money aside, I think USC is a near wash with Davis (though I would give Davis the nod). I was very impressed by Davis when I visited, and their new medical center will be great to learn in. I think either of those schools sets you up very nicely for a CA residency. Dartmouth is a little more respected name-wise, but you can't go wrong with SC or Davis.

 

[DblHelix]

GoGo you got in to Davis?? Didn't you interview in April?

 

[pennybridge]

I was very impressed by Davis when I visited, and their new medical center will be great to learn in.

let's be honest though. County? How about New County. 1.5million square feet of sick people!

 

[GoGoPandaBot]

GoGo you got in to Davis?? Didn't you interview in April?

Im not in yet at Davis, but Im doing my research with the hope that eventually I will be admitted. Im not counting on that happening, but I dont think it would be wise to wait and try to figure this decision only after Davis has gotten around to making a decision, since they are rather behind and may not even have finished by May 15.

Of course, UCLA could just let me in, and then I wouldnt have to bother with any of this.

 

[LoneCoyote]

It sucks but it's really up to you to look at the schools (mainly by revisiting I think) and deciding for yourself. Giants guy is going to say Davis because he probably has friends there or is going to go there. Sophie, Penny and I would probably say USC cause thats where Sophie goes and Penny and I will be matriculating this fall. I don't think any of us have interviewed and been accepted at all three of your schools, so we really don't know

Obviously, we can only speak for our own schools. I am a 3rd year at Davis and am happy to give my opinions, especially since I am procrastinating some studying right now. It is important to try to get honest opinions from people without a vested interest in your selection of schools when you can. I strongly advise talking to 3rd and 4th years about the clinical years at the schools when trying to get information about schools since this is what will be most important in your education. The things applicants tend to focus on, myself included when I was trying to make decisions about where to go a few years back, tend to be focused on the 1st two years.

In the first two years here are P/F and people work very hard and most aim to do very well. This is definitely not a "gunner" school, but there are not too many people I know who are happy with just "getting by" or passing. People are friendly and cooperative with each other, but they work hard. Most people who make it to medical school are not happy with just passing, whether they are interested in Family Practice or Ortho.

 

[GoGoPandaBot]

Obviously, we can only speak for our own schools. I am a 3rd year at Davis and am happy to give my opinions, especially since I am procrastinating some studying right now. It is important to try to get honest opinions from people without a vested interest in your selection of schools when you can. I strongly advise talking to 3rd and 4th years about the clinical years at the schools when trying to get information about schools since this is what will be most important in your education. The things applicants tend to focus on, myself included when I was trying to make decisions about where to go a few years back, tend to be focused on the 1st two years.

In the first two years here are P/F and people work very hard and most aim to do very well. This is definitely not a "gunner" school, but there are not too many people I know who are happy with just "getting by" or passing. People are friendly and cooperative with each other, but they work hard. Most people who make it to medical school are not happy with just passing, whether they are interested in Family Practice or Ortho.

That fits in well with the attitude I've taken all along - you don't have to be a gunner to achieve great things, but you work hard because it's the way you are. It's a bit of a shame that I'm going to end up missing almost all of my second looks for one reason or another (but often because it took place before I was accepted) but at least Ive heard encouraging things from existing students (ie. that they'd be willing to be as hospitable and helpful as I might expect had I attended a second look in the first place) so all is not lost.

The more perspectives I get here the better, and I really do appreciate the input that each of you provides when you comment on my thread. Thanks!