UNC vs. Mount Sinai

[jmillski]

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Hey all, so until i was put in this situation i hated these threads. Now I love them.

I was recently taken off the WL at Sinai and now have this decision to make and would love a bit of outside input. So...I'll do the usual what pro/con for each school and ask you guys to comment and add.

UNC
Pros-
Price
Proximity to Support Structure (friends, family, etc)
Small college town atm
Awesome school spirit to help you forget stresses of med school- pre bball game get togethers, etc.
20th US News

Cons-
Been in same part of NC for 22 years
*Push for primary care/fam medicine*
*Started cycle hellbent on going somewhere outside NC*
Studied in UNC's med library for 3 years already (including MCAT) and already throw up a little in my mouth when i see it

Sinai
Pros-
MANHATTAN MANHATTAN
More organized curriculum and mission
Clearcut biopsychosocial model, global health, etc
Awesome patient exposure in queens hospital
Simply fell in love with it interview day

Cons-
No idea how i'd fare in such a contained city
*$200 plane ride to see family and friends*
27th USnews- don't know/think this difference matters enough (?)
*Drop in rankings from 08-09*
17000 more/year than UNC

Oh yea and UNC is HP/P/F and Sinai is P/F.
If it matters- I am fairly sure I want to specialize in some sort of surgery
I'm sure there is more i have forgotten but any comments would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank youu

 

[ChubbyChaser]

lol im biased so ill stay out of it....but Good luck with your decision, you cant go wrong!

 

[RoadRunner17]

I'd just go to UNC, save $$ and then if you are so inclined, do your residency in NYC. At least get paid living in NYC, not pay to live in NYC.

 

[Teneo]

UNC!!!!!!!


...but take that with a grain of salt, because I am very biased. I would love to go there.

Regardless, you'll do well. They're both excellent schools. I would recommend looking inside yourself and genuinely asking, "Which one do I really WANT?"

 

[witness23]

love sinai, but dude. money. 17000 more/year than UNC

 

[Appless]

Both schools are excellent and probably equally ranked or "prestigious" or however you want to look at it. Personally UNC gives the in state residents such a HUGE break on tuition and such I dont think you should pass it up. Mt sinai is not cheap nor is the area. I couldnt pay that much more money to attend mt sinai when my "backup" option is a very good school also. Just my 2 cents.

 

[BTC]

I say Sinai. Life experiences can't be priced. Even if you live somewhere else for residency you won't be able to see it then. If you're planning on returning to NC, this may be your only opportunity to live outside your comfort zone.

Then again, $17k speaks loudly. Maybe you could schedule two extended travel living experiences for this summer and next to make up for the lack of non-NC exposure. Still, I don't think living somewhere else and starting from scratch is the same as spending 6 weeks in a foreign country.

Plus, you already mentioned you're not primary care oriented. This makes me think the debt will be less of an issue.

 

[schnauzr]

I think you should go to Mount Sinai.
Because if you go to UNC, you may wonder wistfully from time to time what would've happened if you had gone to Mount Sinai in MANHATTAN, whereas
if you decide on Mount Sinai, you will probably regret bitterly about having to pay more for the same education in a city that you may not find so magical anymore.
And I believe the latter is the lesser of two evils because money problem is something that you can actually deal with but those "if I had chosen differently...," you can't deal with something like that.
You obviously want to live somewhere else.

 

[BJPENNSTATE]

reading your post, it's obvious that you want to get outside of small-town NC and be a big boy or big girl in a big city, so you should definitely go to Mount Sinai if you want to have fun.

while chapel hill and UNC basketball is great and dandy, can you really watch college basketball for 12 months a year? no, so go to MANHATTAN and enjoy your life without parental supervision!

 

[Beta Cell]

Sinai, you sound like you want it.

 

[Dr Lyss]

I'd just go to UNC, save $$ and then if you are so inclined, do your residency in NYC. At least get paid living in NYC, not pay to live in NYC.

I think they are both great options, but keep in mind if you decide to do residency in an expensive city like NYC you will no longer have the luxury of subsidized housing. So yes you will get paid to work in NYC, but you will be payING a lot more to do it!


