Penn vs Yale vs HST (purgatory)

[laffingdead]

Hello everyone! I'm still having a hard time believing how I got in this position but grateful nonetheless. I've narrowed down my acceptances to Penn and Yale and received my financial aid packages. The difference in cost isn't huge but also isn't negligible (Penn is about $20k more expensive). I reached out to Penn and they did not match Yale's fin aid. I really want to enjoy my time in med school and have some fun so location+class culture is important to me. I am probably eyeing a more competitive surgical speciality but have an open mind. Lastly, I'm very interested in doing all kinds research (basic science, clinical, translational) and med devices -> want to maybe couple with an MD/MBA. I have no idea what location I want to end up in the future so more flexibility to match anywhere is a huge plus.

I'm also on the waitlist for Harvard HST which is by far my first choice. It seems like WL movement is not unheard of (30 WL spots for class of 30) so I sent a letter of intent but im not holding my breath lol.


Penn (Total CoA: $210k)
Pros

• Living in Philly (+++)
• AOA now awarded after match (+++)
• Students seem more to have more fun (++)
• Beautiful facilities (++)
• Wharton for MBA (++)
• 1.5 year P/F preclinical. Tiered clinical grading system H/HP/P/F (+)
• Stronger hospital system (+)

Cons

• A bit pricier (-)
• Harder to find time for research? correct me if i'm wrong (-)
• higher cost of living (-)
• More mandatory stuff (-)

Yale (Total CoA: $190k)
Pros

• Yale system is awesome! (+++)
• Incredible emphasis and time for research (++)
• Students seem happy and relaxed (++)
• 1.5 year P/F preclinical. ~90% get honors on rotations (++)
• dat match list tho (+)
• School of Management is also a strong program (+)
• Layman prestige (+)

Cons

• New Haven is meh (--)
• Weaker hospital system (-)
• Slight ranking difference but this prob doesn't matter

Summary: Which school would be the most enjoyable experience with the best resources to setup me up for my preferred residency?

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[ToBeMD2025]

Penn! Location is quite important and you clearly seem to love Philly! Plus, Philly is more diverse than New Haven so the patients and cases you will see will be more varied
$20K in a span of 4 years will be quite manageable especially if you want to go for a top surgical specialty. Ortho/Plastics/Thoracic/Neurosurg will load you up down the line, and lots of students matched from Penn in those specialties. Plus, Penn has very strong home programs in competitive surgical specialties so you will have an advantage there.
Both medical schools will set you up quite well. Business-school wise, there will definitely be an advantage at Wharton because Wharton is king in that world. Yale is also great no denying but many people who I know in tech and biotech seem to consider Wharton as that gold standard. Plus, if you're interested in device innovation Penn's strong SEAS department will be a solid place to complement that MD/MBA education.
Also, just saying, you will probably be well off after going to either of these two schools, and I am sure the average Joe on the street won't be thinking about your school once they see your Lambo

Disclosure: I am choosing between these two schools as well but I only got money from Penn, which has made my choice quite easy tbh. And coincidentally, I am quite looking forward to taking some MBA classes, if not going for the whole MBA, at Wharton! Good luck, hope to see you in Philly!

 

[Banco]

Both are amazing but I would personally go to Penn - Philly is great, and so is Perelman. Penn is definitely also the stronger hospital system with more top residencies in house. Also their MBA is better. 20k is not a big difference. **** "layman's prestige."

 

[laffingdead]

Thanks for the above posts. I have PTE'd to Penn and feeling really good about my choice! However, I'm debating whether or not to remove myself from the Harvard HST WL. Chances of getting accepted are pretty small, but since I sent a LOI I wanted to bounce off some ideas to be absolutely sure that it would be the best fit for me should I be accepted.

• Completely different curriculums
  • HST: 2 year preclinical with strong quantitative/basic science focus. Mandatory attendance (?)
  • Penn: 1.5 year preclinical lecture style. More traditional curriculum. Free afternoons on MWF. Time built in to take classes/pursue dual degree in other schools
  • Bottom line: I feel like the HST curriculum was designed for me, but worried it will be more intense than Penn’s. Love that Penn has free time to go explore other fields
• Housing
  • HST: Majority of MS1's live in Vanderbilt hall aka a dorm. Greater sense of community/camaraderie but meh living situation. Nice Gym in Vandy though!
  • Penn: Cheaper rent. Most students live in apartments/row homes, but generally more spread out across the city.
  • Bottom line: Pros and cons for both but I prioritize community
• Research
  • HST: Required thesis. Built in research time early in curriculum. Better research mentorship
  • Penn: No thesis requirement. Research time focused in later MS3+4 years
  • Bottom line: I don’t see thesis as a con since I enjoy research. Both really great institutions, but HMS affiliated hospitals have a leg up.
• Transfer to MSTP (still debating)
  • HST: Very easy to do (seems to be encouraged for HST students). No funding or stipend for MS1+2, but guaranteed funding for MS3+4
  • Penn: Still easy, but not as streamlined of a process. Funding+stipend for MS2+3+4.
  • Bottom line: Both top MSTP programs. 1 year of funding difference in favor of Penn
• Classmates
  • HST: 30 students probably with more technical backgrounds. Not sure how much interaction there is with Pathways students
  • Penn: 150 students. Very diverse class
  • Bottom line: HST class seem to be really tight. I do value diversity of backgrounds

Note that I probably have a bias towards Penn since I got to attend second-look and there’s probably more unknowns about HST. I appreciate any input!