UT Houston (McGovern) vs. Case Western Reserve

[Does(F)AlwaysEqual(M)(A)]

Hey everyone. I was accepted to a few schools but narrowed it down to these two. I am interested in cardio, ortho, and possibly radiology.

UT Houston (McGovern)
Pros

• Overall this school would cost me less than 10k/yr to attend at most. This is the biggest plus here.
• I don’t mind Houston, have lived here for a while and have a lot of friends here.
• Have a nice apartment nearby, would not need to move.
• Strong match list (for Texas).
• Proximity to the Texas Medical Center is a plus.

Cons

• I am not a big fan of the heat .
• Worried about not being able to match to top out of state programs.

Case Western Reserve
Pros

• Astonishingly beautiful new building. Seriously, visualizing myself study here makes me happy.
• Awesome opportunities through all the city hospitals, the VA, and of course the Cleveland Clinic sitting right there.
• Great curriculum with an emphasis on all the right stuff.
• Awesome match list, the graduates pretty much go anywhere.
• Ability to do research in pretty much anything I want to.
• I do not mind the cold.
• I have family nearby, and family that attended this school.

Cons

• Expensive!!! 65k/yr, there maybe some aid coming, but I would not put it less than 45k/yr.
• I mean... thats pretty much it.

To wrap up, location is not really a primary concern here. I have family near Case, but I have friends near UT Houston, so I would have my support system. I do not mind the cold, and I can put up with the heat, so that’s not an issue either. Both medical schools are nice, though Case is just over the top, especially after the renovations. This really just comes down to cost/benefit ratio for my specific professional goals. What do you think is the best choice and why?

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[Nerdanese]

McGovern, UT Houston is well ranked no? And ignore rankings, focus more on research opportunities, grading systems, extracurriculars, etc etc. If you can minimize debt and get a similar quality of med school, go with it.

What do you want to do with your medical career, like go into academic medicine or something competitive? Where do you want to match for residency?

EDIT: Also, my general rule of thumb is $100k< then choose the cheaper school unless you have a compelling reason to do otherwise.

 

[Etopn23]

Case is a better school with a stronger support network. If you want to match something competitive outside of Texas, I would choose Case regardless of the difference in cost.

 

[cheese puff]

It seems like you’re in love with Case Western but would be willing to settle for McGovern. McGovern is objectively the better decision. Half the pros you listed for Case Western are true for McGovern too. On the other hand, if you choose Case Western, it’s not like you’ll be graduating with more debt than many graduating MDs. And it’s not like the debt would be crippling. If you’re willing to grind more and be more frugal in order to go to your dream school, why not? I guess you just have to decide how much you want to prioritize your finances.

 

[gulli_97]

Really need to decide if you are ok with the extra debt at case for a better opportunity to match at OOS residencies. If you are very interested and deadset on those competitive specialties in the NE, you can't put a price tag on that.