OHSU vs. SUNY Downstate

[dallowac]

Hi all - I would love to hear everyone's input on OHSU vs SUNY Downstate. I know the two schools are very different, but I am drawn to SUNY to be close to family and save $20K a year after I become a NY resident. OHSU, on the other hand, seems to be better regarded in terms of ranking and the residency match list, and the school receives much more NIH funding and is in an excellent city with a very friendly atmosphere. If you have personal experience with either school, I would love to get your input. I have until next week to decide.

Thanks so much!!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to SSD

 

[Crayola227]

OHSU

 

[Mansamusa]

I would save the $60K+ and be close to family. Especially if you want to stay in the NE in the future

Many Downstate students do research at MSKCC and NYU, etc and they have research at the school itself.

OHSU's match list doesn't seem too much better (of at all better) except for the fact that so many Downstate people stay in the NY-Long Island area

 

[mybubbles627]

I got to school at OHSU and I absolutely love it. However with that being said if I were you I would go with Downstate. Here are a couple reasons.

1. Being close to family/support is unbeatable. I am from this area and I think having those people around is absolutely huge in medical school.
2. The school just underwent a huge curriculum transformation. There are good and bad things with is but they are still working on the kinks and that will likely take another few years.
3. Save the money! Not only is OHSU EXTREMELY expensive tuition but Portland is getting pretty ridiculous for rent as well. With interest rates and living expenses its not worth spending the extra money.

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.

 

[dallowac]

Thanks everyone for your input!

@mybubbles627 - do you think the curriculum transformation will affect step 1 scores or the students' performance? do you know what the average step 1 score / pass rate at OHSU is?

@Crayola227 - why OHSU? Based on the polls, more people are voting OHSU but so far, no arguments for it. My family members are slightly pushing for OHSU because of the better reputation. Plus, considering the rent in Brooklyn, the cost of attendance might turn out to be a wash.

Thanks again in advance for your responses -- my decision is coming down to the wire and I keep flip-flopping back and forth

 

[Thatsnotmyname.]

Thanks everyone for your input!

@mybubbles627 - do you think the curriculum transformation will affect step 1 scores or the students' performance? do you know what the average step 1 score / pass rate at OHSU is?

@Crayola227 - why OHSU? Based on the polls, more people are voting OHSU but so far, no arguments for it. My family members are slightly pushing for OHSU because of the better reputation. Plus, considering the rent in Brooklyn, the cost of attendance might turn out to be a wash.

Thanks again in advance for your responses -- my decision is coming down to the wire and I keep flip-flopping back and forth

I'm going to Downstate and I chose it over a couple schools ranked in the 40s. I did so because:
-Saving the money will be a huge advantage in allowing me to choose a specialty without regards to debt
-NYC has a ton of resources
-Love Downstate's patient population and mission
- I went to one of the top, grade deflating school that people tell pre-meds not to go to quite a ways from home for undergrad, which is probably the closest you can get to the intensity of med school in undergrad without being as intense as med school. Being able to have dinner with my family once a week or go home once a month would have been great for my sanity back then. I can only imagine what a great benefit being close to home will be during med school.
- No need for a car that suck up a huge amount of money

As for the rent: the area around the school is being gentrified. If you live around campus, stay east of Prospect Park in the Flatbush-Crown Heights area and have roomates, rent will be $650-$800. I signed a lease that is $700 for rent and water. I don't think Portland will be less than that

 

[frchuatritons]

Which schools in the top 40 were you accepted to?

I'm going to Downstate and I chose it over a couple schools ranked in the 40s. I did so because:
-Saving the money will be a huge advantage in allowing me to choose a specialty without regards to debt
-NYC has a ton of resources
-Love Downstate's patient population and mission
- I went to one of the top, grade deflating school that people tell pre-meds not to go to quite a ways from home for undergrad, which is probably the closest you can get to the intensity of med school in undergrad without being as intense as med school. Being able to have dinner with my family once a week or go home once a month would have been great for my sanity back then. I can only imagine what a great benefit being close to home will be during med school.
- No need for a car that suck up a huge amount of money

As for the rent: the area around the school is being gentrified. If you live around campus, stay east of Prospect Park in the Flatbush-Crown Heights area and have roomates, rent will be $650-$800. I signed a lease that is $700 for rent and water. I don't think Portland will be less than that

 

[Crayola227]

Thanks everyone for your input!

@mybubbles627 - do you think the curriculum transformation will affect step 1 scores or the students' performance? do you know what the average step 1 score / pass rate at OHSU is?

@Crayola227 - why OHSU? Based on the polls, more people are voting OHSU but so far, no arguments for it. My family members are slightly pushing for OHSU because of the better reputation. Plus, considering the rent in Brooklyn, the cost of attendance might turn out to be a wash.

Thanks again in advance for your responses -- my decision is coming down to the wire and I keep flip-flopping back and forth

West Coast culture of the practice of medicine is far kinder and gentler than the East Coast as a generality
it's less hierarchical, more laid back
on the East Coast you're more likely to actually get yelled at, ppl say the other side of that on the West Coast is just more passive aggressiveness

I just prefer large West Coast cities to large East Coast cities overall too

from what my friends say, housing is becoming crazy expensive in Portland tho
but Portland is very desirable city

 

[mybubbles627]

Thanks everyone for your input!

@mybubbles627 - do you think the curriculum transformation will affect step 1 scores or the students' performance? do you know what the average step 1 score / pass rate at OHSU is?

@Crayola227 - why OHSU? Based on the polls, more people are voting OHSU but so far, no arguments for it. My family members are slightly pushing for OHSU because of the better reputation. Plus, considering the rent in Brooklyn, the cost of attendance might turn out to be a wash.

Thanks again in advance for your responses -- my decision is coming down to the wire and I keep flip-flopping back and forth

The first new class took Step 1 this past January but no results have been released. I have heard mixed information. Some people say the average was lower with more failures, others say the average was higher. Nothing has been posted about it on the student portal for us to have any indication which is true. OHSU has a decent average before the curriculum change (227-230 ish for the few years before). While most people pass I don't think there has been a year where everyone has passed and it varies from year to year from 1-2 students up to 8 failures but that was much higher than normal.

 

[Mansamusa]

This is Downstate's Step/Graduation info from 2010-2015. The average Step I is a few points above average, so basically average. 98-99% pass rate. Less than 1% attrition. (They also changed curriculums a few years ago- around 2010ish?)