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I'm sure there have been threads on this in the past. Accepted at both, considering both still. Maybe slightly leaning Sinai. Opinions? Financial aid will likely be equal= $0. So loans, loans, loans!
Wow this is much more definitive than I was expecting. Flipping through past threads like this, it seemed like people though NYU was way more prestigious than Sinai for some reason.
Waitlisted at both but I would go with Sinai if I had your choice. I thought that each school had a significantly different group of students so if either environment really meshed with your personality that may influence your choice.
I went to a small liberal arts school with a well developed Honor Code and almost all take-home exams. So, the Sinai curriculum/environment is a bit closer to what I'm used to. I'm also really still into research (considered MD/PhD) and didn't really get a sense of which school offered a better environment to conduct biomedical research (probably both over the summer and during school...I love it). I'm interested in a lot of different specialties right now- some hard, some easier to get into- IM-Hem/Onc, IM-GI, Pediatric-Hem/Onc, Dermatology, OB/Gyn.
Elegant Weapon- It's odd you found the facilities better. I kind of was dissapointed with the NYU facilities. All the medical school space seemed run-down. There was a great new bio research building and lecture hall area, but med students didn't use it too often. The anatomy labs were kind of dank, the lecture hall seemed really outdated. All the student space seemed to be in the basement. I've heard Bellevue has awesome patient cases, but in terms of being a teaching hospital, the physicians there weren't great. The Sinai dorms also seemed nicer than NYU's, although the prospect of sharing space with 3 other people scares me a bit (that's a fair amount to risk getting placed with a "crazy" person).
Sinai's hospital is ranked on par with NYU medical center, so I really didn't get the sense that Sinai had any inferiority in clinical training.
Hey jbz-
What's the first two years at Sinai really like? Is it just lectures? Or is there a lot of small group? How much patient interaction do you get?
What's the career guidance like? Choosing a specialty?
How is easy is it to do research? Is it just over the summer, or do people keep up with it during the year?
Social life? Living in Aron Hall? Do people go out a lot on weekends (and/or the week)? Any cool local bars to grab a drink? Do you like the neighborhood?
First two years are probably about half lectures and half small group sessions (maybe slightly more lectures). Lectures are all optional attendance, videotaped, and posted online. Small group sessions are mandatory and generally involve discussing clinical case vignettes. Also, labs are generally in the afternoon and also required attendance. This was how it was when I did it, it may be slightly different now. Most of your patient encounters the first two years will be through the class called Art and Science of Medicine. The first few weeks you will probably learn about topics like professionalism and ethics. After that, you will begin to learn physical exams and then you will have weekly patient encounters in the hospital.
Career guidance was hit or miss when I was a first year. I was proactive and found a mentor who helped guide me. We were all supposed to receive mentors but I don't think this actually happened. There has been a shift of some administrative people since I was a first year, and I believe things are better. There's always been guidance, but you had to seek it out. I believe now they seek you out as well. That's a question better asked to a first or second year, sorry.
Research is incredibly easy to do. Since Sinai is a top 15-20 institution for NIH funding and since there are no undergrads competing to do research, all of the opportunities go to you. Most students do some form of research and a large portion do (funded) research between the first and second summers. A lot of students carry these projects on throughout the year. I had various projects that I was a part of all years at Sinai, including third year, although obviously not full time as it was during the summer. Sinai does push its students to do research, but you are in no way obligated to do so if you hate research. I would encourage it, though, because it really helps for your residency application.
Social life is very active and there is plenty of time to take advantage of NYC during the first two years. There are lots of bars on 2nd and 3rd ave in the lower 90s. The closest bar is just across the street from Aron Hall (called Hanrattys) so if you don't want to travel far you can grab a drink there. Many students travel to the downtown/LES/village/westside for dinner or drinks, and since Sinai is close to the 6 and crosstown bus, it's easy to get anywhere in the city. There are many parties at bars and clubs, especially during the first year, so if that's your thing you will enjoy it. Sinai's location is good, but not great. The restaurants and bars in the immediate vicinity (2-3 block radius) is a bit lacking and sometimes you have to walk a little further. NYU is in a better area in terms of this.
Waitlisted at both but I would go with Sinai if I had your choice. I thought that each school had a significantly different group of students so if either environment really meshed with your personality that may influence your choice.
What do you mean by significantly different group? Anyone care to comment on what differences they saw in the culture of NYU students vs Sinai students?
I am in the same situation - extremely lucky to be accepted to both. But the financial aid packages are substantially different - I received a 30k scholarship to NYU v. all loans at Sinai. Some Context: I think Sinai is a better fit for me personally, but I believe I will make it work wherever I attend. I have paid off all my undergrad loans, so I'm going in with $0 debt as of today.But, I am interested in working with underserved communities and don't see myself going into radiology, ect. What do you think? How much should the scholarship affect my decision?
The money should have a profound impact on your decision. Both schools are comparable in quality, but have different personalities and settings. I prefer Sinai, but for 120,000 I would choose NYU in a heartbeat.