UCSF v. USC

[rossrug]

Is it crazy to be thinking about this?
I have personal/creative interests that would keep me in L.A. I was already set on going to USC, just got accepted off the waitlist at UCSF.
Thoughts?
Thanks

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[MrTee]

Is it crazy to be thinking about this?

Yes.

 

[sierra89]

USC is in a dreadful location. And you would be insane to want to live anywhere near the campus, so you'd probably end up commuting.

 

[rossrug]

I already live in L.A., in Hollywood, so it would be a commute, but not too bad.

 

[Rzarecta]

I already live in L.A., in Hollywood, so it would be a commute, but not too bad.

Hmm...cheaper AND better school? Decision is already made, I have chosen UCSF as the school you will attend. You will accept my decision.

 

[Ambs]

Dude! PICK UCSF! You may have to put some work into moving up there, but it will be worth it for the rest of your life.

 

[lumd]

Is it crazy to be thinking about this?
I have personal/creative interests that would keep me in L.A. I was already set on going to USC, just got accepted off the waitlist at UCSF.
Thoughts?
Thanks

Ross, both schools are excellent and I would make sure not to be caught in the ranking-competitive dilemma that I see everywhere. From the little you shared on postings I can tell that you have experienced life outside college. Ultimately you should go to the school that you think would allow you to maintain some sense of self and continuity with what you have built in life. It may be here in LA, with family/professional contact, etc or in SF, where all is new to you. Where do you think your creativity can be nurture more? How important are music and friends/family to you?

 

[YFR]

Most people would favor UCSF for prestige, research opportunities, better chances in the match, and perhaps better professors/mentors. But if you're not very interested in academics/research or a competitive residency, it won't much make difference whether you go to USC or UCSF.

Cost is a factor, although 150 vs. 200 thousand dollars in loans is rather insignificant over the coarse of a career.

As for USC's location, it's both a negative and a positive. The point that it's not a great place to live isn't very important, because there are great places to live within 10 minutes. The value of serving a largely indigent patient population varies from person to person.

So, if you're interested in research, matching competitively, and/or the more academic side of medicine, go UCSF. If you're interested in primary care or have other attachments to southern california, then USC might be a better fit. You'll be well off either way. If you really can't decide or are unsure of your priorities, choose UCSF to be safe.

 

[rossrug]

Wow,
Thank you guys for the responses, a lot to think about.
Yes, I guess that's my question, how much to rankings/prestige really matter in the future. Am I really going to have more choices/make more money if I go to UCSF.
The cost is somewhat a factor, but like some one said, it's not like UCSF is cheap, med school is expensive, it doesn't matter where you go.

Any more comments I would love to read though, thanks again

 

[Medikit]

I'm going to say USC, but only because I have friends on the UCSF waitlist and they definitely want to go there more than you do.

 

[You'reCrazy]

Wow,
Thank you guys for the responses, a lot to think about.
Yes, I guess that's my question, how much to rankings/prestige really matter in the future. Am I really going to have more choices/make more money if I go to UCSF.
The cost is somewhat a factor, but like some one said, it's not like UCSF is cheap, med school is expensive, it doesn't matter where you go.

Any more comments I would love to read though, thanks again

Sounds like you made your decision, can I ask which one you made? I'm curious to see (I'm on the USC waitlist, so you can easily see why).

But whatever decision you make, you'll role with the punches anyway in med school, you must have great stats (and therefore brains) to be able to get into both schools. Congrats and good luck on your decision.

 

[lumd]

Wow,
Thank you guys for the responses, a lot to think about.
Yes, I guess that's my question, how much to rankings/prestige really matter in the future. Am I really going to have more choices/make more money if I go to UCSF.
The cost is somewhat a factor, but like some one said, it's not like UCSF is cheap, med school is expensive, it doesn't matter where you go.

Any more comments I would love to read though, thanks again

May I ask you what makes you believe that you will be making more money/more choices by going to UCSF instead than USC? If you do well in the next 4 yrs there is no reason to believe that poverty is ahead of you. I may say that I know more than a few USC graduates and they are all doing very well. I want to say this again: stay away from the ranking/prestige dilemma. It will only confuse you, go at the core issues and reflect on those.

