Tulane vs PCOM

[Valvool]

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I have been accepted to both Tulane and PCOM (still waiting to hear back from MCG after interviewing there in Feb) and have been wondering what to do. I am married with young kids and all my family is in Atlanta right around that area, literally minutes from the PCOM. The price of each of the two programs is very close. Is the prestigious MD degree from Tulane worth moving all of us to New Orleans? My husband is very supportive and happy to move there if that is what I choose. I am leaning toward Tulane at this point, the students seemed very similar to myself in terms of versatility and wide interests and being slightly older, and I loved the school. Any opinions or similar experiences would be helpful.

 

[QofQuimica]

I have been accepted to both Tulane and PCOM (still waiting to hear back from MCG after interviewing there in Feb) and have been wondering what to do. I am married with young kids and all my family is in Atlanta right around that area, literally minutes from the PCOM. The price of each of the two programs is very close. Is the prestigious MD degree from Tulane worth moving all of us to New Orleans? My husband is very supportive and happy to move there if that is what I choose. I am leaning toward Tulane at this point, the students seemed very similar to myself in terms of versatility and wide interests and being slightly older, and I loved the school. Any opinions or similar experiences would be helpful.

Can you and your husband revisit both schools? Would he most likely be able to get a job if you moved to LA? Also, I don't know how old your kids are, but if they're going to be school-age while you're in medical school, that's a huge issue. Have you checked into what the school systems are like in New Orleans, and where you would want to live there with young children? Is being away from your family going to mean that you have to put your children into daycare? That could be a pretty pricey extra expense that you might not need if you stayed in Atlanta. I'm not saying you shouldn't move to New Orleans, just kind of thinking out loud about the kinds of things I'd be considering if I were in your shoes. I'm sure you've been thinking about these things. Congrats on your acceptances, and best of with your decision. 🙂

 

[notdeadyet]

How old is the Georgia PCOM campus (I seem to remember it being pretty new)? Do you have any contacts you can trust there? Sometimes new schools go through a whole lot of growing pains that you really do not want to be a part of.

Also, what field of medicine are you interested in going in to? Not interested in hashing out the DO vs. MD issue (they are equal in my mind), but there are certain fields that have been known to have a lot of allopathic residency programs that are biased towards allopathic graduates. Again, if you're interested in primary care or EM or in applying to osteopathic residencies, this is less of an issue. I'd just personally be concerned about the residency issue a bit more now that allopathic med schools are expanding in enrollments without the same increase in residency slots. Competitive fields are going to be more competitive.

But these are much lesser issues compared to Q's points. Look out for family first. A whole new part of the country without a support network and one that is facing a lot of challenges with its school systems and social services is a big leap.

Good decisions to have to make though. Congrats on your acceptances and congrats on having a choice.

 

[J ROD]

Get the MD!

 

[Scottish Chap]

I was in a similar position three years ago: married (now with kids), choosing between two different schools, one school is close to family etc. My frank advice would be to go where you feel you and your family will receive most support. Medical school is a very busy time, and your family's happiness will be critical for your success. No career is worth more than a marriage. I chose mostly for family, and I do not regret my decision.

Winning a place in ANY medical school is quite an achievement and DOs can practice in all 50 states. Unless you KNOW you're destined for academic medicine or a very competitive specialty where osteopathic physicians typically have a harder time gaining entry at the resident level, I honestly don't think the MD will be an advantage. This is coming from an allopathic student, too. 🙂 Good luck!