USC Keck vs Nevada

[indecision2014]

I have been fortunate enough to get into both schools and am now facing a very difficult decision. Basically if I were to attend Nevada, I will have in-state tuition which amounts to about $17,000 per year. Keck is looking to be about $50,000 in tuition.

Looking at the pros of Keck-

• P/F preclinical years
• recorded lectures
• more research opportunities
• rotations at LA County
• more connections within California and probably across the country

Pros for Nevada

• cost
• close to home
• more rotations at community hospitals so have more opportunities to work directly with attendings

I don't know what type of medicine I want to go into so I want to keep as many opportunities open as possible. I guess the question boils down to is the cost of Nevada enough to outweigh the benefits of attending a large, well known CA school like USC? Thanks for you input

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[simple1987]

Personally, I'd go with USC.

 

[Serous Demilune]

I guess the question boils down to is the cost of Nevada enough to outweigh the benefits of attending a large, well known CA school like USC? Thanks for you input

Yes. I firmly believe that individual effort in med school counts way more than school reputation for residency competitiveness. That being said, your performance in school will definitely be influenced by your personal life and well-being. Only pick USC if you feel that you'll be so miserable in Nevada that it will affect your performance.

 

[DoctorWhoo]

I think this boils down to whether or not you want a simple career or if you want to go for an ultracompetitive residency position and try to "climb the ranks" per se.

As much as I agree with sereous' sentiment that the applicant matters more than the school... The school does matter if the name, opportunities, and connections available might be significantly different.

 

[JJMrK]

This is truly a tough decision. How interested are you in doing residency at a fancy, well known institution? That is certainly going to be more difficult if you choose Nevada. On the other hand, ~130k in total cost difference is huge.

I would personally probably choose USC in your position, but think long and hard and wait for all financial aid packages.

 

[sunnysnow7]

I voted for USC.

It is a mistake to underestimate the value of attending a top tier program. While UNSOM's price tag is enticing, it just doesn't have Keck's reputation. Also, IMHO, having to uproot and move to Las Vegas for MS-3 is a major drawback to attending school in NV. You wouldn't have to worry about that if you went to USC.

Ranking isn't a terribly important factor when choosing a school, but it is something you need to consider (especially if there's a chance that you might want to pursue a competitive specialty).

Good luck with your decision!

 

[indecision2014]

Thank you guys so much for all the input. It all has been useful to hear different perspectives. After talking to some Keck students, they all agree that the school is expensive but nobody has regretted the decision and they seem genuinely happy to be there. I also talked to some UNR students and they sounded a little disgruntled. I think my heart is leaning me towards USC where I'll fit the best but my brain keeps nudging me to UNR.

 

[cookiemonsters]

A lot of students at a school like USC come from fairly affluent families (IE at least one physician parent), so the price was probably not a major deterrent to them. This is a really personal decision that boils down to your finances, career aspirations, etc, which none of us here have any knowledge of. USC is objectively a much better school that attracts a higher caliber student, but you already know that. Is it 100K better? IDK, that really depends on how much money you make in the future. IMO if you envision yourself in primary care or something on the lower end of medicine, go to Nevada. If you are at all thinking of competitive specialties, USC will open more doors for you.

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

Another thing to think about is where you might want to practice eventually. It'll be a lot easier to match in CA if you go to USC vs Nevada. If you have family in Nevada, this may be less of an issue. Don't forget to take cost of living into account as well. You should do the math so you have an exact estimate of the cost difference per year, then multiply that by 4 and plug it into the AAMC's debt calculator so you can get an idea of just how much more USC will cost you, how much longer it'll take to pay that off, and then you can decide whether the cost is worth it. Based on what you gave us, and assuming equal cost of living (which is unlikely), it'll cost you about $120,000 more to go to Keck, but that doesn't include interest.

That said if I was in your shoes, I would probably choose USC just to keep all your options open regarding area where you want to practice and what specialty you want to do.

 

[MedWonk]

A lot of students at a school like USC come from fairly affluent families (IE at least one physician parent), so the price was probably not a major deterrent to them. This is a really personal decision that boils down to your finances, career aspirations, etc, which none of us here have any knowledge of. USC is objectively a much better school that attracts a higher caliber student, but you already know that. Is it 100K better? IDK, that really depends on how much money you make in the future. IMO if you envision yourself in primary care or something on the lower end of medicine, go to Nevada. If you are at all thinking of competitive specialties, USC will open more doors for you.

Hence the moniker "University of Spoiled Children", or The Last Bastion of the Incompetent Rich.

 

[PascalPlus]

Hence the moniker "University of Spoiled Children", or The Last Bastion of the Incompetent Rich.

I don't think that's a fair assessment. It may have been in the past, but USC has come a long way. I was waitlisted at Keck, but I'm not sore about it.

120K is nothing to scoff over and US MD is US MD. I would say think geographically where you want to practice and do residency.

 

[MedWonk]

I don't think that's a fair assessment. It may have been in the past, but USC has come a long way. I was waitlisted at Keck, but I'm not sore about it.

120K is nothing to scoff over and US MD is US MD. I would say think geographically where you want to practice and do residency.

Relax. It was a joke.

 

[MalibuPreMD]

Relax. It was a joke.

Or you are disgruntled about being waitlisted. Not sure what it says about you if you can't be accepted at a place you refer to as "The Last Bastion of the Incompetent Rich."

 

[MedWonk]

Or you are disgruntled about being waitlisted. Not sure what it says about you if you can't be accepted at a place you refer to as "The Last Bastion of the Incompetent Rich."

It says USC preferred another candidate. Although I would prefer to go to USC, I'm quite happy to go to my second choice. Sorry a well-known 30 Rock joke written by a UCLA alumnus rankles you so much. Perhaps you should grow a thicker skin.

 

[MalibuPreMD]

Relax, it was a joke!