Penn vs Tufts

[mackdelraye]

Hi!

I was accepted to both Penn and Tufts, both OOS.

I’m really interested in infectious disease research, translational medicine and OneHealth. Penn seems to have a LOT of research opportunities and their new curriculum is enticing with the 2+2 set up. Downside is I definitely want to spend some time playing with all the fancy toys at the LA hospital at New Bolton, but it’s 1hr away and I’m probably not going to go into mixed or LA practice, it would just be for the experience / curriculum.

I’ve lived in NYC a long time so am used to city life but am hesitant to move to yet another city, esp one that has seemingly more crime, poverty, etc.

I visited the Tufts and immediately loved it, grew up in suburban MA so know I would like living there. I know they have a good research program and some labs but it doesn’t seem as extensive as Penn’s.

I’m also interested in emergency medicine and Penn def has a high case load. I would love to dabble in wildlife care / research too which Tufts is known for, and Penn doesn’t have much of.

Lastly, I’ve heard some mumbles of Penn being elitist, competitive etc and the Tufts vibe seems SO friendly and kind.

I’ll need to see what the financial aid packages look like but I’m still super torn!

Thoughts??

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[WonderingStudent]

I can only really speak regarding Tufts. There is a lot of research happening on campus that students if interested can become a part of especially during the summer. Usually if a student is very passionate about some type of research, the summer program would try and match them up with a mentor and see if there is any way to allow them to do X research. I know students who partnered with outside labs in the area that had the needed tools that Cummings may not have and so did part of the research at the school’s facilities and part of the research outside. Although regarding summer, you can decide not to go through Tufts at all and do any outside research or experience (unless you want to continue this research during the school year which may make it more difficult).

There is an combined DVM/MPH program at Tufts you may be interested in.

We do have a large case load at the hospital and are at least known for having a high case load by outside individuals that I’ve spoken to.

In regard to getting involved with ER or wildlife:
- I do have many classmates that work in the ER but for this department you are only allowed to work as an ER tech once completing your first year.
- I have a lot of classmates who work in the wildlife clinic but for paid tech positions there you have to have Work Study and it can be difficult to get a job. Otherwise, there are volunteer positions that they do offer especially during the summer for all the babies they expect.

I don’t see any competitiveness at Tufts but it can be who I choose to surround myself with. I’m unsure how others in my class feel about it. We have a class google drive to share notes, practice questions, anatomy videos and resources. To find out our class rank we would have to email a very nice admin which is only really done if you need that info for scholarship, externship, internship purposes which to my understanding is not common at other schools.

 

[IvyMoose]

If you’re interested in wildlife research, Tufts is a great choice… might I recommend the Masters of Conservation Medicine program (MCM)? It cannot be concurrent with DVM (unlike MPH), but it’s a really great program where you’ll learn all kinds of techniques and background for wildlife and conservation research and opportunities (and build a network with faculty at Tufts). You can even start a project and continue it through your DVM years, since you’ll be on campus for 5 years. Further, the whole MCM program focuses on OneHealth (it’s at the center of all discussion)! For the MCM program, you can defer Tufts and do the MCM then start Year 1 of DVM the following years as a V’28 (defer not guaranteed, but VERY likely to be accommodated). MCM has classes in the connection of humans, disease, and the environment, as well as one for disease surveillance. If interested in more of infectious disease research (which you can still do in MCM via externship and case study), the IDGH program is centered specifically around it (albeit not as liberal artsy as MCM, and you may get pigeon-holed in strictly infectious disease without learning about wildlife research too much).

The difference between MCM and the concurrent DVM/MPH is that, in the MPH, it is more focused on human medicine, with a dabble in OneHealth. However, MCM is all OneHealth (basically all equal among animal, human, and environment), with maybe a bias in animal (since it is conservation). I would highly recommend the MCM program, and if you do it, take it before DVM because it is not traditional "vet med", and the connections you make can surely help you in vet school.

Of course I say all of that as a current MCM student, which might be biased lol. But it has been a great program so far, and it is only one year long.

