Scared to go to a new place all of a sudden

[Dr Gerrard]

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Hey guys, all of a sudden I am really scared to go to a new place, start over, find a place to live, etc.

Right now I am deciding between Vanderbilt and MUSC, my state school. MUSC may end up being like $60000 cheaper over 4 years.

MUSC is in my hometown. I had been pretty much set on Vanderbilt. But all of a sudden, I really like the idea of being in Charleston at home in a comfortable place, and it is worrying me. I have many friends already going to MUSC. I know physicians there who are absolutely incredible. It is relatively close to my girlfriend.

Pretty trivial problem compared to those in Africa starving, I know. Still a small rant.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

On top of being close to loved ones, friends, connections, etc how is the 60k not enough to convince you to go to MUSC?

 

[mauberley]

On the flip side of the coin, what had your heart set on Vanderbilt?

 

[Dr Gerrard]

I really loved Vanderbilt on my interview day. I think the way they treat their students is incredible. People seem to go to Vanderbilt because they want to be there. People seem to go to MUSC because it is the cheapest or best place they got in.

Nashville is a cool city and I kind of do want to experience something new.

My connections are in neurosurgery only. They are incredible connections there and I know that if I were obviously capable enough to go down that line, I would be pretty much set. I don't know if I want to do that though.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

On the flip side of the coin, what had your heart set on Vanderbilt?

Nashville is an awesome city. It is one of the best institutions in the southeast. I have friends who live there that love it. Students seemed awesome on interview day. Second look made this impression even stronger.

MUSC doesn't even have a second look.

I guess the difference in ranking is probably the biggest factor though. I know maybe the difference between 10 and 15 isn't huge, but MUSC is 61 and Vanderbilt is 15. I actually felt this difference when I visited each school.

 

[uclaussr]

I am in a very similar situation. A school an hour away and the east coast. All my family, and tons of friends here. I am thinking i need to leave my comfort bubble and try something new though, eventhough i am scared, i feel if i dont do this now i will never have the balls to try living somewhere far away again.

 

[drizzt3117]

I am in a very similar situation. A school an hour away and the east coast. All my family, and tons of friends here. I am thinking i need to leave my comfort bubble and try something new though, eventhough i am scared, i feel if i dont do this now i will never have the balls to try living somewhere far away again.

the match might take care of that problem for you...

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

60k + interest = at least a few more years of loan payments

 

[Sammich117]

There are definitely pros and cons to each option, just please don't take into account being afraid of moving away and starting somewhere new. The opening of your thread makes me think this is what you're doing. Evaluate each school for what you're looking for and choose where you think you'll be happiest. Getting settled somewhere new isn't that bad even if it is scary at first.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

There are definitely pros and cons to each option, just please don't take into account being afraid of moving away and starting somewhere new. The opening of your thread makes me think this is what you're doing. Evaluate each school for what you're looking for and choose where you think you'll be happiest. Getting settled somewhere new isn't that bad even if it is scary at first.

yeah i mean in the end i definitely won't base my decision off of being scared. i have definitely gotten out of my comfort zone before.

i guess rather than being scared, i have a sudden desire to remain close to friends and family in charleston.

 

[Jwax]

the match might take care of that problem for you...

True statement.

Go to Vandy. You can always match back home if you want to go back after four years - much harder to match at Vandy if you stay at home. Connections/letters of rec are very important for the match.

 

[juliedi]

Hey OP, I feel ya. I started a similar-ish thread a while ago, it might be good to read through. Good luck with your decision!

 

[SoundofSilver]

I find myself in a very similar situation. A top private school vs. a school with a much lower ranking that is close to home.

It would cost over 100,000 dollars more for me to go to the private school. As much as I loved everything about that school, I just can't justify taking out that additional loan money. So right now it looks like I'll be living at home, commuting to school, and saving a ton of money.

If you have your heart set on a super competitive residency and a career in research/academia, then Vandy might make more sense for you. That being said, if you work hard enough at your state school, you probably won't be closing too many doors and you'll also come out with much less debt.

 

[Sailor Senshi Dermystify]

Hey guys, all of a sudden I am really scared to go to a new place, start over, find a place to live, etc.

Right now I am deciding between Vanderbilt and MUSC, my state school. MUSC may end up being like $60000 cheaper over 4 years.

MUSC is in my hometown. I had been pretty much set on Vanderbilt. But all of a sudden, I really like the idea of being in Charleston at home in a comfortable place, and it is worrying me. I have many friends already going to MUSC. I know physicians there who are absolutely incredible. It is relatively close to my girlfriend.

Pretty trivial problem compared to those in Africa starving, I know. Still a small rant.

