Tufts vs. UTHSCSA

[laddr]

I was recently accepted off the waitlist at UTHSCSA and only have a few days to make a decision. As a Texas resident, I would be saving $40K a year by going to UTHSCSA so I know this decision is a no-brainer to most people but for me, things are a little more complicated.

First off, I despise Texas, and although I can make a good situation out of anything, I just don't know if I would be all that happy in San Antonio. I'm also really afraid that I will get "stuck" in Texas--not only because I've heard (from friends of mine who graduated from Texas medical schools) it's harder for Texas students to match outside of Texas*, but also because I am an older student who is single and will likely meet my significant other while in med school. Finally, I don't know how I feel about being the first class to go through UTHSCSA's new curriculum. I did the MBS program at Tufts so I'm very familiar with their medical school/curriculum and know that I will be successful there.

There's ultimately a lot of uncertainty when it comes to UTHSCSA but I don't know if there's enough uncertainty to warrant another $160K of debt. Additionally, at the beginning of the application cycle, when I was invited for my interview at UTHSCSA, I told everyone I was only going because it would be dumb not to but that I absolutely did not want to go back to Texas even if it would be saving me a lot of money. When I found out I was waitlisted, I was glad because the decision had been made for me. Now, things have obviously changed and I don't want to regret this decision in the future so I'm trying to seriously consider UTHSCSA. However, if money wasn't an issue, I would definitely go to Tufts.

To sum it up: as compared to UTHSCSA, Tufts = certainty + happiness + 160K.

Thanks in advance for the help.

*For people who are going to say this statement is ridiculous, here's the reasoning: Although 50% of UTHSCSA's class matches out of state, friends have told me that it is more difficult to do so. Based on their experiences, a lot of residency programs assume Texas students are less likely to leave Texas and therefore will offer an interview to someone with the same credentials who went to Tufts, for example, before the Texas student.

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[laddr]

Oops, I meant to post this in the school-specific forums! Sorry!

 

[Hemorrage]

Money you can pay borrow and pay back, time and happiness are intangible.

 

[mybubbles627]

Subsidized loans are gone so you will be paying interest on your loans starting the first year in medical school. An extra 160k eaisily turns into 250k or more with interest. To me that's not worth it. It may be harder to match but it still happens for half the people and I'm sure that most of the people who want match outside of Texas do. I would say go to Texas and make the best of the situation. I'm not on either wait list so I'm not biased.

 

[2012Aggie]

First of all, Congrats! Secondly, I suggest you choose SA. Here is my thought process. Med school is only four years. In those four years, you will be spending most of your time studying. Going to SA allows you to graduate will what I assume to be about half the debt of the Tufts option. Having less debt upon graduation will allow you to make decisions in your life that aren't completely based around money. Upon graduation, you could choose to take a lower paying job in an area that you prefer. At this point in your life, you will actually be able to enjoy your local community. Good luck on your decision.

 

[Slack3r]

I turned down a OOS scholarship at a Texas school (giving me IS tuition of $16k) for a private school in the Northeast at $40k (after scholarship).

Go where you'd be happy.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Reading your post, seems to me that you already answered this question.

 

[Doctor246853]

I was recently accepted off the waitlist at UTHSCSA and only have a few days to make a decision. As a Texas resident, I would be saving $40K a year by going to UTHSCSA so I know this decision is a no-brainer to most people but for me, things are a little more complicated.

First off, I despise Texas, and although I can make a good situation out of anything, I just don't know if I would be all that happy in San Antonio. I'm also really afraid that I will get "stuck" in Texas--not only because I've heard (from friends of mine who graduated from Texas medical schools) it's harder for Texas students to match outside of Texas*, but also because I am an older student who is single and will likely meet my significant other while in med school. Finally, I don't know how I feel about being the first class to go through UTHSCSA's new curriculum. I did the MBS program at Tufts so I'm very familiar with their medical school/curriculum and know that I will be successful there.

