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UC Davis or UC Irvine?
Started by aglush
I know its a brand new campus....are there any other advantages???
Davis has: more research spending, more student free clinics, new facilities, and was never a DO school.
irvine has newport beach
davis has, as mentioned above, sacremento.
davis has, as mentioned above, sacremento.
Check locations. Folks happy in orange county would probably not find northern california very inviting. Folks who love northern california would not really go nuts for orange county.
Both schools have a lot of good points, are closely priced/rated and you'll get a great education at either (though I'd still side with Davis). Where do you want to live for four years?
Both schools have a lot of good points, are closely priced/rated and you'll get a great education at either (though I'd still side with Davis). Where do you want to live for four years?
People love lots of things Irvine is near. Irvine itself is hard to love.
But I'm sure some would say the same for Sac...
newport beach is close enough to irvine to call it the same - literally 10 minutes.
you can't beat southern california for the weather!
education wise i think they are about the same.
for the OP - just imagine where you'd be happier (location wise) and youll make a fine decision; whether it be Davis or Irvine you're still in california!
S
sle3pyguii
I believe UCD has cows.
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this is very true. don't think irvine will be all fun because it's in so-cal.. i had a friend who went to irvine, and was so bored that he visited LA every weekend (not to mention the 1 to 2.5 hour in traffic drive to get there each trip!). or u can go the other way and visit SD, which is nice. but, i've heard that irvine itself is not that great.
oh and not that this should totally matter, but just in case it does to you... the asian population at irvine is overwhelming. i think there are more asians in the medical school class than any other.
so-cal weather is good but very smoggy!! (at least for LA, maybe it's better in irvine). i would leave my car outside for 2 hours and there's already a 2 mm residue of dust/pollution debris/gunk....😱
near sacramento, there are a bunch of rivers (eg Middle Fork Amercan) to go rafting on too (not sure exactly how nearby), if u think you'll miss the beaches in so-cal...
personally i'd go with davis, but i'm probably biased. you should really visit the schools and spend time in those areas to decide. and look into the differing class sizes and curriculum as well.
hows the asian population at ucdavis compared to irvine? ucdavis has a lot of asians too right?
Not as many as you'd think. I'm sure they are there, just not in a high population as you would find in SF, LA, or Irvine
I agreed.
I've been to both undergraduate campuses. Assuming their medical school is within the same context here is my input:
ENVIRONMENT
1. Davis is very rural. It has forests, rivers, lakes, etc. It's just very natural. I remember making a sly comment during our tour that you could kill someone out here and no one would ever know. It's just that expansive and quiet.
2. Irvine is very suburban. The OC. It has cobblestone this and zero litter policy that. It's your quiet desperate housewives kind of scene. I've visited this place tons of times to know it's just like that. 😛 Trees are lined perfectly and every bush is trimmed.
POPULATION
1. Davis was predominantly caucasian heavy. I'm not even going to lie about that. It is a UC so they strive for diversity. It's just not flooded with Asians.
2. Irvine is predominantly Asian. The undergrad campus has a staggering 60%. This is because it's home for a lot of them.
SOCIAL
I'm going out on a limb here to say they are much more watered down than a lot of other schools, simply because they're small towns.
1. I think in Davis it's more accessible to find bars and less commercial places of socialization.
2. Irvine is more of the urban version. Clubs and very commercial areas.
Now, picking a medical school program is more than just these factors. I'd suggest you search the programs before you turn to these options. If you want fun, you'll find it. However, if you don't like the medical program, you're out of luck. GL!
ENVIRONMENT
1. Davis is very rural. It has forests, rivers, lakes, etc. It's just very natural. I remember making a sly comment during our tour that you could kill someone out here and no one would ever know. It's just that expansive and quiet.
2. Irvine is very suburban. The OC. It has cobblestone this and zero litter policy that. It's your quiet desperate housewives kind of scene. I've visited this place tons of times to know it's just like that. 😛 Trees are lined perfectly and every bush is trimmed.
POPULATION
1. Davis was predominantly caucasian heavy. I'm not even going to lie about that. It is a UC so they strive for diversity. It's just not flooded with Asians.
