Tulane vs. Colorado

[raisinette]

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I’m wondering if anyone can comment on pros/cons of either of these schools. I am really excited about both of these options, and think either one could be a great fit for me, which makes this a tough decision! I am a Colorado resident, but have a scholarship at Tulane that makes the cost almost exactly the same as Colorado IS tuition, so $$ is not the issue here.

Things that are most important to me in a school are strong clinical training and a collaborative learning environment. I would also prefer a school with a strong Women’s Health program, since that is my main interest right now.

Tulane:

Pros

- family in Louisiana

- love New Orleans

- strong Global Health program

- tons of opportunities for community involvement

Cons

- This might not be accurate, but I have heard that between Tulane and LSU there are so many med students/residents in the city that there are often not enough opportunities for hands-on learning in some rotations. Can anyone comment on this?



Colorado:

Pros

- love Colorado

- amazing facilities

- good research opportunities

- only MD program in the state

Cons

- I’d prefer to live in Denver, so I would have to commute to school in Aurora.



Can anyone think of significant advantages/disadvantages of either of these schools? Thoughts on reputation, curriculum issues etc would be helpful. I’m looking forward to the Second Look Day at Colorado, but unfortunately Tulane is not having one this year 🙁



Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[BlackBox]

Go with your gut. Money isn't a factor, so go wherever you've had the best feeling.

I'm looking at these things:

A student population that is not highly competitive.

Which school will prepare me best for Step1?

How do students match (does the program have any connections in your favor)?

I'm accepted to Tulane, but actually holding out hope for Colorado.

GL

 

[neuronerd24]

I am also considering Tulane. I was wondering how you already knew about a scholarship in December? Do you mind if I ask what kind of scholarship and how you found out about it? Thanks!

 

[raisinette]

neuronerd24, I just found out about the scholarship recently by emailing Dr. Beckman. All accepted students are automatically considered for merit scholarships, but I wasn't sure if we were supposed to be notified in our acceptance letter, so I emailed her to check and she got right back to me!

BlackBox, I would also be interested to know which school will best prepare me for Step 1, but I am not sure how to figure that out. I know that Step 1 scores mainly reflect individual effort, but do you know of anything that would suggest one school offers better preparation than the other? Also, I have looked at match lists, and neither one stands out as significantly stronger to me. I hope you hear good news from CU!

 

[BlackBox]

neuronerd24, I just found out about the scholarship recently by emailing Dr. Beckman. All accepted students are automatically considered for merit scholarships, but I wasn't sure if we were supposed to be notified in our acceptance letter, so I emailed her to check and she got right back to me!

BlackBox, I would also be interested to know which school will best prepare me for Step 1, but I am not sure how to figure that out. I know that Step 1 scores mainly reflect individual effort, but do you know of anything that would suggest one school offers better preparation than the other? Also, I have looked at match lists, and neither one stands out as significantly stronger to me. I hope you hear good news from CU!

I'm not sold on the idea that ones step 1 score is a reflection of individual effort- at the very least, you need to find an environment to provide you with the best foundation for the exam. For example, TBL or PBL can be good or bad... but it depends on the person. This is what I meant by step1 preparation.

btw, Congrats on the scholarship!

 

[neuronerd24]

Cons

- This might not be accurate, but I have heard that between Tulane and LSU there are so many med students/residents in the city that there are often not enough opportunities for hands-on learning in some rotations. Can anyone comment on this?

I actually have never heard that. Can someone please confirm/deny this?

PS. Congrats on the scholarship!

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

I wouldn't say that money isn't a factor. CO is wicked expensive out of state so definitely consider that.

 

[raisinette]

I actually have never heard that. Can someone please confirm/deny this?

PS. Congrats on the scholarship!

Thanks! I read that in a thread a while back, but it seems like most people disagree or at least think that the new VA/Charity will make a big difference. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/tulane-som.925650/

 

[raisinette]

I wouldn't say that money isn't a factor. CO is wicked expensive out of state so definitely consider that.

I'm a CO resident. 🙂

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

I'm a CO resident. 🙂

Colorado it is then!

 

[martymd]

Hey OP! I'm curious about your only 'con' with Colorado. Where do you plan on living in Denver? I plan on attending CU in the fall and will live in Denver as well. The 'commute' from popular areas like Cap Hill or Uptown is only about 20 minutes by car. I guess if you don't have a car, you can always use your 'free' bus pass and then it's a 45 minute bus ride to and from school.

From what I've heard from other people who go to the school, most recommend you live in Denver anyways. Not just for rotations, but also for Foundations of Doctoring. And also the million and one other things that come with living in a place like Denver! I guess I'm trying to say is don't you think all those positives will cancel out the negative? Just curious.

Also one of the things that really stood out to me about CU is the fact that it's the only MD school within (a bunch of) miles! I know they talked about that on interview day. From what I gathered from the students I talked to during interview day, you can literally get clinical experience anywhere! This girl I talked to wanted to follow a doctor in some infectious disease subspecialty, sent an email one day saying she was a med student, and two days later she's was already following around that doc. It just seemed like the CO medical community has mad respect for the medical students and are eager to teach them.

You can always PM if you wanna talk more details 🙂 Good luck with your decision!