Stanford vs. UCSF Matchlists

[Happy02]

I will be attending Stanford as of now, but I'm on the high priority list at UCSF. I feel I have a decent chance of getting off, especially if I decide it is my very top choice. Deciding between these two schools would be a great honor and I would like to make the best decision. Lets say my goal is to eventually enter internal medicine/family practice/some type of primary care residency at UCSF or UCLA. Would going to UCSF becuase it's a UC school and known to have stronger primary care training give me a better chance at matching at those schools? I'm not familiar yet with evaluating matchlists, but can anyone say the match list from Stanford or UCSF is obviously stronger than the other in primary care? I see people on the Stanford matchlist with Internal Medicine at Mass General and UCSF, but then there are also those that matched at Santa Clara Valley hospital and other seemingly less strong training programs. I wonder if they truly wanted to go there or if they were highly unsuccessful in getting their top choices. If I end up decided to enter a speciality which is what Stanford seems to emphasisize, like derm or radiology, what would your conclusion be? Would either school have an edge? It's harder to assess Stanford's matchlist because their class is so much smaller. My impression is that Stanford does a bit better on the east coast with schools like Harvard just because the Stanford name is more well known, but in California which is for sure where I want to match, UCSF's name is slightly better reputated. I know both are great schools but I'm wondering if those of you who are familiar with the match process can pick up any important trends or data from the two lists that might help me with my decision, even if they are only subtle differences.

UCSF Match: <a href="http://medstudents.ucsf.edu/som/education/medstudents/resources/match/index.asp" target="_blank">http://medstudents.ucsf.edu/som/education/medstudents/resources/match/index.asp</a>

Stanford Match: <a href="http://deansnewsletter.stanford.edu/word_docs/2002_Residency_Match.doc" target="_blank">http://deansnewsletter.stanford.edu/word_docs/2002_Residency_Match.doc</a>

All advice is welcome and totally appreciated!

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[Spudster]

Though I'm going to Stanford next year, too, in this case I'll have to vote against my dream school. I know several current students who mention that there is really a dearth of preparation in family practice and the like. If that is really the direction you'd like to head, then UCSF is probably the better school for you. That being said, both schools will help you match to a great residency, and if you have any inclination towards research, Stanford facilitates dabbling incredibly well, as I'm sure you know, through the Med Scholars program.

 

[nyskindr]

I see no qualitative difference between these matchlists.These are both outstanding schools in terms of national reputation and a degree from either institution will be well regarded.It is not likely to make any difference at all in residency options especially in California.I would focus on other issues such as quality of life,curriculum etc,and stop wasting energy trying to compare very similar matchlists.

 

[alphacentauri]

I too will be starting at Stanford in the fall. However, I'd have to concur that in general UCSF leans more heavily toward family practice than Stanford, and thus is stronger in that area. About the only complaints I've heard about Stanford from current students in that the school is strongly geared toward research and specialization, and does not even have a family medicine department. However, that being said, you can get a wonderful residency out of either school, and if you like the Stanford atmosphere you can certainly find opportunities in family medicine. Matchlists, as far as I can tell, really aren't much of an issue here when you're talking about two great schools. Look at the focus of the schools and the opportunities.

 

[Jalby]

I would vote for going to UCSF, if that is one of the top 2 places you want to end up for residency. Normally, a school heavily favors their own over other schools for residency spots. Plus it's prolly cheaper.

 

[grkbuckeye]

[B Lets say my goal is to eventually enter internal medicine/family practice/some type of primary care residency at UCSF or UCLA. Would going to UCSF becuase it's a UC school and known to have stronger primary care training give me a better chance at matching at those schools? B]

.....My friend just got an internal med residency at UCLA and he went to a Carribean school. i think youll be fine with either of those schools.

 

[rajneel1]

they are both great schools. stanford however is not known for primary care related specialities but if you have the passion then you can make it happen through research, community service, etc. how do you know that you will definitely do family practice or internal medicine? should you pick a medical school based solely on that?
...
cost will probably be about the same. so think about curriculum (UCSF is in transition towards more PBL, Stanford is traditional), opportunities available to you, lifestyle, and fit.
...
Stanford students seem to match east coast (like harvard) and at UCSF and Stanford (Santa Clara Valley is a Stanford affiliated hospital!!!! So people who match there actually matched at Stanford!). You can definitely match at places like UCSF or UCLA by going to either of these schools, especailly in the specialities you are interested in because they are not very competitive. UCSF does have an edge when it comes to training in primary care but that doesn't mean that you can't match at an FP or IM residency by going to Stanford.
Maybe you should worry about this when you get into UCSF!! Good Luck with your choice. I hope it works out for you!

 

[none]

They're both freakishly expensive places to live...but UCSF has a cheaper tuition. Go there. I don't really understand this whole thing about private schools lowering their tuition to match public schools...if that always happened, why do private schools even start out with the high tuitions? I don't think it does happen in most cases.

 

[rajneel1]

most stanford students will get stanford's max grant which is endorsed by endowments to the medical school....if you get the maximum then 92% of your tuition is paid. and yes, both are ridiculously expensive...especailly palo alto!

 

[Happy02]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Yes, I think I should worry first about getting into UCSF. But should the decision come you've helped me lots.

 

[lola]

i have a question about financial aid. for places like stanford, you say most students will get a grant. is this only if you apply for financial aid?

 

[rajneel1]

i don't understand....how else are you going to fund medical school? you apply through fafsa and then do the need access form. they assess your need and give you a grant (if you qualify...and most will) amount accordingly.

 

[lola]

I was just wondering, because I don't think I qualify for financial aid so am not planning on applying for it. You can't get the grants unless you apply, right?

 

[paean]

Lola, you can't get grants or loans (which every US citizen is eligable for) unless you apply for financial aid. It's really worth applying, because you don't know what you can get until you do.

 

[paean]

Happy, do you mean you are on the top group of the alternate list? Everyone in the high priority group got letters telling them accepted, rejected, top alternate, or bottom alternate about two weeks ago. If you haven't gotten yours, you should call.

If you want to do primary care, why are you worried about the presitige of your residency? It won't matter that much. That said, I'm going to buck the trend. Stanford sends fewer students into primary care, and has a smaller class. That means you are competing with fewer classmates for the spots you want. I know everyone loves UCSF graduates, but they don't want to fill their residency program with them exclusively. Being from Stanford makes you stand out a little.

About Santa Clara Valley Hospital, residents there tend to be happier than many other places because they generally get to sleep every night. Call is less frequent, and according to my aunt who did her residency there in family practice, when you are on call, they only wake you if they really need you. It's certainly less prestigious ("less strong"? - how would you know?). Stanford students have the option of doing rotations there, and I suspect the ones who do their residency there are looking for quality of life rather than research prestige.

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

A couple points:

First, I wouldn't necessarily be so sure that you will choose a primary care specialty. Many people, including myself, thought they would enter FP or internal medicine when they started medical school. As your clinical years progress, you see many different specialties and the reality of each field and many people change their specialty choice.

Second, primary care residencies, even good ones, are will be wide open for you from both schools. You will not have a problem matching at a top notch FP or internal medicine program from either school. The funny thing when looking at FP residencies in particular is that the bigger name schools often don't have great training because they must compete with all of the other specialty residents for the learning opportunities. Most good FP programs are at community hospitals and are "un-opposed" by other residents.

If what people say about the emphasis on primary care at UCSF is true, this might be a better choice because you will get better exposure and teaching in these fields at UCSF than at Stanford. Matchlists should have to be part of your decision making process.