UChicago Pritzker vs. Northwestern Feinberg vs. Vanderbilt

[DNP3120]

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Fortunate to have a number a few acceptances to decide between and have a difficult decision to make between these schools. I will omit money from the discussion at the moment as I fall out of the range for need-based assistance. I assume I will more than likely be paying similar amounts at all three given that I did not get any award at Vandy - although scholarship awards remain to be disclosed at the Chicago schools, I am not optimistic. In addition, coming from the other side of the country, all these options are equally distant from my support structures and family. Also, I hope to match for residency back out west if at all possible and think there is a decent probability I will try for a competitive specialization.

Pritzker
Pros

• Students really seemed enthusiastic about the social justice elements of the school and the administration - got me excited about it as well
• Small class size - students really seemed to value this
• Possibly more interesting cases in clinicals due to location?

Cons

• A little bit of a distasteful interview experience - not sure if this was a stress interview or due to the virtual format
• Have been a little spooked by the crime news in the area, and have the option of being at a better location in Feinberg
• Traditional curriculum? Not sure if this is the worst thing.

Feinberg
Pros

• The location seems amazing, is the only of the three schools where I have visited the area in the past - enjoyed it very much and could see being a student there
• The hospital network seems incredibly robust - a good home base for possible rotations
• Longitudinal clinical experience seems to be a cornerstone of their program which I value
• Mental health focus was so ingrained in their interview - really felt like a positive environment to be a student in

Cons

• PBLs would be a change for me as it does not completely match my current learning style
• Large class size - how much does this matter?
• Fairly traditional curriculum
• Highest COL most likely

Vanderbilt
Pros

• The interview really wowed me - the students seemed the most excited about their program
• The curriculum seems really cool - having shortened preclinical + P/F clinical + 3rd/4th years to explore interests could help cultivate my medical interests
• Seem like there are more outdoorsy things to do around campus, which is a plus for me

Cons

• The most expensive option just looking at the posted numbers for total COA online
• Never been to the city, don't know what to expect living in the south
• Smaller city? Limited options on things to do?
• I like colder climates (not Chicago cold though) and cities bordering water generally because its really all I have really lived in, but I could enjoy the most reasonable climates in Nashville.

Any insights or advice on how to go about making this decision would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MedSD123]

You definitely seem most excited about Feinberg and Vanderbilt, so I would focus on those two. In deciding between them, see if you can visit Vanderbilt. You seem to like that school the best, and if you end up liking Nashville, go there! If not, you also seemed pumped about Feinberg!

 

[deleted1065184]

You have 3 awesome choices. Ofc things will change if there are changes in financial aid. Given what you've said, I think it'd be helpful to keep in mind that there are numerous large academic medical centers in Chicago (esp. Northwestern, Rush, and UChicago), whereas Vandy is one of 2 academic medical centers in Nashville AND within like a 200 mile radius (in all directions)...and it is the largest, by far. You will see numerous complex cases from rural, suburban, and urban patients in TN, MS, AL, KY, and VA.

I don't know as much about Northwestern bc I didn't get an interview there, but UChicago and Vandy were both schools I was considering. Personally, the vibes at both schools were amazing. UChicago seemed to care a ton about the community (which is in stark contrast with the UChicago undergrad reputation), and I loved that. Vandy seemed to care a ton about mental health and wellness, more so than any school I interviewed at.

Wrt city, I've spent a fair amount of time in Chicago and lived in Nashville for a while. Chicago is fun, but those winters are monstrous. Nashville isn't quite as big, but it's still over 700k people and there is tons of stuff to do. The traffic is terrible, though lol. Nashville is significantly cheaper than Chicago to live in, but this will be much more noticeable if you live close to Northwestern than if you live close to UChicago.

Ultimately, you can't go wrong no matter what. I'm hoping my comment can alleviate some of your concerns about Nashville though. I don't know anybody who has lived in Nashville and didn't love the city.

 

[sophop]

Congratulations on some amazing options! I can only speak to Northwestern, but your "pros" are all right on target. As far as your "cons":

• PBLs aren't my cup of tea either, but I think ultimately it helped to remember and apply stuff and it was a chance to interact with other students and get a little closer with a couple of faculty who ended up being great mentors/sounding boards (in general, the availability of faculty was on par with my experience at an LAC).
• Was also worried about the class size (was also considering Mayo on the extreme other side of the spectrum), but you're immediately broken down into 20 student "colleges" so never noticed the overall class size early on. At the same time, the overall class size helped down the line when trying to find others to commune with about a particular specialty.
• The curriculum is what it is, although ECMH totally lived up to its hype, was a big reason for picking NW over other options, and didn't disappoint.
• After a little bargaining, COL ended up about in the "middle of the pack" of options. Ultimately, the great vibe during interviews and 2nd look (QOL issues) won out over the bottom line.
• I'm from SoCal, so yeah the Chicago winters are a change, but now I've got some great war stories!)

Again, I don't think you can go wrong with any of your options!!!!! (And, as much as I've loved Chicago, my visits to Nashville were always fun, too)

 

[JZp2]

Congrats on an insane cycle! I'd say go with Vanderbilt for money and curriculum. P/F clinicals to me is huge and almost every student there has said the same thing. I will say Vanderbilt doesn't have family medicine (at least that is what I was told) residency, so if you're wanting that, then it might be an issue. You can confirm location by visiting the school, but every student I have talked to seemed super happy here (the same can be said about the other two as well though). Both Chicago schools have 2 year preclinicals, which I have heard can be a drag (although a few at the interviews said they liked the slower pace). So it really is up to you if you think curriculum beats location.