I think the advantages of Penn far outweigh those of NW. First Penn is strictly P/F the first year...while NW is P/F as well, the grading is done on a curve so I heard at least 2% of the class is destined to fail a given exam. Ultimately, this may foster a bit of an edgy/competitive environment. I like Penn because it's curriculum is compressed into 1.5 years, which gets you into the clinics a lot sooner than usual...for me, the less lecture time the better. NW doesn't have a lot of lecture time itself and is very flexible, their is also a lot of free time since there are only 2 hours of lecture per day...I just question how motivated I would be everyday to make myself study. Personally, I need a structured type of an environment to make sure I get my work done, if left to my own devices BAD things could happen. Lastly, I think the clinical training at Penn is superior to anywhere in the country. Both HUP and CHOP, the best pediatrics hospital in the country, are excellent training hospitals with receptive faculty. NW has a beautiful hospital; however, some residents have told me the program is somewhat malignant. Location wise, NW has it all, right on the lake in Chicago, a far superior city to Philly in every respect...but I've benn in chicago my whole life (K-undergrad) and am looking for a change of scenery. I would use the 2nd look weekends as a guide to figure out where you really feel comfortable and which program suits your personality better....
