robot_soup
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Prefacing this with please be nice, this is something I’ve been really struggling with the past few weeks, and it’s hard to know what is and isn’t important when you’re on the front end of things and haven’t yet experienced med school.
I’d like to get some feedback on a decision that’s been plaguing me the past couple of weeks and was hoping to get some advice from others. My TLDR is that Pitt is a better school with better resources and checks nearly all the boxes for me academically, but my friends and family live in Virginia. Do I pick the better school, or the school closer to support?
I am afraid that once I get to school I won’t be able to make friends, and it will make an already difficult degree even harder and more lonely. But I’m worried that I make a decision based solely on fear and clinging to the friends that I already have, and give up an amazing opportunity.
Pitt:
Pros:
Pros:
Summary: Pitt med has everything for me academically but I have been feeling isolated and lonely here, so it lacks in the other life departments for me at the moment. VCU has decent to strong academics but doesn't compare to pitt, however, it meets all the other life departments. Do I pick the better school, or the school with more social support?
I’d like to get some feedback on a decision that’s been plaguing me the past couple of weeks and was hoping to get some advice from others. My TLDR is that Pitt is a better school with better resources and checks nearly all the boxes for me academically, but my friends and family live in Virginia. Do I pick the better school, or the school closer to support?
I am afraid that once I get to school I won’t be able to make friends, and it will make an already difficult degree even harder and more lonely. But I’m worried that I make a decision based solely on fear and clinging to the friends that I already have, and give up an amazing opportunity.
Pitt:
Pros:
- I did my masters here, and am already established with some wonderful mentors (2 great PIs, medical students in my lab, etc.)
- Reputation for strong mentorship in all specialties
- Access to every specialty during clinical years, gives me exposure to lots of different specialties, and will have a home residency in whatever I decide I want to do
- Strong reputation for research. Because I’m already here, I’ll be able to hit the ground running with research
- No AOA
- No Internal Ranking
- True P/F Pre-clinicals
- Strong match rates, students secure competitive residencies
- Already moved in here, will make the transition to school easier
- Prestige (Obviously not the most important factor, but we all know it is one. With match day having just happened, I've heard mixed reviews on how much your school matters.)
- Don’t love the city
- Have been lonely here and I miss my friends
- Far drive from my support system
- Mandatory in person class 8-12 pm
- If I don’t want to continue living in pittsburgh, I don’t know that having a home residency in pittsburgh is helpful or not
Pros:
- Social Support/ Friends: My boyfriend and best friend live here. Would be nice to have support to help take care of u when times are hard and u can’t take care of urself
- Love the city, great music scene, feels easier to meet people, love the weather
- If Virginia is where I ultimately want to end up, my home residency for whatever specialty I pick would be in Virginia with this school
- Attendance optional, lectures recorded
- True P/F pre-clinicals
- Can potentially re-classify as an in-state student and save a decent chunk of $$$
- I hear that this school is very clinically focused and prepares you well for intern year
- There is still research here, though is not as plentiful as Pitt
- Match rates still very good, just not as strong as pitt
- MSPE adjectives
- AOA
- Internal Rank
- Will have to move all my **** lol
Summary: Pitt med has everything for me academically but I have been feeling isolated and lonely here, so it lacks in the other life departments for me at the moment. VCU has decent to strong academics but doesn't compare to pitt, however, it meets all the other life departments. Do I pick the better school, or the school with more social support?