UCSD vs UMD

[Ferry Corsten]

alright, in most cases i would pick UCSD over UMD (what city beats san diego?) but in this case its a little more complicated, and i hope i can get some good advice on this question.


UMD gave me a full tuition scholarship ($120,000 with $30k paid out each year), so that the only expense i need to worry about for this school is housing/living expenses.

on the other hand, UCSD has given me nothing, and i am an out of state applicant....although they just told me im getting a out of state tuition fee waiver and about $6000 the first year, with $2700 each year thereafter. so basically, it comes down to about 180k worth of debt after graduating from UCSD vs. maybe at most 30k debt at UMD. which should i choose?

i love ucsd and ive always wanted to live in cali, ucsd being my top choice. the pass/fail grading for the first two years also helps (UMD is straight up grades) but then again i dont know about having 180k in debt after graduation.....

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[COdoubleMO2theN]

Ucsd no contest In my opinion. I think people make too much out of the debt. It's a lot but you will be fine. You did receive waivers. Especially since you have wanted Cali and the area can't get much better. I'm a so cal Kid though so I may be bias but I stand at ucsd. Congrats either way that's truly awesome.

 

[davis9267]

WOW congrats on the full tuition scholarship and acceptances! I do think that the debt is actually a big issue because of all the worries that you will have after you finish. There was a big discussion earlier about whether a 25K difference in scholarships was worth a change from one school to another and the consensus was that it was still a lot of money. If you really wanted to be in California/San Diego in the future, you could always do an away rotation at UCSD and then apply to do residency there and then see how your life goes from there. In your situation, I would definitely take the full tuition scholarship and go with UMD, unless you feel that you will be unhappy at UMD. If you feel that you will do well/be happy at both schools, then I would go to UMD and live more or less debt free in the future.

 

[shuythuyshuy]

I concur. The debt will be an issue, especially if you decide you want to start a family, travel, and anything else that involves significant amount of money. You will feel bogged down by debt, so you really shouldn't take the money situation lightly. Imagine having an extra 180K versus having to pay it back out of your pocket plus interest. Take the money if you feel you will have a good time at UMD also!

 

[lord_jeebus]

I turned down a full scholarship at Pitt to attend UCSD. I have no regrets.

It's a tough choice. If you're really drawn here I don't think it's a mistake to decline the big scholarship - matching here for residency isn't as easy as "doing an away rotation."

 

[COdoubleMO2theN]

I turned down a full scholarship at Pitt to attend UCSD. I have no regrets.

It's a tough choice. If you're really drawn here I don't think it's a mistake to decline the big scholarship - matching here for residency isn't as easy as "doing an away rotation."

Completely agree.

 

[riceman04]

I turned down a full scholarship at Pitt to attend UCSD. I have no regrets.

It's a tough choice. If you're really drawn here I don't think it's a mistake to decline the big scholarship - matching here for residency isn't as easy as "doing an away rotation."

dude...lord...are you going to be around for the opening of the new hospital in 20...God knows when...?

 

[Appless]

alright, in most cases i would pick UCSD over UMD (what city beats san diego?) but in this case its a little more complicated, and i hope i can get some good advice on this question.


UMD gave me a full tuition scholarship ($120,000 with $30k paid out each year), so that the only expense i need to worry about for this school is housing/living expenses.

on the other hand, UCSD has given me nothing, and i am an out of state applicant....although they just told me im getting a out of state tuition fee waiver and about $6000 the first year, with $2700 each year thereafter. so basically, it comes down to about 180k worth of debt after graduating from UCSD vs. maybe at most 30k debt at UMD. which should i choose?

i love ucsd and ive always wanted to live in cali, ucsd being my top choice. the pass/fail grading for the first two years also helps (UMD is straight up grades) but then again i dont know about having 180k in debt after graduation.....

unless you utterly and absolutely HATE UMD, my god take the money and run. If you even remotly like it there you cant justify going somewhere and going another 150k in debt. Thats freakin insane, not to mention that 150k will be closer to 250k by the time you pay it back after residency. Everyone loves UCSD and i wish i could attend (sadly never even got an interview) but the debt is just too much. People who say debt doesnt matter have no real sense of money or have rich parents and have lived a privaleged life and probably dont care. If you are going to be miserable, sometimes you just have to go where you think you will be happiest, but for me, knowing when i graduate med school that I will have NO debt at all really and can start my life sooner, that is what would make me the happiest.

Think of it this way maybe, do you want to have loan payments that are like 300 dollars a month, or payments that are 3000-4000 dollars a month when you are an attending. I know for me the answer is very easy if i was in your situation. Most pre meds underestimate debt and then when you ask most attendings or those who have been through it all, your tune tends to change ive noticed.

