UCSD vs. UCSF

[pharma1989]

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Hi all,
I was accepted to both UCSD and UCSF pharmacy schools, and I am having a really hard time choosing between both. My long term career is to become a faculty member in a school of pharmacy. I currently live in San Diego (SD) , and I love it. My family lives in SD, and it is a plus for me if I can stay next to them.

There is a list of UCSD and UCSF pros and cons according to me.

UCSD
Pros:
1- Close to home.
2- The school is relatively new, so there is a chance for me to make an difference in the school during my PharmD study.
3- Pass/no pass system encourage learning and decrease competition.
4- It is the only pharm school in San Diego, so it is easy to make future professional connections.
5- I like San Deigo!

Cons
1- The school is new, and not as prestigious as UCSF.

UCSF
Pros:
1- One of the best in the world!
2- Chance for personal growth by leaving SD and moving to SF.
Cons
1- There is grades and GPA, which means stupid competition.
2- Not crazy about North Cal. Rain, rain, go away!
3- SF is expensive.
4- I think I will eventually move to SoCal.

Any advice will be appreciated

 

[Corytrade]

You should pick UCSD since you have to think about the two. LOL at second guessing the best school of pharmacy because they give you real grades and the weather isn't perfect.

 

[DrDrugs2012]

Apologies if this comes across as cruel or snarky. Its meant to be more of a wake up and less of a criticsm. Honestly, and this might come as a shock to you, but if *that* is your list of pros and cons for each school, then you are already lacking the decisionmaking maturity one expects of a future pharmacist. Being afraid of grades? Afraid that you cant move back to SoCal? Rain? Are you the wicked witch in Oz? These arent cons - they are illusions you create in your mind to justify a choice you already made. You might as well put on the list of cons for UCSF "good food will make me fat" and "exercise walking up and down hilly streets will make me sweat". These arent cons and neither are yours - they are illusions you create for yourself to justify a choice you already made.

And this isnt to say there are no cons to UCSF - there are always cons. But you arent starting from the right place so even if you listed them you arent weighing them fairly from the beginning. You have already stacked the deck in favor of UCSD.

 

[KidPharmD]

Who turns down an acceptance to UCSF after bother applying?

BTW, from discussions with other residency programs at Midyear, RPD's seem to look down upon the new Pass/Fail colleges as it is impossible to judge the difference between minimum acceptable and exceptional. Think long term about how your CV will be viewed with each college on it.

I do agree with the others though, if you have to think about it - maybe you should go to UCSD and let someone else have your spot at UCSF.

 

[pharma1989]

First of all. I wont be accepted to UCSF if I were afraid of grades. UCSF maybe 1# for you, but not for everyone, so sorry if I don't share your godly view of UCSF. The reason I prefer pass/no pass, because it encourages learning rather than 'studying', and in the same time, I can focus on other things such as my research at UCSD, and my extracurricular activities. Also, UCSD has an honors system. Also, UCSD class is only 60 students. Last year, 100% of UCSD students passed NAPLEX in their first attempt.
When it comes to rain, we are talking about the next 4 years of my life. I want to spend it in a place where I will enjoy, and I can be productive the most.

 

[Corytrade]

UCSD it is then!

 

[confettiflyer]

Hands down UCSF, get out of the San Diego bubble for a while...it'll be good for you.

 

[Rx6663865784$$]

Choose with your heart, and not your head.

I was fortunate enough to get accepted at UCSF and UCSD as well. At the time, I had a really hard time deciding. In my heart, I felt I would be happier in San Diego. In the end, I decided to go to UCSF because of its reputation, residency placement stats, etc ... I decided with my head based on what was the most logically thing to do.

Knowing what I know about UCSF program now, having gone through everything, I regret not going to UCSD. I would have been happier had I chosen with my heart.

During orientation, UCSF will tell you to forget about grades and focus on learning, life-long learning. That's all great and good, but in the end, for you to survive at UCSF, it is mostly about the grades. Some classes, it will be nearly impossible for you to get an A. Some "world-renowned pharmacist" made into therapeutics course-coordinator are straight out awful, delusional, unable to use logical wording when writing exam questions. Then, trying to argue logical concepts based on the lecture material provided becomes a battlefield. Saving your GPA becomes your life mission.

Trust me, you don't want to go through that. Having to go through endless regrades. Having to attend town-hall meeting to try to get the school to understand that the professor might be the greatest clinician in the world but not the best person to teach. The school might even understand, but they can not get rid of a faculty that has been there forever.

Save yourself some trouble. Go somewhere you will be happy and at the best environment for you to succeed. Understand that even the best programs in the world have problems. No school is perfect, but if you are happy, you will be strong enough to endure whatever comes your way.

Best of luck

Student at UCSF

 

[Nguyen2017]

Choose with your heart, and not your head.

I was fortunate enough to get accepted at UCSF and UCSD as well. At the time, I had a really hard time deciding. In my heart, I felt I would be happier in San Diego. In the end, I decided to go to UCSF because of its reputation, residency placement stats, etc ... I decided with my head based on what was the most logically thing to do.

Knowing what I know about UCSF program now, having gone through everything, I regret not going to UCSD. I would have been happier had I chosen with my heart.

During orientation, UCSF will tell you to forget about grades and focus on learning, life-long learning. That's all great and good, but in the end, for you to survive at UCSF, it is mostly about the grades. Some classes, it will be nearly impossible for you to get an A. Some "world-renowned pharmacist" made into therapeutics course-coordinator are straight out awful, delusional, unable to use logical wording when writing exam questions. Then, trying to argue logical concepts based on the lecture material provided becomes a battlefield. Saving your GPA becomes your life mission.

Trust me, you don't want to go through that. Having to go through endless regrades. Having to attend town-hall meeting to try to get the school to understand that the professor might be the greatest clinician in the world but not the best person to teach. The school might even understand, but they can not get rid of a faculty that has been there forever.

Save yourself some trouble. Go somewhere you will be happy and at the best environment for you to succeed. Understand that even the best programs in the world have problems. No school is perfect, but if you are happy, you will be strong enough to endure whatever comes your way.

Best of luck

Student at UCSF

Wow!