NYMC vs. Georgetown vs. UWisconsin (WL)

[snow529]

NYMC
Pros

• grew up 20 minutes away; family still in area; many friends in NYC (this is so important to me and is the main reason i keep wanting to choose NYMC)
• beautiful campus
• summer between 1st and 2nd year with funded research opportunities
• students seemed to really like the program and each other (living on campus 1st year seems to foster a strong community)
• could live in city 3rd and 4th year but rotations are spread out
• Great simulation and clinical skills lab
• 4 year MD/MPH option

Cons

• not in a city
• would need a car for all 4 years - maybe? - i find my quality of life is a lot better when i can walk everywhere
• Library does not have a lot of windows
• limited food choices on campus or within walking distance
• sounds like it can be hard to make friends if one doesn't live on campus
• colder
• older curriculum but sounds like will be revamping in next few years
• have heard that research opportunities have declined with Touro takeover- I just read this on SDN and have no idea how accurate it is. I get the sense that the opportunities available will more than meet my needs.

Georgetown
Pros

• cura personalis philosophy
• best for husband's job
• name recognition/prestige
• city life - LOVE being able to walk to get groceries, gym, library, etc. and we would not need a car for first two years
• research opportunities at NIH
• new curriculum (shortened classroom time to 1.5 years)
• faculty very dedicated to students and serving the underserved
• better weather than NY
• Georgetown is beautiful
• strong combined degree programs (MPH is with Johns Hopkins)
• Literature and Medicine track - would definitely want to do
• Mind Body Medicine program - would also definitely want to do
• may love DC but also may not
• more opportunities to get involved in health advocacy work

Cons

• got a competitive vibe which hopefully will lessen with P/F and new curriculum
  
• one of the talks on interview day came across as "don't come here unless you are prepared to be miserable for the sake of learning." i really value enjoying life and staying healthy while becoming the best doctor i can be so this was a huge turn-off
• really old facilities
• will be first cohort to go thru new curriculum
• not NYC - away from friends and family
• would need a car 3rd and 4th year because rotations are spread out

Summary: Georgetown seems to have better opportunities but NYMC is closer to family and friends and NYC and has a stronger community. Help! Also on the waitlist for UWisconsin. Would likely choose UWisconsin if I got in off the waitlist because of their integrated public health curriculum, location in Madison (have heard great things), and it would be significantly cheaper. But unlikely I'll get accepted so I am trying to decide between NYMC and Georgetown.

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[olderbrooklyndoc]

I'm also a city person who HATES driving. I'm not very familiar with either school's curriculum, but your pros for living in DC for both you and your husband seem to outweigh all the cons for Georgetown except for the competitive vibe. Can you speak to any current nontrad students at both schools about how they would describe the culture at their schools?

 

[deev04]

Georgetown seems like the obvious choice. Better school/reputation combined with more of what you are looking for. If you are interested in health advocacy work and health disparities/care of underserved populations, DC is an incredible city to be in. I'd probably give a slight edge to Wisconsin over Georgetown if you get off the WL, but I think the difference is small enough that deciding based off of money and fit makes sense.

You're going to be extremely busy in med school. Being closer to family/friends does not necessarily = getting to see them all the time.

The misery/competitive factor is probably what you make of it (and also incredibly difficult for non-matriculated students to judge). You might have just talked to the most frustrated stressed students at Georgetown and the happiest students at NYMC. Medical school is hard and any school that is mid/low-tier with people trying to get into AOA and competitive specialities is going to have competitive people working very hard. But working very hard is sort of a given in medical school. I get the sense that if you want a warm and collaborative environment, you can pretty much find that any school. Maybe not with every student, but find your people (they probably exist).

 

[jayhiller21]

It seems like Georgetown is where you would be happiest. I was accepted to NYMC and am excited to matriculate in fall though, and was wondering where you heard that there are many funded-research opportunities during M1-M2 summer?

 

[snow529]

It seems like Georgetown is where you would be happiest. I was accepted to NYMC and am excited to matriculate in fall though, and was wondering where you heard that there are many funded-research opportunities during M1-M2 summer?

Congratulations Jayhiller21! It was something I wrote down in my notes from my interview day.

Thank you three for your responses! It's really helpful to hear your thoughts. =)

 

[FUTUREDOCED]

Congratulations Jayhiller21! It was something I wrote down in my notes from my interview day.

Thank you three for your responses! It's really helpful to hear your thoughts. =)

I am hoping to have this same choice. What did you ultimately decide?