.

[studentdoctor543]

Hi everyone! As the April 30th deadline nears, I would love to hear your thoughts on which medical school I should choose! I would appreciate if you could comment your opinions.

Mount Sinai - strongest reputation, closest to support system
Pros

• more prestigious, better match list
• more research opportunities
• very focused on student wellness -> all the students i've talked to love the school and seem happy (and I loved their second look day)
• NYC is a great place to train (diverse patient population, strong clinical training, Sinai has the biggest health system in NYC)
• cheap subsidized housing within walking distance of school and Central Park
• my partner and I plan to live together, and he works in NYC
• no AOA
• I currently work at Mount Sinai, so I am familiar with the school and have established connections with the faculty
• most of my friends live in NYC

Cons

• I will be graduating with ~$300k federal loans ($74k/year tuition)
• the NYC lifestyle is not for me - I prefer living in a quieter city where I can drive, have access to nature, afford to live in a modern/spacious apartment, and easily get groceries. Living in NYC is also very difficult without money.

Rutgers RWJMS - better lifestyle since I do not consider myself a city girl, cheaper option
Pros

• I will be graduating with $170k federal loans ($48k/year tuition)
• suburban (car, access to nature)
• lower cost of living (could find a cheap luxury apartment)
• close-knit culture
• wouldn't feel as much pressure (financially) to go into a competitive specialty in case i want to pursue primary care

Cons

• less prestigious
• 93% match rate this year (lower than the average NRMP match rate), although many still match into competitive specialties
• less NIH funding = less research opportunities
• partner's commute to work would be >1 hour, my commute would be 30 mins
• facilities not great, but they are building a new medical school building that is set to open during my M2 year
• I'm afraid of being a "guinea pig" for the Rutgers merger -> could be an administrative headache
• AOA

SUMMARY: While Mount Sinai has the strongest reputation among the schools and may offer the best opportunities for my career, I am worried about the significant debt load and the challenges of living in Manhattan. On the other hand, RWJMS could provide a more comfortable lifestyle, but its distance from my partner's job would have a considerable impact on his quality of life and I may have to work harder/create opportunities that are more readily at Sinai.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[redblanket18]

Have you thought about living near Newark or even something generally more between NYC and New Brunswick? If you're close to a station, it would be a quick NJTransit ride to NYPenn for him and a reasonable drive for you.

 

[studentdoctor543]

Have you thought about living near Newark or even something generally more between NYC and New Brunswick? If you're close to a station, it would be a quick NJTransit ride to NYPenn for him and a reasonable drive for you.

We would most likely live in Metropark, which is still a >1 hour commute for him and 30mins for me. Newark would be too far for me.

 

[flowerplant2000]

full transparency A into RWJ and WL at Mount Sinai and as someone who is also interested in primary care, ive been told by my mentors that the cheapest option is usually the best route to go

 

[wanttobeadoctorthiscycle]

Both Rutgers and Sinai will be pretty urban environments/not super conducive to what you say you like, but they're both amazing schools. I think if you can figure out a way to live cheaply though, Mount Sinai simply has many more pros and will set you up great for residency.

 

[Yhwach]

Mount Sinai w/o a doubt. This really should not be a question