Pitt vs Texas Tech

[Toughchoice]

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I know the price v.s. prestige question has been asked a few times on these boards but it always seems to be comparing mid-ranked vs top-tier school and I feel like my situation is a bit more extreme and I wanted everyone's opinions.

I am currently accepted to Texas Tech as an in-state student which would make my tuition around 15K dollars. I am also accepted to the University of Pittsburgh with a 5K scholarship bringing tuition down to around 40K. Cost of living is comparable.

I really have no idea what I want to do yet but I am fairly confident I don't want primary care and unfortunately I find myself gravitating towards very competitive fields (radiation oncology, ENT etc). In addition, I can easily envision myself ending up in an academic setting so I could work with residents.

Obviously there is a 25K/year price difference which makes Tech very appealing, however they don't even have residency programs in all of the fields I am interested in. I am afraid that I would give up connections, research opportunities, and name reputation etc that would allow me to have a greater pick of residencies if I went there. My gut tells me to go with Pitt because it just feels like it will keep all of the doors open and give me the best shot of where I see my career heading. However my brain keeps saying that it is a huge price difference and that If I work hard and do away rotations I can get anywhere from Tech (and with a ton less debt).

Any advise!

 

[cookiemonsters]

I would say Pitt... it sounds like you might have major regrets in a few years if you pick TT. The pricetag sucks, but it's the matter of saving yourself from a lifetime of "what if?". If students from TT traditionally don't match into the specialties you mentioned, that seals the deal in my mind.

Do you come from a well-off family? Would an extra ~150K of debt be that much of a mountain for you to climb?

 

[GopherMD]

I vote Texas Tech. Cheaper is better, especially when you are talking about a $25k/year difference. Where you end up for residency is more about how hard you work than what school you went to.

 

[sinombre]

I would say Pitt... it sounds like you might have major regrets in a few years if you pick TT. The pricetag sucks, but it's the matter of saving yourself from a lifetime of "what if?".

You're seriously recommending the OP pay an extra $100,000 plus interest because it might be slightly easier to make connections? That is ridiculous advice.

 

[Toughchoice]

I would say Pitt... it sounds like you might have major regrets in a few years if you pick TT. The pricetag sucks, but it's the matter of saving yourself from a lifetime of "what if?". If students from TT traditionally don't match into the specialties you mentioned, that seals the deal in my mind.

Do you come from a well-off family? Would an extra ~150K of debt be that much of a mountain for you to climb?

I have no family support so Im going to be paying everything myself.

 

[cookiemonsters]

I have no family support so Im going to be paying everything myself.

I would say TT then 🙁

 

[sinombre]

I would say TT then 🙁

Sorry, I quoted you before you edited your post.

Still, you need to be very careful in the way you analyze match lists. If it's a US MD school, you can match into any specialty with enough hard work and initiative. There's no way to justify spending an extra $100,000 with interest in my mind.

 

[Darcy Austen]

I would vote for Tech, but that's where I'm matriculating. It's quite a bit cheaper and there are a lot of opportunities. Pitt may have just as many opportunities, but costs a lot more. Are you wanting to practice in state? And just curious, but what specialty are you hoping for?

 

[sector9]

Moving thread to "School Specific discussions"

 

[cest la vie]

You never addressed this: where do you think you'll be happiest and feel you'll be able to thrive best? If its Pitt, then is it worth the extra debt for you?

 

[DoctwoB]

Other questions to consider:

(1) What kind of place to do you want to live? Pittsburgh and Lubbock are very different places.

(2) Do you want to stay in Texas? Pitt has much more of a national reputation, while Texas tech likely has much more of a regional presence/reputation. If you wanted to end up in, say, New york or boston, the prestige/research + connections of Pitt would be an asset. In Texas, however they are probably much more used to seeing texas tech students, while programs on the coasts are likely much less familiar with tech students.

 

[NickRiviera MD]

I vote Texas Tech. Cheaper is better, especially when you are talking about a $25k/year difference. Where you end up for residency is more about how hard you work than what school you went to.

You're seriously recommending the OP pay an extra $100,000 plus interest because it might be slightly easier to make connections? That is ridiculous advice.

Sorry, I quoted you before you edited your post.

Still, you need to be very careful in the way you analyze match lists. If it's a US MD school, you can match into any specialty with enough hard work and initiative. There's no way to justify spending an extra $100,000 with interest in my mind.

i think the bolded are all short-sighted. the whole "work hard and all your dreams will come true" is a load of crap. success in medicine is not only about hard work it is also about networking and having access to resources, mentors, and a system of support that are able to maximize your potential. 100k is a drop in the bucket in a 30-40 year career in medicine if it gives someone a big leg up in matching into ENT or Rad Onc or whatever other specialty Pitt has that TT doesn't. going to Pitt will give you advantages that you wouldn't have at TT.

deciding between life in texas and life in the Pitt is also a relevant factor as the 2 are night and day

 

[yellowmamba]

Pitt is definitely the better option despite the costs...
Being in state in TX, it would seem like that UTSW or BCM would be a better fit for your interests and budget rather than Tech or Pitt. Did you not apply to those schools?

 

[manticus]

Thanks for all of the replies. I feel like I would be happier living in Pittsburgh over Lubbock and I was more impressed with Pitt's curriculum, research opportunities, and apparent strength of clinical training. I am on a waitlist at UT southwestern so that would be an easy choice if I end up getting in there but unfortunately I have to narrow things down in just a few days. Although I wouldn't mind doing a residency in texas, I would like to have options in other places as I don't see myself in Texas for the long haul.

 

[Louis88]

For reference, here are the residency match lists of 2012 and 2013. According to this, it looks like only (relatively) small portion of the class stays in the Lubbock area. I'm not saying that this answers your question but it is helpful for reference.
http://www.ttuhsc.edu/communications/pulse/summer12/MatchList2012.pdf
http://www.ttuhsc.edu/som/studentaffairs/msiv/Match_List_2013_-_Public_4.30.13.pdf