Private Med School Vs Public

[swifteagle43]

Is there a big difference in education between a state school like UMDNJ and say a private school? Is it worth paying the extra money to go?

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[dr.z]

Is there a big difference in education between a state school like UMDNJ and say a private school? Is it worth paying the extra money to go?

You will learn the same thing, and you will end up with same degree.

 

[Aero047]

I was talking to this woman I know who is a doctor and she said that the name of the school does matter when you're applying to different hospitals and stuff.

 

[lavertus]

I think private schools tend to have more money which they can use to give students more individual attention. For example, I hear UCSF tends to have subpar career counseling and it's easy to get overwhelmed with bureaucracy whereas Penn for example seems to hire extra people to bend over backwards for you to take care of these types of things. I noticed the same thing when it came to undergrad schools. In general, you need to be a little more proactive in getting what you want from public schools.

 

[Medikit]

I think private schools tend to have more money which they can use to give students more individual attention. For example, I hear UCSF tends to have subpar career counseling and it's easy to get overwhelmed with bureaucracy whereas Penn for example seems to hire extra people to bend over backwards for you to take care of these types of things. I noticed the same thing when it came to undergrad schools. In general, you need to be a little more proactive in getting what you want from public schools.

I think Penn is technically a state school that is mostly backed by a private institution. Penn has excellent medical student support.

 

[jdovez]

I think Penn is technically a state school that is mostly backed by a private institution. Penn has excellent medical student support.

Just a quick clarification....

Penn State=state school
Penn (ie UPenn) = very private ivy league school

 

[KiKat37]

Just a quick clarification....

Penn State=state school
Penn (ie UPenn) = very private ivy league school

Thanks for the correction!

I'm at Penn right now for my masters. I can tell you that it's private and VERY expensive! I went to a state school for undergrad (Maryland) and it was a lot cheaper. Was there a difference in the quality of education? To me, no. I got a great education at Maryland. And, honestly, I don't think Penn is worth the money I'm paying. Just my personal opinion though.

It is true, however, that private schools hire a lot of people just to help the students... and it makes your life a lot easier! When I was at Maryland, I had to be proactive to get what I wanted.

 

[BigRedPingpong]

Is there a big difference in education between a state school like UMDNJ and say a private school? Is it worth paying the extra money to go?

Some public school tuitions (like the one you mentioned) are quite high relative to other publics. I think UMDNJ was close to or past 20 large the last time I checked. Then again there are some privates that are quite cheap relative to other privates: Mayo, baylor...Then again there are some privates that are outrageously expensive...tufts, BU. And also look to FA...for some schools the FA they give you can practically make private tuition into cheaper than public tuition: NYU.

 

[superdevil]

And also look to FA...for some schools the FA they give you can practically make private tuition into cheaper than public tuition: NYU.

good point. my pre-med advisor (who's been in the business for a long time) has basically told me that case western would be 10x more likely to offer students like me a merit scholarship than, say, cincy or ohio state. its like buying a car--its not always about the "sticker price", its about the bottom line.

now i'm hella anxious for those damn financial aid packages...

 

[Brain]

It may just depends on which public and private schools. I went to a little known state funded school for undergrad. I got a great education there and I absolutely loved it. I'm now in a "brand name" private school for graduate school and have been majorly disappointed. It's been such a bad experience at this private school that I only applied to state-funded med schools.

 

[sven]

It may just depends on which public and private schools. I went to a little known state funded school for undergrad. I got a great education there and I absolutely loved it. I'm now in a "brand name" private school for graduate school and have been majorly disappointed. It's been such a bad experience at this private school that I only applied to state-funded med schools.

Comparing undergrad to graduate school is like comparing apples to oranges. Many grad students - irrespective of location - will tell you that it sucks and that they're just doing it because it's a necessary step towards receiving a desired outcome. I don't think that abstracting from your grad school experience will give you the full picture about quality of medical education.

 

[PostalWookie]

You know you're sleepy when you click on a thread because you think it says "Pirate versus private med schools"

If there were a pirate med school, i'd want to go there.

 

[Brain]

Comparing undergrad to graduate school is like comparing apples to oranges. Many grad students - irrespective of location - will tell you that it sucks and that they're just doing it because it's a necessary step towards receiving a desired outcome. I don't think that abstracting from your grad school experience will give you the full picture about quality of medical education.

