LSU NOLA vs Yale/Hopkins

[opabiniafan]

Not specific to Yale/Hopkins, but really don't know how to weigh LSU against the other schools I've gotten into.

LSU NOLA
Pros:

• 100% tuition
• Medium COL - strong family and friend support system - I grew up in the GNO area
• Lots of connections at the medical school between LSU and Tulane so the nepotism would really help with research and other opportunities

Cons:

• Worried matching out of Louisiana will be hard for residency, interested in competitive specialties and do not want to stay in LA
• I choose my ugrad based off money and not prestige and had a good amount of regret over it, afraid I would have the same thoughts if I chose LSU
• Did not really vibe with the 50ish people I met during first look, the culture seems competitive with the H/HP/P/F grading

Again, using Yale/Hopkins as a placeholder for T20s. I know that small lifestyle choices and my own insecurities about needing the validation of going to a "name brand top school" shouldn't be factoring into my decision as much as it is, maybe I just need the reality check about how little those things matter. I would like to eventually work some sort of private practice, lifestyle specialty, and most of those seem to be competitive ones. I am very thankful about the network I would have at LSU, and it seems foolish to give away such opportunities, but I still have a very hard time convincing myself that LSU is a viable option. Another major consideration is the H/HP/P/F grading versus the P/F grading at the T20s - I don't mind studying and having to work hard for grades at all, but how much of a negative mark is that against LSU? Would really appreciate any input, especially from those in a choosing between comfortable state school and prestige situation.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[liketb12]

disclosure I'm in a similar boat rn!!

I think a few things:

1) being close to family/friends/your support system is so so major. A lot of my friends in medical school share how much they regret not being closer to their support system because especially as pre-meds, we're hardly thinking about how heavy the profession and study of medicine is. This is why you have so many jokes about all med students being on anti-depressants and being miserable because we hardly get this warning. If you went to LSU, this burden would be heavily alleviated. It's really understated the toll it takes, especially being so far away from family/friends for 4 years so this factor should be thought about heavily wherever you end up deciding to go because in medicine its 100% a underrated advantage & privilege! and also that you ensure have systems in place to take breaks from studying/medicine to remind yourself of what normal life is supposed to be haha

so tldr for this point - if you don't have an accessible support system in place wherever you're going, it's not gonna matter if you even go to the best med school in the world. med school will be miserable and you will not enjoy your 4 years if it's just longing for that time+memories+comfort you would miss out on if you went somewhere you know that you'd thrive more mentally/socially!!

2) full tuition is so so major. speaks for itself!! my friends who have went for similar decisions have such a great quality of life lol and I can imagine not paying loans and have that looming over you during residency as well is such a relief far far greater than the tinge of prestigious you might get going elsewhere

3) given you seem so competitive already getting into these t20s and the fact you would have way less stress of hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans on your back like your peers, I think you would have a much easier time being a very competitive candidate for top residencies! again, mixed with also having your support system right there behind you, this would be majorly setting you up for success.

congrats again colleague and fellow future doctor!!

 

[adnwastaken]

I'll weigh in on this since I was in a similar spot, and I also chose my undergrad based on finances. While I regretted the decision at first, since I ended up getting into some very strong medical schools I couldn't be more happy with my decision at the end of the day. Also looking back, I had no financial support from my parents, so being able to graduate undergrad without any debt was a huge relief. However, if I had failed to get into medical school, I wonder if I would've been upset about my choice for undergrad.

I think the decision ultimately comes down to two factors for you: how much you value your support system and your mindset about wanting to go into a competitive specialty.

I withdrew from Einstein for a school that is much higher ranked with a better match list, etc but will cost me about 80k more. I figured, if at the end of the day I try as hard as I can and fail to match the specialty I want, I will know it was not the school that limited me. If I didn't attend the best school I could due to finances, and failed to match my desired specialty, I would be upset at how a financial decision influenced my career for the rest of my life. Granted, my decision was somewhat easier since it was "only" 80k, and if I wanted to go into a non-competitive specialty or stay in the area of Einstein I would have chosen Einstein.

I'm not advising to make a poor financial decision, but I do think if you are aiming for something competitive, you should really think about limiting areas you can have regrets in case you fail. I think your decision will become more clear once you figure out COA at schools you're seriously considering, because I've been pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the higher ranked programs.

Best of luck!

 

[johnr42700]

I'll weigh in on this since I was in a similar spot, and I also chose my undergrad based on finances. While I regretted the decision at first, since I ended up getting into some very strong medical schools I couldn't be more happy with my decision at the end of the day. Also looking back, I had no financial support from my parents, so being able to graduate undergrad without any debt was a huge relief. However, if I had failed to get into medical school, I wonder if I would've been upset about my choice for undergrad.

I think the decision ultimately comes down to two factors for you: how much you value your support system and your mindset about wanting to go into a competitive specialty.

I withdrew from Einstein for a school that is much higher ranked with a better match list, etc but will cost me about 80k more. I figured, if at the end of the day I try as hard as I can and fail to match the specialty I want, I will know it was not the school that limited me. If I didn't attend the best school I could due to finances, and failed to match my desired specialty, I would be upset at how a financial decision influenced my career for the rest of my life. Granted, my decision was somewhat easier since it was "only" 80k, and if I wanted to go into a non-competitive specialty or stay in the area of Einstein I would have chosen Einstein.

I'm not advising to make a poor financial decision, but I do think if you are aiming for something competitive, you should really think about limiting areas you can have regrets in case you fail. I think your decision will become more clear once you figure out COA at schools you're seriously considering, because I've been pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the higher ranked programs.

Best of luck!

At the end of the day, it was your decision, but I will just say that the gap between your 2 schools is significantly smaller than OPs 3 example schools (and moving forward, it will probably become much smaller/non-existent). This is on top of the fact that match success is mostly driven by you - not your school.

The reality is that both of you will likely be successful no matter where you go if you work hard and enjoy what you do (being close to family, for a lot of people, plays a significant role in the second factor). Congratulations guys