Picking a med school based on.....location???

[Chris127]

How many of you are going to select a med school primarily for location? I mean, from what I have heard, unless you want to go into academic medicine, it really does not matter where you go. People have told me that there is really no difference between a top private school and your state school, with the fact that ones state school would be substantially cheaper.

Which leads me to wonder, how many of you consider location a primary factor in the selection of your med school (or the ones you applied and got in to)? I think in about 2 years when I apply, I will select med schools based on places I would want to live that would be entertaining and fulfilling for someone in their early 20s.

Comments?

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[gdbaby]

How many of you are going to select a med school primarily for location? I mean, from what I have heard, unless you want to go into academic medicine, it really does not matter where you go. People have told me that there is really no difference between a top private school and your state school, with the fact that ones state school would be substantially cheaper.

Which leads me to wonder, how many of you consider location a primary factor in the selection of your med school (or the ones you applied and go into)? I think in about 2 years when I apply, I will select med schools based on places I would want to live that would be entertaining and fulfilling for someone in their early 20s.

Comments?

With the exception of two schools that I chose specifically for what I would like to specialize in, I chose schools based on location. Being married with a child, I really wanted to go to school in a place where we have family that could help us through this next phase in life with babysitting, job opportunities for my husband, etc.

 

[RayhanS1282]

I'd prefer to go to a school in New York. But my primary preference is to attend a medical school anywhere in the US, even Alaska. Which raises a question as to why there are no med schools in Alaska. Anyways, I applied to both in-state (where I'd like to stay) and out-of-state (I'd go there in a heart beat) schools. From my POV, applying solely based on location can greatly diminish your chance of going to a medical school.

 

[dilated]

I used it more to rule schools out, I don't think it will be the determining factor in where I go among acceptances (unless I get into Stanford.....).

 

[tanksljp]

I'd prefer to go to a school in New York. But my primary preference is to attend a medical school anywhere in the US, even Alaska. Which raises a question as to why there are no med schools in Alaska. Anyways, I applied to both in-state (where I'd like to stay) and out-of-state (I'd go there in a heart beat) schools. From my POV, applying solely based on location can greatly diminish your chance of going to a medical school.

If there are no schools in alaska, I wonder if they get in-state anywhere in the country.

 

[unfrozencaveman]

I think Washington, but you have to do two years in alaska, somewhere...

 

[pseudoknot]

Location will be my first criterion, if I have choices.

 

[Anastasis]

Location and proximity to family/friends is my number one criteria.

 

[Bluntman]

Godamn I wish WashU or Hopkins would trade locations with UC Irvine.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I think Washington, but you have to do two years in alaska, somewhere...

also, oregon. since arizona and california are wiche states, alaskans might get instate there, too.

 

[Kiroro]

Location is the most important factor for my selection too.

I don't know why so many premeds are even applying to many mid ranked private med schools. To me, saving tuition by going to my state school comes first

 

[Risa]

I applied only on the east coast since it's important to me to be relatively close to my family.

However, as far as the notion that it doesn't really matter where you go to med school, I couldn't disagree more. True, you'll learn medicine everywhere. But different schools have drastically different "personalities," and I want to wind up at a place that I feel is a good fit for me, both in terms of curriculum format and the general feel of the community.

So in deciding between schools I've applied to (given that opportunity, of course ), location will come into play only when all else is equal.

 

[Chris127]

Yeah, I mean, my whole family is right here, which makes me want to just stay here for med school. But then again, I love to travel, I like the west coast, and would really like to move out there in a couple of years (not necessarily CA)

 

[IAMS]

Location can determine so many things about a school, the culture, the opportunities, the quality... I'm applying to a vast array of schools, and I can tell you there is a great difference between Yale in Connecticut and University of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. Not that these are good or bad differences, but they focus on different needs - based on the needs in their area... Get with the program, Location is Everything!

 

[angietron3000]

With a few exceptions, I applied mostly to schools in blue states. Actually, this may sound a little nuts but I also printed up a list of cities with Trader Joes and used that to help narrow the list

 

[ShyRem]

When I was looking at applying to med school, my husband and I picked up a map and started crossing off places we didn't want to go. didn't even look at the school, just the location. But, as with gdbaby, I have a husband and children, and there are places he does NOT want to go work (Texas), and there are places I don't want to live (florida, california). And then there were the places we both really WANTED to go but which don't take OOS students except under special circumstances (south dakota). And of course those places that would look at my application and laugh hysterically were crossed off (UWash, Mayo). The list that was left I applied to.