There’s a lot of faculty support at Tufts, nonetheless. Lots of OneHealth research, lots of loon research with Mark Pokras, and cool disease research! The faculty will support you wherever they can (like WonderingStudent has said), and they would love to help you especially with wildlife research. I will say that students that I have spoken to on the (s)elective and been a volunteer at the wildlife clinic says it can be boring (there is a lot of downtime, and they are pretty strict with who can tech and who does the dirty work of cleaning cages, even if you have wildlife tech experience). But 4th-year required rotation should be more doctor work, which is a major plus!

For Penn, they have the wildlife futures program at the New Bolton Center, which like you said, is an hour away from Philly. I tried to do research with them, but kinda got ghosted because they said they prefer Penn students (due to funding), but typically help you nonetheless find opportunities in their program! In other words, you can do those wildlife research programs at Penn, but I don’t know the acceptance rate for Penn students. You might not be surrounded by other wildlife people, unlike Tufts, if that’s an issue (although at Tufts, popular electives happen to be the wildlife ones). Other than the wildlife futures program, I’ve heard very little about other wildlife research: the rest I know is human-based research concerning wildlife and infectious disease (I might be wrong). However, a plus for you is that wildlife futures program focuses almost exclusively on disease, which is super cool!

I also want to dispel the myth of dangerous cities with "crime and poverty". I'm not trying to point you out, just that you brought it up and I want to provide more context. I have been to Philadelphia quite a few times, and I never really felt unease (I am a white gay man, so I am worried about my safety usually, but not as much as other identities, thus bias). I would say I feel less safe in NYC than in Philadelphia, but neither I would consider to be dangerous or worried about living in. Crime and poverty are typically used to scare people, by people typically not from that area. It is also commonly race-based: every city I have heard to be "dangerous" or have a lot of "crime" or "poverty" has been a place that has a substantial Black population. It is almost never as it seems: students are generally safe in both areas, but you should treat Philadelphia as it is: a city that has a wide diversity of people, including race, socioeconomics, and backgrounds. I wanted to state this clearly because my undergrad was in a "dangerous" city full of "crime and poverty" and neither I nor anyone I knew truly felt scared or threatened on campus. Lastly, a place that has poverty is not inherently bad: I understand your first inclinations with it and crime, but ask Philadelphia residents and people at UPenn about their experiences (more than one, since some people may still say it is dangerous despite them truly knowing). As I have said to others, wherever you're living, get involved in the community: you are a short-term resident (potentially) in this city, and you are benefitting from the resources there, so give back and become someone who gets to know the residents more, as opposed to treating the residents as a "them": it will help your perception and you are doing good for the community!

I feel like I've doxxed myself enough, hopefully this all helps! Sorry for the long reply too! Also Tufts is cheaper than Penn if both are OOS... a factor to consider.

P.S. if anyone wants to correct me on this info, please do! I will edit if need be.

Edit: Tufts is cheaper than Penn if OOS for both

 

[mackdelraye]

Thank you both so much for your replies!! This has been really helpful & given me a lot to think about.

 

[mackdelraye]

Also Tufts is cheaper than Penn if both are OOS... a factor to consider.

I was checking this and I think they only differ by like $3K maybe if just factoring tuition/fees? Not sure that’s a huge difference.

How do you feel about Penn being a “name brand” / Ivy vs Tufts well-known but not as recognized as Penn? Is it worth the extra $3k/year to be from a well-established and recognized university esp if going into some kind of research?

 

[mackdelraye]

I can only really speak regarding Tufts. There is a lot of research happening on campus that students if interested can become a part of especially during the summer. Usually if a student is very passionate about some type of research, the summer program would try and match them up with a mentor and see if there is any way to allow them to do X research. I know students who partnered with outside labs in the area that had the needed tools that Cummings may not have and so did part of the research at the school’s facilities and part of the research outside. Although regarding summer, you can decide not to go through Tufts at all and do any outside research or experience (unless you want to continue this research during the school year which may make it more difficult).

There is an combined DVM/MPH program at Tufts you may be interested in.

