NYMC or MCW?

[NYCDesi]

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Hey guys,

I was recently accepted to both and am having a dilemma choosing. I was wondering if you could give me advice as to the pros and cons of each.

Thank You,
NYCDesi

 

[Uegis]

Hey guys,

I was recently accepted to both and am having a dilemma choosing. I was wondering if you could give me advice as to the pros and cons of each.

Thank You,
NYCDesi

I would personally choose MCW over NYMC. Seeing that you are from New York, NYMC might be more appealing to you location-wise. But NYMC is somewhat expensive and have been having financial problems (they recently sold one of their hospitals to AECOM). The tuition is ~7K higher at NYMC. The school is a bit isolated too, right next to a prison too. And the few students I have met (including a friend of mine who is a 4th year) really don't like it there much. They do have a nice anatomy lab though.

MCW seems to have great teaching hospitals and research programs. In terms of reputation, MCW is probably more well known than NYMC. I loved the facilities there and there is plenty to do in Wauwatosa/Milwaukee. Standard of living is also a bit lower there. And you are under two hours away from Chicago.

I might be bias because i didn't like NYMC that much and was really impressed by MCW. But if staying close to home will make you happier, than NYMC might be a better choice.

 

[dankev]

There seem to be a lot of people on these boards who are down on NYMC, and I'm not sure why. I've noticed that none of those people actually go here. Most of us are quite happy here, and most of students picked NYMC over other schools, not as a last choice. The faculty is extremely supportive and accessable. The facilities are great. We have an awesome selection of hospitals. I really like my classmates. We also do well on the boards and have a pretty good match list.

To address some of the negative issues, the school is one of the more expensive, but not that much more than most private schools. Valhalla is not the most exciting place, but White Plains is 10 minutes away, and NYC is under an hour. About half the class (everyone who wants to) will move to the city for 3rd and 4th year. The only financial problem I know of is that Westchester Hospital owes the school a lot of money, but it is not putting the school in any danger.

As far as students here not being happy, I read that all the time on SDN. I still have no idea who they are talking about. I have a lot of friends at other schools, and it sounds the same everywhere. Med school is hard, and there is a lot of adjustment, especially the first year. Everyone I have talked to is happy to be here.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a message. Good luck making your decision!

 

[ornis4]

My favorite part was the comment about the prison! As if prisoners routinely invade lecture and commandeer the powerpoint presentations...and oh how much lunch money they've stolen! I kid, I kid. I think they're both solid schools with some signficant differences, not the least of which is location. I tend to be the opposite of many people who focus on numbers, rankings, etc. When you visited both schools, how did you feel? With medical education becoming so standardized, factors like location, cost, and comfort/happiness should probably be the key determinants. Good luck, I envy your position.

 

[Timmythemic22]

Go MCW, I didn't apply there! Just KIDDING or am I?

 

[Fiend]

I never troll this chat room but when I saw that there was someone out there who was actually considering NYMC along with MCW, I just had to write back. I've never been to either but am a practicing physician now and can tell you that NYMC is considered among the weakest allopathic medical schools in the country. MCW is an up and comer with a better reputation. It is not a national name, but far better than NYMC. Many people will tell you that it doesn't matter where you go for medical school, but in many ways it does. This is especially the case of competitive residencies. Avoid NYMC if you can (i.e. you can't get in anywhere else).

 

[buffalomoose]

Their match list looks great. They placed 25 students in Radiology last year alone, one of the most competitive residencies. Their clinical program is excellent; they teach in great hospitals, and they have a 99% pass rate on the USMLE; averaging 6 points above the national average.

Why don't you save your comments for topics you may be better suited to address. You have never been to either institution, but have heard that NYMC has a bad reputation. Does that sound even remotely intelligent?

 

[YzIa]

Their match list looks great. They placed 25 students in Radiology last year alone, one of the most competitive residencies. Their clinical program is excellent; they teach in great hospitals, and they have a 99% pass rate on the USMLE; averaging 6 points above the national average.

Why don't you save your comments for topics you may be better suited to address. You have never been to either institution, but have heard that NYMC has a bad reputation. Does that sound even remotely intelligent?

Chill out, he was just offering his opinion on the topic. I would say his opinion is just as valid as anyone elses, and whether you disagree with it or not, a reputation is earned and shouldn't the OP be aware of this reputation if that is the case?

