Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, NYU or Emory?

[topsurgeon2010]

I feel very grateful that I am even in this situation but I am having a very difficult time choosing a medical school to attend this fall. I am honestly really confused and could end up at any one of the schools above. Which one would you choose to attend since they're all similarly ranked? To give you some background info: im a 25 year old guy who wants to work hard and party hard in medical school. I know some of the reasons I mentioned below are VERY superficial but please let me know what you guys think are the pros and cons for each school. Its very refreshing and informative to hear other people's opinions. And just fyi things that matter to me, in no particular order:

• saving money
• prestige
• would like to do a competitive and prestigious residency program in the northeast (harvard, yale, cornell/columbia, NYU, Penn, etc)
• living in a nice city where there are things to do so I can de-stress from all the studying..during my limited free time on the weekend it would be nice to at least have the OPTION of going to bars, night clubs, take dance lessons, meet new people, etc etc.
• i would like to meet my significant other in medical school because I feel like the opportunities decrease as you get older
• being close to family (family just recently moved to northeast)

Mayo Medical School
Pros: half-tuition, cost of living is relatively cheap, its Mayo Clinic!!, very unique program, amazing resources and faculty, amazing facilities, they pay for you to do joint degrees at other schools which I am interested in, pass/fail, supposedely have one of the highest average USMLE scores in the nation

Cons: Its in rochester, minnesota which is really far from home and really cold with not much to do in terms of night life, small class size (~45 people), not associated with a university so not many college-aged students around, all of anatomy is taught in 6 weeks (crazy!!), my ex-girlfriend lives in rochester, minnesota (her dad is a prominent physician at mayo) and i don't ever want to see her again in my life

Cleveland Clinic at Case Western Reserve University (5 year program)
Pros: its free tuition, cost of living in cleveland is relatively cheap, no exams, no grades, its Cleveland Clinic!, amazing resources and faculty, amazing facilities, a lot of flexibility in schedule besides required attendance during 8am-1pm block, can do away rotation to do research at the NIH during 5th year, its associated with a university so college-aged students are around, amazing surgery program which is a field I want to consider but have not fully decided yet, its supposedly trying to break its affiliation with Case Western and link with Columbia or UPenn which would be interesting but unlikely, read:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/05/cleveland_clinic_considers_end.html
http://blog.cleveland.com/medical/2008/07/cleveland_clinic_columbia_univ.html

Cons: its cleveland (winters are the worst due to lake-effect), lebron will leave if he's smart, its a 5-year program and im getting old lol, very small class size (~30 people), students self-teach medicine to each other, basically NO lectures at all and faculty only act as facilitators they do NOT really teach, unique portfolio system that requires self-reflective essays, school starts in July, required attendance from 8am-1pm, strict professional dress code, its a new program that started 6 years ago so no real track record and probably havent finished tweaking the curriculum either, its seperate from the case western students but still get a degree from case western which is a great university but isnt recognizable to the average person


NYU
Pros: its in NYC!!!!, its associated with a university, one of the most recognizable university names in the world, Pass/Fail no internal ranking, close to family and relatives (i have A LOT of relatives in NYC), amazing teaching hospitals (bellevue and langone medical center which was ranked top-20 for best hospitals by US News), amazing international opportunities, its near the United Nations so might be able to get public-health related internships, dont think I'll be able to afford living in NYC ever again in my life, lebron might be coming to play with the NY Knicks hopefully along with wade and bosh lol

Cons: med school will be REALLY expensive and so will living in NYC and i come from a low-income background so will have to take out a lot of loans, while the institution as a whole is prestigious--the school of medicine is not as highly ranked or prestigious as the others but not a drastic difference, facilities are old and worn-out, exams every 2 weeks

Emory

Pros: highest ranked out of all the above schools but by like 3 spots which is negligible though its been ranked top-20 in recent years which none of the above have, attached to a university and its right on campus, located in Atlanta which is a great city, brand-new facilities (absolutely gorgeous new building with marble and granite lining: http://www.flickr.com/photos/donalrey/3529699263/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/donalrey/3529694321/in/photostream/), pass/fail curriculum, Grady Hospital will provide a lot of good training, a lot of international opportunities in public health (guaranteed admission into MPH program as a medical student, Centers for Disease Control is on the campus of Emory, Carter Center internships, Institute for Developing Nations, Emory has created a new Global Health Institute, etc etc), the university itself has cool faculty-members too (Dalai Lama, Jimmy Carter, Sulman Rushdie, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, etc etc), its improving A LOT in terms of marketing its name (I feel like it will eventually take the path of Stanford and WashU which were not well-known just a couple of decades ago)

Cons: will be expensive, name not as well-recognized as the other schools, not associated with a top-20 hospital unlike the above schools, i grew up in atlanta and would like to explore other cities but dont mind at all staying for another 4 years because its an amazing city and has amazing weather lol

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[JasonE]

nice work on the schools. but from what you said you want, its all across the board for those schools. no clear cut winner. what is MOST important to you?

