Temple or Stony Brook?

[AxiomaticTruth]

Both similar in research ranking, both similar in total cost of attendance considering I'm OOS (though probably will get in-state tuition with SB after 1st year). Class sizes smaller at SB. Location makes no difference for me (SB=suburban and Temple=urban).

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[Goro]

Looks like SB wins by a +1. Where do you think you'd be happier? I know SB at least, and it is a nice area. Spent a good deal of time in their library while working on my MS too.

Both similar in research ranking, both similar in total cost of attendance considering I'm OOS (though probably will get in-state tuition with SB after 1st year). Class sizes smaller at SB. Location makes no difference for me (SB=suburban and Temple=urban).

 

[Azimuthal431]

Are you sure location makes no difference? SB is quite rural imo. Go wherever your feel most comfortable and happy.

 

[LizzyM]

Are you sure location makes no difference? SB is quite rural imo. Go wherever your feel most comfortable and happy.

Rural? More like wealthy suburban... 60 miles to NYC makes it a solid "bedroom community" from NY.

I'd be more concerned with grading, curriculum, affiliated hospitals, cost of living (including housing), need for a car (and cost of insurance in that community) & campus safety (check those Cleary reports).

 

[C.glabrata123]

Are you sure location makes no difference? SB is quite rural imo. Go wherever your feel most comfortable and happy.

Stony Brook is an hour drive from NYC, a ferry ride from Bridgeport (leading north to Boston), close to outlet shopping, and in a wealthy suburban area. You need to know how to drive a car and you need a car (eventually). There are farms and vineyards and some amazing fruit stands within an easy drive away, but it is not rural. It is certainly safer than Temple, which is in a bad part of Philadelphia. But I've heard great things about Temple and Philadelphia is a really fun city.

It is a personal thing. Where do students match to and where do you hope to match into residency? Are you a city person (are you comfortable in a city and street-savvy)? How much will tuition cost you? How much will rent/living expenses cost you? Are you okay in a quieter suburb or do you need the hustle and bustle of a city? What are the pros and cons of each curriculum/grading system? Does either school have a program you're particularly interested in (like rotations at Temple's many clerkship sites in PA)?

 

[RogueUnicorn]

You can probably get a good babysitting gig at Stony Brook.. I think there's a big cartel up there..

 

[Ismet]

moving to school-specific discussions

 

[Lya]

I think SB has a better reputation than Temple. At SB, you can get IS tuition after a year, so the tuition will be actually cheaper at SB. SB also seems to have better research opportunities (Cold Spring Harbor, Brookhaven Nat'l Lab).

I would go with SB if I were you, but I'm obviously biased since I interviewed there, not at Temple.

 

[igeak691]

^+1

I gave up my interview invite at Temple after getting accepted to SB. IS tuition after a year is huge, and will translate to over 50k+ saved over your last three years.

 

[Endure]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have a related question:

I've been accepted to SB and have interviews scheduled at Drexel and Temple (back-to-back) for mid-January. I'm not sure if I should spend the money to attend considering how pleased I am with SB. However, I've heard fantastic things about TUSM and wouldn't want to give up an opportunity to learn more about it. After interviewing at Jefferson recently, I took a drive through Temple to see the surrounding community and was stunned. The area makes Newark (where Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is located) look hospitable.

Any thoughts? Any opinion is welcomed, as I really don't know that much about either program and I feel indecisive at this point. I'm finding it difficult to judge a school for what it's worth. Much of what I take away from my interview day is subjective (location, vibe from students, overall happiness, relatively low-stress environment, and one-on-one mentorship). But I don't know if this is the right thing to be considering. When I run the numbers, differences in tuition seem negligible (40-50k).