UC Davis vs. UC Irvine

[CaliBalla]

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So I have been fortunate enough to have been accepted to my top two choices for medical school and am having quite a difficult time deciding which one I want to attend. Some background - I have already been in Irvine for almost 10 years (for High school and undergrad) and am leaning towards Davis purely for the change - however, I want to go to whichever program is more conducive to my future goal of being competitive for Ortho.

Some pros/cons I have formulated for both schools:

Pros

Irvine: close to beach, Newport bars, SoCal weather, I've worked at UCIMC for 2 years and have developed some great relationships with current Ortho residents, AWESOME gym (ARC)

Davis: strictly P/F pre-clinical years, no mandatory lectures (although I hear there is a decent amount of mandatory small group 2nd block of 1st year), hospital & med ed building are very close to each other and brand new facilities, Sac is a bigger city than Irvine and presumably more to do, Lake Tahoe only 1.5hr away (I love snowboarding & leaning towards Davis almost entirely for this 😛), SF also ~1.5hr away, cheap housing, higher ranked than Irvine if that even matters

Cons

Irvine: H/P/F and mandatory lectures for pre-clinical years has been confirmed (I'm definitely more of a self-studier, so mandatory lectures may hurt me), Irvine itself is boring and getting sick of suburbia, hospital is ~15mi from the medical ed. building, smaller hospital than Davis, somewhat expensive housing

Davis: housing right around med center is not the nicest and probably more crime than Irvine, poorer weather than Socal, NO gym/athletic facility (would have to get a 24hr pass, NOT traveling 20mi to Davis for their gym), would have to develop new connections in the Ortho department

Any other input or pros/cons for either school would be appreciated to help me decide. I've heard UCI is a systems-based approach vs. more of a traditional one at Davis, so I'm not sure which curriculum would better prepare me for Step 1 and if that's a factor worth considering. Being pretty set on Ortho means I need to aim for a 240+, so any edge I can get at either school would be nice...

Thanks!

 

[CaliBalla]

Forgot to mention proximity to family is not a factor I'm considering, if I chose to move up to Sac, my only family here would move with me.

 

[kexy]

You're lucky to have this dilemma! I am seriously considering Davis and I grew up in Sacramento, so I might be able to answer some questions you have about the city. The area to one side of the med center is not the nicest, but it's definitely possible to live in East Sac or midtown (which is a little more expensive, but safer) and bike or drive. This thread will very likely turn into a Nor Cal/So Cal debate, lol, but I honestly think a lot of it should come down to gut feeling. Also, I was told on my interview day that Davis is rising through the rankings very quickly, which is something to consider. The institution as a whole is up-and-coming. Another thing I was told at my interviews is that, because so much of the class is interested in primary care yet it is a major academic medical center, there will only be a few other people gunning for ortho/derm/fill in the blank other competitive specialty. So there are enough research opportunities in your field, etc. to go around, because there's not a lot of competition for them within your class.

 

[DISCOSTEW]

I'm from socal and I thought Davis blew irvine out of the water.

 

[CaliBalla]

I'm from socal and I thought Davis blew irvine out of the water.

Just curious, based on what observations? I too am from SoCal (well for the past 10 years) and was also pretty amazed with the program at Davis and their awesome facilities, hence my dilemma....

 

[FIREitUP]

mandatory lectures isn't worth it. 👎
You'd be surprised how much your quality of life can tank by having to be places you don't want to be.

 

[Nymphicus]

I'm from socal and I thought Davis blew irvine out of the water.

From norcal but at school in socal and I thought the same thing.

I really liked how Davis

1.) had centralized hospitals near the medical school
2.) seemed to have more flexibility in attendance
3.) didn't feel abandoned

Edit: Disclosure--rejected post-interview at Davis 😳 and waitlisted at UCI but I will pretty much for sure not be going there.

 

[flatearth22]

These two are ranked similarly (ignore primary care rankings....they're irrelevant) so it's basically a location thing. The fact that you're from SoCal and already have connections at UCI in a competitive field that you want to enter makes me lean towards UCI over UCD.

Also, P/F seems to be way overhyped by premeds but if you talk to med students they'll tell you that there will be gunners everywhere and that the importance of preclinical grades pale in comparison to clinical grades (where no one is true P/F besides Yale IIRC). And while H/P/F might not be ideal at least it's not A/B/C/D/F like some schools.

Mandatory lecture...yeah that sucks though. Still, my vote is for UCI considering your unique circumstances.

 

[Nymphicus]

These two are ranked similarly (ignore primary care rankings....they're irrelevant) so it's basically a location thing. The fact that you're from SoCal and already have connections at UCI in a competitive field that you want to enter makes me lean towards UCI over UCD.

Also, P/F seems to be way overhyped by premeds but if you talk to med students they'll tell you that there will be gunners everywhere and that the importance of preclinical grades pale in comparison to clinical grades (where no one is true P/F besides Yale IIRC). And while H/P/F might not be ideal at least it's not A/B/C/D/F like some schools.

