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TurtleGnome
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Looks like you've done a thorough job listing off the pros and cons of both programs; you really can't go wrong with either one. However, one thing isn't 100% clear to me from your post (although I have a guess)- where do YOU want to go? As in, the two PD's are in the room with you right now and you need to decide right now- what's your immediate answer?
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I'm surprised you're not looking at UW more seriously, only because Fred Hutch is a fantastic place for cancer research.
That being said, it does seem that you appear to be more excited about Mich. Personally, when it comes down to choosing between these two schools, you're going to be super successful at either place. As long as you have 5-10 labs at each place that you're interested in, they're essentially equal as far as training and science goes. In that case, I think making sure you're happy where you're living becomes really important. And based on your descriptions, you'd much rather live in Ann Arbor than in Baltimore. You're gonna spend the next 8 years there, might as well be really happy with where you're doing it!
That being said, it does seem that you appear to be more excited about Mich. Personally, when it comes down to choosing between these two schools, you're going to be super successful at either place. As long as you have 5-10 labs at each place that you're interested in, they're essentially equal as far as training and science goes. In that case, I think making sure you're happy where you're living becomes really important. And based on your descriptions, you'd much rather live in Ann Arbor than in Baltimore. You're gonna spend the next 8 years there, might as well be really happy with where you're doing it!
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"Lots of cool derm-onc research I'm interested in."
I would go with UMichigan then. On top of having higher chance to find the best mentor, when there are many labs around that do similar research, its easier to find good advice, share reagents, tips, etc.
I would go with UMichigan then. On top of having higher chance to find the best mentor, when there are many labs around that do similar research, its easier to find good advice, share reagents, tips, etc.
Re: Baltimore -> Just wanted to say, I'm from the west coast (SF Bay Area), went to undergrad in the Midwest (Chicago), and was not thrilled about coming to Baltimore for grad school. I've been in Baltimore for nearly three years now and I love it. It's a highly livable city, with very walkable neighborhoods and lots of great restaurants and bars, great museums, a beautiful waterfront, etc. It's a great place to be a sports fan, with the local Orioles/Ravens obsession. There's also a lot of good music that comes to the city, including a thriving classical music scene with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Shriver Hall Concert Series, etc. Yes, there's crime in Baltimore, but the worst of it won't affect you. It's concentrated in neighborhoods and populations which you as a student won't live in/don't belong to. I would say that Baltimore is a dynamic and interesting place to study medicine and public health, and the health challenges that the city currently is facing will give you experiences and exposures first-hand that you won't get in Ann Arbor.
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TurtleGnome
Thanks for the inputs, everyone! I'm still thinking, but have a better idea of where I will likely end up 🙂
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Spent time training in both places, so I feel obligated to respond. As had been said, it's a matter of preference. Ann Arbor will keep you plenty busy & is a lot of fun in your early 20s (bit less so in your late 20s), whereas Baltimore is more diverse, cosmopolitan, but also rough around the edges. Not to be missed, is the proximity of B-more to DC and Philly, eastern shore (beutiful area, reminiscent of mid-mitten Michigan) and western Maryland for mountains & lakes. All with an easy short (2 hours or less) drive. For Ann Arbor you have Chicago (4 hours) and Toronto and to a lesser extent Detroit -- different choices, but just more effort getting there.
Yes you can benefit from a wider patient population in B-more, but you will also rotate thru the VA in UofM, you can volunteer locally (say an evening a week at a free clinic during your PhD) or choose to go to Detroit or its suburbs. The hospital facilities, general environment and personal safety/property crime is just much better in Ann Arbor.
Yeah, technically Hopkins is more prestigous but if you are looking at top 10 USNWR, the benefits thereof are minimal (& potential at best). The upside of prestige is my impression of Hopkins med students are uber-motivated/somewhat more intense. The attendings at JHH on average are also a bit more intense, again a double-edged sword.
