Major dilemma! What to do...?!

[Mr. H]

My parents want me to go to my state school (UIC), but I feel that my chances of being accepted to a top 50 school are very good. I would like to maybe enter in neuro. surgery, or some other surgical residency. So my question, will going to UIC (and saving a TON of money) make it nearly impossible for me to get a good residency spot? Should I defy my parents wishes and go somewhere I like and pay much more (and take a TON of loans?).
help...

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[Dr JPH]

Go to the state school.

Sure, you want neuro or sugery now, but what will you want in 4 years? You never know. I'm starting med school next year and I change my mind every week (or seems to be that frequent).

I know people who went 3-4 years in medical school, knew what they wanted, and changed immediately once they hit that rotation that just "felt right."

If you go to an out-of-state top 50, that's great...and a great accomplishment on your part. But will it be worth the financial sacrafice?

Who knows...after 4 years at a school like that, you may NEED to go into a bigger $$ specialty simply because something lower on the pay scale would almost seem ridiculous based on your debt.

Things change, especially our outlook on the rest of our life when confronted with certain situations.

Again...go to the state school.

Here is a list of the UIC Residency and Fellowsip programs.

<a href="http://www.uic.edu/com/gme/residency_fellowship_programs.htm" target="_blank">http://www.uic.edu/com/gme/residency_fellowship_programs.htm</a>

Good luck!

 

[ckent]

Why don't you apply to your state school and to every private top 50 school that you think you might want to go to and see what happens? Your interview at each of the schools should help you decide where to go and you don't even know how much financial aid you will get at any school. Don't fret over your "major dilema" yet, just apply and see what happens.

 

[vyc]

i think you should go where you really want to go. med school is an investment, both of your money and your time. you want to go some place you want to be, not some place that was cheapest.

 

[Ligament]

UIC is a great school and you will have absolutely no disadvantage getting a residency compared to a "top 50" school.

I am a newly graduated physician and having just finished traveling the country on residency intereviews and speaking with students/program directors I think my opinion has some worth to it.

If UIC is cheaper than the private schools you are considering you would be a fool to go to a more expensive school. We all learn the same stuff, take the same board exams.

If you save money by going to UIC you will be WAY ahead of any Ivy league grad with $200,000 of med school debt. WAY AHEAD.

best of luck!

 

[Mr. H]

Interesting Ligament. I wish I could hear more about UIC. It seems to be in an awesome area, right where all the action is in downtown Chicago! Its probably one of my top choices now, hope they accept me.

 

[Ligament]

Hey Mr. H,

Yup UIC is in a great location (well, the hospital itself is in a bad area but you are only minutes from cool places to live).

I went to med school in Chicago and was always told that UIC is the place to go for Internal Medicine residency. Apparently a top place.

I really have no experience with UIC directly, however the students I have met from there and the reputation it has is very solid.

Again, if it is cheapest for you to go to UIC do it by all means. It is easy to forget about your med. school debt as you are going through school, but when you have your exit interview at the end of your 4th year you will thank god you went to the least expensive place.

Now I really have no idea how much the tuition is at UIC but I would hope it is cheap for you as a resident.

all the best!

 

[entropy]

I asked my advisor the same question once
(prof of neurology at ucla, 70 years old,
seen it all, done it all, white hair and beard,
etc)

"Harvard, Hopkins, Penn, Cornell, Columbia, Yale----------- Those are the Plumbs---- every other
medical school is the same....."

The way I see it, a lot of power players favor an
IVY League med school, and If you're not going
to one of those, how cares ?!

anyways my .02 worth....

 

[Winged Scapula]

I wholeheartedly agree with entropy. Outside of the Top 10 schools, the financial investment you make is not worth the minimal difference it will make in residency selection. I don't have detailed information about UIC but do know that I haven't heard it mentioned in the same breadth as some lesser respected schools.

All surgical specialties with bad lifestyles (which includes Neuro) are taking a popularity hit right now. That doesn't mean that matching will be easy, but rest assured that not all candidates in competitive specialties go to top notch schools. Your USMLE scores, LORs, clerkship grades and contacts in the field are more important, IMHO.

 

[Mr. H]

thanks for all the advice guys! I def. think that surgery would be something I would do, and I just don't want my school choice to prevent me from getting, say a neuro residency or something.
I'm almost done with the AMCAS, just have to make sure everything is correct. Got most of my rec's, should have them by late July. HOpe all goes well, thanks!