OU vs McGovern

[Sluice]

I've been agonizing over this choice... Would love some insight from yall.

I'm a Texas resident (Fort Worth), but I do have an in-state tuition scholarship from OU, so the cost is roughly the same. Curriculums are roughly the same as well. OU is closer to my family than Houston, so coming home to see my kids is much easier with a 2.5-hour drive from OKC vs. a 4.5-hour drive from Houston. Cost of living is cheaper in OKC. The size and feel of OKC is much more palatable than inner city Houston. McGovern has the TMC and all the opportunities that come with it. I want to match to a competitive specialty, and I believe it would be a huge leg up to have access to all the research, mentors, and residency programs in house at McGovern. OU does not have my desired specialty in house while McGovern does.

Both are amazing schools I'm sure I would get a great education at. So I guess it really comes down to:
OU: nicer place to live, easier to visit my family.
McGovern: potentially better shot at matching my desired specialty.


Any thoughts?

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[milk_chocolate]

From your pros/cons it seems like you’re leaning more towards OU. I’ll echo what many others advise on SDN, I think that being close to your family network is really important and makes med school a lot less stressful.
Is OU P/F?

 

[optimisticdocc]

I agree with milk_chocolate, it sounds like you're leaning more towards OU based on what you've said. From what everyone has told me, I think having a strong (and close) support system is extremely beneficial for med school to make it less stressful. Other than the TMC and not having the in house residency you want to pursue, does OU have any other cons? Is it P/F?

 

[Sluice]

McGovern is P/F for the first semester only. OU is P/F for the first two years.
I see benefits from P/F and graded systems, so I don't really have a preference.

I think my heart really is with OU, but I don't want to feel like I've made a big mistake by passing on the opportunities at McGovern with largest medical center in the world. I know I will have to be heavily involved in research to match, and I know that is much easier to do at McGovern.

 

[optimisticdocc]

McGovern is P/F for the first semester only. OU is P/F for the first two years.
I see benefits from P/F and graded systems, so I don't really have a preference.

I think my heart really is with OU, but I don't want to feel like I've made a big mistake by passing on the opportunities at McGovern with largest medical center in the world. I know I will have to be heavily involved in research to match, and I know that is much easier to do at McGovern.

Have you talked to any current OU students to see how the opportunities for research are? Also, since you do have kids, have you talked to your family about it, what do they think about the two choices?