OHSU (IS) vs Ohio State vs Brown (WL)

[vanilla_fubar]

I’ve been incredibly fortunate this cycle to have the above options. However I’m extremely conflicted between choosing between them. I’m confident that OHSU, OSU, and Brown are all excellent choices and will give me a great education which makes it all the more difficult to come to a definite decision.

The AAMC traffic rules make this decision even more difficult. On 4/30 I’ll have to choose a single acceptance (OHSU vs Ohio State). After that date, I might get pulled off the WL at Brown and be forced to choose between Brown and Oregon/Ohio. So really there are two scenarios I’m contemplating:

A) OHSU vs. Ohio State (before/on April 30th)
B) OHSU or Ohio state vs. Brown (After the 30th)

As far as I currently know, I will not be receiving any merit aid and will assume full tuition for the above schools (financed by a combination of loans/parent contribution). What would you all recommend for scenarios A and B? My gut reaction is A) OHSU>Ohio State, then B) Brown>OHSU if I get off the waitlist. Below is my thought process:

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OHSU (Oregon)

Pros

• In-state, will remain close to family and friends
• Potentially the cheapest option (IS tuition ~44k)
• I like Portland - lots of breweries, cool neighborhoods, proximity to beach/mountains/outdoors
• Good regional reputation (on the west coast at least)

Cons

• Issues with administration: every student I’ve talked with has had serious complaints over lack of transparency, inability for students to provide input, and just generally frustrating interactions with the admin.
• Not particularly well known outside of the NW (?)
• No summer break, weekly exams
• Frustrating application process (not a huge con - frankly it's probably just me being petty - but still left a bad taste in my mouth)

Ohio State

Pros

• Enthusiastic students and faculty. Was extremely impressed by how engaging and friendly the students and faculty were during the interview process. High degree of school pride.
• Part of the larger OSU ecosystem, potentially more avenues for collaboration/research
• Solid school reputation/name recognition
• I’ve never lived outside the pacific northwest so it would be cool experiencing a new place.
• IS tuition after 1st year which would significantly reduce cost (OOS tuition $54k first year, ~$40k/year after)

Cons

• Not a huge fan of the location. I liked the parts of Columbus near the university but that’s about it.
• Don’t see myself settling in Ohio or the midwest long term.
• Slightly more expensive than OHSU
• Extremely restrictive policies for establishing IS residency (e.g. limited travel outside Ohio, strict financial independence, etc.)

Brown (WL)

Pros

• Great school culture. Most down to earth and “real” people I encountered on the interview trail. Very laid back vibes
• Admin was very transparent. Students noted that they are highly receptive to student feedback and are treated well across the board.
• Excellent match list: Brown students tend to punch well above what their school ranking would suggest.
• Providence seems like a place I’d love to live (great food, medium sized city, collegiate atmosphere, close to other major NE cities).

Cons

• Most expensive of my choices (~$66k/yr)
• Far removed from friends and family. Unclear if I’d stay in the NE long term.
• Hospitals and teaching facilities are somewhat lacking compared to OHSU and Ohio state (e.g. no school owned hospitals, smaller medical campus).

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[mr-dookie]

congrats on the acceptances. I am accepted at OSU and on hold at OHSU (in-state). I am interested to hear the responses to this thread but I think that OHSU is overall a better school, and if I end up getting accepted at OHSU I am most likely going to be matriculating there over ohio state. best of luck possible future classmate!

 

[vanilla_fubar]

congrats on the acceptances. I am accepted at OSU and on hold at OHSU (in-state). I am interested to hear the responses to this thread but I think that OHSU is overall a better school, and if I end up getting accepted at OHSU I am most likely going to be matriculating there over ohio state. best of luck possible future classmate!

Thanks, you as well! Can I ask why you'd pick OHSU over Ohio State? (or why you view OHSU as the stronger program?). Not that I necessarily disagree, just interested in hearing your rationale.

 

[mr-dookie]

I would probably pick OHSU due to proximity to my family, friends and SO. In addition to that OHSU is higher ranked on US news and the PD rankings. However, OHSU seems to be better known for primary care which isn't necessarily something I am interested, not sure if ohio state would have the edge with more competitive specialties (would be interested to see what others on SDN have to say). also I am more excited to live in Portland than Columbus, however I really loved Columbus when I visited and think that I would be happy there.

