UCR vs OHSU

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aaronrodgers

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I really appreciate what you guys would choose in my situation. Thank you! My trusted advisor said that he would take UCR free tuition over any school unless it's a top 15 - but I want the internet's opinion too :)

UCR:
Pros:
1. Free tuition.
2. Because it's a UC I also trust the education I will receive and know that it will grow into another reputable UC medical school someday.
3. EXTREMELY close to family and friends from high school and college so lots of emotional and logistical support.

Cons:
1. Unranked (I want to keep my doors open for getting into big name residencies and fellowships)
2. Clinical years are in partnering institutions like Kaiser, Riverside Community Hospital so I am wary of how solid PDs will view my clinical training compared to schools with their own teaching hospital.
3. Riverside

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OHSU
Pros:
1. Ranked highly, #29
2. Portland is amazinggggggggggggggggg. I am a Pacific Northwest kind of person.
3. Has its own teaching hospital and new fancy facilities

Cons:

1. ~70k cost of attendance for OOS
2. Will not see friends and family at all anymore
3. Lose the ability to possibly get residency in California and fellowships in California

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UCR is a great school. If I was in your place, I would take that free tuition knowing you will be less stressed during medical schooll.
 
HPSP plus OHSU. Best of both worlds.

You knowwww me! Haha I am also considering direct accession after residency so if I do UCR free plus direct accession then boom that's a $200k difference or something compared to OHSU

UCR is a great school. If I was in your place, I would take that free tuition knowing you will be less stressed during medical schooll.

Do you go to UCR? What are your opinions on why it is a great school, not that I doubt it!
 
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Apply to the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative. Apply ASAP. Full tuition, choose any specialty, work for 5 years in (rural) Oregon, urban if you go primary care.

I'd definitely choose OHSU even without $.
 
Apply to the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative. Apply ASAP. Full tuition, choose any specialty, work for 5 years in (rural) Oregon, urban if you go primary care.

I'd definitely choose OHSU even without $.

Not interested in that kind of commitment :(

Will I be closing a lot of doors to big name residencies by going to a newish school? UCR inaugural class are still doing their first year of residency so I'm guessing PDs are still evaluating the quality of UCR students
 
Sounds like you want to go to UCR, and to be honest, free tuition is nothing to turn one's nose up at. It's a personal decision.

I don't like Riverside, CA. It's my ninth circle of hell. But if I had friends, family, and free tuition, I might be willing to forgo an opportunity to get outside my comfort zone and home state to pursue a new experience with a higher ranked school in a more awesome location.

Actually no. Friends and family can come visit. But that's me. You have to figure out what will make YOU happy.
 
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It really depends on what you want to do. If you’re looking to match in California, UCR is a great choice. That being said, you may have some tough time if you want to match into a competitive specialty. First class only had one person matching into ortho and I didn’t see much regarding other competitive specialties or residencies.

You might also want to talk to them about their rotation schedule, which is kind of funky (Alternating weeks of IM/ Surg for 24 weeks then two shelf exams) and see if they are welcoming to away rotations. The lack of a true “home” hospital is also concerning and they have no plans of building one since they want to be community based.

OHSU is definitely more established, has an affiliated hospital (good for competitive specialties), has a solid name and is well ranked. You wont lose the chance to match in Cali and you can probably set up good away rotations if you’d like.

I’d go to OHSU if you want to pursue a competitive specialty or academic medicine.

I’d choose UCR if you’d just want to stay in Cali, free tuition and graduate with the UC name under your belt.


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Free is a very good price compared to brutal out of state tuition at OHSU. I don't know what could justify a $228K difference in cost. Top students at UCR match into competitive specialties every year. If you want a career in academics, your residency, fellowship, research, and interview are all way more important than the name on your med school diploma.

Everyone wants to live in Portland in August, it's snowy and icy today, and will rain almost every day until July.
 
OHSU's matches really aren't that competitive and to be honest the rank system is not that accurate past the top 20. UCR is a very good school and the free tuition is going to make an absolutely massive difference in your freedom in years after you graduate. Your stress in residency is going to decrease dramatically.

Unless you're really interested in rural med or family med, and then OHSU would be your best choice. Apart from that I've seen them match very poorly into EM or Surg specialties. Additionally, if you want to practice in Cali later on, UCR is the way to go.
 
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Im reading a lot about how where you go to residency is dependent really on STEP 1, clinical grades, letters of rec, etc. and so where you go to school should really be about fit, finance, and other things in life.

imo, at the end of a day, it is a privilege to go to a UC medical school which are all well-regarded in the medical community. I'm leaning 70/30 in favor of UCR at the moment.
 
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