michigan or vandy?

[bobbathehut]

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Hi - my first post,

Is anyone making the same decision -- or does anyone have strong feelings either way? I was thinking:

-both cost about the same (i'm out of state), are far enough away that i'd have to fly back to the east coast to visit my family, and are in what seem like pretty fun cities

-michigan is p/f for the first two years, vandy only for the first year (then it's honors/p/f) -- big plus for michigan

-michigan has weekly tests -- big minus for michigan

-seems like the word about vandy is that the students are really happy

-vandy's a lot sunnier and not freezing cold

-michigan has about 50% MI residents - not so much geographic diversity

-seems like michigan has a slightly better reputation - though both will help with residency placements

i'm tending toward michigan. i was ecstatic when i got the acceptance email from them, but that might've been because it was because it was my first acceptance, and because their '24' ripoff was hilarious.

 

[cal_girl]

I would go for Vandy.. for the namesake and other things..

 

[jeffsleepy]

The pre-secondary interview invite schools, nice.

-michigan is p/f for the first two years, vandy only for the first year (then it's honors/p/f) -- big plus for michigan

This is huge. Pass/fail is awesome.

-michigan has weekly tests -- big minus for michigan

I personally don't mind it. If you keep up during the week, it's easy to take your quiz on Friday and get the rest of the weekend off. It keeps me on track anyhow, which is important because lectures aren't mandatory and I like to procrastinate.

-seems like the word about vandy is that the students are really happy

Awesome. I'm pretty sure Michigan has a reputation for being a "happy school" as well. To be honest, any med school with P/F where you don't have to go to class more than twice a week should be a good experience.

-vandy's a lot sunnier and not freezing cold

Yeah, the weather here sucks.

-michigan has about 50% MI residents - not so much geographic diversity

I can see that, though it wasn't a factor for me at all.

-seems like michigan has a slightly better reputation - though both will help with residency placements

Sounds about right.


The biggest thing to consider is the curriculum. Michigan is systems-based with a lot of lectures and very minimal PBL. The vast majority of lectures are optional, and by now 2/3 of the class just watches them online. I ended up not going to my Vandy interview so I'm not sure exactly what they do, but I think they're switching from discipline-based to systems-based next year. As an M1, I don't know much about the clinical years, but I've only heard good things about the program here.

 

[MadHopsMD]

U Michigan: Sanjay Gupta, MD - Current CNN-Medical News Reporter
Vandy: Bill Frist, MD - Former US Senator and Majority Leader

Will this influence your decision. um.........

 

[jeffsleepy]

U Michigan: Sanjay Gupta, MD - Current CNN-Medical News Reporter, Jack Kevorkian, MD - Current Prison Inmate
Vandy: Bill Frist, MD - Former US Senator and Majority Leader

Will this influence your decision. um.........

I think that awesomeness should be enough to persuade anybody.

 

[Bananas]

I think that awesomeness should be enough to persuade anybody.

I think Frist went to Harvard. He was later a professor at Vanderbilt.

He got into trouble a few years ago because of some more than questional research practices at Harvard. He was doing research on some kind of animal (cats? dogs? rabbits?) and ran out of animals. He went to pet stores under the pretense of adoption and then used the animals as test subjects. What a jackass. Perfect ethics for congress, though.

 

[MadHopsMD]

I think Frist went to Harvard. He was later a professor at Vanderbilt.

He got into trouble a few years ago because of some more than questional research practices at Harvard. He was doing research on some kind of animal (cats? dogs? rabbits?) and ran out of animals. He went to pet stores under the pretense of adoption and then used the animals as test subjects. What a jackass. Perfect ethics for congress, though.

oh damn you are right!

 

[MadHopsMD]

U Michigan:
Sanjay Gupta, MD - Current CNN-Medical News Reporter
Jack Kevorkian, MD - Current Prison Inmate

Vandy: ????

Looks like UMich is winning....even with Dr. Kevorkian on the list. lol

 

[dimebag darrell]

U Michigan:
Sanjay Gupta, MD - Current CNN-Medical News Reporter
Jack Kevorkian, MD - Current Prison Inmate
H. H. Holmes, MD - America's first serial killer
Vandy: ????

 

[EBI831]

U Michigan:
Sanjay Gupta, MD - Current CNN-Medical News Reporter
Jack Kevorkian, MD - Current Prison Inmate
H. H. Holmes, MD - America's first serial killer
Vandy:Travis stork MD, last year's bachelor ????

i felt bad for vandy what with all the criminals michigan had i felt it was an unfair advantage so i thought i'd add another violent man: a heartbreaker, ladykiller. i'm certain this will sway your decision hahhaa

 

[weathertalk]

I vote for michigan.

Also, heres another michigan alum-- one of my heroes.

http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/profiles/carson.html

 

[Stolenspatulas]

I'd go to Vandy.

 

[bretticus]

Vandy, but I'm biased. I mean I would go here for the weather alone! I don't think the reputation is that much of a difference; both are great schools and have excellent residency placements.

 

[Big XII Fanatic]

Michigan.

Much better reputation (ranked 4th in the nation by residency program directors).

The weekly quiz is a benefit, not a disadvantage. You can take it anytime you want, and it's pretty low key.

Better sports.

 

[Critical Mass]

Michigan.

I thought that David Satcher was a Michigan alum, but I checked, and he was Case Western. One of the early 90's surgeon generals did a residency at Michigan.

 

[bobbathehut]

thanks for your replies. it'll be a hard decision, but one that i'm happy to have to make. i'll go to both second looks and hopefully feel like one or the other is a great fit.

 

[morriske]

Michigan!!! Go blue! I'm not biased or anything 🙄

Isn't MI considered a better school? I've always thought it was a top 10/15 MD program. Lucy Liu is an alum of U of M undergrad

Also if you base your decision on second look weekends you'll end up choosing Vandy solely based on the weather. It still snows in MI in March/April.