As one that considers themself fortunate enough to be studying at MGH, commonly referred to as Man's Greatest Hospital, where some would argue is where modern American medicine began, let me tell you my story.
I graduated high school with the goal of becoming an artist. I went to a local community college, worked my butt off academically during the day, and during the night I would paint and draw. It was my goal to become a medical artist and capture the life and vibrance that Netter did with his drawings. As I read more and more anatomy books I started to fall in love with the subject at hand (haha), and questioned as to why I was not going into medicine. It was at that point that I decided to at least take the prereq's to see if I could even dream of becoming a doctor. I continued with my drawings for they were not only my stress relief but my inspiration. I eventually tansfered to a not-so-well-known four year college and graduated with a 3.99. I thought I would be a shoe in for Harvard or Hopkins or Yale and that NYU or Sinai would be my safety. Because my parents are nerotic, like most 1st generation immigrants, they made me apply to all the state schools in our geographic region too. When I went on interviews people would ask me all the time about my artistic background since I sent copies of my drawings to each school with a secondary. Actually I didn't send the same picture twice to a school incase any of them ever talked to each other. Of 30 applications, I received 26 interviews, and went on 20. I was accepted to 18 and in the end could only go to one. I waited to see where their financial packets would put me 8 years later and did alot of thinking and balancing. In the end I chose to go to a state school. I went to this school because not only was it a comforting and supportive environment, and not only did it offer a cheaper tuition (something that was a big concern) it was in an area where I felt comfortable, near the water, near a big city, 100% manageable.
My point here is that you have to go where your gut tells you. A tuition hike, although it would stink, may not affect you if money is not a problem. For me this seems likes the handwritting on the wall on what is going to come down the pipeline. And this is why I am posting this here:
While I was going on the residency interview trail I made friends wit an NYU student. This individual and I had a common friend who was a student at NYU and so we became friendly really naturally. So at the end of our first interview the student told me how great NYU is because of the clinical experience and that having a private hospital lets med students see so much. This was good to hear, but this person has this attitude as if where I attend is "not so great." I was told that the school is so supportive and so unique and that MGH was definitely in reach for this person because of their NYU background.
Well when it came to the match, NYU had a good one, but not one to MGH for medicine and we had two. Ends up thru these threads I've seen that we have a higher board score too.
So the moral of the story: Don't make money an issue in your decision. Instead go where you feel comforatble. Don't go somewhere cushy because that will get you no where. Go where you know you will suceed. But with respect to NYU,
A slipping US News ranking and a $4,000 tuition hike CANNOT be good!
By the way, that NYU student did not even get an interview at my school's program!
PM me if you want to chat. Now i am cruzing to grad and would love to help anyone on the fence.
