MCW vs. Hofstra

[EmLems11]

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I was recently accepted off the waitlist at Hofstra and now am facing a difficult decision. I thought I would be able to make the decision on my own, but I would really appreciate others' thoughts/insight

MCW:
+established school
+close to family and friends
+will have access to resources such as M2s and M3s
+already have an apartment, etc
+recorded lectures
-about 14k more expensive per year
-A/B/C/D/F grading system
-traditional curriculum

Hofstra:
+20k scholarship
+exciting new curriculum with early patient contact
+brand-new facilities and very attentive staff
+P/F grading system
+/- small class size (I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing since I won't have non-med school friends in the area)
+/- PBL curriculum sounds nice in theory but I heard it's a PITA
-new school with untested curriculum, no one to ask for advice
-far from home and anyone I know
-would need to find a place to live/stressful moving process
-mandatory lectures
-anticipate some kinks and problems with the curriculum, prep for the boards, etc.


I am at a loss in this decision. I guess I am comparing a more expensive, but established school to a cheaper untested, but potentially exciting new school. Thoughts?

 

[NewBrandDoctor]

I was recently accepted off the waitlist at Hofstra and now am facing a difficult decision. I thought I would be able to make the decision on my own, but I would really appreciate others' thoughts/insight

MCW:
+established school
+close to family and friends
+will have access to resources such as M2s and M3s
+already have an apartment, etc
+recorded lectures
-about 14k more expensive per year
-A/B/C/D/F grading system
-traditional curriculum

Hofstra:
+20k scholarship
+exciting new curriculum with early patient contact
+brand-new facilities and very attentive staff
+P/F grading system
+/- small class size (I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing since I won't have non-med school friends in the area)
+/- PBL curriculum sounds nice in theory but I heard it's a PITA
-new school with untested curriculum, no one to ask for advice
-far from home and anyone I know
-would need to find a place to live/stressful moving process
-mandatory lectures
-anticipate some kinks and problems with the curriculum, prep for the boards, etc.


I am at a loss in this decision. I guess I am comparing a more expensive, but established school to a cheaper untested, but potentially exciting new school. Thoughts?

You should post this question in the Hofstra thread, where a lot of other accepted people (or those who have turned it down) might see it. I'll answer it as best as I can. I turned down more accepted schools for Hofstra, so be aware that I'm biased.

These are very different choices, and choosing one should be an easy choice once you decide what sort of experience you want to have.

For starters, take money off the table unless you see yourself going into family medicine or primary practice. It really is irrelevant in the course of your life assuming you make 200k+ later on; 14k/annual difference is nothing. (yes 60k is a lot, i have way more than that in loans now, but its nothing in the scheme of your life). I would also take the living situation off the table: you are guaranteed dorm housing with other med students and there are already 2 groups on the Facebook page with a house or hunting as we speak.

Just imagine a day in each school, and decide what would make you feel better at the end of the day, and which one will help you learn the most about being a doctor.

Do you learn more from lectures or from working out a problem?
Do you want to compete with your classmates or collaborate?
Do you want to be a traditional doctor or practice something new?
Do you want to stay where you are or experience a new place?
Do you think you'll rely more on past students or your current classmates?
Do you want 2 years classroom and 2 years clinical, or a mix all 4?
Do you want to be able to take time off or be active in all parts of class?
Did your premed classes prepare you for the MCAT (i.e. standardized testing) or did studying for the specific test prepare you better?

People think fundamentally differently, and have very different goals when choosing a medical school. Decide what you want out of life and your career, and who you are as a person and student, and the choice should be quite clear.

 

[FIREitUP]

are you really considering being a guinea pig for four years rather than going to a well established school? There will be competition regardless if there's pass/fail or not, and those grades are probably for preclinical years which don't matter much anyways. I wouldn't be surprised if Hofstra still had an internal ranking despite the P/F grading system. Go to MCW.