Don't be scared Doc! I lived in Africa for 3 months (through a summer program), Nepal (for a month) and now I am heading to South Korea as a Fulbrighter for a year!! I am pretty nervous about Korea since it's a year but it's an experience and you are NOT far from you, lol

Just relax son enjoy and sip some coo-la-las 🙂

 

[deleted357625]

[YOUTUBE]DksSPZTZES0[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Dr Gerrard]

I wish I could change the topic now. I am not as much scared as I just want to be near all of my family and friends more all of a sudden.

Family + friends + girlfriend + some connections + $60,000 less + charleston vs.

better facilities, more intelligent students, happier students, nashville, more opportunities, p/f first year (both are h/p/f second year)

 

[NickNaylor]

I went through this for about a week. It's normal. You've gotta figure out whether or not Vandy has what's you're looking for. If it does, go for it and jump in head first. Nashville is fantastic.

 

[Sammich117]

Those are definitely normal feelings. It's natural to want to stay near a support system. On the other hand, a lot of med school is about connections so going somewhere where you'll meet lots more new people can also be really beneficial.

 

[kcin]

Put on your big boy pants.

 

[MacVA]

Charleston is the greatest city in the world. Go to MUSC. Amazing school and if you ever become single remember that Charleston has some of the hottest girls in any city and there is a umm *shortage* of males there.

I know a few people who matched at Vandy coming from *worse* schools than MUSC.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

i mean if i am thinking about match, then there is no question vanderbilt would be the better choice.

i feel like quality of education and opportunities is what vanderbilt really has.
vanderbilt also has a whole bunch of people i would be able to meet that i think i would really get along with.

what musc has is proximity to my family, friends and girlfriend. also, it is going to be at least $50,000 cheaper over 4 years.

if i got a full scholarship to musc, i would no question choose it. this is still a possibility. however, it may not be likely and i need to know when to draw the line.

 

[rhcarolina]

I'm making the same decision between Columbia and MUSC. Only problem is that MUSC is going to cost me 70k a year 🙁

 

[RogueUnicorn]

OP, for your sake and the sake of everyone around you, SACK UP

 

[tabascosauce]

Hey guys, all of a sudden I am really scared to go to a new place, start over, find a place to live, etc.

heeeeeeeeeeey braaaaaaaa.......

we're all scared. its the human condition. why do you think i put on this tough-guy façade?

maybe its time we cut the umbilical cord and hit the ATM?

we can do it. if i can change you can change. we all can change.

is there a mrs. gerrard?

 

[Dr Gerrard]

I'm making the same decision between Columbia and MUSC. Only problem is that MUSC is going to cost me 70k a year 🙁

haha wow dude. you mind me asking why you are considering musc even though it is way more expensive than columbia?

 

[rhcarolina]

haha wow dude. you mind me asking why you are considering musc even though it is way more expensive than columbia?

Some of the same reasons you're considering MUSC: comfort zone and friends

 

[Kgizzle]

Don't be scared Doc! I lived in Africa for 3 months (through a summer program), Nepal (for a month) and now I am heading to South Korea as a Fulbrighter for a year!! I am pretty nervous about Korea since it's a year but it's an experience and you are NOT far from you, lol

Just relax son enjoy and sip some coo-la-las 🙂

For some reason I read "Bullfighter". I was like wuuut then i was oh(disappointed).OP, if you would rather go to Vandy do it up as long as you make sure to work hard so you dont end up screwing yourself over

 

[Dr Gerrard]

yeah i guess i just need to finally wait for my financial aid packages and then decide based on that. thanks

 

[MilkmanAl]

You're deciding between schools based on ranking? Seriously? There is absolutely no question in my mind you should go to MUSC. It's also an excellent school, and you're going to get essentially the same preclinical education anywhere you go. Nashville is undeniably awesome, but Charleston is also quite cool. You're also close enough to the coast to make a weekend trip there should you so choose if you're in Charleston. Based on your previous posts, I guess it shouldn't shock me at all that you're so hung up on prestige, but how could that even come close to comparing to family, friends, SO, and money all put together?

 

[Dr Gerrard]

You're deciding between schools based on ranking? Seriously? There is absolutely no question in my mind you should go to MUSC. It's also an excellent school, and you're going to get essentially the same preclinical education anywhere you go. Nashville is undeniably awesome, but Charleston is also quite cool. You're also close enough to the coast to make a weekend trip there should you so choose if you're in Charleston. Based on your previous posts, I guess it shouldn't shock me at all that you're so hung up on prestige, but how could that even come close to comparing to family, friends, SO, and money all put together?

i mean its not based solely on rankings. the opportunities available to me at vanderbilt are better than that of musc.

for example, vanderbilt has the emphasis project which i really like. they give you money during the summer after M1 to work on this project.

and musc, they kind of leave you open. there is no structured program and my guess is because they do not have the resources to do what vanderbilt can with the emphasis.

people seemed happier at vanderbilt. this is probably because they chose vanderbilt. for the most part, musc chooses their students, not the other way around.

i live in charleston. this is both a pro and con. i want to see new things and experience a new place as much as i want to be close to home and be near loved ones.

it would be much easier for me to go back to charleston from vanderbilt, or to anywhere else in the country for that matter, than it would be for me to leave south carolina graduating from musc.

