URGENT: VANDY vs. GEORGETOWN

[xCD420]

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hello everyone. i have been a reader of these boards for a couple weeks and have decided to register and join in on the conversations myself. like many of you i am currently trying to decide where to spend the next four years of my life before the 15th! I really liked both schools when I visited.
Being from SoCal, the location of DC appealed to me alot more due to the proximity to water and bigger city feel. However, Vandy seems to have a better reputation academically and I do want to shoot for a nice residency.
I am not at all interested in research/academic medicine. Nashvile is not very appealing to me as a city, nor is the entire region, but the students there were extremely friendly and seemed to enjoy their time there. Can any of you provide some thoughts on where you would go and why??? I am very torn...

 

[NPursuit]

hello everyone. i have been a reader of these boards for a couple weeks and have decided to register and join in on the conversations myself. like many of you i am currently trying to decide where to spend the next four years of my life before the 15th! I really liked both schools when I visited.
Being from SoCal, the location of DC appealed to me alot more due to the proximity to water and bigger city feel. However, Vandy seems to have a better reputation academically and I do want to shoot for a nice residency.
I am not at all interested in research/academic medicine. Nashvile is not very appealing to me as a city, nor is the entire region, but the students there were extremely friendly and seemed to enjoy their time there. Can any of you provide some thoughts on where you would go and why??? I am very torn...

Proximity to water in DC? Well, yeah, you have a river there. But if it's a matter of going to a beach, you're just going to drive to Virginia? Seems to me that Nashville would have better access to lakes than DC would to water, at least recreationally speaking.

I'm the wrong guy to speak, though. I really don't like D.C. (way too transient, power-hungry, and politically-driven) and love Nashville (relaxed, friendly people, southern, awesome live music).

Let's be honest, you're looking for someone to tell you that you should go to Georgetown and that it's okay. It is. Really. The school has a good rep. Some financial problems, but a very good school with a name well-known. So go for it.

Southern Californian here, too, man. 😉 Best of luck. I think I've finally decided I'm going to stay in-state.

 

[jennifermov]

my two cents won't really count for much, but i'm going to give them anyway....a friend once told me..."everyone has a friend that goes to vandy, but no one has a friend that goes to vandy and likes it..." granted, he was speaking about the undergrad school....i've visited both universities and each location has its advantages and disadvantages. but ultimately, i must say that although i'm a southern girl who is all about southern tradition, i think i'd choose georgetown b/c in my mind it would provide more opportunities in the long run....you can't go wrong with your decision -- congrats on being accepted to two really great schools!

jen

 

[willthatsall]

I would choose vandy without even thinking about it. I always heard students are generally happy there.

 

[xCD420]

thanks for ur responses guys. its interesting to hear two perspectives on vandy student happiness. i definitely got the impression they were all happy there, but i know that cant be true. with regards to nppursuit's comments, i can see what you are saying. indeed my initial instinct was to go with vandy with its higher rank/rep and all, and i just feel the need to have a better reason to go to georgetown other than location. i was not aware of any financial troubles they had tho, if you could elaborate it would be appreciated.
i guess i would be happy at either place. bost are around the same cost tuition wise, with DC being a little more expensive to live in. ideally i would have liked to stay in california, but till this day i am still dumfounded at how poorly i fared in the admission game here (no interviews, 35R, 3.6)

 

[drwlo]

I live in DC and have lived in large cities my entire life. I loved Nashville! Did you actually go around the city? My impression before visiting was that it would be a small town with little to do but I was completely wrong. Nashville is great. I interviewed at both Georgetown and Vandy and I would say Vandy hands down for curriculum, quality of clinical training and overall happiness of students. I have friends that go to Georgetown med and hate it. Different people are happy at different places though. If you want a traditional curriculum, heavy on lecture hours and lots of scut work go to Georgetown. Vandy also has a trad curriculum but fewer lecture hours and no scut work plus a better reputation.

 

[drwlo]

Also, its 3 1/2 hours to the beach.

