Really hate to do it... but AMC vs. Tulane

[AureusFO18]

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I hate these threads as much as the next person (Even though I've posted one before) - I only do this becuase I really have no other "objective" source of information. I have heard the sales pitch from both schools already. I've been accepted at Tulane since October, and had planned to attend; however, I was recently accepted off of the waitlist at Albany.

Here's my situation. I feel like Tulane is a better school in many ways, at least historically. I think Albany is great too and I would rather be in the Northeast, but am wondering if I'd be passing up too good an opportunity at Tulane. Is this an accurate perception?

Any thoughts. All help is appreciated. I need to make a decision soon!

 

[mdeast]

I hate these threads as much as the next person (Even though I've posted one before) - I only do this becuase I really have no other "objective" source of information. I have heard the sales pitch from both schools already. I've been accepted at Tulane since October, and had planned to attend; however, I was recently accepted off of the waitlist at Albany.

Here's my situation. I feel like Tulane is a better school in many ways, at least historically. I think Albany is great too and I would rather be in the Northeast, but am wondering if I'd be passing up too good an opportunity at Tulane. Is this an accurate perception?

Any thoughts. All help is appreciated. I need to make a decision soon!

Hmm why the NE preference?

New Orleans for 4 years sounds way more fun than Albany for 4 years.

 

[caseofthemndays]

The main advantage I can see for Albany is price if you're instate. I will be attending Tulane so I'm biased 😉

 

[softmed]

The main advantage I can see for Albany is price if you're instate. I will be attending Tulane so I'm biased 😉

Albany is a private school and does not discount tuition for in state students. It's $48,000 regardless of where you're from (unless there are scholarships I do not know about).

Most people when they think of Albany, think of SUNY Albany, but it's actually part of Union University, which has a law school and Union College--all private.

 

[AureusFO18]

NE preference is based on family and climate though much more the former than the latter

 

[softmed]

NE preference is based on family and climate though much more the former than the latter

I've always heard you should go to medical school close to home. Unfortunately I had the choice between Buffalo and Albany, and Albany is much closer to NYC (family) so it would have been a far, far better choice from that perspective. But I had to pick Buffalo because it's close to $25,000 less. 8 hour drives here I come!

 

[MiCasaMD]

Well, I guess that would depend on your relationship with your family. If I was in that situation, I would stay as far away as possible from mine. Most of my family members are in prison for gang activity or dead.🙂 I pray every night that I get into med school so that I can fulfill my dream and not end up like them. Sounds like your family is awesome. Congratulations on having a great family! Now, I'll go shoot mine. LOL

 

[Pghboy18]

Well, I guess that would depend on your relationship with your family. If I was in that situation, I would stay as far away as possible from mine. Most of my family members are in prison for gang activity or dead.🙂 I pray every night that I get into med school so that I can fulfill my dream and not end up like them. Sounds like your family is awesome. Congratulations on having a great family! Now, I'll go shoot mine. LOL

This is one of the saddest posts I've ever seen.

 

[JJMrK]

Which is cheaper? IMO both of those schools have about equal prestige, which sounds like it is important to you. Tulane is probably in a better location.

 

[HansSpemann]

How close would you be to your family? If you're an hour away, then I could see your point. But if you're further than that, you're might not be able to go home whenever you want because you'll be too busy studying to waste several precious hours driving to and from your parents

My two cents is to go with Tulane: Tulane might not be Hopkins in terms of funding, but it has a lot more research and funding than Albany; I think it's something like 3/4 of Tulane students do MD, MPHs, so if you're interested in public health, Tulane would be the better option; I've heard that Tulane students get Mardi Gras and the day before Mardi Gras off; Tulane is pass/fail, while Albany is honors/excellent/good/marginal/unsatisfactory (basically A-F except with words); Tulane is a national university, and a lot more people will have heard of it than Albany.

 

[Evergrey]

My GP went to AMC, he said he got a good education there, but hated Albany.

