Miami vs Penn State

[WyldeWolf1]

Bah! I can't make up my mind, and my wife is dying for a decision. I already ruled out St Louis Univ...I was a bit underwhelmed at my interview.

A look into the debate raging in my brain:

Even though I'm a Florida resident, because of the differences in living expenses, both options are identical budget-wise.

I had great experiences on both interviews, 2nd Look Day at PSU was a blast, and my friends at Miami are loving it there.

Miami has a couple of downsides (in my opinion): I don't speak Spanish, and I'm not a particularly big fan of cities that size. On the other hand, it's only four years, right?

According to the physicians I've asked, the size of the medical school doesn't really matter in your first four years; it can actually be an advantage to be in a smaller hospital as an intern.

I'm not aiming for a career in research; I'd like to do a little while I'm in school, but in the end my focus is to become an excellent practitioner.

Basically, I'm leaning toward PSU, but I want to make sure that I'm not hurting my chances of landing a particular residency (ie in my hometown of Gainesville at UF) aren't hurt by that decision.

Advice?

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[camstah]

i say penn state....you should make a poll of it....

 

[mosfet]

I say Penn State.........that way I can take your place in Miami off the waitlist.

 

[jlee9531]

hmmm...if its like any other state school i am sure miami will give you an excellent chance at gaining a residency position in Florida...and you might have a good chance to get in at the specific one you want if you stay in state and see if you can make connections during the 4 years in Miami.

And if you want to do a residency in Florida...wouldnt it easier...for you to just stay in Florida instead of moving to PA and moving back to FL 4 years later? You should ask Miami for a match list to see how many of their students end up in FL and to see if Gainsville takes many residents out of state.

If none of these things end up being an issue and you felt good at PSU, then go PSU.
wish you the best in your decisions.

 

[mosfet]

hmmm...if its like any other state school i am sure miami will give you an excellent chance at gaining a residency position in Florida...and you might have a good chance to get in at the specific one you want if you stay in state and see if you can make connections during the 4 years in Miami.

And if you want to do a residency in Florida...wouldnt it easier...for you to just stay in Florida instead of moving to PA and moving back to FL 4 years later? You should ask Miami for a match list to see how many of their students end up in FL and to see if Gainsville takes many residents out of state.

If none of these things end up being an issue and you felt good at PSU, then go PSU.
wish you the best in your decisions.

Jlee,
Miami is not a FL state school.....It's a private school......however, it DOES give preference to state residents during admissions.

 

[WyldeWolf1]

After discussing it a bit more with my wife and a few physicians, including one who just finished his cardiology residency here at UF, I've decided to go to PSU. Thanks for your quick responses, and good luck getting my spot at Miami, mosfet.

Ultimately, I just had a great feeling about PSU, look forward to the four seasons (originally from Kentucky), and know that my wife and I will both be very happy in Hershey.

I already know enough people at the University of Florida that I'm not worried about "networking" if that's where I end up wanting to do my residency.

I'm actually going to live on the wrong side of the Mason-Dixon line...

Hell weather update: nonstop blizzards for the next epoch.