 

[virilep]

hello everyone. i have been a reader of these boards for a couple weeks and have decided to register and join in on the conversations myself. like many of you i am currently trying to decide where to spend the next four years of my life before the 15th! I really liked both schools when I visited.
Being from SoCal, the location of DC appealed to me alot more due to the proximity to water and bigger city feel. However, Vandy seems to have a better reputation academically and I do want to shoot for a nice residency.
I am not at all interested in research/academic medicine. Nashvile is not very appealing to me as a city, nor is the entire region, but the students there were extremely friendly and seemed to enjoy their time there. Can any of you provide some thoughts on where you would go and why??? I am very torn...

I'm Vandy biased. it's an amazing place. The class they have is usually VERY diverse. I can't tell you how much of a great time you'd have. it's not only the fact that you have a nice campus and great faculty. but more of the prestige and the fact that nashville has lots to offer. u just have to find it. and.. the kappas there have a lot to offer ;-)

 

[Hoya11]

Gtown has no financial problems

Everyone keeps saying it but its not true, i go here its all good financially.

As far as choosing the better school, I am not sure Vandy is such a clear choice reputation wise. Take a look at our match list, not to brag, but it is literally one of the best in the country. I do not know for sure, but Vandy might be ranked higher on the USNEWS list and this may be where you are getting that their reputation is better. Those rankings are basically meaningless. It all depends on what you want to do, if specialty and city is important to you, I dont know why you are even considering vandy.

II would bet our match list beats theirs easily. I think we actually matched more people into ortho and nuerosurgery than any other school period.

So dont not pick georgetown out of reputation/future options. Pick georgetown because of those things. It is equal or greater than vandy in that regard, plus its not in nashville.

 

[jjmack]

If you want a competitive residency go with vandy the name will take you farther. Ask anyone in medicine there is no doubt. Only reason to chose Georgetown is if you want to be in DC.

Gtown has no financial problems

Everyone keeps saying it but its not true, i go here its all good financially.

As far as choosing the better school, I am not sure Vandy is such a clear choice reputation wise. Take a look at our match list, not to brag, but it is literally one of the best in the country. I do not know for sure, but Vandy might be ranked higher on the USNEWS list and this may be where you are getting that their reputation is better. Those rankings are basically meaningless. It all depends on what you want to do, if specialty and city is important to you, I dont know why you are even considering vandy.

II would bet our match list beats theirs easily. I think we actually matched more people into ortho and nuerosurgery than any other school period.

So dont not pick georgetown out of reputation/future options. Pick georgetown because of those things. It is equal or greater than vandy in that regard, plus its not in nashville.

 

[10minutes]

Gtown has no financial problems

Everyone keeps saying it but its not true, i go here its all good financially.

As far as choosing the better school, I am not sure Vandy is such a clear choice reputation wise. Take a look at our match list, not to brag, but it is literally one of the best in the country. I do not know for sure, but Vandy might be ranked higher on the USNEWS list and this may be where you are getting that their reputation is better. Those rankings are basically meaningless. It all depends on what you want to do, if specialty and city is important to you, I dont know why you are even considering vandy.

II would bet our match list beats theirs easily. I think we actually matched more people into ortho and nuerosurgery than any other school period.

So dont not pick georgetown out of reputation/future options. Pick georgetown because of those things. It is equal or greater than vandy in that regard, plus its not in nashville.

The problem with G-town is that their students are too much proud of their school. They think that most of their programs are 'one of the best' when they are not really that impressive. 🙄 I guess people get brain-washed that way somehow? G-town is a good school, but there are a lot more schools with better reputation than G including 'vandy'. No offense, but I don't know if you know much about vandy at all.

 

[NPursuit]

No, Georgetown has indeed had some financial issues with their hospital. Their med school has done some things to improve the situation for students, and things do look to be shaping up nicely on some fronts.

Here are some articles from Georgetown sources:

Is the Hospital Sucking Us Dry?

Medical School Affiliation Cites Improvement at GU

 

[wxl31]

did you go to vandy's 2nd look? after that, i would think anyone would be sold. i still have to withdraw for a uc, but man, writing that withdrawl letter is going to be PAINFUL.

go to vandy!!!

 

[lilybean]

The problem with G-town is that their students are too much proud of their school. They think that most of their programs are 'one of the best' when they are not really that impressive. 🙄 I guess people get brain-washed that way somehow? G-town is a good school, but there are a lot more schools with better reputation than G including 'vandy'. No offense, but I don't know if you know much about vandy at all.