2. Irvine is predominantly Asian. The undergrad campus has a staggering 60%. This is because it's home for a lot of them.
SOCIAL
I'm going out on a limb here to say they are much more watered down than a lot of other schools, simply because they're small towns.
1. I think in Davis it's more accessible to find bars and less commercial places of socialization.
2. Irvine is more of the urban version. Clubs and very commercial areas.
Now, picking a medical school program is more than just these factors. I'd suggest you search the programs before you turn to these options. If you want fun, you'll find it. However, if you don't like the medical program, you're out of luck. GL!
The difference between Newport Beach and Irvine is huge. Newport's a typical socal rich, fun-in-the-sun beach community. Irvine is a landlocked planned suburban community (think Weeds, for those of you with Showtime).
Newport's a quick escape and you can commute from there, but it's not where the med school is located.
Nothing personal about your comments, but UC Davis is actually located in Sacramento, not Davis, so you can pretty much strike whatever you learned about the undergrad campus.
Your impressions of Irvine are spot on, though. I don't mean to rag on the place, some folks love suburbs like Irvine. But I grew up a couple miles away from there and Irvine and what it represented just kind of drove me nuts.
But if I were accepted there and nowhere else, I'd attend in a heartbeat.
Here's my 2 cents as a UCD alum, currently living in Sac.
Davis: more established, better reputation
UCDMC has a great reputation, level one trauma center, MIND Insitute (autistic research) lots of opportunities, and is now right next door to the med school!
Sacramento is not rural, in fact it is more urban than Irvine.
(and I don't know why this topic was brought up in the first place, but I want to say UCD overall is something like 40% asian. don't quote me on this. It's not as high as UCI, but there's a decent amount)
Davis: more established, better reputation
UCDMC has a great reputation, level one trauma center, MIND Insitute (autistic research) lots of opportunities, and is now right next door to the med school!
Sacramento is not rural, in fact it is more urban than Irvine.
(and I don't know why this topic was brought up in the first place, but I want to say UCD overall is something like 40% asian. don't quote me on this. It's not as high as UCI, but there's a decent amount)
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I have to step up and say that Irvine isn't that bad or boring. It's definitely suburban, which works for some people, like me. (I live 10 minutes from Irvine, and I have been there often.) If you're a city person, I can understand that you would dislike Irvine. However, it's not as if Irvine has nothing to do. There is a very large shopping center (The Irvine Spectrum) which has an IMAX theater. There are lots of great restaurants in Irvine as well. There is an amphitheater that often has concerts or comedy. I honestly don't know about nightlife and clubs.
I do not feel that Irvine is smoggy... true, I grew up around there, but I can confidently say that it is NOT NEARLY as smoggy as LA. There are parts of Irvine that are undeveloped and hilly, but a large portion of it is suburban as I described. Irvine is upper-middle class; I don't know of any "ghetto" parts of Irvine. I think that Irvine is a generally nice, pleasant place with some things to do, but it is certainly not as lively as a full-fledged city.
I do not feel that Irvine is smoggy... true, I grew up around there, but I can confidently say that it is NOT NEARLY as smoggy as LA. There are parts of Irvine that are undeveloped and hilly, but a large portion of it is suburban as I described. Irvine is upper-middle class; I don't know of any "ghetto" parts of Irvine. I think that Irvine is a generally nice, pleasant place with some things to do, but it is certainly not as lively as a full-fledged city.
Notdeadyet, you and I are going to have a talk about the wonders of Irvine on July 30th or possibly the weekend after if you're going on the retreat. 🙂 I have lived in Irvine since I was 6, though I did not go to UCI. There's just something very endearing about a $75 jay walking ticket for crossing a two lane street...and fear of being picked up on the street for being out past curfew (10pm) in high school.
That said, I choose not to attend medical school at UCI. This Socal girl wanted to go to Northern California medical school (despite the distinct possibility that the number of painful "hellas" I hear on a regular basis will increase). I think Davis has more to offer a medical student as a whole person. Rent is ridiculously cheaper in Sacramento than in Irvine as well. I worked at the UCI SOM this past year (in research) and I just didn't feel like I personally connected with students or faculty all the well.
