USC or Columbia??

[Odk237]

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Hello Everyone,

I am wondering if some people could chime in on their opinions about each of these programs. I have been accepted to both of these programs and need to decide. I am a USC graduate that loves living in LA and would like to go to med school there as well as practice. However, I graduated with a 3.3 gpa and think I might need a big name post bacc such as Columbias to get into med school. ALso, if i go to USC, I have the ability to get a MPH or a second degree wher at columia this is not an option. Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks

 

[LBostonA]

Beaucoup bucks for either program, for starters. 👎

I considered both USC and Columbia (along with Penn, Harvard, Georgetown and a few others). After my initial analysis, I didn't really give Columbia serious consideration. That was mostly because they don't generally allow students to take summer classes, which means my 1 year plan at all of the other schools would have been a 2 year plan at Columbia. That, coupled with the cost of tuition and the cost of living in NYC, put it pretty low on my list. That said, it's Columbia. The quality of the education and the advising seemed excellent. I hear it has a high attrition rate, but that probably speaks to the degree of difficulty and required level of committment, which I feel are very important in a post-bacc.

USC, on the other hand, made my short list. I met with Dr. Singer, spoke with a number of students enrolled in the program and some who had completed it and were in the process of applying to schools. I was impressed by the students, the faculty and most everything else about the program. They offer ample opportunities to work or volunteer in clinical or research settings and of course it has the added bonus of being in Southern California.

If you have unlimited funds and aren't concerned about how long the process takes, Columbia is a great program and I guess has some name brand recognition. If money isn't the deciding factor, but you are concerned about how long your post-bacc will take and you're really hoping to stay in LA, USC is a great option. You're most likely going to struggle with the same question I did: "If I spend the next year crushing science classes, volunteering in a hospital, doing research... and I accomplish all of the same things either at school A or school B, is there any difference in my chances of getting into Med School? I asked students, doctors, adcoms and everyone else who would listen and the answer came back a resounding "NO". What you do will be exceedingly more important than where you do it. At the end of the day, these are two fine programs, both of which will give you the opportunity to do the things you need to do. Choose the program where you feel you will be most likely to thrive.

PM me if this little rant didn't answer your questions. I have spent way too much time dwelling on the matter for all my extra thoughts to go to waste. I'm happy to discuss.😀

 

[jtsai256]

Does anyone have the link to the USC program? I am having trouble finding any information on their website. Thanks!

Edit: Never mind I found it in another thread: http://chem.usc.edu/undergraduate/premed.html

 

[oneandonlylo]

That was mostly because they don't generally allow students to take summer classes, which means my 1 year plan at all of the other schools would have been a 2 year plan at Columbia. That, coupled with the cost of tuition and the cost of living in NYC, put it pretty low on my list. That said, it's Columbia. The quality of the education and the advising seemed excellent. I hear it has a high attrition rate, but that probably speaks to the degree of difficulty and required level of committment, which I feel are very important in a post-bacc.
😀

Just a couple of add-ons, in case anyone wanted some more details (you certainly make some good points.)

It is true, Columbia strongly advises students against taking summer classes. That said, I will be taking Chem lab this summer, and it is highly common among to the postbacs to do so as well as to take Bio or Orgo lab in the following summer. Additionally, students are allowed to cover the math requirements (if they need them) of Stats or Calculus over the summer. And, finally, students who do not wish to begin Physics in the fall are allowed to take Physics II during the summer.

In terms of the two-year committment, it's true, there are not many ways to do the program in one year. However, for someone like myself who had absolutely no science and needed to take the entirety of Gen Chem, Bio, Orgo, labs for all three, Physics with lab as well as Calculus and Statistics, I don't think a one-year program would have been all that reasonable to handle. That said, I know plenty of people who don't need all those courses and I am surprised it doesnt bother them more that they could probably be completing their courses elsewhere in less time.

That said, I have mixed feelings about the quality of the education and the advisement to be honest. I've had some great professors and some not-so-great ones. Actually, some of the best teachers I have had have been my TA's. Admittedly, though, I got very lucky, and the common issue of having TA's who don't speak clear English is definitely there.

Lastly, the numbers I have heard on the attrition rate are somewhere between 40 and 50 percent. I'd tend to believe that, considering how many students I knew who are no longer in the program. I think that people have left for many reasons. Some leave because they are not achieving the grades they feel they need. Some people have decided that the whole process just isn't worth the effort. Others have left due to the cost of the program -- they have decided that they don't feel the education they are receiving is worth what they are paying for it. There's a whole range of reasons, but it is not insignificant in my eyes how many people choose to leave.

As I've said elsewhere in these discussions, Columbia was not my top pick, but I was left without options. Whether I like it or not, though, I suppose I have to appreciate the name. Its what we pay for. At least, as I have heard from students in their lag year, medical school interviewers have responded very favorably upon hearing that a student has gone through the program.