- Joined
- Feb 20, 2017
- Messages
- 92
- Reaction score
- 214
Hi y'all,
I've been incredibly lucky this cycle, and have narrowed down my options to two big ones- Penn and Pritzker. A little about me: I want to enter a competitive surgical specialty- most likely cardiothoracic surgery. I also want to engage in biotech so I would like to be engaged in research/work along the lines of artificial intelligence and device engineering as well, so an MBA/MS in computer science is also in consideration. Here is what I think:
Penn (Half-tuition)
Pros
+++ Really awesome match list! 3 matches in thoracic surgery (at top places too!) is unheard of
++ Strong engineering/comp sci departments where I could pursue interdisciplinary research
++ Bigger hospital system and stronger home residency programs in areas of my interest
++ Really vibed with the folks there and felt like I'd be a great fit
++ Lots of community health engagement opportunities
++ Wharton is quite an amazing place for MBA and taking classes there would be wonderful!
+ Prestige/Ranking (?) The PD rankings seem to put Penn quite high and the Penn name seems to have greater recognition than UChicago
+ Philly seems awesome!
Con
- The cost compared to Pritzker
Pritzker (Full-tuition)
Pros
+++ That scholarship
++ Booth is quite a solid place for an MBA as well
++ Community health engagement in the South Side of Chicago is very woven into the programs
++ The match list was good, did not see that many surgical matches but also saw someone match into Cleveland Clinic's cardiothoracic surgery program!
++ Smaller school and I felt that students were quite tight!
+ Having been here, I have some solid connections I could further bolster
Neutral (maybe con?)
> Chicago is a fun city but having been here for my undergrad I could use a change of scenery too
Cons
-- Very little in terms of engineering at the school so I am not sure what happens here in terms of device research
-- No integrated cardiac surgery program at their hospital
- The hospital system is not as vast as Penn's
Honestly, if the costs weren't different, I'd have committed to Penn already, but the difference of nearly $120K in the cost of attendance is not a trivial number. I am lucky in that my family is fine with either choice and can support me all the way through, but I do not want to unnecessarily burden them either. I have asked Penn if they can raise their financial aid, but I am not sure what to expect.
Thanks for your opinions everyone!
I've been incredibly lucky this cycle, and have narrowed down my options to two big ones- Penn and Pritzker. A little about me: I want to enter a competitive surgical specialty- most likely cardiothoracic surgery. I also want to engage in biotech so I would like to be engaged in research/work along the lines of artificial intelligence and device engineering as well, so an MBA/MS in computer science is also in consideration. Here is what I think:
Penn (Half-tuition)
Pros
+++ Really awesome match list! 3 matches in thoracic surgery (at top places too!) is unheard of
++ Strong engineering/comp sci departments where I could pursue interdisciplinary research
++ Bigger hospital system and stronger home residency programs in areas of my interest
++ Really vibed with the folks there and felt like I'd be a great fit
++ Lots of community health engagement opportunities
++ Wharton is quite an amazing place for MBA and taking classes there would be wonderful!
+ Prestige/Ranking (?) The PD rankings seem to put Penn quite high and the Penn name seems to have greater recognition than UChicago
+ Philly seems awesome!
Con
- The cost compared to Pritzker
Pritzker (Full-tuition)
Pros
+++ That scholarship
++ Booth is quite a solid place for an MBA as well
++ Community health engagement in the South Side of Chicago is very woven into the programs
++ The match list was good, did not see that many surgical matches but also saw someone match into Cleveland Clinic's cardiothoracic surgery program!
++ Smaller school and I felt that students were quite tight!
+ Having been here, I have some solid connections I could further bolster
Neutral (maybe con?)
> Chicago is a fun city but having been here for my undergrad I could use a change of scenery too
Cons
-- Very little in terms of engineering at the school so I am not sure what happens here in terms of device research
-- No integrated cardiac surgery program at their hospital
- The hospital system is not as vast as Penn's
Honestly, if the costs weren't different, I'd have committed to Penn already, but the difference of nearly $120K in the cost of attendance is not a trivial number. I am lucky in that my family is fine with either choice and can support me all the way through, but I do not want to unnecessarily burden them either. I have asked Penn if they can raise their financial aid, but I am not sure what to expect.
Thanks for your opinions everyone!
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