St. Louis vs Case Western

[rigal9]

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Hey everyone,
Can anyone speak a little bit about the pros/cons of each of these schools? I am not sure which to choose. Case is a great school, but Cleveland is not so great. St. Louis isn't ranked so highly and the facilities are older, but St. Louis seems like a more comfortable/fun town to spend four years in. I don't know how much the curricula differ.

Thanks so much. (I will keep my fingers crossed for UC Davis, which has a rural health program that I really love, but in the event Davis doesn't like me as much as I like it, well... this is my choice and I need some advice.)

 

[longhorn09]

FYI, a med student is usually too busy to hang around the city and enjoy.

 

[rigal9]

Have you been to Cleveland?

 

[GoSpursGo]

FYI, a med student is usually too busy to hang around the city and enjoy.

While I know we've all heard that and it's fashionable to say things like that, I don't really know that I agree with that. I'm sure it's different at every school; I'm just saying I wouldn't buy that as dogma In actuality, I placed location pretty highly on the criteria I used to pick schools.

In any case, moving to School Specific Discussions.

 

[SN2ed]

A good thing to keep in mind between these two schools is the curriculum. Case has a very unique curriculum that focuses heavily on group based work which isn't for everyone. Another major point is the cost. You should wait until you see if either school will give you money.

 

[rigal9]

How/When do I find out who might give me money?

 

[Meat]

Having interviewed at both schools, I felt like Case Western @ Cleveland was a better match for me.

Foremost, I really enjoyed my interview day at Case. Everyone was very informative, articulate, and honestly excited about the program at Case. All the students I talked to had great things to say about the school, overall, it felt like a really supportive community. Unfortunately, I can't say I had the same feelings for St. Louis. I felt a disconnect between the students and a general lack of enthusiasm for the school. At lunch the students were describing methods on how to attend as little class as possible and still pass. p=MD right? Right? Great.

I really want to have my socks knocked off at an interview day: the quality of the facility, research opportunities, student interactions, professors, clinical rotations, affiliated hospitals and admissions committee need to be excited about what they're doing and excited about working as a team. I had this amazing feeling at Case I didn't experience elsewhere.

Really, its up to you to decide where you felt you fit in the best. If Cleveland's average temperature of 49 degrees and 60 inches of snowfall (http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/americas-worst-winter-weather-cities) totally turn you off, don't go. If their group based learning and emphasis on self study aren't your style, don't go. But, If you're looking for a school with 4 amazing teaching hospitals, a helpful and dedicated student body (see the Case thread), and the opportunity to learn medicine through the WR2 curriculum, you should definitely give Case a good look.

http://wiki.case.edu/SOM/CodeBlue
Case's wiki for entering students, Great asset.

 

[Meat]

How/When do I find out who might give me money?

After filling out all the appropriate finical aid forms, you'll get your F. Aid packet in the mail near summer. This packet will include loans, scholarships (if any) etc.

 

[rigal9]

Thanks, Meat!

lol awesome name. Seriously, I really appreciate all the interesting and valuable information. Thanks for taking the time.

 

[pppfcr]

Dude..case! For sure...no questions asked. I even interviewed at slu and would love an acceptance, but who would choose it over case????? (No offense to anyone w different opinions)