We do have a large case load at the hospital and are at least known for having a high case load by outside individuals that I’ve spoken to.

In regard to getting involved with ER or wildlife:
- I do have many classmates that work in the ER but for this department you are only allowed to work as an ER tech once completing your first year.
- I have a lot of classmates who work in the wildlife clinic but for paid tech positions there you have to have Work Study and it can be difficult to get a job. Otherwise, there are volunteer positions that they do offer especially during the summer for all the babies they expect.

I don’t see any competitiveness at Tufts but it can be who I choose to surround myself with. I’m unsure how others in my class feel about it. We have a class google drive to share notes, practice questions, anatomy videos and resources. To find out our class rank we would have to email a very nice admin which is only really done if you need that info for scholarship, externship, internship purposes which to my understanding is not common at other schools.

How is your experience with getting selectives, externships, paid/vol positions within the school in maybe more popular fields like wildlife, surgery, equine, ER etc? Since I’m not 100% set on what I want to do, I’m worried I won’t have access to all the opportunities due to competitiveness between classes taking them first etc? Thoughts? Thanks

 

[IvyMoose]

I was checking this and I think they only differ by like $3K maybe if just factoring tuition/fees? Not sure that’s a huge difference.

I would also consider cost of living for sure: Likely you can get something only like $1–1.5k with roommates (rent only), $2k+ likely for 1br in Philadelphia. In Grafton (Tufts), you can certainly get a <$1k with roommates... currently in a 3br 2ba with heat included for $850 + electric + internet... truly a steal. Further, if you use the VIN Student Debt Center Cost of Attendance Calculator (Student Debt Center Covid Banner), there is almost a $40k difference for OOS over four years, which I assume will be significant to pay back with loans and interest rates.

Advice given last year to me (in the same scenario) was to really crunch cost-of-living numbers. That will determine what is more expensive (I've crunched the numbers for this grad program liberally, and I was overbudget the first few months, so expenses can stack up quickly!)

How do you feel about Penn being a “name brand” / Ivy vs Tufts well-known but not as recognized as Penn? Is it worth the extra $3k/year to be from a well-established and recognized university esp if going into some kind of research?

This is a difficult question, since Ivy League undergrad is where I understand the "name brand"... for vet school, you get a different suffix (VMD) and bragging rights for going to the oldest U.S. vet school? Multiple DVMs who have graduated and are living their lives say that name doesn't mean much, with others saying for residencies it might mean something if your letter of rec are from those who are well-recognized in the field/at a prestigious uni. I would add that you can work with that person whether you go there or not: the proximity helps though. Also, who is saying Tufts is not as well-recognized as Penn?

Further, I feel like the term "well-established" will not apply to any vet school ever... (context, I'm defining well-established to mean comprehensive in all fields and specialties at a vet school). I can tell you right now PennVet does not have an exotics clinician and they temporarily closed down their exotic animal wing of the hospital (since at least 2022... there is also drama over what made the previous exotics clinician leave). Tufts is trying to recruit more anatomical pathologists (see "EDIT" at bottom). Cornell is having some funky stuff going on with hiring faculty. Further, I do not believe there are any Zoo Med people at either Tufts (see "EDIT" at bottom) or Penn: there may be DACZMs, but none dedicated to actual zoo med currently. In another sense, the school may be "well-established" if it is producing outstanding clinicians and researchers: I know one VMD and she works at the clinic I used to tech at (small animal GP, which is amazing, but I am guessing not what you mean by your question). All other outstanding researchers and clinicians I know came from Tufts, UF, UC Davis, etc. I know of only TWO PennVet grads that has been influential and achieved big things (could also be biased by my field of research).

Now, for research purposes, I have known people from Yale and Harvard get the same internship and land similar research positions as someone from Swarthmore and Middlebury (still recognizable, but not as "recognized" as Yale and Harvard). I have done many projects in research, and the best thing I can say is to find somewhere where you LOVE the topic. THAT will give you a better "edge"... you will enjoy yourself more and you will want to learn the things you're doing. This translates to more skills gained, more to add to resume/CV, and a better interview for jobs/further research positions. Opportunities are there, you just have to seek them out. And a bonus, you can do the Wildlife Future Programs at PennVet even if you do not attend: you are lower on the priority list, but still an option!

