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.
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.