 

[BlueElmo]

Wow you've done good research on these schools. For me personally, it would come down to Mayo or Cleveland, it seems you're leaning towards either of those two as well. Very tough choice, sort of like who to pick in this year's draft, Suh or McCoy? Can't go wrong with either one.

 

[topsurgeon2010]

nice work on the schools. but from what you said you want, its all across the board for those schools. no clear cut winner. what is MOST important to you?

Thanks..yeah thats the problem. I am so confused. i guess the most important thing to me is being happy and being able to fit in because the next 8 years+ (including residency) are going to be hell so it would be nice to have a support network and be around a student-body that is supportive and non-competitive

• saving money
• prestige
• would like to do a competitive and prestigious residency program in the northeast (harvard, yale, cornell/columbia, NYU, Penn, etc)
• living in a nice city where there are things to do so I can de-stress from all the studying..during my limited free time on the weekend it would be nice to at least have the OPTION of going to bars, night clubs, take dance lessons, meet new people, etc etc.
• i would like to meet my significant other in medical school because I feel like the opportunities decrease as you get older
• being close to family (family just recently moved to northeast)

• Saving Money = clear-cut winners would be Cleveland Clinic (free tuition) and Mayo (half-tuition) though I haven't received financial aid from the other schools yet and I will probably get some need-based aid (parents make less than $70,000 a year combined) though I am not sure how generous NYU or Emory is
• Prestige = in medicine I guess Mayo and Cleveland Clinic would be the most prestigious due to their hospitals being ranked in the top-5, but medical school ranking-wise they're all pretty much the same...Emory/NYU as institutions as a whole probably have the highest prestige of the schools listed with NYU being more recognizable than Emory
• Residency in northeast = I guess NYU would be the best to do a residency in the northeast due to regional bias though I understand I can get a residency in the northeast from any of the schools I listed
• Living in a nice city = definitely NYU and then Emory
• Meeting other similarly-aged people = NYU, Emory and Cleveland Clinic since they're all attached to a university and in decently-sized cities
• Being close to family in the northeast = definitely NYU and its stretching it but Cleveland Clinic (~8 hr drive to my parents house from cleveland as opposed to 1 hr drive from NYU)

LOLLL still doesn't help...hmmm

 

[topsurgeon2010]

Wow you've done good research on these schools. For me personally, it would come down to Mayo or Cleveland, it seems you're leaning towards either of those two as well. Very tough choice, sort of like who to pick in this year's draft, Suh or McCoy? Can't go wrong with either one.

haha true...cleveland clinic might offer the best deal (free tuition, kind of close to home but not really, associated with a university, in a decent-sized city)..hope lebron stays then LOL...though its a year longer than regular medical school and I've already taken 3 years off after undergraduate already...i know it sounds bad but just not sure if I am ready to be treated as a professional 24/7 with a professional dress-code to class (i like being able to wake up and go to class in my hoody and jeans instead of dress pants, shirt and tie every day to class), etc etc..i have my entire life to be treated like one so I want to enjoy the last few years of my youth as much as possible LOLLL but its definitely not a strong enough reason to prevent me from going to a school..its just a preference

and i think suh will go ahead of mccoy though you never know but yeah you're right definitely cant go wrong with either one...

 

[metallica81788]

I would either go with Mayo or Cleveland, but man that is a tough lineup. If location was the biggest factor, I would go NYU or Emory. I voted Mayo, btw.

Complete tossup. 😕

 

[topsurgeon2010]

I would either go with Mayo or Cleveland, but man that is a tough lineup. If location was the biggest factor, I would go NYU or Emory. I voted Mayo, btw.

Complete tossup. 😕

thanks for voting...yeah i think it will come down to financial aid..if NYU can give me some scholarships that kind of at least meet Mayo's half-tuition scholarship id end up being sooo much more confused haha...I absolutely LOOOOVE NYC

 

[ThatQuestionGuy]

"i would like to meet my significant other in medical school because I feel like the opportunities decrease as you get older"

I've heard this is a bad idea in general, but imagine breaking up with someone in a small class..

