Mayo MN vs Stony Brook

[strawberryfox]

Hey guys, so I'm thankful to be choosing from between Mayo MN and Stony Brook in Long Island. I'm completely and utterly undecided so I'd appreciate any input!

Stony Brook
Pros

• Close-ish to home (a huge exciting city I haven't ever left, love dearly, and has all my friends and relatives who I'm quite close with)
• Well-known in NY, which is where I hope to go for residency
• very solid clinical training, great research
• good match list
• I know a lot of people at the school
• extremely well-established and has a great track record, from what I know

Cons

• Don't know my financial aid yet
• actual location is a bit remote even if an hour by train to city

Mayo
Pros

• incredible hospital, amazing clinical training opportunity
• supposedly excellent matching
• gave me very good financial aid
• love the curriculum/great "mission fit" for me
• everyone i've met has been incredibly kind and nice to me
• "famous name"/T20
• very small class

Cons

• some people went unmatched this year, which worries me, though i guess this happens everywhere nowadays
• hospital itself is amazing but the town is sooooo remote/quiet
• very small class :/
• 4-5 hours from home (drive to the city, take a plane, etc.)
• I have no support system there, i'm worried life in the place i'm from will move on without me
• i will miss my family/homesickness
• I have several fish and reptiles at home and I would have to find a way to transport them to MN by plane and car, I'm worried they might get sick or die in transit
• i'd have to restart my entire life in t-60 days since it starts in early July
• my parents are on the older side, I'm worried about missing years of their life

Summary: So yeah, I really don't want to do. I want to go into a competitive specialty in a specific major US city, and tbh IDK which one will better get me there, even if it seems obvious. Mayo would seem to be the more prestigious institution, but Stony Brook is well-known in NY as well. The idea of leaving my family is terrifying to me. The idea of leaving an extremely urban bustling environment that I'm used to and love dearly makes me very sad and I worry how it will affect my academic performance if I'm miserable. Sorry if I sound a little emotional here, I haven't been handling this whole process very well at all mental health wise. Any input would be greatly appreciated. good luck to everyone going through this process, proud of us.

footnote: i'm on some waitlists closer to home, but i'm acting as if they don't exist

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[mangowolf]

i would go to Mayo just on the basis of knowing how much it would cost…I 100% understand how you feel about leaving home, and your fear is valid. but, I think we are more resilient than we think and you will be able to do well at Mayo, even if it does take a while to adjust. I would be extremely regretful if I ended up having to pay a lot more for Stony Brook. The prestige difference between the two schools is also bigger than I think you perceive and it will impact your match. Mayo is the answer if you want a competitive specialty and it’s not close. I’m sorry, I know this is not the response you wanted!

edit: yes, everyone goes unmatched everywhere, including top places like HMS and Hopkins, so that should not be a major con

 

[beepbeep197]

Best of luck making this choice. I just want to say that Stony Brook, Long Island is peak suburbia. I don't want to discourage you at all I'm just a little confused when you say you don't want to leave a bustling city, because you will not be getting that in Stony Brook unless you get on a 2 hr train ride and transfer lol. I am too deciding between stony brook and a more prestigious school far from home and it's so hard to make this choice, so I feel for you.

 

[strawberryfox]

i would go to Mayo just on the basis of knowing how much it would cost…I 100% understand how you feel about leaving home, and your fear is valid. but, I think we are more resilient than we think and you will be able to do well at Mayo, even if it does take a while to adjust. I would be extremely regretful if I ended up having to pay a lot more for Stony Brook. The prestige difference between the two schools is also bigger than I think you perceive and it will impact your match. Mayo is the answer if you want a competitive specialty and it’s not close. I’m sorry, I know this is not the response you wanted!

edit: yes, everyone goes unmatched everywhere, including top places like HMS and Hopkins, so that should not be a major con

yes, I think being from NY and knowing Stony Brook so well I guess I don't perceive the prestige difference as sharply as I could. But you think it really is so cavernous?

sidenote - it's so funny to me you were the first one to reply to my post, i've been lurking on sdn for months and i would always see your username and think it was cute, hence my username now. sorry if that's weird lol 😅

 

[strawberryfox]

Best of luck making this choice. I just want to say that Stony Brook, Long Island is peak suburbia. I don't want to discourage you at all I'm just a little confused when you say you don't want to leave a bustling city, because you will not be getting that in Stony Brook unless you get on a 2 hr train ride and transfer lol. I am too deciding between stony brook and a more prestigious school far from home and it's so hard to make this choice, so I feel for you.

