University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) vs. Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW)

[Premed@ForestParkForever]

Hello All,

I currently have these 2 acceptances to UNMC and MCW which I am very blessed to have after not getting in the last cycle. I have two other pending interview decisions but for now, I am wondering what factors should I look for in deciding.

Both programs are out of state for me and I like all aspects of both. Both are pass/ fail, have 1.5 years preclinical, option to choose an enhanced medical education track (EMET) at UNMC and similarly a scholarly pathway at MCW.

UNMC
- the main pro is they have student housing on campus which is cheaper (ranges from $380-865 for 1 bedroom with some units including all utilities) and since I might not have my car this is a huge pro.
- Cost of tuition $37,689 In-state | $50,329 Out-of-state (I might qualify for in-state after year 1)

MCW
- no student housing; cheapest and walkable places without a car in complexes are more expensive starting at 1,200-1,500 for 1 bedroom without utilities.
- Cost of tuition $58,755 In-state | $62,335 Out-of-state

With UNMC being around 12,000 cheaper per year and cheaper on-campus housing available, are there any advantages to living in Milwaukee versus Omaha? How do the two cities compare? Besides housing and tuition any other considerations? I am interested in EM so not super competitive. Which school is considered a better program/ more competitive?

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[deleted1124957]

Off topic but how'd you get that Nebraska A being OOS👀

 

[Premed@ForestParkForever]

Off topic but how'd you get that Nebraska A being OOS👀

I am also surprised that I got in at Nebraska! but I honestly think it all comes down to mission fit through how I wrote my secondaries and overall my interest in their focus on underserved healthcare and their specific EMETs. I feel overall my application/ narrative aligns well with them. Not sure if this helps!

 

[privatesugar]

MCW is considered to be a more prestigious school. Both are great programs. I think it should come down to which city you want to live in. Milwaukee is larger and close to Chicago if you prefer the urban lifestyle. Omaha is smaller and rural once you get out of town. UNMC has a big focus on rural medicine. The 10 week family med rotations are at a rural Nebraska towns across the state. Some find this appealing and some do not.

 

[Premed@ForestParkForever]

MCW is considered to be a more prestigious school. Both are great programs. I think it should come down to which city you want to live in. Milwaukee is larger and close to Chicago if you prefer the urban lifestyle. Omaha is smaller and rural once you get out of town. UNMC has a big focus on rural medicine. The 10 week family med rotations are at a rural Nebraska towns across the state. Some find this appealing and some do not.

Thank you for your response, I really like both programs though leaning toward MCW overall. Would you still go to MCW over UNMC given it might cost at least 20,000 more per year?

 

[chilly_md]

Thank you for your response, I really like both programs though leaning toward MCW overall. Would you still go to MCW over UNMC given it might cost at least 20,000 more per year?

No

 

[Premed@ForestParkForever]

No

Thank you!

 

[privatesugar]

Thank you for your response, I really like both programs though leaning toward MCW overall. Would you still go to MCW over UNMC given it might cost at least 20,000 more per year?

Advertised tuition costs don't necessarily tell the whole story. Look into scholarship opportunities and financial aid at each school before you make a decision.

 

[Premed@ForestParkForever]

Advertised tuition costs don't necessarily tell the whole story. Look into scholarship opportunities and financial aid at each school before you make a decision.

Thank you, I will wait to have full information, the hard part is some medical schools do not send in financial aid packages until May or June but I will make sure to apply for any scholarships they have and ask them. Thank you!

 

[parquetshorts]

Current student at UNMC. I'd say that both schools are very similar and can certainly get you where you want in terms of matching EM. MCW may have a better pull to the upper midwest (Chicago, Minnesota, etc.) in terms of matching, however I've seen classmates at UNMC match at some very prestigious programs for EM. Many students do stay in Nebraska for residency, but I think that mostly has to do with the fact that something like 90% of our classes are from the state and have strong ties here/reasons to stay. If cost is something that's super important to you, UNMC will be cheaper, and as far as I understand most students receive aid in some form of scholarship. I obviously can't guarantee anything, but If you're the caliber of student to have received multiple MD acceptances, there is a decent chance you will receive at least some sort of scholarship. I always recommend looking over the curriculum, grading, rotation schedules, etc. to see if there are any particular preferences swaying you one way vs the other. Also, take the chance to visit both campuses if possible! I think it's paramount to feel comfortable on campus and enjoy where you're at, so certainly explore both Omaha and Milwaukee before making a final call to ensure you can see yourself living where you decide to attend. I will say that they are fairly similar cities, with Milwaukee being a little larger and having more to offer as far as an urban environment and access to a city like Chicago, but Omaha is pretty decent for a city of its size. Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to shoot me a DM!

