Maryland vs Wake Forest vs U of A (Tucson)

[Pedsmdplease]

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Hi guys! Very grateful to have these options, considering I definitely thought I wasn't going to get in anywhere. I'm a CA resident, interested in health policy research, not sure what specialty (it will probably change anyways) but I do know I like a mix of inpatient and outpatient settings and an inkling that I am interested in critical care. I'd be interested to know if you all have any suggestions for where I should end up.

Of note: I'm still waiting to hear back from Dartmouth post interview and I've been with my boyfriend (who is getting his MBA either in NY or LA this year) for about 5 years so id like to stay somewhat close if possible (though we both know we need to do what's best for each of us). Anyways, here are the pros and cons:

University of Maryland:

Pros
- absolutely loved my interview day there. Great administration and students
- surprised but I loved (that part of) Baltimore
-class time is limited, so there's lots of time for self study (also more flexible for a long durance relationship)
- level 1 trauma center in urban environment, great exposure to all walks of life
- abundant research opportunities, especially in health policy since it's so close to NIH and the capital

Cons
- extremely expensive for OOS (COA is 93k) and I'm unclear how feasible it is to gain instate status
- from looking at their match list, I'd have slim to no chance of getting back to CA
- graded preclinical years
- quite far from family
- competing with Hopkins students on rotations
-cold weather
-Baltimore can be pretty unsafe


Wake forest:

Pros
- fantastic reputation for research, great funding
- liked the new curriculum
- somewhat close to god mother (about 90 min away)
- all my mentors at work really want me to go here
- tuition comparable to AZ, far cheaper than Maryland
-P/F first two years
- administration seems really responsive to students input


Cons:
- Winston Salem is in the baptist Bible Belt...everything is closed on Sundays
- students only rotate in one hospital (please correct me if I'm wrong)
- I don't really know how to explain it but I didn't feel like I fit in. Not sure how much of that is having a few interesting fellow interviewees that might have colored my perception
-far from family
- competing with duke and UNC for patients (I'm sure there is a better way to phrase this but I hope you know what I mean)
-cold weather
- ok chance of getting back to CA according to match list


UACOM Tucson:

Pros:
-healthcare leadership and innovation track is right up my alley
-loved the opportunities to work at he border
- rotations are spread out in AZ
- a "handholding" administration (which as a nontrad I like)
- clicked the most with the students here on interview day. Really felt at home
- main hospital in area - see interesting patients
- close to family, warm weather
- have had a great experience with their financial aid office
-higher chance of getting back to CA according to match list

Cons:
- lowest ranked of the three schools (though they're all mid tier)


Any input would be appreciated!!!! Thanks so much

 

[breakintheroof]

Congratulations on your choices @Pedsmdplease!

With the most "pros" and only one "con" under UACOM-Tuscon, you probably know what people will say...

Edit: I was right! Except about how to spell "Tucson."

 

[Pedsmdplease]

Congratulations on your choices @Pedsmdplease!

With the most "pros" and only one "con" under UACOM-Tuscon, you probably know what people will say...

Oh....didn't realize it that that's how it played out but thanks for pointing that out.

Thanks @breakintheroof 🙂

 

[breakintheroof]

Oh....didn't realize it that that's how it played out but thanks for pointing that out.

Thanks @breakintheroof 🙂

Ha ha, I think you've already thought this through, and having gone through the process of writing all that out will probably help you more than anything people here will say.

But who knows, hopefully someone can introduce something you haven't thought of here. Good luck in any case.

 

[Willy38]

I think @breakintheroof is right, for you it seems UACOM-Tuscon may be the best fit. Although, in general, I would say Wake is the strongest school. But at the end of the day, you have to go where you "fit" the best. Once you make a choice, don't look back! You can do great things coming from any of these choices. Congrats!

 

[Smeyes]

If matching in CA is your primary objective, I would also look at WHY those matches are happening at each school. I don't think you have a lesser chance of matching in CA going to Maryland or Wake Forest, I just think that a majority of the people from U of A are from the west and therefore want to stay in the west, ranking residencies in the west at the top of their list. So if matching is your concern, I don't think those numbers are completely reflective of your chances.

