UCSD vs Mount Sinai

[americandragon]

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Hello SDN brothers and sisters, so I'm deciding between UCSD and Mount Sinai. I am super blessed to have this choice as this cycle seemed pretty competitive. I am torn because I love Mt. Sinai and the vibe I got there, but I want to position myself where I can come back to California for residency.

After scholarships/grants costs will roughly be the same and would not factor into my decision making.

UCSD:
Pros:
1. Weather
2. Higher rank (#14)? Does this really matter?
3. Better chance at California residency? Because of location? I'm not really familiar with how residency selections work 😛
4. Better for community health? Is this true?
Cons:
1. The drive/commute in La Jolla/SD traffic for clerkship (I hate driving)
2. Students didn't seem that happy about the curriculum (could just be my interview day)


Sinai:
Pros:
1. Facilities were amazing and are right next door to apartments (big plus for me)
2. Approach to curriculum meshes well with my personal learning style + take home tests!
3. Great for Internal Medicine (something I am interested in)
4. Seems like students are given a lot of free time to explore interest/extracurriculars
5. Can do MPH degree concurrently
Cons:
1. Weather
2. Lower rank (#19) and reputation is mostly regional? Will this affect me in residency applications?

Other factors:
1. I want to do primary care but will be open to other specialties if my preference changes during med school
2. I am very interested in health policy

Again I really do not know much about either schools other than what I can gleam from websites and my interview day tours. Any SDNers want to suggest some important factors I am not considering? Thanks y'all 🙂

 

[VintagePigskin]

I'll begin by stating that you have two absolutely fantastic choices for medical school. You should be proud of yourself for all of your hard work!

I do think it is telling that your #1 "pro" for UCSD is weather. UCSD is certainly a great school, but I would be weary of choosing any school with such hefty emphasis on something so ephemeral. That being said, a 14 vs. 19 ranking, in my opinion, does not matter. Both are Top 20 Medical Schools, and neither will grant you any substantial advantage over the other. You are correct, however, that UCSD may indeed permit you a better chance at a residence in CA.

I would strongly push back against your assertion that Sinai's reputation is "mostly regional". Sinai is a powerhouse in medicine and is renowned internationally for advances in the field. Admittedly, I do not know as much about schools on the west coast, but you cannot lose with a Sinai education; the school can place you at any residency in existence. Additionally, I think you hit the nail on the head by lauding Sinai's innovative curriculum and learning environment. Few schools, if any, match the atmosphere at Sinai.

 

[Slack3r]

If you're trying to return to Cali, probably best to go to school in Cali. There's no shortage of California explants trying to go back to the motherland, and having connections in the state would be huge.

As for public health, the large underserved Hispanic population in SoCal should provide plenty of opportunities.

 

[nih15hopeful]

You can't go wrong with either in terms of education or chances at matching anywhere in the country. At this stage in your schooling, don't worry about whether one school is ever-so-slightly "better" in one field or another. You won't notice a huge difference in your decision-making, when it comes down to it.

I will say one more thing: If you've never experienced a winter harsher than that in SoCal and are prone to weather-related depression (or simply place high value on being able to be outdoors year-round), be wary of The NY Winter. Weather is absolutely an important factor if it matters to you.

 

[hellanutella]

Echoing VintagePigskin, huge congrats to you! I adored the atmosphere at both schools... I really wish I could Frankenstein bits and pieces of each one together to make something like San Sinai-Mount Diego SOM. The following is my non-expert opinion:

Sinai – I'm sure current students would have a much better perspective, but I think Sinai has been ramping up their primary care program as of late (see their new "Primary Care Scholars" program). During my interview day's group discussion with Dean Parkas, when asked how she envisioned Sinai to evolve in the coming years, she explicitly mentioned a greater emphasis on primary care. I had applied to Sinai due to its research reputation, but was pleasantly surprised to find how well-rounded their focus was.

Community health – Sinai's East Harlem Outreach program seemed to be very well-developed but I don't know how it compares to UCSD's free clinic system (which something like 90% of my interview day focused upon 😉). Both schools seem well-poised for anyone interested in community health, especially for those looking to work with Spanish-speaking communities. I know SD has some awesome global health programs thanks to their proximity to Mexico and their relationships with several foreign medical schools.

UCSD – I'm also not the most familiar with it's curriculum, but my MS3 & 4 student hosts raved about amount of free time the new curriculum afforded their MS1 friends and wished they had this new setup. Classes run 8-12 three days a week. It's not the same as Sinai's FlexTime, but it's nothing to sneeze at.

SD commuting – If anyone can chime in about the new Jacobs Medical Center and how it may alter clinical rotations, that'd be awesome. I'd love the chance to eliminate a commute in SD traffic, but I'm not sure if med students will even be rotating there (or, more importantly, if all the kinks would be worked out by the time med students enter). Shoutout to @hoihaie for bringing this to my attention. I saw this massive, shiny new building looming over LJ but never asked what it was... and nobody even mentioned a new hospital during my interview day!


Funny enough, my UCSD tour guide had decided between UCSD/Sinai. N=1, but if I recall correctly they chose SD for lower tuition and the fact that they wanted to remain in CA. If cost isn't an issue and if you're geographically flexible, I'd honestly say it'd be a coin toss. Good luck!

 

[Greenberg702]

I'm definitely a little biased, but I wanted to chime in that in speaking to the upperclassmen here, tons of Sinai students are from Cali and almost all of them who want to manage to match back there (in competitive specialties/top programs as well). Doing well here absolutely will not limit you in that regard although there is certainly some regional bias in the residency selection process. One of my suitemates was deciding between Sinai and UCSF/UCSD and loves it here, zero regrets. I'd recommend revisiting both and choosing the school where you think you will fit in better! Best of luck.

 

[Kaelis]

I wanted to note that OP listed proximity of living quarters to facilities as a big plus. At UCSD, Rita Atkinson (graduate housing) is literally a five minute or less walk from the Telemed building, and is subsidized to around $500 a month. That seems pretty convenient, to me.

 

[tenniseagle92]

I didn't interview at UCSD but have been accepted at Sinai (to start off with my bias). I loved Sinai, though I'm not sure if I will matriculate.

At the end of the day, you'll get a great education either way. Residency does have a regional bias, but SInai is a great school that should not limit you at all (being from California will show that you would definitely move back for residency). I think you really can't go wrong, and you should consider what you're really considering here: do you want to spend 4 years of your life in NYC? Some people would love that, others wouldn't.

To get back to the residency point, I am from Boston, went to undergrad here, and work at a Boston hospital now. I would love to come back for residency, but I was worried moving away for med school would affect that. I spoke to a residency director at the hospital I work at (Harvard affiliate), and he said being from a region works the same as going to a med school there. Residency directors are confident you'd be willing to move back home.

If I were you, I'd probably go to Sinai if cost weren't that different. Living in NYC for four years would be an incredible experience, and for residency you'd be opening yourself up to both northeast and Cali options!