Morehouse SOM or Medical College of Georgia

[LisaRicha]

Hey!
I was accepted into both of these amazing schools, and need help what to decide.

MSM:
Pros -
Atlanta, GA (my hometown!)
Rotation sites (Grady)
Familiar area
Smaller School
Cons-
Primary care focused
less departments/research
Growing school
HP/P/F

MCG:
Pros -
A very large school, with a many departments, interested in ENT.
Opportunities?
P/F
Cons -
Augusta, GA (or Athens, GA) have not been assigned campus yet
Rotation sites (all over GA, lottery system)
Farther from family

Cost will be approximately same because I will be living at home in ATL.
I am just not sure if I want to go into a competitive specialty, MCG would be better because more people seem to match (35% vs 25% in non-primary care specialties), than MSM. I like both schools a lot! MCG has many more departments in ENT, Derm ect.

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[SimplyNicole]

I'll echo what people in previous threads have said about these schools and give my thoughts. As an ATL native, I would definitely go with MSM.

You should add these factors to your list.

-MCG has questionable in-depth clinical exposure- rotations are at Augusta Health and rural hospitals spread throughout Georgia. You will predominantly be working in rural regions and will struggle to get the rotations you want compared to a school with a smaller class size.
-Having spent time in Augusta, Athens, and Atlanta, MCG's locations have nothing on Atlanta as far as what the locations have to offer.
-Being at an HBCU has strong intangible benefits for students who want to be at one. If you are considering it, then it will likely benefit you.
-The rotation and networking opportunities in ATL are amazing and can help you network across the nation. Attending in Augusta is a great option if you want to stay in that area, but it limits how far you can go to a degree. I have family who work at Grady and it is a good place to rotate.

As far as distance from family goes, I think it all depends on your relationship with your family. If you are close to them, then being nearby is an invaluable safety net and network for the stresses of medical school. If you are not close, then it doesn't matter as much. This can also apply to your other networks in an area you are familiar with.

I also would normally say look at the tuition difference (which would favor MCG), but they are very close in price and you said it would cost you the same. That price difference is one of MCG's big perks against other schools but that doesn't affect you.

I would go with MSM because it seems like a better fit for you (ENT/Derm networking and rotation options in your hometown vs the more rural experience). Specialty preferences typically change during medical school so I would go to the city with more options.

 

[ATLDawg]

Saw this bumped to the top. I would second the ATL hometown decision as a major factor.

 

[LisaRicha]

I'll echo what people in previous threads have said about these schools and give my thoughts. As an ATL native, I would definitely go with MSM.

You should add these factors to your list.

-MCG has questionable in-depth clinical exposure- rotations are at Augusta Health and rural hospitals spread throughout Georgia. You will predominantly be working in rural regions and will struggle to get the rotations you want compared to a school with a smaller class size.
-Having spent time in Augusta, Athens, and Atlanta, MCG's locations have nothing on Atlanta as far as what the locations have to offer.
-Being at an HBCU has strong intangible benefits for students who want to be at one. If you are considering it, then it will likely benefit you.
-The rotation and networking opportunities in ATL are amazing and can help you network across the nation. Attending in Augusta is a great option if you want to stay in that area, but it limits how far you can go to a degree. I have family who work at Grady and it is a good place to rotate.

As far as distance from family goes, I think it all depends on your relationship with your family. If you are close to them, then being nearby is an invaluable safety net and network for the stresses of medical school. If you are not close, then it doesn't matter as much. This can also apply to your other networks in an area you are familiar with.

I also would normally say look at the tuition difference (which would favor MCG), but they are very close in price and you said it would cost you the same. That price difference is one of MCG's big perks against other schools but that doesn't affect you.

I would go with MSM because it seems like a better fit for you (ENT/Derm networking and rotation options in your hometown vs the more rural experience). Specialty preferences typically change during medical school so I would go to the city with more options.

Thanks for the insight! How do you feel about home departments though which MCG has unlike MSM?

 

[SimplyNicole]

I started typing and it became too long so here is a TLDR. I'll PM you the full thing and you can read it if you want.

TLDR: There is no way to specifically know how much the departments will matter to your future as so many things change and are person-specific. For most students they won't make a difference at all. Additionally, you will do just fine in either place and be able to reach your goals just the same. I was curious and looked at their match rates. Morehouse had 96% of students match with 94% getting their first choice specialty. Since you seem interested in ENT, note that 1.1% of Morehouse's class matched in Otolaryngology (percent is reported to account for class size differnce). MCG had a 98% match rate, but did not announce the percent of first choice matches. They instead celebrated 60% matching in primary care. 0.75% of their class matched Otolaryngology. Showing that you can do just fine and match where you want at either school. There is not a large difference between them. Go where you will have the best quality of life and the rest will follow.

https://www.msm.edu/matchday/documents/MatchDay2022Results.pdf

https://www.augusta.edu/mcg/mcg-alumni/class-of-2022-residency-list.pdf

 

[4pf]

P/F Preclinical (huge stress reliever) and ENT department (easier research access + rec letters + potential to match to a home program if u want) would urge me towards MCG.

If you can get the Athens campus, it is only an hour and 15 minute drive to Atlanta. Not bad at all for visiting family