 

[lord_jeebus]

dude...lord...are you going to be around for the opening of the new hospital in 20...God knows when...?

well, i'd like to stick around for the rest of my career...so...i might see the new hospital before I retire

(in all seriousness the expansion should be very nice)

 

[Ferry Corsten]

well, this is all sound advice. the truth is, im pretty sure compared to UCSD i will not be very happy at UMD....after all, (no hate to the B-more people), but baltimore is not so great a city, especially where the school is located....plus, i keep hearing from current med students (including a friend) telling me how much a difference pass/fail makes, so UMD's A B C D F grading system is definetly not going to help.

so really, im wondering whether being less happy at UMD is worth avoiding 180k of debt. that seems like a lot and unfortunately since i had never experienced a real working life, i dont know what 180k in debt REALLY means.....in terms of how it affects my daily life.

might have to flip a coin on this one! lol

 

[islandprincess]

I usually dont comment on these types of threads but I would say seriously look at UMD. I have a friend that's a first year there and hates the grading scale. Got one C and her adviser is telling her she wont be competitive for most residency programs. She is kicking herself for not going to a p/f school. If UCSD is already giving you a tuition waiver and money why not ask for more? Tell them about your full scholarship at the other school. Say I would really love to go here but the thought of the future debt is making me very unsure. Also, you will have more than 30k coming out of UMD. You will be taking out at least 15k per year for living expenses if not more. Good Luck. Personally I have a full scholarship somewhere but if I get in off the waitlist at my top choice, I will go there in a heartbeat regardless of debt because I know how I am and know where I will be happiest. Its all about knowing you.

 

[Appless]

well, this is all sound advice. the truth is, im pretty sure compared to UCSD i will not be very happy at UMD....after all, (no hate to the B-more people), but baltimore is not so great a city, especially where the school is located....plus, i keep hearing from current med students (including a friend) telling me how much a difference pass/fail makes, so UMD's A B C D F grading system is definetly not going to help.

so really, im wondering whether being less happy at UMD is worth avoiding 180k of debt. that seems like a lot and unfortunately since i had never experienced a real working life, i dont know what 180k in debt REALLY means.....in terms of how it affects my daily life.

might have to flip a coin on this one! lol

well then sometimes you have to go where you will be happiest to succeed in your future in medicine so maybe you need to look at UCSD. You could try islands idea of asking for more money at UCSD, doubt it would work but it does not hurt. 180k in debt will be come250-300 by the time you pay it off. With that much debt you are looking at about 3k a month loan payments on w/e salary you make as a doc. Averages arent very helpful but lets say you gross 250k per year as a doctor assuming no family practice.

40% of that is gone in taxes so you are at 150k net. So each month you are getting about 12.5k. Another 3k for loan payments you are 9.5k. So net to cover expenses you will be around that number give or take. 9.5k a month seems great (im not saying its not) but then factor in if you want a family and a mortgage payment then well, you can quickly see how that would dwindle down. Like I said, do you want loan payments or <500 or >3000 its your choice. If you would be truly miserable at UMD well go UCSD. You wont be the first or the last doctor to be in 200k debt or so. Its not like itll crush you and you will be living in poverty, its just more that in the end, why go into such debt when you have no need to? Just my thoughts on it. Another thing for me at least is with healthcare reform, the future of medicine and its salaries defiantly are up in the air and no one will know how it all works out till 2014 or later likely. But pay decreases are coming just to what extent no one knows...so by the time you are an attending in 2017 or later debt may be more of an issue. Or it may not, but the fact that everything is so uncertain would certainly make me look at debt more then in the past.

Also imagine if you are interested in family practice and say you make only about 150k per year. Using the same numbers above you are making about 7.5k after taxes and after loan payments only 4.5k a month net. That means the manager of walmart is probably netting more then you at the end of the day. This is maybe a situation where your debt might matter more

 

[lord_jeebus]

I forgot to mention that when I got the Pitt scholarship, I asked UCSD if they could sweeten the pot and they offered me a little bit of money. You probably won't be able to get more if you're already getting the OOS tuition grant, but it's worth a shot.

 

[shuythuyshuy]

Make sure to consult the people close to you such as friends/family/physicians you know regarding this decision also! I'm sure you will make the best one that you will not regret. There are also UCSD/UMD secondary application threads on the forum that you can check out if they will could help you.

 

[JJMrK]

I would go to UMD with no hesitation in that situation. Your mileage may vary.

 

[riceman04]

well, i'd like to stick around for the rest of my career...so...i might see the new hospital before I retire

(in all seriousness the expansion should be very nice)

What are the pros and cons of staying in SD for residency? UCSD SOM is awesome and I like SD, but more so as a tourist destination than a place I would want to live the rest of my life. Of course, you cannot beat the great weather, beaches, ladies, cougars 🙂laugh🙂, etc..., but I'd be willing to sacrifice some of that for a more cosmopolitan city.

But then again, I am, for the most part, stuck up here in La Jolla (aka Mitt Romney's new stomping ground).

 

[lord_jeebus]

What are the pros and cons of staying in SD for residency? UCSD SOM is awesome and I like SD, but more so as a tourist destination than a place I would want to live the rest of my life. Of course, you cannot beat the great weather, beaches, ladies, cougars 🙂laugh🙂, etc..., but I'd be willing to sacrifice some of that for a more cosmopolitan city.

But then again, I am, for the most part, stuck up here in La Jolla (aka Mitt Romney's new stomping ground).

Get out of La Jolla!

I grew up Tokyo, and to be honest, I don't like many places in the US. I think SD is as good as it gets.

I think some departments are particularly attractive for residency. Some are not.

 

[achamess]

What are the pros and cons of staying in SD for residency? UCSD SOM is awesome and I like SD, but more so as a tourist destination than a place I would want to live the rest of my life. Of course, you cannot beat the great weather, beaches, ladies, cougars 🙂laugh🙂, etc..., but I'd be willing to sacrifice some of that for a more cosmopolitan city.

But then again, I am, for the most part, stuck up here in La Jolla (aka Mitt Romney's new stomping ground).

Rumor has it the cougars like to hang out in Del Mar at dusk. When I interviewed at UCSD and we were at the Salk, that's what my tour guide told me 🙂