 

[IMDoc607]

I was recently accepted off the waitlist at Hofstra and now am facing a difficult decision. I thought I would be able to make the decision on my own, but I would really appreciate others' thoughts/insight

MCW:
+established school
+close to family and friends
+will have access to resources such as M2s and M3s
+already have an apartment, etc
+recorded lectures
-about 14k more expensive per year
-A/B/C/D/F grading system
-traditional curriculum

Hofstra:
+20k scholarship
+exciting new curriculum with early patient contact
+brand-new facilities and very attentive staff
+P/F grading system
+/- small class size (I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing since I won't have non-med school friends in the area)
+/- PBL curriculum sounds nice in theory but I heard it's a PITA
-new school with untested curriculum, no one to ask for advice
-far from home and anyone I know
-would need to find a place to live/stressful moving process
-mandatory lectures
-anticipate some kinks and problems with the curriculum, prep for the boards, etc.


I am at a loss in this decision. I guess I am comparing a more expensive, but established school to a cheaper untested, but potentially exciting new school. Thoughts?

I was asked to be on a panel at the school for an event. The curriculum is interesting but I must say that they make a bigger deal out of it than it really is. They claim you think as a resident. Honestly guys you can't think like a resident as a first or second year....even third year. It does seem interesting. It is also connected with North Shore which will soon be one the largest hospital systems out there.

Here is the shallow part.....its connected to the college and there will be plenty of fun to have also. I know medical school is grueling but there is nothing wrong with balancing some fun out with college students (girls especially). I would personally go with Hofstra.

 

[reddoc]

The main issue here is do you think you would feel more comfortable in the suburban setting of milwaukee or the intensity of NY for your clinical years? Pick the school where you think you will be happiest and forget about the other issues.

 

[FIREitUP]

I was asked to be on a panel at the school for an event. The curriculum is interesting but I must say that they make a bigger deal out of it than it really is. They claim you think as a resident. Honestly guys you can't think like a resident as a first or second year....even third year. It does seem interesting. It is also connected with North Shore which will soon be one the largest hospital systems out there.

Here is the shallow part.....its connected to the college and there will be plenty of fun to have also. I know medical school is grueling but there is nothing wrong with balancing some fun out with college students (girls especially). I would personally go with Hofstra.

Hofstra has the highest incidence of STD's in the country. The girls are ***** and disease ridden. Hempstead is in the worst part of Long Island and it doesn't get much better as you venture outwards. LIJ hospitals are mostly in Long Island and I wouldn't consider the clinical experience they offer to be outstanding. The only two hospitals that would have the best exposure on LI would be NUMC or Stony Brook. Go to MCW, you won't regret it.

@ reddoc: there is no intensity in NY. These are suburban areas except for Staten Island Hospital. The rest, like Syosset, Huntington, LIJ, NSLIJ and Lennox Hill are in suburban LI.

 

[rtm903]

You should post this question in the Hofstra thread, where a lot of other accepted people (or those who have turned it down) might see it. I'll answer it as best as I can. I turned down more accepted schools for Hofstra, so be aware that I'm biased.

These are very different choices, and choosing one should be an easy choice once you decide what sort of experience you want to have.

For starters, take money off the table unless you see yourself going into family medicine or primary practice. It really is irrelevant in the course of your life assuming you make 200k+ later on; 14k/annual difference is nothing. I would also take the living situation off the table: you are guaranteed dorm housing with other med students and there are already 2 groups on the Facebook page with a house or hunting as we speak. I'll help you move in too.

Just imagine a day in each school, and decide what would make you feel better at the end of the day, and which one will help you learn the most about being a doctor.

Do you learn more from lectures or from working out a problem?
Do you want to compete with your classmates or collaborate?
Do you want to be a traditional doctor or change medicine?
Do you want to stay where you are or experience a new place?
Do you think you'll rely more on past students or your current classmates?
Do you want 2 years classroom and 2 years clinical, or a mix all 4?
Do you want to be able to vanish into the group or be an essential part of class?
Did your premed classes prepare you for the MCAT (i.e. standardized testing) or did studying for the specific test prepare you better?

People think fundamentally differently, and have very different goals when choosing a medical school. Decide what you want out of life and your career, and who you are as a person and student, and the choice should be quite clear!

Ok. So I'm going to be attending Hofstra in the fall too, and here's some things I considered before making my decision.

1. Money - Anyone that tells you a 60k difference in debt doesn't matter has never had debt before. It sucks. Should you make your entire decision based on money? Probably not, but it is an important factor.