And I am not sure how much you really know about Georgetown. The problem is it is easy to put down a school that you don't go to because obviuosly you think that your school is the best 🙂 I have spent the last year at the medical school at georgetown and have found the opportunities here unmatchable. What other school can you go to where the best cardiologist on the world , Dr. Harvey, comes to give you a lecture. And Georgetown's match list is incredible. Gtown matched 19 to ortho last year alone, vandy had only had 27 in the past 4 years! So I think that Georgetown's reputation is just fine!

If you want to check out the lists yourself:
Gtown 2005
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=2421428&postcount=76

Vandy 2002-2005
https://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/medschool/admissions/stats/residency.php

 

[jjmack]

when are people going to learn that people can only match in the field they want to? So it looks like more people from georgetown wanted to go into ortho...what does that prove? I didn't look closely at the match lists but you need to look at where the people match too.

And I am not sure how much you really know about Georgetown. The problem is it is easy to put down a school that you don't go to because obviuosly you think that your school is the best 🙂 I have spent the last year at the medical school at georgetown and have found the opportunities here unmatchable. What other school can you go to where the best cardiologist on the world , Dr. Harvey, comes to give you a lecture. And Georgetown's match list is incredible. Gtown matched 19 to ortho last year alone, vandy had only had 27 in the past 4 years! So I think that Georgetown's reputation is just fine!

If you want to check out the lists yourself:
Gtown 2005
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=2421428&postcount=76

Vandy 2002-2005
https://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/medschool/admissions/stats/residency.php

 

[Gut Shot]

Gtown has no financial problems

Everyone keeps saying it but its not true, i go here its all good financially.

That's interesting. When I interviewed at Gerogetown for med school in 2001 the place was hemorrhaging money to the tune of a quarter billion in the previous year. One of the vice deans even came by to assure us that the place would still be there. As of August 2004 the university's bond rating was dropped by Standard and Poor's.

If I were the OP I would go to Vandy for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is their billion-plus endowment.

 

[10minutes]

And I am not sure how much you really know about Georgetown. The problem is it is easy to put down a school that you don't go to because obviuosly you think that your school is the best 🙂 I have spent the last year at the medical school at georgetown and have found the opportunities here unmatchable. What other school can you go to where the best cardiologist on the world , Dr. Harvey, comes to give you a lecture. And Georgetown's match list is incredible. Gtown matched 19 to ortho last year alone, vandy had only had 27 in the past 4 years! So I think that Georgetown's reputation is just fine!

If you want to check out the lists yourself:
Gtown 2005
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=2421428&postcount=76

Vandy 2002-2005
https://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/medschool/admissions/stats/residency.php

Yes, 19 ortho is impressive, but is the ortho only competitive specialty? He mentioned that Gtown easily beat the match list of Vandy. But the match list really depends on the decision of students. Maybe last year a lot of Gtown students wanted to go ortho. You also have to look at where students are matched. I'm just saying that Vandy med has better reputation in the eyes of both public and residency directors, not just on the usnews. There is nothing wrong with being proud of one's school (I'm proud of mine too), but there are reasons when a number of students decide to attend other school instead of Gtown. I don't think it's because they are all idiots. Extreme pride can be perceived as arrogance.

 

[Hoya11]

Yes, 19 ortho is impressive, but is the ortho only competitive specialty? He mentioned that Gtown easily beat the match list of Vandy. But the match list really depends on the decision of students. Maybe last year a lot of Gtown students wanted to go ortho. You also have to look at where students are matched. I'm just saying that Vandy med has better reputation in the eyes of both public and residency directors, not just on the usnews. There is nothing wrong with being proud of one's school (I'm proud of mine too), but there are reasons when a number of students decide to attend other school instead of Gtown. I don't think it's because they are all idiots. Extreme pride can be perceived as arrogance.

I do not mean to have extreme pride, I do not have extreme pride in Gtown there are some things that I wish were different. Like easier classes, easier scheduling, better housing, etc.. The school is not perfect and the people who get into georgetown and choose to go somewhere else are certainly not idiots.

