SLU vs. Mizzou

[goldfish.bowl]

Hi all! These are the schools I'm choosing between

Mizzou
Pros

• In-state tuition. Still waiting on scholarships but it will likely be ~10k cheaper a year.
• PBL curriculum. I liked Mizzou's commitment to it and based on the high STEP scores it seems to work.
• Smaller class size than SLU (128)
• New facilities
• Solid match lists
• Low COL
• Work with underserved populations, but mostly rural underserved

Cons

• Columbia is not my cup of tea. More rural than I'd like.
• Lack of diversity. Per current students, faculty don't really care about diversity or any type of social justice, which is important to me.
• Rumors about it being a toxic environment and students being humiliated- these were circulating a few years ago and I haven't been able to get a read on whether or not the culture has improved at all. Students seemed happy at second look day but that's also a self-selecting group.
• Only the first year is P/F, second year is HP/P/F
• 1/4 of the class does their clinical years in Springfield, with the potential for a lottery system.

Saint Louis University (SLU)
Pros

• Saint Louis. Not my favorite city but better than Columbia.
• True P/F preclinical
• They actually seem very committed to student wellness, and the students seemed pretty happy.
• More diverse than Mizzou
• Big emphasis on service/social justice. Not sure if they just talk the talk though
• Lots of work with urban underserved populations

Cons

• Tuition will likely be a little higher. Still waiting to see what financial aid looks like.
• STL is slightly more expensive
• Facilities are older
• Jesuit education- while I very much appreciate the commitment to social justice and service, the impact on teaching about women's reproductive health and LGBTQ health is a big disappointment for me.
• No PBL/pure lectures
• Not a lot of money or support for research per current students. Most said they tried (with varying levels of success) to get reserch at WashU.

Summary: I just would love to hear what people know about Mizzou's current culture and their diversity efforts. I think I'm leaning Mizzou but the reports from a few years ago are giving me pause. I'm also curious to know if SLU has a significantly better reputation that would make a big difference. I'm really drawn to their P/F curriculum and the culture of wellness but again, I want to hear what others have experienced!

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[pecanpie18]

Just wanted to talk about your comment on SLU's facilities–not a current student but SLU opened a new hospital (in 2020) and I was told that students would be rotating there (I think)! Also I think true P/F is always a plus

 

[goldfish.bowl]

Just wanted to talk about your comment on SLU's facilities–not a current student but SLU opened a new hospital (in 2020) and I was told that students would be rotating there (I think)! Also I think true P/F is always a plus

thank you for your response! You’re right that the new hospital is said to be really nice during clerkships. I guess what I meant is that during the first two years the facilities are run down, but good point about the hospital!

 

[Mikiras]

Just recently toured SLU. Facilities are older looking but well-kept. The library is nice, there are plenty of little cafes and study nooks, sim lab looks better than I've seen from other schools, and the new hospital is so beautiful. They just switched to a 1.5 year preclinical so you'll be in the hospital sooner.
Students at SLU seem very happy and all of the faculty we met were so incredibly kind, helpful, and involved you really get the sense that you'll be supported there.

 

[goldfish.bowl]

Just recently toured SLU. Facilities are older looking but well-kept. The library is nice, there are plenty of little cafes and study nooks, sim lab looks better than I've seen from other schools, and the new hospital is so beautiful. They just switched to a 1.5 year preclinical so you'll be in the hospital sooner.
Students at SLU seem very happy and all of the faculty we met were so incredibly kind, helpful, and involved you really get the sense that you'll be supported there.

Thank you so much, this is helpful! I agree that the students all seem really happy, which is great!

Interesting that they said they switched to 1.5 years preclinical- during my interview they said they were a full 2 years so I’m wondering if it’s changing after this year? I’ll have to dig into it a little more. Thank you!

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Missouri

 

[Mikiras]

Thank you so much, this is helpful! I agree that the students all seem really happy, which is great!

Interesting that they said they switched to 1.5 years preclinical- during my interview they said they were a full 2 years so I’m wondering if it’s changing after this year? I’ll have to dig into it a little more. Thank you!

I have a schematic of the curriculum if you'd like. But yeah they now have some core rotation starting at the end of M2

 

[goldfish.bowl]

I have a schematic of the curriculum if you'd like. But yeah they now have some core rotation starting at the end of M2

Oh thank you so much for letting me know! I really appreciate the update ☺️