Mandatory lecture...yeah that sucks though. Still, my vote is for UCI considering your unique circumstances.

A couple schools besides Yale are P/F unranked as well. Not Davis though.

 

[kexy]

Does anyone know whether Davis is unranked during the preclinical years?

 

[heartofsmiles]

So I have been fortunate enough to have been accepted to my top two choices for medical school and am having quite a difficult time deciding which one I want to attend. Some background - I have already been in Irvine for almost 10 years (for High school and undergrad) and am leaning towards Davis purely for the change - however, I want to go to whichever program is more conducive to my future goal of being competitive for Ortho.

Some pros/cons I have formulated for both schools:

Pros

Irvine: close to beach, Newport bars, SoCal weather, I've worked at UCIMC for 2 years and have developed some great relationships with current Ortho residents, AWESOME gym (ARC)

Davis: strictly P/F pre-clinical years, no mandatory lectures (although I hear there is a decent amount of mandatory small group 2nd block of 1st year), hospital & med ed building are very close to each other and brand new facilities, Sac is a bigger city than Irvine and presumably more to do, Lake Tahoe only 1.5hr away (I love snowboarding & leaning towards Davis almost entirely for this 😛), SF also ~1.5hr away, cheap housing, higher ranked than Irvine if that even matters

Cons

Irvine: H/P/F and mandatory lectures for pre-clinical years has been confirmed (I'm definitely more of a self-studier, so mandatory lectures may hurt me), Irvine itself is boring and getting sick of suburbia, hospital is ~15mi from the medical ed. building, smaller hospital than Davis, somewhat expensive housing

Davis: housing right around med center is not the nicest and probably more crime than Irvine, poorer weather than Socal, NO gym/athletic facility (would have to get a 24hr pass, NOT traveling 20mi to Davis for their gym), would have to develop new connections in the Ortho department

Any other input or pros/cons for either school would be appreciated to help me decide. I've heard UCI is a systems-based approach vs. more of a traditional one at Davis, so I'm not sure which curriculum would better prepare me for Step 1 and if that's a factor worth considering. Being pretty set on Ortho means I need to aim for a 240+, so any edge I can get at either school would be nice...

Thanks!

Speaking as a med student at Davis, no one really knows if you're truly ranked or not...but since they have not talked about rankings, I'm pretty sure that it's not a big deal.

As for Irvine or Davis, both will give you a great education. In the end, go with your gut. Honestly, you'll be studying hard no matter what, and whether you want to do Ortho or not might or might not change. With that said, you can match into any specialty you want and do anything you want if you really want it anywhere. Both schools will allow you to do that, and to dispel the whole primary care focus at Davis...it is true in some respects and it isn't true in some respects. Some people go to Davis because it is a powerhouse in rural medicine and that's why you'll have more focused on primary care. I think that's pretty darn cool.

Davis is a great research institution as well. You will find your niche and do well no matter what! I can't speak for Irvine but I've heard great things.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[heartofsmiles]

Best thing you can do is to ask yourself where do I see myself studying? Where do I see myself spending tons of hours at? Those things will matter more!

 

[kautionwirez]

Doesn't UCI give out iPads?

Location wise I would say UCI >> UC Davis because I am more of a beach person (surfing/swimming/running at the beach). That really sucks Davis has a gym 20 mins away.

My personal opinion: I can't see myself living in Davis.

 

[chrisispissed]

they don't "give away" ipads, you pay for it as added to tuition. and there are plenty of gyms within 5-7 minutes from the medical center at davis

 

[kexy]

My personal opinion: I can't see myself living in Davis.

But the med school is in Sacramento..

 

[kautionwirez]

But the med school is in Sacramento..

Same difference.

 

[chrisispissed]

Same difference.

very different

 

[heycal]

Forgot to mention proximity to family is not a factor I'm considering, if I chose to move up to Sac, my only family here would move with me.

One factor to also look closer into is money. For example, the cost of re-locating, tuition, etc. (I read that Davis has one the highest instate tuitions in the nation and rising(although most schools are raising tuition to be fair)). Less debt can be an important factor if your taking out loans. Good luck with your decision!

 

[MDnerd]

University of California Davis (UCD) - School of Medicine
Located in Davis, CA, UCD offers students significant hands-on experience from the beginning. During the first and second years, students participate in physical exams and emergency medicine. The third year focuses on six clinical rotations, each eight weeks in length. Rotations are in surgery, internal medicine, OB/Gyn, pediatrics, psychiatry and primary care. In the fourth year, students focus on specialization and create their own curriculum. U.S. News estimates graduates of UCD's medical program have a debt of approximately $118,321.

