Temple vs. Rosalind Franklin! Please help!

[legendary]

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Hello fellow SDNers--

I know there have been a lot of threads about choosing between two schools, but I would like to ask for your valued opinion on choosing between Rosalind Franklin and Temple. I'm not concerned as much about finances, so tuition and COA aside, which school would you pick? My reservation with Temple is Philadelphia (I'm not a huge fan of the city...) and especially the dangerous location of North Philly. However, RFU is in a very deserted location and has no real hospital interaction until 3rd/4th year rotations. Also, I'm a little weary about RFU's reputation.

Any input would be great! Which would you choose? Thanks in advance!

 

[chief illiniwek]

Hello fellow SDNers--

I know there have been a lot of threads about choosing between two schools, but I would like to ask for your valued opinion on choosing between Rosalind Franklin and Temple. I'm not concerned as much about finances, so tuition and COA aside, which school would you pick? My reservation with Temple is Philadelphia (I'm not a huge fan of the city...) and especially the dangerous location of North Philly. However, RFU is in a very deserted location and has no real hospital interaction until 3rd/4th year rotations. Also, I'm a little weary about RFU's reputation.

Any input would be great! Which would you choose? Thanks in advance!

I don't know anything about Temple, so I'll just give you my opinion on RFU:

Yes, the school is basically in the middle-of-nowhere, but I don't think that really matters to med students who will be spending 90% of their waking hours studying. And while they don't have an affiliated hospital, they do have that training with the simulated patients (I forget what it was called there). Also, as you mentioned, the rotations are all around the city of Chicago, which is an awesome place to live and learn medicine. The only downside to this is that it can get pretty expensive living there, but you said you aren't worried about the financial aspects.😛

The "reputation" you seem to be referring to is that which people express here on this forum. Not surprisingly for SDN, this is actually a pretty uneducated view - RFU students have good board scores and match in top programs all across the country. You must have interviewed there and gotten an acceptance if you are asking this question - check out the booklet they gave us. In 2008 alone, RFU grads matched at USC, Northwestern, Rush, NYU, Johns Hopkins, Mayo, Stanford, and many, many others.

edit: also, people i know who are in the medical field have had nothing but good things to say about the RFU grads they work with.

 

[monkeygirl09]

Hello fellow SDNers--

I know there have been a lot of threads about choosing between two schools, but I would like to ask for your valued opinion on choosing between Rosalind Franklin and Temple. I'm not concerned as much about finances, so tuition and COA aside, which school would you pick? My reservation with Temple is Philadelphia (I'm not a huge fan of the city...) and especially the dangerous location of North Philly. However, RFU is in a very deserted location and has no real hospital interaction until 3rd/4th year rotations. Also, I'm a little weary about RFU's reputation.

Any input would be great! Which would you choose? Thanks in advance!

I also don't know anything about Temple but here is the 2009 match list for RFU (it looks pretty good to me):
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7912570&postcount=83

I'm not sure why RFU has this supposedly bad reputation. I know they had a run in with accreditation a few years back but I thought that it was over the % of their money that was coming from student tuition (I could be wrong, so please correct me). Now if it was actually about them not teaching students correctly I might be a bit worried. Otherwise not so much.

On another note, I really really enjoyed my interview day at RFU. Everyone was so friendly and the facilities were a lot nicer than some of the bigger name schools I visited. They also seem to have a lot of support for students which is another big plus.

 

[tdittyx2x3]

I'd pick Temple but I had my sights on Philly from the get-go. I can't imagine picking a school that was in a city I didn't really like.

I'll toss out a couple pros for Temple:
- Almost entirely new school opening up this year. New study spaces, gross lab, research labs, lecture halls. You know its going to be bomb, right?
- great medical city, sizeable underprivileged population
- level 1 trauma right across the street
- opportunities for research are (apparently) wide open

RFU is probably comparable. I think this comes down to where you'd rather live, Chicago or Philly.

 

[drizzt3117]

I would choose based on location. Also, please not continue the fallacy that med students have no time for anything except studying. That may be true for some 3rd year rotations, but definitely not during the preclinical years.

