Penn State v. MCPHU

[bellaludwig]

Well, this is my first time on and I sure wish I'd found this site earlier.

After seeing all the other chats, I hope that you all can give me your thoughts.

I've been accepted at Penn State and am happy with that, but I just got in to MCPHU. I am wondering which is considered the better school in general and which is considered better for primary care. My interview experience at Penn State was the better of the two, but I hesitate to live in Hershey as opposed to Philly. I'm from Los Angeles, so I'm a bit more of a city person. Nevertheless, my gut is telling me to go for Penn State.

Would love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks

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[CityIvy]

hey bella, congrats on both your acceptances! would you mind posting when you interviewed/accepted on the "mcphu countdown" thread? thanks!

 

[bellaludwig]

CityIvy, Will do. Would love to know your thoughts on mcphu...

 

[ewells]

Congratulations. I loved Penn State, but part of the attraction for me was the town. If you would rather be in a city, it might not be for you. Still, the school is the thing, and you can always go to Philly (~1.5 hrs away), B-more (~1.5), DC (~2.5) or New York City(~3) for a weekend.

 

[CityIvy]

bella, many people on SDN don't think very much of MCP, but i fell in love with the school when i interviewed there. i actually didn't expect to like MCP. the students that i met on interview day were extremely friendly...as was one of the PIL professors i got a chance to talk with. also, i liked the fact that MCP has a combined MD/MBA program--where the MBA could be finished in only one year. hope that helps! keep us updated on what you decide!

 

[bellaludwig]

Thanks, ewells and cityivy!
anyone else care to share?

 

[Drlove9701]

hey bella:

congrats on your situation, its great to be able to have a choice...i don't know much about MCP, but i'd say one negative is their precarious financial situation...they've had a recent history of coming very close to closing their doors...i think their finances are much better now with drexel running the show but its just something to think about...anyways, on to happier thoughts...penn state has an incredible, humanistic approach to their education/patient care, remember that every patient gets their own private room, also, as stated earlier, if hershey & harrisburg are not exciting enuf for you then you can make day/nite trips to b'more and philly in 90 minutes and nyc and d.c. for the weekend is a definite possibility...another plus is that you don't have to worry about crime, you just don't need any extra sources of stress...

good luck on your decision

 

[monchi]

Hi bella, Congrats on your acceptances!
I also interviewed at both schools, and, like ewells, I favor Penn State because of Hershey. However, I have an acceptance at MCP, so, it looks like that's where I'm going, and I do like it there too. It's in a nice part of Philly (although I would prefer it to be slightly more rural), close to Center City and the Art Museum area. One thing I really like about MCP is that it is hands down more diverse, both in the local area and the students. My friends also live in the Philadelphia area, so, I'll be able to see people outside of medicine more often. And since there are a number of other medical schools in the city, it's easier to meet more of your future colleagues. I'm told that occasionally schools get together for activities.
Either way you go, both schools are great for primary care. I think the main difference is the location, or at least, that was the main issue for me between these two schools.

 

[bellaludwig]

Monchi & Drlove - thank you for your thoughts! very helpful. it's nice to get an idea of the area from someone who's lived there. I know I can't go wrong either way. THANKS! And good luck to you both next year.

 

[jerseygirl29]

From what I have heard from older friends who are in medical school... location is really important b/c you don't have too much time. If you like cities then you will probably be much happier at MCPHU..... just my 2 cents

 

[nap]

I think that if you are really a city person, you may be miserable in Hershey, even though I think it might be a stronger school than MCP. Im from the area, and there is nothing there, save an amusement park. Thats a really tough choice. Good luck.

 

[bellaludwig]

So many things to consider. Thanks to everyone who replied. I think I'm leading towards MCP so I can be a city person. Good luck to everyone!
Monchi, maybe I'll see you there! :wink:

 

[Winged Scapula]

Just wondering...does everyone realize that Hershey is within 12 miles of the state capital?

While Harrisburg is not very sophisticated (ie, its no San Francisco or NYC), it is as urban as most other cities of its size and has just as many resources. Everyone talks about Hershey being so "rural" - and no one ever mentions that the things most of us need to live a nice life ARE available here.

We have nice grocery stores and farmer's markets with fresh fruit, flowers and vegetables, downtown Harrisburg has some lovely restaurants along the Susquehanna River and there are clubs for every ethnic group and sexual orientation. Target is here (which is one of MY requirements for a city I live in) and there ARE art museums in Harrisburg; lots of parks, and outdoor activities and yes, its very close to other cities should you desire a different scene.

I honestly understand the desire to live in an urban area - but frankly, with the little time you have do you want to worry about safety, spending twice as much for half the apartment and hassling with a commute? I didn't and am glad I came here. I enjoy a stroll in the city as much as anyone else, with exciting clubs and shows and while I agree that Hershey is rural, I wonder how much time people have invested in actually looking at the area around here. There ARE things to do and see.

Just my two cents...

