Medical College of Wisconsin vs. Wake Forest

[lnb_rock!]

Hello everyone,
I am deciding between these two schools and need some help. I currently live in Milwaukee where MCW is located and I am interested in pursuing ophthalmology.

MCW pros:
- Extremely well regarded in Milwaukee and Wisconsin
- Froedtert Hospital/health system is massive with just about every sub-specialty. MCW is within the hospital campus which would make shadowing easy
- Has its own eye institute with extensive amounts of research available.
-2023 match had 3 ophthalmology matches (class size 237 across 3 campuses)
-I live in Milwaukee currently and absolutely love it here. Plus I wouldn't have to move. (I'm from Illinois and am a midwest person at heart)
-All of my family lives in Illinois and Wisconsin. Lots of friends living in Milwaukee
-Matches well
-Already have connections with surgeons and heads of departments at MCW (Family Friends)

MCW Cons:
-Larger class size
-New curriculum started this year, guaranteed hiccups. Talked to current M1s and they don't find it too bad
-61k and cost of living is more expensive in Milwaukee compared to Winston-Salem

Wake Forest Pros:
-Wouldn't mind living in a new area
-Well known program
-Better weather
-More ophthalmology matches despite smaller class (4 matches 132 class size)
-Slightly more expensive at 63k but cost of living is cheaper
-Seems like the curriculum is very straightforward, a really good job presenting at the interview day.
-Matches well

Wake Forest Cons:
-No support system in North Carolina (I have no friends or family there)
-Would have to move halfway across the country
-Just from a glance on their respective websites, not as much opportunity for ophthalmology research compared to MCW
-Atrium health/WF Baptist not as prestigious as Froedtert? Don't know if this holds any weight at all lol
-Not too fond of the south, but North Carolina isn't the Deep south

I'm going to visit Wake Forest at the second look day in March and going to go on an official tour at MCW soon, but would love to hear any opinions and any information/insight about the two schools (especially Wake Forest considering my knowledge is pretty limited)

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[Premed@ForestParkForever]

I am in a slightly similar situation between MCW and UNMC (and waiting on 2 more results) but for me, the hard part is I can not stay near my family in St. Louis as I am not accepted there, and as someone who values support system and being close to family and friends this is HUGE for me.

I feel both schools from your pros and cons look very similar in terms of cost and some other factors and honestly I think it comes down to whether you place a higher value on staying near your family and if you like the city. I am sure you will get a lot of insight once you visit in March and this will help you when you speak to current students there. Whatever you choose, congratulations on your acceptances, and good luck to you!!

 

[purdey]

I wouldn’t put too much weight into four matches vs three. That’s more indicative of student preference

 

[chilly_md]

Ophthalmology is a small world. If MCW has plenty of research and an eye institute on top of being where you are from, it seems like an easy decision

 

[nbwaterman]

bump bc im also trying to see if wake is right for me

 

[eyeeye_captain]

Ophthalmology wise, yes, you will have an advantage with the resources at MCW. The department isn’t as good as it used to be clinically (used to have some the best retina and plastics fellowships in the country a long while back), but they put out a good bit of research. You may be able to leverage earlier opportunities than most students if your family friends do you a solid.

Regional preference is real, but not massive. If you plan on staying in the Midwest to train, programs in the area will tend to match students from places they know, which to be fair is also a bit of selection bias from students wanting to stay in region. I will say that if you want to go back to Illinois to train, the Chicago programs are pretty notorious for this bias.

Wake has a good reputation for putting out comprehensive ophthalmologists, but has a smaller program and footprint.

The bigger factor is if there’s a difference in curriculum and setting that will help you thrive in school so you even get the chance to apply for ophthalmology. Keep comparing the curriculums. Consider how much family support helps your mental health.

Good luck, I suspect you’ll do well either way.

 

[thefirerisen]

MCW!

 

[m1redsox]

Just matched ophtho from Wake Forest, feel free to PM me. Had an amazing experience there, but I’ll admit that research was an uphill battle.