UNLV (Full tuition scholarship) vs CUSOM

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plainoatmeal

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Hi everyone! Posting on here to see if anyone has some helpful input regarding my top two school choices. I haven't received any financial information from CUSOM yet, so this might change in a few weeks when they are supposed to be releasing that to us.


UNLV
Pros:
- Full tuition scholarship + inexpensive cost of living = significant debt relief
- Small class size
- New school, so I'll be able to contribute to their development and there's a lot of opportunities for initiating community projects that I'm interested in
- Longitudinal clerkships - I really like the idea of early exposure and following patients long term through my studies
- Systems-based learning, which I also like
- I have a well-established camaraderie with professors and physicians at the school
- Faculty seems very attune to needs of students

Cons:
- This is a new school that is still gaining full accreditation, therefore they have zero stats on matching and STEP exams (although they took over a lot of staff from another school with a long history of residency matching success)
- Living in Las Vegas for the next 4+ years
- Likelihood of matching in Las Vegas is very high; this is actually a double-edged sword, I'm interested in emergency medicine and would be happy to complete an EM residency at UMC

University of Colorado
Pros:
- Colorado has a well-established program with matching in competitive residencies
- Denver is an amazing city/area, I'm an avid outdoorsperson
- Students seem like people I would be happy to have in my life
- Faculty seems very attune to needs of students
- Denver health EM residency: matching for CUSOM grads is very high, so my chances of matching to this specialty (if I end up sticking with it) is good

Cons:
- Cost is unreal for OOS students if no scholarship is offered ($90K/year)


I don't have family in either city, and my SO has a significant interest in living in Denver but is not completely opposed to Las Vegas. Any thoughts are appreciated!

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take the full tuition scholarship.....90k year is a ton of money and it sounds like both places will get you where you want to go; also, your connections at UNLV increase the likelihood of succeeding if you work hard and seek opportunity. remember, 90k x 4yrs + interest will be near half a million dollars once it is paid off....seems like an easy decision, especially because neither school has family close by for support.
 
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I also agree with those above and I would lean towards full-tuition as well. Any chance CU would match maybe half or a quarter of that scholarship? Maybe worth a chance!
 
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CU didn't offer me a scholarship, so UNLV it is! I officially withdrew from all other schools today. Thanks for the advice everyone!
 
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