 

[the alchemist]

If there are no schools in alaska, I wonder if they get in-state anywhere in the country.

i think that some cali schools count alaska as part of their northwest track/WICHE

 

[badlydrawnvik]

At first I really wanted to go to school in NYC, but after visiting Georgetown and falling in love with the area I really want to go there. How are you guys ranking a school's location against it's prestige/academic ranking? Say you got into a school in a location you love but also got into a much better school in a not so desireable location. What would you do?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

With a few exceptions, I applied mostly to schools in blue states. Actually, this may sound a little nuts but I also printed up a list of cities with Trader Joes and used that to help narrow the list

man, that's a good idea. i don't know if i could live without trader joe's.

 

[Flopotomist]

man, that's a good idea. i don't know if i could live without trader joe's.

OMG.. It did not even occur to me that I might end up somewhere without a TJs.. I think i might starve!

 

[Rendar5]

I picked a lower-ranked NYC med school over UPitt for location. Not a huge discrepency in rank, though. I picked for location primarily, then , pass/fail, ranking and patient exposure (since I'm interested in EM, that's what I need). Ur primary medical education (up to step 1s) won't vary too much in terms of what schools u go to. Your clinical experience will vary greatly in terms of schools u pick (but this is not related to rank). What you will definitely get at higher ranked schools is better research opportunities and more competent/smarter classmates. That is an overall truth (wah wah, people who pick state schools can be just as smart. yeah, duh. but this is an issue of averages, not individuals).

Now, do you want better research opportunities? Do u prefer to be surrounded by an overall smarter student body? Do you want a generalized edge in applying to residencies? For plenty of people, that's not much of an issue. In which case, **** USNews&World. Then it's all location, patient population, money and atmosphere (block exams, pass/fail, nature of student body, etc.)

 

[BasesofHumanity]

The dream is to get into state school. The hope is to get in somewhere. The reality still remains unknown!

 

[parameddan]

Godamn I wish WashU or Hopkins would trade locations with UC Irvine.

Hell Yea!!!!!!!!!!

 

[prana_md]

I also printed up a list of cities with Trader Joes and used that to help narrow the list

awesome strategy ... I'm doing it right now. I can't go four years without dark chocolate-covered coffee beans or pork gyoza!

EDIT: just tried it. what's up with all the states that don't sell beer and wine at TJ's? That's the best part

 

[badlydrawnvik]

Anyone feel that Georgetown was really pushing that students go to state schools to avoid debt? Mrs. Sullivan directly said to us "go to your state school if you get in, you'll never find a better value for your money ever again...you should only look at privates if you dont get into your public" and my interviewer urged me to "look at the price difference" between my state school and Georgetown. I mean I understand the ethics and humanism at Georgetown, but why are they trying to push people away?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

EDIT: just tried it. what's up with all the states that don't sell beer and wine at TJ's? That's the best part

Wow, I didn't even catch that. What's the point of TJ's without 2 buck chuck (even though it's actually closer to 3 bucks, but whatever)? I am going to have trouble moving to a state with crazy liquor laws.

 

[Messerschmitts]

Location is very important! You're going to have to live there for 4+ years, hopefully it is somewhere you'd be comfortable in. That said, I'll go anywhere that accepts me, like many other SDNers.

My location-based medical school "hierarchy" (only in play in the highly unlikely event I get multiple acceptances)

1.) School in California: I love my state, I love my state's weather, and I love my in-state tuition even more! If I get into any school in Cali (with the possible exception of Loma Linda), it will easily trump any acceptance anywhere else. I would gladly choose UCI over Harvard any day.

2.) School in a state that lets you become resident after 1 year, paying in-state tuition (shame on you, Iowa! Yay Ohio! That said, I'd still go to U. Iowa in a heartbeat, should they accept me )

3.) School in urban area: I went to undergrad at UC Berkeley, loved the urban feel of the Bay Area. I don't like rural or even suburban atmospheres too much. I think the bustling energy of the city will reduce my homesickness.

4.) School on coasts: East or West coast would be nice; I'm not too used to the Midwest/Heartland feel.

5.) School in a "blue" state.

 

[Antigunner]

Like the OP said, you are going to get a great education at any school. That being said, I encourage you to not be too narrow minded about location. I originally applied only on the East Coast cause that's where my family is. I ended up expanding my list and ended up in Oklahoma. I absolutely love the school (better than any I visited East Coast) and never would have even known it if I hadn't broadened my horizons a bit. Besides, trying out a new part of the country is a good way for anybody to stretch themselves. Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone!

