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Are you being incredibly, blatently sarcastic or am I that dense? (be nice)
University of Minnesota-TC or Mayo??
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Are you being incredibly, blatently sarcastic or am I that dense? (be nice)
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he's just pointing out that your question is so absurd...MN-TC over Mayo? give me a break
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I'll chime in for fun. I am biased as I am a MSI at Mayo now, but I did choose Mayo over U of MN last year (although with much less hesitancy than you're having.)
First - yes there are only 42 in your class (43 in mine, but usually 42.) There are about 10 that are married or engaged, and several more in serious long-term relationships. Personally I love the small class size - we bond a lot and have a good time, despite living in rochester. We have had lots of class parties and get-togethers, frequently go out to dinner, bars, or other social functions, and we do take trips to MSP (only an hour away) and even Chicago (more like 5 hours away). With the curriculum we have, we do have time for a social life (stress work-life balance, it's not all keg parties but we party hard when the time comes.) For me the weather is the most difficult thing to adjust to in Rochester, but that's the same between U of M TC and Mayo anyway.
When I interviewed at U of M, TC I definitely got a relaxed vibe from the students there. It could have just been who I got to meet but it seemed almost identical to undergrad. For the first 2 years students lived in frats, came to class if and when they wanted to, and had little exposure to patients. If that's the kind of medical education you'd prefer, I'd choose the U. At Mayo, the administration and professors know you, and they'll notice if you skip class frequently. No, they don't take attendance and yes we do have our lectures available online via podcasts, etc, but many of them value discussion-based learning which you can't participate in if you're not there. Since we're entirely P/NP, it doesn't really matter but in general you are responsible to be present. Also, we are in the clinic from week 1...I just scrubbed into 2 different surgical cases yesterday (assisting as well) the opportunity for clinical exposure is amazing here and didn't compare to any place else I interviewed.
One more thing...they're really big on "the Mayo Way" here, which means team work and collaboration. People who like independent credit, want to really stand out and receive recognition, fuel on competition, etc, usually aren't very happy in this environment we've been told. I don't know how much that applies to medical students but it is kind of evident in our completely unranked P/NP evaluation system. Overall Mayo students have a history of doing very well on the boards as well as placing in great residencies nationwide (yes, a lot at mayo but that is primarily preference...it's difficult to justify to yourself leaving to go to a residency program that isn't as good as the one right in front of you.)
Just my 2 cents.
First - yes there are only 42 in your class (43 in mine, but usually 42.) There are about 10 that are married or engaged, and several more in serious long-term relationships. Personally I love the small class size - we bond a lot and have a good time, despite living in rochester. We have had lots of class parties and get-togethers, frequently go out to dinner, bars, or other social functions, and we do take trips to MSP (only an hour away) and even Chicago (more like 5 hours away). With the curriculum we have, we do have time for a social life (stress work-life balance, it's not all keg parties but we party hard when the time comes.) For me the weather is the most difficult thing to adjust to in Rochester, but that's the same between U of M TC and Mayo anyway.
When I interviewed at U of M, TC I definitely got a relaxed vibe from the students there. It could have just been who I got to meet but it seemed almost identical to undergrad. For the first 2 years students lived in frats, came to class if and when they wanted to, and had little exposure to patients. If that's the kind of medical education you'd prefer, I'd choose the U. At Mayo, the administration and professors know you, and they'll notice if you skip class frequently. No, they don't take attendance and yes we do have our lectures available online via podcasts, etc, but many of them value discussion-based learning which you can't participate in if you're not there. Since we're entirely P/NP, it doesn't really matter but in general you are responsible to be present. Also, we are in the clinic from week 1...I just scrubbed into 2 different surgical cases yesterday (assisting as well) the opportunity for clinical exposure is amazing here and didn't compare to any place else I interviewed.
One more thing...they're really big on "the Mayo Way" here, which means team work and collaboration. People who like independent credit, want to really stand out and receive recognition, fuel on competition, etc, usually aren't very happy in this environment we've been told. I don't know how much that applies to medical students but it is kind of evident in our completely unranked P/NP evaluation system. Overall Mayo students have a history of doing very well on the boards as well as placing in great residencies nationwide (yes, a lot at mayo but that is primarily preference...it's difficult to justify to yourself leaving to go to a residency program that isn't as good as the one right in front of you.)
Just my 2 cents.
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I wonder if anyone has chosen the U over Mayo ever (having been accepted to both)? Does anyone know of anyone who has done this?
Hmmm...the general consensus seems to be Mayo, which was what I was expecting.
Hmmm...the general consensus seems to be Mayo, which was what I was expecting.
