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Any thoughts?
UF or Jefferson
- Thread starter Lvoen Bgilisis
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Are you trying to determine this solely based on reputation i.e. location, climate, curriculum, etc. are all moot to you?
They're pretty dramatically different, what are you looking for?
They're pretty dramatically different, what are you looking for?
Where is your home state? If Fl. is your home state UF will definitely be cheaper. However, personally if not, its probably not as much worth it in the long run to pay extra money to them for out of state tuition.
UF is a good school but I don't think it compares to some of the schools like Jefferson and NYU that are in the NE region. I also think being in a place bigger then Gainesville will have its benefits in terms of clinical training as well as life outside of school.
That said, I doubt you could go wrong with either program.
UF is a good school but I don't think it compares to some of the schools like Jefferson and NYU that are in the NE region. I also think being in a place bigger then Gainesville will have its benefits in terms of clinical training as well as life outside of school.
That said, I doubt you could go wrong with either program.
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They are both excellent schools. The difference is really the cost and the fact that you are in Center City in Philly versus a small town in Florida. Like Gujudoc mentioned, if you're a state resident, you will save a bundle by going to UF (not to mention the cost differential for living expenses). Im a UF COM grad and despite what may be echoed elsewhere, the clinical training is excellent and the research opportunities are numerous. Ultimately, I think it comes down to where you want to be for 4 years, and if its really worth tens of thousands of dollars more to be in a major city, then go for it. I would pick UF personally, assuming you're a FL resident. Most residents will tell you, its nicer to have a 5 figure loan rather than a 6 figure one.
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yeah, trying to decided between Jeff and my state school (Wayne) here too. I would love to leave the State and Philly would be amazing, but the cost and comfort of knowing I'd be going to Wayne with a few close friends is hard to turn down as well.
If Wayne is a state school with lower tuition I don't know that it would be worth it to turn it down. I would imagine that both would give you an equal education. Its not the same as comparing HMS to Wayne State.
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To me, I think the education you'll receive will be nearly equivalent at any school you attend. I would then prioritize my acceptance list based on comfort, money, surroundings, and then reputation.
Comfort being how I feel I "fit in" with the school: their ideology, curriculum, student body, etc..
Money being how affordable my education will be. I already have undergraduate debts to repay, I would do anything to minimize this area.
Surroundings being...the surroundings.
Reputation isn't so important to me. By all means it helps, but coming from a top 10 undergraduate program and meeting tons of interviewees from across the country, I can tell you that everyone is just as qualified, if not moreso, as you.
Comfort being how I feel I "fit in" with the school: their ideology, curriculum, student body, etc..
Money being how affordable my education will be. I already have undergraduate debts to repay, I would do anything to minimize this area.
Surroundings being...the surroundings.
Reputation isn't so important to me. By all means it helps, but coming from a top 10 undergraduate program and meeting tons of interviewees from across the country, I can tell you that everyone is just as qualified, if not moreso, as you.
yeah I agree with this post. I'd go to a school based on best fit for me not solely based on ranking.
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Gville is not boring... Football games in the fall, ginnie springs in the spring, hot coeds, basketball games, clubs and bars (Grog house, the swamp, balls, just to name a few) house parties everywhere from thursday night until saturday.
Gville is far from boring... it is a classic college town with tons of stuff to do and a lot of trouble to get into.
Go to UF Philly sucks. I went to UF undergrad and did a masters at Drexel, Center City is not all that great. If you are from florida go to UF.
Its not like you are going to be in undergrad anyways, you won't be able to do all there is to do in Gville once you start med school.
Gville is far from boring... it is a classic college town with tons of stuff to do and a lot of trouble to get into.
Go to UF Philly sucks. I went to UF undergrad and did a masters at Drexel, Center City is not all that great. If you are from florida go to UF.
Its not like you are going to be in undergrad anyways, you won't be able to do all there is to do in Gville once you start med school.
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I'd go to UF over Jeff. I think the schools are fairly comparable. UF probably has a better 1st and 2nd year and better board prep while Jeff probably has an advantage 3rd and 4th year. I think research is actually bigger in UF than Jeff. I've heard people at Jeff complain that research is pretty minimal. Also, depending on what you like, Jeff has a huge class of about 250 and UF is a little over 100 I think. I went to undergrad at Penn and Philly is a great city. I don't have much experience with Gainesville but being as busy as a med student, how much do you actually need from your city. Just some restaurants, a movie theater, and maybe a few places to party.
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What makes you say this? Jeff students do pretty well on Step 1 - usually above the national average (although every school makes this claim, which makes me feel like we live in Lake Wobegon "where everyone is above average.")
There's less bench research at Jeff, which is what most students think of when they think of research. We do a lot of public health/community health/epidemiology/clinical health research studies. Students complain about the lack of bench research because that's where a lot of schools get their money - from research grants. However, I've never heard of a student who wanted to do research being unable to find an opportunity. If you want it, it's definitely out there. (And it's not hard to find either.)
And, in any case, how much time can you devote to a research project as a med student? It's not like you can spend 15 hours/week in a lab.
I go to Jeff, and I really like it here. However, the biggest advantage (that I can think of right now) that UF has over Jeff is definitely climate - a little warm sunshine would be nice right now.
Oh yeah, and money, if you're a FL resident.
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I am sure you are right about research. You can find opportunities you want at both school. The reason why I said UF for board prep is because their average Step 1 last year was 233 and 25% scored over 245. I think they have a very traditional curriculum which is well tailored to the boards and they also take all of their exams in the format of Step 1 on computers. The computers that the students use for all their exams are the same ones they use for Step 1 since UF is a testing center. I'm sure all of these contribute a little bit towards being more comfortable with the exam. I am not saying Jeff does bad or anything. I just remember that when I interviewed at UF, the students raved about their professors and how well prepared they were for the boards and that was backed up by the pretty phenomenal scores.
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Hey -
As much as Jefferson would love to have you, if a group of your close friends are going to Wayne State...don't underestimate the advantage of having a close support network already in place when you start med school. A lot of students with close friends and family close by really enjoy having a "cheering section" when they feel discouraged or tired. You'll make a lot of friends among your classmates, but those friendships can take some time to develop. Plus, it's comforting to have friends that you have some history with.
In either case, good luck! 🙂
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Not quite the same computers actually. There is a Prometric testing facility near the undegrad campus that actually houses the computers used for the USMLE. The actual computer testing facility for the medical school is in the Shands Complex (they have a ton of IMacs). The computer screen and format of the questions feels similar to what you may see on the USMLE, however. Im a recent grad from there, and the board prep is really excellent. You can't shake a stick at the UF averages, keeping in mind that the average Step 1 score for all US test takers is ~216 or so each year.
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