Stanford vs UCSF

[happylemonz]

I am incredibly lucky to have gotten into multiple med schools & these are the top two I am deciding between. Still have to wait to hear back about scholarships & financial aid. Still not completely sure what I am interested in specializing in. Leaning towards OB-GYN with a focus on LGBTQ+ health and also curious about focusing on mental health. But I would love to go to a school that is helpful in allowing you to explore what you are interested in along the way. Luckily, both UCSF and Stanford are pretty incredible in all fields of medicine. I know research will always be a part of my career. Also-- ideally, I want to be in a place that is super accepting for queer folks.

Stanford
Pros

• Small class size (90) --> idk how much of a difference this makes?
• Super prestigious, I'm interested in LGBTQ+ health, maybe stanford name will carry research further & be more impactful?
• Gorgeous campus
• Feels like insane luck that I got in here, I don't know many people who would pass up this opportunity?
• Really cool LGBTQ+ research going on (PRIDE study) & I have connected with one of the attendings who co-runs this study and she seems amazing

Cons

• Expensive-- 90k per year
• Not completely pass/fail when it comes to clerkships
• Compared to UCSF, less LGBTQ+ rich in people & culture
• Feels like I would have mega imposter syndrome here & I don't consider myself a super prestigious person

UCSF
Pros

• Also prestigious, but less well known throughout the country? Idk I grew up on the east coast and no one talks about UCSF there... but also I am just one smol person.
• Amazing OB-GYN docs & also incredible LGBTQ+ health
• SF is awesome, I haven't visited the actual med school campus so I'm not sure how nice it is.
• Way more affordable than stanford -- 45k per year
• Completely pass fail including clerkships

Cons

• Slightly bigger class size-- ~150
• Safety? This is also based on small sample size of friends having their car windows bashed in in SF/berkeley area.

Summary: Overall, I am leaning towards UCSF because if I want to learn about LGBTQ+ health while in medical school, I feel like its a no brainer to be in San Francisco, and the queer life in SF is super fun and overall I feel like it's a better fit. The thing mostly holding me back is feeling like I would be stupid to say no to Stanford because its... Stanford? This is a really tough choice, and any advice is well appreciated.

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[BU22]

Paying double for Stanford doesn’t seem worth it, especially considering the caliber of school UCSF is.

 

[Skarl]

If you are leaning toward UCSF and only the name of Stanford is stopping you, then you should be aware that UCSF has a stronger reputation in medicine than Stanford, though both are of course top notch schools.

 

[obiwan]

UCSF.

 

[deleted1095841]

UCSF

 

[MercifulCamper]

UCSF. Both in the same area and both are on par with each other. 180K is a ton of money.

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

UCSF, cheaper and better.

 

[lacrossegirl420]

UCSF

 

[flaahless]

UCSF. Great school. Excellent training. Diverse. Weird and nerdy in a good way.

 

[deleted1065184]

Agree with everybody else, seems like a pretty straightforward choice. I'd hope you wouldn't choose Stanford over UCSF simply bc it has a more lay prestige, but people do it with Harvard and Hopkins all the time so I wouldn't be shocked lol

 

[deleted1095841]

Stanford has a much higher perception of prestige outside the Bay Area than it does here.

 

[TheOtherAlien]

I would wait for financial aid info to come in before making any decisions, because I think when comparing between two equally great schools in the same general location, financials are going to have to be a huge factor. That said, feel free to DM me if you'd like to talk about Stanford further; happy to try to answer any questions that might be helpful (how the class size feels, clerkship grading, etc). Congrats; both places are fantastic!