OP, it sounds like you really want to leave your comfort zone (usually fighting back vomit is a good sign ). Figure out how much is it worth it to you to do that. Good luck!

 

[mca]

I think they are both great options, but keep in mind if you decide to do residency in an expensive city like NYC you will no longer have the luxury of subsidized housing. So yes you will get paid to work in NYC, but you will be payING a lot more to do it!

There actually is some subsidized housing for residents in NYC- at least at NYU and Cornell.

 

[Handy388]

mt.sinai's research ranking for US news this year is 22, NIH funding is 19 for 2008, I think. mt.sinai advanced in ranking this year.

 

[jmillski]

thanks for the responses everyone- i hope people keep them coming. this is harder than i thought and this is actually helping.

you are right- they did move up which really throws another wrench in my decision making process but is great news. i got the ranking i reported from an old slide presentation. the two schools def are on even playing ground huh?

see i think i would like to (surgical) residency in the south. i am certainly a southernER and once i get to the having-a-family stage id like to be back. BUT i want to experience life in NYC- always been a dream of mine. watch out for law2doc but its hard to compare the match lists. sinai has some great stanford, hopkins matches but unc does too. unc DOES have lots of duke matches though...

f'n a.

 

[VMSmith]

I don't think there's much difference in terms of reputation between the two schools. Neither will close any doors whatsoever for you in terms of matching anywhere. You can pretty much throw out rankings/reputation as a way to decide between the schools.

I'd recommend UNC mainly due to the difference in tuition as well as cost of living, it is a pretty substantial difference. But you seem to really, really want to move to Manhattan. So for you the decision is pretty much as simple as whether it's worth it to you to spend an extra $20,000 or so every year for the chance to live in Manhattan for 4 years.

 

[LizzyM]

I would think it better to live in Manhattan for med school & go back to NC for residency if you'd like to practice in NC (gives you a leg up on jobs after residency) than to do med school in NC and hope to match in NYC or move there later.

 

[19nbj58]

LOL @ the premeds trying the determine the difference between 27 vs 19 vs 22 or whatever. In the event that school name is taken in consideration, the only thing that matters is what that particular residency director feels about your school. Its silly to assume that residency directors consult a news magazine when formulating an opinion about a school, therefore favoring UNC applicants because they happen to be ranked higher for that particular year. Common sense is your friend guys.

 

[Birdsbeak]

I grew up in New Jersey and I can tell you there is nothing like experiencing New York City. NYC is a special place. I have now spent 12 years in North Carolina and I can say I would leap at the chance to live in NYC. You learn a lot of important life lessons there.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I grew up in New Jersey and I can tell you there is nothing like experiencing New York City. NYC is a special place. I have now spent 12 years in North Carolina and I can say I would leap at the chance to live in NYC. You learn a lot of important life lessons there.

NYC sucks balls...atleast to me, but to each his own.

 

[jarmen]

NYC sucks balls...atleast to me, but to each his own.

I AGREE! choose UNC 😀

 

[derArzt]

I grew up in New Jersey and I can tell you there is nothing like experiencing New York City. NYC is a special place. I have now spent 12 years in North Carolina and I can say I would leap at the chance to live in NYC. You learn a lot of important life lessons there.

YES, ditto.

I grew up in NJ also and have lived in NC for 7 years now, and honestly... "Nothing like the City"

I went back up this past winter and loved it all over again. Opportunities everywhere (not just medicine) and I will be applying to Sinai, Cornell, and NYU next cycle (as well as UNC), so I'll hopefully have the same dilemma if I get in anywhere!

best of luck, I understand your desires to leave Chapel Hill... Health Sciences Library is nice with their thermostat-regulated study rooms, but NYC is amazing.

 

[sidalexis]

Two things:

1. I too thought that UNC was heavy into primary care...but then I went to second look and found out that there are a ton of research opportunities and that they're trying hard to dispell that myth

2. NYC is definitely a cool experience...but do you want to be experimenting with life experiences during med school. Your first year will be hard enough without having to try to make the transition from NC to NYC...