 

[kalenakai]

I agree with the OP's sentiments. Location is a pretty big determing factor me, especially since I am from Hawaii. If I stayed home in Hawaii, tuition would be much cheaper, brand new facilities, emphasis on clinical skills and support for primary care, familiarity with the place, Hawaii weather, close to friends and family. If I were to venture out of state, it would probably be the West Coast, more so California. Besides, the price to fly for interviews from Hawaii to the East Coast is a huge pinch.

 

[tigress]

Location is obviously of primary importance to me because my husband is in med school in Philadelphia! That said, I didn't apply ONLY to schools in Philly. I chose a few other schools outside PA that i was interested in. My husband and I know that once I find out where I get accepted, we will sit down and figure out what we can make work. If somehow we can swing it so I can go to school outside Philly, and that's what I want, we'll do everything to make it happen.

That said, there's a 90% chance that I'll end up staying here. For people with husbands, wives, kids, etc., as other posters have said, location can be a serious issue. I'm just lucky there are so many darn med schools in Philadelphia (and PA in general...Pitt would work out, too, without any trouble for us).


kalenakai, what's up with 3 interviews for Hawaii?? I sure hope you get in! Your ECs are amazing

 

[pagemmapants]

I didn't apply anywhere that didn't have a salt-water coastline within 300 miles. Then I crossed off the deep south. Then I chopped off anything that wasn't a UC that was below #25 in the rankings. Then I killed anything that had a winter longer than 4 months and wasn't in the top 10 or had other MAJOR reasons to redeem it. . . .so yes, location was QUITE the factor in my decision-making process!

 

[pagemmapants]

Speaking of goofy liquor laws, if you're a fan of the drink, steer clear of NC - they only sell liquor at "ABC" stores which hold hours much like post offices and have the lines to match. Oh, and thanks to the Daily Show, I now know that Alabama doesn't allow 40 oz. bottles of beer, or beers that are more than some low % of alcohol. No Guinness there! (Not that Alabama is exactly Boston as far as med schools go, but you know what I mean. . . )

 

[tigress]

Speaking of goofy liquor laws, if you're a fan of the drink, steer clear of NC - they only sell liquor at "ABC" stores which hold hours much like post offices and have the lines to match. Oh, and thanks to the Daily Show, I now know that Alabama doesn't allow 40 oz. bottles of beer, or beers that are more than some low % of alcohol. No Guinness there! (Not that Alabama is exactly Boston as far as med schools go, but you know what I mean. . . )

Yeah, okay, in Pennsylvania all of the liquor stores are owned by the state. Now THAT is weird.
(I guess that's the same thing as NC?)

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Speaking of goofy liquor laws, if you're a fan of the drink, steer clear of NC - they only sell liquor at "ABC" stores which hold hours much like post offices and have the lines to match. Oh, and thanks to the Daily Show, I now know that Alabama doesn't allow 40 oz. bottles of beer, or beers that are more than some low % of alcohol. No Guinness there! (Not that Alabama is exactly Boston as far as med schools go, but you know what I mean. . . )

You know Oregon is the same as NC with the hard liquor. You can only buy it from state-owned liquor stores (so, all liquor stores all just called "liquor store"), and they close at six. However, we can buy beer and wine of all strengths in the grocery store.

Oklahoma has the crazy low percentage beer thing, too. Grocery and convenience stores are only allowed to sell 3.2 (or whatever that percentage is) beer, and that's the only beer you can buy on Sunday at a restaurant. Stronger beer has to be purchased from a liquor store, and you can't buy it cold. Oh yeah, and half of Arkansas is dry, so you have to join "clubs" to get a drink.

The south is so silly about this stuff. I don't know what's up with Oregon, though. Maybe it's because we have such a big beer and wine industry -- they don't want competition from hard liquor.

 

[drmota]

Anyone feel that Georgetown was really pushing that students go to state schools to avoid debt? Mrs. Sullivan directly said to us "go to your state school if you get in, you'll never find a better value for your money ever again...you should only look at privates if you dont get into your public" and my interviewer urged me to "look at the price difference" between my state school and Georgetown. I mean I understand the ethics and humanism at Georgetown, but why are they trying to push people away?

they pushed me away alright. rejected pre-interview. i guess they really want me to go to my state school. or not.
-mota

 

[Zailynn]

As long as I have the choice, I'm staying in-state. Michigan has good schools, so I don't feel as if it will compromise my education.

