Sorry, because I know this is long, but I am having a really hard time making a decision and the deposit deadlines are approaching, so I need to make one ASAP. Any and all input is greatly appreciated, and feel free to add to any of the pros/cons!
Info about me
Pros:
Pros:
Info about me
- Would likely want to practice in the Southeast US, probably in FL, in the future
- I am very close to my family, seeing my parents/nephew at least 1-2x a week, and my heart's already breaking a bit imagining not being able to see them as frequently, even though I know 4-8 years is not as much in the grand scheme of things.
- Have only lived in hotter climates, so I don’t know how hard the adjustment to a colder climate would be, even though I do enjoy the cold/have driven in snow before/etc. When on vacations (have only experienced it for 1-3 weeks at a time though).
- Am likely wanting to match more competitive specialties, with my current top interests being Anesthesia (I have worked in it for the last 3.5 years, and love it), Dermatology, Radiology, and Ortho (with OBGYN also being a top one I am interested in, but it being less competitive than the rest).
- I am 95% sure I do NOT want to do EM, Oncology, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics, due to prior experiences with them all that have shown me that I may not be properly suited for a lifetime of working in them.
- I got really good vibes from both schools and both programs seem like good fits for me
Pros:
- Being in Clearwater only a 2 hr drive from my immediate family would be amazing and give a lot of support. One of my best friends also lives ~30 min away in Tampa, and other close extended family live just under an hour away, so even when I can’t do the 2+ hr drive to my parents/sibling I still have stronger support systems nearby.
- I have visited the clearwater/St. Pete/Tampa area a lot and love the areas, especially the proximity to the beach, large amount of indoor and outdoor activities to do nearby, etc.
- I have worked with a couple of different graduates, all of which have mostly good things to say about the school
- A decent amount of the lectures are asynchronous
- Many rotation sites in FL & some out of state as well
- Get access to COMBANK, Access Medicine
- Very good residency placements; Placements last year: 15 anesthesia, 3 Derm, 16 Gen Surg, 11 OBGYN, 5 Ortho, 5 Diagnostic Radiology
- Graded Preclinical; Not P/F (except for rotation years where it’s P/F/HP) and has a competitive letter grading with an A being 95-100
- No real cadaver lab (there is an optional one at St. Pete college from my understanding, but access is only like once a week/is not actually at or through Nova)
- Decent amount of OMM
- All student interaction activities (small group activities, interactive lectures/assignments), labs, etc. are mandatory in person, so I will have to be on campus frequently
- $69,870/yr tuition + Tampa/Clearwater rent is on the higher end. Higher COL overall (housing/taxes slightly less than NJ though) & definitely high tuition.
- Student satisfaction (esp. Regarding admin) tends to be low/average.
- Mandatory professional dress code when in person/on campus
- Biggest con is that most alumni residents I have spoken to have said that you are kind of left to fend for yourself when it comes to rotations in your last year (they say you get guidance and options, but a lot of it is figuring it out and scheduling it yourself with less help from admin). There aren’t many (if any) rotation sites in or near clearwater, most are on the west coast of Fl and then a few in other states.
- Decreasing COMLEX stores in recent years
- Students recently have been saying they feel a bit more ignored as the school has been paying much more attention to the new MD school they opened
- Require that I buy an IPad (on top of the high tuition and other school fees)
- Research opportunities are iffy/have to do more work seeking them out on my own, esp at the Clearwater location.
Pros:
- Except for one, every single student and post I have seen regarding the school has said basically nothing but positive things about it, with many emphasizing how great the faculty/school support is and how helpful students are to one another
- Overall day to day quality of life seems better/less stressful, which is always a major plus as medical school is bad enough as it is
- Might be able to get in-state tuition (~$47,000) after a year of living in NJ (according to other students posts, the school tends to be a little more lenient than other schools when it comes to this).
- A little less OMM heavy
- State funded school, so many research opportunities
- Virtua hospital system directly tied to the school, in house-residencies which is huge, local rotations
- Live anatomy/cadaver lab, many simulation centers and lots of simulation technology
- Student morale tends to be very high
- P/F curriculum, so the high stress from having to get an exact grade is relieved
- Very good residency placements; Placements last year: 8 Anesthesia, 6 Gen Surg, 7 Radiology, 6 Ortho, 6 Gen Surg
- Location is semi-rural, which I enjoy as I currently live in a similar type of area, but is close to large cities including Philly (~25 min away).
- Experiencing a new climate/culture would be interesting to me
- Most residency matches are in Northeast (there were a couple of FL matches last year as well, including to some competitive places like UF and UCF, though)
- Some negative reviews from students saying that admin plans things last minute/seem incompetent sometimes
- Very far from my family, even though my parents would probably visit every month or two and my sister in law may do travel nursing in the area.
- Quizzes/tests almost every week
- Cold weather/snow, which I am have enjoyed in the past but have only experienced a limited amount of times when on vacation
- Negative reviews regarding class set up/curriculum, but they are from 2018 prior to their ‘new’ curriculum, so I don't know if they are as worrisome as they would have been back then
- ~$75,000+tuition, high COL (in regards to taxes, etc. compared to FL)
- Nova is a very good school with great matches in the region I would like to practice in, along with it being very close to my family which is a major pro for me, but it will likely come with a lot of extra stress in terms of the requirements/pricing/grading/need to be in person more/etc.
- Rowan is a great school with great matches, in house residencies, lots of research opportunities, and will likely be less stressful due to less ‘unnecessary’ rules and mandatory classes (along with it being P/F), but it is in a different region than where I would like to practice, I would have to adjust to a new climate, and it is wayyyy further from my family.