Personally, I was enamored by the 'name brand' of Penn (and Cornell)... technically I went with the 'name brand'. Yet here I am, applying again to try to get into my in-state because I couldn't stand being away from my 10-yr old dog and my family. Something that someone said in my Tufts vs Penn post was to find something OUTSIDE of the school that would be best: family? Friends? City? Rural? This will keep you grounded when you don't get the (s)elective you wanted, or the research position, or the experience. And reconcile if you are willing to pay for THAT!

I have a lot to say about Ivy Leagues (good and bad), so I can definitely continue my rambles if you so desire lmao. If anything needs clarification or you want to ask new questions, feel free!

P.S. Again, if anyone reads through this and think 'that is so wrong!', please let me know please and I will change if need be there are wildly more qualified people (literal veteran veterinarians who patrol these forums) that can give their insights better than I can.

P.P.S. Here is my post if you want to peruse

EDIT: Per WonderingStudent post #8, zoo animals do come through the Tufts hospital sometimes, and they have a Zoological Companion Animal Medicine (ZCAM) service. Also there are 2 anatomical pathologists (third on the way) at Tufts.

 

[WonderingStudent]

How is your experience with getting selectives, externships, paid/vol positions within the school in maybe more popular fields like wildlife, surgery, equine, ER etc? Since I’m not 100% set on what I want to do, I’m worried I won’t have access to all the opportunities due to competitiveness between classes taking them first etc? Thoughts? Thanks

Some selectives are harder to get than others especially the exotic med selectives since there aren’t many spots each semester. Everyone gets a number which specifies what order you get to pick your selective. If your low on the list one semester then you will definitely be higher next semester and vice versa. But there are still a bunch of interesting selectives that you can get into. I ended up loving my selectives.

On campus Externships during clinics also depend on what you are hoping to get since for example Behavior rotation and exotic med rotation only have 1-2 spots for students. Signing up for elective rotations is through an online system so it’s just based on whoever signs up first. But this is also because right now 4th years have first pick of elective rotations before 3rd years (myself). Once they graduate it’ll probably be easier.

If you have work study it will be easier to start working during your first semester (if that’s what you hope to do). Wildlife hospital jobs you have to be on work study but can volunteer (easier to do so over the summer when they have a call for students to volunteer then). Otherwise, there’s Large animal tech team that any student can apply for, there’s also summer jobs for the Tuft hospital thats emailed out 2nd semester. Usually students stay on from those positions during the year. But also many students work at local VCAs and other hospitals in the area.

At any school you go to there’s issues with getting into popular electives. But there’s usually pretty good alternatives

Tufts is trying to recruit more anatomical pathologists. Cornell is having some funky stuff going on with hiring faculty. Further, I do not believe there are any Zoo Med people at either Tufts or Penn: there may be DACZMs, but none dedicated to actual zoo med currently. In another sense, the school may be "well-established" if it is producing outstanding clinicians and researchers: I know one VMD and she works at the clinic I used to tech at (small animal GP, which is amazing, but I am guessing not what you mean by your question). All other outstanding researchers and clinicians I know came from Tufts, UF, UC Davis, etc. I know of only TWO PennVet grads that has been influential and achieved big things (could also be biased by my field of research).

We now finally have 2 anatomical pathologists and a third is starting in a few months so that’s exciting. Tufts has a Zoological Medicine service at the hospital which sees exotic companion animals (ie pet rabbits, rodents, snakes, birds) and Zoo animals. It really depends what comes in and what needs treatment so it’s not everyday there is animals from the zoo but once in a while.

 

[mackdelraye]

Thanks y’all! I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on the 3+1 curriculum (Tufts) versus the 2+2 curriculum (Penn)? I’ve heard that Tufts students are lacking in clinical skills so it makes me nervous especially since Penn has an additional year of clinical. Thanks again!

