Mayo vs Pritzker

[MyDad'sBonJovi]

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Which one do you guys think is better? I am interested in a surgical subspecialty, or gen surg, and am looking for the place with abundant research opportunities and a great sense of support from school. Additionally, I prefer a place where the students are collaborative and have a strong sense of community. I like that both have small class sizes, and also have a decent amount of overlap in the qualities I just mentioned (research, culture, etc), so I'm having a hard time making the distinction!

 

[dodolol21]

Pritzker is an awesome program in a great city. Its class is small enough that you can get to know everyone but not so small that everyone knows about your life at all times and you can find a smaller niche group. I also think Chicago >>>>> Rochester. It's cold in both places but at least Chicago is an action-packed city with lots of other stuff going on. Honestly, if the only thing holding you back from Pritzker is Mayo being higher ranked, I wouldn't hesitate to choose Pritzker. Its always been in the T20 and its got old school prestige that will help you reach any institution you want for residency. They also have a history of churning out leaders in academic medicine.

 

[rball]

Both are great at what they do. If you’re talking from a solely career oriented standpoint, Mayo is stronger in the surgical subspecialties. You can still definitely do well from Pritzker, but thats really one of their only “weaknesses” when compared to their peers. They still seem to match fairly well in those areas (especially gen surg), but I do think Mayo would give you an edge.

That being said I’d factor in other aspects of your decision, as you’re splitting hairs. Personally I’d choose Pritzker every time for location alone. Either way great choices and can’t go wrong.

 

[franklyMed]

I had a similar dilemma between Mayo, Pitt, and Northwestern. I don't know if you were at Mayo's second look, but compared to all the others I was at, they definitely made me feel like I was a part of the family already. Mayo made feel like they cared more about who I was as a person as opposed to simply the numbers on the paper (more so than any school I encountered, that is).

I'm also interested in surgical subspecialties. Mayo, I would say is slightly stronger in that respect. They have over 160 ORs running every single day. Combine that with the small class size, and you essentially have entire surgery departments to yourself. Along with that, the entire department would be eager to mentor you.

Although Chicago is definitely a "better" city, Rochester grew on me over the weekend. The city is clean and each place (restaurant, bar, etc.) had a personality. Plus, after four years, you probably will be able to match virtually anywhere. I plan to head to a bigger place myself like NYC, Cali, or Texas. Join the Mayo Fam!! 🙂

 

[papercutscissors]

Mayo hands down for surgical specialties.

 

[crimson-cat]

The things you listed are probably also the factors the two schools have most in common. You should really be asking if you'd prefer 4-10 years in Chicago or 4-10 years in Rochester, MN. Do you care about underserved medicine? Do you like the small town life? Do you want a world class university around you? What you listed seems to be the strengths that the two institutions share, so I'd base your decision along the many ways the are vastly different.

 

[capriccio]

I agree that you should be focusing on how they're different, and which you prefer.

Chicago is, in my eyes, a much better and more exciting city to live and work in, with a more diverse patient population base. I personally was also really drawn to Pritzker's proximity to the rest of the university and the possiblity for interesting collaborations. However, Mayo is stronger in surgical specialties, although I've looked at Pritzker's surgery match lists and they seem to do fine. I think your decision should come down to location/patient population and program strength, and which one you feel will make a bigger difference in your personal and professional life.