Rosalind Franklin vs. Drexel

[Kirby101101]

Hi super grateful for these acceptances 🙂 The specialties I am interested in are pediatrics and adolescent psychiatry. Also if this of any importance, I am on the waitlist for UICOM, Albany, and EVMS.


Drexel (philly campus)
Pro

• Brand new campus
• City living
• My student interviewer was really nice and seemed to genuinely love the school!

Cons

• Lottery system for rotations (biggest con for sure)
• Large class size

Rosalind Franklin CMS
Pro

• Rotating in Chicago
• Close to family and from the Chicago area (not close enough to live at home tho)
• Students are not ranked
• Smaller class
• Not sure if ill go into psychiatry but they have a home residency program

Cons

• Not a fan of the area
• Rotations are scattered all over chicagoland
• doesn't seem to have super strong research

What is the same?

• Cost is about the same
• P/F preclinical
• No affiliated teaching hospital
• Meh weather
• Community service opportunities
• Good match list
• Good vibes from the interview

In summary, the big pull for Rosalind Franklin for me is that its close to family and I would love to do clinical rotations in Chicago while for Drexel I would love to live in the city preclinical but the lottery clinical rotation is a huge con. Please let me know what are your thoughts especially if you are familiar with the school!

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[Putkernerinthehall]

Look at the 2023 Peds match list for Drexel. Really impressive (surprising to me).

Pediatrics (26)

• Childrens Hospital-Boston-MA
• Childrens Hospital-LA-CA
• Childrens Hospital-Oakland-CA (2)
• Childrens Hospital-Philadelphia-PA (2)
• Childrens National Med Ctr-DC (2)
• Crozer-Chester Med Ctr-PA
• Nationwide Childrens Hosp-OH
• Northwestern McGaw/Lurie Childrens-IL
• NYU Long Island SOM-NY
• Penn State Hershey Med Ctr-PA (2)
• TJU/Nemours Childrens Health-PA (5)
• U Connecticut School of Medicine
• U Rochester/Strong Memorial-NY
• U Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
• UC Davis Med Ctr-CA
• Univ of Vermont Medical Center
• UPMC Medical Education-PA
• Zucker SOM-Northwell Cohen Childrens-NY

Peds/Psych/Child Psych (1)

• Childrens Hospital-Boston-MA

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

If serious about Peds, I'd choose Drexel, probably over RFU and any of the other ones you are on WL for.

 

[Kirby101101]

If serious about Peds, I'd choose Drexel, probably over RFU and any of the other ones you are on WL for.

Thank you for your input where did you find the 2023 drexel match list? I am impressed by both Drexel's and RFU's recent match lists and have no doubt either school will be amazing to attend! I don't think one over the other strikes me as better so Im trying to way outside factors like location and support group. Cant say Im 100% all in peds because IM/Peds and adolescent psychiatry also strongly interest me.

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

There is a 2023 Match thread on the Medical Student forum. I didn't look at RFU.

 

[wysdoc]

The Match List thread is here: OFFICIAL - 2023 Match Lists

 

[mdog31415]

RFU M1 here, so I am biased. However, my friend had to choose RFU vs Drexel last year, and I applied Drexel, so I get it. Rotations are spread throughout Chicago, but geographically speaking, you're limited to the Greater Chicago area. Drexel- practically the entire state of PA. Reading, York, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Delaware, and Philly to name a few. Very good hospitals for adult patients at both med schools. Ok, you rotate at St. Christopher's for peds in Philly. RFU you will have the ability to rotate at Lutheran and Christ for Peds; you also can see a very diverse and underserved Peds population at Stroger. 3 very good hospitals for peds in Chicago. TBH I'm curious if you'll get more opportunities with peds in terms of research and clinical experience at RFU over Drexel. See RFU match list for peds and peds/med below- not too crazy different vs Drexel. While our class is not ranked, they use internal rankings for AOA (but I believe Drexel does as well). RFU might be the research underdog, but they do a good job hooking students up, and I know of multiple faculty here doing peds research. I cannot imagine Drexel being too too far ahead on research than RFU unlike the big programs in Philly and Chicago. The big differentiator if I were in your shoes- money. Same for the others you are on WL. Go wherever you get the better scholarship package.

MEDICINE/PEDIATRICS
Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital,
UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

PEDIATRICS
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
UCLA Medical Center
UC Irvine Medical Center
University of Chicago Medical Center
NYU Long Island School of Medicine
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Rush University Medical Center
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine

 

[deleted771945]

From my understanding, peds is an accessible specialty from any MD school regardless of reputation or match lists.

 

[chilly_md]

I would choose UICOM if you got off the WL (as long as it's IS tuition). Otherwise, Rosalind so you can still be with family. Agree with the above that peds is a very accessible specialty.

 

[Kirby101101]

RFU M1 here, so I am biased. However, my friend had to choose RFU vs Drexel last year, and I applied Drexel, so I get it. Rotations are spread throughout Chicago, but geographically speaking, you're limited to the Greater Chicago area. Drexel- practically the entire state of PA. Reading, York, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Delaware, and Philly to name a few. Very good hospitals for adult patients at both med schools. Ok, you rotate at St. Christopher's for peds in Philly. RFU you will have the ability to rotate at Lutheran and Christ for Peds; you also can see a very diverse and underserved Peds population at Stroger. 3 very good hospitals for peds in Chicago. TBH I'm curious if you'll get more opportunities with peds in terms of research and clinical experience at RFU over Drexel. See RFU match list for peds and peds/med below- not too crazy different vs Drexel. While our class is not ranked, they use internal rankings for AOA (but I believe Drexel does as well). RFU might be the research underdog, but they do a good job hooking students up, and I know of multiple faculty here doing peds research. I cannot imagine Drexel being too too far ahead on research than RFU unlike the big programs in Philly and Chicago. The big differentiator if I were in your shoes- money. Same for the others you are on WL. Go wherever you get the better scholarship package.

MEDICINE/PEDIATRICS
Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital,
UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

PEDIATRICS
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
UCLA Medical Center
UC Irvine Medical Center
University of Chicago Medical Center
NYU Long Island School of Medicine
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Rush University Medical Center
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine

This was very helpful thank you!

 

[mdog31415]

I would choose UICOM if you got off the WL (as long as it's IS tuition). Otherwise, Rosalind so you can still be with family. Agree with the above that peds is a very accessible specialty.

I second chilly_md's advice. Unless RFU was offering you full tuition scholarship, 100% go with UICOM if you get off WL. They have the same sites for peds rotations as RFU does and probably have more peds research and shadowing opportunities.