you are absolutely right about the train, what i mean is that going to stony brook means it is totally feasible to go home for a weekend with some frequency. this is perhaps less of an option when flying is involved. wishing you best of luck with your choice, my head is spinning so i imagine yours is well. feel free to message me if you ever want to talk things out or just vent

 

[beepbeep197]

you are absolutely right about the train, what i mean is that going to stony brook means it is totally feasible to go home for a weekend with some frequency. this is perhaps less of an option when flying is involved. wishing you best of luck with your choice, my head is spinning so i imagine yours is well. feel free to message me if you ever want to talk things out or just vent

Yes it absolutely is closer!!! And that is very important. I hope you know that neither choice is wrong here. You don't owe anyone an explanation for choosing to be closer to home if that's ultimately what you decide to do.

 

[syntheticG43]

It's pretty obvious you prefer Stony Brook. As mangowolf said, though, Mayo would be a better option if you are dead set on a competitive specialty. But if staying East Coast your entire career and being close to family is incredibly important to you, we aren't going to be able to convince you to go to Mayo. If you can see yourself getting through medical school at Mayo while living with all of the personal cons you mentioned, go to Mayo. If you will be unhappy and your mental health will seriously suffer, go to Stony Brook.

 

[mangowolf]

yes, I think being from NY and knowing Stony Brook so well I guess I don't perceive the prestige difference as sharply as I could. But you think it really is so cavernous?

sidenote - it's so funny to me you were the first one to reply to my post, i've been lurking on sdn for months and i would always see your username and think it was cute, hence my username now. sorry if that's weird lol 😅

omg so cute fruit animals unite!!! Not weird at all HAHA I love to hear it. i do think it is a pretty steep difference unfortunately if you told me you were content with matching a non competitive specialty, just wanted to match back to Stony Brook’s home program AND knew the prices were at least comparable, I’d say go to Stony Brook. Is there any way you could pester financial aid to know your package like, now? It’s kind of ridiculous they’re making you wait so long!

Edit - but seriously, if you know you truly need your home and family and you won’t regret turning down prestige for family, that’s a valid decision too. I made a choice that a LOT of people would never make because I decided to value my family & happiness. In the end, you have to follow your heart and your values!!

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

I would bite the bullet and go to Mayo. It's gonna be more beneficial to your future career.

 

[Arsartium]

Congrats! You're going to be a doctor. I agree that you have a clear preference for Stony Brook.

While Stony Brook may not have the national reputation that Mayo does, that may not matter for you as Stony Brook graduates do well in NYC and the northeast more generally.

That said, the amount of personal growth that you may experience by moving somewhere far away from home cannot be understated. Many people approach training (e.g. medical school, residency, fellowship) as an opportunity to experience new environments, people, and cultures. After all, it's only temporary. It could also be the only time in your life that you get to live somewhere else.

I'm all for family and social support. It's comfortable to be comfortable. Why do those relationships have to suffer because of geographic distance though? FaceTime, phone call, zoom, and intermittent visits during your plentiful "selective" time are all avenues to maintain ties with those closest to you. Yes, you will have to be more intentional, but you will be stronger for it.

Godspeed.

 

[deleted1111654]

I read on this forum recently: “There’s no shame in valuing your family more than you value prestige.”. I believe SB will get you into a competitive residency in NY with diligence + hard work no problem. Mayo’s name might help, but in the end your mental state and comfort matters!

 

[hellohelloooeh]

I read on this forum recently: “There’s no shame in valuing your family more than you value prestige.”. I believe SB will get you into a competitive residency in NY with diligence + hard work no problem. Mayo’s name might help, but in the end your mental state and comfort matters!

This. Do what’s best for your mental and physical well being. What’s the point in going to Mayo if you’re just not gonna be supported enough to do well? If you think you could overcome that then I’d say go there but at the end of the day if family and support is incredibly important to you then I’d say go SB *edited for typos

 

[Banco]

You have to make a decision based on what you value. Not what the dogma on SDN or USNWR or Doximity is.

You clearly value being near your aging parents and know you can be successful at SB (which does have a great reputation in the region and a good varied match list). If you want a competitive specialty, you will have to work very hard regardless of where you go. Unless there is an astronomical cost difference, you already seemed to be leaning towards SB. You don't need to justify that to anyone but yourself.

Again this is an important lesson to learn especially when it comes to residency time. Make decisions based on what you value, not others.