 

[notdeadyet]

I'm in total agreement that overfocusing on the prestige factor is way overblown in general and particularly on SDN. You need to decide which is a better fit for you. And by this, I mean both UCSF and USC.

As for USC's location, it's both a negative and a positive. The point that it's not a great place to live isn't very important, because there are great places to live within 10 minutes.

Only if you like Hollywood or Sunset. If you want the "walk to school" thing a la UCLA in Westwood, you're SOL.

The value of serving a largely indigent patient population varies from person to person.

Que? UCSF manages San Francisco General Hospital, which is a level 1 trauma center and cares for mostly an indigent population. And UCSF tends to attract an altruistic crowd in addition to a bright one. Just because USC is located in a more crappy neighborhood than, say, UCLA doesn't imply that USC interacts more with the local community.

Notice the height of those walls around USC's campus? You will be very hard pressed to find many USC student that know the neighborhood that their school is in better than they know Hollywood, Sunset or Westwood.

If you're interested in primary care or have other attachments to southern california, then USC might be a better fit.

What advantage does USC have over UCSF for primary care? Again, because a school is not a world leader in research doesn't mean it's top notch in primary care.

Ross- it sounds as if you're happy with LA. I'd strongly recommend learning as much about SF as possible before making the leap. I grew up in the LA area and have lived in LA and have lived in SF for years. You can like LA and SF both, but you will find very few people who are passionate about both cities. SF and LA are polar opposites and if you love one, you probably won't love the other.

USC's a great school. If you're happy with the thought of attending USC and you're not sure you'd really dig UCSF, think twice about moving to the bay.

 

[You'reCrazy]

I'm going to say USC, but only because I have friends on the UCSF waitlist and they definitely want to go there more than you do.

Spoken like a stereotypical pre-med, good job medikit

 

[domukin]

Spoken like a stereotypical pre-med, good job medikit

At least he's honest, and it actually brings up a good point, go where ever you will be happy- Don't take someones spot at SF if you are going to be miserable.

 

[YFR]

IRT notdeadyet...
In case your attacking every bit of my post is an indication that you want to compare penis-sizes of UCSF and USC, I'll say right now that I'm not interested. I would personally choose UCSF over USC, but that may not be the right choice for the next person. My point was that the schools have different atmospheres and areas of strength and focus which suit different people. The 'not good at research = good at primary care' argument that you assume I'm pushing is just another fall-back on rankings and is nowhere in my post. The OP is obviously beyond the rankings hype.

I will say that USC is known for its commitment to serving underprivileged patients, as well as for the unparalleled patient contact that its students experience -- I thought this was common knowledge among CA applicants. UCSF of course has similar strengths, but this is a central aspect of training at LA County. And I didn't say that USC is more involved with the local community, but it is more focused on it than, say, UCSF or UCLA, which get more of the patients who pick and choose between hospitals based on specialty strengths. But still, at almost any school a student will have opportunities to experience medicine in different types of settings.

BTW, Hollywood and Sunset are two neighborhoods out of about 10 within short driving distance to USC.

 

[sierra89]

Just because USC is located in a more crappy neighborhood than, say, UCLA doesn't imply that USC interacts more with the local community.

I don't want to say that I know the measure of UCLA's community involvement, but USC is deeply rooted in the communities surrounding its main campus, and those communities just happen to be much less well off than those around UCLA. USC's many community programs demonstrate how much the school is interested in helping those who are less fortunate.

Notice the height of those walls around USC's campus?

There are no walls around the Health Sciences Campus. Although, I did notice a walled-in area that is adjacent to HSC--it's one of L.A.'s juvenile halls. But the upside of this is that there are no walls around HSC. Perhaps it's not such a bad neighborhood after all.

 

[lumd]

I don't want to say that I know the measure of UCLA's community involvement, but USC is deeply rooted in the communities surrounding its main campus, and those communities just happen to be much less well off than those around UCLA. USC's many community programs demonstrate how much the school is interested in helping those who are less fortunate.




