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- Oct 14, 2015
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I'm trying to be as general as I can here without giving too much away, since it's a pretty specific situation.
School X - Top-40 state MD school
Pros: Excellent research opportunities; home residency programs in pretty much every conceivable specialty; lots of family live there (this might be a con in some situations, but I have 3 little kids, so I need all the help I can get)
Cons: Large class size (I'm worried about just being a number); Logistical nightmare (more on this below in the overview)
School Y - Unranked state MD school
Pros: Already live in the area, so no need to move; small class size
Cons: Research opportunities not as great as at the other school; very few home residency programs, especially in the surgical fields; regionally known as a "primary care school" (which is great and necessary, just not the best fit for my goals); all the really cool/interesting/difficult cases get transferred to School X; no family in the area (though lots of friends, since we already live here)
Overview: Cost is basically a non-issue since both have offered comparable scholarships. But logistically, School X would be pretty difficult for my family to manage. It would require moving my family of 5 to a new city, my spouse finding a new job (or staying at the current job for awhile, leaving me alone to manage 3 children and medical school), AND (this is a big one) having to spend my clinical years at a branch campus over an hour away from the main campus, unless I can get my campus assignment changed. Spending two years away from my spouse and children, after already making them move to a new city, and change schools and job, just seems cruel. But maybe it's worth it to have the opportunities that School X can provide? This is what I need help weighing.
School X - Top-40 state MD school
Pros: Excellent research opportunities; home residency programs in pretty much every conceivable specialty; lots of family live there (this might be a con in some situations, but I have 3 little kids, so I need all the help I can get)
Cons: Large class size (I'm worried about just being a number); Logistical nightmare (more on this below in the overview)
School Y - Unranked state MD school
Pros: Already live in the area, so no need to move; small class size
Cons: Research opportunities not as great as at the other school; very few home residency programs, especially in the surgical fields; regionally known as a "primary care school" (which is great and necessary, just not the best fit for my goals); all the really cool/interesting/difficult cases get transferred to School X; no family in the area (though lots of friends, since we already live here)
Overview: Cost is basically a non-issue since both have offered comparable scholarships. But logistically, School X would be pretty difficult for my family to manage. It would require moving my family of 5 to a new city, my spouse finding a new job (or staying at the current job for awhile, leaving me alone to manage 3 children and medical school), AND (this is a big one) having to spend my clinical years at a branch campus over an hour away from the main campus, unless I can get my campus assignment changed. Spending two years away from my spouse and children, after already making them move to a new city, and change schools and job, just seems cruel. But maybe it's worth it to have the opportunities that School X can provide? This is what I need help weighing.
I really don't think your opportunities will be limited. Your family circumstances outweigh everything else.