University of California Irvine (UCI) - College of Medicine
Located in Irvine, CA, UCI provides students with four years of intensive medical training. First-year students must complete 10 interview modules based on medical cases; they must also shadow doctors and attend workshops. In the second year, students expand on physical examination skills and partake in three clinical rotations. Content studies are applied to clinical rotations. Third-year students participate in clerkships and more training modules. The fourth year focuses on clerkships and a sub-internship. U.S. News estimates graduates of UCI's medical program have a debt of approximately $112,793.

~$5,000 more in debt is really debatable. If you're more hands on, Davis is the way to go.

 

[CaliBalla]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard that UC Davis gives all incoming students "free money" in order to match their tuition to other UCs. If that's the case, I don't know if difference in cost is something to consider. Also, housing is cheaper in Sac than SoCal, so there will be some savings there...

 

[heycal]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard that UC Davis gives all incoming students "free money" in order to match their tuition to other UCs. If that's the case, I don't know if difference in cost is something to consider. Also, housing is cheaper in Sac than SoCal, so there will be some savings there...University of California Davis (UCD) - School of Medicine

Located in Davis, CA, UCD offers students significant hands-on experience from the beginning. During the first and second years, students participate in physical exams and emergency medicine. The third year focuses on six clinical rotations, each eight weeks in length. Rotations are in surgery, internal medicine, OB/Gyn, pediatrics, psychiatry and primary care. In the fourth year, students focus on specialization and create their own curriculum. U.S. News estimates graduates of UCD's medical program have a debt of approximately $118,321.

University of California Irvine (UCI) - College of Medicine
Located in Irvine, CA, UCI provides students with four years of intensive medical training. First-year students must complete 10 interview modules based on medical cases; they must also shadow doctors and attend workshops. In the second year, students expand on physical examination skills and partake in three clinical rotations. Content studies are applied to clinical rotations. Third-year students participate in clerkships and more training modules. The fourth year focuses on clerkships and a sub-internship. U.S. News estimates graduates of UCI's medical program have a debt of approximately $112,793.

check this out:
http://www.usnews.com/education/bes...-public-medical-schools-for-in-state-students

Also that average in-debt rate for grads that was quoted is not going to apply anymore because that was for people who finished last year so 4 years ago, they were paying A LoT less.

I would talk to FA Office at each school to figure that out, I think that free money is only for merit or if your parents income falls below some level ie need based.

good luck

 

[MDnerd]

As an MSTP (MD/PhD) student at UCI, I'd definitely go with Davis over Irvine. The required lectures are a nuisance, and I'm generally not fond of the area/dynamic around UCI. I've heard the MD program at Davis exceeds Irvine's academically nowadays, which would be beneficial to your Ortho specialization. The "free" iPad actually came out of tuition fees, so it's not free. If I were to do it again, I'd choose Davis and not even do the PhD program here.

 

[coloredcrayons]

As an MSTP (MD/PhD) student at UCI, I'd definitely go with Davis over Irvine. The required lectures are a nuisance, and I'm generally not fond of the area/dynamic around UCI. I've heard the MD program at Davis exceeds Irvine's academically nowadays, which would be beneficial to your Ortho specialization. The "free" iPad actually came out of tuition fees, so it's not free. If I were to do it again, I'd choose Davis and not even do the PhD program here.

The iPad definitely is free and doesnt come out/get added to tuition. That's why they had that huge banquet last year where the new optho research building is being built. And if you're trying to match ortho, compare the strength of the ortho programs between schools. What's your source that davis's reputation is diff from irvine? Werent we ranked identically last year?

And.. I might get blasted for this, but attending 80% lectures is a good idea. I'd say about 80% of the top 20 kids in the ms2 class attended more lectures than that. People learn differently yes, but forcing yourself to drag your body out of bed for class keeps your morning productive. Overall, The Podcast crew simply didn't perform as well on tests, and from what I've heard, probably didn't perform as well on step1.

 

[thirteen78]

The "free" iPad actually came out of tuition fees, so it's not free.

Not to be nit-picky, but the iPads were part of a donation, not tuition fees. As part of the UC, fees can not be added unless they're added to all programs within the UC.
Here's the article that describes where the funding came from:
http://www.imedicalapps.com/2011/04...on-to-provide-incoming-students-with-ipad-2s/

 

[MDnerd]

Anyways, did you decide?

 

[nmfurr]

UC Davis

 

[themetalhawk]

My opinion: if the schools are similarly ranked, all the more reason to go to UC Davis. If you "love" Irivne so much (and by the looks of your post, you wouldn't mind getting away), you can *always* come back there some day. But for now, trying something new. Sure, ortho is really competitive--but it's more about the individual's hard work than the school that they come from (especially in your scenario). Irvine is not going anywhere and you can always come back to it; however, the chance to explore some place new and fresh to you may help in your happiness as a medical student and will allow you to learn more about yourself and what you like & dislike.

 

[MDnerd]

I agree with themetalhawk. Change of scenery is always good for people. Also, from reading your previous posts, if you've already made connections at UCIMC, it might be better to branch out and extend the network you've already created. I've been following this thread for awhile, I hope this has all helped you make a decision.