2. Facilities / Faculty / Clinical opportunities - Brand new facilities with a clinical and surgical simulation lab that is already up and running for the NSLIJ residents. The faculty is friendly, approachable, and extremely organized and intelligent. They knew my name when I arrived at the second look weekend. If you are accepted, it means you did something right for the administration to pick you out of the 800 students they interviewed. They saw you as someone who would be a leader and create your own organizations that will eventually be the architecture of the school. The clinical and research opportunities are fantastic at NSLIJ. They publish the Journal of Mol. Medicine which has an impact factor of 5. It's also one of the largest residency programs in the country. You're not going to be fighting med students from Einstein / NYU / Cornell, etc. for scutwork here.

3. Residency - At second look, this is the only place where I was encouraged by radiologists, neurosurgeons, orthopods, and more to go into their field. NSLIJ wants to have med students succeed and fill their own residency spots.

4. Location - I'm coming from Chicago, and I'm going to be sad to leave the midwest, but I'm excited to move to NY. Manhattan is a 35 minute train ride away. Long Island can be a little "Jersey Shore" at times, but for me, it's the perfect balance of urban/suburban that I feel comfortable in. Besides, I'm excited to see Snooki out on the weekends.

Anyway, that's why I decided on Hofstra. Good luck with your decision. I've never been to MCW so I'm not so sure what it has to offer. Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[byurazorhog]

MCW is very well regarded in the profession. I live out on the west coast and work with docs graduating from there and everyone seems to think highly of them. Milwaukee is an interesting city to do clinicals in plus MCW has great hospitals, especially their nationally ranked children's. MCW has solid match list year after year...their graduates go everywhere into everything it seems. I have friends there and they love it. I don't think u should risk it by going to an untested place for 4 important years of your life. MCW all the way!

 

[Hoya2009]

Hofstra has the highest incidence of STD's in the country. The girls are ***** and disease ridden. Hempstead is in the worst part of Long Island and it doesn't get much better as you venture outwards. LIJ hospitals are mostly in Long Island and I wouldn't consider the clinical experience they offer to be outstanding. The only two hospitals that would have the best exposure on LI would be NUMC or Stony Brook. Go to MCW, you won't regret it.

@ reddoc: there is no intensity in NY. These are suburban areas except for Lennox Hill and Staten Island Hospital. The rest, like Syosset, Huntington, LIJ, NSLIJ are in suburban LI.

Yeah, Hempstead is not a great part of LI, but it's right next to Garden City/East Meadow/Carle Place and Westbury which are much better.

#knowyourgeography

 

[FIREitUP]

Yeah, Hempstead is not a great part of LI, but it's right next to Garden City/East Meadow/Carle Place and Westbury which are much better.

#knowyourgeography

I know my geography, but I said the outside areas are not much better, in that they are still in LI and there is not much to do. If this was Stony Brook, it would be a non-issue because of the tremendous opportunities and university hospital, but it isn't.

 

[IMDoc607]

Hofstra has the highest incidence of STD's in the country. The girls are ***** and disease ridden. Hempstead is in the worst part of Long Island and it doesn't get much better as you venture outwards. LIJ hospitals are mostly in Long Island and I wouldn't consider the clinical experience they offer to be outstanding. The only two hospitals that would have the best exposure on LI would be NUMC or Stony Brook. Go to MCW, you won't regret it.

@ reddoc: there is no intensity in NY. These are suburban areas except for Staten Island Hospital. The rest, like Syosset, Huntington, LIJ, NSLIJ and Lennox Hill are in suburban LI.

Do you have experience? Dude Lennox Hill is in Manhattan. What clinical experience do you have?

The STD crap is a rumor. While Hempstead isn't the nicest place but it is far from the worst.

NUMC is going to bought by North Shore soon.

 

[IMDoc607]

I know my geography, but I said the outside areas are not much better, in that they are still in LI and there is not much to do. If this was Stony Brook, it would be a non-issue because of the tremendous opportunities and university hospital, but it isn't.

Stonybrook is nothing to rave about. The clinical experiences are poor. The residents are very malignant. I know this personally. I am a resident on LI.

