Tufts vs UCLA (PLS help/comment reason for voting!)

[studentdoc1414]

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edit: pls comment reasons if voting!!

Tufts:

Pros:
- Boston is a great city, I love it! Seems to also be a hub for young professionals so i wonder if socially could benefit in this way here too and be happy.
- I am from east coast so it's closer to family/friends/SO of one year who are all in NY. Much closer to my social circles than LA. def the more "comfortable" choice
- School culture seems very supportive, i liked the vibes of the students on interview day
- interested in health tech, according to students the location in boston means i can likely do research at nearby institutions like harvard etc. given that not a lot there for health tech at tufts. but also in general can do research for residency apps etc. at other institutions and research opportunties at tufts itself seem plentiful
- have m1 summer (two months) to do research/nice break, (but ucla gives like 5 months in m3 year to do this)
- they have a 4 yr md/mph if i do wanna do this but tbh idk if i would. nice option tho and something to consider

Cons:
- winters, but i am from the east coast so nothing new
- i am interested in health tech/digital health and the school itself doesnt offer anything in this area. not necessarily a dealbreaker though AND i wonder if this is even getting ahead of myself bc med school will be a grind and at the end of the day im there to be a doctor
- lower ranked than ucla
- at second look i liked the current students a lot, idk how much i vibed w potential incoming but everyone was nice this might be a stupid concern lol
-maybe i would have to take a research year if interested in competitive specialty but who knows and i dont even know what exactly i want yet. might be getting ahead of myself here.


UCLA

Pros:
- curriculum. discovery year means i wont have to take a potential fifth research year if i am interested in a competitive specialty, seems to have good health tech and global health opportunities as well. they r extending preclinical from 1 to 1.5 yr which also appeals to me
- weather
- boost for residency, esp if im interested in competitive specialty but idk yet for sure what i want to do. dont think id have trouble matching in east coast if thats what i want as well
- prestige
- LA seems like a great place to live although ive never been
- P/F all 4 years whereas tufts is only p/f for preclinical

Cons:
- SUPER far from family and SO. this is main con. also if i wanna match to east coast. but even boston is 5 hr drive from home (albeit much shorter but still not super close)
-could be very overwhelming! Never been to LA so i am scared of how doing med school AND adjusting somewhere new will be. LA isnt walkable like boston, idk if ill like as much as east but who knows maybe ill end up rly liking.
- no m1 summer, idk if condensed curriculum will be a lot /ill feel less prepared (esp w p/f all 4 years)
- a little more expensive bc charging summer tuition. Like 70k more probs unless i can somehow declare IS then like 35k but still more pricey overall. if i do tufts md/mph its a bit less of a diff
- *ucla reputation in a bit of a gray spot rn, but ultimately i know its a great school still dont know if i should be concerned with whats to come in future

note: also for the health tech part, it is an interest of mine but i understand ultimately im going to med school to be a dr so idk if im getting ahead of myself w that or ill even have time. so ucla does have more for that and that excites me, but i guess i am more so focusing on other aspects for this decision. thanks!

 

[hydroflaskhomie]

UCLA rep >> Tufts.

I think UCLA is the better choice here but only you can decide how doable being in a LDR on different coasts is.

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

Summer tuition? Or just the extra cost of living for the summer months? You'd have to pay to live somewhere if you had a summer break! I'm not sure if/how you can reclassify as in-state for UCLA, so I wouldn't count on that for lowering the cost of attendance for UCLA. I agree with Hydroflask above about the LDR.

 

[studentdoc1414]

Summer tuition? Or just the extra cost of living for the summer months? You'd have to pay to live somewhere if you had a summer break! I'm not sure if/how you can reclassify as in-state for UCLA, so I wouldn't count on that for lowering the cost of attendance for UCLA. I agree with Hydroflask above about the LDR.

unfortunately an additional 10k each summer in tuition fees yes 🙁 also not counting on the IS reclassification, so it is def more expensive.

 

[studentdoc1414]

if ppl could comment their reasons for voting too that would be much appreciated!