 

[monchi]

I agree with much of the above post about the advantages of living in a small town, but I think it's naive to see just that side.
I feel I've been lucky. I grew up in Chicago, and am a product of the public schools there (just adding that to clarify that I lived in the city, not the suburbs). I also went to school for six years in Champaign, a city about 3 hours south of Chicago in central IL.
All the nicities that Kimberli described were available in Champaign. But the museums, clubs, and restaurants really didn't compare to Chicago. They were available, and there were gay clubs, straight clubs, ethnic places of worship, etc., but not approaching the choices of a large city.
As for safety, that can depend on your situation. As an Asian in a predominantly Caucasian community, I can't say that I always felt safer in Champaign than in Chicago. It would be fair to say that the further I traveled from the University, the more wary I had to be.
And, like in any other community, there were areas that were safer than others.
Again, I'm not disagreeing with Kimberli. Many of the points she stated are reasons why I like Hershey. But I just wanted to add a little more to the picture. These are issues that I consider whenever I'm moving to a new place.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Monchi...

You are absolutely right - it would be naive to assume that the clubs and the variety (including racial diversity) would approach that of a city like Chicago or Philly.

My comments were directed to the continual descriptions of Hershey as rural - as if there wasn't anything for miles and miles around and that you would spend 4 years here without any social diversions/anything approaching city life. Besides the obvious fact that there are REAL cities within a reasonable driving distance, Harrisburg does have some diversions and interesting things to do, besides the usual resources most of us want and need.

Obviously small town life or suburban life appeals to some and it does not to others. If I could afford to live in the lifestyle I enjoy/prefer in a city, I would in an instant. But the fact remains that for most students, living has to be on a budget and you get more for your money here and still have the benefits of a city within a reasonable distance (ie, Philly, Baltimore).

Again, I'm not disagreeing with you or anyone who would prefer to live in a larger city, but I was just dismayed by the constant comments about the rural environment without a single mention that the state capital was a mere 12 miles away and no less cosmopolitan than many, many cities in the US which are not NYC, Chicago, Philly, LA, or San Francisco.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Monchi...

You are absolutely right - it would be naive to assume that the clubs and the variety (including racial diversity) would approach that of a city like Chicago or Philly.

My comments were directed to the continual descriptions of Hershey as rural - as if there wasn't anything for miles and miles around and that you would spend 4 years here without any social diversions/anything approaching city life. Besides the obvious fact that there are REAL cities within a reasonable driving distance, Harrisburg does have some diversions and interesting things to do, besides the usual resources most of us want and need.

Obviously small town life or suburban life appeals to some and it does not to others. If I could afford to live in the lifestyle I enjoy/prefer in a city, I would in an instant. But the fact remains that for most students, living has to be on a budget and you get more for your money here and still have the benefits of a city within a reasonable distance (ie, Philly, Baltimore).

Again, I'm not disagreeing with you or anyone who would prefer to live in a larger city, but I was just dismayed by the constant comments about the rural environment without a single mention that the state capital was a mere 12 miles away and no less cosmopolitan than many, many cities in the US which are not NYC, Chicago, Philly, LA, or San Francisco.

 

[ewells]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by bellaludwig:
•...but I hesitate to live in Hershey as opposed to Philly. I'm from Los Angeles, so I'm a bit more of a city person...•••••Philly and LA are about as different as two cities can be and still be in the same country. If you are just looking for any big city, that's one thing, but if you are looking for a city like LA, then I don't think that Philladelphia really fits your criteria.

 

[bellaludwig]

You guys are great! This discussion is really helpful. I am leaning very heavily towards MCP because it is in a city. I figured out on my own that Hershey couldn't be all that rural, so I compared the Hershey/Philly comaprison with the Santa Barbara/LA comparison. I went to school in SB, which has all the trappings of any city, clubs, museums, diversity, homeless, you name it!, and ralized that I would prefer the larger city at this point in my life. As has been stressed many times, it's about personal preference, but all the above posts have really helped. Thank you for posting!

I am so glad I found this site and plan on using it often in the years to come. (ok, getting a bit sappy, I know. <img border="0" alt="[Lovey]" title="" src="graemlins/lovey.gif" /> )

 

[jlw2004]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Drlove9701:
•hey bella:

...i don't know much about MCP, but i'd say one negative is their precarious financial situation...they've had a recent history of coming very close to closing their doors...i think their finances are much better now with drexel running the show but its just something to think about•••••Sorry, as a current MCPHU (Drexel!) student, I couldn't let this go by. The financial problems are PAST. This school isn't perfect, no school is, but the financial situation isn't a problem.

As far as comparing Penn State and MCPHU, alot of it is personality fit. I just wasn't as comfortable with PSU and found the people (students, facutly, support staff) at MCP friendly and cooperative, the kind of atomosphere I wanted to spend a chunk of my life at.

Good luck and congrats on your decision, bella. You'll get a good education either way!

 

[bellaludwig]

I'm going to MCP!
Thanks, jlw2004 for the info. It's good to get the inside scoop.