 

[rtm903]

Hofstra has the highest incidence of STD's in the country. The girls are ***** and disease ridden. Hempstead is in the worst part of Long Island and it doesn't get much better as you venture outwards. LIJ hospitals are mostly in Long Island and I wouldn't consider the clinical experience they offer to be outstanding. The only two hospitals that would have the best exposure on LI would be NUMC or Stony Brook. Go to MCW, you won't regret it.

@ reddoc: there is no intensity in NY. These are suburban areas except for Staten Island Hospital. The rest, like Syosset, Huntington, LIJ, NSLIJ and Lennox Hill are in suburban LI.

I don't appreciate your usage of the word ****. Even on an online discussion board.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T549VoLca_Q

 

[IMDoc607]

I think having the opportunity to have a social life in addition access to the large hospital system is excellent. North Shore is very highly regarded.

I hate pulling rank because I hated it when people did to me but unless you have experience as a resident or student I really don't think you can say how good or bad clinical experiences are.

 

[IMDoc607]

I don't appreciate your usage of the word ****. Even on an online discussion board.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T549VoLca_Q

🙄

FireUp your comment that Lennox Hill is on LI really negates any credibility.

All things aside, I have no connection to the school. I was asked to sit on a panel and I found it interesting. However, if you read my first post I also mention some negatives.

 

[FIREitUP]

🙄

FireUp your comment that Lennox Hill is on LI really negates any credibility.

All things aside, I have no connection to the school. I was asked to sit on a panel and I found it interesting. However, if you read my first post I also mention some negatives.

you're right, it's not. doesn't negate my argument, though. I honestly don't see the issue here, though. OP got into a good program with (correct me if I'm wrong) a University Hospital and a good name. I would take it and run with it.

 

[Hoya2009]

Rar rar rar. Hofstra sucks! Nobody go there! Rar Rar Rar I hate Long Island.... It sucks!!! All hospitals affiliated with Hofstra suck because they are on Long Island.... Except Stony Brook, the holy grail of Long Island... Rar rar rar
I don't even know where hospitals are and what "clinical experience" is, but believe me.
Rar rar rar......

Fixed that for you. I think that's about right.

 

[citrusguy2010]

as barney stinson would said: new is always better.

besides A/B/C/D/F grading system kinda sucks i hear. P/F all the way!

 

[icepeak]

are you really considering being a guinea pig for four years rather than going to a well established school? There will be competition regardless if there's pass/fail or not, and those grades are probably for preclinical years which don't matter much anyways. I wouldn't be surprised if Hofstra still had an internal ranking despite the P/F grading system. Go to MCW.

kid. stop bashing hofstra. from my limited perusal of the hofstra thread, it sounds like you didn't even interview there - so please stop pretending like you know ANYTHING about the school.

 

[icepeak]

op, look at it this way - either one will give you the MD after your name, if you work hard at either school, you will get to where you need to be. sometimes all a decision like this warrants is your gut reaction to both schools.

 

[IMDoc607]

you're right, it's not. doesn't negate my argument, though. I honestly don't see the issue here, though. OP got into a good program with (correct me if I'm wrong) a University Hospital and a good name. I would take it and run with it.

University program is in regards to residency. For example, my residency is connected to a medical school which means it is a university hospital. Lenox Hill is now a university hospital due to the connection with North Shore. I am still waiting to hear your clinical experience at all those places.

I will say tho my rotation there was not so good but I think that was due to the people I was working with.

 

[Hoya2009]

For the record, NS-LIJ was a university hospital prior to the Hofstra addition, has affiliation with AECOM and was already a huge trainer of residents even though there was no school attached.

