UCSD (scholarship) vs. Johns Hopkins

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nanette18

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Hi guys! I really need help - I'll make it short and sweet. I don't qualify for financial aid because of my parents so the burden of medical school costs falls on my shoulders entirely. I received a pretty hefty merit scholarship from UCSD (covers all of the tuition and partial living for all 4yrs). But I was accepted to Hopkins recently as well and I wouldn't get any sort of aid from them since they don't do merit-based. In terms of goals, I'm interested in the very competitive specialties as well as global health. So folks it's the traditional- do I go for the name or for the scholarship? I'm a California native, not excited about Baltimore but part of me wants to venture out and experience something new as I eventually would like to come back to California. Then again, it's all I know so maybe I'd actually like the East Coast more... here are some pros and cons that I can think of.

Johns Hopkins (around 400k CoA)
pros:
-the name speaks for itself, top 3 and world-renowned in medicine
-more research opportunities and world-class faculty
-better chances to match to a competitive specialty residency
-venture out and build independence and work on personal development
cons:
-BALTIMORE, yikessss
-so much debt 🙁 (although i'd eventuallyy pay it off is what docs are telling me)

UCSD (around 70k CoA- no tuition and only partial living)
pros:
-such a relief in terms of finances
-beautiful location
-med students seemed super happy and laid-back
cons:
-T20, not T3
-match list didn't look very promising for competitive specialties
-too comfortable? Wouldn't be able to experience something new.

I'm torn, my brain and heart are in different places. I'm worried I'd regret not choosing the more prestigious option and also worried I'd regret not taking the money and running. Please help 🙂
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Also, decent chance that OP goes into a specialty that doesn't pay as much...now they're sitting here over $400k in debt and taking forever to pay it off. UCSD doesn't have Hopkins' name, but it can get you where you wanna go. Hopkins name is not worth over $330k more than UCSD's name.
 
Honestly, this is a tough one, but I’m leaning towards UCSD at these price points. UCSD has plenty of match power to get you where you want to be. Therefore, I feel like the cost difference is largely going toward name alone, and only slightly toward tangible differences in outcome. The Hopkins name is worth a lot, but $500k difference after interest? I’ll pass and put that downpayment on my house.
 
Yes, Hopkins can set you up well for competitive specialties, but $500k (post interest) is a life-changing amount of money. Consider saving the money and using it to "venture out" and "experience new things" during vacations, between med school and residency, or after residency.
 
I'mInDer! said:
Also, decent chance that OP goes into a specialty that doesn't pay as much...now they're sitting here over $400k in debt and taking forever to pay it off. UCSD doesn't have Hopkins' name, but it can get you where you wanna go. Hopkins name is not worth over $330k more than UCSD's name.
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Thanks so much for the input! Does your answer change if I tell you I’m 100% doing derm or ophtha? Match list for UCSD for these 2 was pretty bleak compared to Hopkins…
 
bante said:
based on your speciality interests and potential regional preferences, Hopkins.

bite the bullet and deal with costs later on, you'll thank yourself for the choice you make now
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Thanks for your response! Do you think the name really justifies the cost difference? Honestly if I had the name AND a good location, I’d probably bite the bullet. I’m I’m so worried I’ll shoot myself in the foot and have a tough time matching at UCSD, in that case all my hard work would be in vain. But again, I’d be in BALTIMORE for 4 yrs so I’m paying a premium to probably be miserable especially coming from an upscale area in California.
 
nanette18 said:
Thanks for your response! Do you think the name really justifies the cost difference? Honestly if I had the name AND a good location, I’d probably bite the bullet. I’m I’m so worried I’ll shoot myself in the foot and have a tough time matching at UCSD, in that case all my hard work would be in vain. But again, I’d be in BALTIMORE for 4 yrs so I’m paying a premium to probably be miserable especially coming from an upscale area in California.
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You have so much reservation for Hopkins so I would say go to UCSD. Derm is hard from everywhere. Ophtho is easier.
 
nanette18 said:
Thanks so much for the input! Does your answer change if I tell you I’m 100% doing derm or ophtha? Match list for UCSD for these 2 was pretty bleak compared to Hopkins…
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Nope lol, match lists are very hard to interpret unless you know every student who tried to match. Also, there are tons of students who are 100% sure they'll go into something and end up choosing something else. Sometimes it's due to personal choice, sometimes it's other factors.

Regardless, what happens if you choose Hopkins and find out you actually prefer a primary care specialty? Now you're feeling forced to try and go into something high paying just to be able to pay off the MASSIVE loan debt.
 
I'mInDer! said:
Nope lol, match lists are very hard to interpret unless you know every student who tried to match. Also, there are tons of students who are 100% sure they'll go into something and end up choosing something else. Sometimes it's due to personal choice, sometimes it's other factors.

Regardless, what happens if you choose Hopkins and find out you actually prefer a primary care specialty? Now you're feeling forced to try and go into something high paying just to be able to pay off the MASSIVE loan debt.
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Adding to this -- even if you stick with derm or ophtho, your half a million in debt (more if you have undergrad loans) will dictate your career trajectory and post-residency life. After residency, you're going to have to aim to maximize your income in order to pay back the debt. For example, if you want to work in a major city or at an academic center, work part-time to pursue research/advocacy/etc., start a family or support an older family member; your income is going to take a hit.

Also, as an aside, ophtho has comparatively low starting salaries for early career attendings (which increase after you've paid your dues), so you'll still be making life decisions based on debt.

That being said, only you know how much prestige means much to you.
 