WHat i did mean to do is take one side of the argument and offer a perspective about my school. Not just say dont go to Georgetown, when you dont go to either school, and offer nothing else in support of the other option but rhetoric.

To answer your first question, we also matched about 17 into nuero surgery. LOOK AT THE LIST, you wouldnt believe it unless you saw it. This basically proves the comment about the program directors wrong, which is total jealous BS from some rivaling southern school accusing ME of being arrogant.
Not only do we match more into more competitive specialities, they are at better places. Its a fact, I am not trying to brag. We pride ourselves on our match list. We spend all of our preclinical years practically preparing for the boards. Thats what kind of school it is like. We look to match into top residencies, and we are great at it, and we are in a city.

If this thread was about " I want to go to a school that is supportive and calm and pretty" I would say hey man, gtown might not be your place.

Everyone cites the money issues and the religion issues as reasons not to go here and I just dont even know what to say to that. The religion class lasts 3 weeks and i studied for 2 hours for it total, and the money situaion is something you just dont have to worry about! Everyone gets as much aid as they need, improvements are being made and new things being built, its like what are you talking about? Cite me all the figures and whatever you want about the hospital, I go here people, I would not tell someone things are OK if they are not. The med school is doing just fine and will continue to do so. But believe what you will.

Anyway, if you dont pick gtown, good luck to you and vandy will be great Im sure. Both schools are great.

 

[duck2005]

vandy

 

[Bfriccia1]

And I am not sure how much you really know about Georgetown. The problem is it is easy to put down a school that you don't go to because obviuosly you think that your school is the best 🙂 I have spent the last year at the medical school at georgetown and have found the opportunities here unmatchable. What other school can you go to where the best cardiologist on the world , Dr. Harvey, comes to give you a lecture. And Georgetown's match list is incredible. Gtown matched 19 to ortho last year alone, vandy had only had 27 in the past 4 years! So I think that Georgetown's reputation is just fine!

If you want to check out the lists yourself:
Gtown 2005
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=2421428&postcount=76

Vandy 2002-2005
https://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/medschool/admissions/stats/residency.php

Just because Georgetown matches 21 people or whatever in ortho doesnt mean it is better than vanderbilt, who only matched 27 in four years. This is due to the fact that every single kid at Georgetown by the third year wants to go into ortho while the students at Vanderbilt choose other specialties. The ortho matches at Georgetown are at mostly lower level ortho programs also while Vanderbilts matches are all at extremely competitive programs. This is a really bad way of evaluating a medical school. Second, Vanderbilts USMLE board scores are the top in the U.S. (greater than Hopkins and Harvard) so these students are all studs when they apply for residency. Honestly, if reputation is your concern, Vanderbilt is a no-brainer choice over Georgetown.

 

[Thegandlighs]

I'm not going to say anything about Vanderbilt because I know nothing about it, but I am certain that you will match into the residency you want to no matter which school you attend as long as you work hard. That being said, DC has great city life, and is very very culturally diverse. You'll meet all sorts of people from all over the world. Also, you are only a four hour bus ride away from New York City (you can get a roundtrip ticket for $30). You are also only a couple of hours away from Philadelphia. And you will definitely be able to find weekends here or there as well as breaks to go visit these places.

 

[lilybean]

Just because Georgetown matches 21 people or whatever in ortho doesnt mean it is better than vanderbilt, who only matched 27 in four years. This is due to the fact that every single kid at Georgetown by the third year wants to go into ortho while the students at Vanderbilt choose other specialties. The ortho matches at Georgetown are at mostly lower level ortho programs also while Vanderbilts matches are all at extremely competitive programs. This is a really bad way of evaluating a medical school. Second, Vanderbilts USMLE board scores are the top in the U.S. (greater than Hopkins and Harvard) so these students are all studs when they apply for residency. Honestly, if reputation is your concern, Vanderbilt is a no-brainer choice over Georgetown.

Just to clarify, I think that Vandy is a great school. I am not sure how hoya and I became the bad guys for saying what we liked about our school. It baffles me why gtown is ragged on so much in SDN because most of the stuff said is untrue! The OP will be fine with whichever school they choose, both are fantastic.

