Not again :eek:

[Jessica]

I am sure that some people might flame me for doing another "where would you go" poll (I swear I am not a horrible selfish person, but I am very guilty of being indecisive about this whole thing.) I have had the incredible fortune of being accepted to my dream school(s), all of which I am sure that I would be happy at (which is part of the problem)... and D-day is coming, so please take a minute to share your thoughts/opinions (especially those of you who have already made up your minds where you will be next year!)

Where would you go and why? (PLEASE elaborate )

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[Papa Smurf]

It's Harvard!! Hello!?!?! :wink: I'll gladly take one of the others off your hands tho. Just coz I'm a nice guy. YOU GO GIRL!

 

[none]

Gotta stay in CA!
Let's compare:
<a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/climatology/USMA0046" target="_blank">http://www.weather.com/weather/climatology/USMA0046</a>
vs.
<a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/climatology/USCA0638" target="_blank">http://www.weather.com/weather/climatology/USCA0638</a>

 

[Jessica]

Thanks for your votes everyone!

Are there any specific reasons you like one place better than another??

 

[lilycat]

Jessica -- I remember you posting this question in another forum a while back. My sentiments haven't changed since that point. Additionally, this poll is pretty trivial since you haven't given any information about how you felt with each school, as you did in the previous thread. I'm not trying to knock you, but just maybe gently remind you of some of the comments you made previously. You seemed to feel EXTREMELY comfortable at one school in particular, and mentioned that if cost were equal at all schools, that is the one you would choose. My best advice as someone who has been through the application process before and as someone with lots of friends who are in various phases of their medical training -- fellows, residents, and upper-level med students -- at this point go with where you felt the most comfortable/most happy and try not to let the cost weigh too heavily. I have a couple of friends who were positions very similar to yours -- two of them let cost be the guiding principle and went to the cheapest school (given, they were still excellent "top tier" schools). Both of them really regret this decision, and one actually ended up taking a leave of absence and may not return to med school, partly because he was so unhappy with the school he chose. Given, that's an extreme case, but they both really regret going against their gut instinct about where they would have felt the happiest. I really feel I cannot stress this enough -- given your previous statements about this situation, I think you would really be doing yourself a great disservice to not attend the school you felt the most comfortable at. Good luck with your decision.

 

[matthew0126]

please please please go to any of the 4 except ucla!!

i'm on the waitlist and it's my dream school!

btw, jessica, lemme say once again, that i'm very impressed. let's see... you got in the #1, #2, #6, and #13 ranked schools in the country, plus probably a ton of other ones.

my guess is... jessica has the intellect of einstein, the charm of cassanova, the heart of mother theresa, the athletic/artistic abilities of michael jordan or monet, the looks of audrey hepburn, and a life so interesting and traveled that it rivals marco polo's.

 

[Jessica]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by matthew0126:
•my guess is... jessica has the intellect of einstein, the charm of cassanova, the heart of mother theresa, the athletic/artistic abilities of michael jordan or monet, the looks of audrey hepburn, and a life so interesting and traveled that it rivals marco polo's.•••••Hmmm... I'm sorry, but you are just a teeny bit off :wink:

All of those talents in one person would make a scary (albeit interesting) combo

FYI - my friends at school like to call me "mutant,"... and when I walk down the hall I hear cheers "only five more weeks and the curve-breaker will be gone! Yea!"... I am a total klutz (wanna see my bills for broken glassware in O-chem lab? I think I funded a new UV/Vis with all of the beakers I have broken over the past four years).... athlete??? Does the gold medaling in "eliptical machine" at 24 hour fitness count?? And trust me on this one, you don't want to hear me sing or look at one of my horrible attempts to be artistic

Other than that, I'd like to think I am an interesting, though not-so-extra-ordinary person, but thanks for the compliment.
__________________________________

Lilycat.... Thanks for your input, as a seasoned vet your ideas are greatly appreciated As you mentioned, I did happen to like one particular school when I visited, but as I posted on the other forum... now that I am home from my visit and the "big name" appeal has had some time to wear off, I am not so sure that I liked the school as much as I was dazzled by the name and the reputation (equally bad reasons to choose a future med school...)