 

[rhcarolina]

Just out of curiosity, did you go to undergrad in Charleston?

 

[rhcarolina]

True statement.

Go to Vandy. You can always match back home if you want to go back after four years - much harder to match at Vandy if you stay at home. Connections/letters of rec are very important for the match.

While I agree that might be true to an extent, if you do well at MUSC you can do whatever you want. For your example they matched 4 people at vandy this year.

Also this year they matched people into plenty of competitive stuff, 3 derm, 5 Ent, 3 Uro. A guy is doing CT surgery at Stanford and people in other specialties at Hopkins, MGH, yale
etc.

So MUSC definitely won't hold you back if you do well

 

[Ignatius M.D.]

Nashville is an awesome city. It is the best institution in the southeast. I have friends who live there that love it. Students seemed awesome on interview day. Second look made this impression even stronger.

MUSC doesn't even have a second look.

I guess the difference in ranking is probably the biggest factor though. I know maybe the difference between 10 and 15 isn't huge, but MUSC is 61 and Vanderbilt is 15. I actually felt this difference when I visited each school.

Edited for truthiness 😉 (sorry Dukies). You are right though. One of the reasons I liked the undergrad so much when I toured was how much respect the students receive from faculty, finding out that Nashville is actually a great city, the very friendly student body, etc. If you're more comfortable at home and you want to save money then go to MUSC. I know residents at Vandy from not so highly ranked schools like Eastern Virginia, MCG, etc., so don't worry too much about the match. Don't be worried about a new place either. I think living in new places is one of the huge perks of having to do all of these different levels of education. FYI, while talking to those residents from lesser known medical schools, they told me how jealous they were of the clinical exposure that Vandy med students get (none were from MUSC, so I cannot comment on that particular institution). The hospital is amazing (as you know from interviewing), and every doc I've met has been very friendly-even the big, bad attendings. Take this all with a grain of salt though, since I'm still a lowly undergrad 🙂.

 

[venacontracta]

Charleston is the greatest city in the world.

😕

🙄



Vanderbilt is in a completely different league than MUSC and is a top-caliber school that can offer tremendous opportunities. You have to suck it up and leave your comfort zone at some point if you want to get the most out of life, and this transition is a good place to do it.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

no i went to a public undergrad in sc, but not in charleston.

and i definitely understand that it is possible to do match well from musc. that is the reason it is still a consideration. but it is undeniably easier to match well from vanderbilt.

as david and vandy premed pointed out, and i agree, that vanderbilt is definitely top tier and on a different level than musc is.

i dont know why people are getting so upset that i am looking at prestige, since vanderbilt is obviously more prestigious for a reason.

still, money is a huge factor. plus being close to everyone i love. plus being a big fish in a small pond.

i dont know why i made this topic in the first place. definitely just a vanderbilt v. musc topic, and i won't know about financial aid until next week from vanderbilt and who knows when from musc, so the monetary information is all speculation anyways.

 

[CaptainSSO]

 

[venacontracta]

i dont know why people are getting so upset that i am looking at prestige, since vanderbilt is obviously more prestigious for a reason.

Many probably do this because they did not get into top tier schools, some because "prestige doesn't matter, ever" is popular SDN groupthink, and some for the right reasons. Choosing a school solely based on prestige would be stupid but so would refusing to consider it as a factor.

This isn't a question of rankings or prestige though. You shouldn't go to Vanderbilt because of its higher ranking or more prestigious name, but rather because of the things that make Vanderbilt high-ranked and prestigious in the first place -- the difference in opportunities and attitudes that exist between top tier schools and lesser-regarded institutions.

 

[thomprya]

Its really a personal decision. For me friends and family mean everything and I would love the opportunity to go to med school while around them. You should realize also that the odds are against you and your girlfriend if things stay long distance. Also, 60k is certainly not chump change. However if Vandy is going to set you directly in line with your goals and you will regret not going there you should ball up and go.

 

[MilkmanAl]

You shouldn't go to Vanderbilt because of its higher ranking or more prestigious name, but rather because of the things that make Vanderbilt high-ranked and prestigious in the first place -- the difference in opportunities and attitudes that exist between top tier schools and lesser-regarded institutions.