 

[solarflare1230]

UCLA new curriculum hasn’t been very successful. If they are reverting it I would consider it but as it currently stands I wouldn’t attend there

 

[DoneDone3451]

Tufts

 

[zarastars]

FWIW UCLA is changing the curriculum to 1.5 preclinical, discovery year is now like 4 months, and you can reclassify as in state. You just have to establish residency.

 

[TheRealBibFortuna]

So I think UCLA is the clear winner given the substantial opportunity available with a price tag similar to Tufts, but people have liked my long form answers so I'll do my best.

Tufts:

Pros:
- Boston is a great city, I love it! Seems to also be a hub for young professionals so i wonder if socially could benefit in this way here too and be happy --> LA is also a hub for young professionals. There's definitely an East vs West culture difference but I've visited both cities and I don't think you'd find a difference in opportunity and social circle options.
- I am from east coast so it's closer to family/friends/SO of one year who are all in NY. Much closer to my social circles than LA. def the more "comfortable" choice --> This is the one pro I can't argue against. Wanting to stay close to home is a choice that internet strangers can't argue one way or the other about; only you can make a judgement call off of this. I will say though, you will be faced with the decision to leave/return home for residency, and if you want to match in the NE, I doubt UCLA would prevent that. More on that later.
- School culture seems very supportive, i liked the vibes of the students on interview day --> see below
- interested in health tech, according to students the location in boston means i can likely do research at nearby institutions like harvard etc. given that not a lot there for health tech at tufts. but also in general can do research for residency apps etc. at other institutions and research opportunties at tufts itself seem plentiful --> I can't speak to health tech specifically, but Boston is known for being a hub for education and medicine. The consequence is that Tufts is a smaller fish in a pond with both Harvard and BU, and you'll be competing with those students for any health tech opportunities outside of Tufts. UCLA is top dog in LA and surpassed only by UCSF in the state. Something to consider, at least. Also, I interviewed at BU and asked about doing research or collaborations at Tufts and Harvards and got mixed signals on how common or encouraged that was. Also also, I can't fathom that LA is lacking in the health tech department.
- have m1 summer (two months) to do research/nice break, (but ucla gives like 5 months in m3 year to do this)
- they have a 4 yr md/mph if i do wanna do this but tbh idk if i would. nice option tho and something to consider --> sure

Cons:
- winters, but i am from the east coast so nothing new
- i am interested in health tech/digital health and the school itself doesnt offer anything in this area. not necessarily a dealbreaker though AND i wonder if this is even getting ahead of myself bc med school will be a grind and at the end of the day im there to be a doctor --> Bingo. Harvard and BU are going to make sure that their students get first dibs on the best health tech opportunities their faculty offer. MIT is already joined at the hip with Harvard. Its fine to have this as a pro, but if you make your choice in medical school with the expectation you'll spend your summers doing research at Harvard, you may end up disappointed.
- lower ranked than ucla --> I admit that I often assign too much weight to this, but rank is often a measure of opportunity. If you think you might be interested in being a physician scientist, going into a competitive specialty, going into academia, practicing abroad, or whatever highly selective opportunity you may want in the future, considering your schools reputation can be pertinent. That said, Tufts is not a poorly ranked school, its just that UCLA is a household name.
- at second look i liked the current students a lot, idk how much i vibed w potential incoming but everyone was nice this might be a stupid concern lol --> I feel like this cancels out your positive vibes from interview day, no? Vibes from interview/SLW may not be representative of the school or what your experience will look like as a student, but I think these cancel out, at least.
-maybe i would have to take a research year if interested in competitive specialty but who knows and i dont even know what exactly i want yet. might be getting ahead of myself here. --> Bingo. And don't forget, a research year is one fewer year of attending salary. Something to think about when considering the (IMO) negligible cost difference. I can't speak to the popularity or funding available for research years at either school, but I suspect fewer students need pre-match gap years and there is more funding available for those that do at UCLA.