 

[Premed@ForestParkForever]

Current student at UNMC. I'd say that both schools are very similar and can certainly get you where you want in terms of matching EM. MCW may have a better pull to the upper midwest (Chicago, Minnesota, etc.) in terms of matching, however I've seen classmates at UNMC match at some very prestigious programs for EM. Many students do stay in Nebraska for residency, but I think that mostly has to do with the fact that something like 90% of our classes are from the state and have strong ties here/reasons to stay. If cost is something that's super important to you, UNMC will be cheaper, and as far as I understand most students receive aid in some form of scholarship. I obviously can't guarantee anything, but If you're the caliber of student to have received multiple MD acceptances, there is a decent chance you will receive at least some sort of scholarship. I always recommend looking over the curriculum, grading, rotation schedules, etc. to see if there are any particular preferences swaying you one way vs the other. Also, take the chance to visit both campuses if possible! I think it's paramount to feel comfortable on campus and enjoy where you're at, so certainly explore both Omaha and Milwaukee before making a final call to ensure you can see yourself living where you decide to attend. I will say that they are fairly similar cities, with Milwaukee being a little larger and having more to offer as far as an urban environment and access to a city like Chicago, but Omaha is pretty decent for a city of its size. Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to shoot me a DM!

Thank you for sharing all of these, I somehow missed your answer!

What do you look for in a rotation schedule? And do you find it mainly through asking current students? How are rotations at UNMC, is there a lot travel involved?

How is the weather in Omaha? Is it very cold and snowy? Do you have a lot of tornados/ floods etc? ( we have some in St. Louis lol!)

I will try to visit both places (though financially very difficult) and I am still waiting to hear back from two other programs but for the most part I feel all have similar curriculum and grading, only difference is cost and the cities which seem kind of similar too.

Thank you for your time, I appreciate the response!

 

[parquetshorts]

Thank you for sharing all of these, I somehow missed your answer!

What do you look for in a rotation schedule? And do you find it mainly through asking current students? How are rotations at UNMC, is there a lot travel involved?

How is the weather in Omaha? Is it very cold and snowy? Do you have a lot of tornados/ floods etc? ( we have some in St. Louis lol!)

I will try to visit both places (though financially very difficult) and I am still waiting to hear back from two other programs but for the most part I feel all have similar curriculum and grading, only difference is cost and the cities which seem kind of similar too.

Thank you for your time, I appreciate the response!

- As far as rotation schedule: look at the school website for information regarding what 3rd year rotations look like. Here is the link for UNMC's third year rotation lay out: Phase 2 < University of Nebraska Medical Center. Different schools will offer different courses for different lengths of time. For example, UNMC has 6 core rotations (IM, FM, Surg, Peds, Psych, OBGyn), while some schools may offer 8. Having less core rotations can be nice in regards to having more time to study for shelves, but we miss out on having courses like EM or Neuro for core rotations. Both are offered as 3 week electives during surgery and IM respectively, and as 4th year electives, but some schools will have these as a core rotation which can be a bonus. Just something to consider since you're thinking of pursuing EM.

- If you're in St. Louis, weather in Omaha is very similar. Probably just a little colder and a bit more snow in the winter. Flash floods do occasionally happen in late summer but typically not something to worry about. Tornadoes rarely hit the inner city, usually more of an issue in rural areas. Milwaukee will be a bit colder and snowier than Omaha, but again fairly comparable.

- If you live in St. Louis, Omaha essentially just feels like a smaller version; the cities are laid out fairly similarly. Milwaukee is very similar in size and feel to St. Louis so if you like the amenities that that kind of city has to offer, you may like Milwaukee better, but that's totally up to personal preference.

 

[Premed@ForestParkForever]

Thank you I see now I haven’t thought of considering rotation schedules as a factor or what to look in them so this is super helpful!!

It seems that MCW has a similar curriculum layout overall (18 months Phase 1 then 12 months Phase 2 but then 17 months Phase 3 versus 13 months at UNMC). However, MCW has more rotations in phase 2 which are 16 weeks (attached image), and the 17 months phase 3 means starting earlier in the summer and giving time to finalize the Scholarly Pathway similar to EMETs.

As far as the cities I do already feel that St. Louis is kind of a small city with not much to do (I am originally from outside of the US but lived in St. Louis for 8 years so have not experienced other states). Although it would be nice to be in a large city, I do not think it's a priority to take at least 20,000 per year more in debt for that especially when all my school options are very comparable in terms of many things. Still, it is gonna be a very tough decision to make but I am so grateful

How easy is the commute in Omaha without a car and is it safe overall? I have heard that MCW public transit is not very reliable and that their winters are super long and gloomy weather to go out. I do not plan on bringing my car with me most likely.

