UCSD vs. Pitt PSTP

[lilbob]

Typical east coast vs. west coast dilemma. Pitt seems a lot more serious and uptight whereas UCSD is much more laid back. Students at UCSD seemed genuinely happy about their med school experiences there whereas Pitt students did not as much?

PITT PSTP
Pros

• More prestige slightly?
• Interest in Surgical specialties
• Closer to family and support system
• Lower cost of living + easier transportation
• Funded research year + summer rotations in theory increase chance of matching in competitive specialities?
• UPMC
• Super strong focus in RESEARCH
• Interest in Neuroscience AoC

Cons

• 5-year commitment
• Students culture seems really competitive
• Seasonal Depression
• Much less diverse community
• Overall higher CoA post-scholarship ~10K
• Less enrichments and clinical opportunities since xtrmly research-heavy
• Overall lower quality-of-life compared to SD?

UCSD
Pros

• 4-year regular MD
• Location Unbeatable
• More collaborative and supportive student community
• Strong Neuro Research
• Desire to match in California
• Cheaper CoA by~10K
• Much more diverse patient community
• More room for exploration, enrichments in clinics and extracurriculars (hobbies or social services)
• Overall better life quality (weather, food, friends, etc)

Cons

• Far from family support on East Coast
• Higher cost of living
• Not as robust hospital system compared to UPMC

Summary: Pitt seems to give me an edge if I want to pursue academic medicine/competitive specialties, but is it worth the cost of mental health and overall quality of life/happiness at UCSD?

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[voxveritatisetlucis]

UCSD. Don’t think it would hold you back. Plus you’ll lose a year of salary at Pitt.

 

[millipump]

If your goal is academic medicine and/or surgical subspecialties, 100% go Pitt PSTP. Also, having your support system around you for the 5 years (1 year is nothing in the grand scheme of things tbh...) with a prestigious hospital like UPMC + faculty is going to set you up. Not saying UCSD won't, but seems like Pitt, along with its PSTP program is going to invest heavily in you. You will definitely be able to match into CA coming out of Pitt. Also, specifically for the PSTP program, these are their match results and it's pretty damn impressive: Residency Match Results | Physician Scientist Training Program | University of Pittsburgh
Also heard from other threads and current students that UCSD students are gunners and the environment is pretty toxic
Side note: I know UCSD has good research and the ~vibes~ are nice, but when I went to their interview, all the students there talked about was how chill it was and how nice the weather. They literally didn't say a single thing about their "collaborative" environment nor any academic opportunities they had.

 

[sourpatchbaby]

Typical east coast vs. west coast dilemma. Pitt seems a lot more serious and uptight whereas UCSD is much more laid back. Students at UCSD seemed genuinely happy about their med school experiences there whereas Pitt students did not as much?

I'm surprised that this was the vibe that you got from Pitt because I always hear that the students are a lot more chill and laid back than at other top schools 😳 There's not really a need for competition there bc it's P/F with no rankings.

I vote Pitt since you're interested in a surgical subspecialty and it's close to family. But I definitely think you'll be set up for success at either school!

 

[Apple Jacks]

UCSD: if you’re willing to leave family & yes while Pitt is more prestigious UCSD is a great program where you can also match into academic centers for surgery + amazing location
Pitt: if family support nearby is crucial & you really care about getting to the best possible residency program but wasted year of salary (to be fair you might need to take a research year at ucsd anyway)

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

If your goal is academic medicine and/or surgical subspecialties, 100% go Pitt PSTP. Also, having your support system around you for the 5 years (1 year is nothing in the grand scheme of things tbh...) with a prestigious hospital like UPMC + faculty is going to set you up. Not saying UCSD won't, but seems like Pitt, along with its PSTP program is going to invest heavily in you. You will definitely be able to match into CA coming out of Pitt. Also, specifically for the PSTP program, these are their match results and it's pretty damn impressive: Residency Match Results | Physician Scientist Training Program | University of Pittsburgh
Also heard from other threads and current students that UCSD students are gunners and the environment is pretty toxic
Side note: I know UCSD has good research and the ~vibes~ are nice, but when I went to their interview, all the students there talked about was how chill it was and how nice the weather. They literally didn't say a single thing about their "collaborative" environment nor any academic opportunities they had.

The match list is not ThAT impressive at all…

 

[crimson-cat]

If you want to match California and they're similar costs UCSD may be the move. Pitt is a very well-regarded name in medicine and the PSTP sounds like it may give you an edge (very hard to read match lists that small since we have no idea about applicants preferences), but UCSD will get you where you want to go as well

 

[anonimo21]

The match list is not ThAT impressive at all…

lol yes it is the programs are all insane for their specialties. It’s just such a small sample size that some years you might simply not have people interested in those competitive specialties like neurosurg orthopedics etc.

 

[Williamleo196]

I vote Pitt since it close to your home and has better match result in Surgical specialties.