UCLA
Cons:
- SUPER far from family and SO. this is main con. also if i wanna match to east coast. but even boston is 5 hr drive from home (albeit much shorter but still not super close) --> SO makes this tough, and only you can make this judgement call. That said, residency may put you at the same crossroads in 4 short years, and I believe you will have more options as an M4 at UCLA than at Tufts. ERAS allows you to provide both your hometown and geographic preference so you won't be disadvantged by geographical distance if you want to come home for residency. Instead, I think the opportunities at UCLA will make you more competitive for a BU or Harvard residency than studying at Tufts.
-could be very overwhelming! Never been to LA so i am scared of how doing med school AND adjusting somewhere new will be. LA isnt walkable like boston, idk if ill like as much as east but who knows maybe ill end up rly liking. --> LA is such a big city that I think you'll find at least some parts of it that you like or parts that remind you of home. Variety is the spice of life, and as I've mentioned above, you may find yourself making a similarly big and scary move for residency, and that transition could be much rougher than medical school. Pick and choose the challenges you shy away from, some are worth enduring and some are not.
- no m1 summer, idk if condensed curriculum will be a lot /ill feel less prepared (esp w p/f all 4 years) --> hmm, see the last bullet point where i talk about this.
- a little more expensive bc charging summer tuition. Like 70k more probs unless i can somehow declare IS then like 35k but still more pricey overall. if i do tufts md/mph its a bit less of a diff --> definitely look into the IS residency transition see above commenter. Also, I'm assuming thats $70k in total, not per year. If it's per year, disregard literally everything I've said. Otherwise, the cost difference is negligible.
- *ucla reputation in a bit of a gray spot rn, but ultimately i know its a great school still dont know if i should be concerned with whats to come in future --> okay so I was going to discuss the 1 year preclinical but the person above says they're changing it back. To my knowledge, the shadow over UCLA was caused by a hasty change to a 1 year pc that led to poor STEP outcomes for a single class. There were some rumblings about a crazy dean but I couldn't find any reputable source on that one. If they're changing back, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. Even if they don't, the growing pains will be worked out. If you're worried about their reputation, here's what I'll say: school reputations tend to remain fairly stagnant as the years and decades pass. The top schools create top doctors/lawyers/professors, those professionals go out into the field and use their training to make key discoveries or breakthroughs, the school that trained them gets recognized for teaching/training them, and then top students apply to study/train there. On and on it goes. UCLA has already trained famous medical leaders and will continue to train famous medical leaders, and anything short of an earthquake swallowing up the campus wouldn't change that, I think. I expect that this will be a small blip on UCLA's reputation.

TLDR: UCLA is the top choice, but family and your SO considerations could tilt the scales back over to Tufts. SDN and I unfortunately can't make that judgement.

 

[Iron Man23]

UCLA will have more opportunities but you have to see if you’re ok being that far from family. Would your SO move with you if you end up there? That could also help the decision

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

Just wanted to respond to two comments.

The consequence is that Tufts is a smaller fish in a pond with both Harvard and BU, and you'll be competing with those students for any health tech opportunities outside of Tufts. UCLA is top dog in LA and surpassed only by UCSF in the state. Something to consider, at least.

This is only in a world where Stanford doesn't exist lol. UCSF is stronger in clinical medicine, but Stanford is stronger in basic science research, innovation, and technology. They are 1 and 2 in both medicine and research/innovation in California.

Also, I interviewed at BU and asked about doing research or collaborations at Tufts and Harvards and got mixed signals on how common or encouraged that was. Also also, I can't fathom that LA is lacking in the health tech department.

Can't comment on Tufts students and access to Harvard resources, but I can talk about the health and innovation scene. Bay Area is #1 in health tech, then Boston at #2. SF is more tech than health, and Boston is more health than tech. Also up there at arguably tied for #2 is NYC by sheer size and access to Venture Capital. LA is known more for media tech (e.g. snapchat, ads stuff), but is growing in the health space.

I will say if you want to enter anything close to business, the name of your med school will matter. This is the unfortunate truth of the matter, but they don't really use medical prestige as much as lay prestige. The business people will not know what schools are big in medicine. And UCLA just has bigger lay prestige than Tufts (although I'd argue the student bodies are similar).