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I'm guessing you already knew most of what people were saying about the two schools. It sounds to me like you probably have reasons they don't for wanting to go to MN. I personally think you've got to decide how good a med school fits you. If you want to know which school is better, it's Mayo. If you want to know which one you should go to, you should ask yourself not anyone else.
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Eh alas I was being incredibly sarcastic just because I am very bias and would eat a poop hotdog to go to Mayo.
I have to agree though... it comes down to what school was a good fit for you. I am sure UofM is a great school too. Best of luck with your decision.
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That is correct. 12 people turned down Mayo... I bet they were all held at knife point by a group of 20 from the waitlist until they withdrew.
Eh more likely they couldn't handle the cold weather, their spouse nixed the school, or they fell in love with a different school, who knows.
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Answered your own question as in you're turning down Mayo and going to the U?
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Turn down Mayo so you free a spot for Mike or myself.
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People turn down Mayo for the likes of Harvard and Hopkins, or full rides to other top 20 schools. As someone else indicated, there are also cases where someone opted for a much lower ranked/respected school due to family/spouse constraints.
The disparity between the two schools is pretty obvious. If you cannot see it, please, be the first to pick the UofM over Mayo. Frankly, you just do not seem like a good fit and I know of at least half a dozen SDNers currently waitlisted who would make for fabulous classmates.
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Harsh words. I couldn't agree more that the OP is ridiculous to think of this being a tough decision based upon the credentials each school has. But to say that the OP is a bad fit for Mayo seems a little backwards since they already were accepted. Turning down Mayo because of personal preference for another school's location or for other logical reasons seems perfectly fine IMHO. It doesn't have to be a 'top 20' school that magically floated you benjamins to go there that sways your decision. That seems like a pretty stereotypical response. Some people may just choose to go to a school closer to home, etc.
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Important distinction: I never said the OP was a "bad" fit, simply not a good one, which has nothing to do with him (or her?) as an individual or an applicant. You can be accepted a school which is not a good fit. In the end, everyone has their own criteria for selecting a medical school, and finding a good fit usually comes down to the subjective stuff. He stated strong reservations about Mayo that obviously still persist even after current and future students have presented its unique attributes and spelled out the difference in credentials between the two schools. With that amount of continued reluctance, yes, it appears that Mayo is not a good fit for him, and vice versa.
If someone has to be pounded over the head to be convinced about a place, you do have to wonder about his happiness a few months from now and ultimately, as a result, what kind of classmate he may be compared to someone who embraced Mayo from the start. A miserable student in the class of 175 has little to no effect, in a group of 42?
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As a fourth year at MN-TC, wanted to give a little perspective
I would say we are a relaxed bunch. It is P/NP system. However, I do not think it resembles my undergraduate experience in any way. I studied my butt off for four years and so did my friends. A minority of first and second students live in medical fraternities (that provide close, subsidized housing close to campus).
Students are encouraged to learn in the way that they feel best- if you don't learn well sitting in lecture for 6 hours, you can watch lectures online. You can read texts. You can subscribe to a note service that almost transcribes lectures word for word. It is up to you to figure out how you learn and what works for you. What is important in your first two years is what you learn for 1. Board Exams 2. Your MS3/4 years.
I'm curious to hear what interviewer said the U of MN is going to fall off the US News ranking list in the next 10 years and deservedly so. I have never gotten that impression in my four years here. MN student match in competitive places, just do a search and check out their match lists.
Pick the school that is best for you. Period. I did not apply to Mayo. Mayo is certainly cheaper, and has a terrific reputation. However, I don't think you would be ruining any opportunities for yourself if you chose otherwise.
I would say we are a relaxed bunch. It is P/NP system. However, I do not think it resembles my undergraduate experience in any way. I studied my butt off for four years and so did my friends. A minority of first and second students live in medical fraternities (that provide close, subsidized housing close to campus).
Students are encouraged to learn in the way that they feel best- if you don't learn well sitting in lecture for 6 hours, you can watch lectures online. You can read texts. You can subscribe to a note service that almost transcribes lectures word for word. It is up to you to figure out how you learn and what works for you. What is important in your first two years is what you learn for 1. Board Exams 2. Your MS3/4 years.
I'm curious to hear what interviewer said the U of MN is going to fall off the US News ranking list in the next 10 years and deservedly so. I have never gotten that impression in my four years here. MN student match in competitive places, just do a search and check out their match lists.
Pick the school that is best for you. Period. I did not apply to Mayo. Mayo is certainly cheaper, and has a terrific reputation. However, I don't think you would be ruining any opportunities for yourself if you chose otherwise.