 

[AureusFO18]

THanks for the great feedback everyone. I'll probably have to make my final decision tomorrow and you guys have been incredibly helpful.

I visited Albany this weekend and was really pleasantly surprised by the city. There were a lot of young people around, even though the major universities aren't in session, the city seemed clean and safe, and there was a decent bar scene. It's no New Orleans in terms of social life, but seems a lot more livable.

Administration at Albany was very friendly, a lot more so than I remembered from my interview. Small size and the independence of the school seem to make for a pretty happy student body and ready access to the research opportunities that are available. The facilities, IMHO, are equally dilapidated at both schools.

No doubt that Tulane offers a lot of advantages in terms of a social scene, but when I think about NO, I need to remind myself that living down there for the next four to five years is a bit different than visiting and going out for a couple of nights - a distinction that I think too many people overlook in recommending New Orleans. The more I think about, the less I think there is to distinguish these two places from one another. Even though this is a difficult choice, I feel incredibly fortunate to have the chance to make it.

That said, an important point that distinguishes the two schools in my mind is the nature of the clinical training sites. I was pretty impressed with AMC - for a small city hospital, it seems to offer excellent tertiary care to a huge and, believe it or not, diverse population in terms of both income and race. I'm not so sure about the clinical training opportunities at Tulane with the closure of Charity. I have heard that in some ways the NO population is actually less racially and economically diverse than Albany, with a large majority being low-income African American. If anyone could shed some light on the clinical training situation at Tulane, or even help me establish a basis to make the comparison, it would be incredibly helpful.

 

[MahlerROCKS]

I'm going to quote Metallica8788 (an incoming LSU student) from a different post:

"Even though Charity is closed, New Orleans still gets the same awesome clinical cases and volume that it did before Katrina. I wasn't happy about the hospital situation in New Orleans, but now I'm beginning to realize that the great clinical education will still be there, just not in the same place that it used to be."

Charity physically closed, but the same patient population and clinics exist, they have just been moved to new spaces (interim medical hospital of Louisiana) until the new Charity is built; construction is expected to start this fall http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/01/louisiana_awarded_4747_billion.html
Charity was great for med students, but it delivered awful and expensive care to patients. In the wake of the closure of Charity, besides the interim Charity, Tulane set-up a community clinic (which med students particpate in), which delivers health care to the communities that would frequent Charity's emergency room. Tulane also busses students to medically underserved sections of the city

Construction on the new VA has already begun (it will be in the medical district of NO, and will be shared between Tulane and LSU) http://www.constructiondigital.com/blogs/editor/construction-va-facility-begins-new-orleans

Tulane students rotate at Tulane's hospital in NO. Tulane students also rotate at Tulane's hospital in Metairie, interim Charity, and they have the option to do rotations at Ochsner and Touro within the city. Tulane is also setting-up a clinical site in Baton Rouge which is intended for a dozen MD, MPH students, but no one is forced to go to Baton Rouge

Good luck with your decision

 

[Mbeas]

Well, I guess that would depend on your relationship with your family. If I was in that situation, I would stay as far away as possible from mine. Most of my family members are in prison for gang activity or dead.🙂 I pray every night that I get into med school so that I can fulfill my dream and not end up like them. Sounds like your family is awesome. Congratulations on having a great family! Now, I'll go shoot mine. LOL

I am reporting you to the authorities for threatening your family.

And, it seems like you are turning into those family members that are in prison by making a reference to shooting people.

 

[long]

THanks for the great feedback everyone. I'll probably have to make my final decision tomorrow and you guys have been incredibly helpful.

I visited Albany this weekend and was really pleasantly surprised by the city. There were a lot of young people around, even though the major universities aren't in session, the city seemed clean and safe, and there was a decent bar scene. It's no New Orleans in terms of social life, but seems a lot more livable.

Administration at Albany was very friendly, a lot more so than I remembered from my interview. Small size and the independence of the school seem to make for a pretty happy student body and ready access to the research opportunities that are available. The facilities, IMHO, are equally dilapidated at both schools.

