The Four SUNYs

[Trajan]

This one's going out to my fellow New Yorkers, especially those who have visited/interviewed at one or more of the SUNY medical schools.

Are there tangible differences in the quality of each? Obviously, some people will prefer NYC to western NY, but aside from location, are there any major differences between the four RE selectivity, quality, etc.? I've interviewed at Buffalo, will interview at Syracuse this month, and still need to get the Stony Brook app in (ahhh). Personally, I liked the people at Buffalo, but the city did nothing for me.

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[vm26]

My impression is that stonybrook has the best reputation and is the most selective. I live in Queens right now and would probably prefer downstate but I hear it is run down and in a bad area of Brooklyn. I would imagine that downstate also doesnt have a campus feel like the others. Regarding buffalo, winters are supposedly brutal, which would be an issue for me.

 

[14931]

what does SUNY stand for?

 

[WonderBoy]

SUNY stands for State University of New York

 

[brownman24]

I heard that Stony Brook has the best rep as well. I interviewed at Downstate last week, and while it isn't in the safest area, the immediate area (school, dorms, hospital) are well patrolled, and their residency list is online, and pretty impressive if you want to stay in NY for that.

 

[daisygirl]

Hi-
I'm an MS1 at Stony Brook and I really like the school. I cannot tell you why SB is better or worse than any of the other schools since I am not enrolled at any of them, but I can give you my opinions....

I did interview at Buffalo and Downstate. I didn't like Downstate for several reasons- I had a terrible interview there; I thought that the student tour guides were very odd and I wasn't crazy about their dispositions; I didn't like the area (and I have lived in the Bronx my whole life so it's not like I haven't been exposed to the 'real world'); I hadn't heard positive things about the administration and its support for its students (and that came from several sources- one of them being the student tour guides themselves). Don't be misled though, Downstate has some really positive attributes- the clinical oppurtunities and experiences to be gained are incredible and their match list is very impressive. You can definitely get a great education at Downstate.

Buffalo, on the other hand, I liked a lot. I thought the students were really nice and I also liked the facilities. I didn't think the surrounding area in Buffalo was too bad either.

I ultimately chose Stony Brook because I thought that the school was a good match for me. Stony Brook has many strong points-some of them being that the school really goes out of its way to choose a really diverse student body (ethnically, racially, opinion-wise, etc..), the administration is very supportive of the students, the school's facilities are nice, the atmosphere is really nice because the school does not advocate or foster competitiveness amongst the students, and the tuition is still cheaper than most private med schools.

If anyone has any questions just PM me. It may take me awhile to respond since I'm in the middle of non-stop studying for an intense month of exams.

 

[Ripley]

Originally posted by Trajan
Personally, I liked the people at Buffalo, but the city did nothing for me.

I lived in Buffalo for a few years...it's not bad at all. There's a lot more beyond what you see when you're touring the med school. I really liked it there, and wouldn't mind living there again. The winters are NOWHERE near as bad as people say. It's only if you live in the southtowns(the snowbelt). I lived on Grand Island, and it almost never snowed. Pathetic.

 

[JMD]

I am a born and bread Buffalonian, and would like to give some props to this city and SUNY UB. First of all, there is a lot more to Buffalo than blizzards and chicken wings. I hated it here when I was younger, but since I have taken time to see what the city has to offer I have been quite impressed.
Anyway, to address the actual topic of the thread. UB has been implementing a new curriculum over the past few years, and was also having some other issues, but I believe they are totally on top of things now. I know many people who go there, and they are very happy with the school. I have been told that the curriculum and comraderie among students make it a very bearable place.
I believe Stony Brook probably is considered the most prestigious SUNY, my only point is don't shy away from UB because of rumors about arctic like conditions and lack of things to do in Buffalo.

 

[KG]

I like SUNY Syracuse very much (I got accepted EDP to the class of 2007 ) but I can't compare it to the other schools, not having seen them. When I first came to Syracuse many years ago, I thought that it was a small and boring town, but it has really grown on me over the years. There is a lot to do, and there are relatively cheap places to live close by.
The med school switched to a systems-based curriculum recently, and they are in the process of refining it. I talked to a third-year on my tour who thinks that this curriculum is somewhat weaker in the basic sciences, but it is supposed to improve board scores. The school has a great library and improvements are being made on the anatomy lab.

 

[premed58]

I'm currently a medical student at Upstate and i love it here.
The professors are great. They really want you to learn. There was just a cuchange in the coursework. It's more systems based. Exams scheduling is change was good because now i have all my exams in a block and not one every other week so you can concentrate more. The claaswork prepares you well for the boards. Most students match in their top three slots. I get along with my classmates quite well. I had a family illness right before my finals last year and my classmates and a few of my professors were right there for me. Oh yes it does snow. But it is not that bad and I use it to my advantage on weekends after exams to go sking. But not as often as I'd like cause well I am here to be a student. I could blab all day about this place. but i do need to study a bit any ?'s just post em