 

[EmLems11]

Thanks everyone for their input! Being from Wisconsin, I am not familiar with the New York hospitals. Also, I should mention that I am a female, so the prospect of undergrad girls isn't exactly a selling point. Also, as far as the std argument goes, I can promise that Milwaukee is notorious for this problem as well. I am still struggling with the idea of leaving an extremely strong support system for a new, exciting curriculum. I should mention that I have a strong interest in peds as well as working with health disparities. Anyways, thanks for the advice and feel free to keep it coming! 🙂

 

[DJtiesto]

Thanks everyone for their input! Being from Wisconsin, I am not familiar with the New York hospitals. Also, I should mention that I am a female, so the prospect of undergrad girls isn't exactly a selling point. Also, as far as the std argument goes, I can promise that Milwaukee is notorious for this problem as well. I am still struggling with the idea of leaving an extremely strong support system for a new, exciting curriculum. I should mention that I have a strong interest in peds as well as working with health disparities. Anyways, thanks for the advice and feel free to keep it coming! 🙂

MCW has the third best childrens hospital in the nation sooo.....

 

[byurazorhog]

Thanks everyone for their input! Being from Wisconsin, I am not familiar with the New York hospitals. Also, I should mention that I am a female, so the prospect of undergrad girls isn't exactly a selling point. Also, as far as the std argument goes, I can promise that Milwaukee is notorious for this problem as well. I am still struggling with the idea of leaving an extremely strong support system for a new, exciting curriculum. I should mention that I have a strong interest in peds as well as working with health disparities. Anyways, thanks for the advice and feel free to keep it coming! 🙂

MCW will serve you well for both of these interests. You're from WI so i'm sure you already know this.

 

[FIREitUP]

kid. stop bashing hofstra. from my limited perusal of the hofstra thread, it sounds like you didn't even interview there - so please stop pretending like you know ANYTHING about the school.

I didn't apply because that would be a waste of 100 bucks. I don't need to interview at the school to know certain things. Anyway, OP, good luck wherever you end.

 

[ryuuzaki]

I was recently accepted off the waitlist at Hofstra and now am facing a difficult decision. I thought I would be able to make the decision on my own, but I would really appreciate others' thoughts/insight

MCW:
+established school
+close to family and friends
+will have access to resources such as M2s and M3s
+already have an apartment, etc
+recorded lectures
-about 14k more expensive per year
-A/B/C/D/F grading system
-traditional curriculum

Hofstra:
+20k scholarship
+exciting new curriculum with early patient contact
+brand-new facilities and very attentive staff
+P/F grading system
+/- small class size (I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing since I won't have non-med school friends in the area)
+/- PBL curriculum sounds nice in theory but I heard it's a PITA
-new school with untested curriculum, no one to ask for advice
-far from home and anyone I know
-would need to find a place to live/stressful moving process
-mandatory lectures
-anticipate some kinks and problems with the curriculum, prep for the boards, etc.


I am at a loss in this decision. I guess I am comparing a more expensive, but established school to a cheaper untested, but potentially exciting new school. Thoughts?

I personally would not be willing to be the inaugural class of a brand new medical school simply because I wouldn't know how new medical schools are perceived by PDs. That sort of uncertainty is enough for me to hesitate from attending, even if it saves me $56,000 over four years.

If Hofstra and the Medical College of Wisconsin were equivalent institutions in terms of establishment, ranking, clinical rotations, and the various miscellaneous opportunities that medical students look forward to, then the decision is cut and dry in favor of Hofstra.

The better question is then, is the Medical College of Wisconsin worth an additional $56,000? Upon examination of the previously mentioned criteria, I would say yes.

The bigger question though is where do you think you'll be happier? Where do you want to practice? It seems to me that if you go to MCW, you will not have problems matching back to wherever you desire.

Here's this year's MATCH results for MCW:

Anesthesia (19)
Harvard/ Brigham & Women's
(2) Loma Linda
Mayo
(3) MCW
Northwestern
Rush
UCLA
UCSD
Univ of Buffalo
Univ of Pittsburgh
(2) Univ of Utah
Univ of Washington
Univ of Wisconsin
UT San Antonio
Washington Univ in St Louis

Child Neurology (1)
St Joseph's Hospital, Phoenix

Derm (2)
Mayo
MCW

Emergency Med (17)
Albert Einstein Jacobi/Montefiore
Cook County Hospital, Chicago
Henry Ford
Mayo
(3) MCW
Michigan State Univ
Ohio State
(2) Oregon Health & Science University
Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago
Univ of Arizona
Univ of Illinois Chicago
Univ of Illinois Peoria
Univ of Nevada
UVA

