Need help: Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (CCLCM) vs Mount Sinai

[chemist_acs]

So I was accepted to CCLCM and was just accepted to Icahn SOM of Mount Sinai. Icahn has been my dream school throughout this application process and I'll outline the pros and cons for each below:

CCLCM
Pros:
Free tuition
top 4 hospital
no tests or grades
only 32 students
great research and clinical experiences
amazing match list

Cons:
Cleveland
Far from family, friends, and girlfriend
5 years
only 32 students

Icahn
Pros:
Dream school
In NYC and close to family, friends, and girlfriend (I am from NY area)
amazing and unique student body
Access to various NYC hospitals
Great match in NYC (where I want to match)
True P/F and tests given online and over the weekend

Cons:
Maybe less prestige than CCLCM?
NOT FREE TUITION (I have yet to talk to them about merit scholarships)

Any advice that can be offered would be greatly appreciated. Both programs are amazing and I believe that academically I can succeed at both. My greater concern is where I will be happy and how much the money should mean to me. Thank you in advance!

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[eteshoe]

CCLCM is an awesome program in an albeit "meh" area of the country. So consider location, though that free tuition is no joke. Also with CCLCM you'd have to do a research year if I remember correctly - so if you're not into research that may play into your final decision.

As far as prestige/research output, I'd say the two are roughly equivalent. Personal happiness will play heavily into your success as a student, so don't be swept up by the free tuition if you'd be miserable in Cleveland.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to SSD

 

[atp6nd5]

wait to hear back from Sinai about aid...but free medical school

 

[exmike]

Don't forget you have 180 or so CWRUSOM students you'll get to interact with as well. Having gone to case, and residency in nyc, nyc is far and away the better city, but my time in Cleveland wasn't too shabby either!

 

[oncology2020]

re-posting earlier post:

CCLCM hands down, not even close..a top 20-25 med school, top 4 hospital, Cleveland Clinic AND Case Western name..free tuition, free Master's..I interviewed there and remember being told there are no exams or grades for the entire preclinical AND clinical years--you will love not having ridiculous weekly exams to study for, shelf exams optional, allows you to focus on the things that do actually matter for landing a top residency (USMLE and research)

 

[Skittsie13]

Keep in mind that while CCLCM is free, you're sacrificing a year of physician salary for that fifth year. So it's not as "free" as it might seem.

 

[occams_razor]

Keep in mind that while CCLCM is free, you're sacrificing a year of physician salary for that fifth year. So it's not as "free" as it might seem.

this is a great point

 

[ChrisMack390]

CCL + Residency in New York

 

[naijacardriodoc]

Keep in mind that while CCLCM is free, you're sacrificing a year of physician salary for that fifth year. So it's not as "free" as it might seem.

but they'll be able to "catch up" faster bc there will be no debt burden....

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

I would not overthink the "it's not really free " point. It really is less expensive (both the school and living in Cleveland). You will likely pay off any debt sooner and it will afford you a larger proportion of your income to keep (rather than dedicate to loan repayment) sooner in your career. So yes, it's not really free, but in practical terms you're going to most likely have a higher disposable income sooner if you go with cclcm even with the extra year, not to mention how debt can impact one psychologically (both potentially with specialty choice and just general like stress). I wrote a whole thing about this topic working out the math in the past - I'll try to drudge it up.

Anyway, I'm generally of the mindset that when you get to this caliber of school, you're going to be fine professionally regardless. Also, Cleveland is not the middle of a field, it's a city with over 2 million people in the greater metropolitan area and going to be plenty fun for a Med student for 4-5 years (just as NY would be). Thus choose the less pricey place. That being said, Mount Sinai is going to be better for NYC residencies just given its location, but I personally don't think it's hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of better - people from cclcm (and many Med schools outside of NYC) absolutely still go to NYC for residency, and every doctor in NY is going to at least know the name "Cleveland Clinic" and realize you've got experience in a major integrated health system.

Good luck and congrats on having the choices!

 

[KanyeWesternBacon]

LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and JR Smith.



Take your talents to Cleveland

 

[eteshoe]

LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and JR Smith.



Take your talents to Cleveland

F*** JR Smith. But on a more serious note, Cleveland is definitely on the come up (at least when I interviewed a few yrs ago) - I just hate the snow and couldn't subject myself to that if I could avoid it lol.

 

[RuggerMD]

Which did you end up picking?

*Unless it makes you comfortable to share, then feel free to ignore me

 

[ToodleLoo22]

Which did you end up picking?

*Unless it makes you comfortable to share, then feel free to ignore me

I hope you went to New York and allowed someone who appreciates the Cleveland clinic program and Cleveland to attend.