The only reason I mentioned the 19 orthos was because no matter how you spin it, it IS an impressive number which would not be possible if gtown's reputation was hurting as much a you say it is. I was just trying to support my school and clarify some erroneous statements.

Lets be honest, medical school is what you make out of it and a large part of it is where you will be most happy. I am sure that the OP will be happy with either school.

Good luck in your decision and perhaps we will be classmates next year.

 

[derf]

If you want a competitive residency go with vandy the name will take you farther. Ask anyone in medicine there is no doubt. Only reason to chose Georgetown is if you want to be in DC.

I would imagine georgetown is more reputable and well known as an institution. International reputation and highly regarded. always been one of my dream schools growing up.

 

[exmike]

vandy >> georgetown. its not even close.

GU may have a good "reputation" but in medicine, GU is just a very average school. I would consider Vandy an elite school.

 

[10minutes]

I do not mean to have extreme pride, I do not have extreme pride in Gtown there are some things that I wish were different. Like easier classes, easier scheduling, better housing, etc.. The school is not perfect and the people who get into georgetown and choose to go somewhere else are certainly not idiots.

WHat i did mean to do is take one side of the argument and offer a perspective about my school. Not just say dont go to Georgetown, when you dont go to either school, and offer nothing else in support of the other option but rhetoric.

To answer your first question, we also matched about 17 into nuero surgery. LOOK AT THE LIST, you wouldnt believe it unless you saw it. This basically proves the comment about the program directors wrong, which is total jealous BS from some rivaling southern school accusing ME of being arrogant.
Not only do we match more into more competitive specialities, they are at better places. Its a fact, I am not trying to brag. We pride ourselves on our match list. We spend all of our preclinical years practically preparing for the boards. Thats what kind of school it is like. We look to match into top residencies, and we are great at it, and we are in a city.

If this thread was about " I want to go to a school that is supportive and calm and pretty" I would say hey man, gtown might not be your place.

Everyone cites the money issues and the religion issues as reasons not to go here and I just dont even know what to say to that. The religion class lasts 3 weeks and i studied for 2 hours for it total, and the money situaion is something you just dont have to worry about! Everyone gets as much aid as they need, improvements are being made and new things being built, its like what are you talking about? Cite me all the figures and whatever you want about the hospital, I go here people, I would not tell someone things are OK if they are not. The med school is doing just fine and will continue to do so. But believe what you will.

Anyway, if you dont pick gtown, good luck to you and vandy will be great Im sure. Both schools are great.

This is why some Gtowners get perceived as arrogant folks. No one at UVA is jealous of gtown, buddy. And if you think that money and religion issues are the only major reasons why many people turn down gtown, I don't know what to say about that.

One thing I have noticed though, is that there are a few students here who think that gtown is in the league of ivies. I don't know how many will agree with that, but each of their own. It's your opinion and I'll keep mine.

 

[medstylee]

This is something I've always been curious about (in general, not regarding these two schools in particular)... It looks like students at Vanderbilt did match into more programs with prestigious names than the students at Georgetown did. But, how much better off are those students really going to be in the long run? I've heard before that the residency you match into is more important in the long run than the medical school you choose, but how exactly? Anyone have any input?

In my mind, I just can't imagine how much of a difference going to Vanderbilt versus Georgetown would make for your career, in terms of name comparison. With that, I'd vote for the 'just go where you felt most comfortable' approach. The two schools seem quite different. To me, it just sounds like the difference in prestige between the schools is a non-factor compared to other differences (locale, student experiences, etc). Anyway, just my two cents. Congrats and good luck.

 

[blue2000]

This is something I've always been curious about (in general, not regarding these two schools in particular)... It looks like students at Vanderbilt did match into more programs with prestigious names than the students at Georgetown did. But, how much better off are those students really going to be in the long run? I've heard before that the residency you match into is more important in the long run than the medical school you choose, but how exactly? Anyone have any input?

In my mind, I just can't imagine how much of a difference going to Vanderbilt versus Georgetown would make for your career, in terms of name comparison. With that, I'd vote for the 'just go where you felt most comfortable' approach. The two schools seem quite different. To me, it just sounds like the difference in prestige between the schools is a non-factor compared to other differences (locale, student experiences, etc). Anyway, just my two cents. Congrats and good luck.

