UMass Vs Cincinnati vs MCG

[megaknight]

Hello! As the cycle is coming to an end this year I've narrowed my choices down to three schools and would love to hear some opinions about which may be the best choice.

I am a lifelong Georgia resident with my parents living in the Atlanta area. I'm currently unsure of my specialty interests but I have ruled out FM/EM/Peds. As a student, I hope to have research as a big part of my medical education and am looking to go to a school that will give me the highest odds of matching into a competitive specialty if I would want to.

UMass

Pros

• Highest NIH funding, most abundant opportunities for research
• USNWR ranking: #44 in research, #13 in primary care
• TRUE P/F pre-clinical
• Strong match list - primarily match in MA/New England/NY
• Exams are 1/2 in-house, 1/2 NMBE (not entirely sure if this is true)

Cons

• Worcester
• OOS COA ~ $415K
• Primary care focus
• Super far from parents/friends

Cincinnati

Pros

• Peds hospital
• USNWR ranking: #35 in research, #53 in primary care
• Good match list, high exam pass rates
• Lots of research opportunities
• Cincinnati is probably the nicest city between these three lol

Cons

• OOS COA - $375K, however I may qualify for IS tuition via Kentucky residency which would make total COA $280K
• P/F Quartile ranking system
• Far from parents/friends

MCG

Pros

• IS COA ~$250K
• Did undergrad in GA - would probably know a lot of the class (maybe this could be viewed as a con)
• About 2.5 hour drive from family
• I like the southeast - most opportunity to end up in Atlanta, Tennessee, or Florida
• P/F pre-clincal (but may be internally ranked)

Cons

• Augusta
• Less nationally recognized
• USNWR ranking: #79 in research, #95 in primary care
• Match list is a little underwhelming
• Rotations are done in the middle of nowhere, all over the state
• Primary care focus - May close doors for more competitive specialties?

Currently leaning towards MCG just cause of the COA, proximity to parents, and already having connections with some of the class, but I just want to make sure I don't end up regretting my choice down the line by not picking a "better" school that could help when its time to apply for residency. Any help would be greatly appreciated

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[chilly_md]

No, UMass is just too much and won't give you the benefits you think it should. You can try to verifiy that you would get in-state tuition at Cincinnati. Aside from their clause for Kentucky students, they also generally let OOS students reclassify to IS after the first year too (at least it was common in past years).

 

[pierty]

MCG is a good school, allows you to live near your parents, and has the lowest cost of attendance. I think it should be a clear choice. Be sure to go to the revisits for your top 2 choices before you decide.

 

[megaknight]

MCG is a good school, allows you to live near your parents, and has the lowest cost of attendance. I think it should be a clear choice. Be sure to go to the revisits for your top 2 choices before you decide.

This was my line of thinking as well, will definitely go to the revisits. Thanks for the input!

 

[Mayocarditis]

For reference, I'm accepted at Cincy and MCG.

I'd rule out UMass. If you see yourself staying in the South during residency or as an attending, I'd pick MCG. Cincy won't open more doors than MCG unless it's something like EM or Peds, which you've ruled out.

And I can definitely relate to the pro/con about knowing too many people at MCG, it's one of the reasons I decided not to attend as I've heard it can feel like high school/college all over again.