OUWB vs CUSM

[starnight10]

Hi Everyone! Please help me choose between these 2 schools!

Info/Values/Interests
1. From CA so I prefer to match in CA in the future
2. Currently thinking about pediatrics, emergency medicine/peds EM, or oncology/peds oncology
3. For my own happiness: weather and family/friends support is huge for me.
4. I'm a little scared about medical school debt, but I am willing to put my happiness before financial issues.
5. I love research, especially bench, but I know that it will be time consuming for a medical student. However, I would like the possibility of working at an academic hospital in the future, preferably UCI.

Let me say that I had an amazing time and felt an amazing vibe from both schools. Faculties and Staffs seemed so supportive and happy to help! They both have an open-door policy and the curriculum are very similar such that they include many humanism, research, and team-based learning in their curriculum. CUSM is definitely a newer school, but OUWB hasn't been around that much longer either (about 10 years). Is OUWB worth me forgoing living in CA and being close to my friends and family or will both equally give me success? I've always since undergrad wanted to go to a school in CA, so after getting accepted to CUSM, my gut told me to cancel all my other interviews.

CUSM

PROS

• about 1.5 hours away from home. near enough to travel home if I wanted to. my friends are my greatest supporter.
• it's in CA - perfect weather and diversity. I love asian food and being near open water - it is therapeutic for me.
• close to other med schools/connections for me to find research even if the school doesn't have as much opportunities
• P/F first 2 years
• Classes only M-W and a 4 day "weekend." This will allow me to focus on other extracurricular activities.
• has its own hospital for rotations, with EM as one of its residency programs
• new building

CONS

• new school (I will be the third class), so possibly no federal loans. scholarships will probably be 30-50% covered for tuition since I will most likely receive need-based aid. But this is up in the air and will probably not be released until I have made a decision by april 30th. How much worse will my life be with private loans, assuming the cost of attendance will be similar between both schools with aid accounted for.
• The hospital isn't as amazing as OUWB's beaumont system
• Not yet fully accredited, but it shouldn't be a problem?
• Newer school means we don't know what the matching process will be like, and with Step 1 being P/F, I'm not sure how this will fair
• no cadavers for anatomy
• less global health opportunities

OUWB

PROS

• amazing hospital system. has many residency programs. it is ranked #2, 3, and 4 in michigan.
• cadavers for anatomy
• great residency match list. I've seen students who attended CA schools for undergrad end up matching back in CA, with some matching into UC's hospitals!
• with steps being P/F, I feel that beaumont hospitals may prepare me better for step 2?

CONS

• It's in michigan - cold and not as much diversity. not much to do in this area either.
• Classes for MS1 and MS2 are more packed than CUSM
• honors/pass/fail
• not as much connections. don't know much about the state and the areas around it.
• far from home/family/friends

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