UT San Antonio Long SOM vs Boston University

[emoweedle]

Hello everyone! I just got my match results and am in for a really difficult decision.

Long:

Pros:

• CHEAP - 5000/yr scholarship, low tuition (about 10,000/yr with scholarship) and low cost of living
• San Antonio was chill and I liked the area
• I really liked all the people that I met, the Center for Humanities and Ethics was really cool
• Higher COL summary for a lower COL city
• Large amount of time for STEP prep

Cons:

• Preclinical grades - This is a big one for me
• Not a lot of impactful research in the areas I want to concentrate in, more of a primary care/rural focus
• The students didn't seem jazzed about the curriculum and it seemed like the administration wasn't as receptive to change
• Less prestige, lower STEP scores
• Texas
• I just really didn't feel good about it on interview day or second look

Boston:

Pros:

• Really good research in my area of interest
• I really strongly identify with the social justice mission
• As a member of the LGBT+ community who has always lived in conservative areas, I would love to live in a more liberal city. Also, Boston was AMAZING when I visited.
• Nearby a ton of really good residency programs with good rotation sites
• Much higher STEP scores and prestige
• I really liked the faculty and they seemed to care about the students a lot
• I really want to work with underserved populations and that's their whole deal
• Seemed very excited about community projects I am passionate about
• Better curriculum and Pass/Fail in preclinical
• Not Texas

Cons:

• EXPENSIVE - I'm not even as concerned about the debt, but I'm very concerned by the very low COA summary for a city as expensive as Boston. During the interview the student host had 5 roommates in JP and still seemed to be struggling. I won't have any assistance from my family so I'm very worried about budgeting in the city.
• The students didn't seem very happy, but I also think I may have interviewed near an exam
• The area around the school seemed dangerous

Basically it boils down to going to a school where I will have a lot more opportunities in a more exciting city or going for a safe and more affordable option. Do you think the difference in prestige and opportunites between these two schools is worth the price? I liked Boston so much more but the difference in cost is pretty astronomical (40k/yr vs 90k/yr)....

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[reaction mechanisms]

Boston seems like the obvious choice given your preferences.

 

[libertyyne]

is it worth 200K to live in boston?

 

[deleted987519]

I would save the money...

 

[mpa19]

BU seems like the place you would be happier. I think if you can make it work financially you should definitely go there

 

[tessellations]

I don't think it's worth going an extra 200K in debt just to end up at BU. That's a lot of money, especially when you consider the added interest you'll accrue. You can always try to go to Boston for residency or later on in your career. Your wallet will thank you later on.

 

[RJGladstone]

Boston on first glance

But 200K difference is a lot. San Antonio has vast underserved populations and while their step scores and curriculum are to be desired, they do match well. To put into perspective the cost difference - you could go to Long, spend $1,000 on a trip every weekend and come away with the same cost of attendance as boston. Moreover BU is good (#30) but not that much better than Long (#60)

I would go Long

Not sure about their match as they choose to not release their match list.