 

[topsurgeon2010]

"i would like to meet my significant other in medical school because I feel like the opportunities decrease as you get older"

I've heard this is a bad idea in general, but imagine breaking up with someone in a small class..

yeah dude that would be really bad..hahah..

actually thats one thing students from Mayo and Cleveland Clinic complained about..in fact a student from Cleveland Clinic said even the deans and faculty members hear the gossip that goes around..thats really scary..LOL

 

[JJMrK]

First, congrats on your acceptances, you have quite a decision to make. I think you have some questions to ask yourself:
1) What's more important, money or location? If it's money, Mayo and CCLCM are the clear winners. If it's location, NYU probably wins by 100 miles.
2) If you answered money: It basically comes down to: Can you deal with the extra year, unique evaluation and learning style, dress code, etc for the extra reduction in debt?
3) If you answered location: I think NYU has to be the winner.

FWIW, I voted for Mayo. CoA is pretty important to me, but I wouldn't fit at CCLCM for many of the reasons I talked about above.

 

[searun]

In this order: Mayo, Cleveland, Emory, and NYU. I would not let my ex-girlfriend determine where I attend med school. Mayo is cheap, although Cleveland is free, but Mayo wins when all factors are taken into account.

The financial aid packages at NYU are reportedly not that great. If you did get a great financial aid package, then NYU would be given more serious consideration by me.

The odds of finding a spouse in med school are pretty slim wherever you go, so that would not be a consideration for me.

Nor would I let weather dictate my choice of schools. I love NYC but its weather is not great most of the time. Med school is 4 years of your life, so weather would not be a huge factor to me.

 

[gumboelephant]

Your accomplishments are nothing short of amazing, congratulations. But, are you freakin serious!? You can get a FREE medical education at one of the most well respected and well known hospitals in the WORLD!! Think about the average debt that medical students across the country will be accumulating while you while you get NONE. There are literally hundreds of thousands of pre-meds across the globe that would probably give up their left you-know-what to be in the situation you're in. Yeah, you might have to make a few personal sacrifices, but they WILL BE WORTH IT. And btw, there will probably be cute nurses where ever ya go😉

 

[LSU Gladiator]

In your case, it seems that NYU>Emory>Case>>>>Mayo.

 

[archimedesxx]

Mayo. 1) Because I will be there 2) Because it is Mayo 3) About your girlfriend, don't worry I'll be the John Terry to your Wayne Bridge. jk. This is a new joke circulating across England. Google John Terry affair. But seriously, why would you dislike a school based on what your ex did to you in the past or where she lives. Think about it. It's your life.

I might very well end up at NYU but I dunno I have to wait for financial aid. However, i keep saying this: if you're not a native new yorker, you wouldn't be able to do anything with NYC. You'll be too busy studying that NYC will be meaningless to you. There is always residency. Well you talked about cost.....

Emory is in a warm place but very expensive city and they don't give much aid unless you're awarded the Woodruff scholarship. Don't go there.

Now for Cleveland Clinic. I like the school but i will be very depressed in Cleveland Clinic but not Case UP. I know Mayo has a class size of 50 but this is 30. Besides, Rochester is probably more boring than Cleveland but think about the culture. Mayo's culture permeates the whole city. Mayo even pays to shovel snow across the city. It's like the city is Mayo Clinic. CC is not the same in Cleveland. Personally if I'm going to an isolated place, i'd take the Rochester over the Cleve any day.

 

[bannie22]

Emory. cuz i just did it by us news ranking.

like it matters. >=X

 

[bannie22]

Mayo. 1) Because I will be there 2) Because it is Mayo 3) About your girlfriend, don't worry I'll be the John Terry to your Wayne Bridge. jk. This is a new joke circulating across England. Google John Terry affair. But seriously, why would you dislike a school based on what your ex did to you in the past or where she lives. Think about it. It's your life.

I might very well end up at NYU but I dunno I have to wait for financial aid. However, i keep saying this: if you're not a native new yorker, you wouldn't be able to do anything with NYC. You'll be too busy studying that NYC will be meaningless to you. There is always residency. Well you talked about cost.....

Emory is in a warm place but very expensive city and they don't give much aid unless you're awarded the Woodruff scholarship. Don't go there.

Now for Cleveland Clinic. I like the school but i will be very depressed in Cleveland Clinic but not Case UP. I know Mayo has a class size of 50 but this is 30. Besides, Rochester is probably more boring than Cleveland but think about the culture. Mayo's culture permeates the whole city. Mayo even pays to shovel snow across the city. It's like the city is Mayo Clinic. CC is not the same in Cleveland. Personally if I'm going to an isolated place, i'd take the Rochester over the Cleve any day.

