Top 25-35 (full tuition scholarship) vs Vandy vs Duke

[Biochemistry2014]

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[Doctor Strange]

Free ride, dude. All the way.

 

[Psai]

I don't understand why you would name every school except one

 

[Biochemistry2014]

I don't understand why you would name every school except one

I find anonymity to be somewhat important.

 

[w0rldw3y3d]

Why pay when you can NOT pay? You'll learn the same stuff and take the same step exam anywhere you go.

 

[235009]

Take the full scholarship

 

[Psai]

Well cost of living makes a difference. So does how many friends and family you have in the area. Also how well you thought you'd fit in with your fellow interviewees, medical students and faculty. If you hate snow, don't go to Mayo. If you can't stand the sun, don't go to usc. None of those schools will bring you down.

 

[HybridEarth]

With this information, I would choose none of them and wait to see how all the cards play out in April.

By the way, congratulations on your cycle thus far. That's really awesome.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

The Vanderbilt 75% tuition scholarship sounds pretty sweet. The accelerated pre-clinical track will obviously give you more time for research and other pursuits.

Congrats!!

 

[Lucca]

If I were in your shoes? Try the super long shot of obtaining a matching scholarship from my favorite school. Failing that, I would attend the free school.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

you seem like a smart kid OP, why not make your own decision.


alternatively, what are you actually asking

 

[somsoup]

Sounds great, you might need to wait until you hear back from the other schools to make a more informed decision. Good luck! I wouldn't know what to do in your shoes but I reckon I'd wait until all options are on the table.

 

[Biochemistry2014]

The responses are appreciated everyone

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

I would go Vandy unless Duke can match that offer. Cost of living in Nashville is pretty low so your total COA will be fairly low.

Personally I'd go Vandy even if Duke did match the scholarship offer but then I liked Vandy's program better

 

[Australopithekus]

Wait until all the offers and financial aid packages are in. If you're competitive for these scholarships, you might be competitive for merit aid at Duke/Yale as well.

 

[clippers50fan]

If the difference in happiness between the "top 35" (just name the school, you named the other two...) and Vandy is worth 12k to you, then go to Vandy. It's a great school and I am a firm believer of happiness = successful situations and in the grand scheme of your life and your own personal satisfaction and possible outcomes, 12k/year isn't the worst thing in the world. Now if it simply just full tuition versus nothing, you go to the tuition every single time. See what Duke offers and gauge your fit there. Who knows, maybe they'll offer even more than Vandy!

 

[Glandzburg]

Lol top 25-35, according to the US News and Garbage report? We need to know the specific school, because everyone knows that after #32 your education drops off dramatically.

/sarcasm

 

[WedgeDawg]

Hear back from Duke first and look at their financial aid package and then see what your options are. Trying to make this decision now is silly because you don't know what your position is.

 

[MatthewDamon]

Hear back from Duke first and look at their financial aid package and then see what your options are. Trying to make this decision now is silly because you don't know what your position is.

+1. Congrats on your cycle! I'll echo the sentiment and say that you should keep cost of living in mind and realize graduating with 48k in tuition debt is very manageable on a physician's salary. If you really like Vandy I think you'll be able to sleep at night knowing you turned down a full tuition scholarship for a 75% one at a school you really like.

 

[22031 Alum]

Wait until all your offers are in. If you don't get any other scholarships, then 100% tuition and 75% tuition are both amazing as far as easing your debt burden. I am personally biased (Vandy!) but don't think you'd regret either of those choices.

 

[NotAnotherPreMed]

With 12k a year...I would choose vandy unless you'd be significantly happier at the other school. Obviously you'll have to wait for duke to get the final decision and all.

 

[Goro]

This

Free ride, dude. All the way.

 

[aalamruad]

you seem like a smart kid OP, why not make your own decision.


alternatively, what are you actually asking

The smartest people are the best at knowing when they need advice

 

[Lost in Translation]

alternatively, what are you actually asking

If we'll worship him as a god.

 

[Biochemistry2014]

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[aalamruad]

An incredibly poor attempt to sneak a clever insult amongst otherwise positive and relevant responses. Try again little guy.


More like this, obviously



To everybody else that offered a bit of their thoughts, I appreciate your contributions.

What in the world are you talking about? I said it was wise of you to ask for advice when you recognized that you needed it.. I hope you misquoted my post and meant to respond to someone else.

 

[Biochemistry2014]

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[Almighty Saguaro]

If we'll worship him as a god.

Let's wait until he/she gets a full ride to Harvard, then we can start laying the foundation for a temple in his/her honor ;-)

 

[akwho]

1) Pick a school that will help you fulfill career goals
2) Pick a school where you will be happy
3) Pick the cheapest
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...
...
4) All other BS including "curriculum"

This is my personal order of important factors.