Just my opinion

 

[jmillski]

yea nyc is simply special to me and sidealexis, im not sure how the acclimation would go. my roommate actually gave up a full ride at mich to head to vandy with no scholarship for several of the reasons i am considering- namely the desireability of the location.

so here are some of my most 'inner' thoughts (oooooooooo...)

my interviews at sinai and pitt made me ecstatic about the idea of attending the schools. my interview at unc just didn't do the same for me- im not as excited at the prospect of attending

maybe some current/potential students can help me out with this one- i dont feel like unc 'cares' or at least caters to students as much as sinai. i feel like research, clinical, and volunteer experiences are up to students to scrounge for. at sinai, they are called 'experiences' through the school, hospital, global health department, etc and are kept track of by the deans and given standardized names. For ex one 'experience' trains you to insert iv's etc for a month and then you ride around with the fdny for a few months and help out. there are tons of these and vary across all spectrums. i feel like unc just throws you out to the sea to find your own way to these opportunities. anyone else gotten these vibes for either school?

long post i know- just not sure how to decide what justifies $17000*4. Same price would head to sinai immediately. i also have no inclination as to what 'name' sinai carries with it right now.

 

[Armastama]

jmillski--it sounds like Sinai is the right choice for you.

And I'm not just saying that b/c I'm on UNC's waitlist. 🙄

I think you answered your question with the following statement: "Same price would head to sinai immediately." We'll all pay back our loans eventually.

my $0.02

 

[sidalexis]

yea nyc is simply special to me and sidealexis, im not sure how the acclimation would go. my roommate actually gave up a full ride at mich to head to vandy with no scholarship for several of the reasons i am considering- namely the desireability of the location.

so here are some of my most 'inner' thoughts (oooooooooo...)

my interviews at sinai and pitt made me ecstatic about the idea of attending the schools. my interview at unc just didn't do the same for me- im not as excited at the prospect of attending

maybe some current/potential students can help me out with this one- i dont feel like unc 'cares' or at least caters to students as much as sinai. i feel like research, clinical, and volunteer experiences are up to students to scrounge for. at sinai, they are called 'experiences' through the school, hospital, global health department, etc and are kept track of by the deans and given standardized names. For ex one 'experience' trains you to insert iv's etc for a month and then you ride around with the fdny for a few months and help out. there are tons of these and vary across all spectrums. i feel like unc just throws you out to the sea to find your own way to these opportunities. anyone else gotten these vibes for either school?

long post i know- just not sure how to decide what justifies $17000*4. Same price would head to sinai immediately. i also have no inclination as to what 'name' sinai carries with it right now.

Did you go to second look? I only ask because before I went I was positive that I wouldn't go to UNC. But after, my view completely changed. The idea that they just toss you out there is what I got from the interview too, but it turned out that their interview day is simply not structured well enough to give you a good idea of the school. They don't highlight the opportunities that they offer the students and they put first years in charge of the tour that know little to nothing about the school.

All that said...I say you should follow your heart. It seems that you've already made up your mind. However, I think when you've got two schools that you're seriously considering...it is unwise to judge based on interview alone.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Did you go to second look? I only ask because before I went I was positive that I wouldn't go to UNC. But after, my view completely changed. The idea that they just toss you out there is what I got from the interview too, but it turned out that their interview day is simply not structured well enough to give you a good idea of the school. They don't highlight the opportunities that they offer the students and they put first years in charge of the tour that know little to nothing about the school.

All that said...I say you should follow your heart. It seems that you've already made up your mind. However, I think when you've got two schools that you're seriously considering...it is unwise to judge based on interview alone.

yeah UNCS interview day was pretty lackluster to say the least.

 

[jarmen]

im openly biased in this discussion as im on the mount sinai waitlist 😉 but i would really give this advice anyways because i doubt u droping ur spot would realistically help me... i feel i should point out that nyc isnt for everyone (Chubbychaser for one).

personally i grew up in new york and love it, but many if not most people whom iv known who moved to new york from (relatively) small towns dislike it. they all say the same thing, it was cool for the fist couple of months but they miss the more relaxed style of smaller towns. new yorks lifestyle is very fastpaced and those who arent accustomed to it get frustrated quickly. (of course i cant take small towns.. to dam slow and polite)

someone pointed out earlier that ur choosing between 2 evils, if u go to UNC u know ur lifestyle wont suck because ull be around ur friends and family but wont be amazing either so ull wonder how nyc would have been. on the other hand if u go to nyc ull wonder if it was worth the money. the worst of both worlds would be if u came to nyc and ended up hating it so ur paying more money for an environment less fit for you then UNC and ur away from your support system. if i were u id pick UNC only because there is a lower risk of being disappointed with ur decision.

im not saying u should def pick UNC, if uv lived in new york and know u love the environment iv made a moot point. but if not, dont disregard the fact that although new york is an amazing environment to someone else it may not be one for you.

