Loma Linda vs. Stony Brook

[greinke]

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[Ja3ger]

For the love of FSM, go to Stony Brook.

 

[Lya]

I would go to Stony Brook. Quite a few graduates end up going back to CA (often prestigious places), and it has better research opportunities.

 

[docterjew]

Hey all,

I also would like to give this a try and hear the opinion of the SDN population.

Loma Linda:
I am a California resident and my parents live 1.5 hrs away. I am a Christian but not a Seventh Day Adventist which will allow me to have relatively comfortable time in the setting (although not perfectly well). I also have some questions regarding the outside impressions of the school's caliber.

Stony Brook: Overall great program + research oriented which I can def benefit from. My brother lives in the Bronx. I have lived in Tokyo and Los Angeles for all my life and not quite used to the whole suburban setting. I had a chance to stay at Stony Brook the day before the interview and could immediately feel the difference in atmosphere. Not that I felt out of place, but indeed quieter than my usual lifestyle environment. If I were to attend this school, I can declare residency in New York after first year of schooling and pay 25,000 less for the cost of attendance for the remaining three years.

My ultimate goal is to place into a residency located in the greater Los Angeles area to be around my aging parents. This seems to be a common thinking among many SDNers so I won't have to explain too much about that. I have a feeling that I can enjoy the four years at both location/programs but the main focus is on which institution can help me with the residency placement in CA. I am aware that most of achieving that goal will come from my own effort, but if there is anything outside of my power that these institutions can provide to make my return I would love to know.

Thanks all!
Zack Greinke

This is a tough one because there are so many variables: cost of attendance, family location, school setting, and ultimate residency goals. I have never been to Loma Linda but from what I hear on SDN, Stony Brook has more research opportunities that are more easily accessible. Having lived in NYC for my entire life, I will tell you that the very suburban setting is annoying at first but you do get used to it, I promise. If you have a car and don't mind paying for gas, visiting your brother every other or 3rd weekend should be possible (it would be 1.5 hours maximum with traffic).
As for residency placement in CA, that really depends. If you are interested in a specialty that doesn't require tons of research, then you probably have a better shot in Loma Linda. However, I'm pretty sure that you still have a decent shot from an NY school merely due to the fact that you are a CA resident and have that connection. Stony Brook matches plenty of people to competitive specialties in CA each year, probably because we have so many CA residents attending here. This is something I'm really not too sure about so maybe somebody else can chime in.

Tl;dr If you can get into any other allopathic CA school this cycle, it would solve all your problems.