Pritzker vs Weill Cornell

[ACrazyPenguin]

Hello Everyone,

I am very fortunate for having been accepted to the University of Chicago (Pritzker) and Weill Cornell. Now I am faced with the tough decision of choosing one of these programs to attend for medical school.

I am interested in pursuing emergency medicine or general surgery but of course this could change (especially during 3rd yr!). Both programs have offered me amazing financial aid packages and they come out to costing more or less the same (so cost is not an issue).

Eventually I would love to match in California as my SO is from there and I have grown to love the idea of living there long term and potentially raising a family there. On that note, I do have a quick question I was hoping someone might have some insight to.

1. If I wanted to match in California, does Pritzker or Cornell give me a better shot at doing so? (Would having previous ties to IL and going to Pritzker significantly increase my chances of matching in Chicago?)​

Pritzker

Pros

• Located on the undergrad campus (medical students have access to other world class institutions and facilities)
• Located in Chicago were I have family
• At second look they really pushed how involved faculty members are in teaching and mentoring their students
• Opening a level 1 trauma center in 2018 (will be the only level 1 trauma on the south side of Chicago – this is a big plus as I am interested in emergency medicine).
• Cost of living in Chicago is lower than the UES (or most of Manhattan for that matter)
• Pritzker basically implied that all students looking to do summer research will have stipends available to cover living expenses during the summer
• According to USNews, Pritzker had higher Step 1 and 2 scores compared to Cornell

Cons

• This may not be important in the grand scheme of things, but Pritzker dropping in rank to 15 is something to be noted
• Although Chicago is an amazing city, it is not Manhattan
• The main teaching hospital (University of Chicago Medical Center) does not compare to NYPresb

Weill Cornell

Pros

• Cornell is affiliated with the Hospital of Special Surgery
  • Having access to Sloan and Rockefeller is also a big plus
  • These would be amazing research opportunities (especially HSS if I decide to pursue a residency in general surgery)
• NYPresb is a top 10 hospital (doing some clerkships here would be invaluable)
• According to USNews, Cornell’s peer assessment score (4.1) and residency directors assessment score (4.3) is higher than Pritzker’s (4.0, 4.1).
• Inbreeding in the match may be a pro? Especially if I come to love NYC
• 1.5 preclinical curriculum and the option to take Step 1 after doing clerkships might be nice to give clinical context/experience before taking the exam
• I like the idea of living in NYC once in my life
• SO has clients in NYC/New Jersey and living in Manhattan would mean less traveling for her

Cons

• Cost of living is high and because my SO and I are not married, we will likely live off-campus
• I may be off, but I did notice that the faculty at Cornell (at least during my interview day) were not as warm as those at Pritzker (does this mean anything in terms of mentorship accessibility/investment by the faculty?)

Anyhow, this is my dilemma, and with Cornell’s revisit weekend coming up, I hope to get a clearer picture on where to go by April 30th!

Which would you choose?

As a long time SDN lurker, I am thankful to have all of your insights and opinions to help guide my decision. Thank you everyone!

​

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[mega_]

• "Cost of living is high and because my SO and I are not married, we will likely live off-campus"

I feel like this is an important con. The best you can find in terms of price would be something in Queens 30 min away (if MTA works fine). I think Cornell and affiliates (like Cornell tech) has couples housing, but its not 100% guaranteed and you need some proof I think of being in serious relationship. I would ask about that during revisit a lot.

 

[Cyphix]

I may be outdated on this info, but doesn't Cornell offer subsidized med student housing in the UES?

 

[willow84]

I'd pick Cornell. There are surprisingly "cheap" apartments in Yorkville near Cornell. I lived in a teeny, tiny "1 bedroom" (really, a studio) there several years ago, and a quick glance online puts it at $1600/month now. You may get something subsidized through Weil for less.

 

[Laterthansooner]

I'd pick Cornell. There are surprisingly "cheap" apartments in Yorkville near Cornell. I lived in a teeny, tiny "1 bedroom" (really, a studio) there several years ago, and a quick glance online puts it at $1600/month now. You may get something subsidized through Weil for less.

Cornell has a lottery system for med student housing. They have some nice, renovated 1 BRs (small, but not studio) for $1K if you “win”...If not for the subsidized rate, those apartments would easily be $2-3000/mo.