University of Maryland (UMD) vs. Temple vs. Einstein

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curmudgeon23

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About me: interested in academic medicine, strong research focus

UMD (Maryland)
Pros
  • Already live in Baltimore, know my way around
  • Have a good support group of friends, students seem happy here
  • IS tuition (~37k) with potential for significant scholarship
  • Ranked very well nationally
  • Access to existing research mentor/projects from Hopkins down the road would be easy to get a pub during school because I've spent 2 years full time in the lab already
Cons
  • Baltimore isn't the greatest city in America (depsite what the bus stops say)
  • It's not as exciting to stay in the same city
  • Letter grades instead of P/F
Temple
Pros
  • Happiest student body I've encountered
  • Philly is a cool, manageable city to live in
  • Great clinical training- students get treated as interns in some cases
  • Brand new medical school building with awesome facilities.
Cons
  • Higher tuition
  • North Philly isn't the safest area- would have to commute every day
  • Clerkships would require more travelling- I think the Temple Hospital is the smallest of the bunch
  • Lowest ranked school of the bunch, though they match very well. Had 5 go into neurosurgery last year
Einstein (still have to interview)
Pros
  • Great research institution, graduates seem to do well with obtaining NIH funding, which is my goal (#13 in the nation)
  • Match well into competitive NYC programs, though seems to be mostly IM, peds, etc. I'm pretty set on IM but would love flexibility in case I change my mind.
  • Access to NYC! Though in the Bronx so pretty long Metro ride.
  • I heard housing is subsidized, and I like saving money.
Cons
  • NYC scares me- I'm a small city dweller and don't know what to expect
  • Tuition is still high in comparison to UMD
  • Haven't even interviewed, so if I get in, it'll be late and I'll be scrambling possibly to make living arrangements. Idk this might not be a deal breaker but it stresses me out
Summary: Lucky to have a highly ranked state school, but thinking about living in a different city than Baltimore. Worth the money?

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About me: interested in academic medicine, strong research focus

UMD (Maryland)
Pros
  • Already live in Baltimore, know my way around
  • Have a good support group of friends, students seem happy here
  • IS tuition (~37k) with potential for significant scholarship
  • Ranked very well nationally
  • Access to existing research mentor/projects from Hopkins down the road would be easy to get a pub during school because I've spent 2 years full time in the lab already
Cons
  • Baltimore isn't the greatest city in America (depsite what the bus stops say)
  • It's not as exciting to stay in the same city
Temple
Pros
  • Happiest student body I've encountered
  • Philly is a cool, manageable city to live in
  • Great clinical training- students get treated as interns in some cases
Cons
  • Higher tuition
  • North Philly isn't the safest area- would have to commute every day
  • Lowest ranked school of the bunch, though they match very well. Had 5 go into neurosurgery last year
Einstein (still have to interview)
Pros
  • Great research institution, graduates seem to do well with obtaining NIH funding, which is my goal
  • Match well into competitive NYC programs, though seems to be mostly IM, peds, etc.
  • Access to NYC! Though in the Bronx
  • I heard housing is subsidized
Cons
  • NYC scares me- I'm a small city dweller and don't know what to expect
  • Tuition is still high in comparison to UMD
  • Haven't even interviewed, so if I get in, it'll be late and I'll be scrambling possibly to make living arrangements. Idk this might not be a deal breaker but it stresses me out
Summary: Lucky to have a highly ranked state school, but thinking about living in a different city than Baltimore. Worth the money?
0 professional qualification to give advice, but here's my impression from what you've written and emphasized:
-Einstein and Temple seem equivalent, but lower on the list. Despite great clinical training, Temple doesn't appear to have the research you're looking for. And despite great research at Einstein... you have to be in NYC/the Bronx. That might be personal bias- I hate cities, and took all NYC schools off of my app list for that reason. Navigating a new big city plus med school made me nauseous to think about.

-It seems that UMD is a great option for you- it has the research you want, you have established research connections nearby, in-state tuition for a well-ranked school, and you have a social support network up and running for the tough times. Just my 2 cents! Good luck deciding!
 
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What are your thoughts on Temple students being the "happiest student body you have encountered" vs Maryland having a regular letter grade system that might create competition in the class?
 
What are your thoughts on Temple students being the "happiest student body you have encountered" vs Maryland having a regular letter grade system that might create competition in the class?
Temple has moved to P/F and internal rankings by 1/3 of the class. So this is a plus for me. However, speaking with UMD students about the letter grade system, they don't find it to be competitive, and find it as extra motivation to do well. The preclinical years are weighted 1/2 of the last two years, so apparently they aren't as big of a deal as it seems on paper, but I that's something I'm also thinking about.
 
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Temple has moved to P/F and internal rankings by 1/3 of the class. So this is a plus for me. However, speaking with UMD students about the letter grade system, they don't find it to be competitive, and find it as extra motivation to do well. The preclinical years are weighted 1/2 of the last two years, so apparently they aren't as big of a deal as it seems on paper, but I that's something I'm also thinking about.
Do both qualify for AOA with their grading policies? Any idea what the Maryland rationale is for keeping a traditional letter grade system?
 
Do both qualify for AOA with their grading policies? Any idea what the Maryland rationale is for keeping a traditional letter grade system?
Both have AOA
I think Maryland keeps the letter grade- there are rumors of that changing though. It adds stress but requires perspective and is also helpful in determing class rank beyond Step scores
 
For your concern about Einstein living arrangements, the subsidized housing is done through the school, so I think that you just have to sign up, but not actually find a place.
 
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