No doubt that Tulane offers a lot of advantages in terms of a social scene, but when I think about NO, I need to remind myself that living down there for the next four to five years is a bit different than visiting and going out for a couple of nights - a distinction that I think too many people overlook in recommending New Orleans. The more I think about, the less I think there is to distinguish these two places from one another. Even though this is a difficult choice, I feel incredibly fortunate to have the chance to make it.

That said, an important point that distinguishes the two schools in my mind is the nature of the clinical training sites. I was pretty impressed with AMC - for a small city hospital, it seems to offer excellent tertiary care to a huge and, believe it or not, diverse population in terms of both income and race. I'm not so sure about the clinical training opportunities at Tulane with the closure of Charity. I have heard that in some ways the NO population is actually less racially and economically diverse than Albany, with a large majority being low-income African American. If anyone could shed some light on the clinical training situation at Tulane, or even help me establish a basis to make the comparison, it would be incredibly helpful.

Equally dilapidated? Which Tulane did you visit? Tulane has some amazing brand new buildings with tons of cool stuff in them. I've been to both schools and AMC's facilities are not even close to being on the same level as Tulane.

 

[AureusFO18]

Equally dilapidated? Which Tulane did you visit? Tulane has some amazing brand new buildings with tons of cool stuff in them. I've been to both schools and AMC's facilities are not even close to being on the same level as Tulane.

I may have been a little unfair to Tulane in this regard. When I say "facilities" I basically mean library, auditorium, and anatomy lab. In those areas, I didn't really see much to separate the two schools. Maybe a slightly nicer auditorium at Tulane. I didn't see the research facilities or other areas at either school.

 

[AureusFO18]

Any other thoughts or opinions?

 

[bige11]

The food is MUCH better in Nawlins...

 

[AureusFO18]

The food is MUCH better in Nawlins...

No doubt. probably the ladies too....

 

[AureusFO18]

On a more serious note, does anyone have firsthand knowledge of the research environments at either school? I know that neither is really a research powerhouse - I'm more concerned about access to research opportunities and the overall quality of the work. I get the feeling that, although it's a smaller place, opportunities may be a little easier to find at Albany where you don't need to compete with a large undergrad/grad-student population. I also know that Tulane has lost some of its research faculty recently. Apart from that, everything I know is secondhand. I would really appreciate any advice or insight.

 

[Pghboy18]

On a more serious note, does anyone have firsthand knowledge of the research environments at either school? I know that neither is really a research powerhouse - I'm more concerned about access to research opportunities and the overall quality of the work. I get the feeling that, although it's a smaller place, opportunities may be a little easier to find at Albany where you don't need to compete with a large undergrad/grad-student population. I also know that Tulane has lost some of its research faculty recently. Apart from that, everything I know is secondhand. I would really appreciate any advice or insight.

Don't know much about the research environments, but I think the fact that Tulane is associated with a large university, while Albany is free-standing, might work against AMC, at least in terms of perception. Then again, as long as AMC isn't having financial problems, I'm not sure if that's fair.

 

[MahlerROCKS]

On a more serious note, does anyone have firsthand knowledge of the research environments at either school? I know that neither is really a research powerhouse - I'm more concerned about access to research opportunities and the overall quality of the work. I get the feeling that, although it's a smaller place, opportunities may be a little easier to find at Albany where you don't need to compete with a large undergrad/grad-student population. I also know that Tulane has lost some of its research faculty recently. Apart from that, everything I know is secondhand. I would really appreciate any advice or insight.