Those opportunities are mostly related to research, so if you're "just" looking to do clinical work, the whole ranking thing doesn't do you a whole lot of good. I doubt anyone would ever contend that UAMS is anything but a "low-tier" program, but judging from the content of the Clinical Rotations and Allopathic forums, I've done a whole lot more than most med students have. We also have brand new facilities for just about everything and all the fun technology that comes with them. N=1? Maybe, but dude, it's Arkansas. If they can offer top-notch clinical experience here, anyone can.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

hmm good point milkman.

i don't necessarily have a huge interest in research, but i do like research enough to know that i would like to do some.

additionally, isn't research like necessary for some of the more competitive residencies?

 

[Sailor Senshi Dermystify]

For some reason I read "Bullfighter". I was like wuuut then i was oh(disappointed).OP, if you would rather go to Vandy do it up as long as you make sure to work hard so you dont end up screwing yourself over

That will be an interested job for me to become a Bullfighter lol


And OP go to Vandy because the opps are endless and you can always come back to Charleston for residency. Enjoy the rest of the country

And prestige does matter to certain people and some just have preferences. There are ppl on this forum who wants you to give up your Vandy seat since they are on the WL. But again it's up to you

 

[CaptainSSO]

plus being a big fish in a small pond.

So you're a "big fish" now? Oh, Jesus....

 

[surftheiop]

I'm turning down Emory for MUSC and I'm thrilled with my decision. I would love to spend my whole career at MUSC if it works out.

No amount of prestige at Emory would allow me to go surfing on the weekends (and weekdays!) 😀

 

[Dr Gerrard]

So you're a "big fish" now? Oh, Jesus....

oh jesus, picking out a single phrase in the entire topic

this is just what i have been told bro.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

I'm turning down Emory for MUSC and I'm thrilled with my decision. I would love to spend my whole career at MUSC if it works out.

No amount of prestige at Emory would allow me to go surfing on the weekends (and weekdays!) 😀

hey this is pretty much the exact decision i am making. how did cost factor in the decision?

 

[surftheiop]

hey this is pretty much the exact decision i am making. how did cost factor in the decision?

Emory would have been ~10-13k more a year, but that really played no big part in my decision.

I went to an Ivy undergrad so I'm definitely not blind to the benefits prestige can bring, but I genuinely feel an education at MUSC will prepare me to meet my career goals just as much or even better than Emory would. Additionally I know I would be way happier living near family and friends, with the opportunity to go surfing/fishing to relax.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

yeah MUSC is so highly regarded in my area, it kind of surprises me it is not better respected in the academic world

i really did love vanderbilt though and i know i would be happy there. i feel like this entire situation is win-win for me.

i am just hoping musc gives me enough money to make my decision easy 🙂

 

[rhcarolina]

Additionally I know I would be way happier living near family and friends, with the opportunity to go surfing/fishing to relax.

+1 👍

 

[ButImLETired]

Go with your gut. Neither decision is inherently wrong or right, and a lot of generalizations have been thrown around the thread that are just plain false. Are both schools P/F? Do you feel very strongly about your classmates being from a bunch of different places instead of having most of them be from the same state/schools? Would having your family nearby be more of a distraction or more of a support system?

I always find these threads sort of odd, especially when they factor in something like "moving away". Look, when you apply to residency, you will have absolutely no guarantee of staying in town unless you only apply to places there. Also, medicine is a really grown up job and if you want to be close to the fam so you can call on mommy and daddy to help out when you're struggling and don't want to do your laundry or buy your own groceries, its probably time to cut the umbilical cord. On the other hand, if you need them there as emotional support because they are very close friends, and you feel very strongly about your girlfriend being nearby, that's a different issue.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and admit that I judge people who never live anywhere but the place they grew up. I don't think that yo have to be a nomad to be a real person, and I do think that it's totally understandable to want to return home when you settle down and get your real job etc. But I think if you're young and can move elsewhere, you should. Yes, some days are hard, but that's part of the growing process. Discovering a new city, learning how different people think, letting a new place become a part of you- to me, those are some of the best parts of life. If you work at a decently big academic place, you'll likely encounter people from all over the place, and getting to live in more than one state might help really understand them. If you don't do it, I think you're missing out and I think you won't be as full a person as you would be otherwise- mind you, this is entirely my personal opinion.

What's yours? What does your gut say?

 

[searun]

That will be an interested job for me to become a Bullfighter lol


And OP go to Vandy because the opps are endless and you can always come back to Charleston for residency. Enjoy the rest of the country

And prestige does matter to certain people and some just have preferences. There are ppl on this forum who wants you to give up your Vandy seat since they are on the WL. But again it's up to you

Residency selection is called a "Match" for a reason. You don't simply decide where you are going to do your residency.

And OP - you are wise to wait until you receive your financial aid packages before making your decision. Vanderbilt may not be that much more expensive. And I do agree that there are real benefits to leaving your comfort zone and creating a life for yourself in a different part of the country. I say this as someone who left Oregon and moved to the East Coast for med school. I also will be doing my surgical residency on the East Coast and then will return to the Northwest in about 5 years. It has been a great experience for me.