There are no walls around the Health Sciences Campus. Although, I did notice a walled-in area that is adjacent to HSC--it's one of L.A.'s juvenile halls. But the upside of this is that there are no walls around HSC. Perhaps it's not such a bad neighborhood after all.

Are there any UCSF or USC students out there that can actually illustrate the various points? I am curious to hear their views.

 

[You'reCrazy]

Are there any UCSF or USC students out there that can actually illustrate the various points? I am curious to hear their views.

good idea, ross if you want a really good answer, not just speculation from pre-meds. Try posting a thread on the allo section. OR check to see the matching of both schools and see which fits you best in your future goals. After all, that is what's important anyway.

Then again, you might have made your decision already, so forget it.

 

[caffeine37]

You can like LA and SF both, but you will find very few people who are passionate about both cities. SF and LA are polar opposites and if you love one, you probably won't love the other.

USC's a great school. If you're happy with the thought of attending USC and you're not sure you'd really dig UCSF, think twice about moving to the bay.

I think this is a great point. I have a friend who decided to go to a med school based on prestige alone, and she was unhappy for 4 years.

 

[sierra89]

good idea, ross if you want a really good answer, not just speculation from pre-meds. Try posting a thread on the allo section. OR check to see the matching of both schools and see which fits you best in your future goals. After all, that is what's important anyway.

Then again, you might have made your decision already, so forget it.

Apologies because I am a premed and I don't attend the school there! I did apply, however, and I did my research, too. (I'm not just speculating.) I can't find anything to support my observation that there's no wall around the campus, so you just have to take my word for that. As for community involvement, here's what USC has to say about it. And, just look up the location of Central/Eastlake Juvenile Hall on Yahoo Maps, Mapquest, etc.; the address for the place can be found here.

 

[lumd]

I think this is a great point. I have a friend who decided to go to a med school based on prestige alone, and she was unhappy for 4 years.

Can you share some of the reasons why she was unhappy? Was is something concerning the school per se (clinical, rotation, etc.) or the life style?

 

[notdeadyet]

IRT notdeadyet...
In case your attacking every bit of my post is an indication that you want to compare penis-sizes of UCSF and USC, I'll say right now that I'm not interested.

Yuck. Me neither. Apologies if my post came across as an attack. I just happen to be familiar with both UCSF (from working there) and SF/LA from living there and disagreed with some of your sentiments. Nothing personal.

You're dead right about the schools having different strengths and focuses. At the end of the day, both are strong schools, so the OP will get the education he wants out of it. I'd make the decision much more on the location.

The 'not good at research = good at primary care' argument that you assume I'm pushing is just another fall-back on rankings and is nowhere in my post.

You said that UCSF is a good choice for those interested in research/competitive specialties, whereas USC is a good choice for those interested in primary care. Not sure what you mean by rankings, but if you're talking about the USN&WR type stuff, I'd ignore it.

I'm sure USC is a great med school. I didn't know about their commitment to serving the underprivilaged, but I assumed most med schools focused on this (all the ones I'm looking at are). With LA County as their training hospital, they'd better be committed.

BTW, Hollywood and Sunset are two neighborhoods out of about 10 within short driving distance to USC.

I mentioned "walking". The thing without the car. Some folks like to live in the immediate community where they work. This is hard to do at USC because of the neighborhood.

 

[notdeadyet]

I don't want to say that I know the measure of UCLA's community involvement, but USC is deeply rooted in the communities surrounding its main campus, and those communities just happen to be much less well off than those around UCLA. USC's many community programs demonstrate how much the school is interested in helping those who are less fortunate.

Yikes. I'm not familiar with the medical school per se, but I have never been of the impression that USC students are particularly known for their philanthropic efforts. This is not an attack. But this is not the reputation of USC as it is known in the community. Maybe that's all an unfair stereotype based on the family income of your average undergrad there. If community involvement is a main focus of the undergrad USC experience, they really need to work on their PR.

Glad to hear that the med school is so community focused. That's nice to hear.