😕😕😕.
I'm pretty sure hes fine if you get together with someone he hates.

 

[archimedesxx]

😕😕😕.
I'm pretty sure hes fine if you get together with someone he hates.

I was actually kidding and being sarcastic. What I was trying to say was that it was totally unnecessary to factor in your ex-gf into the equation when choosing to go to a school.

 

[hoyamd]

Hey!

I'm in a similar position...I also have to choose between CCLCM, Mount Sinai, UCSD (still waiting to hear from Duke and Penn though). I'm really really tempted to go to CCLCM, but I'm from New York, and I love NYC and my bf will be there next year. So not sure if I can offer any definitive decisions on that one for you, but I can definitely commiserate. Its a tough (but also wonderful) position to be in. Are you going to second look for Cleve?

 

[rockaction]

In your case, it seems that NYU>Emory>Case>>>>Mayo.

avoiding ex's trumps all

 

[tallandshort]

I say go with Mayo. Honestly, from what you've mentioned I get the sense that you would be a laid back type of person and that teaching yourself all through med school is not the ideal for you so although CCLCM is a great program and would leave you debt free, you would have to do a significant amount of extra work for that and the teaching yourself/wearing business attire to class every day may leave you unhappy. Mayo's pass/fail and wonderful amount of resources you would have to explore basically whatever you want I think would mean you would enjoy med school more (if enjoy is the right word hehe). The price is great for a great medical education, and although Rochester is small and cold, minneapolis is a decent drive away for the times you need to relax from studying and explore the nightlife. Whatever you do, please don't factor your ex into this decision, I understand what your worried about but still. If you turn down Mayo because you think you will be happier somewhere else fine, but IMHO where go to to med school should not be dictated by ex gfs.

 

[bamtuba]

C'mon. We'll protect you from the ex. Drink the Kool-Aid and join us at Mayo.



😉

👍

 

[herestohoping]

Mayo. 1) Because I will be there 2) Because it is Mayo 3) About your girlfriend, don't worry I'll be the John Terry to your Wayne Bridge. jk. This is a new joke circulating across England. Google John Terry affair. But seriously, why would you dislike a school based on what your ex did to you in the past or where she lives. Think about it. It's your life.

I might very well end up at NYU but I dunno I have to wait for financial aid. However, i keep saying this: if you're not a native new yorker, you wouldn't be able to do anything with NYC. You'll be too busy studying that NYC will be meaningless to you. There is always residency. Well you talked about cost.....

Emory is in a warm place but very expensive city and they don't give much aid unless you're awarded the Woodruff scholarship. Don't go there.

Now for Cleveland Clinic. I like the school but i will be very depressed in Cleveland Clinic but not Case UP. I know Mayo has a class size of 50 but this is 30. Besides, Rochester is probably more boring than Cleveland but think about the culture. Mayo's culture permeates the whole city. Mayo even pays to shovel snow across the city. It's like the city is Mayo Clinic. CC is not the same in Cleveland. Personally if I'm going to an isolated place, i'd take the Rochester over the Cleve any day.

Interesting...I'm pretty sure I've never heard you say this!

 

[w8ting2exhale]

Hey!

I'm in a similar position...I also have to choose between CCLCM, Mount Sinai, UCSD (still waiting to hear from Duke and Penn though). I'm really really tempted to go to CCLCM, but I'm from New York, and I love NYC and my bf will be there next year. So not sure if I can offer any definitive decisions on that one for you, but I can definitely commiserate. Its a tough (but also wonderful) position to be in. Are you going to second look for Cleve?

Ah, nice to see other CCLCM acceptees facing "The Decision". How do you feel about the earlier matriculation deadline?

 

[Steeler7588]

Strictly considering the schools themselves (not location, attached undergrad / campus, etc), I'd say Emory has been the most impressive school (in terms of curriculum / opportunities) I've interviewed at. Top 2, at minimum. Of course, I haven't been accepted yet so it'd be in my best interests for you to withdraw, haha...

 

[archimedesxx]

Interesting...I'm pretty sure I've never heard you say this!

LB you know I always say this. I'm not excited about NYC as some people..dare I say you?

 

[alibai3ah]

To me location is a HUGE factor (even more than money). I would fork over extra money not to be miserable in Rochester or Cleveland for 4+ years. I'm sorry....

Cleveland clinic is not as prestigious as you may think it is. Mayo on the otherhand is WOW....

My vote went to NYU. It is very prestigious (more well known that Emory and Case Western for sure) and it's NEW YORK CITY. I just think maybe you can talk to people in NYU and see if they can give you a better financial aid package. I know it's super expensive but try. You won't regret it. Plus you are a single guy and you will meet LOTS of girls in New York.