I am just trying to get a collective feel for what other people's opinions of the pros/cons for each place are.

 

[lilycat]

I forgot to give you a rationale.

If it was my choice to make, I'd probably go with Hopkins. Here's my thinking:

First off, the pros and cons of each school are going to be very similar. There are fairly minor differences between each school (PBL vs. traditional lecture, etc.), but ultimately the end result is the same -- each of those schools will provide you with an excellent education and training. All the schools you mentioned are known for having fairly responsive administrations to student needs/concerns. As far as the student body at each school, some people will disagree with me, but honestly I think you will find them all very similar -- those schools all attract the same caliber of student -- you will find gunners and mellow, easy-going types at each place.

If you are adamently pro-California, absolutely love the state and never want to leave it, I would say go with UCSF. However, since you bothered applying on the East coast and are now seriously considering two schools there, my guess is that you are open to relocating. If I remember correctly, you have grown up in California and went to college in California. This was the case for me, and in many ways, I felt that med school would be a perfect opportunity to experience living outside of CA for a few years. While residencies can be fairly inbred in terms of taking their own med students, from my personal observation this trend only seems to increase when it comes time to apply for fellowships and full-time positions after residency. If you think there's a good chance you want to ultimately practice in California, you probably should do your residency in California. Thus, med school may be your best opportunity to try living outside of the state for a while. Coming from Harvard or Hopkins, you should not have a significant problem trying to get a CA residency if you so desire.

As for Hopkins vs. Harvard -- I went with Hopkins mainly because I think Hopkins has a slight edge in clinical training (this is a very subjective opinion and obviously can differ depending on whom you talk to), and Baltimore has a much more reasonable cost of living than Boston. Obviously Boston is a much nicer location, but if you're really strapped for cash, you may not be able to enjoy it as much as you hoped.

Anyways, I hope some of this helps.

 

[Nanon]

Admittedly, I'm biased, being a San Francisco native. But here's my rational. In MY opinion, your top two schools are Harvard and UCSF, with JH running a very, very close second. Were I you, (which will never, ever happen), here is what I would consider.

1. Education: I personally think that all of the schools you listed are neck and neck. I know that you will see, as a med student, all you care to see at San Francisco General in 3rd and 4th year.

2. Cost: If you are a California resident, UCSF or UCLA is the winner here. 40,000 vs. a LOT more. Less debt means more opportunity to do what ever the hell you want with your career after you graduate and complete your residency. This is especially important if you want to work in the public arena, or rural health, where salaries are much lower.

3. QOL: Hands down, anywhere in California. You must spend a summer and a winter in the midwest or on the East Coast to understand the varied meanings of HELL. On the other hand, at least in SF, you will be paying a lot for a decent apartment. (Maybe I should have listed that under "cost.")

4. Facilities: I have no idea about the other schools, but I know for a fact that you can't beat the view from either the anatomy lab or the library of UCSF... looks right out on the Golden Gate Bridge. Freakin BEAUTIFUL!

5. Reputation: Not a one of these schools suck, but personally, I think UCSF and Harvard are at the top.

So there are my reasons... take it with a grain of salt.... :wink:

Nanon

 

[LizardKing]

Hey Jessica, long time no talk!

I sense that you might be leaning toward Hopkins and I think it's definitely with good reason. First, no matter which of these schools you go to, you'll be in a great spot to get the residency of your choice. I don't see a significant difference between each school in this respect. Also, each school's location has its pros and cons...but I'll admit, LA and SF are probably more fun to experience outside of school. But like me, you're probably looking for a different experience than strictly CA.

So I think the best factor to weigh in this decision is which school will train you to be the best doc. Some people are gonna flame me about this, but I truly believe after talking with doctors across the country and seeing it for myself that Hopkins has the best clinical training. Probably in the world. I don't know of any other hospital where so many people flock to with such strange diseases.

I know you're interested in critical care medicine, and if you're set on this field, I think you shouldn't look anywhere else. Hopkins will expose you to that much more and that much earlier. The patient population at SF, LA, and Harvard hospitals is not quite as diverse--this I can say for certain.

