Tulane vs MCG

[LivedDevil]

Hello! I was accepted to Tulane University School of Medicine and the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), two schools I would love to attend but I wanted to come to SDN to try to make an unbiased decision, as my fiancé is currently an M2 at MCG and I am struggling to make a well-informed, unbiased decision.

I've considered the following criteria, though please let me know if there are other criteria I should also factor in:

Residency match lists
Research opportunities
Rotation opportunities
Patient populations (urban vs rural/remote) - different ways of seeing medicine that may affect the way doctors think about problems
COA
Personal factors

Tulane University School of Medicine (TUSOM):
Pros:

• Well-known nationally, strong residency placements around the country
• $71,895,629 in NIH funding for medical research, ranked 62nd (Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research)
• Most rotations take place in New Orleans, access to diverse, urban patient population (more exposure to rare diseases)
• Friendly, welcoming staff/students - seems like a close-knit community
• Many extracurricular opportunities in New Orleans

Cons

• COA ~ $107K, with no option for in-state tuition
• No family/ties to New Orleans, at least 6 hours travel to family
• Hurricanes/evacuations/Mardi Gras (traffic and tourists)
• Lower than average STEP one performance, poor preparation for STEP one

The Medical College of Georgia (MCG):

Pros

• Decent residency placements, with more recognition in Southeast
• $60,573,856 in NIH funding for medical research, ranked 68th (Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research)
• COA ~ $97K out-of-state, with possibility to have in-state for the last 3 years (~$65K)
• Rotations can be very hands-on, with medical students being involved in surgeries and other visits
• Higher STEP pass rates
• Fiancé is an M2, would be able to live together (have been in long distance for 2 years)

Cons

• Lesser known, possible restriction of residency placement
• Many away rotations, possible impeded education at non-teaching hospitals, rural populations, limited learning?
• Savannah campus of MCG was recently opened (2024) so may not be as widely recognized as other campuses
• New curriculum with professor written exams seems to be affecting STEP performance

Summary:

I’m deciding between Tulane University School of Medicine and the Medical College of Georgia, weighing factors like residency match lists, research opportunities, rotations, patient populations, cost of attendance, and personal considerations. Tulane offers strong national recognition and urban clinical exposure but has a higher cost, while MCG provides a more affordable option with hands-on rotations and the benefit of living with my fiancé, though it may have regional limitations in residency placement and learning opportunities.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[JungleTrouble]

you might be the first person I've seen accepted as OOS to MCG, like an anomaly holy crap. But in regards to your list, I think Tulane is definitely stronger, but MCG has a strong regional presence and if you take a look at their match list, they match like everywhere, except not as strongly in CA since MCG is an southeast school. That 10 million difference in research is negligible, you should look into what you might be interested and ask your fiance and friends about the ability to get research in that department. At my school, some programs got endless possibilities while others are looking to other institutions for more spots and money. Also, I think your fiance being an M2 important to consider and along with the fact that the COA in Georgia at MCG's campuses is lower compared to the rest of the United States (don't tell anyone else, they gotta stop moving here)

Also to be clear, are you assigned to MCG Savannah?

 

[LivedDevil]

you might be the first person I've seen accepted as OOS to MCG, like an anomaly holy crap. But in regards to your list, I think Tulane is definitely stronger, but MCG has a strong regional presence and if you take a look at their match list, they match like everywhere, except not as strongly in CA since MCG is an southeast school. That 10 million difference in research is negligible, you should look into what you might be interested and ask your fiance and friends about the ability to get research in that department. At my school, some programs got endless possibilities while others are looking to other institutions for more spots and money. Also, I think your fiance being an M2 important to consider and along with the fact that the COA in Georgia at MCG's campuses is lower compared to the rest of the United States (don't tell anyone else, they gotta stop moving here)

Also to be clear, are you assigned to MCG Savannah?

Thank you so much for the response! I am not yet assigned to the Savannah campus but I ranked it as my top campus. From what I've heard, the Athens campus has much stronger residency placements than Augusta, and since Savannah is brand new it's going to be hard to tell how they will match. As far as research goes, I'm not opposed to taking a research gap year to get exposure to a field I'm interested in so not too worried about that. Curious if others in the same boat would regret saying no to a Tulane acceptance for an uncertain trade-off?

 

[thefirerisen]

Please go to MCG, especially if your fiance lives there... Most of the other things you said aren't that significant between the two schools. These schools are peers, and I doubt Tulane would provide any real advantage in terms of recognition or residency placement.

 

[JungleTrouble]

Please go to MCG, especially if your fiance lives there... Most of the other things you said aren't that significant between the two schools. These schools are peers, and I doubt Tulane would provide any real advantage in terms of recognition or residency placement.

Agreed.

Thank you so much for the response! I am not yet assigned to the Savannah campus but I ranked it as my top campus. From what I've heard, the Athens campus has much stronger residency placements than Augusta, and since Savannah is brand new it's going to be hard to tell how they will match. As far as research goes, I'm not opposed to taking a research gap year to get exposure to a field I'm interested in so not too worried about that. Curious if others in the same boat would regret saying no to a Tulane acceptance for an uncertain trade-off?

If you have the option for Athens, I would think definitely think carefully about it since UGA med school is open soon and they're gonna receive those UGA research dollars and connections if it carries over. Only downside is it will be brand new, but idk if you'll still be considered part of MCG

 

[LivedDevil]

Agreed.

If you have the option for Athens, I would think definitely think carefully about it since UGA med school is open soon and they're gonna receive those UGA research dollars and connections if it carries over. Only downside is it will be brand new, but idk if you'll still be considered part of MCG

Thank you all! You've all been very helpful.