JoyFairy said:
Adding to this -- even if you stick with derm or ophtho, your half a million in debt (more if you have undergrad loans) will dictate your career trajectory and post-residency life. After residency, you're going to have to aim to maximize your income in order to pay back the debt. For example, if you want to work in a major city or at an academic center, work part-time to pursue research/advocacy/etc., start a family or support an older family member; your income is going to take a hit.

Also, as an aside, ophtho has comparatively low starting salaries for early career attendings (which increase after you've paid your dues), so you'll still be making life decisions based on debt.

That being said, only you know how much prestige means much to you.
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Great points!!! People often forget that many of the higher paying specialties in the NE or West Coast (and esp in academic settings) pay about the same as community-based primary care specialties in the Midwest and South.
 
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Here's what I'd like to know....have you spoken with actual attendings about this? No shade to SDN (okay, maybe a little lol), but the obsession with prestige on here is highly unrealistic compared to the real world.

Virtually every attending I spoke to when I applied told me to choose the cheapest option. And I've seen that echoed by most attendings on here too.
 
nanette18 said:
Thanks for your response! Do you think the name really justifies the cost difference? Honestly if I had the name AND a good location, I’d probably bite the bullet. I’m I’m so worried I’ll shoot myself in the foot and have a tough time matching at UCSD, in that case all my hard work would be in vain. But again, I’d be in BALTIMORE for 4 yrs so I’m paying a premium to probably be miserable especially coming from an upscale area in California.
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Have plenty of classmates from upscale Cali — would hardly say any of them are miserable here! It’s not LA or NYC, but once you get to Baltimore and start to understand/explore the city dynamics and social scene, you’ll find there are many enjoyable aspects. Daily life, especially where most students live, is quite pleasant. And DC, NYC, and Philly are all close by if you need them. Training at Hopkins is one of a kind, and the value of the experiences you’d have here go beyond the “name” that’ll be on your diploma.

That being said, San Diego is gorgeous, that’s a huge price difference, and I think you’d be able to match into your specialty of choice if you went to UCSD (going there will not be a reason you don’t match… where you match may differ, but whether you match probably won’t).
 
If you don’t match somewhere, it will be because of you, not the ucsd diploma. Hands down, UCSD. And buy a vacation house with the extra money in ten years.
 
I'mInDer! said:
Here's what I'd like to know....have you spoken with actual attendings about this? No shade to SDN (okay, maybe a little lol), but the obsession with prestige on here is highly unrealistic compared to the real world.

Virtually every attending I spoke to when I applied told me to choose the cheapest option. And I've seen that echoed by most attendings on here too.
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I had the chance to speak with 4 physicians today, 2 of which told me to challenge myself and that the prestige associated with JH hits different. The other 2 told me to take the money, emphasizing that excellent physicians come from everywhere and that it's all about making the most of any situation. Could literally not be more conflicting. On one hand UCSD seem like "paradise for free", on the other its an amazing opportunity to attend a top 3 at JH and I might never get that opportunity again.
 
Saturday’s Child said:
Have plenty of classmates from upscale Cali — would hardly say any of them are miserable here! It’s not LA or NYC, but once you get to Baltimore and start to understand/explore the city dynamics and social scene, you’ll find there are many enjoyable aspects. Daily life, especially where most students live, is quite pleasant. And DC, NYC, and Philly are all close by if you need them. Training at Hopkins is one of a kind, and the value of the experiences you’d have here go beyond the “name” that’ll be on your diploma.

That being said, San Diego is gorgeous, that’s a huge price difference, and I think you’d be able to match into your specialty of choice if you went to UCSD (going there will not be a reason you don’t match… where you match may differ, but whether you match probably won’t).
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very, very eloquently stated... do you think the value of the experience is work the cost difference and location?
 
nanette18 said:
I had the chance to speak with 4 physicians today, 2 of which told me to challenge myself and that the prestige associated with JH hits different. The other 2 told me to take the money, emphasizing that excellent physicians come from everywhere and that it's all about making the most of any situation. Could literally not be more conflicting. On one hand UCSD seem like "paradise for free", on the other its an amazing opportunity to attend a top 3 at JH and I might never get that opportunity again.
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You should ask them if they'd have paid over $400k (not counting tax) to go to Hopkins if they had a school as good as UCSD giving them the chance to go for only $70k.
 
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is a very special place with outstanding clinical training, it's not just about prestige. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the number one school of public health in the country and offers wonderful opportunities in global health.
 
nanette18 said:
very, very eloquently stated... do you think the value of the experience is work the cost difference and location?
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Why thank you! And that’s really such a subjective/personal question that I think only you can know the answer to. How much does the price tag worry you? How much do you genuinely value the idea of knowing you went to Hopkins? Consider what matters to you now, and maybe consider what your future self at 30 or 60 years old will care about.

It’s a legitimate concern you have in wondering whether you’d regret missing out on the opportunity to go here for med school (though there’s always the potential for a residency or fellowship here). If you envision yourself having a gnawing regret for the rest of your life at passing up this opportunity, then the cost/investment may be worth it. After all, life is short, and you’d meet people and do things here that could change your life. However, in my years here on SDN, most people tend to advise that prestige is never worth more than maybe $100-200k extra depending on the alternative school choice. With UCSD being a ~T20, I do think that’s still a great program—maybe not quite with the same name/history or stature of attendings as Hopkins, but still will get you where you want to go.
 
UCSD by far. This isn't Hopkins vs small midwestern state program, it's Hopkins vs another major academic center in a very desirable SoCal city for $500,000 less.

FYI Hopkins has had multiple people fail to match Ophtho in recent years despite the strength of Wilmer and JHU overall. Don't try to read the match lists for specific competitive fields without knowing about the unmatched numbers. Derm is also one of the relatively weaker departments within Hopkins, I think UCSD is just as good of a launch pad especially if you aim to end up on the west coast.
 
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