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I have been very fortunate to be accepted to both schools. It has been difficult for me to decide because I like both schools. After much wrestling, I feel that the better choice might be Tulane. However, before casting the dice that will affect not just the next 7~8 years of my life but also my career as a physician-scientist, I would like to hear what you all think.
In terms of the MD curriculum, I think the two schools are comparable. Both are Pass/Fail and emphasize on PBL/small group (even more so at Hofstra). Both have excellent and early clinical exposure. I like that at Hofstra students will be first trained as NY EMTs and I find the longitudinal patient component of perceptionships very cool. On the other hand, in addition to the University Hospital, Tulane has developed a large system of community health clinics in New Orleans and there are many opportunities for students to participate in these clinics (which is right up my alley-- I have been extensively involved with free clinics). So I think at either school the clinical training will be excellent.
In terms of research, Tulane is not a research powerhouse, but I was told that the research there is "respectable." It has some translational research, however there is no particular lab that stood out to me. MD/PhD students at Hofstra will do their research at the Feinstein Institute. It has a sleek website, but it worries me that no one has heard of it (not even researchers who have lived in Long Island). However, research at Feinstein is heavily translational, and there are a few people whom I would be very interested in working with. The Feinstein Institute received 109 NIH grants and Tulane, ~350. Among the researchers whom I am interested in, the distribution of # of grants is similar.
Both MD/PhD programs are fully funded and both stipends are very generous, so $$ is not an issue.
In terms of living situation, I am biased for New Orleans. I really like the unique and vibrant culture of the Crescent City and I feel that overall it is a great place to live, as everything is within walking / biking distances. I am actually sort of dreading living in NY as I will have to drive a lot. For example, the sim center and the Feinstein Institute is at least 20 minutes from campus.
In terms of matching, I was told that all Tulane MD/PhD graduates had no problem getting into programs that they wanted. The match-list for its MD students is impressive, with 15 / 188 students matched to California in 2011 and 12, in 2010. Because Hofstra is so new, there is no matching results yet, which is the major reason of why I am hesitant to choose Hofstra. However, I do not want to dismiss Hofstra because it seems to have a lot of potential (judging from its curriculum and clinical / research opportunities). At the same time, it seems risky to invest 7+ years on something that sounds good in theory.
Eight years down the road, I would like to be matched to a program of my choice (e.g. I might want to move back to California). Both Tulane and Hofstra are amazing schools, but Tulane seems to be the safer choice (because it is more established). Which school will better prepare me for an MD/PhD career? What do you think?
Thank you all in advance for your insights! 🙂
In terms of the MD curriculum, I think the two schools are comparable. Both are Pass/Fail and emphasize on PBL/small group (even more so at Hofstra). Both have excellent and early clinical exposure. I like that at Hofstra students will be first trained as NY EMTs and I find the longitudinal patient component of perceptionships very cool. On the other hand, in addition to the University Hospital, Tulane has developed a large system of community health clinics in New Orleans and there are many opportunities for students to participate in these clinics (which is right up my alley-- I have been extensively involved with free clinics). So I think at either school the clinical training will be excellent.
In terms of research, Tulane is not a research powerhouse, but I was told that the research there is "respectable." It has some translational research, however there is no particular lab that stood out to me. MD/PhD students at Hofstra will do their research at the Feinstein Institute. It has a sleek website, but it worries me that no one has heard of it (not even researchers who have lived in Long Island). However, research at Feinstein is heavily translational, and there are a few people whom I would be very interested in working with. The Feinstein Institute received 109 NIH grants and Tulane, ~350. Among the researchers whom I am interested in, the distribution of # of grants is similar.
Both MD/PhD programs are fully funded and both stipends are very generous, so $$ is not an issue.
In terms of living situation, I am biased for New Orleans. I really like the unique and vibrant culture of the Crescent City and I feel that overall it is a great place to live, as everything is within walking / biking distances. I am actually sort of dreading living in NY as I will have to drive a lot. For example, the sim center and the Feinstein Institute is at least 20 minutes from campus.
In terms of matching, I was told that all Tulane MD/PhD graduates had no problem getting into programs that they wanted. The match-list for its MD students is impressive, with 15 / 188 students matched to California in 2011 and 12, in 2010. Because Hofstra is so new, there is no matching results yet, which is the major reason of why I am hesitant to choose Hofstra. However, I do not want to dismiss Hofstra because it seems to have a lot of potential (judging from its curriculum and clinical / research opportunities). At the same time, it seems risky to invest 7+ years on something that sounds good in theory.
Eight years down the road, I would like to be matched to a program of my choice (e.g. I might want to move back to California). Both Tulane and Hofstra are amazing schools, but Tulane seems to be the safer choice (because it is more established). Which school will better prepare me for an MD/PhD career? What do you think?
Thank you all in advance for your insights! 🙂