 

[chief illiniwek]

I would choose based on location. Also, please not continue the fallacy that med students have no time for anything except studying. That may be true for some 3rd year rotations, but definitely not during the preclinical years.

fair enough...i was just trying to downplay RFUs location.

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

I'd pick Temple but I had my sights on Philly from the get-go. I can't imagine picking a school that was in a city I didn't really like.

I'll toss out a couple pros for Temple:
- Almost entirely new school opening up this year. New study spaces, gross lab, research labs, lecture halls. You know its going to be bomb, right?
- great medical city, sizeable underprivileged population
- level 1 trauma right across the street
- opportunities for research are (apparently) wide open

RFU is probably comparable. I think this comes down to where you'd rather live, Chicago or Philly.

I think other than the Hospital and location, they are comparable. I would've liked to have been in Philly, but didn't get in (to any Philly school at all!). I'm happy with RFU.

 

[amph119]

Don't make the mistake of thinking that RFU is in the city. It is quite far north, at least a 30 minute drive, and with Chicago traffic most likely much more. For your first two years living in the city would be impossible.

EDIT: Though considering you've already interviewed, you probably already knew that ha.

 

[rx515]

Don't make the mistake of thinking that RFU is in the city. It is quite far north, at least a 30 minute drive, and with Chicago traffic most likely much more. For your first two years living in the city would be impossible.

EDIT: Though considering you've already interviewed, you probably already knew that ha.

It would probably take the same amount of time to drive to Milwaukee as it would to drive to the loop in traffic. I think North Chicago as a city name is misleading.. You would think that North Chicago would border Chicago to the north. I'm sure that why so many people think its close to downtown. Well that and the school is called CHICAGO medical school. I have just begun telling people its 30 miles north of chicago, rather than saying north chicago...
As for RFU itself, other than the far hospitals thing(although there is a VA right next to it), I think it will be a great school to attend.

 

[cleothecat]

Hearsay (from my wife) is that the Temple neighborhood is a warzone.

In comparison, RFU campus is much safer and pleasant.

My daughter's experience at RFU is that they put together a balanced and congenial class, with some very impressive students. But the students work hard, together , with eachother, not against each other!
As an attending at a major NA research medschool , from what I have seen the RFU curriculum is comprehensive, but much more clinically oriented in the first 2 years than what you would get at some "research" powerhouses.
The students do well on Step 1, and are placing well into residencies, including the ROADS group of specialties.
My friends who are attending in Chicago tell me that the CMS students and alumni are well prepared as physicians, and well regarded.

 

[Raryn]

After I got my RFU acceptance, I turned my Temple interview down. Its more expensive, in a horrible neighborhood, and is farther from home for me.

I can see the attraction for someone else though.

 

[MaybeADoc]

just so people are aware, north chicago is NOT the middle of nowhere. trust me, ive lived in the middle of nowhere. id take the chicago suburbs over a lot of places. i can think of two 5-star restaurants within 10 minutes, a giant mall within 15 minutes, and a six flags within 20 minutes. beaches when the weather is nice are walking distance.

with that said, im still looking forward to living downtown next year.

 

[moab336]

Temple hands down, I thought the school and location was great while on my interview. Ask anyone from the school, the campus is completely safe and the neighborhood allows for great clinical experiences. Students either live downtown or in a different neighborhood that's a short drive in. Plus a brand new school and laid-back/down to earth students (I met about 40 the night before my interview)!

Although I am on the Temple waitlist... so maybe you should stick with RFU ;-).

 

[Medstudent85]

I don't know about RFU, but Temple's "safety" issue is probably the most incorrectly overemphasized statement on SDN.

 

[legendary]

Thanks everyone for their thoughts!! I really appreciate it! I loved both schools and I'm pretty much at a 50/50 dead even between them though. I really liked Temple's clinical exposure and the simulation center. Also, the new building is a definite plus! RFU also had a lot to offer, and their board scores and match lists are great!

Also, I'm from California, so I'm looking to end up back here for residency. It seems that more RFU students end up in California than Temple, though I could be wrong.

