Nebraska vs. TCU/UNTHSC vs. Wayne State

[parquetshorts]

Hey everyone, I’m grateful enough to have been accepted into 2 different medical schools, and am still on the waitlist at one more. I’m trying to get some of y’all’s insight into what would be the best option as I think these three med schools are likely all similar in rank/prestige. I don’t think I’ll be shooting for any seriously competitive specialties, but some that I’m interested in are neurology, EM, IM, urology, endocrinology, gen surg, etc. I know it's still a while until I'll need to decide, but if I chose TCU, I'd have to take a class before matriculating, so I want to work my way towards a decision as soon as possible.


UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA COM (UNMC)

Pros:

• Medium size class (120), would prefer to be a bit smaller, but not bad
• Great reputation in Nebraska and neighboring states
• Good home residency program
• Slightly higher ranked than Wayne State, but likely wouldn’t make a large difference
• SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper tuition compared to WSU and TCU

Cons:

• Born and raised in Omaha, and moved to Minnesota for undergrad. A large part of me feels like I left Omaha for a reason, and in some ways I feel that returning would be a regression (I was a complete degenerate during my time living in Omaha lol, and many of my friends still live there). However, this is certainly more of a personal reason rather than an objective one
• As expected, a lot of students here match in Nebraska, and I don’t really want to practice in Nebraska long term
• I know a fair amount of students that go here, some of them I really like and would be excited to go to school with, but there are others that I really, really don’t like on a personal level. I’m honestly a little worried about going back and seeing some people that I truly never wanted to see again.

TCU/UNTHSC
Pros:

• Fort Worth would be the best option as far as weather, food, metropolitan area
• Brand-new technology and buildings, the administration seemed willing to listen to student feedback
• Small class (60)
• Required research project during med school
• Very early clinical exposure
• Being a part of a new and developing medical school could be a rewarding experience

Cons:

• New med school, no match list, I would be in the third class
• no reputation amongst PDs for new Step 1 P/F
• Would likely have to drive long distances in the DFW to get to clinical sites
• Likely more affordable than Wayne, but more expensive than UNMC
• Would still have to take a stats class before matriculating

WAYNE STATE (still on waitlist)
Pros:

• Midtown Detroit seems awesome, I’ve always lived in the Midwest so I love having all 4 seasons
• Clinical rotations in Detroit would be fantastic. I have a desire to practice in underserved areas, and the Detroit metro would be a great experience for this.
• Solid home residency program, good reputation in Michigan

Cons:

• Very large class size (~290)
• Administration issues (heard a lot about communication issues and ineffective administrative faculty)
• Not as well known outside of Michigan
• Would likely be the most expensive option
• Still on the waitlist lol

Frankly, I’m leaning towards Nebraska, as I will qualify for IS tuition and would save loads of money, but any and all feedback would be much appreciated! Thank you all!

Edit:

Also now accepted at Wayne State if that changes anybody's thoughts!

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[m1redsox]

Nebraska is cheaper, closer to family (maybe?), and the best rotation sites. And as a cherry on top, it certainly has the best reputation on the list. Those are pretty much the 4 most important factors to consider. Nebraska is my vote!

 

[mcatstudent1]

I think you definitely put thought into this and it shows! I think deciding between the acceptances on the table right now, I would also suggest U Nebraska for you. I definitely can see the concerns you mentioned, but Med school is stressful so it nice to have family nearby. There is no limit to how much you can study, so I felt that location mattered less than initially what I had imagined. There was essentially a test every other week during preclinical (sometimes more) that sort of took away free weekends. I think that Med school was 2-3 years studying and only 1–1.5 years in the hospital so residency may matter more for you in terms of patient populations you work with on a daily basis. You can definitely match outside of Nebraska for residency although it will likely be regional. Lots of your year are nervous about the new Med school in Texas. JPS has been around forever and provides excellent clinical training. Expect some growing pains with a new medical school. It may be nice to have the great reputation on u Nebraska to hang your hat on. As far as how you are perceived, people will be calling you Doctor real quick! I would worry less about that. I would choose Nebraska over a Wayne state acceptance if I were you.

 

[parquetshorts]

Bump, now accepted at Wayne State, and am still split between Wayne and Nebraska. Nebraska will very likely end up being the more affordable option, but I'm struggling to weigh that as heavily as I should given other personal reasons against moving back to Nebraska (Omaha is meh, not pumped about returning to that social scene/drinking culture, historically does not have very diverse med school classes, don't want to practice in Neb, etc.). Has anyone ever had to deal with personal bias about returning to their home state? I know it probably seems ridiculous that I'm even considering paying what would likely be twice as much to get a similar education at Wayne, but it's hard for me to toss aside some of these personal considerations. Any advice?