Rochester vs Hofstra vs Downstate

[adam_antium]

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Hey everyone,

Thanks for clicking on this thread! I was recently accepted off the waitlist at both Rochester and Hofstra and need to make me decision soon. Previously committed to Downstate before I got these two acceptances. I'm interested in fielding any and all opinions you fellow SDNers have regarding these schools and why.

My thoughts as of now:

Downstate: The real pull here is the clinical experience. Since the hospital is understaffed, med students have a very hands on experience when rotating. Downstate also uses an accelerated curriculum to increase students' clinical training. Location is a plus here as well, with exposure to a diverse patient population. It also makes it relatively easy for me and my SO since NYC is at our doorstep and she'd have more opportunities. The school had/has some financial troubles and seems to reflect in their resources. The curriculum is grittier and current students have told me they often feel they need to "go it on their own." That being said, everyone I've spoken with has been very pleased with their education and feels prepared to practice a life of medicine. It's just that you'll get out whatever you put in during your 4 years. Not much is outright given to you (such is life though).

Rochester: Wonderful experience during my interview day. Students were really proud of the institution, I connected well with my interviewers (one student, one physician), the administration is supportive, and their curriculum has proven to be top notch. They extensively use the biopsychosocial approach, far more than any other program. In terms of learning style, theirs is right up my alley: PBL sessions and clinical skills centered. Lectures aren't recorded but that doesn't matter so much. I'm interested in teaching in the future and would most likely take advantage of their Medical Education Pathway elective. There's also more of an emphasis on nutrition in medicine in their curriculum, and URMC is running their Program for Nutrition in Medicine. I know many people who rave of their experiences as a patient at Strong, and tell me medical students are integrated into their health team well. As an MS1 you're paired with a primary care physician in the community and learn besides them one day a week. Rochester as a city seems to have a lot to offer in terms of both the patient population and living/exploring. It would also be the cheapest option (even before financial aid) when factoring in cost of living and other expenses.

Hofstra: I had a tremendous experience here as well. The school has a welcoming environment and everyone involved is proud of how Hofstra is progressing. It's definitely poised to be a top tier school. Their curriculum revolves around their PEARLS program (basically PBL) and self-directed learning. It's by far the most interactive curriculum. Students teach each other and bring unique perspectives to each PEARLS session. On one hand, preparation for these seems stressful but I'll probably end up being more prepared and knowledgable with that extra nudge. No recorded lectures here as well but again it's neither a pro nor a con. The Northwell Health System is huge and the school takes advantage of it. You're learning from community preceptors and building relationships with patients starting week one. The administration at Hofstra cares about students' wellbeing and happiness, and they are very responsive to feedback. There are negatives to being a newly established school though: lack of program recognition and constant trial/error tweaking of the program. But honestly they aren't as glaring as I would have thought. The location isn't ideal and I can't imagine being happy with the LI traffic. You have to do a lot of driving during your pre-clinical preceptorships and during your clinical years. The health system is pretty spread out. The total cost of attendance at Hofstra would be the most expensive option, but it's not far off from downstate. I'm still waiting to receive my financial aid info so it may even end up being cheaper.

So, there it is. You can probably tell Downstate is pretty much an afterthought at this point but since I have the option it's still in the mix

Looking forward to the responses! Also some of you may know loads more than I do so please feel free to correct me if anything I've written is wrong

 

[HofstraMedStudent]

Hi there,

I'm a recent Hofstra-Northwell graduate (very recent - one week!), and I've written in other places on SDN so I won't repeat myself too much here except to say that I had a wonderful experience at Hofstra. I think when choosing between programs it's important to think about which place made you feel like you would grow and learn best, where you felt you belonged and could see yourself flourishing. For me, Hofstra's learning style and commitment to teaching did that. I also had fantastic classmates, we learned from and taught one another and now I'm grateful to have a community of physicians I can rely on throughout my career.

If you have any questions I'd be happy to try to answer them, otherwise you can see my other posts for some more details on Hofstra's curriculum and such.

Good luck!

 

[Mr Magpie]

You'll need to tell everyone a bit about you and your impressions of each school, otherwise this poll will likely reflect what the USNWR thinks about these programs (their 'rank').

 

[adam_antium]

You'll need to tell everyone a bit about you and your impressions of each school, otherwise this poll will likely reflect what the USNWR thinks about these programs (their 'rank').

updated the OP - thanks for the advice!

 

[Mansamusa]

Downstate and Hofstra will put you in a similar position to match, so it is a matter of preference--> You prefer Hofstra, so get rid of Downstate. (Hofstra students have also said that there is a "go it own your own" in terms of learning, which make sense because that is kind of how PBL is)

Rochester will open doors that Hofstra and Downstate may not. And I think Rochester would provide a lot more resources for anyone interested in academic medicine or competitive specialties. Rochester is also in a much more interesting location than Hofstra, imo, and has a strong national rep

Hofstra had a lot of incest in matching this year, which is good and a little less good at the same time (they can't build a reputation if people are sticking close to LIJ). Rochester is one of those schools that borders high mid-tier to top and I don't think Hofstra will get to that same level (but that shouldn't be the deciding factor). And enough people complain about PBL (including those who thought that they would love PBL) that I personally wouldn't want a curriculum that centers around it.

All-in-all, you have good options and won't go wrong with any of them