Emory is a good school. But again, if it's the same price as NYU, Go with NYU

 

[alibai3ah]

Your accomplishments are nothing short of amazing, congratulations. But, are you freakin serious!? You can get a FREE medical education at one of the most well respected and well known hospitals in the WORLD!! Think about the average debt that medical students across the country will be accumulating while you while you get NONE. There are literally hundreds of thousands of pre-meds across the globe that would probably give up their left you-know-what to be in the situation you're in. Yeah, you might have to make a few personal sacrifices, but they WILL BE WORTH IT. And btw, there will probably be cute nurses where ever ya go😉

Also remember debt will be paid off eventually, but the experiences and memories you will have in NEW YORK will last a lifetime 😀

And people who say that all you do is study = NOT TRUE
I have many friends in medical school, one in Stanford and UCLA, and they say they party all the time. And med students are pretty much alcoholics. I'm most likely heading to Boston for school (but then again, location is a big thing for me)

 

[herestohoping]

LB you know I always say this. I'm not excited about NYC as some people..dare I say you?

Nope, you've never told me that I won't be able to enjoy the city because I'm not a native. And of course I'm more excited about going there than you are because you've already lived there and experienced the city.

 

[archimedesxx]

Nope, you've never told me that I won't be able to enjoy the city because I'm not a native. And of course I'm more excited about going there than you are because you've already lived there and experienced the city.

Hahaha. Right! You will enjoy the city very well. My thing about NYC is that it is too big for you to do everything.NYC is more than nice restaurants, the Fashion district and 42nd st..As a med student you will be able to do some but not everything.

 

[CCLCMer]

topsurgeon2010,

I'm obviously not unbiased about how awesome CCLCM is, but at the same time, I have no vested interest in convincing you to come here if you're thinking it's not for you. (And in fact, I would go so far as to recommend that you NOT come here if you know that this is not the right program for you.) That being said, I wanted to address something you said in your cons, because it's factually incorrect. Regardless of which school you end up choosing, you should at least have accurate info before you decide!

students self-teach medicine to each other, basically NO lectures at all and faculty only act as facilitators they do NOT really teach

All I can say is that maybe the interview day explanation of the curriculum wasn't as clear as it could be, because this is not how our curriculum works.

First year, there are 20 hours of contact time per week. Of that twenty hours, eight hours are spent in seminars taught by faculty, four hours are spent either in physical diagnosis or clinic, one hour is spent in research seminar, one hour is spent in the humanities in medicine class, and six hours are spent in PBL. Thus, PBL is about 1/4 of the total curriculum, and not even half of the didactic part. Second year, the schedule is similar except that there are two afternoons of clinic/physical diagnosis per week instead of just one.

I suppose one could describe the PBL process like you did, but that's not really what it's like in practice. It's intended (and used) as a complement to the seminars, not as a replacement for them. Each week, there is a specific topic being covered. Both the PBL case and the seminars for that week are based on that topic. Thus, the PBL case is NOT the primary method for teaching that topic, and it's certainly not the only method.

The way the PBL groups work is ideally like a formalized study group. You and your group take a case, dissect it, choose topics that the group doesn't know enough about to assign as learning objectives, and present them briefly to your classmates. The facilitator's job is not to teach the group, but rather to guide the group to make sure that the students cover all of the material that is supposed to be covered. (Throughout the week, the facilitator has a list of all topics that the group is supposed to cover.) If the group is doing well, the facilitator won't have to say a word. If the group is getting off track, it is the facilitator's job to get them back on track.

Besides preparing the student-selected learning objective presentations for PBL, students also have required readings for the seminars that are selected by the faculty. At the end of the week, the students are given a list of all the topics that they should have covered that week in seminar and/or PBL. They also get homework (multiple choice questions and essays) based on the topics covered that week.

I hope this helps clarify the curriculum. You obviously have a difficult decision to make, and I would suggest that you go to the second looks if you can. That was a big part of what helped me decide where to go. Also, if you or any of the other accepted people have questions, feel free to PM me. Congrats and good luck next year!

 

[d1ony5u5]

I voted NYU because location is very important to me, and nothing beats NYC (except maybe Paris, but that's irrelevant here).

It seems to me that although money is a consideration, it is not as important to you, given the fact that you are factoring several other things into your decision... So NYU would be the best bet for all you've said, except prestige (and even then, only within the medical community) and money.

Mayo would be a close second, because it has the prestige and the economics. However, Rochester... and only 50 other ppl in your class? Those 2 issues could make for a potentially miserable situation. Risky in my opinion.

