Penn vs. Stanford vs. UVA (in-state)

[tomhaverford]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Undecided whether I want to be a clinician or a researcher, currently leaning toward research. Cost is a factor w/ some expectation of financial aid.

 

[deleted127837]

I didn't think Penn had given out results yet

 

[tomhaverford]

I didn't think Penn had given out results yet

Yeah, just assuming I am accepted. The other two schools I have already received acceptances for.

 

[Tots]

I think if you are looking for serious responses you should provide information about things you are considering. Do you want to be on the west coast? east coast? How do you like Philly? Palo Alto? Charlottesville? What are your concerns, etc...

My favorite of the three was probably Penn.

Urban > Secluded College Town >>> Suburban

+1.5 year, Step 1 after clinical year, Stronger clinical enterprise(ie CHOP)

 

[IlDestriero]

I'd pick the cheapest one. You could make connections and engage in research at any of the three.
I'd pick Stanford 😉 and the weather is better.👍
If you're looking for any kind of city experience, Penn is your only option.

 

[drjenkins]

Wow, these are my top 3 schools! Just wanted to say, congratulations on your acceptances!

 

[tomhaverford]

I think if you are looking for serious responses you should provide information about things you are considering. Do you want to be on the west coast? east coast? How do you like Philly? Palo Alto? Charlottesville? What are your concerns, etc...

My favorite of the three was probably Penn.

Urban > Secluded College Town >>> Suburban

+1.5 year, Step 1 after clinical year, Stronger clinical enterprise(ie CHOP)

Sure. A quick list of pros and cons in my mind. Feel free to add your opinions to the list.

Penn

Pros

• 1.5 year curriculum
• Some of the nation's best hospitals
• Cool surgical case based anatomy
• Urban
• Relatively cheap cost of living
• Step 1 after clinical year
• Great research opportunities
• Integrated university campus
• Close enough to home to make semi-regular visits possible

Cons

• Cold
• Philadelphia is not the greatest nor safest city in the US
• Not completely pass/fail

Stanford

Pros

• Completely pass/fail except clinical (and even then, not competitive)
• Thus, much less stressful and can focus more on research
• Sunny California weather
• Nice area, though not urban
• Great opportunities in research
• Med Scholars funding for research that may otherwise be volunteer-based
• Small class size
• Integrated university campus
• Many opportunities for backpacking, hiking, skiing; close to the ocean

Cons

• One of the most expensive medical schools in the country with an odd expectation of parental payment (which just will not happen in my case no matter how they frame their "middle income grant program")
• Far away from family (inconvenient and expensive to travel back to the East coast/move to the West coast)
• Stanford is largely a bubble in a medium sized town (isolated)
• High cost of living without the perks of living in a city
• Car likely required (which I do not have)
• Stanford's hospital is not fantastic (ranked 17th with a not-so-diverse patient population)

UVA

Pros

• In-state tuition!
• Still a fantastic medical school with enough research opportunities
• Close to home
• Affordable cost of living

Cons

• Not as many opportunities for research as other schools and potentially a worse hospital
• Perhaps too close to home
• Lesser prestige / worse match lists
• Not urban

 

[impermanence]

I agree with Tots

Urban > Secluded College Town >>> Suburban

I like cities & Philly has 4 seasons and is not as cold as many places in the NE.

 

[487806]

Undecided whether I want to be a clinician or a researcher, currently leaning toward research. Cost is a factor w/ some expectation of financial aid.

Penn > Stanford >>>>>> UVA

 

[jp89]

If you have any interest in the biotech or startup industry (or if you have any entrepreneurial thoughts), Stanford is the way to go.

 

[mcloaf]

I would never want to live in Palo Alto, but Stanford is a great school. I'd choose Penn personally, but you can't go wrong either way.

 

[940]

I would go to Stanford. Better location, for me personally at least, better weather, nice people, and a lot of cool places within short driving distance or public transit. I like Penn but not its location or neighborhoods. Just go with your gut instinct.