 

[studentdoc1414]

So I think UCLA is the clear winner given the substantial opportunity available with a price tag similar to Tufts, but people have liked my long form answers so I'll do my best.

Tufts:

Pros:
- Boston is a great city, I love it! Seems to also be a hub for young professionals so i wonder if socially could benefit in this way here too and be happy --> LA is also a hub for young professionals. There's definitely an East vs West culture difference but I've visited both cities and I don't think you'd find a difference in opportunity and social circle options.
- I am from east coast so it's closer to family/friends/SO of one year who are all in NY. Much closer to my social circles than LA. def the more "comfortable" choice --> This is the one pro I can't argue against. Wanting to stay close to home is a choice that internet strangers can't argue one way or the other about; only you can make a judgement call off of this. I will say though, you will be faced with the decision to leave/return home for residency, and if you want to match in the NE, I doubt UCLA would prevent that. More on that later.
- School culture seems very supportive, i liked the vibes of the students on interview day --> see below
- interested in health tech, according to students the location in boston means i can likely do research at nearby institutions like harvard etc. given that not a lot there for health tech at tufts. but also in general can do research for residency apps etc. at other institutions and research opportunties at tufts itself seem plentiful --> I can't speak to health tech specifically, but Boston is known for being a hub for education and medicine. The consequence is that Tufts is a smaller fish in a pond with both Harvard and BU, and you'll be competing with those students for any health tech opportunities outside of Tufts. UCLA is top dog in LA and surpassed only by UCSF in the state. Something to consider, at least. Also, I interviewed at BU and asked about doing research or collaborations at Tufts and Harvards and got mixed signals on how common or encouraged that was. Also also, I can't fathom that LA is lacking in the health tech department.
- have m1 summer (two months) to do research/nice break, (but ucla gives like 5 months in m3 year to do this)
- they have a 4 yr md/mph if i do wanna do this but tbh idk if i would. nice option tho and something to consider --> sure

Cons:
- winters, but i am from the east coast so nothing new
- i am interested in health tech/digital health and the school itself doesnt offer anything in this area. not necessarily a dealbreaker though AND i wonder if this is even getting ahead of myself bc med school will be a grind and at the end of the day im there to be a doctor --> Bingo. Harvard and BU are going to make sure that their students get first dibs on the best health tech opportunities their faculty offer. MIT is already joined at the hip with Harvard. Its fine to have this as a pro, but if you make your choice in medical school with the expectation you'll spend your summers doing research at Harvard, you may end up disappointed.
- lower ranked than ucla --> I admit that I often assign too much weight to this, but rank is often a measure of opportunity. If you think you might be interested in being a physician scientist, going into a competitive specialty, going into academia, practicing abroad, or whatever highly selective opportunity you may want in the future, considering your schools reputation can be pertinent. That said, Tufts is not a poorly ranked school, its just that UCLA is a household name.
- at second look i liked the current students a lot, idk how much i vibed w potential incoming but everyone was nice this might be a stupid concern lol --> I feel like this cancels out your positive vibes from interview day, no? Vibes from interview/SLW may not be representative of the school or what your experience will look like as a student, but I think these cancel out, at least.
-maybe i would have to take a research year if interested in competitive specialty but who knows and i dont even know what exactly i want yet. might be getting ahead of myself here. --> Bingo. And don't forget, a research year is one fewer year of attending salary. Something to think about when considering the (IMO) negligible cost difference. I can't speak to the popularity or funding available for research years at either school, but I suspect fewer students need pre-match gap years and there is more funding available for those that do at UCLA.