 

[coolprius]

Cornell is having some funky stuff going on with hiring faculty.

Can you expand on this a little bit? I am trying to decide between several places and was leaning towards cornell. Don't want to derail the original post just curious what makes you say this.

 

[max_wildlife]

Thanks y’all! I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on the 3+1 curriculum (Tufts) versus the 2+2 curriculum (Penn)? I’ve heard that Tufts students are lacking in clinical skills so it makes me nervous especially since Penn has an additional year of clinical. Thanks again!

hey, so tufts is a little more classic with their curriculum, but at we do finish didactics in february and start clinics in march of our third year, a couple months earlier than some other schools.

it would be great to hear from a recent tufts grad it there are any floating around. but from a current-student perspective i've heard what you're saying too - not just from gossip that floats around the school, but even from doctors at some of the places i shadow. it can be really disheartening and makes me anxious, but i'm really not sure how much it matters in the long run. as someone currently living it, it's not all lacking - one nice thing is we do start our hands-on clinical skills curriculum in first semester of first year; you move from basics into more complex things. otherwise, yeah - it's an unsettling rumor to me. i learn by doing, and we don't get to do that too often in didactics. many of my friends are worried too. then again, some of it is where your attention lies; some people are way more focused on passing the navle and it bothers them less. i think it depends a bit on your learning style and preferences. as someone that doesn't really want to do an internship, the lack of rigor in our clin skills curriculum makes me feel resigned to consider one.

that all said - i think the perspective changes once you're out in the real world. i know one of my fourth year friends is nervous about starting practice and doesn't quite feel ready, but at the same time, they also say they do feel ready, because they know they'll learn a lot once they're out there. and the one i know who is out in the real world is doing fine. to cope with my own anxiety, i work at one of the hospitals on campus and volunteer at another off campus.

How do you feel about Penn being a “name brand” / IvyTufts well-known but not as recognized as Penn? Is it worth the extra $3k/year to be from a well-established and recognized university esp if going into some kind of research?

i really think some of this is regional - my grandma who is international had heard of Tufts before but not Penn lol.

as far as research goes -- eh - the name of your school really doesn't matter imo. i was a wildlife biologist before vet school. guess it may depend on your field, but in mine - disease ecology - i did just fine with my public school education before switching to the vet path. they cared more about who i'd worked with in the past and what sort of experience i'd hand. it's best to contact someone who could be a potential mentor that is researching the sort of stuff you are also interested in researching; see if they have space in their labs and would take you on as a vet student. there are a handful of wildlife researchers at tufts doing really cool work that are often looking for students to help them out.

I would love to dabble in wildlife care / research too which Tufts is known for, and Penn doesn’t have much of.

ahh -- yeah.. i volunteered at the wildlife hospital second semester of first year and it was great and all, but i had to skip classes to make this a reality and it was pretty risky - i'm not a great test taker so i definitely played some cards there. it turned out okay. like someone else said, there are work study opportunities, which are fine. i use my work-study to work with one of the wildlife researchers. and they set me up to do some cool fieldwork this past summer as well - feel free to dm for details - but i've got to second that the wildlife world at tufts is fairly competitive. no one is rude or mean to each other or anything like that - to my knowledge and experience - but i also know that many people want to get involved in the wildlife hospital and don't have a true chance until clinical rotations. not everyone qualifies for work study and those volunteer opportunities often fill up quickly. though again, like Wondering Student said, in baby season, they do advertise for volunteers to feed the babies - so like anything, a bit of it depends on what you want to do.

Tufts vibe seems SO friendly and kind.

yeah, i'd say most people are kind. some of it depends on your class. i have a great group of friends, they're wonderful. but i'd say it's probably a little more competitive than it seems under the surface. someone that works there once told me that they 'see my class as future-oriented, which is great, but that it makes them 'quietly aggressive'. '

sorry that's a lot! i just saw this thread now. even though i'm content with my school choice, i'm fairly critical of it.