 

[VPDcurt]

I would personally choose MCW over NYMC. Seeing that you are from New York, NYMC might be more appealing to you location-wise. But NYMC is somewhat expensive and have been having financial problems (they recently sold one of their hospitals to AECOM). The tuition is ~7K higher at NYMC. The school is a bit isolated too, right next to a prison too. And the few students I have met (including a friend of mine who is a 4th year) really don't like it there much. They do have a nice anatomy lab though.

MCW seems to have great teaching hospitals and research programs. In terms of reputation, MCW is probably more well known than NYMC. I loved the facilities there and there is plenty to do in Wauwatosa/Milwaukee. Standard of living is also a bit lower there. And you are under two hours away from Chicago.

I might be bias because i didn't like NYMC that much and was really impressed by MCW. But if staying close to home will make you happier, than NYMC might be a better choice.

NYMC isolated? It's 40 mins outside of NYC. MCW is 2 hrs from Chicago and you are saying NYMC is isolated? First order of business - It is hard to be isolated on the east coast when you are anywhere in between boston and washington DC. Second - NYMC has a better reputation in the northeast, as I'm sure MCW has in the Midwest. It all depends on the region in which you are planning to live.

 

[Uegis]

NYMC isolated? It's 40 mins outside of NYC. MCW is 2 hrs from Chicago and you are saying NYMC is isolated? First order of business - It is hard to be isolated on the east coast when you are anywhere in between boston and washington DC. Second - NYMC has a better reputation in the northeast, as I'm sure MCW has in the Midwest. It all depends on the region in which you are planning to live.

I apologize for not making myself completely clear. Isolated in that the school is in itself a little community, with a whole complex that houses all the buildings, separated form the rest of the area by walls. And the surrounded areas are mostly residential and a few stores. You are correct that NYC is 40 min away. I am fully aware of this as I had to fly into JFK, take subway, transfer to the train to get there. So yes, NYC is close by. Milwaukee is actually a big city itself, so Chicago is only an additional destination to go to. I am from the West Coast, so the reputation in the West Coast at least is that MCW is better and several of the post-docs in my lab has heard of it (they are outside the medical community, i give you that much) and know about their reputation at least in the research realm. I am only offering my opinion, no need to take all my words literally. Either school, you will come out with a MD. Its just a matter of WHERE you want to spend the next four years, and what your career goals are. As long as you stay true to yourself and work hard, it doesn't matter which school has better reputation or what other think of the school. I have this same decision to make on whether to go to MCW or NYMC. And I have chosen MCW. Good luck on the OP's choice.

 

[VPDcurt]

I apologize for not making myself completely clear. Isolated in that the school is in itself a little community, with a whole complex that houses all the buildings, separated form the rest of the area by walls. And the surrounded areas are mostly residential and a few stores. You are correct that NYC is 40 min away. I am fully aware of this as I had to fly into JFK, take subway, transfer to the train to get there. So yes, NYC is close by. Milwaukee is actually a big city itself, so Chicago is only an additional destination to go to. I am from the West Coast, so the reputation in the West Coast at least is that MCW is better and several of the post-docs in my lab has heard of it (they are outside the medical community, i give you that much) and know about their reputation at least in the research realm. I am only offering my opinion, no need to take all my words literally. Either school, you will come out with a MD. Its just a matter of WHERE you want to spend the next four years, and what your career goals are. As long as you stay true to yourself and work hard, it doesn't matter which school has better reputation or what other think of the school. I have this same decision to make on whether to go to MCW or NYMC. And I have chosen MCW. Good luck on the OP's choice.

I didn't mean to come across as being harsh, so if I did, I'm sorry about that. I was just offering a counter, that's all. Congrats on your acceptances and good luck with your decision. However, that is not a bad predicament to be in right now.

 

[dankev]

I've never been to either but am a practicing physician now and can tell you that NYMC is considered among the weakest allopathic medical schools in the country.

That is really interesting, because your other posts make it sound an awful lot like you are a 4th year med student applying to residencies.

edit: Oops. I just noticed you said you have completed your internship. Still, a bit misleading...

 

[sjy23]

Chill out, he was just offering his opinion on the topic.

so was he on the topic and on the post. geez why does everyone jump down someones throat because they disagree with someone?

 

[YzIa]

so was he on the topic and on the post. geez why does everyone jump down someones throat because they disagree with someone?

Edit: Ah, regrets.

