USC Keck vs. Georgetown

[MedSD123]

Update: Picked Georgetown and so excited about it! 🙂

Personal context:

• I have a strong background in policy and want to work in policy/government in addition to practicing medicine.
• I’m leaning towards OBGYN subspecialties, but I’m also interested in cardiology, PM&R, and derm. Or really anything but surgery or rads. I want to see what’s out there before deciding.
• My husband has a remote job so he can come with me to either place. He’s not particularly thrilled about DC nor LA. We also have a dog.
• Both are ridiculously expensive, but luckily my husband works in tech and my parents are contributing a bit.
• We want to settle down in CA eventually, but I want to experience living somewhere else first. I've lived in CA my whole life.
• I’m also on the waitlist for UCSD, which I’d pick over either of these.

Keck at USC:

Pros:

• Higher ranked (I worked hard for my stats and want a school that reflects that, plus helps with Step 1 P/F)
• Lots of social justice opportunities (works with policy)
• Regional bias for matching in California (though if I stayed in CA for med school I think I’d want to go somewhere else for residency/fellowship anyway)
• Rotations at LAC would be amazing clinical experience

Cons:

• My partner and I hate LA (and USC is in an especially terrible part of it)
• Keck has had some professional issues
• More expensive, but only by ~$20K total including COL after 4 years which is practically negligible in the grand scheme of things

Georgetown:

Pros:

• Best place in the country for policy and therefore has SO MANY opportunities
• Want to experience living outside of CA and DC seems awesome
• Policy prestige (people in politics think HIGHLY of Georgetown, which could help in my career)

Cons:

• Lower ranked
• Weather (we’re two spoiled Californians)
• Very far from our families, and my husband’s grandparents aren’t doing too well
• Will have to drive around the DMV area for clinical rotations (not a huge deal but not ideal)
• Doesn’t teach abortion bc Jesuit

I think my heart is leaning Georgetown while my head is leaning USC. If Georgetown was higher ranked, I’d pick Georgetown. If USC wasn’t in LA I’d pick USC. Please help!

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[chilly_md]

If you really hate LA and are very interested in policy, then DC with Georgetown is your best bet. While it’s farther from home, you two have each other so that means you aren’t completely alone. I can’t imagine you’d enjoy waking up for school everyday at USC or doing rotations through LA traffics. DC obviously has traffic and problems too as a city but I can see that you are just done with that part of California.

Your husband may have to take time off work to visit his grandparents. That will have to be planned in advance. I assume they are from Southern California as well so that’ll use up his vacation time.

 

[DZ2106]

The cost is negligible, so I'm going to throw that out the window.

USC is higher ranked so it will make it easier to match to either a competitive specialty like derm or to match into higher ranked residencies in less competitive specialties.

However, it sounds like you and your husband will be kind of miserable in LA, and Georgetown does have more access to health policy opportunities. 10-20 spots in PD/US news rankings means you might have to work a bit harder to get to where you want to go, but that by no means blocks you from entry.

Personally, I'd still be leaning USC because it does offer more opportunities for residency. There will be plenty of opportunities to get involved in health policy once you're out imo. I don't know how much you hate LA or how excited you are to have access to the DC political realm. If you will truly be miserable in LA and are really truly excited to be involved in health policy, then by all means pick Georgetown. But otherwise, all Gown offers can be experienced post-residency or through California state politics

 

[Morningnight]

Hello! I thought a long time about prestige and rankings, but ultimately decided that my and my partner's happiness was infinitely more important than chasing prestige. If seeing the world outside of CA is what you and your partner wish to do, then I say go for it. My caveat is if your husband is close to his grandparents, then staying in CA might allow him to spend more time with them.

Since it looks from Georgetown's match list that students match into the specialties you're interested in every year, I don't think attending Georgetown will prevent you from pursuing what you wish to pursue. With interests in policy too, being in DC should give you ample opportunities to explore those interests.

 

[Entadus]

Premeds will tell you to chase prestige. Georgetown sounds like it will involve more personal growth. Plus why move to a place you HATE. My vote is for Georgetown.

 

[DukeSmith]

USC is more prestigious but it’s not prestigious enough to live somewhere you hate.

If it was UCLA, UCSF, or Stanford, I think that you could make an argument for going somewhere that you hate. Obviously kaiser as well due to the cost diff

 

[deleted555445]

To me the only real benefit here of going to USC is that it will set you up better to match back to CA, as you said your goal is. That being said, Georgetown still has national recognition and is no slouch of a school. I think you should choose the place you will be happier and experience something new. Plus its the ideal school for anyone interested in federal policy. Just get ready for swampy summers!