NYMC vs SUNY Buffalo

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CoachBoat

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I interviewed recently at NYMC, and was accepted a couple weeks after. I interviewed at SUNY Buffalo in September, but was waitlisted, and recently accepted. Both schools seemed to have an inclusive environment, but nothing really stood out to me about the cirriculum or rescourses at either institution.

NYMC
Pros

+ Much closer to home (~20 minutes from where I currently work, ~45min from my family, significant other lives in NYC)
+ Connections with the chief/chairman of the specialty I want to go into (will be able to do research early on)
+ Better match list w/ the places I want to end up for residency (in NYC)
+ Hospital affiliations in NYC

Cons
+ Dorming - A large majority of M1 & M2 students dorm, and they don't allow pets in a dorm... so my cat would have to live with my significant other for at least a year or two... which is a HUGE disadvantage for me.
+ TOO close to home. Kinda feel like med school is my opportunity to get a different perspective...
+ Much more expensive than a SUNY AND a higher cost of living

SUNY Buffalo
Pros

+ Tuition is much cheaper (as is cost of living)
+ I'd be able to live off campus, and with my cat. |
+Looks like it has more NIH research funding, and I'm definitely interested in an academic career.

Cons

+ Maybe too far away? I've lived in NYC for the past ~8 years, so I dont know how well I'd adjust to living in Buffalo. All my family and most of my friends would be 6 hours away.
+ Not having the connections with faculty that I would if I went into NYMC
+ A little run-down? They're opening up a new building, but it wouldn't me open until my second year (I think).

Summary: All of NYMC's cons seem to be SUNY Buffalo's pros(and vise versa).

Would appreciate your $0.02! Especially if I'm missing something about either school.

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For me if I was in your situation, since there is not a huge difference in prestige or rankings between the two schools (Buffalo is slightly higher ranked), I would choose SUNY Buffalo. You cannot beat that in-state tuition and cost of attendance (assuming you are a NY resident) which over 4 years really adds up. I am sure you will be able to match in NYC from SUNY Buffalo just by looking at their match list so that should not be a big issue.
 
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SUNY Buffalo seems like the obvious choice here (well as obvious a choice can be to an anonymous person on the internet). The difference in ranking is probably negligible (although it seems SUNY Buffalo is slightly higher). The academic and research opportunities also seem slightly more plentiful at Buffalo. Buffalo is doing some really great research and has a plethora of research centers and the resources to support them. Buffalo's hospitals are also without a doubt more well known and although clinical experiences are hard to judge, Buffalo might have the edge here, particularly if you are leaning towards academic medicine. Buffalo is also a pretty great city. I have a few friends from there and know some family friends who moved their from NYC in search of a more affordable city that still had all the culture/amenities/resources they were used to (on a much smaller scale). In terms of patient population, I would have to think Buffalo's would be far more diverse than NYMC. I also doubt you'd have trouble matching in NYC if that is really the goal. Step scores, grades, LORs, ECs determine match. Match lists are borderline impossible to interpret and it might just be that a higher concentration of students from NYMC want to match in NYC.

Most importantly, NYMC doesn't seem to offer anything worth taking on a significantly higher debt load. If the money was equal, then I think it would be more a question of personal preference. But, Buffalo is a great school with arguably more of what you are looking for in addition to being the cheaper option. Unless you have family money, follow the $$$.
 
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The estimated cost of attendance is ~67k for Buffalo while it's as high as ~88k for NYMC. ~21k difference for 4 years is a difference of ~84k.. This choice is a no-brainer.
 
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Thanks for all your replies! I really appreciate it. At the time, I was leaning more towards NYMC because I was nervous about moving that far away. However, for the ~16k difference, I can live much more comfortably in Buffalo.. and it'll be an opportunity to grow more as a person.

I'm going to head up to Buffalo sometime next week to check out the area before I make my final decision, but you guys were all very very helpful!
 
Snowbelt creates another pros & cons, as Buffalo is at the center of the belt.
No School day !, Fed up with snow until the end of Feb, respectively.

I guess about 80K ~ 90K difference would be nothing after 40 if you are under 30 now.
"Search your feelings, you know it to be true" and listen carefully from which side you hear,
"Come with me. It is the only way" :laugh:
 
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I personally know 8 people who attended UB or are currently attending UB and they ALL hated/hate it (it was the only school where they got in). From what I have heard, the professors are dinosaurs and the administration is a mess. Go with NYMC for sure. Buffalo is also one of the most boring places on the planet.
 
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I personally know 8 people who attended UB or are currently attending UB and they ALL hated/hate it (it was the only school where they got in). From what I have heard, the professors are dinosaurs and the administration is a mess. Go with NYMC for sure. Buffalo is also one of the most boring places on the planet.

That is the similar hearsay from my friends in there, they said a little bit different from dinosaurs & mess, but similar metaphor.
So, is it true ? I also need to think about this from now on.
 
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That is the similar hearsay from my friends in there, they said a little bit different from dinosaurs & mess, but similar metaphor.
So, is it true ? I also need to think about this from now on.
From what I have heard (I also have a bit of a different connection that I do not wish to display online, PM me if you wish) it is simply a school for those without a choice. Once there, many students end up absolutely hating it. Another critique I have heard is that you are nothing more than a number and that student health, well-being, and success is of no concern.
 
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From one of our colleagues who followed this thread, and may be interested in SUNY Buffalo, asked me to share the info what I described in the above, however I think it would be no good as I have noticed the above can be interpreted as a bias. So, I replied as the following:

Hello, All those are by hearsay, and subjective opinions as they have.
Coincidentally, another person have the same experience in the thread.
Therefore, this is no more, no less.

Everybody is subjective, however we need to observe objectively.
Do I know exactly about SUNY Buffalo ? Simply Nope, I can not distribute anything that I do not know exactly although I can decide subjectively.

Every school has pros and cons, and pros for someone can be cons to someone.

Good Luck !
 
Hi,

Just curious where and how ended up making your decision? I am in a verys similar situation.
SUNY Buffalo- new facility now, cheaper, far
Quinnipiac- Private, near, more expensive, smaller class


I am having a hard time choosing between these two schools
 
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