I wouldn't worry about the size of your medical school class or curriculum structure AT ALL. Not important in the least. If anything, I would think about the size of your MSTP cohort, those are the peeps you will spend 7-9 years with and hopefully can make some life-long friends. Not much of an issue with either UofM or JHH, more of a concern when choosing a small program (anything less than 5 per year).
Last, but quite important is what is your PhD area of interest and do you see several (i.e. at least 3) potential mentors? Your PhD mentor may be the 3rd most influential in your life, behind only your parents and spouse. My gestalt is that in genomics/bioinformatics JHH may be superior, whereas Michigan does quite well in CMB, Physiology, Biochem, exercise physiology. That's not to say you won't find a fantastic mentor at either place, regardless of your choices and your choices will change. Coming in, I was set on doing channel work/pharmacology whereas another individual within my MSTP cohort was set on transcriptional regulation/bioinformatics, and within 2 years we flipped based on interests/needs of our research projects. To some extent, same thing will happen with your post-doc.
On that note (& I come with my own biases) doing the loooong haul of MSTP at a more supportive environment, then matching a more prestigous/intense institution for a shorter, sprint-like residency may be the best bet. PM me with any questions.
Yes you can benefit from a wider patient population in B-more, but you will also rotate thru the VA in UofM, you can volunteer locally (say an evening a week at a free clinic during your PhD) or choose to go to Detroit or its suburbs. The hospital facilities, general environment and personal safety/property crime is just much better in Ann Arbor.
Yeah, technically Hopkins is more prestigous but if you are looking at top 10 USNWR, the benefits thereof are minimal (& potential at best). The upside of prestige is my impression of Hopkins med students are uber-motivated/somewhat more intense. The attendings at JHH on average are also a bit more intense, again a double-edged sword.
I wouldn't worry about the size of your medical school class or curriculum structure AT ALL. Not important in the least. If anything, I would think about the size of your MSTP cohort, those are the peeps you will spend 7-9 years with and hopefully can make some life-long friends. Not much of an issue with either UofM or JHH, more of a concern when choosing a small program (anything less than 5 per year).
Last, but quite important is what is your PhD area of interest and do you see several (i.e. at least 3) potential mentors? Your PhD mentor may be the 3rd most influential in your life, behind only your parents and spouse. My gestalt is that in genomics/bioinformatics JHH may be superior, whereas Michigan does quite well in CMB, Physiology, Biochem, exercise physiology. That's not to say you won't find a fantastic mentor at either place, regardless of your choices and your choices will change. Coming in, I was set on doing channel work/pharmacology whereas another individual within my MSTP cohort was set on transcriptional regulation/bioinformatics, and within 2 years we flipped based on interests/needs of our research projects. To some extent, same thing will happen with your post-doc.
On that note (& I come with my own biases) doing the loooong haul of MSTP at a more supportive environment, then matching a more prestigous/intense institution for a shorter, sprint-like residency may be the best bet. PM me with any questions.
I never feel compelled to post, and I have no experience with either of your choices (have never stepped foot in the state of Michigan!). However, as someone who had to make a similar decision about where to spend my 20s (one short MD/PhD ago), I can tell you that your list of pros for Hopkins sound like things that in 7-8 years you will say, “I thought these were important at the time.” However, your list of pros for Michigan sound like the things that will matter- family, location, SO, supportive MSTP, and (most importantly) the right research mentors for your interests. If you are happy, have a good support system around, and are working for a great mentor you are much more likely to be successful. Any differences among the medical school experiences are trivial in the end, as someone mentioned the fellow students in the MSTP program are much more important to your experience.
Also, I find it amusing that you talk about safety in Baltimore and it being boring in the same sentence. But then again, I guess riots aren’t everyone’s idea of excitement.
Also, I find it amusing that you talk about safety in Baltimore and it being boring in the same sentence. But then again, I guess riots aren’t everyone’s idea of excitement.
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TurtleGnome
I probably should have specified excitement as in recreational activities 🙂
Thanks for your perspective!