I think Hopkins is one place that really earned its reputation without depending on its name (see Stanford, Harvard, etc. and I know this will perturb some people!!). It was the first major medical school, and I think it will continue to set standards.

Anyway, I'm on the upper waitlist there right now, so hopefully we'll end up being classmates!

-LK

•••quote:•••Originally posted by lilycat:
•I forgot to give you a rationale.

If it was my choice to make, I'd probably go with Hopkins. Here's my thinking:

First off, the pros and cons of each school are going to be very similar. There are fairly minor differences between each school (PBL vs. traditional lecture, etc.), but ultimately the end result is the same -- each of those schools will provide you with an excellent education and training. All the schools you mentioned are known for having fairly responsive administrations to student needs/concerns. As far as the student body at each school, some people will disagree with me, but honestly I think you will find them all very similar -- those schools all attract the same caliber of student -- you will find gunners and mellow, easy-going types at each place.

If you are adamently pro-California, absolutely love the state and never want to leave it, I would say go with UCSF. However, since you bothered applying on the East coast and are now seriously considering two schools there, my guess is that you are open to relocating. If I remember correctly, you have grown up in California and went to college in California. This was the case for me, and in many ways, I felt that med school would be a perfect opportunity to experience living outside of CA for a few years. While residencies can be fairly inbred in terms of taking their own med students, from my personal observation this trend only seems to increase when it comes time to apply for fellowships and full-time positions after residency. If you think there's a good chance you want to ultimately practice in California, you probably should do your residency in California. Thus, med school may be your best opportunity to try living outside of the state for a while. Coming from Harvard or Hopkins, you should not have a significant problem trying to get a CA residency if you so desire.

As for Hopkins vs. Harvard -- I went with Hopkins mainly because I think Hopkins has a slight edge in clinical training (this is a very subjective opinion and obviously can differ depending on whom you talk to), and Baltimore has a much more reasonable cost of living than Boston. Obviously Boston is a much nicer location, but if you're really strapped for cash, you may not be able to enjoy it as much as you hoped.

Anyways, I hope some of this helps.•••••

 

[A. Caveman]

jessica, i haven't been following your posts, but weren't you extremely happy to hear you were accepted at Harvard? wouldn't that be the old "gut" instinct/feeling we're all suggesting that you follow?

i didn't read about your acceptance to hopkins, but i did see your comments after your ucsf acceptance. you seem interested in staying in california, but obviously (since you applied and were so excited about being accepted), you wouldn't mind going to the east cost. i think you want to go to the east cost. whether it's hopkins or harvard, i don't know, But you WERE really happy about the Harvard acceptance.

this is a good time in life to experience something else. leave the west for a while..don't be scurred!

this might help...pretend you just send withdrawals to all schools but UCSF (do this for a full day..just pretend), and see if it feels like you've lost something great. the next day do that with Harvard, and the next with Hopkins. that should do the trick. later you lucky SOB.

 

[Cdc28p]

Jessica, you know my opinions well. Congrats on having such a wonderful dilemma.

BTW, are you in Boston right now for the revisitation day?

 

[Jessica]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by LizardKing:
•Hey Jessica, long time no talk!•••••Hey LizardKing! Whats up??? I hope that the Hopkins waitlist is kind to you

You were correct about the way that I was leaning.... but now it seems more like I am just flopping all over the place

I loved Hopkins when I visited, and I'd like to escape from Cali and see what the "other" coast is like for a while (at this point - my plan is to return to southern CA for residency and beyond... assuming that I leave CA for med school.)

Thanks for suggestion Caveman, I will give that a try (I'd do anything to make up my mind at this point - but that sounds like a good idea.)

To add to the difficulties - I found out that I will only be acquiring the debt of the infamous "unit loan" if I head off to Harvard... 20K a year doesn't sound as bad as 47K did (tuition + expenses + cost of living.)

Cdc - nope, I won't be at the Harvard re-visit, but I hope that all of you who made it there have a good time!

If anyone is heading to the UCLA thing tomorrow, I will see you there.

 

[UCSFallthway]

You should definitely go to HARvard, when i interviewed there....it was the most impressive schoool i've ever seen. I especially loved the idea of the societies

just my 5 cents