Pitt vs. Penn

[ashman399]

Pitt is ~$15K cheaper per year for me and other PA residents...is Penn worth the extra $60,000? tough question. is there a substantial advantage for residency matching coming from Penn over Pitt? i've been told letters of rec. and performance in med school matter most. obviously penn is the better school - question is, is it worth the money?

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[LizardKing]

I think Penn is on a different level than Pitt. Penn's grads get much better residencies. I've seen the matchlists for the past three years for both schools, and Penn has a matchlist that rivals that of WashU or Columbia. Pitt is still a very good school, but if you're looking for a top caliber school that will really give you a boost come residency matching time, go with Penn.

I've spent a lot of time in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and I also think Philadelphia has A LOT more to offer. It's more diverse, and it's got the Sixers and AI, come on!

 

[beamiestface]

ashman 399: what were your stats?

 

[INeedAdvice]

All of these questions, that are so obvious!!

Penn is one of the best med schools in the country (not to mention an Ivy League school). Not that you should go by rankings, but they're always in the top 5!! (What are they this year? Number 2 ??!!!)

Of course the money is worth it!! You're going to be in debt anyways. I went to a really expensive undergrad school and had a lot of debt. You know what? You don't really think about .... you just pay back your student loans every month. Besides, Penn will probably get you a higher paying position anyways. If not, it's not like you'll be out of work after graduating.

This really a no-brainer. PENN! :wink:

 

[Dr. L]

I didn't know that Pittsburgh had an instate tuition advantage. I'm on the waitlist at both schools so I'm familiar with Penn and Pittsburgh. They are both great places to study medicine. I think within the medical community, Pittsburgh has an excellent reputation. However, Penn has an excellent reputation amongst the general public and the medical community. So if you want a "name" that everyone knows when you tell them where you are going to school...but you have to think if that's worth the money to you. Good luck with the decision.

 

[ashman399]

yeah...i know. i have been (and still am) leaning toward Penn the whole time. but i have thought A LOT about the debt. i realize that people do it every year, and pretty much everyone manages, but 60 grand is a lot, i don't care what people say. so that's the only thing that keeps me hesitant. other than that, i favor penn. i'm gonna keep an open mind until the 2nd look weekends at both....

 

[Trek]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by INeedAdvice:
•Besides, Penn will probably get you a higher paying position anywaysPENN! :wink: •••••Not true- from what i've hear it's almost unanimous that your med school has little to do with how much you'll actually make, even within the same specialty. That has more to do with location, how much you're willing to work, and the general state of the pratice. --Trek

 

[tonem]

Pitt is a great school and you won't be dissapointed if you chose to come here but Penn has the reputation it does for a reason. From what I hear, students are pretty happy there too. You have the right idea go to both second look weekends, meet your potential future classmates and current students. Then make your decision based on where you think you'll be the happiest. Four years is a long time to be miserable.