Family Med (21)
Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital, Corpus Christi
Family Medicine Residency of Idaho
Franciscan Skemp Healthcare Program, La Crosse
Kaiser Permanente Southern California
(4) MCW/ Columbia St. Mary's Hospitals
(3) MCW/ Waukesha
Phoenix Baptist Hospital
Research Medical Center Program, Kansas City
St. Louis Univ
UNC
Univ of Colorado
Univ of Michigan
Univ of Minnesota
(2) Univ of Wisconsin
Wright State

General Surgery (16)
Albany Med Center
Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis
John Hopkins
(2) Loma Linda
Maimonidies
Marshfield Clinic/ St. Joseph's Hospital, Marshfield
(3) MCW
Michigan State Univ
Ohio State
SUNY Upstate
Univ of Louisville
Univ of South Florida
Univ of Toronto

Internal Medicine (25)
(2) Banner Good Samaritan, Phoenix
Baylor
George Washington
(2) Indiana Univ
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara
Kaiser Permanente Southern California
Loyola
(8) MCW
Oregon Health & Science Univ
Univ of Chicago
Univ of Colorado
Univ of Iowa
Univ of Penn
Univ of Utah
(2) UT Southwestern

Internal Med/Derm (1)
Harvard

Internal Med/Peds (7)
Case Western
George Washington
Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix
(2) MCW
Penn State
Univ of South Carolina

Internal Medicine Prelim (12)
Alameda County Medical Center, Oakland
(4) MCW
St Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee
SUNY Downstate
UC Irvine
UCSD
UCSF - Fresno
Univ of Utah
Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle

Neurology (4)
Brown
Cleveland Clinic
Emory
USC

Neuro Surg (2)
Cleveland Clinic
Univ of Florida

OB/GYN (9)
Albert Einstein Jacobi/Montefiore
Banner Good Samaritan, Phoenix
Harvard/ Brigham & Women's
(3) MCW
Rush
UC Davis
Univ of Massachusetts

Ophtho (4)
Thomas Jefferson/ Wills Eye
SUNY Stony Brook
SUNY Downstate
UT Medical Branch

Orthopaedics (8)
Banner Good Samaritan, Phoenix
MCW
Univ of Kentucky
Univ of Massachusetts
Univ of New Mexico
(2) Univ of Wisconsin
UT San Antonio

Otolaryngology (4)
(2) MCW
St. Louis Univ
Univ of Missouri - Columbia


Pathology (1)
MCW

Peds (27)
Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn
Children's Hospital - Oakland
Emory
Georgetown
John Hopkins
Loyola
(10) MCW/ Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
(2) Northwestern
(2) Phoenix Children's Hospital/Maricopa Medical Center
Rush
St. Joseph's Hospital, Phoenix
Univ of Arizona
Univ of Chicago
Univ of Minnesota
Univ of Wisconsin
Vanderbilt

Peds Prelim (1)
MCW

PM&R (5)
Baylor
(2) MCW
Northwestern
Univ of Washington

Plastic Surg (1)
MCW

Psych (3)
MCW
Northwestern
University of Washington

Rad Onc (1)
Mayo

Radiology (10)
(3) MCW
Ohio State
Southern Illinois Univ
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UNC
Univ of Minnesota
Washington Univ in St. Louis

Surgery Prelim (11)
Beth Israel Deaconess
Cleveland Clinic
MCW
Mt Carmel, Columbus
Riverside Methodist Hospitals (Ohio Health), Columbus
St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit
UC Irvine
Univ of Iowa
Univ of Kansas
Univ of Michigan
Univ of Washington

Transitional (19)
(4) Aurora/ St. Lukes Med Center, Milwaukee
Emory
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation, La Crosse
Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis
MacNeal Memorial Hospital, Berwyn
(6) MCW
Naval Medical Center Program, Portsmith
(3) St Joseph Hospital, Milwaukee
UCLA Harbor

Urology (5)
Cleveland Clinic
MCW
UC Irvine
Univ of Iowa
Univ of Kansas

Bottom line, you need to answer a few more questions before you come to your decision.

Where do you like living? Where do you desire to live? NY or WI? Where do you want to practice? Where would you be happiest (Answer this question without thinking about the money. Ignore all financial burdens when considering)?