 

[Em1]

I don't do cold. I grew up in Va Beach, I'm now in Atlanta, and the furthest north I applied is DC.

I'm a VA resident, but I'm not wild about any of the three schools there. EVMS is too close to my parents (we get along, but not when I'm home for extended periods of time), UVA is in Charlottesville and you have to do rotations in Roanoke and Salem... middle of nowhere! And while I've never been to VCU's campus, I've been to Richmond and didn't really like what I saw. Of course, I applied to all three and will definitely go if i don't get in anywhere else.

 

[LadyWolverine]

Anyone feel that Georgetown was really pushing that students go to state schools to avoid debt? Mrs. Sullivan directly said to us "go to your state school if you get in, you'll never find a better value for your money ever again...you should only look at privates if you dont get into your public" and my interviewer urged me to "look at the price difference" between my state school and Georgetown. I mean I understand the ethics and humanism at Georgetown, but why are they trying to push people away?

Yes, I thought that this was strange as well. I give her points for honesty, but, come on, isn't there a partial purpose during the interview to SELL one's school??

 

[tacrum43]

The south is so silly about this stuff. I don't know what's up with Oregon, though. Maybe it's because we have such a big beer and wine industry -- they don't want competition from hard liquor.

They don't have sales tax, so they gotta make it up somehow. The liquor in the State stores is very expensive. They have high property taxes too. I Oregon by the way, they just do some things a little differently.

 

[tigress]

Yeah, state liquor stores are way too expensive. Lots of people in Philadelphia get their liquor across the river in NJ. I also think it's weird, having grown up in SC, that supermarkets here don't sell beer and wine. I'm not quite clear on the beer and wine thing, though (as in, who can sell it and who can't).

 

[DrRads101]

3.) School in urban area: I went to undergrad at UC Berkeley, loved the urban feel of the Bay Area. I don't like rural or even suburban atmospheres too much. I think the bustling energy of the city will reduce my homesickness.

4.) School on coasts: East or West coast would be nice; I'm not too used to the Midwest/Heartland feel.

That's funny because the most urban, bustling city apart from NYC is in the Midwest. Chicago is way, way more urban and bustling than SF (though SF is a wonderful city).

 

[thegenius]

When I was looking at applying to med school, my husband and I picked up a map and started crossing off places we didn't want to go. didn't even look at the school, just the location. But, as with gdbaby, I have a husband and children, and there are places he does NOT want to go work (Texas), and there are places I don't want to live (florida, california). And then there were the places we both really WANTED to go but which don't take OOS students except under special circumstances (south dakota). And of course those places that would look at my application and laugh hysterically were crossed off (UWash, Mayo). The list that was left I applied to.

Me too, location is incredibly important. So is general reputation of school but that aspect is not that heavily weighted as one might think.

I have a wife and son and their 4 years are as important as my 4 years. In fact, I'm most worried about their transition and sacrifice while I'm in school. So I will definitely pick the place that is best for them.

There are some potential scenarios that I hope not to get into. For instance, do I go to UC Davis or Michigan? Davis is only 1.5 hours from here and is within 2-3 hours of my in-laws. My parents live in Detroit and Ann Arbor is colder. Michigan is a better school overall but Davis is cheaper. What is a better place to raise kids?

Who knows. A problem that I hope to have, actually.

 

[jetskigirl]

I used to think location was important. But the truth is there is no bad medical school in the US. If you're really aching to go into academic medicine, go for ranking. If you want to practice medicine, I would say that pass rates for the USMLE 1 and 2 (plus students' averages - if some schools are above average, some schools have to be below) and acceptance into residencies are much more important. I personally chose to leave beautiful Southern California to go to a place where is snows to go to a school that has great scores, a curriculum that matches my learning style, and a phenomenal match history. I miss California and my family; I'm freaking cold, but I love my school and would choose it again.

By the way, the nearest TJs is about 6 hours away. You learn to cope.

 

[freaker]

With a few exceptions, I applied mostly to schools in blue states. Actually, this may sound a little nuts but I also printed up a list of cities with Trader Joes and used that to help narrow the list

You really, really need to move out of Orange County, dude.

 

[angietron3000]

You really, really need to move out of Orange County, dude.

hahahaha I know! and I'm planning on it! but that doesn't mean I have to eat chemically treated, preservative filled, overpriced, processed food does it?