I think you make excellent points. As to your first paragraph; matching into more desirable residencies is usually thought to either give you an entry into academic medicine if that is your bag, or give you more flexibility in your future.

I would completely echo your second paragraph. Each school has a different culture, and finding what is your better fit will make you a more successful medical student. Find success at either institution and you will have many options.

One thing that I've heard is that G-town has a reputation for a large percentage of their class going into the surgical subspecialities each year; if that is your interest that's good, if you are anti-surgery, this may be less desirable.

 

[vellaboy]

did you go to vandy's 2nd look? after that, i would think anyone would be sold. i still have to withdraw for a uc, but man, writing that withdrawl letter is going to be PAINFUL.

go to vandy!!!

hey wxl31--do you mind me asking why you're choosing a UC over Vandy (aside from the obvious--$$$$). which UC? i'm in the same situation. i really liked Vandy but at the same time it's hard to turn down the chance to save major ducats at UC Davis.

 

[xCD420]

wow guys, thanks for all of the replies and great insights. i have been having computer problems for a little over a day now so i wasnt able to join back in the thread sooner. based on what ive read, i am pretty convinced that i would get a great education at either school and getting the residency that i want comes down to my own personal hard work for the boards, etc.
therefore, i think it would be best for me to choose based on where i would feel most comfortable, ie DC vs. nashville. i guess i thought DC was a little closer to the ocean than it really was, but either way its closer than nashville. although i was definitely more impressed with nashville on 2nd look weekend than i thought i would be, it still of course doesnt match up to the capitol of the grand ole USA.
curriculum wise they are both traditional and dont have PBL which i like. i just personally learn better in a lecture format. i am trying hard not to look at USNEWS rankings to get a sense of reputation. to be honest, i had heard of georgetown university long before vanderbilt if that means anything. so at this point i am leaning more towards georgetown...

 

[housemd]

I think vanderbilt has a better reputation and students there are notriously happy. Their hospital is also much better regarded than the one at Gtown. If Vanderbilt is P/F, then I would choose it in a heartbeat. Just my opinion.

 

[xCD420]

vanderbilt is indeed P/F. i was hoping someone that is actually a vandy/gt medstudent or knows one very well could weigh in on the issue, i guess ill go post in the allo forum

 

[Hoya11]

This is why some Gtowners get perceived as arrogant folks. No one at UVA is jealous of gtown, buddy. And if you think that money and religion issues are the only major reasons why many people turn down gtown, I don't know what to say about that.

One thing I have noticed though, is that there are a few students here who think that gtown is in the league of ivies. I don't know how many will agree with that, but each of their own. It's your opinion and I'll keep mine.

You sound like a jerk.

Dont put words/opinions in my mouth/post. Read my post. It is nice, and it is relevant, and doesnt make any of the claims you just posted. Yours is mean and trying to start a war, not cool. Just be nice, you dont have to "WIN" every post you make. Lets stay on topic no one cares about this lame argument you are trying to start.

 

[Gut Shot]

with DC being a little more expensive to live in.

Are you kidding? DC is way more expensive than Nashville. One of my friends will be doing her intern year in the Capitol and is shelling out almost a grand a month for a studio closet.

I have been to DC many times over the years, and my feelings about it are very mixed. Very international and cosmopolitan, but the traffic makes me want to commit suicide. I only visited Gtown once, and I wasn't terribly impressed by the facilities I saw. Some of my classmates who interviewed there for residency echoed my sentiments, saying they tended to be a bit dingy.

I also only visited Vandy once, but that place totally rocked my socks off. The area around the med center is cheap, clean, and very college. The facilities were awesome, with good parking (what a novel idea).

I'm not trying to bash Gtown (although the whole cura personalis speech made me want to barf), I just had VERY different impressions of the two schools from my limited perspective and wanted to share.

 

[Gut Shot]

vanderbilt is indeed P/F. i was hoping someone that is actually a vandy/gt medstudent or knows one very well could weigh in on the issue, i guess ill go post in the allo forum

I worked with an FP resident who did med school at Vandy. When I asked him if he liked it he got that wistful, far away look in his eyes and said (with his voice slightly faltering) "It was great... I loved it."