UCLA
Cons:
- SUPER far from family and SO. this is main con. also if i wanna match to east coast. but even boston is 5 hr drive from home (albeit much shorter but still not super close) --> SO makes this tough, and only you can make this judgement call. That said, residency may put you at the same crossroads in 4 short years, and I believe you will have more options as an M4 at UCLA than at Tufts. ERAS allows you to provide both your hometown and geographic preference so you won't be disadvantged by geographical distance if you want to come home for residency. Instead, I think the opportunities at UCLA will make you more competitive for a BU or Harvard residency than studying at Tufts.
-could be very overwhelming! Never been to LA so i am scared of how doing med school AND adjusting somewhere new will be. LA isnt walkable like boston, idk if ill like as much as east but who knows maybe ill end up rly liking. --> LA is such a big city that I think you'll find at least some parts of it that you like or parts that remind you of home. Variety is the spice of life, and as I've mentioned above, you may find yourself making a similarly big and scary move for residency, and that transition could be much rougher than medical school. Pick and choose the challenges you shy away from, some are worth enduring and some are not.
- no m1 summer, idk if condensed curriculum will be a lot /ill feel less prepared (esp w p/f all 4 years) --> hmm, see the last bullet point where i talk about this.
- a little more expensive bc charging summer tuition. Like 70k more probs unless i can somehow declare IS then like 35k but still more pricey overall. if i do tufts md/mph its a bit less of a diff --> definitely look into the IS residency transition see above commenter. Also, I'm assuming thats $70k in total, not per year. If it's per year, disregard literally everything I've said. Otherwise, the cost difference is negligible.
- *ucla reputation in a bit of a gray spot rn, but ultimately i know its a great school still dont know if i should be concerned with whats to come in future --> okay so I was going to discuss the 1 year preclinical but the person above says they're changing it back. To my knowledge, the shadow over UCLA was caused by a hasty change to a 1 year pc that led to poor STEP outcomes for a single class. There were some rumblings about a crazy dean but I couldn't find any reputable source on that one. If they're changing back, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. Even if they don't, the growing pains will be worked out. If you're worried about their reputation, here's what I'll say: school reputations tend to remain fairly stagnant as the years and decades pass. The top schools create top doctors/lawyers/professors, those professionals go out into the field and use their training to make key discoveries or breakthroughs, the school that trained them gets recognized for teaching/training them, and then top students apply to study/train there. On and on it goes. UCLA has already trained famous medical leaders and will continue to train famous medical leaders, and anything short of an earthquake swallowing up the campus wouldn't change that, I think. I expect that this will be a small blip on UCLA's reputation.

TLDR: UCLA is the top choice, but family and your SO considerations could tilt the scales back over to Tufts. SDN and I unfortunately can't make that judgement.

really appreciate this, thank you so much!

 

[TheRealBibFortuna]

Just wanted to respond to two comments.


This is only in a world where Stanford doesn't exist lol. UCSF is stronger in clinical medicine, but Stanford is stronger in basic science research, innovation, and technology. They are 1 and 2 in both medicine and research/innovation in California.


Can't comment on Tufts students and access to Harvard resources, but I can talk about the health and innovation scene. Bay Area is #1 in health tech, then Boston at #2. SF is more tech than health, and Boston is more health than tech. Also up there at arguably tied for #2 is NYC by sheer size and access to Venture Capital. LA is known more for media tech (e.g. snapchat, ads stuff), but is growing in the health space.

I will say if you want to enter anything close to business, the name of your med school will matter. This is the unfortunate truth of the matter, but they don't really use medical prestige as much as lay prestige. The business people will not know what schools are big in medicine. And UCLA just has bigger lay prestige than Tufts (although I'd argue the student bodies are similar).

I always forget about Stanford lol, just too small of an ecosystem. But yes you’re right

 

[xUnrevealed]

Was at UCLA's Second Look and have family in Boston.

I'd personally pick UCLA over Tufts given what you've said. A lot of reasons why you're interested in Tufts is bc of Boston, not Tufts.

Moreover, while UCLA "competes" with UCSF and Stanford, at least they're in different ecosystems. In contrast, you're competing with all the BU and Harvard students to get the same spots (because of the proximity). Keep in mind this will affect patient volume as well (less opportunities for interesting cases at Tufts than UCLA without the pro of community service like in places like Yale and Dartmouth, since that's what BU and Harvard already do for the community of Boston)

Also, I believe UCLA isn't P/F all four years (graded Sub-Is). But I don't think that changes anything. I also think that UCLA will always be a home-staple in the eyes of program directors, which is what matters.