 

[werd]

as a UVa alum, i can vouch that you get a great medical education at a school that actually takes care of it's medical students and protects them from abuses. they routinely match graduates at pretty much where ever they want to go and have a brand new medical school building. whether or not you would want to live in a medium -sized to small city like Charlottesville is an individual choice. Research is definitely present, but not the huge enterprise it is at a place like Penn (Stanford I'm not sure about). Personally, I'd recommend UVa to anyone that can get in, but different schools are right for different people. If you've been accepted to both UVa and Stanford, it's a pretty nice problem you have choosing between the two. Good luck.

 

[deleted127837]

Based on your list, you want to go to Penn (which begs the question, why did you start a thread about a school you haven't been accepted to yet?)

I'd personally go to Stanford.

 

[dahassa]

I agree with Tots

Urban > Secluded College Town >>> Suburban

I like cities & Philly has 4 seasons and is not as cold as many places in the NE.

I totally agree that urban is the best. However, it is Philly we are talking about!! Palo Alto is at least close to San Fran and it has great weather. Philly is rough. Did you go around the city? Penn is in a deceptively nice location, but overall, it's a rough place to be. While in Boston/NYC, every time I complain people always say "at least its not Philly." I never understood this until i spent some time there. It is also a pretty unsafe place. The weather is horrible and the people are pretty "rough" to say the least. Stanford is close to San Fran one of the best cities in the country. It is a beautiful city, great architecture, weather, ect. Location def goes to Stanford.

Clinical opportunities/potential residency inbreeding goes to Penn.
However, Stanford seems more student oriented and an overall better experience in terms of administration attentiveness and student happiness.

 

[tomhaverford]

Based on your list, you want to go to Penn (which begs the question, why did you start a thread about a school you haven't been accepted to yet?)

I'd personally go to Stanford.

I've now been accepted to Penn (and very excited by it too!). Penn, Stanford, and UVA are very much tied in my mind, otherwise I would not have made this thread. (The list of pros/cons may be lopsided for each school, but the negatives and positives at each bullet point are weighted differently.)

I will have to wait to hear back about financial aid and make my decision from there. Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[mvenus929]

UVA

Pros

• In-state tuition!
• Still a fantastic medical school with enough research opportunities
• Close to home
• Affordable cost of living

Cons

• Not as many opportunities for research as other schools and potentially a worse hospital
• Perhaps too close to home
• Lesser prestige / worse match lists
• Not urban

- Instate tuition isn't that great at UVA (I'm speaking as an OOS student... UVA's tuition sucks compared to my state school's). But as I don't know the costs of Penn and Stanford off the top of my head, it may be better for you.
- I'd argue over the match list point, because we send a lot of people to a lot of really competitive fields (ENT, Ortho, Ophthalmology, Urology, etc). I don't think you would be put at a disadvantage for residency if you went to UVA.

But, UVA isn't for everyone. If you want an urban area, don't come here. If you want to stay in the same hospital system, don't come here (I'd argue there's advantages to seeing other hospital systems early in your training, but I'm also a very flexible person when it comes to these things).

In the end, this is probably going to be a gut decision for you. So, ask yourself... where could I see myself being for 4 years?

 

[nysegop]

Whichever you can get into.

 

[premedrox111]

Stanford's has a way bigger reputation for research if that's your thing. I mean they just got another Nobel Prize recently. What like 70% of Stanford Med students take a year off for research, and can do so at the #2 Research-ranked medical school in the country (US News 2014). It's livable, pretty, and I wish I could've gotten in there (waitlisted post interview). Absolutely beautiful campus and place. Headed to HMS (I won't complain), but I would've seriously considered Stanford personally. Good luck and 'grats on having these options.

 

[tomhaverford]

Thanks again for the feedback, everyone.

After some deliberation, I have chosen to attend UPenn in the fall. Very excited for Philly, and hope to meet some of you as classmates in August!