Info about me: Interested in Ortho, Anesthesia, Cards as of now but keeping an open mind.
Toledo
Pros
Cons
OUWB
Pros
Cons
Summary: Overall, I really love both schools and I think i'll succeed at either one. OUWB has a more impressive match list with matches into Derm Uro ENT Optho but I could care less about them rn but never know. Toledo's match list is very impressive as well. I think true PF would be less stressful, but is that a good or bad thing if you want to go into something competitive like ortho? I understand that there are some unknowns in my pros and cons here due to waiting for toledo's second look. But i'd like to get on the ball towards a decision so i don't scramble at the end.
Toledo
Pros
- NBME exams
- True PF for preclinical years, no internal ranking (so I've heard, unfortunately their second look is so late but i'll find out in a few days).
- Good match list, lot of matches in Ortho and Anesthesia. No matches in optho, derm, ENT though (not interested in these so doesn't matter much anyway).
- In state tuition - 37K, compared to OUWB which is 45K. Cost of living is cheap in Toledo, so i'm not factoring that in.
- Home hospital - Promedica. Good home programs in Ortho, Cards.
- Match well in Ohio and in the midwest. While the midwest might be boring, It is the most familiar to me. Lot of family.
- More time reserved for step 2
- Research is similar to OUWB, I heard they have a research program not sure if it guarantees a pub though.
Cons
- Area is boring, lived here for a while in the past anyway.
- Not much east coast matches, but not a big deal
- Rotations spaced out. I remember hearing something about this in the interview and will look further into it at the second look.
OUWB
Pros
- Corewell Health - Connected Hospital. One of the top hospitals in the midwest.
- Easily accessible research with physicians if you reach out.
- Also an integrated research program that basically gives you a free pub.
- 1k in funding to go to conferences to present.
- Good mentoring throughout your 4 years w/ faculty.
- Lectures are not mandatory.
- Nice area, I absolutely love the location..know a lot of people and great food here.
- Great match list. Matches well into Ortho and Anesthesia, and strong Cards program which are 3 specialties I like.
- Internship program after M1 for summer between M1-M2.. basically you act as a resident in a specialty for some weeks? Nice option.
- They seem to be very collaborative and nice as a student body from what I met at the second look despite being a non PF school.
- clinicals graded on shelf + evals rather then just evals or just shelf. I think he mentioned needing 60% on the shelf to honor but I honestly didn't get a clear answer. Not sure if this is good or bad lol.
- All rotations except like 1 or 2 small ones at the home hospital which is pretty close.
Cons
- High tuition but with partial scholarship 45K per year. Cost of living seems to be high here, they estimated 91K per year if you are living off campus at the second look. That would be 75K with my partial scholarship..30K per year of living expenses estimated seems quite a bit.
- NOT P/F.
- IN house exams.
- Internal ranking..AOA..all that.
- Lot of focus on ethics in the curriculum..but these elective classes seem easy.
- Less time reserved for step 2 (does this matter? Or do people just take time off electives anyway to get more time for step 2 in general??)
Summary: Overall, I really love both schools and I think i'll succeed at either one. OUWB has a more impressive match list with matches into Derm Uro ENT Optho but I could care less about them rn but never know. Toledo's match list is very impressive as well. I think true PF would be less stressful, but is that a good or bad thing if you want to go into something competitive like ortho? I understand that there are some unknowns in my pros and cons here due to waiting for toledo's second look. But i'd like to get on the ball towards a decision so i don't scramble at the end.
