Northwestern Feinberg vs Case Western (M3+M4 input requested!)

[liyaz]

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Let me preface this by saying how INCREDIBLY lucky I feel in my position - accepted to my 2 top choices! 🙂 Now the hard part is deciding between Case and Northwestern.

I don't want this to devolve into a Chicago vs. Cleveland showdown. I'm aware that Chicago is awesome. I'd like to know more about the education and clinical years. NU recently switched to a curriculum very similar to Case... what do current students think about their PBL? What about NU's AoSC versus Case's research block? Most importantly, I'd like to learn more about the clinical rotations - do MS3+4's get a lot of hands on experience? How are the residents and attendings when it comes to grading, scut work, willingness to let the students perform procedures? How are the patients in the NU area versus the Cleveland area?

I've done many searches on this topic and have come across a few dissenting opinions regarding NU - such as the fact that it can be too prestige/money/ranking focused, it has more stuck up patients who refuse to let students touch them and that the students and residents are babied. Any current NU students care to comment on these criticisms? I hope they get debunked, bc I've always loved NU but I don't want to make an uninformed decision.

Thanks in advance all!

 

[deleted127837]

You're really taking the pre-med approach on this (which prof is easier? and all that jazz). No MS3 has been to both schools, so you're basically hoping some of them come into this thread and bash their own schools (since positive feedback tends to be ignored). Unlikely.

You like Northwestern. Many would agree it's the "better" school of the two. There will always be people who don't like their particular med school, that complain about grading and babying and all that, and no place has an ideal curriculum.

You get out of medical school what you put into it. If you don't want to be babied, that'll show in your personality and you won't be.

If NW is your top choice, go there. Only outright advantage CWRU has that I know of over NW is the Cleveland Clinic. You can always do away rotations there if you want that experience.

 

[cookiemonsters]

IMO I liked the clinical year options at Case more than any other school I interviewed at. PBL scares me away a bit, but since NW is moving towards that direction anyway I would go with Case. Either way there is no wrong choice with this decision.

 

[liyaz]

You're really taking the pre-med approach on this (which prof is easier? and all that jazz). No MS3 has been to both schools, so you're basically hoping some of them come into this thread and bash their own schools (since positive feedback tends to be ignored). Unlikely.

You like Northwestern. Many would agree it's the "better" school of the two. There will always be people who don't like their particular med school, that complain about grading and babying and all that, and no place has an ideal curriculum.

You get out of medical school what you put into it. If you don't want to be babied, that'll show in your personality and you won't be.

If NW is your top choice, go there. Only outright advantage CWRU has that I know of over NW is the Cleveland Clinic. You can always do away rotations there if you want that experience.

Not entirely true! I was just hoping some of the negatives that have been brought up about NU could be discussed or debunked - not many NU students are active on the forum and what they do have to say hasn't been too positive. Whereas Case Western students have had nothing but daisies to speak of in their experience. At least that's what I've found in my searches (your pt about ignoring positive feedback is duly noted).

 

[justanthrpremed]

bump!

I am also debating between the two schools and would love to hear more input

 

[vc7777]

NW seems like a nice place? MS3s and MS4s are rotating many places. You can't go wrong with either program. Wait till you have fin-aid packages from both, and choose the cheaper school - your wallet will thank you for years to come.

 

[liyaz]

When you say clinical options - what do you mean by that exactly? Like, the 4th year electives? Or the different rotation sites? Why do you like case's the best?

Thanks!