Mount Sinai vs. NYU Long Island

[QueenzDoc]

Hello everyone,

Firstly, thanks for any constructive insights and perspectives. I am extremely lucky to have the opportunity to train at either of these amazing schools. A bit more about me: I am in my mid-late 20s. I am pretty confident I want to go into primary care since I like building long-lasting relationships in the healthcare setting and a good work-life balance, but I am open to anything that may surprise me. Really don't seem my self going into more detached specialties (radiology, surgery). When all is said and done, I want to practice in NYC.

Mount Sinai

Pros:
- NYC and all the ways that it may enhance my medical school experience such as perhaps more interesting clinical cases, diverse patient population, city life, etc. I grew up in Queens, so I have connections in NYC. I consider myself a city boy, so I do appreciate being able to move around on the subway/bike, and doing things later in the night when possible.
- Big hospital system with the opportunity to rotate in various locations including my own borough (Elmhurst hospital)
- More time to explore specialties.
- Global health opportunities in education, clinical settings, and research!
- I know a couple of people who go there, and while they seem busy, they certainly seem to be enjoying it.
- Serves a big Latinx population, which is important for me since I want to work with this population and use my Spanish to improve care. The school seems to have a big focus on social justice, advocacy, etc., which I am very much about!
- Online exams

Cons:
- Compared to NYU LISOM, it is an extra year of living costs/more debt (~27k) and of opportunity cost (residency/attending salary)
- 2 years of pre-clinical coursework, which means two more years of not actively being in the hospital setting
- May encounter gunners? I am not big on research, and I am not looking to get into the best, most competitive residency programs. I just want to collaborate with my peers and becoming the best clinical physician I can be.
- Big class size cons?

NYU LISOM
Pros:
- 3 year accelerated curriculum means I will only have one year of preclinical coursework before going to the hospital. Also, all the benefits of having one less year of school.
- Guaranteed residency at NYU Hospital - Long Island
- Small tight knit class which means individualized attention. All the faculty seem easily accessible and rooting for you!
- Students seem happy. They seem to have a good work student life balance despite the accelerated pace.
- Suburban life with the possibility to be in the city in under an hour. Idk if I would like suburban life.


Cons:
- Less vacation time; start and end a month earlier, etc. More intense school year.
- No global health opportunities, but maybe I can get involved after graduating
- Long island is hard to navigate without a car, which I hope to not have, since they are expensive! Fewer things to do during free time on LI.
- Less diversity?

Overall, I feel like by choosing NYU LISOM, I would be prioritizing finishing medical school faster and more or less fully committing to a career in primary care (although the latest match list does include anesthesia). Here, I would thrive with the small class size and attentive faculty in a non-cutthroat, collaborative culture. If I choose Mount Sinai, I will commit to hitting the books for longer, but be rewarded with more time to explore the vast world of medicine in a large urban healthcare network. Also, I will be able to enjoy all that NYC has to offer, and potentially partake in global health opportunities. I ultimately want to be a happy med student that ends up as a physician that builds long lasting relationships with patients, and participates in global health projects with NYC (not necessarily Manhattan) as my home base. Thank you for reading all of this. I appreciate your insight!

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[QueenzDoc]

Being mid/late 20's, and thinking you want to go into primary care, I'd choose NYULISOM. The extra year of attending income + knowing you have a secured residency spot exceeds Sinai's opportunities. NYULISOM has IM available, and people apply-out if they discover a different interest.

Thank you for your feedback!

 

[rollingwithit77]

Full disclosure: I got rejected from both Sinai and NYU Long Island so I have no skin the game in writing this.

After reading your pros and cons list for both, I think you should do what feels right and go where you'll feel happiest. For NYU Long Island, you really seem to like the accelerated pace and collaborative student body! However, it seems like it might not be a good personality fit since you describe yourself as a city boy and don't want to have a car. I'm all for getting that $$ early but it might not seem worth it in the long run if you feel like you're giving up the freedom to explore global health opportunities, serving diverse opportunities and truly enjoying your time in med school. Also, I believe that you're only guaranteed residency at NYU Long Island hospital but you could apply out -- this maybe disappointing in the long run if you want to practice in NYC.

It seems like you might have a better social network at Sinai where you say you have friends. The people in your class may be truly a hit or miss (in terms of gunners vs collaborative people) and you won't truly know until you're already attending the school. Don't worry about things that you may not be able to control! Ultimately, I think (from your pros and cons list for both) that Sinai would be better fit but the only draw back is the extra year and debt of living expense for an extra year since you're attending tuition free. But what is one extra year in school if you're able to explore more specialities, train with the community you want, and have global health experiences?

Edit: Also, a nice new car is about $27K so if you go to NYU Long Island then you'll need to buy one and maintain it. Overall the extra money that one year of school at Sinai will even out with the cost of keeping a car on Long Island. Just something to think about

 

[QueenzDoc]

Full disclosure: I got rejected from both Sinai and NYU Long Island so I have no skin the game in writing this.

After reading your pros and cons list for both, I think you should do what feels right and go where you'll feel happiest. For NYU Long Island, you really seem to like the accelerated pace and collaborative student body! However, it seems like it might not be a good personality fit since you describe yourself as a city boy and don't want to have a car. I'm all for getting that $$ early but it might not seem worth it in the long run if you feel like you're giving up the freedom to explore global health opportunities, serving diverse opportunities and truly enjoying your time in med school. Also, I believe that you're only guaranteed residency at NYU Long Island hospital but you could apply out -- this maybe disappointing in the long run if you want to practice in NYC.

It seems like you might have a better social network at Sinai where you say you have friends. The people in your class may be truly a hit or miss (in terms of gunners vs collaborative people) and you won't truly know until you're already attending the school. Don't worry about things that you may not be able to control! Ultimately, I think (from your pros and cons list for both) that Sinai would be better fit but the only draw back is the extra year and debt of living expense for an extra year since you're attending tuition free. But what is one extra year in school if you're able to explore more specialities, train with the community you want, and have global health experiences?

Edit: Also, a nice new car is about $27K so if you go to NYU Long Island then you'll need to buy one and maintain it. Overall the extra money that one year of school at Sinai will even out with the cost of keeping a car on Long Island. Just something to think about

Thank you! I really appreciate your point of view I wish you the best!