MSUCHM vs WAYNE MED

[ssa123]

I need some help deciding what med school to choose. I am a Michigan resident

Wayne

Pros:

1. Close to home
2. I have some connections ( Doctors, Students, etc)
3. Would Like to work in Detroit
4. Great Hospital Rotations
5. Block System, better prep for the USMLE?
6. Good Research opportunities

Cons:

1. Big class ( 300 students)
2. Not a supportive environment as far as I heard.

CHM:

Pros:

1. 3 of my closest friends are going there (Support system)
2. More like a collaborative environment
3. Early Clinical Exposure
4. Cheaper

Cons:

1. Far from home
2. Not sure about the research opportunities
3. Not exams based

Please help me figure out my options. I am looking into surgery as a specialty in the future. I want your honest opinion

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[BattalionX]

Wayne is a great school, but MSU is good too. Overall, I think Wayne might have the slight edge in terms of name recognition/prestige, but in terms of practicality, I think with MSU being cheaper and having 3 of your close friends attending it make it the best choice. Having friends at med school is great and will allow you to comfortably transition into your first year. However, I will say Wayne's match outcomes seem much stronger than MSU's, especially for competitive/surgical specialties, and I don't think that the large class size will make it a 'less supportive' environment. Your support system is what you make of it, and you will be able to find friends at Wayne too. Ultimately, the question is how much cheaper is MSU, and how much do you value having those 3 friends with you in med school?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You are choosing between two in-state programs, and I don't think going to MSUCHM disadvantages you from ultimately practicing in metro Detroit.

I agree your support system is what you make of it. But just because you have 3 classmates going to med school with you at one of the schools doesn't mean you'll stay stuck at the hip after 1 year, much less once clinicals are underway. This isn't like high school. People grow older and can grow apart as life happens.

 

[cytomegalovirus123]

CHM has an active partnership with Henry Ford Health and has subspecialty home programs in ortho, term, urology, neurosurgeon, etc. Wayne State has a history of being at risk of losing its central partnerships with hospitals. Friends say that Wayne has told students to find rotations at community systems. MSU is not exam-based, and the curriculum is more hands-free, but you will have old step exams used as progress checks, and students have mentioned how the curriculum has made it easy for them to pass their NBME practice self-assessment exams during their M1 year. The curriculum has no mandatory lectures; the compulsory only things are when working in groups for learning activities and labs. MSU CHM is also p/f with no internal ranking in the preclinical year. I'm not sure about Wayne, but I knew that they previously used a graded system from physicians I have spoken to. MSU is collaborative, there is not much competition among students, and the vibe is chill. The research edge might go to Wayne, but with the new partnership with Henry Ford, a 2.5 billion dollar research center is in the works. You cannot go wrong with either school, though. Both are great programs and will likely get you where you need to be.

 

[cytomegalovirus123]

CHM has an active partnership with Henry Ford Health and has subspecialty home programs in ortho, term, urology, neurosurgeon, etc. Wayne State has a history of being at risk of losing its central partnerships with hospitals. Friends say that Wayne has told students to find rotations at community systems. MSU is not exam-based, and the curriculum is more hands-free, but you will have old step exams used as progress checks, and students have mentioned how the curriculum has made it easy for them to pass their NBME practice self-assessment exams during their M1 year. The curriculum has no mandatory lectures; the compulsory only things are when working in groups for learning activities and labs. MSU CHM is also p/f with no internal ranking in the preclinical year. I'm not sure about Wayne, but I knew that they previously used a graded system from physicians I have spoken to. MSU is collaborative, there is not much competition among students, and the vibe is chill. The research edge might go to Wayne, but with the new partnership with Henry Ford, a 2.5 billion dollar research center is in the works. You cannot go wrong with either school, though. Both are great programs and will likely get you where you need to be.

From my knowledge, they have lost both their Henry Ford and DMC partnerships. These are heavy hitters in Detroit, and I know you emphasized wanting to work in Detroit. Luckily, MSU CHM has an active relationship with Henry Ford, especially their new research center. CHM also has a relationship with DMC and Beaumont in the metro area. Regarding the institution, you can rotate within Detroit and match at programs within Detroit, as many MSU and Wayne Students do.