UPDATED: OHSU vs UTMB

[Vader_FE]

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UPDATE 6/4/25 - UTMB has given me $37k/year in merit scholarships which brings my total COA to ~$100k for 4 years. OHSU has given me $34k/year in scholarship which brings my total COA to ~$208k for 4 years. Im really lost if OHSU is worth the ~110k difference. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Hi everyone, trying to make the tough decision between these 2 schools and would really appreciate y'alls help! Matched to UTMB in Feb and recently got in off the alternate list at OHSU. Seems like I have ample time to decide though since OHSU said it might take a couple weeks to receive the offical offer letter.

To give some background on me:

• Based in Oregon, but did undergrad in Texas. SO currently lives in Dallas, TX
• Played tennis all my life and enjoy outdoor activities to destress
• Looking for a school that has a somewhat relaxed environment (p/f, collaborative, etc.) but still provides ample opportunities for matching into a competitive specialty (ik this is mostly down to my personal effort during med school)
• Very interested in IR right now but would probably dual apply with a backup in IM
• IR is has so few spots so happy to match anywhere but for IM would ideally like to match back in Texas

UTMB ($240k total COA)
Pros

• Sibling is a current IM resident here
• P/F preclinical
• NBME exams
• Genuinely seem like a great environment and very supportive
• Matches pretty well
• 4-5 hr drive from SO

Cons

• Not a big fan of Galveston as a city
• Have severe dietary restrictions and Galveston doesnt have great options for me
• Seems like utmb is rlly strict on mandatory attendance
• Doesnt offer a lot of flexibility in 3rd year for away rotations
• Graded clinical (H/HP/P/F)
• Large class (230-240)

OHSU ($320k total COA)
Pros

• OHSU is Oregon’s only academic medical institution, all of the states most complex cases will come here
• All lectures are recorded and far fewer mandatory lectures compared to UTMB
• 1 hr drive away from parents
• P/F preclinical AND CLINICAL
• Clinical years seem very flexible (can take shelf exams whenever & able to do away rotations in 3rd year if scheduled correctly)
• 1 week break after every block that can be used for vaction or to retake an exam that was failed the prior week with no consequences
• Definitely prefer living in Portland over Galveston and COL is about the same
• Have heard from current students that a large percentage of the class wants to do family med so competition for research and stuff in competitive specialties is reduced
• Smaller class (~150)

Cons

• Higher overall cost of attendance
• OHSU is know for its preference of older candidates so not sure how that will affect me when it comes to social life (I just graduated college)
• Far from SO
• Uses a combination of in-house and NBME exams so this might be annoying?
• Weather isnt my favorite (rains a lot)

Overall: OHSU feels like the right choice to me due to the p/f clinical, chance to remediate without consequence if I fail an exam, and flexibility in clinical years but I'm just not sure if the additional ~$80k is worth it. UTMB is definitely closer to my SO but I think that with the week break OHSU gives after each block and fewer mandatory attendance lectures/events I would realistically be able to see them just as often but I wont know for sure till I'm in school. Would greatly appreciate everyones opinion on this!

 

[Vader_FE]

UPDATE 6/4/25 - UTMB has given me $37k/year in merit scholarships which brings my total COA to ~$100k for 4 years. OHSU has given me $34k/year in scholarship which brings my total COA to ~$208k for 4 years. Im really lost if OHSU is worth the ~110k difference. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[ecobio]

I wish i knew more about these programs. I will say that 100k is a lot of money, but its not a death sentence. Especially if you do end up in IR, you can pay that off

If you feel like you will be significantly happier at OHSU, it may be worth it. I think quality of life is SOOOO important as a deciding factor. Its clear based on your pros and cons that, if cost wasnt a factor, you’d prefer OHSU. I wonder how much more you prefer it? Being close to SO and your sib is a huge plus too.

Either way you have two great options! Good luck and congrats 🙂