Albany received $11,024,764 in NIH funding last year http://report.nih.gov/award/trends/FindOrg_Detail.cfm?OrgID=8455007

Tulane received $45,328,883 in NIH funding last year http://report.nih.gov/award/trends/FindOrg_Detail.cfm?OrgID=8424601

Tulane's UG campus is in Uptown, while the med campus is in the CBD. Most of the medical research labs are at the med campus, although the med school has an off-campus primate research center (vaccine and ID research). I've been told that since most students do MD, MPHs, there is virtually no competition for research spots. Do you know about the MD with thesis option? http://tulane.edu/som/debakey-scholars/index.cfm

 

[AureusFO18]

Albany received $11,024,764 in NIH funding last year http://report.nih.gov/award/trends/FindOrg_Detail.cfm?OrgID=8455007

Tulane received $45,328,883 in NIH funding last year http://report.nih.gov/award/trends/FindOrg_Detail.cfm?OrgID=8424601

Tulane's UG campus is in Uptown, while the med campus is in the CBD. Most of the medical research labs are at the med campus, although the med school has an off-campus primate research center (vaccine and ID research). I've been told that since most students do MD, MPHs, there is virtually no competition for research spots. Do you know about the MD with thesis option? http://tulane.edu/som/debakey-scholars/index.cfm

Thanks for the feedback- I really appreciate it - I took a look at the links and the numbers you site are a little deceptive.

The ~$45M that you cite for Tulane is divided between the Primate Center, the Medical School, the School of Public Health, and the College of Arts & Sciences. Of that funding, the medical school itself only received $18,440,135 - not that much more than the ~$11M at Albany. What's worse is that this figure has decreased from ~$59M for the medical school alone in 2005. I know you might be able to take advantage of research at these other institutions, but there is also more competition, with undergrads and grad students around.

The MD with thesis option is really cool. Albany also has one - http://www.amc.edu/academic/Undergraduate_Admissions/SpecialPrograms.html

That said, the public health opportunity at Tulane looks phenomenal. That might tip the scales. Hoping to decide this weekend - considering class would start in two weeks at Tulane! I would really appreciate any additional insight...

 

[MahlerROCKS]

I took a look at the links and the numbers you site are a little deceptive.

The ~$45M that you cite for Tulane is divided between the Primate Center, the Medical School, the School of Public Health, and the College of Arts & Sciences. Of that funding, the medical school itself only received $18,440,135 - not that much more than the ~$11M at Albany. What's worse is that this figure has decreased from ~$59M for the medical school alone in 2005. I know you might be able to take advantage of research at these other institutions, but there is also more competition, with undergrads and grad students around.

The Primate Research Center is part of the med school (grad students and med students can do research at labs at the center), and several of the labs in NOLA fall under the umbrella of the center. Tulane lost faculty in the wake of Katrina, and the school is adding new faculty and expanding.

Tulane shares certain hospitals with LSU, and the two universities will also share the new Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium Center http://www.lcrc.info/. The SOM has it's own core facilities, but the cancer center will have it's own independent core facilities, and since they are shared between more scientists, this allows the facilities to offer more services/equipment, and it also allows for more collaborations. I only highlight this point to illustrate that point that being next to another medical schools can allow shared resources in certain circumstances.

 

[ronaldo23]

Thanks for the feedback- I really appreciate it - I took a look at the links and the numbers you site are a little deceptive.

The ~$45M that you cite for Tulane is divided between the Primate Center, the Medical School, the School of Public Health, and the College of Arts & Sciences. Of that funding, the medical school itself only received $18,440,135 - not that much more than the ~$11M at Albany. What's worse is that this figure has decreased from ~$59M for the medical school alone in 2005. I know you might be able to take advantage of research at these other institutions, but there is also more competition, with undergrads and grad students around.

The MD with thesis option is really cool. Albany also has one - http://www.amc.edu/academic/Undergraduate_Admissions/SpecialPrograms.html



That said, the public health opportunity at Tulane looks phenomenal. That might tip the scales. Hoping to decide this weekend - considering class would start in two weeks at Tulane! I would really appreciate any additional insight...

take the tulane acceptance and never look back! I am from the Albany area and the weather and social scene blows.....tulane students love the school and are definitely among the happiest med students from what I've heard from friends...