Mizzou vs. SLU

[Bob Diesel]

Just a brief rundown, I have been blessed enough to receive acceptances from Mizzou and SLU. I am a Missouri Resident, so in-state tuition at Mizzou would be $20,000 less than tuition at SLU. This is huge for me, as I already have over $100,000 in student loan debt from undergrad and want to save as much money as I can. Honestly, I've wanted to go to Mizzou since I was like a sophomore in college. It just felt right, I'm from a rural area, and I love Columbia. At the same time, my family is like an hour from STL (not a fan of the city) so SLU is a very close second. I got a really good vibe from the school and the students when I interviewed there. I would be extremely happy to go to either school. One of my main issues is residency matching, which is why I came here for y'all to shed some light. I know Mizzou is very primary care focused. However, I'm really not sure what specialty I want to go into, but I don't want to close any doors if I decided I wanted to go into surgery or something. Anybody wanna give their 2 cents? Also just thoughts overall on both schools?

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[Bob Diesel]

Not extremely familiar with either school. Just throwing some general thoughts in here

1) Columbia isn't that far from St. Louis. 20K/yr is a pretty substantial amount.

2) You can look at the match lists - they look pretty similar
Mizzou: Match Lists - MU School of Medicine
SLU: Match List 2020

It seems both schools match students with a good mix of primary care / specialties. I would be tempted to lean Mizzou, but keep thinking them over and weighing pros vs cons

Thank you for the response!

 

[deleted1075353]

bro these schools are basically exactly the same except one is $80k cheaper (before interest) and is in a better location. this is a nobrainer. go to COMO, grab a burger at Booche's, and use the literal six figures you will be saving to make the 2 hr drive or whatever to visit your fam when you want.

also Mizzou has SEC football!!!

 

[bengalsix]

If we're thinking prestige and how it affects residency options, the schools are basically tied (US News & World ranks #74 for SLU and #79 for Mizzou). But one school is significantly less expensive, making the choice clear.

 

[zeddd78893]

Mizzou for sure. Keep in mind the new research building opens in October which will help you with competitive specialties

 

[Bob Diesel]

bro these schools are basically exactly the same except one is $80k cheaper (before interest) and is in a better location. this is a nobrainer. go to COMO, grab a burger at Booche's, and use the literal six figures you will be saving to make the 2 hr drive or whatever to visit your fam when you want.

also Mizzou has SEC football!!!

Thanks for the response. Starting to see the no-brainer haha. Still wish they were in the Big 12 but I won't complain about watching crazy good SEC teams and players stomp them haha.

 

[Bob Diesel]

Mizzou for sure. Keep in mind the new research building opens in October which will help you with competitive specialties

I thought about this as well, although I'm sure it will take a couple years for them to really gain ground as a research school. Either way, it'll be great to be in a brand new facility.

 

[hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm]

I went to SLU for undergrad, so I can give some insight on SLU. I was nervous about living in St. Louis, but it's honestly not as bad as everyone says. I absolutely loved living in the city (which I literally never thought I would enjoy). Everything was so close and there was so much to do. There definitely are some sketchy areas, but as long as you make safe and smart decisions, you should be fine. I never had any problems while living there. I currently live in St. Louis County now, which is always an option for you as well. It is a much nicer area, in my opinion, and smaller. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to drive to campus, so depending on where you go in the county, it might not be super far from campus! Rent can be expensive in the city, but if you have roommates, it cuts down the cost down significantly. Rent is also cheaper if you go outside of city limits. I have friends that go to med school there, and they absolutely love it! They couldn't imagine themselves anywhere else. Both their undergrad and med school emphasize community service heavily, so if that is something you are interested in, then SLU has a lot of opportunities. They also just built a new hospital that is very nice!! I would also keep in mind is the curriculum. Mizzou is PBL and I don't believe SLU is. I could be wrong though, so I would double check that!

 

[Sea Otter]

As a Mizzou grad, I can say with confidence that you won’t be pushed to go into primary care if that’s not where your interests are (mine weren’t). The school can help you be competitive to match in any field you want. And as a resident in my final year of training which means I am close to having to start paying off my loans, I can say with confidence that you should go to the cheaper school (aka Mizzou).

 

[lavenderbunny10]

I'm in a similar dilemma as you, but switched. I'm a Missouri resident and was accepted into both SLU and Mizzou med. I went to SLU for undergrad and absolutely loved it. I'm definitely more of a city person. I'm leaning towards SLU but Mizzou's tuition rate is also really appealing.