University of Minnesota - Duluth vs. Virginia Commonwealth University

[Slo341]

I have been fortunate enough to be accepted to a couple of schools thus far, and have narrowed it down to these two. I was also waitlisted post-interview by the Twin Cities campus, which is my #1 choice. I am trying to decide what school to choose, provided that I do not get off the Twin Cities waitlist.

University of Minnesota (Duluth Campus)

Pros

• In-state tuition = cheaper cost
• I love cold weather
• Opportunity to complete clinical years in the Twin Cities
• A part of the University of Minnesota System

Cons

• Focus on rural/family medicine (I am open to pursuing that career path, but want to have all options open to me)
• Lesser prestige? (Unsure how to view the Duluth campus given that it is ranked along w/ the Twin Cities campus)
• Old facilities
• Less opportunities for research on the Duluth campus

Virginia Commonwealth University

Pros

• Broader focus
• New facilities w/ large hospital directly connected to the school
• More opportunities for research
• Higher prestige?
• Location on east coast may open up more opportunities when applying for residency

Cons

• Richmond was not my favorite city
• Climate was not to my liking
• Out-of-state tuition = higher cost

Summary: I really like the idea of being a part of the University of Minnesota system, but I am unsure whether doors will be closed to me when applying for residency given that I attended the Duluth campus. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

**Is there usually good waitlist movement, or does being waitlisted mean that you have a very small chance of being offered a spot in the class?

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[Birdman15]

I'm a current M1 at VCU. I've very much enjoyed my experience here so far. I like your list of pros and cons for each school, but you'll soon find out that of the things you pointed out don't matter. Things that DO matter are being close to a good support system (e.g., family) and preemptively reducing your debt burden as much as possible. Since you don't mind the cold, I think you'll be happier at Minnesota (I seriously doubt your campus assignment will matter at all in the long run). That's just my two cents! Good luck!

 

[Birdman15]

Hey there! Fellow Minnesotan here.
And VTC is a brand new, unestablished, unranked school. There is no way it has higher prestige than UMN, lol.

VTC ≠ VCU lol

 

[WIMNFamilyMed]

Duluth is rural and family focused but they don’t always do great at meeting the mission in the long run. A lot of people do change their minds specialty-wise and pursue competitive residencies. I’ve seen step 1 scores lower average in Duluth than in twin cities, but it’s just the average.

If you want to live in Duluth, go there. Think about the longitudinals in M3 and if you’d like that too, it’s unique.

 

[NavyDoc23]

I was in almost the exact same situation as you 4 years ago. I was choosing between UMN and an east coast school. Chose UMN as I was in-state. It’s financially smart, and being close to your support system is huge. The match list at Duluth was very similar to the TC campus (multiple derm, ortho, so you can match competitive specialties). Yes, the majority do primary care (about 60%), but the rest don’t!

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

id personally choose to stay closer to home and pay the lower tuition. Just because a school may be rural focused, it doesn't mean you are forced to go do a rural medicine residency