Just noticed that you're a Wisconsinite. I think you should go to MCW. You'll be right at home. $56,000 is worth being where you are already right at home.

The Barnacle is right about new always being better. But I think medical schools don't apply to this since this is more than just a lifestyle decision.

 

[FIREitUP]

University program is in regards to residency. For example, my residency is connected to a medical school which means it is a university hospital. Lenox Hill is now a university hospital due to the connection with North Shore. I am still waiting to hear your clinical experience at all those places.

I will say tho my rotation there was not so good but I think that was due to the people I was working with.

In regards to university hospital, I was referring to a hospital not only affiliated with the university, but one that is basically attached to said university, i.e., Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Hospital. My clinical experience in the NSLIJ health system as both a volunteer and an EMT is extensive. I have transported hundreds of patients to NSLIJ and have numerous negative encounters. I rather not get into it because I feel like I should not continue to bash on the NSLIJ health system; I realize I've been unprofessional in doing so. OP, I would not advise you to go to Hofstra, that's my personal opinion.

 

[IMDoc607]

In regards to university hospital, I was referring to a hospital not only affiliated with the university, but one that is basically attached to said university, i.e., Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Hospital. My clinical experience in the NSLIJ health system as both a volunteer and an EMT is extensive. I have transported hundreds of patients to NSLIJ and have numerous negative encounters. I rather not get into it because I feel like I should not continue to bash on the NSLIJ health system; I realize I've been unprofessional in doing so. OP, I would not advise you to go to Hofstra, that's my personal opinion.

Ok fair enough fair enough. That's all you had to say.

I am willing to admit tho that after looking at the MCW matchlist I would probably go to MCW. I have a special affinity towards Hofstta for reasons but I won't say because it could give away my identity. I went to BU for undergrad which was awesome. To bad you can't go there!!!

Good luck!!

 

[Squeakers]

MCW doesn't have a grade system, it's honors, high pass, pass, fail. Which is the happy medium, in my opinion, between grades and the simple pass fail system. Just in case you were still thinking about anything 🙂

 

[anbuitachi]

Personally, id stay closer to home since it is much more convenient. Also 60k really isn't that much of a deal in the long run. If it was 150k different, then that would be different. Many people have 60k+ loans from college already!

But the end choice is yours. Biggest downfall about Hofstra is you don't really know how good it is. The curriculum sounds impressive but it doesn't mean it will work well. When I interviewed there, i felt it was a copy of case western's curriculum without the experience.

 

[EmLems11]

Personally, id stay closer to home since it is much more convenient. Also 60k really isn't that much of a deal in the long run. If it was 150k different, then that would be different. Many people have 60k+ loans from college already!

But the end choice is yours. Biggest downfall about Hofstra is you don't really know how good it is. The curriculum sounds impressive but it doesn't mean it will work well. When I interviewed there, i felt it was a copy of case western's curriculum without the experience.

As of now, I am leaning towards MCW, however, it is not an easy decision. While I think New York would be amazing, I cannot discount the benefits of family support. Do I want to be a "future leader of medicine"? Sure, of course. I just worry that the reality won't materialize in the way their rhetoric suggests. Also, I was able to interview at VTC and the students alluded to problems in the first year, which I would assume is common of new schools. While I think I can adapt well and succeed in many different learning environments, I don't know if its worth the additional stress.

Anyways, I'm still looking over their websites and taking everyone's opinions/advice into consideration

 

[Justforkicks4]

Hey OP,

I just finished up M1 here at MCW and I've really enjoyed the school. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any specific questions.

 

[littlecritter88]

I was recently accepted off the waitlist at Hofstra and now am facing a difficult decision. I thought I would be able to make the decision on my own, but I would really appreciate others' thoughts/insight

MCW:
+established school
+close to family and friends
+will have access to resources such as M2s and M3s
+already have an apartment, etc
+recorded lectures
-about 14k more expensive per year
-A/B/C/D/F grading system
-traditional curriculum

Hofstra:
+20k scholarship
+exciting new curriculum with early patient contact
+brand-new facilities and very attentive staff
+P/F grading system
+/- small class size (I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing since I won't have non-med school friends in the area)
+/- PBL curriculum sounds nice in theory but I heard it's a PITA
-new school with untested curriculum, no one to ask for advice
-far from home and anyone I know
-would need to find a place to live/stressful moving process
-mandatory lectures
-anticipate some kinks and problems with the curriculum, prep for the boards, etc.