 

[xadmin]

Congrat for getting into medical school. Both schools have a weak reputation. But NYMC is the weaker one. I would go with MCO, it will open more doors for you. That is only if you are applying to competitive residency. If not, it doesn't matter. School rep don't matter if you are going in non competitive residency.

 

[stinkycheese]

Congrat for getting into medical school. Both schools have a weak reputation. But NYMC is the weaker one. I would go with MCO, it will open more doors for you. That is only if you are applying to competitive residency. If not, it doesn't matter. School rep don't matter if you are going in non competitive residency.

The OP is choosing b/w MCW and NYMC, not MCO. Big difference there, because MCW does not have a "weak" reputation. In fact, it is ranked in the top 50 by US News, I believe, and is known for turning out solid clinicians. As a resident of the state of NY, I have to say that NYMC is thought of as the "fall back" school. When I went for my interview, I was unimpressed and didn't feel like the students seemed happy or excited to be there. Everything I have heard about it, including from people who have trained there, is that it's an unhappy place to be. I would go with MCW, hands down.

 

[MMMM]

My two cousins went there, and they are both doing radiology right now. I just started looking into medical schools and that was actually a place I wanted to go, being I am from NY. What kind of stats do you need to get into this place?

 

[ornis4]

My two cousins went there, and they are both doing radiology right now. I just started looking into medical schools and that was actually a place I wanted to go, being I am from NY. What kind of stats do you need to get into this place?

It's by no means "easy" to get into, and if you do well there, you can certainly get a competitive residency in any field. True of most places! A lot of the perception of NYMC is the direct result of it being in close proximity to AECOM, NYU, Mt. Sinai, Cornell and Columbia. Being the weak link of those schools is not exactly something to be ashamed of...it has a large class size and stats that are right about average for acceptance to US allopathic schools in general. I go to NYMC as a grad student, know many happy people, and brilliant ones at that. A look at any NYMC match list will show you that it is a competent place to be, and I think many people are underestimating the fact that rotations are done primarily in NYC, one of the best places to train in the world. I have no doubt MCW is an excellent school, probably "better" in many ways than NYMC...but this constant droning about NYMC's perceived weakness, mainly by people who know nothing about the school, is irritating.

 

[Fiend]

Their match list looks great. They placed 25 students in Radiology last year alone, one of the most competitive residencies. Their clinical program is excellent; they teach in great hospitals, and they have a 99% pass rate on the USMLE; averaging 6 points above the national average.

Why don't you save your comments for topics you may be better suited to address. You have never been to either institution, but have heard that NYMC has a bad reputation. Does that sound even remotely intelligent?

You don't have to have visited a place to comment on its outside perceived reputation! I've never been to Baghdad or Cairo, but I can tell you for sure that I would rather visit Cairo. So what if a program has a 99% pass rate and an average score higher than the national average? Every med school will have someone that fails the USMLE and every med school will have a few people each year that totally rock it.
I can speak of this medical school because I've run across countless folks who were kissing the ground once they got in somewhere else besides NYMC b/c they didn't have to go.
Look at the residency programs at NYMC versus MCW. MCW has high marks for more of its residency programs while a few at NYMC are falling apart completely. Good luck matching into those specialties coming from NYMC.

 

[ornis4]

You don't have to have visited a place to comment on its outside perceived reputation! I've never been to Baghdad or Cairo, but I can tell you for sure that I would rather visit Cairo. So what if a program has a 99% pass rate and an average score higher than the national average? Every med school will have someone that fails the USMLE and every med school will have a few people each year that totally rock it.
I can speak of this medical school because I've run across countless folks who were kissing the ground once they got in somewhere else besides NYMC b/c they didn't have to go.
Look at the residency programs at NYMC versus MCW. MCW has high marks for more of its residency programs while a few at NYMC are falling apart completely. Good luck matching into those specialties coming from NYMC.

So your response to those who say you shouldn't criticize a place you've never been is to rely on the commentary of others who didn't attend the school either? The bottom line is that the pass rate and match lists rarely lie...NYMC is very solid in both. As I said before, I'm sure MCW is an awesome school, probably better than NYMC, especially in residencies...but this idea that NYMC is the DeVry of medical schools is incorrect and sounds ridiculous coming from someone who doesn't know anything about it other than comments from those who chose not to attend it. You're certainly allowed your opinion, but I don't feel your criticism is very constructive for the OP. You know about MCW, so accentuate the positives. Leave NYMC commentary to those who know about it...the OP has a huge life-decision to make, it shouldn't be based on our comments anyway, but especially not on hearsay.