 

[talkalot24]

I am so biased. I just couldn't imagine living in NYC ... just not my thing. UNC definitely doesn't just throw you out there. And, if you talk to current or past students, they heap praise onto the administration for caring about the students and really listening to them.

But, it sounds like you really want to go to NYC. If you can get past the cost issue, go for it. But, it is a lot more money. When you consider $70,000 plus the interest that it will accrue -- woah!

Also, UNC is P/F for the first year as well.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[BTC]

LOL @ the premeds trying the determine the difference between 27 vs 19 vs 22 or whatever. In the event that school name is taken in consideration, the only thing that matters is what that particular residency director feels about your school. Its silly to assume that residency directors consult a news magazine when formulating an opinion about a school, therefore favoring UNC applicants because they happen to be ranked higher for that particular year. Common sense is your friend guys.

From latest USNews:
Sinai: Research assessment score by residency directors (5.0 highest) 3.7
UNC: Research assessment score by residency directors (5.0 highest) 4.1

 

[19nbj58]

From latest USNews:
Sinai: Research assessment score by residency directors (5.0 highest) 3.7
UNC: Research assessment score by residency directors (5.0 highest) 4.1

Ok, but is this a response to any particular part of my post?

 

[BTC]

Ok, but is this a response to any particular part of my post?

The part where you talk about the opinions of residency directors. There it is for the OP to take into account.

 

[19nbj58]

The part where you talk about the opinions of residency directors. There it is for the OP to take into account.

Ok just making sure b/c there are schools 'ranked' higher than others, even though they have a lower residency director score. Its not scientific, but something to consider.

 

[dfarra]

I vote for UNC. My friend from college just finished her first year at UNC and LOVES it. She says the students are all excited to be there and make the school feel like a community of sorts. She also says that the faculty is quite accessible (she's working on a research project this summer with one of her professors from this past year).

NYC can be an exciting place if you're rolling in money and going out every night, but frankly you won't be spending much time enjoying it while you're in med school. I think it would actually serve as a distraction. I am waiting to get off the waitlist at a school in North Carolina becasue despite my love for the occasional weekend in NYC, I want to spend my med school years in an environment where I can enjoy the surrounding area and go for runs and go biking, etc, and where I won't be distracted by all the craziness going on around me. We are going to med school to learn medicine, after all, and it is not going to be easy. NYC is also EXTREMELY expensive. While 17000 a year is already a hefty difference, if you plan to experience nyc nightlife or even eat out once in a while, then your expenses are really going to build up. Even a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk is a lot more expensive in NYC than anywhere in NC. And everything is just getting more expensive--subway and bus fares are about to increase. While we will all pay off our debt eventually, it is going to be a slow process, and life after med school will be a lot more enjoyable if you have a little financial slack.

 

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[jmillski]

hey all. thanks for all of your input- it all definitely helped. so i really really ove sinai BUT 1) by looking at my expenses and talking to current students and with a small scholarship i figured out that i could go to unc for a little more than 25,000/yr- everything included. 2) im in my trunks on the backporch of a friends house in charleston, sc- 2 hours from nc- with palmettos on my left the ocean in front and a corona on my right. i cant leave the south quite yet. i might regret my choice just a bit- i want to head up there for a rotation fourth year, maybe research this summer or SOMETHING soon- i love the place and the school.

BUT i thought hard about leaving my friends and the fact that i can buy a nice porsche or two used porsches or a small house, etc with the money difference. plus unc's med school facilities are pretty f'n incredible. thanks though guys- the fact i couldnt go wrong with the schools made the decision even harder- i decided about ten minutes before the decision was due