Graduate school was not a necessary step for me. I'm getting a master of public health because public health is what I genuinely want to do and will continue pursuing once I get the M.D. Basically, I went to graduate school first so that I would not be fast tracked and would have time to get some experience with CDC and conduct my research overseas. I love what I'm learning through practical experience but the school is aweful. The private school I'm referring to is quite highly respected but the facilities, student services, and the way the classes are run are terrible. I'm not comparing graduate school to undergrad, just comparing the two universities.

 

[uclabruin2003]

I think the key is to go to an institution with money. You will typically get better facilities, better administrative and personnel support, and maybe $ leftover to pay your tuition... Private or public doesnt necessarily matter. But their endowments may. Some public schools have bigger endowments than their private counterparts!

 

[superdevil]

I obviously can't really speak for med schools since I'm pre-allo, but I do know undergrad differences pretty well. Private schools have more research opportunities, better student:faculty ratio, better alumni loyalty that can result in internships/jobs, and more diversity. The downside is the cost and as a result a lot of the students are 'privledged' and can be snobby.

are you talking about diverstiy of students? in that case, i would have to disagree that private schools have more "diversity" than public schools.

 

[lightnk102]

are you talking about diverstiy of students? in that case, i would have to disagree that private schools have more "diversity" than public schools.

i'd have to disagree with your disagreement =). i think private schools do have more "diversity" in the sense that you have people from everywehre attending the school. when I did my master's at BU, I ran into people who had public undergraduate educations. they kept commenting how cool they thought it was that they were meeting people from so many different places. for me, this was standard as i had a private undergraduate education, so i was surprised to hear this. but it makes sense now that i think about it. at state schools, they met predominantly people from their own state.

 

[superdevil]

i'd have to disagree with your disagreement =). i think private schools do have more "diversity" in the sense that you have people from everywehre attending the school. when I did my master's at BU, I ran into people who had public undergraduate educations. they kept commenting how cool they thought it was that they were meeting people from so many different places. for me, this was standard as i had a private undergraduate education, so i was surprised to hear this. but it makes sense now that i think about it. at state schools, they met predominantly people from their own state.

perhaps we're just talking about something different. i'm not speaking of meeting people from "many different places"--my particular public schools is loaded with international students, but admittedly, most of the US students are from ohio. i meant more along the lines of racial diversity (lower tuition itself is a catalyst for diversity in my experience), socioeconomic diversity (less "priviliged" students, although some exist--lots of middle-class/lower-class), and lifestyle diversity (how many gay/lesbian students do you find at catholic/jesuit/etc universities, anyway??).

except for racial data, this point is impossible to quantify, and we're really only speaking from our own experiences, anyway

 

[soprano]

perhaps we're just talking about something different. i'm not speaking of meeting people from "many different places"--my particular public schools is loaded with international students, but admittedly, most of the US students are from ohio. i meant more along the lines of racial diversity (lower tuition itself is a catalyst for diversity in my experience), socioeconomic diversity (less "priviliged" students, although some exist--lots of middle-class/lower-class), and lifestyle diversity (how many gay/lesbian students do you find at catholic/jesuit/etc universities, anyway??).

except for racial data, this point is impossible to quantify, and we're really only speaking from our own experiences, anyway

I'd have to disagree w/ you here. My private undergrad had an incredibly diverse student body... racial, socioeconomic and lifestyle-wise. Private schools have the ability to be selective in who they admit, and can strive to create a unique and diverse community. Also, my undergrad was in a consortium w/ a large public university, and most of the students I came across from that particular institution were upper-middle class white kids from suburbia. But, you're right, I'm just speaking from my own personal experience. And I'm also probably going to go to a public med school because it's cheaper, and in the end, that's more important to me than having a diverse class (if I even have to choose between the two). We're all going to be seeing a diverse patient base in med school, and that's the most important thing in the end.

 

[Fed Meat]

I couldn't care less about diversity. All it did was split students into little factions and pit them against one another. Every one had to get so politically active. Complete and total failure if you ask me, at least compared to my relatively homogenous high school and undergrad (for a few years) where the students got along well and political divisions/activism weren't the norm, including the "underrepresented."

Whatever. That's the past.

You're not going to see much difference in a private v. public med school. Maybe your state is in a major budget crunch, and that could affect things. Still, med schools are considered crown jewels and usually don't experience budget woes the way other schools might.