I'd pick Tufts if you're 100% planning to match in a place in Mass (or even New England), if you can't afford to live in LA (it's more expensive than most people, including myself, realize), you hate being in a car for 10-20 hours a week, or you want to be close to family. Any reason here is a good enough reason to pick Tufts over UCLA, I feel

 

[DoneDone3451]

Tufts

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

Moreover, while UCLA "competes" with UCSF and Stanford, at least they're in different ecosystems. In contrast, you're competing with all the BU and Harvard students to get the same spots (because of the proximity). Keep in mind this will affect patient volume as well (less opportunities for interesting cases at Tufts than UCLA without the pro of community service like in places like Yale and Dartmouth, since that's what BU and Harvard already do for the community of Boston)

I'd push back on the point that your clinical training will have an impact because of these two health systems. I'm not familiar with Tufts vs UCLA in particular, but at the medical school level you can have a wide variance of hospital systems and still take away similar training. (Not completely all hospital systems, but within a given range.) The UCLA health system and residencies are fantastic and on another level compared to Tufts, sure. But as a med student, it's not going to matter. We aren't talking about residency training here. They are both in urban settings, and I believe Tufts Medical Center has a more underserved population, so you actually might care for sicker patients. Also, I believe Tufts rotates through different hospitals in Boston. But still as a med student, there's only so much you're exposed to and can grasp. Seeing 1 sickle cell crisis vs 0 is not going to change your career trajectory or aptitude. If that's the case, students should be carrying more patients, working longer hours, doing more clinical electives vs online electives. This is not what happens. Med school is about getting the basic science down, understanding the pathologies, getting SOME clinical practice, and discovering what you like. Mind you, this is completely different for residency, where case volumes and variety matter, especially for certain specialties. I imagine you have read people saying this for residency training and think that it translates at the med school level. It does not lol, at least not until you compare an urban/tertiary setting vs rural/community only, e.g.

 

[xUnrevealed]

I'd push back on the point that your clinical training will have an impact because of these two health systems. I'm not familiar with Tufts vs UCLA in particular, but at the medical school level you can have a wide variance of hospital systems and still take away similar training. (Not completely all hospital systems, but within a given range.) The UCLA health system and residencies are fantastic and on another level compared to Tufts, sure. But as a med student, it's not going to matter. We aren't talking about residency training here. They are both in urban settings, and I believe Tufts Medical Center has a more underserved population, so you actually might care for sicker patients. Also, I believe Tufts rotates through different hospitals in Boston. But still as a med student, there's only so much you're exposed to and can grasp. Seeing 1 sickle cell crisis vs 0 is not going to change your career trajectory or aptitude. If that's the case, students should be carrying more patients, working longer hours, doing more clinical electives vs online electives. This is not what happens. Med school is about getting the basic science down, understanding the pathologies, getting SOME clinical practice, and discovering what you like. Mind you, this is completely different for residency, where case volumes and variety matter, especially for certain specialties. I imagine you have read people saying this for residency training and think that it translates at the med school level. It does not lol, at least not until you compare an urban/tertiary setting vs rural/community only, e.g.

Yeah that's true you're probably right about the volume thing not mattering. I guess it'd really only matter if it's just harder to do a sub-I in a specialty that your home program offers (which I wouldn't think Tufts would have an issue with). I feel like it'd matter more for research though (although that might not be a problem either due to the sheer volume of research opportunities in Boston)

 

[studentdoc1414]

will i b confining myself to CA for residency by choosing ucla?

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

will i b confining myself to CA for residency by choosing ucla?

lol no

 

[deleted1190059]

These are both great choices, congrats! You mentioned that LA isn't walkable, but actually Westwood (where UCLA/Geffen is) is super walkable and has tons of public transportation to get you to outside hospitals if needed (but the main hospitals are right in Westwood so you can walk). Don't be deterred by LA, it is crazy sometimes for sure but it is very fun and Westwood is ultimately a college town with great vibes (credentials: lifelong LA resident and went to UCLA for undergrad 😀)

 

[studentdoc1414]

bump. would love any additional insight! and if matching derm on the NE would be more difficult from ucla over tufts.