 

[mackdelraye]

I have a lot to say about Ivy Leagues (good and bad), so I can definitely continue my rambles if you so desire lmao. If anything needs clarification or you want to ask new questions, feel free!

this is super helpful and overall I would LOVE to go to Tufts — beautiful 600 acre farm campus where sole focus is vet med seems amazing among many other reasons. But for some reason I cannot get over the fact that I was accepted to an Ivy League school and 1. This might be my only shot to go there and set myself apart and 2. Does going there automatically set you apart just by name sake / clout even if you do the exact same thing at both schools? Sorry it’s kinda a retorical question that I’ve been grabbling with 😂

 

[mackdelraye]

hey, so tufts is a little more classic with their curriculum, but at we do finish didactics in february and start clinics in march of our third year, a couple months earlier than some other schools.

it would be great to hear from a recent tufts grad it there are any floating around. but from a current-student perspective i've heard what you're saying too - not just from gossip that floats around the school, but even from doctors at some of the places i shadow. it can be really disheartening and makes me anxious, but i'm really not sure how much it matters in the long run. as someone currently living it, it's not all lacking - one nice thing is we do start our hands-on clinical skills curriculum in first semester of first year; you move from basics into more complex things. otherwise, yeah - it's an unsettling rumor to me. i learn by doing, and we don't get to do that too often in didactics. many of my friends are worried too. then again, some of it is where your attention lies; some people are way more focused on passing the navle and it bothers them less. i think it depends a bit on your learning style and preferences. as someone that doesn't really want to do an internship, the lack of rigor in our clin skills curriculum makes me feel resigned to consider one.

that all said - i think the perspective changes once you're out in the real world. i know one of my fourth year friends is nervous about starting practice and doesn't quite feel ready, but at the same time, they also say they do feel ready, because they know they'll learn a lot once they're out there. and the one i know who is out in the real world is doing fine. to cope with my own anxiety, i work at one of the hospitals on campus and volunteer at another off campus.


i really think some of this is regional - my grandma who is international had heard of Tufts before but not Penn lol.

as far as research goes -- eh - the name of your school really doesn't matter imo. i was a wildlife biologist before vet school. guess it may depend on your field, but in mine - disease ecology - i did just fine with my public school education before switching to the vet path. they cared more about who i'd worked with in the past and what sort of experience i'd hand. it's best to contact someone who could be a potential mentor that is researching the sort of stuff you are also interested in researching; see if they have space in their labs and would take you on as a vet student. there are a handful of wildlife researchers at tufts doing really cool work that are often looking for students to help them out.


ahh -- yeah.. i volunteered at the wildlife hospital second semester of first year and it was great and all, but i had to skip classes to make this a reality and it was pretty risky - i'm not a great test taker so i definitely played some cards there. it turned out okay. like someone else said, there are work study opportunities, which are fine. i use my work-study to work with one of the wildlife researchers. and they set me up to do some cool fieldwork this past summer as well - feel free to dm for details - but i've got to second that the wildlife world at tufts is fairly competitive. no one is rude or mean to each other or anything like that - to my knowledge and experience - but i also know that many people want to get involved in the wildlife hospital and don't have a true chance until clinical rotations. not everyone qualifies for work study and those volunteer opportunities often fill up quickly. though again, like Wondering Student said, in baby season, they do advertise for volunteers to feed the babies - so like anything, a bit of it depends on what you want to do.

yeah, i'd say most people are kind. some of it depends on your class. i have a great group of friends, they're wonderful. but i'd say it's probably a little more competitive than it seems under the surface. someone that works there once told me that they 'see my class as future-oriented, which is great, but that it makes them 'quietly aggressive'. '

sorry that's a lot! i just saw this thread now. even though i'm content with my school choice, i'm fairly critical of it.

This is super helpful as well… and you’re right it does also make me nervous hearing from multiple current students that there is a lack of clinical skills esp since I would love to spend some time in ER before I specialize. Even tho they have a brand new sim lab, it’s not a replacement for real patients, right?

