Penn State or Temple?

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Hershey is kinda in the middle of nowhere, so I dont think you could possibly see the variety of patients that you would at Temple, and there is a lot to do in Phily. If you really like the smell of chocolate though Hershey is the place to be.
 
As a Penn State grad I can assure you that the clinical training at Penn State is second to none (well maybe some, but definitely not the philly schools).
 
Personally, I'd go nuts to be stuck out in the country for four years. From my experiences in the city, I can definately agree that you're going to see an entirely different patient base depending on where you are, and that's going to influence what sort of medicine you learn. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it all depends on what you want out of your medical education personally.

As for the clinical training being so much better at Penn State than the Philly schools, hah. I know some Penn State grads who are now at Philly schools for residency/attendinghood who say different... If you need any more info on Temple, feel free to get in touch as my fiancee is a second year there.

Good luck!
 
Seaglass said:
As a Penn State grad I can assure you that the clinical training at Penn State is second to none (well maybe some, but definitely not the philly schools).


i dont see how u can make that statement, where's the penn st hospital where u do training? temple prides itself on its clinical training, considering the huge number of patients that come in and the fact that students can get their hands dirty...

the most obvious difference between the 2 schools is its location, they are polar opposites, so the choice shouldnt be a tough one to make.. i really need to live in a city, so i didnt even apply to penn state as a pa resident.
 
I got my info from students I know who went to philly schools and residents I've met from there. unless you've been a student at both schools that's about as good as it's gonna get.
 
SpiritiualDuck said:
Temple has had considerable troubles as far as accreditation is concerned, mainly because their campus has subpar facilities. The school is in N. Philly, not the best area, not safe. Regardless of what people tell you, it's not a great area. Philly is a city, yes. But it's not an attractive city, lots of ghetto and unhappy folks that would love to mug your premed a@#.

So, I'd do anything not to be in Philly.

The accreditation troubles have not been considerable, the school was put on probation to get more financial aid to the students and build newer facilities. There is nothing wrong with the facilities, in my opinion, but they are building an entirely new medical school building. Class size has gone down and fin. aid. up. Specifically, Temple was told during this process that the quality of the medical education was above and beyond, despite so-so facilities.

The neighborhood is not terrific, but as a current student I can say that it barely affects our lives in any way, apart from the fact that there are numerous opportunities to volunteer and many things for you to do and see in the hospital. It is actually very safe. Temple U. has one of the largest police forces in the state, second only to the entire cities' police of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. But then again, we don't go strolling around in North Phil. either.

I'm not crazy about Philadelphia and don't intend to stay, but that really has nothing to do with whether I am satisfied with Temple. I never sent in my application to Penn State because I couldn't imagine being in Hershey.
 
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