In summary, you seem to be shooting for a place that would be nice to live in for 4 years... NYU offers that best. Money and reputation, although important, won't make you happy while in medschool, so I would rank them lower in the priority hierarchy!

Great Schools to choose from! Congratulations on your acceptances.

 

[JasonE]

Cleveland clinic is not as prestigious as you may think it is. Mayo on the otherhand is WOW....

dont agree with that at all.

and archimedes, i think loction is VERY important. to say that you are going to be so busy that your surroundings don't matter doesnt seem right. i think thats where it matters more because you will have time (not as much as others) and you are going to want to enjoy it.

 

[alibai3ah]

dont agree with that at all.

and archimedes, i think loction is VERY important. to say that you are going to be so busy that your surroundings don't matter doesnt seem right. i think thats where it matters more because you will have time (not as much as others) and you are going to want to enjoy it.

I'm from the West Coast and let me tell you, no one outside of the medical community has heard of Case Western or Cleveland Clinic.....It's a decent place, but nothing spectacular. It has many fields that are highly ranked, but again not as well known as other places.

Mayo is world renowned.

 

[JasonE]

I'm from the West Coast and let me tell you, no one outside of the medical community has heard of Case Western or Cleveland Clinic.....It's a decent place, but nothing spectacular. It has many fields that are highly ranked, but again not as well known as other places.

Mayo is world renowned.

in the midwest no one has really heard of hopkins. it works its way around.

plus that doesnt mean much. it shouldnt matter whether or not grandma's and grandpas around the world know what your med school is

 

[alibai3ah]

in the midwest no one has really heard of hopkins. it works its way around.

plus that doesnt mean much. it shouldnt matter whether or not grandma's and grandpas around the world know what your med school is

While I understand the regional argument, some schools are well recognized everywhere: harvard, yale, stanford, ucsf, mayo, nyu, ucla etc.

But you are right, it doesn't matter.

 

[BBender716]

I'm from the West Coast and let me tell you, no one outside of the medical community has heard of Case Western or Cleveland Clinic.....It's a decent place, but nothing spectacular. It has many fields that are highly ranked, but again not as well known as other places.

Mayo is world renowned.

Outside of the HUMAN population, no one's even heard of a "hospital". Ask any dog or cat what they think of the fact that so-and-so did his residency at a hospital. They'll probably just lick you and run away.

 

[alibai3ah]

Outside of the HUMAN population, no one's even heard of a "hospital". Ask any dog or cat what they think of the fact that so-and-so did his residency at a hospital. They'll probably just lick you and run away.

Well I'm assuming when the OP said prestige was a factor, he was referring to prestige amongst humans not all mammals.....Hope that clears up what I was trying to say

 

[JasonE]

Well I'm assuming when the OP said prestige was a factor, he was referring to prestige amongst humans not all mammals.....Hope that clears up what I was trying to say

hah nice. but yea, mayo would be the most known school of the bunch.

 

[mdeast]

I think I'd go to a school you'd be most happy at regardless of rank. Those are all great schools, again... ranked fairly similarly. Yes, Mayo is probably the most world renowned. But, it's not a quantum leap different in education quality. There are great opportunities at NYU, Emory, and CCLM such that four years living in a environment you may not like because of geography really isn't worth it at all. Remember, medicine isn't the only thing in your life...at least I should hope it isn't. Be happy. You'll be more successful in life and career if you pick a place where those two things can both co-exist harmoniously.

There are financial considerations (which shouldn't be ignored), but i'd think about questions like...(1) Do I want to live in the NE? SE? Mid-West after finishing med school (2) Where do I want to do residency? End up settling? (3) Which city do I like most? (4) Which campus had students I could see myself being friends with?

Personally, I'd probably chose NYU out of that batch just because I'd love living in NYC. Geography is my biggest driver, as (to me) it intimately relates to how much you enjoy the quality of your life outside of medicine. That's debatable and unique to each person, but regardless of any fears about the immense hours that are required of medical students...do realize that you will have time to enjoy your surroundings. Make sure you like living in them. 🙂 Also keep in mind that residency directors tend to have a slight preference for medical students who trained in the same city/geographical region of the country...you're used to the type of patients they see, you have a social network support system already in place, i.e. a good reason to want to live there and enroll at said program.

Good luck!

 

[orange4me]

hah nice. but yea, mayo would be the most known school of the bunch.

Agreed. As someone from rural Illinois, I can attest that most people from my parts know of (and regard highly) the Mayo Clinic...can't say that those same people know as much about the other schools on the the OP's list (although as others have said, not that this matters...it just gives you an idea of Mayo's general renown).

