Hey!
I don't know anything about SLU, I don't even know what it stands for
) But I know alot about NYMC, which is the school was going to go to. IMO, I think NYMC is a great school. I am from NY, so it was close to my family. It is in the Westchester county area which is about 20 min north of NY. Westchester is a nice clean area that is not urban like NYC. If you like an area with trees and enjoy running (outdoor stuff) this is a very good area. The only problem is that you kinda need a car to get around. Anyway, let me start with the good points and then the bad. These are just my opinion, so don't take them as gospel or anything like that.
Good
1. The Science building (including anatomy lab and library) is quite new and thus very nice. Actually, the anatomy lab is by far the nicest I have seen. Almost wish anatomy was longer just to work in the lab
)
2. The dorms are actually nice, I liked it as I stayed the night there the day before my interview. It is right across the street so you can roll out of bed to go to class.
3. Much of the classes is geared to do well on the boards. Typically classes of med school, nothing different or special.
4. The student body seemed very friendly and the people I stayed with were very nice and friendly.
5. The school has like a 99%-100% pass rate for boards. But that is really not a big issue as the pass rate at med schools in general is very high anyway.
6. NYMC has many hospitals you rotate through, so your clinical exp will be very good and their matches are good as well.
Bad
1. Cost...I did not receive any aid, so I would bascially have to borrow everything. 31k a year in tuition alone. Most private schools are about the same anyway.
2. You kinda need a car as I mentioned before. But you can usually find someone who has one to get a ride off. If you are from a big city like Boston or NY, the mass transit here is nothing to write home about.
3. As I mentioned about rank, many people often refer to NYMC as low tier...to this day I still have no idea why. I am not a fan of ranking (med school i med school.). If going to a ranked school is important to you, then NYMC might not be for you. Rank aside, NYMC is a great school that has alot to offer and I would personally not pay heed to this low tier stuff.
4. If you like city life, this place is not for you. Although you can go to NYC via train, it is not convient as most trains are.
Well anyway, this is the what I could think off. If you have any questions, email me. Anyway, best of luck!