 

[max_wildlife]

This is super helpful as well… and you’re right it does also make me nervous hearing from multiple current students that there is a lack of clinical skills esp since I would love to spend some time in ER before I specialize. Even tho they have a brand new sim lab, it’s not a replacement for real patients, right?

the sim lab was under construction my first year so i’ve only been using it in clin skills this year. again i think it probably depends on who you ask; some people do think it’s enough. for me i feel like i do most of my hands-on learning at the wildlife centers i’m involved in and the hospital shifts i take on. a lot of it really is perspective; i tend to worry more that i’m losing certain skills and not gaining new ones at the same time. this is somewhat irrelevant as it’s a different kind of education at this point, but the anxiety about what i’m losing often feels greater than the happiness with what i’m gaining because one feels so much larger than the other - even though i’m probably not losing as much as i think i am, and at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. more of a lesson for me in learning to let go.

and fwiw they’re trying with the sim lab. after recs from prior classes they’re giving us extra practice with ligation and mock spays and things like that. some people are happy with it, others are concerned. and many people have already done spays and neuters in their second year selectives. it’s all over the place.

also, farm animal clin skills is more hands-on, i can’t remember if someone said. we’ve done blood draws on sheep, goats, and chickens at this point and administered sugar pills with balling guns and things like that. i’m not super into large animal - goats are cool, but cows make me quite nervous - but i think our education there is a bit more robust

also, i think someone else mentioned - you can work at the ER at some point. and being near large urban centers - you could work or shadow at one or worcester or even boston; the one place i shadow is a boston suburb about an hr drive from grafton. it’s worth it for me.

 

[JaynaAli]

this is super helpful and overall I would LOVE to go to Tufts — beautiful 600 acre farm campus where sole focus is vet med seems amazing among many other reasons. But for some reason I cannot get over the fact that I was accepted to an Ivy League school and 1. This might be my only shot to go there and set myself apart and 2. Does going there automatically set you apart just by name sake / clout even if you do the exact same thing at both schools? Sorry it’s kinda a retorical question that I’ve been grabbling with 😂

People don’t really care where you went to school after you graduate. The fact that you graduated and passed NAVLE is enough for an employer. Other people who went to whatever school you did may like that y’all went to the same place, but in general it does not matter. Clients aren’t typically going to care where you went to school beyond a casual interest/conversation nor your class rank or GPA. Go to the cheapest school. Rankings are largely driven by research dollars anyway, not quality of the education. “Ivy League” doesn’t really mean anything in regard to vet med imo. Go there if it’s your cheapest or best option or whatever, but not because of the name.

 

[IvyMoose]

this is super helpful and overall I would LOVE to go to Tufts — beautiful 600 acre farm campus where sole focus is vet med seems amazing among many other reasons. But for some reason I cannot get over the fact that I was accepted to an Ivy League school and 1. This might be my only shot to go there and set myself apart and 2. Does going there automatically set you apart just by name sake / clout even if you do the exact same thing at both schools? Sorry it’s kinda a retorical question that I’ve been grabbling with 😂

People don’t really care where you went to school after you graduate. The fact that you graduated and passed NAVLE is enough for an employer. Other people who went to whatever school you did may like that y’all went to the same place, but in general it does not matter. Clients aren’t typically going to care where you went to school beyond a casual interest/conversation nor your class rank or GPA. Go to the cheapest school. Rankings are largely driven by research dollars anyway, not quality of the education. “Ivy League” doesn’t really mean anything in regard to vet med imo. Go there if it’s your cheapest or best option or whatever, but not because of the name.

Thanks @JaynaAli , I was going to say the same thing. Ivy League was calling my name, but I am no longer considering Penn because enough people told me that it doesn't matter in vet med (law school and undergrad, maybe). A VMD is nice, but again, it only matters when you meet another VMD and exchange pleasantries lol. No clout involved. Trust me, I completely understand wanting the Ivy League clout, but I think in vet med it doesn't matter much. Ultimately, do what makes you happy and sleep at night though. If that includes $40,000 more in debt just to say you went to Penn, then do it. But if you love the Tufts campus (and its cheaper), then do that. Plus then you can hate on the ivy leaguers when you work at the same place / residency lol