 

[Silence in ER]

uhhhh. take the money. all medical education is essentially the same, right? and you can go to a top ranked residency anyway. But debt free medical school, are you kidding me? that's a hell of a draw.

 

[deleted482591]

How do you get these scholarships?

 

[Psai]

uhhhh. take the money. all medical education is essentially the same, right? and you can go to a top ranked residency anyway. But debt free medical school, are you kidding me? that's a hell of a draw.

I think my school name kept me out of 1 of the places I applied to. There is no real residency ranking though, it's really fit and reputation that matters

 

[terra330]

uhhhh. take the money. all medical education is essentially the same, right? and you can go to a top ranked residency anyway. But debt free medical school, are you kidding me? that's a hell of a draw.

You can theoretically go to a top residency from any school, but higher ranked schools can make that easier, even if it's indirectly through superior research opportunities and having more renowned people writing recommendations

 

[Silence in ER]

You can theoretically go to a top residency from any school, but higher ranked schools can make that easier, even if it's indirectly through superior research opportunities and having more renowned people writing recommendations

That is completely true. But you also have to think about the quality of the competition as these institutions and how that may make it hard for one to thrive.

 

[vantheman]

How do you get these scholarships?

+1

 

[DrBowtie]

You can theoretically go to a top residency from any school, but higher ranked schools can make that easier, even if it's indirectly through superior research opportunities and having more renowned people writing recommendations

Depending on your career goals, the top residency might not be the best training.

If you want to do academics or live in saturated markets of Boston, NYC, SoCal then prestige matters.

I've never regretted the 120k free money I took.

 

[22031 Alum]

That is completely true. But you also have to think about the quality of the competition as these institutions and how that may make it hard for one to thrive.

Your logic is actually backwards for med school (if you're implying that it's harder to thrive at a higher ranked school because of "competition"). This isn't undergrad with a tough curve, or dozens of students competing for the one coveted research spot. The higher you go, tier-wise, the more med schools have resources that allow all their students to thrive, with the only limit being how driven an individual student is. I certainly wouldn't recommend that someone go to the low-tier school I work for now, over a higher-ranked school, out of a concern that they wouldn't thrive at the higher ranked school.

 

[235009]

Your logic is actually backwards for med school (if you're implying that it's harder to thrive at a higher ranked school because of "competition"). This isn't undergrad with a tough curve, or dozens of students competing for the one coveted research spot. The higher you go, tier-wise, the more med schools have resources that allow all their students to thrive, with the only limit being how driven an individual student is. I certainly wouldn't recommend that someone go to the low-tier school I work for now, over a higher-ranked school, out of a concern that they wouldn't thrive at the higher ranked school.

I second this advice.
When applying to med school coming from a top ranked undergrad gave you a boost (sorry, I know SDN keeps telling you otherwise) and it's no different when it comes to residency applications: if you go to a top med school you will get more leeway when applying to residency.

 

[WedgeDawg]

That is completely true. But you also have to think about the quality of the competition as these institutions and how that may make it hard for one to thrive.

As several other people have said, it's the opposite for med school. The higher up you go, the more resources they throw at you so you can thrive.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

As several other people have said, it's the opposite for med school. The higher up you go, the more resources they throw at you so you can thrive.

I think it's advantageous to be surrounded by high achieving people. Such an environment pushes one beyond their limits.

 

[Silence in ER]

or it can sink you.

 

[Glandzburg]

or it can sink you.

Yeah or not

 

[futuremdforme]

or it can sink you.

The better schools are more likely to be P/F.

 

[22031 Alum]

or it can sink you.

Highly, highly unlikely. The person who gets "sunk" at a med school would likely do so regardless of tier(and if you're going to sink, those resource-rich schools are really good about keeping you afloat!) It would be really unwise to pick a school with fewer resources because you're stuck in the undergrad mindset of having to make the grade in comparison to your peers.

(Edited to add that there are plenty of good reasons to choose such a school, like cost, being close to family support, or a spouse's job. Thinking you'll do better if you "stand out more" there is not a good reason.)

 

[Psai]

Highly, highly unlikely. The person who gets "sunk" at a med school would likely do so regardless of tier(and if you're going to sink, those resource-rich schools are really good about keeping you afloat!) It would be really unwise to pick a school with fewer resources because you're stuck in the undergrad mindset of having to make the grade in comparison to your peers.

(Edited to add that there are plenty of good reasons to choose such a school, like cost, being close to family support, or a spouse's job. Thinking you'll do better if you "stand out more" there is not a good reason.)

Class rank does matter though