 

[chief illiniwek]

just so people are aware, north chicago is NOT the middle of nowhere. trust me, ive lived in the middle of nowhere. id take the chicago suburbs over a lot of places. i can think of two 5-star restaurants within 10 minutes, a giant mall within 15 minutes, and a six flags within 20 minutes. beaches when the weather is nice are walking distance.

with that said, im still looking forward to living downtown next year.

sorry - we obviously grew up in completely different environments and have different views on the surrounding area. being that i grew up in the city, north chicago might as well be the "middle-of-nowhere." that being said, gurnee mills is probably my favorite mall and im thinking of getting a season pass to great america - i just hope i have the time to use it. 😀 another thing i am excited about is that there seem to be alot of golf courses around.

also, if we're getting into semantics, you're probably not really going to live downtown. i hate getting into arguments like this, but i think this also gives people the wrong impression. for people thinking of attending RFU, you could definitely live in chicago during third and fourth years, but actually living downtown is ridiculously expensive (especially for someone living on loans).

 

[riceman04]

Hello fellow SDNers--

I know there have been a lot of threads about choosing between two schools, but I would like to ask for your valued opinion on choosing between Rosalind Franklin and Temple. I'm not concerned as much about finances, so tuition and COA aside, which school would you pick? My reservation with Temple is Philadelphia (I'm not a huge fan of the city...) and especially the dangerous location of North Philly. However, RFU is in a very deserted location and has no real hospital interaction until 3rd/4th year rotations. Also, I'm a little weary about RFU's reputation.

Any input would be great! Which would you choose? Thanks in advance!

here's my input: This is pointless!!!! I AM NOT YOU!!! Have you done research on your own about each school? Have you at least weighed the pros and cons?

I'm confused

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

Thanks everyone for their thoughts!! I really appreciate it! I loved both schools and I'm pretty much at a 50/50 dead even between them though. I really liked Temple's clinical exposure and the simulation center. Also, the new building is a definite plus! RFU also had a lot to offer, and their board scores and match lists are great!

Also, I'm from California, so I'm looking to end up back here for residency. It seems that more RFU students end up in California than Temple, though I could be wrong.

Even if you are correct, it's a self-selection bias... Temple probably has more east coast natives who don't want to go to Cali. You can always do away rotations on the Best... I mean West Coast if you want to. (Maryland native who wishes he was a Californian here....)

also, if we're getting into semantics, you're probably not really going to live downtown. i hate getting into arguments like this, but i think this also gives people the wrong impression. for people thinking of attending RFU, you could definitely live in chicago during third and fourth years, but actually living downtown is ridiculously expensive (especially for someone living on loans).

QFT. People do live downtown, but they are traveling daily and early. M3 and m4 it is common to move to downtown.

 

[chief illiniwek]

QFT. People do live downtown, but they are traveling daily and early. M3 and m4 it is common to move to downtown.

if this is really true, its a huge waste of money IMO. i still think we have a discrepancy in our definition of "downtown", however. oh well.

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

if this is really true, its a huge waste of money IMO. i still think we have a discrepancy in our definition of "downtown", however. oh well.

I have to admit to ignorance of the greater Chicagoland area, but that was what I remember hearing from our student tour guide... IIRC aren't most rotations done in Chicago proper?

 

[MaybeADoc]

yeah semantics. im saying that to most people on here, the surburbs are going to have just as much or more to do as where they live now. downtown chicago being the exception. I plan on living in lincoln park. many people already have their apts in the goldcoast, wrigleyville, bucktown neighborhoods. technically downtown?? it is expensive but loans allow for more money to be taken out 3/4 year. worth it in my opinion.

 

[MaybeADoc]

if this is really true, its a huge waste of money IMO. i still think we have a discrepancy in our definition of "downtown", however. oh well.

oh, and people move downtown because thats where the hospitals are. nobody wants to drive multiple hours each day after having a super long surgery rotation or something. agreed that living downtown 1/2 year is pointless.


oh, and i went to uiuc. go illini!

 

[chief illiniwek]

oh, and people move downtown because thats where the hospitals are. nobody wants to drive multiple hours each day after having a super long surgery rotation or something. agreed that living downtown 1/2 year is pointless.


oh, and i went to uiuc. go illini!

i was referring to my other definition of downtown there. bucktown, lincoln park, etc. are the neighborhoods where i would expect the students to live, too. they are filled with young people, safe, are pretty close to the center of the city.

glad we got that straightened out.