 

[exmike]

vanderbilt is indeed P/F. i was hoping someone that is actually a vandy/gt medstudent or knows one very well could weigh in on the issue, i guess ill go post in the allo forum

gu is h/hp/p/f

 

[stinkycheese]

my two cents won't really count for much, but i'm going to give them anyway....a friend once told me..."everyone has a friend that goes to vandy, but no one has a friend that goes to vandy and likes it..."

To the contrary, I have heard multiple times that according to a survey of "student happiness", Vandy has ranked right up there towards the top consistently. This is for the medical school, of course!

 

[deuist]

"everyone has a friend that goes to vandy, but no one has a friend that goes to vandy and likes it..."

I don't know anything about Vandy's undergrad. I do know, however, that the medical school has one of the highest student satisfaction rates in the country.

 

[deuist]

II would bet our match list beats theirs easily. I think we actually matched more people into ortho and nuerosurgery than any other school period.

Uh huh... and Vandy matched more people to Harvard than any other school but Harvard.

 

[deuist]

Gtown matched 19 to ortho last year alone, vandy had only had 27 in the past 4 years! So I think that Georgetown's reputation is just fine!

You numbers are not statistically meaningful. How many people from Vandy went to dermatology, emergency medicine and anesthesiology when compared to Georgetown? Saying that lots of students matched with ortho only shows that lots of students like ortho. The numbers you supplied don't even say where they ended up doing their residency.

 

[pekq]

Oh please please go to GTown. It's inferior to vandy but you will definetly be happier there based on what I've read about you. This is especially true if you are asian. If you are asian, hands down gtown. Since you are not concerned about research/academia, I think you will be fine at G-town for your future.

Bottomline - go where you'll be happiest and not where you think you'll match best. Of course, don't go to a carribbean school over vandy.

 

[xCD420]

yah i actually am asian...but the asians in met at vandy didnt seem unhappy or anything...

 

[lightnk102]

my guess is that you want to go to georgetown and the only reason you're torn, is because everyone says that vandy is a better place.

the reason why incoming MS1's seem to debate "which school" is because they still have the undergrad mentality where going to a "better" school may mean more opportunities. this doesn't necessarily apply in med school. if you look at any match list, every school turns out specialties of some sort (if that's what you're interested in). the only difference is the prestige of the hospital where you train. but really - the prestige of the hospital won't matter much unless you want to go into academics. if you don't want to go into academics, the lure of the prestige is the label. there's no such thing as "bad" training in the U.S.. so i suppose the question is - how driven do you want to be? are you driven enough to go somewhere you feel "eh" about just for the name? are you going to go to a school that you want to go to, or a school that everyone else tells you to go to?

personally, i'd go with whatever school i wanted. we're not talking about community college med vs. UCSF here. and med school is different from undergrad. everyone comes out a doctor. if youre genuinely worried about the 'edge' vandy may give you, think about the med school admissions process we just went through. it's not like only ivy league graduates were at interviews for prestigious med schools. there were just as many excellent candidates from public schools and even schools no one has heard of.

edit: if you truly feel the same about both schools and harbor no secret preference for one, then i'd go to vandy.

 

[patzan]

vanderbilt is indeed P/F. i was hoping someone that is actually a vandy/gt medstudent or knows one very well could weigh in on the issue, i guess ill go post in the allo forum

I'm at Vandy. The P/F is only for first year. Second year is H/P/F and 3rd and 4th are H/HP/P/F. (P* is included in all of them - a marginal pass, usually a 65% or 70% in a class). If you are a non-trad or non-science, first year P/F will make a big difference. It really levels out the playing field right off. It also takes the med school transition stress off. Our class is still quite gung-ho about studying, nonetheless. For the first time in any professor's memory, no one failed anatomy, and we had the highest average. Even though it is P/F, we still work our butts off. I'll be glad to answer any other questions.

As per G-town, I can't say much. I looked into GWU for a bit, but cost of living was too much for me. Vandy's hospitals and staff are top-notch and you'll get an excellent education here. We also have a great student body who consistently outscores most of the nation on Step I (ave. about 235).