Mt. Sinai vs Cornell vs WashU

[gravellyvoice]

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Hi, I would love any advice on picking between Mt. Sinai vs Cornell vs WashU. I don't yet know what specialty I'm interested in, but leaning away from surgery/other highly competitive specialties. Also eventually want to match back to CA, where I grew up.

Mt. Sinai
Pros
- Want to live in NYC; cheap housing
- Closer to existing friends and family
- Focus on clinical care for underserved populations, opportunities to rotate through hospitals in very diverse neighborhoods
- Students seem genuinely happy

Cons
- Perhaps less of a research focus? Research is not my top priority but still a consideration for me

Cornell
Pros
- Again, would be NYC w/ cheap housing
- Also closer to existing friends and family
- Strong research focus w/ access to MSK and Hospital for Special Surgery; I'm not yet sure what specialty I'd want to go into so might be nice to have this flexibility of opportunities

Cons
- Not a safety net hospital; less diverse patient population and maybe less focus on community service
- Maybe more competitive student culture compared to Sinai?

WashU
Pros
- High quality medical education w/ prestige in both clinical care and research; well-regarded school and hospital system
- Early clinical exposure w/ Immersion blocks
- Lower cost of living
- Safety net hospital w/ diverse patient population

Cons
- Very far from current friends and family
- Wouldn't offer the big city experience of NYC; less walkable

Would really appreciate any help or advice! Thank you!

 

[YellowSalamander]

Disclosure: WashU MD student

What is the cost difference between these respective programs? Will you be receiving any need and merit aid?

I have nothing bad to say about WashU Medicine and St. Louis! I'm also an urbanite from the East Coast and I love it here in St. Louis. It's nice having an affordable apartment that is centrally located (5 minutes from school) with lots of room and amenities. It's nice living right next to the largest urban park in the US and having plenty of green spaces and nature around you. Living in a large city when you can't afford anything and can't get any alone time would be a bit claustrophobic for me personally.

You'll do great from all three schools, though! Congratulations on a fantastic cycle.

 

[riv_jordan]

You haven't mentioned a cost difference so for now I'll assume there is none (correct me if I'm wrong). Either of these schools will let you match back to California, especially if you aren't particularly interested in anything super competitive. It looks like you're excited about living in NYC and it would also be closer to some friends and family, so it sounds like you can rule out WashU (again, assuming that finances are the same between all three).

So between Sinai and Cornell, they're honestly more similar that different. To address your cons, I think your concerns about "less of a research focus" are unsubstantiated for Sinai, especially considering that it is in the top 20 for NIH funding. As for "more competitive student culture" at Cornell, while pre-match AOA might incentivize some competition, I doubt the environment is meaningfully more competitive than Sinai's. The truth is, most top schools are fairly collaborative due to P/F grading, lack of internal ranking, and the quiet knowledge that most people will match very well even if they aren't the top of the class.

I'd say it's a toss-up between Sinai and Cornell, but maybe Sinai's safety-net hospital and general focus on underserved populations gives it the slight edge here. And again, this is all assuming that there is no difference in finances. If there is, I'd follow the money.

 

[gravellyvoice]

Disclosure: WashU MD student

What is the cost difference between these respective programs? Will you be receiving any need and merit aid?

I have nothing bad to say about WashU Medicine and St. Louis! I'm also an urbanite from the East Coast and I love it here in St. Louis. It's nice having an affordable apartment that is centrally located (5 minutes from school) with lots of room and amenities. It's nice living right next to the largest urban park in the US and having plenty of green spaces and nature around you. Living in a large city when you can't afford anything and can't get any alone time would be a bit claustrophobic for me personally.

You'll do great from all three schools, though! Congratulations on a fantastic cycle.

Thank you so much for the insight!

 

[gravellyvoice]

You haven't mentioned a cost difference so for now I'll assume there is none (correct me if I'm wrong). Either of these schools will let you match back to California, especially if you aren't particularly interested in anything super competitive. It looks like you're excited about living in NYC and it would also be closer to some friends and family, so it sounds like you can rule out WashU (again, assuming that finances are the same between all three).

So between Sinai and Cornell, they're honestly more similar that different. To address your cons, I think your concerns about "less of a research focus" are unsubstantiated for Sinai, especially considering that it is in the top 20 for NIH funding. As for "more competitive student culture" at Cornell, while pre-match AOA might incentivize some competition, I doubt the environment is meaningfully more competitive than Sinai's. The truth is, most top schools are fairly collaborative due to P/F grading, lack of internal ranking, and the quiet knowledge that most people will match very well even if they aren't the top of the class.

I'd say it's a toss-up between Sinai and Cornell, but maybe Sinai's safety-net hospital and general focus on underserved populations gives it the slight edge here. And again, this is all assuming that there is no difference in finances. If there is, I'd follow the money.

Thank you so much for the feedback!