Pitt vs. Duke vs. UCSD vs. Kaiser

[misscookie]

Please do not quote this message 🙂

Pitt pros:
- affordable housing; SO wants to buy a home opposed to rent, would be possible in Pittsburgh
- closer to home (1-2 hr flight, 7 hr drive); important because I have a very close relationship with my family
- research powerhouse
- SO could transfer to company office close to campus
- students and faculty seem so nice, great interview experience
- prestige within medicine

Pitt cons:
- new curriculum for entering class, from the info session it seems like there’s still lots of unknowns; some of the main draws of the curriculum are for me being done away with in 2023
- step 1 dedicated period is being shortened and placed over holiday break. new layout of clerkships seems like it could be more challenging

Duke pros:
- research powerhouse, integrated research year would provide structure. curriculum has been shown to be successful
- SO currently works 10 min away from campus, wouldn’t have to request location transfer
- prestige in and out of medicine
- lots of different dual degree programs available if I decide to pursue a second degree

Duke cons:
- further away from home than Pitt
- haven’t seen any houses that the SO and I would be interested in, SO also is not crazy about Durham just in general
- not extremely diverse area from what current students have told me
- terrible interview experience. not sure if it was on purpose to see how applicants react to different “personalities” but kinda turned me off of the school

UCSD pros:
- weather/access to beach would be great for my mental health
- largest student run free clinic in the nation
- huge population of people from my demographic, would love to give back to them
- diverse patient population is important to me
- SO could work at SD office and would get paid more to help offset high COL

UCSD cons:
- farther than home from Pitt
- would have to rent for at least two years before buying, and would be paying an insane amount for very little. sounds silly but having a space I love and can be comfortable in is so important to me
- have heard conflicting things about competitive vs supportive atmosphere between students
- less prestige than Pitt or Duke but is not a huge con (could still match well into competitive specialties if that’s what my interest ends up being)

Kaiser pros:
- $0 tuition cannot be understated
- nice area and incredible building facilities
- can tell they really support students and set them up for success (pretty receptive to feedback, free Ubers to sites, will provide aid for housing, free tablets, etc)
- renowned faculty as mentors
- could easily start my own student org
- SO can transfer to LA office, although it’s further away from campus compared to the other options above

Kaiser cons:
- limited patient population due to Kaiser insurance (no medicare, uninsured); may have to work harder to seek out experience im looking for
- still unclear about how easy it is for students to find quality research projects
- no inaugural class yet- will see in March how students match
- dean seemed to blow off lawsuit regarding Dr. Khoury
- may have even worse housing options/COL than SD/La Jolla
- farther from home than Pitt
- reputation does not compare to Pitt/Duke or even UCSD. not super important but just want to be set up well for residency apps in the event I decide on something competitive
- LA traffic

In terms of specialities, I’m interested in primary care, optho, and ENT. I anticipate this will probably change.

Cost is obviously a huge factor, but I have not gotten my aid offers from Pitt/Duke/UCSD yet. I’m posting this now bc the SO needs to know ASAP where I’m thinking of going. I do have an 80k scholarship at another school so could maybe use that as leverage if the school I decide on has a higher COA. (PS I’m not considering that school bc it was my alma mater and I would prefer to not return if I can avoid it!) Thank y’all sm!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

Very personal question but relevant: How solid is the relationship with SO? And, if rock solid, where does he/she want to go ? The stronger, and further along the relationship, the trickier this decision can be ---- in terms of your now making decisions for two careers. Maybe you can't answer on an open board like this.

Is your financial situation such that without choosing Kaiser or getting other scholarship aid, you will graduate with a mountain of debt ? Or is there family money or other sources to help defray costs ?

 

[misscookie]

Very personal question but relevant: How solid is the relationship with SO? And, if rock solid, where does she want to go ? The stronger, and further along the relationship, the trickier this decision can be ---- in terms of you're now making decisions for two careers. Maybe you can't answer on an open board like this.

Is your financial situation such that without choosing Kaiser or getting other scholarship aid, you will graduate with a mountain of debt ? Or is there family money or other sources to help defray costs ?

Thanks for the reply!! We’ve know each other for 10 years and have been together for 5 years with plans to get married🙂 He prefers Pitt, then UCSD, both due to location. He thinks Kaiser may be a mistake since the other schools (tuition aside) seem like much better options. I will not have financial help from family and will be paying tuition with loans. I won’t, however, have to worry about paying rent or a mortgage because of the SO (and also my contribution to a down payment from savings). That might seem controversial to some or come with weird power dynamics but really is not the case in our situation. I will mostly graduate with significant debt but feel confident that the debt could be paid down after residency. Also, fwiw, he’s in tech- I don’t think moving offices would greatly affect his career since despite geographic location he can stay assigned to his current team if he wishes!🙂

 

[AstroSidekick]

Anyone who works hard at Pitt can have an equal outcome to anyone who works hard at Duke and UCSD. It’s unknown for Kaiser as they are yet to release match data, but I would guess they will be fine. I’m sure Pitt does, but double check they have an ENT department you could network with.

It sounds like you like Pitt the most, but you are hesitant because it’s more expensive than Kaiser, not as great of a location at UCSD, and lacks the institutional reputation of Duke. Instead of focusing on how Pitt isn’t the single best choice when it comes to location, cost, and reputation individually, focus on the fact it’s the perfect compromise/balanced option for you and your partner as it has everything you need at a still exceptional level. It’s much cheaper than San Diego/Los Angeles, has a much stronger reputation compared to Kaiser, and a better location than Durham. You can’t go wrong with any of these choices (and congratulations on such a stellar cycle), but in your particular situation and needs, Pitt might be the best overall bet for you and your partner.

Of course, a big scholarship could slice things up in the coming months! Good luck!