And as a side note to JasonE...most people near me in the Midwest also know quite a bit about Hopkins and its reputation 🙂 (granted, i've definitely heard a fair share of people call it "John" Hopkins haha).

 

[pOrtEnt]

OP:

Wait until you hear back from financial aid. If all were free, NYU is your best bet. If NYU was marginally to moderately more expensive you will have to think about what your debt tolerance is, understand the time value of money and how much you are actually giving up to go there. (principal+interest+opportunity cost really adds up even for smaller amounts of $ when you are this young for long term finances).The med students at NYU are a ton of fun and most chose NYU for many of the same reasons you like it so much (great hospitals (Tisch, Bellevue, HJD), fun city to be in your 20's) I predict this decision will become very easy for you; you will likely get substantial financial aid given your parents income.

If not, I say go with CCLCM only if your ultimate goal is academic med and you're not happy with NYU financial aid or living in Rochester. In terms of cost, you get free tuition at CCLCM, but you also give up a year of salaried work on the back end (if you went to a 4 year med school, you would be earning money sooner); thus your full ride at CCLCM is basically equivalent to your half ride at Mayo in terms of your ultimate financial future (real magnitude depends somewhat on eventual specialty choice in terms of residency training years and salary).

In terms of prestige and reputation within medicine, you are probably splitting hairs when you compare the schools. Yes, Mayo probably swings the biggest dong overall, but that is mostly because of its faculty and residency programs. Academic med people will be much more interested in where you did your residency/fellowship than medical school, especially since these medical schools are pretty much on the same level anyway; they all have fantastic residency placements in all fields.

Enjoy this moment of choice. The moments in medicine where you personally get to exercise power are extremely few and far between. Think about your pre-med experience to date with medical schools: you've been bent over taking it all, smiling back and saying "please sir may I have another?" all whilst jumping through their hoops and waiting for complete strangers to pass judgment on your character, intelligence, and overall worth as a human being (and in four years for residency, it will happen again). Now, for once, you have the chance to turn the tables. You will never get this chance again. Relish it.

Congratulations, you're a G. You should be proud of your accomplishments, and excited about your future.

 

[JasonE]

OP:

Wait until you hear back from financial aid. If all were free, NYU is your best bet. If NYU was marginally to moderately more expensive you will have to think about what your debt tolerance is, understand the time value of money and how much you are actually giving up to go there. (principal+interest+opportunity cost really adds up even for smaller amounts of $ when you are this young for long term finances).The med students at NYU are a ton of fun and most chose NYU for many of the same reasons you like it so much (great hospitals (Tisch, Bellevue, HJD), fun city to be in your 20's) I predict this decision will become very easy for you; you will likely get substantial financial aid given your parents income.

If not, I say go with CCLCM only if your ultimate goal is academic med and you're not happy with NYU financial aid or living in Rochester. In terms of cost, you get free tuition at CCLCM, but you also give up a year of salaried work on the back end (if you went to a 4 year med school, you would be earning money sooner); thus your full ride at CCLCM is basically equivalent to your half ride at Mayo in terms of your ultimate financial future (real magnitude depends somewhat on eventual specialty choice in terms of residency training years and salary).

In terms of prestige and reputation within medicine, you are probably splitting hairs when you compare the schools. Yes, Mayo probably swings the biggest dong overall, but that is mostly because of its faculty and residency programs. Academic med people will be much more interested in where you did your residency/fellowship than medical school, especially since these medical schools are pretty much on the same level anyway; they all have fantastic residency placements in all fields.

Enjoy this moment of choice. The moments in medicine where you personally get to exercise power are extremely few and far between. Think about your pre-med experience to date with medical schools: you've been bent over taking it all, smiling back and saying "please sir may I have another?" all whilst jumping through their hoops and waiting for complete strangers to pass judgment on your character, intelligence, and overall worth as a human being (and in four years for residency, it will happen again). Now, for once, you have the chance to turn the tables. You will never get this chance again. Relish it.

Congratulations, you're a G. You should be proud of your accomplishments, and excited about your future.

this is a very good post

 

[alibai3ah]

I think I'd go to a school you'd be most happy at regardless of rank. Those are all great schools, again... ranked fairly similarly. Yes, Mayo is probably the most world renowned. But, it's not a quantum leap different in education quality. There are great opportunities at NYU, Emory, and CCLM such that four years living in a environment you may not like because of geography really isn't worth it at all. Remember, medicine isn't the only thing in your life...at least I should hope it isn't. Be happy. You'll be more successful in life and career if you pick a place where those two things can both co-exist harmoniously.

