Saint Louis University (SLU) vs. University of Missouri (Mizzou)?

[WaterCLurker]

I'm entirely aware that I might have a lopsided view of the two schools because I have no experience with SLU and a lot of experience, both good and bad, with Mizzou.

Also, I'd very much like to leave Missouri for a residency in the northeast (strong ties).

Saint Louis University

Pros:

• In St. Louis
  • Large city - lots to do in terms of activities
  • Urban under-served population
    • Presumably busier trauma – I could completely see myself going into EM
• Large class that pulls students from across America - greater diversity in the student body
• Seemed to be a great deal of support for students
  • true P/F - no internal ranking
  • serious concern for student health
  • very approachable professors - weekend office hours offered
  • seemed to have a good support system for residency matching
• Residency matches across America
  • Students have matched into some of the residency programs that I may like to attend
• Mostly traditional lecture-based learning (recorded, not mandatory, etc.)
• A clean slate

Cons:

• Higher tuition (but this actually doesn't matter all that much to me because GI Bill)
• Lower avg STEP score in comparison with Mizzou (on par with national average, I believe)
• Fewer opportunities for research it seems, but I'm not 100% clear about this
• Tenet kind of ran SLU Hospital into the ground (SLU Hospital was recently acquired by SSM though), a lot of good doctors left and a couple of programs crashed and burned in terms of national ranking in the last decade, including some that I might be interested in
• Potentially more cons that I'm not aware of because I'm an undergrad at Mizzou and not SLU

University of Missouri

Pros:

• Cheaper tuition (but again, doesn't really matter all that much)
• Consistently higher avg STEP (several points higher than national average)
• Went here for undergrad so I'm friendly with several doctors in a specialty that I like and have worked as a student in their department for years
  • Many more opportunities for research?
  • Many more opportunities for networking?
• PBL curriculum - they go all in and it honestly seems like it works, if the STEP scores are any indication
• I'm more familiar with the area, the transition would not be as difficult and I've already have a bit of a life here

Cons:

• In Columbia, which is very much a college town
• nearly 90% Missouri residents so very little in terms of student body diversity
• Seems like there may not be as much support for the students
  • it's all peer to peer teaching
  • PBL does not have professors per se, there's no one to help when you need help?
  • much less structure - apparently students can use whatever textbook they like and no two students uses the same (or just about, anyways)
• focuses very much on rural medicine and family medicine - two areas I will never have any interest in
  • mostly rural under-served population
• Matches to residencies mostly in the midwest - true that it's probably all based on preference but how could I have a chance at the northeast if no one has ever heard of Mizzou before?
• The terrible terrible press that Mizzou is now nationally known for...
  • subsequent 32 million budget deficit projected for next year and the indefinite hiring freeze
  • don't know if any of this will affect the medical school though
• 10% - 20% chance I'll get lottery'ed and shipped out to Springfield, MO for my last two years - something I absolutely do not want at all. I've got a family and I can't just move willy-nilly. It's also at a hospital with a bad reputation for patient care and that's never had either residents or medical students before.

Tl;dr : I suppose it all comes down to curriculum and risk. PBL seems like a high risk, high reward scenario. Get through it and you're super prepared (with potentially great LORs). Get lost and fail out of med school. Also, the chance that I might be unwillingly shipped off to Springfield is far too high for my preference (0%).

I know that I'll be much happier living in St. Louis but I don't want to live happily for 4 years and then get stuck at a less desirable residency program for the next 3-5 years.

Opinions? Is this grass is greener on the other side syndrome (looking at SLU from Mizzou)? Or are they actually offering free cocaine on the other side of the fence?

Thanks!

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[dependableeyebrow]

Would love some current student input! This is a great breakdown. The major tripping point for me with Mizzou is the chance that I could be lotteried out to Springfield! OP, which did you choose?