There's ultimately a lot of uncertainty when it comes to UTHSCSA but I don't know if there's enough uncertainty to warrant another $160K of debt. Additionally, at the beginning of the application cycle, when I was invited for my interview at UTHSCSA, I told everyone I was only going because it would be dumb not to but that I absolutely did not want to go back to Texas even if it would be saving me a lot of money. When I found out I was waitlisted, I was glad because the decision had been made for me. Now, things have obviously changed and I don't want to regret this decision in the future so I'm trying to seriously consider UTHSCSA. However, if money wasn't an issue, I would definitely go to Tufts.

To sum it up: as compared to UTHSCSA, Tufts = certainty + happiness + 160K.

Thanks in advance for the help.

*For people who are going to say this statement is ridiculous, here's the reasoning: Although 50% of UTHSCSA's class matches out of state, friends have told me that it is more difficult to do so. Based on their experiences, a lot of residency programs assume Texas students are less likely to leave Texas and therefore will offer an interview to someone with the same credentials who went to Tufts, for example, before the Texas student.

For the love of God, I would love to take that UTHSCSA seat

 

[mybubbles627]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Texas schools didn't take people from the wait list after June 1st if they are already holding another acceptance. Or is it just if they are holding a Texas acceptance.

 

[Morzh]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Texas schools didn't take people from the wait list after June 1st if they are already holding another acceptance. Or is it just if they are holding a Texas acceptance.

Only if they are holding a spot at another Texas school.


OP: Well it all comes down to why you "hate" Texas. The culture? The weather? Distance from friends/family?

Are you possibly misinformed, basing your opinions on hearsay and media portrayal? Or have you had concrete experiences that make you certain of your feelings?

San Antonio is one of those places where a lot of people who haven't ever lived there tend to have a lot of misconceptions about it. Having grown up in SA in an area where a good third of my friends' families were forced to SA by the military, I can say that it is very common for people who expected the worst to actually end up really loving the city.

But Boston and San Antonio are admittedly worlds apart culturally and politically (and both cities are proud of that). That's not to say there is no place for hardcore leftists in SA--you'll find plenty of friends who think like you do--but your candidates and policy preferences will never win elections at the State or municipal level. If that kind of stuff is important to you, then you definitely need to consider that.

SA is hot in the summer, yes, but from Oct-April it's actually quite nice and much greener than you'd expect. And there are pools like every 10 feet. But you'll be spending all your time inside a nice air-conditioned building anyway.

In addition to the upfront tuition charges, also remember that the cost of living is a night and day difference between SA and Boston.

As an incoming MS1 to UTHSCSA, I have to say that all the detailed info we've been getting about the new curriculum is very encouraging. The best part is that MS2 ends Feb 14, 2014. That gives us an 4 extra months to do whatever we want--research, vacation, take step 1 early, do a clerkship or two and then take step 1 in July/August, etc...

Usually I'd say "just go where you'll be happy", and that's probably true, but now that subsidized loans are out how much debt and interest you're accruing is going to start playing an even bigger role in how happy you are. That said, if you're just going to whine and moan all the time then please don't come.

 

[laddr]

For the love of God, I would love to take that UTHSCSA seat

It's all yours

Are you possibly misinformed, basing your opinions on hearsay and media portrayal? Or have you had concrete experiences that make you certain of your feelings?

Nope, my opinion is based solely on personal experience--I grew up in Houston but spent every summer and almost every family holiday in San Antonio.

Thanks for the help, everyone. I really appreciate it.

 

[Stumpyman]

If you really don't like SA or their med school, then yeah you might want to choose the other option. But like Morzh said, there are a lot of things about Texas and SA that you might not know about or possibly are misinformed.


(san antonio native here)

Edit: yeah you seem to know about it pretty well, nevermind.

 

[Praefectus]

Choosing Tufts puts additional financial strain on your future (read: adds a few more links to your chain). If you're really worried about getting trapped in Texas, imagine getting trapped in a few more years of student loan payments.

 

[sector9]

Thread moved to School specific discussions