Pitt Vs. VCU (Top Program Vs. Support)

[robot_soup]

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:

• 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.)

Cons:

• 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

VCU:

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

Both Pro and Con?:

• There is still research here, though is not as plentiful as Pitt
• Match rates still very good, just not as strong as pitt

Cons:

• MSPE adjectives
• AOA
• Internal Rank
• Will have to move all my **** lol

Ultimately, because I’m already at Pitt I know a whole lot about pitt, and I’m worried that I’m also not giving VCU a fair shake, since I know less about it, it’s harder for me to fill in as many pros and cons for it.

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?

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[thefirerisen]

It can be hard when there is loneliness in the mix. Pitt is obviously multiple tiers above VCU but fit is very important. It truly depends on your relationship with your boyfriend and how long y'all have been together - whether this is more of a fiance/husband type relationship or just a casual / long-term boyfriend. Breakups happen, especially in medical school- and even with your best friend, they could suddenly move to a different city in the next few years, who knows. Making such a big decision on them alone might not be the move here. I'd personally try to give Pitt another chance. Pittsburg and Richmond don't look too different in terms of size and things to do for fun. Once you start school, all your classmates will be fresh faces and you'll form very strong relationships with them with (hopefully) lots of close friends. Medical school and the trauma associated with that tends to do that to people.

I think on top of that, Pitt will give you more curricular support (true P/F, no MSPE, AOA, internal rank) and will set you up for success there. Best of luck!

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

Did you get accepted to VCU recently?

Can potentially re-classify as an in-state student and save a decent chunk of $$$

What is your source because I would love the potential to reclassify if I go! I know the form here would need to be filled out but I'm not sure if and how it would be possible to be classified as in-state. Out-of-state students I've talked to said they could not reclassify, but I don't know their situation.

Also, apparently VCU doesn't use provide their internal rank to residencies. I know it is used in the process of admissions to the 3 year MD programs though.

Med school is hard and don't doubt the benefits of support! That being said, Pitt isn't too far away and you would be able to shoot home on a short (ish) flight to see family during your breaks. Would your boyfriend move with you to Pittsburgh?

 

[robot_soup]

Did you get accepted to VCU recently?

What is your source because I would love the potential to reclassify if I go! I know the form here would need to be filled out but I'm not sure if and how it would be possible to be classified as in-state. Out-of-state students I've talked to said they could not reclassify, but I don't know their situation.

Also, apparently VCU doesn't use provide their internal rank to residencies. I know it is used in the process of admissions to the 3 year MD programs though.

Med school is hard and don't doubt the benefits of support! That being said, Pitt isn't too far away and you would be able to shoot home on a short (ish) flight to see family during your breaks. Would your boyfriend move with you to Pittsburgh?

Not yet, just want to be ready and have thought through everything for if I do get that call from them around the time that things start moving. Don't want it to come out of left field and have only a week to make a decision.

I was listening to a podcast where a student was talking about it and they said that if you have a history of living in Virginia and having family there, etc that can help your case in appealing to the financial aid office.

Unfortunately, he is locked into a job down there and not able to move 🙁

 

[The OTC]

you know yourself best, so do what’s best for you!

Pitt will open many doors for you and that means more power to you for residency options. Come this fall, everyone will be new and wanting to make friends at orientation. Use that time to meet as many people as possible and, you never know, you may meet your best friend(s).

All that being said.. If you don’t think you can make it mentally through med school at Pitt, take VCU. You need to take care of yourself and be mentally supported to endure during the strenuous times in school. If it’s too much to do that alone (at first), GO VCU

 

[Iron Man23]

pitt

 

[m1redsox]

Are you interested in a particular specialty? Because if you’re hoping for a surgical sub or derm, then Pitt could be worth it, but if you end up wanting IM or rads or something, then VCU would be more than sufficient.

 

[hydroflaskhomie]

I agree that you should not make this decision based off of the two points of support in Virginia. As much as it sucks to say, things can change so fast. If your whole family was there, I think it would make more sense to me.

I would vote Pitt and then make a conscious effort to revitalize your Pitt experience as you start medical school. Meet your new classmates, maybe switch up where you live, make a conscious effort to find new parts of the city that you love, pick up a new hobby etc

 

[deleted1199010]

In a very similar situation and I made a post about it earlier for my x vs y. Don’t have anything to add bc I’m still grappling with it, but happy to talk if you need to discuss further.

 

[Aloe_Cozy23]

I’m also going through a similar situation (prestige/top school) vs support system (top/more mid tier). The kicker for me is that the school by my support system is more expensive. If you want a sounding board, feel free to dm me.

 

[Yhwach]

Pitt.

 

[sammed]

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:

• 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.)

Cons:

• 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

VCU:

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

Both Pro and Con?:

• There is still research here, though is not as plentiful as Pitt
• Match rates still very good, just not as strong as pitt

Cons:

• MSPE adjectives
• AOA
• Internal Rank
• Will have to move all my **** lol

Ultimately, because I’m already at Pitt I know a whole lot about pitt, and I’m worried that I’m also not giving VCU a fair shake, since I know less about it, it’s harder for me to fill in as many pros and cons for it.

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?

Pitt

 

[xUnrevealed]

Speaking as someone who went to school in Pittsburgh for my undergrad and going to the NIH for gap years (which isn't quite Virginia, but close), I cannot tell you how much of a difference it was for my mental well-being to get out of that city. Pitt's one saving grace, though, is that the med students there are pretty chill. So if you're worried about not being able to make friends, I wouldn't be, and pick Pitt over VCU; but if you think the traversal and the climate are detrimental and you couldn't handle it for four more years, I'd pick VCU over Pitt

 

[robot_soup]

Speaking as someone who went to school in Pittsburgh for my undergrad and going to the NIH for gap years (which isn't quite Virginia, but close), I cannot tell you how much of a difference it was for my mental well-being to get out of that city. Pitt's one saving grace, though, is that the med students there are pretty chill. So if you're worried about not being able to make friends, I wouldn't be, and pick Pitt over VCU; but if you think the traversal and the climate are detrimental and you couldn't handle it for four more years, I'd pick VCU over Pitt

Yeah the weather is SO killer here!! 😩 I miss the DMV ❤️