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hey duncanst,
I'm graduating from the U of MN Medical School this year. Mayo no doubt is a great medical school and I'm not going to say anything negative about Mayo, so I'll just focus on my experience of MN:
1. Medical school is a class of 165 with a good mix of MN residents and non-residents, and you'll definitely find your niche of friends. It can feel like going back to HS at times cause you have lockers, the winter ball (even a "Malpractice Ball" with the law school students), and the cliques, but you'll definitely find your set of friends you'll gel with.
2. And if you really don't feel like attending 4 hours of lectures in the morning for whatever reason (sick, hangover, etc.), the lectures are taped and immediately loaded into the web and can be watched at a faster speed (only take 2 hours to watch 4 hours of lectures).
3. Flexibility: Majority graduate in 4 years, but with the new Flexible M.D. program, you can graduate as little as 3 1/2 years to 6 years. There's ample opportunities to graduate with a dual M.D/J.D. or M.D./M.B.A. or M.D./MPH, etc. You have plenty of free time (26 weeks) to do research, away rotations, have a family, vacation, etc.
4. Social: Most of the med students at the U are pretty passive-aggressive, in the sense that everyone takes med school seriously and studies hard, but they never really admit it and would rather project themselves as well-rounded social butterflies that exercise regularly (most participate in marathons) and get their party on at the clubs/bars in Uptown and 1st Ave. Because U of MN is a Big-10 school, and if you don't feel like being around other medical students, you can easily study in other parts of campus, and socialize with students outside of medical school.
5. Residencies: We just had our match last Thursday and the majority of students got their 1st or 2nd choice and got into great programs in MN(Mayo, UMN) as well as great out of state programs (UCSF, Yale, Cornell/Columbia, Thomas Jefferson, Northwestern, etc.).
Overall, U of MN is a decent medical school that has the resources, so that if you really want to pursue any speciatly you want, or want to go to Uganda for AIDS research for several months, etc., you'll get what you want.
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions and I'd be happy to help.
good luck!
I'm graduating from the U of MN Medical School this year. Mayo no doubt is a great medical school and I'm not going to say anything negative about Mayo, so I'll just focus on my experience of MN:
1. Medical school is a class of 165 with a good mix of MN residents and non-residents, and you'll definitely find your niche of friends. It can feel like going back to HS at times cause you have lockers, the winter ball (even a "Malpractice Ball" with the law school students), and the cliques, but you'll definitely find your set of friends you'll gel with.
2. And if you really don't feel like attending 4 hours of lectures in the morning for whatever reason (sick, hangover, etc.), the lectures are taped and immediately loaded into the web and can be watched at a faster speed (only take 2 hours to watch 4 hours of lectures).
3. Flexibility: Majority graduate in 4 years, but with the new Flexible M.D. program, you can graduate as little as 3 1/2 years to 6 years. There's ample opportunities to graduate with a dual M.D/J.D. or M.D./M.B.A. or M.D./MPH, etc. You have plenty of free time (26 weeks) to do research, away rotations, have a family, vacation, etc.
4. Social: Most of the med students at the U are pretty passive-aggressive, in the sense that everyone takes med school seriously and studies hard, but they never really admit it and would rather project themselves as well-rounded social butterflies that exercise regularly (most participate in marathons) and get their party on at the clubs/bars in Uptown and 1st Ave. Because U of MN is a Big-10 school, and if you don't feel like being around other medical students, you can easily study in other parts of campus, and socialize with students outside of medical school.
5. Residencies: We just had our match last Thursday and the majority of students got their 1st or 2nd choice and got into great programs in MN(Mayo, UMN) as well as great out of state programs (UCSF, Yale, Cornell/Columbia, Thomas Jefferson, Northwestern, etc.).
Overall, U of MN is a decent medical school that has the resources, so that if you really want to pursue any speciatly you want, or want to go to Uganda for AIDS research for several months, etc., you'll get what you want.
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions and I'd be happy to help.
good luck!
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I'm glad someone pulled this thread back up. I have been meaning to write something but I was too lazy to find the thread (yes, I know there's a search function, whatever). But I was actually at a bar in Minneapolis the other day and was talking to a kid who turned out to be a medical student. And I told him I didn't know where I was going to attend yet and he said he chose to go to the U of MN even though he was accepted to Mayo. So it was just what we were asking about before....apparently it does happen occasionally. He was happy with his decision because he says he's had great opportunities here and he said "I wouldn't be out singing karoake at a college bar if I was in Rochester on a Thursday night." That's all I really got out of him though, he was kind of annoying and there weren't many people at the bar, I wanted to leave;-) Haha, enjoy!
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