There are no walls around the Health Sciences Campus.

I was referring to the main campus, not Keck.

 

[Jalby]

If you want a lower debt, better letters of recommendations (bigger names), a more supportive administration, a better curriculum, and happier 3rd year medical students (first and second are equal), go to UCSF.

If you want more sunshine, 200K in debt, better chance at AOA, go to USC.

95 out of 100 people should choose UCSF over USC.

 

[gujuDoc]

I'm going to say USC, but only because I have friends on the UCSF waitlist and they definitely want to go there more than you do.

You're funny!!!!!!!!!

To the OP:

Pick where ever you'll be more comfortable with. Pick the school that you find to suit our personality and that you could picture yourself going to more.

 

[UCLA Bear]

I grew up in Northern California, went to school at UCLA for 4 years. NorCal and SoCal are honestly completely different places, the people are different, the city feeling is different, and the traffic is definately different. I absolutely love northern california and completely sick of LA, and I know others who have grown up in LA who feel the exact opposite. So I think you really have to put into consideration the area that you will be studying at for the next 4 years. Lets just say that when I didn't get into UCLA Med I didn't lose any sleep over it.

 

[lumd]

Hey,

have you finally decided what to do? I am entering UCSF and if you decided to go there too...welcome!

Is it crazy to be thinking about this?
I have personal/creative interests that would keep me in L.A. I was already set on going to USC, just got accepted off the waitlist at UCSF.
Thoughts?
Thanks

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I already live in L.A., in Hollywood, so it would be a commute, but not too bad.

This has got to be a troll. The commute is not too bad? Have you ever driven in LA traffic during rush hour?

 

[UCDavisdude]

call me crazy, but i wouldnt choose any other school over usc. thats what im working hard for. my top choice is usc. there just so much school spirit there. i dont know what kind of person you are, but if your the type thats into school spirit, usc would be a great choice. ucsf is a "better" med school though.

 

[jjmack]

call me crazy, but i wouldnt choose any other school over usc. thats what im working hard for. my top choice is usc. there just so much school spirit there. i dont know what kind of person you are, but if your the type thats into school spirit, usc would be a great choice. ucsf is a "better" med school though.

If you really love USC that much great. But UCSF isn't "better" it is superior in every way. Clinical research, basic research, and clinical care, grant funding, private funding. Don't get me wrong USC is a good school, but UCSF is better in any way you measure.

 

[roady]

In terms of how difficult the work is, there's an auction on eBay selling real lectures from a medical school in Florida; it claims you can judge how hard it is to be in medical school because they had to go through the whole book in 2 weeks:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15911&item=6191358371&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Good luck!

 

[ablumoon]

does it really matter where you go to school?? if i were you, i would look at the residency matches for USC and UCSF and compare them to the specialty that you would want to enter. Both schools have great matches and are research oriented, if that's what you're looking for. In terms of clinical exposure, 'SC grads are KNOWN to be very well equipped to handling tough situations in residency. Depending on what you are particularly interested in, I think that Keck would be a wonderful pick either way. I don't know about the rest of you people, but like the op, medical school and being a doctor is very important....but so are many other things in my life ('creative' outlets, etc.) i would definitely go with the place that has more to offer in terms of lifestyle options. it's not always about the "name" or whatevre, it's about where you think you will be happy--location, location, location.

well, i have to say i am a bit biased because I have strong ties to Keck and go to USC....and i LOVE USC .... the trojan spirit is strong, and the doctors are pretty amazing.

my mom always says: wherever you go to medical school is ultimately inconsequential to your life goals and destinations. we're all going to end up with an MD degree, remember, and personally, I would want a doctor who's good at what he does, I wouldn't give a **** about where he went to medical school. w00t

Fight On! =) [go to 'SC!]

 

[nerdgrrl]

Is it crazy to be thinking about this?
I have personal/creative interests that would keep me in L.A. I was already set on going to USC, just got accepted off the waitlist at UCSF.
Thoughts?
Thanks

oh my fecking god. you're actually having to decide that? get your ass to San Francisco. I'd be there in less than a heartbeat.