Penn State vs. Albany

[Highclimber]

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Alright I hate these posts but now I am curious because my parents are asking me and I don't know what to tell them... general impression Penn State has the better program... But perhaps ALbany has the better location ... I would love to hear the pros and cons of each so as to better inform me... (frankly neither location is ideal)...

Cheers...

 

[etf]

lol.."Albany has the better location" - are you kidding me?

 

[tigress]

Heck I love Penn State's location. So what exactly are you looking for in location? Because that is entirely subjective.

 

[masterMood]

go to penn state, get the hell out of albany.

 

[Highclimber]

I don't live in Albany... I was jsut thinking there are more younger people in Albany than in Hershey Pennsylvania... (although... the spa is enticing)...

 

[Highclimber]

how bout in terms of ranking and residency matching?...

 

[drmota]

how bout in terms of ranking and residency matching?...

they're probably comparable. besides, where you went to med school is not a huge part in where you match. they may differ in how they prep you for the boards but i would have no idea about all that. the penn state students i talked to seemed to think they do a good job of prepping you. i would choose penn state no doubt.
-mota

 

[Scalpellum]

Alright I hate these posts but now I am curious because my parents are asking me and I don't know what to tell them... general impression Penn State has the better program... But perhaps ALbany has the better location ... I would love to hear the pros and cons of each so as to better inform me... (frankly neither location is ideal)...

Cheers...

I interviewed at Penn State and Albany. The students at Penn State seemed a lot happier. When I went to Albany I stayed with my friend who is a MSI and she told me not to go there. Go here to look up the residency match list for the two schools:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=187352

 

[Scalpellum]

I also recently got accepted to Albany after I was waitlisted. I have to make a decision between Penn State and Albany. I am leaning towards Penn State though.

 

[Orthodoc40]

I'd choose PA State, based on very little knowledge at this point

 

[thegenius]

I think I'm the only one who likes Albany...I thought the students were intelligent, interesting, I like the all in one med school. Albany the city is not that great, but compared to Hershey - I can't imagine that Hershey is any better. The tuition is high at Albany, but it is also high at Penn State.

Albany takes students from top universities like Harvard, JHU, Yale, Michigan, UCLA, it's just not their best candidates. I think I would definitely be happy at Albany.

 

[DrHuang]

id go with penn...like the location and school more and ive heard bad things about albany

 

[PhillyEaglesFan]

Hershey is just 15 minutes away from Harrisburg. Now Harrisburg is not that happening of a city, but there is a nightlife and young folks down there; whereas Hershey is mostly farms, grass, etc. Don't be deceived into thinking the entire central PA is all cows and plows. Central PA is VERY safe.

Also, Harrisburg is an hours' drive from Baltimore, two hours drive from Philly and DC, four hours from NYC.

 

[drdoctor]

I'd have to go with AMC. The students generally perform better there and its a growing school in terms of academics. Seems to have more potential. and Albany as a city is alot better than Hershey, and its only 2 and a half hours from Boston, NYC, and Montreal. But even then, there's not much time to travel in med. school and Albany has enough things to do for night life once a week. The match list also seems much better with alot of matches in cali and the northeast. More of an opportunity to match in the city or boston coming out of AMC. And as a hospital, the Albany Medical Center gets alot of diverse patients in comparison to Penn State. And like one of the previous posters said, alot of motivated students coming out of top notch undergraduate schools and BS/MD program students coming out of RPI.

 

[Scalpellum]

I'd have to go with AMC. The students generally perform better there and its a growing school in terms of academics. Seems to have more potential. and Albany as a city is alot better than Hershey, and its only 2 and a half hours from Boston, NYC, and Montreal. But even then, there's not much time to travel in med. school and Albany has enough things to do for night life once a week. The match list also seems much better with alot of matches in cali and the northeast. More of an opportunity to match in the city or boston coming out of AMC. And as a hospital, the Albany Medical Center gets alot of diverse patients in comparison to Penn State. And like one of the previous posters said, alot of motivated students coming out of top notch undergraduate schools and BS/MD program students coming out of RPI.

One reason why a lot of AMC students match into CA residencies is because a large percentage of their class are from California. You could basically call AMC, UC Albany! Also how can you say that AMC students "perform better?" Is this based on USMLE scores? Hershey is close to major cities as well. The facilities at Penn State are far better than at AMC.

 

[ashabee4]

I interviewed at both AMC and Penn State, and am also having trouble comparing them. Ignoring personal preferences about location, facilities, night life, etc., is there anything that stands out about either of them? Anything about the curriculum, opportunities for students, placing students in outstanding residencies...anything striking? I'm a NY resident, so would anyone say that either are worth the money over a NY state school, for instance, Stony Brook?