University of Iowa vs University of Arizona-Phoenix

[ShabbaRanks]

I have been fortunate enough to be accepted to my top 2 choices and I am now having difficulty making a decision on which school to choose. Both schools are awesome places, and I see myself being extremely happy at both. In addition, they have unique curriculums and I am unsure which one I like better. I was hoping you great folks of sdn could help me out!

Iowa
Pros
Went to undergrad here so I know lots of people
Family is from Iowa and brother currently attends undergrad at Iowa
Have multiple friends that are current medical students and they like the school
In state tuition (35k a year)
Top research opportunities
Great facilities
High rankings in many specialty fields
I can fish in Iowa

Cons
Cold as balls during the winter
Not a pass fail curriculum
Step 1 after 2.5 years (preclinical courses and core rotations) not sure if this is a good or bad thing

Phoenix
Currently live here and love it
Great weather
Like students and atmosphere of school
Amazing new facilities
Pass fail curriculum
Possible in state tuition. Not really sure (30k IS vs 50k OOS)
More opportunities for SO
I can hike mountains

Cons
Hot as hell during summer
Not as respected as Iowa
Family isn't here (important)
Step 1 after 1.5 years (before rotations)

Thanks for the advice!

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[ftp902]

It depends on what specialty you want to go into. If you want someting more competitive, Iowa will definitley give your more resources to achieve that goal. If you are not sure, Iowa is still safe bet. Iowa is more established in general I think and having more friends and family near can be a great support system.

 

[Slack3r]

Iowa. It's cheaper, more established, and has a great reputation with many top tier residencies in a variety of specialties (especially surgery/surgical subspecialties).

I interviewed at UACOM-PHX and really loved it, but I think Iowa is the much better choice. I also think not having a university hospital affiliated directly with the school makes shadowing and mentoring much more difficult.

 

[ShabbaRanks]

The specialties I am currently interested in are pretty competitive. I am currently leaning towards Iowa, but just wanted to see what others had to say!

Thanks for your replies! Anyone else?

 

[Shams al Deen]

Iowa, it's a better school and it's cheaper. UA-PHX has only graduated one class so far, right? And it's the only school I interviewed at that didn't have a university hospital, I wasn't feeling that. To me, the answer is Iowa and it's not really close. UA-PHX is in a better location though, imo.

 

[AspiringERMD]

Not even a contest. Iowa!

I also am super-worried about taking Step 1 a year after pre-clinicals... that is something that is keeping me from committing to Iowa fully for now. I'm still thinking about it and I want to talk to med students about it.

But school quality alone should push you way, way in favor of Iowa.

 

[ShabbaRanks]

Iowa, it's a better school and it's cheaper. UA-PHX has only graduated one class so far, right? And it's the only school I interviewed at that didn't have a university hospital, I wasn't feeling that. To me, the answer is Iowa and it's not really close. UA-PHX is in a better location though, imo.

You are correct about UA-PHX only graduating one class thus far. Thank you for your input!

 

[ShabbaRanks]

Not even a contest. Iowa!

I also am super-worried about taking Step 1 a year after pre-clinicals... that is something that is keeping me from committing to Iowa fully for now. I'm still thinking about it and I want to talk to med students about it.

But school quality alone should push you way, way in favor of Iowa.

From what I have recently read, it seems a lot of schools are taking Step 1 a year after pre-clinicals. Which other schools are you considering besides Iowa?

 

[AspiringERMD]

From what I have recently read, it seems a lot of schools are taking Step 1 a year after pre-clinicals. Which other schools are you considering besides Iowa?

Currently accepted to Mizzou and waiting for a number of other decisions. I have travel arrangements for both Mizzou's and Iowa's Second Look weekends already, so I'm really going to try to carefully compare everything. But while I think Iowa is a better school than Mizzou, I also need to do well on Step 1... and I strongly suspect that's not going to be the way to do it right, for me personally. Everyone is different though, and there's still a nontrivial chance that most other factors will be in Iowa's favor such that I'll still go there. We will see!

 

[BamaNicole]

Iowa, it's a better school and it's cheaper. UA-PHX has only graduated one class so far, right? And it's the only school I interviewed at that didn't have a university hospital, I wasn't feeling that. To me, the answer is Iowa and it's not really close. UA-PHX is in a better location though, imo.

TBH we do have a university hospital as of last saturday.

If there arena concerns about shadowing at UA COMP I can tell you that it hasn't been an issue. Our community of physicians are more than happy to allow you to come to their office or go on rounds with them.

Also the first class graduated in 2011....some of them are starting they first year as attending this year (well 2014 so past year)

 

[HowTragic]

From personal basis, I'd say Iowa for many of the aforementioned reasons, not to mention having family close by has unseen but sometimes life-saving benefits. Sure it's cold as balls here, but you can compensate for cold with clothing, and it's actually kind of heartwarming and nostalgic sometimes when you're sitting in your cozy apartment/house with a cup of hot chocolate gazing at the snow outside. Plus, surviving the plethora of snow we get each year has become a part of my personal experience and pride. Boston got hit with ~7 feet of snow in the past month, and I just chuckled and waved it off as a typical week in Iowa. Being hot as hell during the summer in Phoenix on the other hand..... no amount of kicking and screaming will save you there unless you freeze yourself in the nearest cryogenics lab.

If my memory serves correctly, in the last graduating class at Iowa ~98% of the student matched into a residency on their first try, and there's nothing saying that remaining 4 students didn't have some other personal plans or intentions. UIHC, affiliated with Carver, is the #1 hospital in Iowa and a nationally ranked hospital in many specialties (particularly pediatrics; is that new pediatrics wing done yet?..). Although this is to be taken with a grain of salt, I have also heard that UIHC picks up any remaining graduates who didn't get into other residencies, which is one of the benefits of having a medical school affiliated closely with a large hospital.

 

[ShabbaRanks]

I just want to thank everyone for all the replies and help! I am currently leaning towards Iowa, but part of me feels like I am making the wrong choice! I guess I will have this feeling regardless of the school I pick.

I highly prefer the idea of taking step 1 right after pre-clinicals the way UA-Phx does. The current Iowa curriculum only shows two weeks of step 1 study time (plus winter break) which concerns me.
I also definitely prefer the city of Phoenix and all there is to do over Iowa City. With that being said, I just don't know if that is enough to sway my mind. The next four years of my life depend on this choice. So stressful!!

 

[BamaNicole]

I'd suggest since you're leaning towards Iowa anyways then attend the second look for UA.