A note on Newport Beach, or any beach in Southern California between the months of May and September. It's really freakin' crowded. I mean really crowded. During the summer, when it really is nicest to be there, there is no "easy" trip to the beach, unless you get there before 9am. There's no parking without a fight. Of course there are some exceptions, and locals, I suppose me, know of the best opportunities and it IS possible to be lucky. I recommend carpooling. I've heard that beach house rent is reasonable in NON-peak months if you want roommates.
In my humble opinion, OP, you should go with your gut. How did you feel at each school? Is your curiosity to live in Southern California very strong? After all, you learn the same thing and everyone is called Dr...
Edit: I guess I should add you can find parking in NB and other beaches if you are willing to pay for it.
That said, I choose not to attend medical school at UCI. This Socal girl wanted to go to Northern California medical school (despite the distinct possibility that the number of painful "hellas" I hear on a regular basis will increase). I think Davis has more to offer a medical student as a whole person. Rent is ridiculously cheaper in Sacramento than in Irvine as well. I worked at the UCI SOM this past year (in research) and I just didn't feel like I personally connected with students or faculty all the well.
A note on Newport Beach, or any beach in Southern California between the months of May and September. It's really freakin' crowded. I mean really crowded. During the summer, when it really is nicest to be there, there is no "easy" trip to the beach, unless you get there before 9am. There's no parking without a fight. Of course there are some exceptions, and locals, I suppose me, know of the best opportunities and it IS possible to be lucky. I recommend carpooling. I've heard that beach house rent is reasonable in NON-peak months if you want roommates.
In my humble opinion, OP, you should go with your gut. How did you feel at each school? Is your curiosity to live in Southern California very strong? After all, you learn the same thing and everyone is called Dr...
Edit: I guess I should add you can find parking in NB and other beaches if you are willing to pay for it.
Asians are cool!!!! 😀 (Oh wait, I am Asian)
So am I. 🙂
I brought this up, btw, because I would personally prefer a little more diversity OUTSIDE of my own ethnicity. (I've grown up in predominantly asian neighborhoods for most of my life.)
UCI has a higher research ranking than Davis (41 vs. 49).
UCI has better-qualified med students overall:
School Acceptance Rate GPA MCAT comp.
Irvine 7.0% 3.70 10.7
Davis 4.8% 3.60 10.3
This is from US News. You need Premium access to get this data.
I'm a little biased here (I'll be a UCI MS1 this fall). However, UCI is in a great location, is growing very fast, and has a very laid-back environment.
Also, someone in the thread said that the UCI SOM has a very high % of Asian students. This may be true for the undergraduate population (~55%), but it is not true of the med school class. It's overall percentage of Asians isn't very much higher than any other med school on the west coast. It's around ~25%-30% East Asian, and about 10% Arab/Indian/etc.
UCI has better-qualified med students overall:
School Acceptance Rate GPA MCAT comp.
Irvine 7.0% 3.70 10.7
Davis 4.8% 3.60 10.3
This is from US News. You need Premium access to get this data.
I'm a little biased here (I'll be a UCI MS1 this fall). However, UCI is in a great location, is growing very fast, and has a very laid-back environment.
Also, someone in the thread said that the UCI SOM has a very high % of Asian students. This may be true for the undergraduate population (~55%), but it is not true of the med school class. It's overall percentage of Asians isn't very much higher than any other med school on the west coast. It's around ~25%-30% East Asian, and about 10% Arab/Indian/etc.
im laughing really hard about how the asian population has creeped into the equation.
notdeadyet - i was just saying that its possible to go to school in irvine while not having anything to do with irvine .... ie: living in newport beach. it's SO close.
it's like going ot UCSD but living in pacific beach. well i guess pacific beach and newport beach are totally different, but you know what i mean. (i hope)
notdeadyet - i was just saying that its possible to go to school in irvine while not having anything to do with irvine .... ie: living in newport beach. it's SO close.
it's like going ot UCSD but living in pacific beach. well i guess pacific beach and newport beach are totally different, but you know what i mean. (i hope)
I love how science nerds (and I'm not hating; I am one) use the metric system when no one else does... 😍
I thought UCLA didn't take VE? I had my school manually send my letters.
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hmm