 

[misscookie]

Anyone who works hard at Pitt can have an equal outcome to anyone who works hard at Duke and UCSD. It’s unknown for Kaiser as they are yet to release match data, but I would guess they will be fine. I’m sure Pitt does, but double check they have an ENT department you could network with.

It sounds like you like Pitt the most, but you are hesitant because it’s more expensive than Kaiser, not as great of a location at UCSD, and lacks the institutional reputation of Duke. Instead of focusing on how Pitt isn’t the single best choice when it comes to location, cost, and reputation individually, focus on the fact it’s the perfect compromise/balanced option for you and your partner as it has everything you need at a still exceptional level. It’s much cheaper than San Diego/Los Angeles, has a much stronger reputation compared to Kaiser, and a better location than Durham. You can’t go wrong with any of these choices (and congratulations on such a stellar cycle), but in your particular situation and needs, Pitt might be the best overall bet for you and your partner.

Of course, a big scholarship could slice things up in the coming months! Good luck!

My thoughts exactly, put more eloquently and concisely. Thank you!!

 

[deleted1126476]

Congrats! Seems like Duke vs. Pitt imo. Prestige difference is minimal so boils down to curriculum, location, and personal values.

How much do you care about the curriculum differences? Is the Duke research year appealing to you (keep in mind you can also get a dual degree during this time period)? Duke's curriculum is unique and different so I think that's worthy of consideration.

IMO if you can move to Pitt and buy a house with your SO that's also huge for your financial situation down the line. I'd crunch some numbers and see what that amounts to...may be surprising even if you have to pay more for Pitt.

You also mention you care about a diverse patient population/serving your community—this might be a bit difficult in Durham.

 

[alapeds]

Parent here and former Pitt med grad. We bought a house in med school. Loved the area and the down to earth folks. Fantastic experience there. Cannot say enough good things about Pittsburgh. I’m sure the new curriculum will be fine. The really old one that I had was still fine and we had h/hp/p/f all the way through and AOA. No problems matching even in the dinosaur age (1990). I would go back to Pitt in a heartbeat. We matched in CA, UCSF, but half of me wanted to stay there at the awesome residency programs they have in Pittsburgh.

 

[alapeds]

I would add also that we both interviewed at Duke for residency and similar experience to yours for med school. Did not even rank them due to Durham’s attitude to POC. I’m sure it’s better now though, 30 plus years later.

 

[deleted1095841]

Even though clinical grades, step 2 scores, and pubs matter a lot for residency, the most important factor is one of your mentors calling up their friend who's faculty at the place you want to match, and telling them: "take this kid, he/she is really good!"

You want to go where the high-powered academics in your chosen field are and do productive research with them. Duke might be the best, but don't underestimate Pitt. UCSD only if you want to match in California. Kaiser is free for a reason.

 

[chilly_md]

I would suggest Duke over UCSD, especially if your SO already has a job there.

I don’t think the COL adjustment would cover the increased cost of living. You would not want to commute either in Southern California. Kaiser obviously gives you flexibility because of the free tuition, so you can live in Pasadena.

 

[misscookie]

Parent here and former Pitt med grad. We bought a house in med school. Loved the area and the down to earth folks. Fantastic experience there. Cannot say enough good things about Pittsburgh. I’m sure the new curriculum will be fine. The really old one that I had was still fine and we had h/hp/p/f all the way through and AOA. No problems matching even in the dinosaur age (1990). I would go back to Pitt in a heartbeat. We matched in CA, UCSF, but half of me wanted to stay there at the awesome residency programs they have in Pittsburgh.

That’s so incredible!! Definitely leaning towards Pitt, thank you so much for sharing your experience

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

I agree with Duke over UCSD, given the COL of this area of San Diego. However, I think Pitt might trump both of these given the stellar reputation of the school, the low/moderate COL in Pittsburgh, and the job opportunities for SO in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has some of the most affordable housing in America, I believe (for a big city, relative to incomes) ---- and that could be a boon for you guys starting out.

 

[misscookie]

I would suggest Duke over UCSD, especially if your SO already has a job there.

I don’t think the COL adjustment would cover the increased cost of living. You would not want to commute either in Southern California. Kaiser obviously gives you flexibility because of the free tuition, so you can live in Pasadena.

Thank you for your response! Any thoughts on Duke be Pitt? SO doesn’t mind moving🙂

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you for your response! Any thoughts on Duke be Pitt? SO doesn’t mind moving🙂

As put by Putkernerinthehall, I think Pitt is the best overall with the specifics mentioned. It is a highly thought of school and works well for your situation. I assume it is switching to a 1 yr curriculum that Duke already uses? They probably will utilize the same framework, so that helps if they’re not experimenting on their own too much. It would have helped if they had more specifics considering the semester will be here in half a year.

 

[Pinkfluffybunny]

I think that just from reading everything you're looking for reasons to take Pitt (just my feeling!). I think having family close by is something super underrated when it comes to med school decisions - I don't have a close relationship with my family, but my SO adores his and turned down a school with more prestige to have a better support system. Pitt most definitely isn't lacking prestige at all. I'm in a gap year right now, and I work at a T20 hospital, and I've seen quite a few residents from Pitt 🙂
In terms of Duke vs Pitt it seems like your heart is with Pitt but the prestige of Duke is calling out to you, which I totally get. But if your SO doesn't like Durham, and you didn't feel a great vibe at the interview, it honestly might not be a great choice for you personally. At the end of the day, you will do best at the school you feel most comfortable at. As a POC who went to a place similar to Durham for undergrad, I can tell you that it really hurt my social interactions + outlook on college. Those are just my thoughts after reading your post but hope it helps <3

 

[deleted1017183]

I'm just here to chime in that the interviews at Duke were brutal lol