 

[Banco]

I'd probably put it as OHSU > OSU > Brown based on prioritizing cost/location.

I actually think all 3 schools are pretty much at a similar level in terms of name/national reputation. I do agree that OHSU and OSU have a stronger hospital system.

 

[vanilla_fubar]

I'd probably put it as OHSU > OSU > Brown based on prioritizing cost/location.

I actually think all 3 schools are pretty much at a similar level in terms of name/national reputation. I do agree that OHSU and OSU have a stronger hospital system.

How do match lists fit into the decision (if at all)? Based on USNWR/PD rankings OHSU is the technically the best of the three. (#19 vs 30s for Brown & OSU). However the Brown match list is clearly a cut above the others. That has to count for something, right?

 

[Banco]

How do match lists fit into the decision (if at all)? Based on USNWR/PD rankings OHSU is the technically the best of the three. (#19 vs 30s for Brown & OSU). However the Brown match list is clearly a cut above the others. That has to count for something, right?

Why do you think Brown‘s is clearly a cut above?

On a superficial glance, OSU has the highest absolute numbers of matches in competitive fields such as dermatology, surgical sub specialties (but they also have more students in total I think).

The problem with granularly trying to interpret match lists within the same general tier of schools is the following:

1) You don’t know student preferences with regard to geography/where they applied. You clearly see a bias at Brown for the East coast, Midwest for OSU, and west coast for OHSU - none of this is surprising.

2) You don’t know student preferences with regards to specialty. This often has high year to hear variation.

3) You don’t know whether students matched their #1 or fell far down their list. Is it impressive if a student matched Harvard but that was #10 on their list?

4) You most likely at your level don’t really know what programs are the top ones and which ones aren’t. For example in the field I applied (surgery) OHSU and OSU >>> Browns residency.

5) No one knows how many students tried to match something competitive but ended up being matched to their backup specialty. As a hypothetical, is it more impressive that 10 students matched ortho at OSU (but 15 applied) vs. 3/3 at OHSU?

Match lists can be useful if they consistently show matches into the fields you’re interested in (usually helpful for competitive specialties). Otherwise I really can’t differentiate the match lists from these 3 in any meaningful way. They all have “impressive” matches. What they really tell me is you won’t be held back in any specialty from any of these schools.

Now if you have a specific specialty interest in mind and one school has a much stronger home department and home residency, more research funding, and the students speak highly of it etc., that can make a difference for you.

 

[vanilla_fubar]

Why do you think Brown‘s is clearly a cut above?

On a superficial glance, OSU has the highest absolute numbers of matches in competitive fields such as dermatology, surgical sub specialties (but they also have more students in total I think).

The problem with granularly trying to interpret match lists within the same general tier of schools is the following:

1) You don’t know student preferences with regard to geography/where they applied. You clearly see a bias at Brown for the East coast, Midwest for OSU, and west coast for OHSU - none of this is surprising.

2) You don’t know student preferences with regards to specialty. This often has high year to hear variation.

3) You don’t know whether students matched their #1 or fell far down their list. Is it impressive if a student matched Harvard but that was #10 on their list?

4) You most likely at your level don’t really know what programs are the top ones and which ones aren’t. For example in the field I applied (surgery) OHSU and OSU >>> Browns residency.

5) No one knows how many students tried to match something competitive but ended up being matched to their backup specialty. As a hypothetical, is it more impressive that 10 students matched ortho at OSU (but 15 applied) vs. 3/3 at OHSU?

Match lists can be useful if they consistently show matches into the fields you’re interested in (usually helpful for competitive specialties). Otherwise I really can’t differentiate the match lists from these 3 in any meaningful way. They all have “impressive” matches. What they really tell me is you won’t be held back in any specialty from any of these schools.

Now if you have a specific specialty interest in mind and one school has a much stronger home department and home residency, more research funding, and the students speak highly of it etc., that can make a difference for you.

The main reason I thought Brown had a better match list was the high number of impressive schools. But I see your point that that isn’t always the best indicator. Thank you for your input!

 

[Banco]

The main reason I thought Brown had a better match list was the high number of impressive schools. But I see your point that that isn’t always the best indicator. Thank you for your input!

I thought as much, and that's not surprising, that's usually the metric we use - so I don't blame you. And generally speaking, big academic centers do have strong residencies. But it is hard to make a clear cut comparison and when comparing within a general tier, I advise not to look at it that way.