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So here is my dilemma (not a bad one to have, but still...):
I recently came off the waiting list at Texas A&M
, where I interviewed first, at the Temple 4 year or CS/Temple 2+2 track, and have already been accepted at Creighton (since late March). So let me tell you what I thought about each school.
Since I interviewed at A&M first, let me talk a little about my impressions about this school first. As this was my first interview, getting this interview invite was much more thrilling than the Creighton one (as a result of all the adrenaline/excitement, I feel like my interview experience was better at Creighton). My interview was at the College Station branch, which was amazing! The main building seemed like it was brand new and the school definitely seemed to have a lot of money. The staff was cordial and easy-going. The students at the interview were relatively easy to talk to. Because I only slept 2 hours the night before, I feel asleep during the main information session (my nodding off was pretty obvious) and so I actually know very little about the school other than the facility being nice, the staff friendly, the students approachable, the anatomy professor bad-a, and the tuition low (I'm in-state). I didn't even really get to meet any current student, save but the few who came for the panel thing. Also, this school is close to home...which is good and bad (intrusive mother...). I did not get to see the Temple branch or any of the hospitals (had to rush home to write and submit a 15 page paper that day...). I was told that Scott and White in Temple is the best teaching hospital in Texas.
So now Creighton....I absolutely loved this school! The students were exceedingly friendly as was the staff. I was completely at ease during the whole interview process. I really enjoyed the current students there; they seemed to be very happy. The school is pass/fail/honors (top 10%) and so the students didn't have a cutthroat-ness about them...in fact, they all got along rather well; I liked the small-community feel. Students every year match extremely well into good specialties as well as good residency programs. And 6 months after graduation, 100% of the students say they are very satisfied with the education they received from Creighton. Also, the alumni network is bigger at Creighton in terms of diverse residency placements. The hospital (which is losing a lot of money...at the moment) seemed a little old and run down. There is no real separate medical school; the campus is tiny and shared with the main school...which is also tiny (I went to BU, the largest private school in the country and home to the 2009 NCAA Hockey Champions!
). And there is no getting over the huge price tag (COA= ~68,000/year) 
.
Basically it comes down to whether or not I want to be in a huge amount of debt* to be slightly happier for 4 years and possibly matching a little better (this, of course, is all speculation). So, please, I would like anyone and everyone's input as to which school would provide me a better medical education and has a better overall learning environment. Anything for or against either school is much appreciated. Also, I don't know much about A&M, so any statistical or personal insight would be hughly appreciated (like residency matches, preparedness for USMLE, relative ease of getting good grades, extracirriculars, etc.). For A&M, which is a better track to follow Temple or 2+2 (I hate moving, but I would do it if it meant even a slightly better experience, learning or otherwise).
Sorry for going on for so long, but as one might suspect, I am highly conflicted, so please help! Thank you in advance for your input!
*Parents will cover only cost of living (which isn't too significant in either case...Omaha or College Station/Temple, TX) so the difference in debt for me would be $35,000 (at most) vs. ~$110,000 after 4 years.
I recently came off the waiting list at Texas A&M
, where I interviewed first, at the Temple 4 year or CS/Temple 2+2 track, and have already been accepted at Creighton (since late March). So let me tell you what I thought about each school.Since I interviewed at A&M first, let me talk a little about my impressions about this school first. As this was my first interview, getting this interview invite was much more thrilling than the Creighton one (as a result of all the adrenaline/excitement, I feel like my interview experience was better at Creighton). My interview was at the College Station branch, which was amazing! The main building seemed like it was brand new and the school definitely seemed to have a lot of money. The staff was cordial and easy-going. The students at the interview were relatively easy to talk to. Because I only slept 2 hours the night before, I feel asleep during the main information session (my nodding off was pretty obvious)
and so I actually know very little about the school other than the facility being nice, the staff friendly, the students approachable, the anatomy professor bad-a, and the tuition low (I'm in-state). I didn't even really get to meet any current student, save but the few who came for the panel thing. Also, this school is close to home...which is good and bad (intrusive mother...). I did not get to see the Temple branch or any of the hospitals (had to rush home to write and submit a 15 page paper that day...). I was told that Scott and White in Temple is the best teaching hospital in Texas.So now Creighton....I absolutely loved this school! The students were exceedingly friendly as was the staff. I was completely at ease during the whole interview process. I really enjoyed the current students there; they seemed to be very happy. The school is pass/fail/honors (top 10%) and so the students didn't have a cutthroat-ness about them...in fact, they all got along rather well; I liked the small-community feel. Students every year match extremely well into good specialties as well as good residency programs. And 6 months after graduation, 100% of the students say they are very satisfied with the education they received from Creighton. Also, the alumni network is bigger at Creighton in terms of diverse residency placements. The hospital (which is losing a lot of money...at the moment) seemed a little old and run down. There is no real separate medical school; the campus is tiny and shared with the main school...which is also tiny (I went to BU, the largest private school in the country and home to the 2009 NCAA Hockey Champions!
). And there is no getting over the huge price tag (COA= ~68,000/year) . Basically it comes down to whether or not I want to be in a huge amount of debt* to be slightly happier for 4 years and possibly matching a little better (this, of course, is all speculation). So, please, I would like anyone and everyone's input as to which school would provide me a better medical education and has a better overall learning environment. Anything for or against either school is much appreciated. Also, I don't know much about A&M, so any statistical or personal insight would be hughly appreciated (like residency matches, preparedness for USMLE, relative ease of getting good grades, extracirriculars, etc.). For A&M, which is a better track to follow Temple or 2+2 (I hate moving, but I would do it if it meant even a slightly better experience, learning or otherwise).
Sorry for going on for so long, but as one might suspect, I am highly conflicted, so please help!
Thank you in advance for your input!*Parents will cover only cost of living (which isn't too significant in either case...Omaha or College Station/Temple, TX)
so the difference in debt for me would be $35,000 (at most) vs. ~$110,000 after 4 years.