I am at a loss in this decision. I guess I am comparing a more expensive, but established school to a cheaper untested, but potentially exciting new school. Thoughts?

I would choose Hofstra because you have an amazing scholarship.. 20K is not easy to come by. It has P/F grading system which definitely creates a less competitive and more collaborative learning environment, and the facilities are amazing. To me, it looks like your selling points for MCW are not quite as convincing as they are for Hofstra.

 

[DJtiesto]

I would choose Hofstra because you have an amazing scholarship.. 20K is not easy to come by. It has P/F grading system which definitely creates a less competitive and more collaborative learning environment, and the facilities are amazing. To me, it looks like your selling points for MCW are not quite as convincing as they are for Hofstra.

me thinks littlecritter wants you to withdraw at mcw so he/she can get off the WL there

 

[qwerty89]

As of now, I am leaning towards MCW, however, it is not an easy decision. While I think New York would be amazing, I cannot discount the benefits of family support. Do I want to be a "future leader of medicine"? Sure, of course. I just worry that the reality won't materialize in the way their rhetoric suggests. Also, I was able to interview at VTC and the students alluded to problems in the first year, which I would assume is common of new schools. While I think I can adapt well and succeed in many different learning environments, I don't know if its worth the additional stress.

Anyways, I'm still looking over their websites and taking everyone's opinions/advice into consideration

Saying that Hofstra will train you to become "a future leader in medicine" is garbage. Thats like saying "Yes we can!", its meaningless. Focus on more tangible things like research opportunities, quality of clinical instruction, etc. And in that MCW wins in a landslide.

"The Medical College of Wisconsin is a major national research center, in fact, the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area and 2nd largest in Wisconsin. In fiscal year 2009-10, faculty received approximately $161 million in external support for research, teaching, training and related purposes, of which approximately $148 million was for research. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the federal government’s FY 2010, the College received more than $108 million in NIH funding and ranked 44th among the nation’s 133 medical schools for NIH research funding. For the past two years, the College has received more NIH support than at any other time in its history."

While total NIH money, match lists are also weak indicators of your future success/happiness at either institution, IMO they are still better than looking at fuzzy things like "becoming a leader in medicine".

Also while you say Hofstra's curriculum is "exciting" either way you will be doing most of your learning in a library with your face buried in books/notes. That is the same at every med school regardless if you have PBL/Lecture-based curriculum. And you WILL be a guinea pig. Roughly 20 of MCW's current M1s are in a pilot program for a complete curriculum overhaul. Even they admitted at the interview day/social that they were guinea pigs in a sense, despite the fact that this is an established school. Do you think that Hofstra, a brand new school, will somehow have a smoother transition? I doubt it. Go with the established school.

 

[futIDdoc]

MCW student here. Clear up one point for you about the grading system and the 'competition' it creates. Short answer, I doubt there is a place that has students as collegial and cooperative as MCW. Are there a bunch of Type A people? Of course, its med school. However, people are competitive in the sense that golfers are competitive. You learn early to measure yourself against your own goals and standards.

 

[IMDoc607]

Personally, id stay closer to home since it is much more convenient. Also 60k really isn't that much of a deal in the long run. If it was 150k different, then that would be different. Many people have 60k+ loans from college already!

But the end choice is yours. Biggest downfall about Hofstra is you don't really know how good it is. The curriculum sounds impressive but it doesn't mean it will work well. When I interviewed there, i felt it was a copy of case western's curriculum without the experience.

As a resident paying off loans on a $50K salary, I can promise you the 60K is a huge deal. You need to factor in interest and lack of imcome during medical school.

 

[lpmarcus010]

I don't appreciate your usage of the word ****. Even on an online discussion board.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T549VoLca_Q

I don't appreciate your use of the "T" word either. Even when calling someone else out who used the word. I think he meant the girls are tardy (as in late to class) and disease ridden. Take that...