UCSF (Full tuition) vs Kaiser (Full CoA) vs UTSW (Full CoA)

[Etopn23]

I've narrowed my acceptances to these three options and I'm wondering if I could get some thoughts from the community.

UTSW:

Pros – Home, Full cost of attendance scholarship, my parents live nearby so I effectively have free child care. Regional Powerhouse. P/F preclinical.

Cons: No home program in my specialty of interest. I have been in Dallas my entire life (worried that PDs will think I won’t leave Texas). Has a reputation for being cut throat.

Kaiser:

Pros – Full cost of attendance scholarship, helped find childcare and a job for my wife (only school that has done this), excellent faculty that goes out of its way to communicate its goals with us/support us (The dean himself is willing to put down w/e he is doing and talk to us if we need anything face to face), SoCal, very small class size which allows for individual attention and access to faculty. P/F preclinical. Program is well funded and has cutting edge technology it is trialing on its first class

Con: New school/first class (PDs may be hesitant to take someone from a new school), research partnership with Caltech – however it’s a new partnership and I’m unsure of how that will pan out, No home program in my specialty of interest, associated with the Kaiser HMO/hospital system whose motives are questionable, hololens is cool but IDK how I feel about purely virtual anatomy.

UCSF:

Pros – “Prestige”, full tuition scholarship, Has a home program in my specialty of interest (which may change) - I have been in contact with residents at this program who are willing to help me reach my goal. P/F for 3 years with a possibility for no aoa by the time I graduate. Heavy inbreeding here for residencies.

Cons: Cost of living! Subsidized housing and child care will cost about 2.7k each a month. I will likely end up spending 160k for this school even with tuition covered. Hard for my wife to find a PA job in the San Fran market with the pandemic.

I was solidly UCSF until Kaiser started its virtual second look/conversations I've had with faculty/other students and I'm starting to lean Kaiser.

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[Etopn23]

One thing to consider that I didn’t see mentioned regarding UCSF.
I don’t know if your wife is / was already employed as a PA using your 2018 taxes from which financial aid at UCSF was based?
If not, your financial aid will change once she is employed and could impact your award. Also, even if she was employed, if she gets a 30% raise going to SF from Texas, it too can impact your need based award to a degree.

I’d say UTSW (full COA and reputable ability to pursue outside specialization) IS GREATER THAN UCSF ( home sub specialty of integrated vascular) GREATER THAN Kaiser. Any other sub specialty, and I would say UCSF>Kaiser as payback wouldn’t be too difficult. But UTSW and ability to match wont hold you back worth the 160k+.

One more thing, I didn’t understand your match... you estimated 2700 each for housing and day care in SF? That is 5400/ mo so about 65k/yr which is 260k for four years.

Yeah, our 2018 return is much higher than what our 2019 will look like. Financial aid is calculated prior to matriculating and is renewed annually with a 4% increase.

My wife's salary will cover the housing/day care - I just estimated 40k/year in living costs from the direct unsub x 4 years. The pandemic hit at the worst possible time and she is having difficulty finding a family medicine job in the bay; most of the interviews she has had are deferring until everything opens up again.

 

[proudofmykids]

Yeah, our 2018 return is much higher than what our 2019 will look like. Financial aid is calculated prior to matriculating and is renewed annually with a 4% increase.

My wife's salary will cover the housing/day care - I just estimated 40k/year in living costs from the direct unsub x 4 years. The pandemic hit at the worst possible time and she is having difficulty finding a family medicine job in the bay; most of the interviews she has had are deferring until everything opens up again.

Ah, I see you indicating the Unsubsidized amount implying you are getting subsidized living costs as well?

So in actuality, will aid likely get any better from UCSF if you have much less income for subsequent years?? If so, choose UCSF imho as costs will drop further from 160 estimate.

 

[Etopn23]

Ah, I see you indicating the Unsubsidized amount implying you are getting subsidized living costs as well?

So in actuality, will aid likely get any better from UCSF if you have much less income for subsequent years?? If so, choose UCSF imho as costs will drop further from 160 estimate.

Aid won't be recalculated. It's just calculated initially and increases 4% annually. I told them prior to the application about the anticipated changes and they adjusted the need accordingly.

There are no subsidized federal loans for medical school - just unsubsidized and the more expensive graduate plus loans. I will have to get with financial aid at some point and see how much of the unsubsidized loan I will likely need for CoL. Until then I guessed the full amount (40k/year).

 

[proudofmykids]

Aid won't be recalculated. It's just calculated initially and increases 4% annually. I told them prior to the application about the anticipated changes and they adjusted the need accordingly.

There are no subsidized federal loans for medical school - just unsubsidized and the more expensive graduate plus loans. I will have to get with financial aid at some point and see how much of the unsubsidized loan I will likely need for CoL. Until then I guessed the full amount (40k/year).

Try to get the school to adjust their COA so you qualify for the necessary loans. Otherwise, THe school’s COA total won’t account for the need for a two bedroom apartment and day care and it’s better to have flexibility.

 

[Skittsie13]

Integrated vascular 0+5

Hey OP, this is very late and I know you decided on UCSF, but I just learned UTSW added integrated vascular as of this year! They have two residents starting in July.

 

[Etopn23]

Hey OP, this is very late and I know you decided on UCSF, but I just learned UTSW added integrated vascular as of this year! They have two residents starting in July.

Hahaha, should have been advertised earlier! There's not even a website up yet. Maybe I will come back for residency?