There are financial considerations (which shouldn't be ignored), but i'd think about questions like...(1) Do I want to live in the NE? SE? Mid-West after finishing med school (2) Where do I want to do residency? End up settling? (3) Which city do I like most? (4) Which campus had students I could see myself being friends with?

Personally, I'd probably chose NYU out of that batch just because I'd love living in NYC. Geography is my biggest driver, as (to me) it intimately relates to how much you enjoy the quality of your life outside of medicine. That's debatable and unique to each person, but regardless of any fears about the immense hours that are required of medical students...do realize that you will have time to enjoy your surroundings. Make sure you like living in them. 🙂 Also keep in mind that residency directors tend to have a slight preference for medical students who trained in the same city/geographical region of the country...you're used to the type of patients they see, you have a social network support system already in place, i.e. a good reason to want to live there and enroll at said program.

Good luck!

Completely agree 😀

 

[twostep376]

First off-- Congrats! Very, very cool.

For me personally, geography is the most important issue. I too want to be close to my family (New England), and I am most comfortable in cities.

I would go with NYU. Being happy is the most important thing. You do the best work when you are happiest, and that's what matters when it comes to residency.

Do you want to be a surgeon (judging from your username)? If so, finances will be a bit less of an issue than if you wanted to do peds or FM. You will get your loans paid off. 👍

Congrats!

 

[d1ony5u5]

"Enjoy this moment of choice. The moments in medicine where you personally get to exercise power are extremely few and far between. Think about your pre-med experience to date with medical schools: you've been bent over taking it all, smiling back and saying "please sir may I have another?" all whilst jumping through their hoops and waiting for complete strangers to pass judgment on your character, intelligence, and overall worth as a human being (and in four years for residency, it will happen again). Now, for once, you have the chance to turn the tables. You will never get this chance again. Relish it."

Nothing to add to the conversation.

Just, wow, very wise!!

 

[bannie22]

in the midwest no one has really heard of hopkins. it works its way around.

plus that doesnt mean much. it shouldnt matter whether or not grandma's and grandpas around the world know what your med school is

The west coast needs some television... or maybe the newspaper?

Is it that rural? 😕

 

[PremedIowa]

In my totally unbiased opinion, Mayo has so far been wonderful to me and I think offers some opportunities that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. I really don't think the education can be beat; maybe equaled, but not surpassed. But like I said, I am biased. Mayo's hospitals are ridiculous and our access to world-class faculty is flat-out amazing.

There is enough to do in Rochester and I often travel up to Minneapolis for the bigger city experience. All that said, it certainly is not NYC. Still, with our low debt load (I got a half tuition scholarship and ended up with 24k in scholarship money this year for 31k in tuition) and travel stipend, we can all afford to travel, both domestically and internationally. With such a low cost of living and access to these funds, it's easy to forget that we are supposed to be eating ramen like poor med students. This makes life far less stressful and is certainly something to consider.

At the same time, balancing other important things like location to family (and distance from ex-girlfriends ) is something to consider. Don't withdraw from anywhere, wait until financial aid comes out, and talk to lots of people. Wait as long as you can to make the decision.

 

[bamtuba]

In my totally unbiased opinion, Mayo has so far been wonderful to me and I think offers some opportunities that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. I really don't think the education can be beat; maybe equaled, but not surpassed. But like I said, I am biased. Mayo's hospitals are ridiculous and our access to world-class faculty is flat-out amazing.

There is enough to do in Rochester and I often travel up to Minneapolis for the bigger city experience. All that said, it certainly is not NYC. Still, with our low debt load (I got a half tuition scholarship and ended up with 24k in scholarship money this year for 31k in tuition) and travel stipend, we can all afford to travel, both domestically and internationally. With such a low cost of living and access to these funds, it's easy to forget that we are supposed to be eating ramen like poor med students. This makes life far less stressful and is certainly something to consider.

At the same time, balancing other important things like location to family (and distance from ex-girlfriends ) is something to consider. Don't withdraw from anywhere, wait until financial aid comes out, and talk to lots of people. Wait as long as you can to make the decision.

This mistake made my day 🙂

 

[alibai3ah]

This mistake made my day 🙂

Hmm, I am assuming she was being sarcastic with the "totally unbiased" comment and that it wasn't a mistake.

 

[bamtuba]

Hmm, I am assuming she was being sarcastic with the "totally unbiased" comment and that it wasn't a mistake.

Either way.

OP, good luck with your decision. Its one that many people would love to have the fortune to consider.