Thoughts on JABSOM?

[bearintraining]

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Hi all

I just received an interview invitation to JABSOM and am currently weighing pros and cons of the school. I have been accepted to SUNY Upstate and have two interviews pending in January (CWRU & WashU).

Current questions/thoughts/concerns are:
1. How would Upstate and JABSOM affect residency/match chances? How similar are their rankings (given that USNews doesn't have a rank for Upstate)?
2. My understanding is that Upstate is primarily lecture, and JABSOM primarily PBL. Is there any lecture time at JABSOM? Does the PBL curriculum end up meaning you have more mandatory activities in a week than at a lecture-based school?
3. I am Canadian with no significant ties to Hawaii, other than experience with other native populations and in small rural areas. What are the chances that this would really result in an acceptance? (i.e. am I wasting money to go interview?) [US News claims 18 internationals interviewed, 6 accepted]
4. I am very interested in neurosurgery (it blends well with my PhD / post-doc background) -- would either one offer an advantage as a medical student? My understanding is that there are no level 1 trauma hospitals in Hawaii.

[As an aside: my family is on the west coast, and Hawaii would technically be simpler for visits due to direct flights; also, I have some experience with PBL so I'm not against it]

Thanks everyone

 

[Wolf3D]

What is the deal with everyone on this site using obscure acronyms to describe schools? Why couldn't you just say "University of Hawaii med school"? 😕

The only answer that matters here when the locations are so drastically different is this: where do you want to live and where do you want to practice. Leave aside the curriculum (everyone learns the same things, it does not matter). Leave aside the name (these are both solid state schools, state school rankings are useless). If you're interested in neurosurg, you won't learn much on service as a med student; it's all about research and connections to programs/PDs. Hawaii is about the same flight time from the west coast as is upstate New York...go to Upstate where people have real connections in a real city, not some weird island to drink coconut juice

 

[bearintraining]

What is the deal with everyone on this site using obscure acronyms to describe schools? Why couldn't you just say "University of Hawaii med school"? 😕

The only answer that matters here when the locations are so drastically different is this: where do you want to live and where do you want to practice. Leave aside the curriculum (everyone learns the same things, it does not matter). Leave aside the name (these are both solid state schools, state school rankings are useless). If you're interested in neurosurg, you won't learn much on service as a med student; it's all about research and connections to programs/PDs. Hawaii is about the same flight time from the west coast as is upstate New York...go to Upstate where people have real connections in a real city, not some weird island to drink coconut juice

Just to say, not using obscure acronyms : this is what the school uses themselves.... regardless..

BTW, any idea why Hawaii suddenly jumped from ~57 to 19th in Primary Care in the last year?

 

[piii]

Just to say, not using obscure acronyms : this is what the school uses themselves.... regardless..

BTW, any idea why Hawaii suddenly jumped from ~57 to 19th in Primary Care in the last year?

Because USNWR rankings are BS metrics of questionable origin?

 

[bearintraining]

Because USNWR rankings are BS metrics of questionable origin?

Fair enough. Was just wondering what would explain it.

 

[Wolf3D]

Fair enough. Was just wondering what would explain it.

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