 

[Slack3r]

Wake Forest has the best reputation of the three, but doesnt really have the "wow" factor to make it a no-brainer.

R/O Maryland. That's far too expensive for a mid tier school when you have as good/better options that are much cheaper.

As for one hospital: premeds always make a big deal out of "diversity" and rotating at different hospitals for a "variety of experiences". That's baloney.

What multiple hospitals means as a third year med student is you have more commuting and multiple EMRs to learn and more chances to look like an idiot every 6 weeks when you're thrown into a new environment and don't know where anything is. That's about it. As for diversity, any university hospital in the country has plenty of "diversity" no matter where they're located. Urban centers do not have monopolies on poor people/minorities.

 

[Pedsmdplease]

Wake Forest has the best reputation of the three, but doesnt really have the "wow" factor to make it a no-brainer.

R/O Maryland. That's far too expensive for a mid tier school when you have as good/better options that are much cheaper.

As for one hospital: premeds always make a big deal out of "diversity" and rotating at different hospitals for a "variety of experiences". That's baloney.

What multiple hospitals means as a third year med student is you have more commuting and multiple EMRs to learn and more chances to look like an idiot every 6 weeks when you're thrown into a new environment and don't know where anything is. That's about it. As for diversity, any university hospital in the country has plenty of "diversity" no matter where they're located. Urban centers do not have monopolies on poor people/minorities.

Really helpful, thank you so much!

 

[kevinc2]

We don't match as much in Cali bcuz ppl mostly apply to northeast due to preference, family ties. We get our own rotation so I don't understand about having to compete with Hopkins students..but even if we do, we are fine. In terms of reputation, ur confusing undergrad rep with med school. In medicine. Maryland is stronger than these 2 programs...size of the hospital, facilities, research

 

[JPA178]

First of all, congrats! UMD would be my pick of the three if it weren't for the COA - otherwise Wake. For you, it sounds like it's between UMD and UA. However, I would look into Maryland's residency policy to see if you might be able to qualify for reclassification as a Maryland resident after your first year. If you establish domicile before starting school and change your driver's license, etc, you MAY be able to qualify for in-state tuition. Per UMD's website/residency policy:

with the passage of time, your personal, professional, and/economic circumstances may have changed. So, an examination of the facts in your Petition for Reclassification may now demonstrate you are residing in Maryland for a more complex set of reasons. You may no longer be here primarily to attend the University. For example, you may hold a job in the community; have bought a house here; have a Maryland spouse; or have children in Maryland public schools.

Your original Out-of-State classification is not permanent. The presumption originally raised by your application from another state may no longer be valid. It can be rebutted with new facts. But, the burden is on you to present evidence to rebut the presumption. You should outline your reasons for living in Maryland as part of your Petition for Reclassification. Obviously, you must meet all the other criteria as well.

To qualify for classification as a Maryland resident, you must:

1. Owning or renting and continuously occupying living quarters in Maryland.
2. Having substantially all personal property in Maryland.
3. Paying Maryland income tax.
4. Registering all vehicles in Maryland
5. If licensed, possessing a valid Maryland driver's license.
6. If registered, being registered to vote in Maryland.
7. Receiving no public assistance from a state other than Maryland.
8. Having the legal ability under law to live permanently and without interruption in Maryland.
9. Rebutting the presumption that he or she is in Maryland primarily to attend an educational institution.

NOTE: You must read the Classification Policy to learn the details of each requirement.

Here's the website with all the information: http://www.umaryland.edu/orr/residency/residency-faqs/

Personally, I would look into what you can do if you really liked UMD when you interviewed. No need to worry about competing with Hopkins students for rotations - UMD and JHMI have their own separate hospitals, although there is often a lot of research collaboration that goes on. Baltimore is actually an awesome city - yes it has its bad parts, but it's really up-and-coming as a great place for young people. The weather is generally pretty mild in the winter, too. Check out this photo album that was put together by a local photographer.

 

[Pedsmdplease]

Ultimately chose U of A at Tucson over Wake and Maryland - I went with my gut and am really happy I did it that way. Thank you for all your input though! However, I did have a late interview at UC Irvine. Will go there if accepted. Either way, I feel pretty lucky and will be happy at either program!