Penn or Yale

[RiceKrispyTreats]

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Hey guys,

I know this thread has been done a few years ago, but I'm still confused and would appreciate any help.

Penn

Pros

Potential of MD/MBA program at Wharton (very hard to get in, so not sure how big of a pro this is)
SO of many years lives in Philadelphia, so we can finally be in the same city/move in.
Seems like curriculum is run very smoothly (always being tinkered, reviewed by admin)

Cons

H/P/F second year
Student body seems a bit more gunnery than I would like, definitely less relaxed on average than at Yale.

Yale

Pros

I love the loose structure of the Yale Curriculum, but I'm worried about perhaps underperforming/slacking without any grades.
Happiest med students I've met
Match list has a strong HMS/Northeast bias, which is where I eventually want to be
Slightly more prestigious to lay population? (don't plan on going into academia)

Cons

Another 5 years away from SO
Facilities are slightly shabbier than Penn's

Finances will probably be around the same at both places, and not a big enough difference to sway the decision either way. I actually really like New Haven, so the Philly vs. New Haven location isn't an issue.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Odessa09]

Penn and Yale are both great schools! Congrats! From purely your descriptions of the two schools, however, it sounds like your heart is set on Yale.

Best of luck with your decision!

 

[trino]

Penn's grading is based on number cutoffs. For example, if a 90 is required for honors and the whole class gets a 90, then the whole class gets honors. It isn't based on a percentile, so I don't think it matters too much unless you make it matter.

All the students I've met on interview day seemed really happy. They also seemed cohesive due to the learning teams. Sounds like you had a different experience (which may or may not be the actual atmosphere, I won't know until second look)

It sounds like your decision comes down to your SO vs being more happy at Yale. You'll have to decide which one is more important. I would highly recommend attending second looks to get another example of the student atmosphere at each school.

 

[ranson]

It seems like you would be happier in medical school at Yale but your SO is in Philly; however, New Haven and Philly are close geographically, only a 1.5 hr drive or 2 hr train via Amtrak. It's not like you are going across the country.

 

[Innocuous]

A 4 hour (edit: round)trip to hold the one you love may seem romantic, but I'd say it just plain sucks. They are both such amazing programs, I would choose my SO 10/10 (granted, some people may appreciate 2 hours of distance haha)

 

[SN12357]

It seems like you would be happier in medical school at Yale but your SO is in Philly; however, New Haven and Philly are close geographically, only a 1.5 hr drive or 2 hr train via Amtrak. It's not like you are going across the country.

It's a 3 hour one-way drive between Philly and New Haven without traffic (pretty much never). Amtrak is 3 hours on the Acela or 3.5 on a regional, assuming the trains are running ontime (sometime to most of the time, depending on the train). Not sure where you got your numbers from.

For some people a 6+ hour round-trip would be trivial and for others it would be a significant inconvenience, only the OP knows how much to weight that factor.

 

[rocco92]

Both are such strong schools that you will like both, despite their unique pros and cons.

If the relationship is serious, I would base the decision off the SO. Even if it doesn't work out, you're really not gonna feel like you made a wrong choice, both schools are powerhouses.

 

[DermViser]

Yale.

 

[RiceKrispyTreats]

Thanks for the help. Yeah...I think this mostly boils down to a question of SO vs. choice I would have picked without the SO.

 

[Patros]

Congrats on the multiple ivy league acceptance! Don't let prestige sway your opinion. The only people whose opinion you should be worried about is your boss's, and I'm sure every physician would instantly recognize both UPenn and Yale. I dare say in matters of biomedical science, UPenn's name has greater clout than Yale (debatable though).

In terms of resources, residency match, and administrative support, they are both supposed to be fantastic. I think your decision should be largely made on your preference in location, curriculum, and family/relationships. Good luck!