Since UNMC is very highly ranked in primary care as one of the top 10 in the nation, how much emphasis is placed overall on primary care? How is the primary care focus reflected in the day-to-day curriculum/ experience?

Thank you so much again and I know you're a super busy med student so do not feel like you have to reply I appreciate it already! Good luck on your exams!

 

[future0bgyn]

Thank you I see now I haven’t thought of considering rotation schedules as a factor or what to look in them so this is super helpful!!

It seems that MCW has a similar curriculum layout overall (18 months Phase 1 then 12 months Phase 2 but then 17 months Phase 3 versus 13 months at UNMC). However, MCW has more rotations in phase 2 which are 16 weeks (attached image), and the 17 months phase 3 means starting earlier in the summer and giving time to finalize the Scholarly Pathway similar to EMETs.

As far as the cities I do already feel that St. Louis is kind of a small city with not much to do (I am originally from outside of the US but lived in St. Louis for 8 years so have not experienced other states). Although it would be nice to be in a large city, I do not think it's a priority to take at least 20,000 per year more in debt for that especially when all my school options are very comparable in terms of many things. Still, it is gonna be a very tough decision to make but I am so grateful

How easy is the commute in Omaha without a car and is it safe overall? I have heard that MCW public transit is not very reliable and that their winters are super long and gloomy weather to go out. I do not plan on bringing my car with me most likely.

Since UNMC is very highly ranked in primary care as one of the top 10 in the nation, how much emphasis is placed overall on primary care? How is the primary care focus reflected in the day-to-day curriculum/ experience?

Thank you so much again and I know you're a super busy med student so do not feel like you have to reply I appreciate it already! Good luck on your exams!

I am not a UNMC medical student (I’m applying this cycle) but I did do my masters there and I can answer your questions about commutes and cars as I have lived here for 6 years.

Omaha has little to no public transport depending on where you are at in the city and it is not reliable as a form of transit. You would need a car here. As far as safety it is pretty safe. There are always worse parts of town, but the campus is in a good area, and I have never felt unsafe here.

 

[Premed@ForestParkForever]

I am not a UNMC medical student (I’m applying this cycle) but I did do my masters there and I can answer your questions about commutes and cars as I have lived here for 6 years.

Omaha has little to no public transport depending on where you are at in the city and it is not reliable as a form of transit. You would need a car here. As far as safety it is pretty safe. There are always worse parts of town, but the campus is in a good area, and I have never felt unsafe here.

Thank you for sharing, this is very helpful to know! I do have a car I was just planning on leaving it to my family but we will try to get another one. And good luck to you with this application cycle, it's been a very stressful and long process for me to get here but getting my first acceptance letter was all worth it!

 

[parquetshorts]

Agree with the above that it is unfortunately a very car dependent city. The area of town that the medical center is in is semi-walkable. If you live close then there's plenty to do in walking distance; there's a few grocery stores kind of near by but you more or less have to drive to do most things.

As far as the primary care aspect, from what I understand those rankings are mainly based off of how many students end up pursuing primary care rather than curriculum focus per se. I think given that UNMC is a state school, and a fair amount of students do come from rural areas, there probably are proportionally more folks pursuing primary-care specialties such as FM, IM, peds, OB, but it doesn't limit you in terms of pursuing other specialties. Only thing that probably sets us apart in terms of primary care curriculum is that we have an 8 week rural FM rotation in 3rd year where you're sent to the middle of nowhere Nebraska, and a longitudinal clinical experience during 1st and 2nd years where you more or less shadow a PCP a half-dozen times or so.

 

[Premed@ForestParkForever]

Agree with the above that it is unfortunately a very car dependent city. The area of town that the medical center is in is semi-walkable. If you live close then there's plenty to do in walking distance; there's a few grocery stores kind of near by but you more or less have to drive to do most things.

As far as the primary care aspect, from what I understand those rankings are mainly based off of how many students end up pursuing primary care rather than curriculum focus per se. I think given that UNMC is a state school, and a fair amount of students do come from rural areas, there probably are proportionally more folks pursuing primary-care specialties such as FM, IM, peds, OB, but it doesn't limit you in terms of pursuing other specialties. Only thing that probably sets us apart in terms of primary care curriculum is that we have an 8 week rural FM rotation in 3rd year where you're sent to the middle of nowhere Nebraska, and a longitudinal clinical experience during 1st and 2nd years where you more or less shadow a PCP a half-dozen times or so.

Thank you again for all of your responses, I appreciate it!!