University of Washington SOM
Pros
Cons
Mayo Clinic SOM MN
Pros
Cons
Summary: Seattle is my current home and UW is an awesome school. But I fell in love with Mayo and am willing to give up the comfort of having my friends here and the fun of the city to get an excellent education at Mayo. However, I am concerned my ability to return to Seattle for residency if I leave and that I won't be able to develop my entrepreneurship in an isolated city like Rochester.
Pros
- Seattle is an amazing city with nightlife and an awesome food scene
- a degree of anonymity that comes with a big city and big medical school program
- My support system is here
- I have a strong interest in entrepreneurship and having the business school and entre programs in the city make it easier to continue working on my start-up, compete for funding, etc
- Great school with an even better set of residency programs
- most classes don't have mandatory attendance policies
- I am set on moving back to Seattle for residency and I know that it will be easiest if I go to medical school here
Cons
- PhD lecturers
- meh Step 1 scores
- I have no interest in primary care, family medicine, or rural care
- I'd be going to UW for all undergrad, post-grad job, medical school, residency, etc
- their curriculum seems to be still experiencing growing pains
- there's been a lot of controversy lately (in multiple departments in the school of medicine) regarding the lack of accountability of racist/sexist/transphobic statements made in classes by professors because... tenure status and research money evidently trumps all else
Mayo Clinic SOM MN
Pros
- I'm in love with how Mayo practices medicine, I was so impressed by the vibe and attitude of the physicians there. It just seems too good to be true.
- The program, the promise of mentorship, individualization opportunities; I feel like Mayo would match my ambition and support me in any direction I want to go in medicine
- The potential to see the most obscure and rare medical illnesses at the hospital
- The dress code! I love business-wear and heels.
Cons
- My main concern is my future ability to match at UW for a competitive (surgical) residency program
- I would be uprooting my partner who won't have very many job opportunities in Rochester
- Lots of logistical problems with moving with lots of pets, finding tenants and a property manager
- Rochester.
Summary: Seattle is my current home and UW is an awesome school. But I fell in love with Mayo and am willing to give up the comfort of having my friends here and the fun of the city to get an excellent education at Mayo. However, I am concerned my ability to return to Seattle for residency if I leave and that I won't be able to develop my entrepreneurship in an isolated city like Rochester.