 

[Iron Man23]

bump. would love any additional insight! and if matching derm on the NE would be more difficult from ucla over tufts.

UCLA is a renowned institution so you’ll be fine. Are you leaning any direction? There’s a lot of great comments in this thread.

 

[studentdoc1414]

UCLA is a renowned institution so you’ll be fine. Are you leaning any direction? There’s a lot of great comments in this thread.

i am still torn, got off WL at ucla so have a few more days to decide! i think the program at ucla definitely excites me more but the distance is worrisome and im worried ab feeling isolated. hard to weigh what i value more.

 

[ConfusedPremed3000]

i am still torn, got off WL at ucla so have a few more days to decide! i think the program at ucla definitely excites me more but the distance is worrisome and im worried ab feeling isolated. hard to weigh what i value more.

I was able to attend some of the classes with students and hang out some before admit weekend activities (I went hella early) and I think the classes at UCLA are beyond collaborative and welcoming. The current incoming class is amazing; you'll hear or see the stories in the GC of how so many individuals were willing to drive and pick people from the airport for admit weekend and beyond. The class is amazing and I think you will have no worries in making friends and the isolation will def lessen there, and with the complete P/F curriculum with no internal rank or AOA, there is no reason for competition there.

Best of luck with your decision! (Hope it ends up being the Bruins!)

 

[studentdoc1414]

I was able to attend some of the classes with students and hang out some before admit weekend activities (I went hella early) and I think the classes at UCLA are beyond collaborative and welcoming. The current incoming class is amazing; you'll hear or see the stories in the GC of how so many individuals were willing to drive and pick people from the airport for admit weekend and beyond. The class is amazing and I think you will have no worries in making friends and the isolation will def lessen there, and with the complete P/F curriculum with no internal rank or AOA, there is no reason for competition there.

Best of luck with your decision! (Hope it ends up being the Bruins!)

thank u so much! very helpful to hear

 

[deleted1217227]

Honestly both are great options! I know there was a previous comment mentioning that LA can be walkable. I disagree. Aside from Westwood, LA is not at all walkable and you would definitely need to eventually get a car when living in LA especially for rotations. Using public transportation to get around LA regularly is not realistic at all. From reading your pros and cons, I would go with Tufts because it seems closer to home which is very valuable and is overall the better financial option. You will honestly be able to match into any specialty as long as you put the work in as both are amazing schools. Wishing you the best of luck in your decision!

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

Honestly both are great options! I know there was a previous comment mentioning that LA can be walkable. I disagree. Aside from Westwood, LA is not at all walkable and you would definitely need to eventually get a car when living in LA especially for rotations. Using public transportation to get around LA regularly is not realistic at all. From reading your pros and cons, I would go with Tufts because it seems closer to home which is very valuable and is overall the better financial option. You will honestly be able to match into any specialty as long as you put the work in as both are amazing schools. Wishing you the best of luck in your decision!

Someone who just created an account to tell a fellow applicant to not go to LA while **** talking it. Methinks someone is on the WL for UCLA and trying to get in lol

 

[deleted1217227]

Someone who just created an account to tell a fellow applicant to not go to LA while **** talking it. Methinks someone is on the WL for UCLA and trying to get in lol

I'm applying next cycle and just thought I would give my opinion but sure let's make assumptions!

 

[Yhwach]

UCLA. Tufts is not even in the same league

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

I'm applying next cycle and just thought I would give my opinion but sure let's make assumptions!

Lol if you say so, new forum user who signed up 2 days ago with no post history. Advice to the OPs here, people who are applying the same cycle will try to discourage people from going to schools they are WL in. Always take what people say with a grain of salt, especially when they're critical of one side and then praise the other side disproportionately AND especially when they're a new user. I've called people out on this (older users with a post history saying they were WL'd and also similar posts discouraging people from going to a certain school). It's sleazy behavior. It's not hard to spot this so it's understandable that people will just create a new account because they just HAVE to extoll the other Y school lol.