UTHSC vs ETSU Quillen (TN IS schools pls help!)

[eaglehawk5]

Help me decide between my two in state schools! I’m so torn! I currently live in Knoxville as does my SO and family (~1.5 hours from Johnson City (ETSU), ~6 hours from Memphis (UTHSC). I want to do a surgical subspecialty/something clinical+procedural and my top specialties at the moment are OBGYN and Ortho. Ideally I would match into a residency as close to Knox as possible as my SO really cant leave his career in Knoxville and I would likely start thinking of trying to start a family during residency. So which will help me achieve that in your opinion? My SO is very supportive and wants me to go where Ill be happy.

UTHSC

Pros

• Non-mandatory/recorded lectures
• Can move back home after preclinicals so only 2 years long distance (and save 2 years of rent) - 2 years away isn’t awful, and I get antsy in one place for too long anyway
• Great clinical, research, and outreach opportunities so Ive heard (better than Quillen? thoughts?)
• Possibly more prestigious? Easier to match into a more competitive specialty in preferred location? IDK pls give your thoughts on this (would going to UT help me match UTK OBGYN or UTC Ortho?)
• More time to focus on extracurriculars due to optional lectures and less distractions (might be good to be a little farther from SO/family so I can focus on school/volunteering/shadowing/research)
• OBGYN residency in Knox and Ortho residency in Chatt

Cons

• Memphis - crime, no nature (important to me), 6 hours from SO and family. I don’t really want to live in Memphis tbh but I can definitely grind it out for 2 years if this is the better school for me.
• Large class size (~170) - would this make it harder to get research/extracurricular opportunities/connections for letter of rec due to more competition? Little fish big pond?

ETSU Quillen

Pros

• Location - I love Johnson City, the mountains, nature, breweries, only 1-2 hours from SO and family, just a better environment for me - wouldn’t have to change my life too drastically, no long distance
• Small class size (~70), I went to a small undergrad and love the family vibe where you know everyone and profs know your name, and I could probably stand out pretty well (big fish little pond) (although the fewer resources of a small school did hurt me in undergrad when applying to med school, don’t want the same problems with residency apps)
• Cadaver surgery program - not too much info on this but sounds like 4th years could practice full surgeries on cadavers? Sounds cool
• Home ortho residency

Cons

• Mandatory daily classes! Flipped classroom, TBL, active learning (could possibly leave little time for extracurriculars/research and may make me feel overwhelmed/disorganized - or it could be good and keep me accountable/help solidify knowledge)
• I like the vibe of small schools but not if it means less resources/opportunities - unclear if this is the case for Quillen can someone give their thoughts?
• No mandatory research and not too sure how easy it is to get as they don’t focus on it (there are summer research programs)
• Definitely primary care/rural focus and I do not want to do primary care (although they seem to match non-primary care pretty well anyway)

Is there any obvious difference in prestige/resources/opportunities that would make it easier/harder to match into a competitive specialty in East TN/Appalachia? Which would help me match into OBGYN at UT Knox or Ortho at Quillen/UT Chatt?
I would likely choose UT if it were not in Memphis for preclinical. But it is, so are the pros enough to outweigh the bad area and long distance relationship? My SO is very supportive and wants me to go where Ill be happy but my family does want me to go to ETSU to stay close and not to go to Memphis (Ill go where Ill be happy and set me up for a successful match)

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[Mr.Smile12]

ETSU is also very military friendly. I thought they were connected to the VA so if ortho is your goal, I think you have this covered as well as other specialties. I defer to others on the ground.

Affiliates/Clinics

Instead of having one teaching hospital, the Quillen College of Medicine has a broad patient base in the Tri-Cities region with training in every area of primary and tertiary care medicine. The students are provided access to more than 3,000 patient beds in affiliated hospitals.

www.etsu.edu

I don't think you would go wrong either way. But listen to family. Unless a huge scholarship is involved from Memphis... then think harder.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Congrats on the two acceptances.

I have found that the most important resource you have in med school is free time (just read my post history).

I'm peripherally (through friends/friends of friends) familiar with both of the schools you mention, and they seem like excellent institutions. However, since UT will give you more time to study, I'd go there. Especially since you're in a committed relationship.

I know location is important, but trust me, working 90 hours a week in East Tennessee isn't going to be more fun than working 60 hours a week in Memphis.

However, I'd suggest asking these types of questions in the school-specific threads to see if current students at those schools will answer you. They'll have more up-to-date information than me.

edit: also, if you have no interest at all in primary care, that's also a ding against Quillen. They do have research, but not as many opportunities as Memphis. And, like you said, less free time to engage in said research anyway

edit2: also, don't worry about crime. Most major medical schools deal with this. I don't live in Memphis or Johnson City, but I'm sure they both have their fair share of trauma coming in. Med students in cities all around the country have gone and graduated before you. Just don't go wandering around late at night/in sketchy places

 

[eaglehawk5]

ETSU is also very military friendly. I thought they were connected to the VA so if ortho is your goal, I think you have this covered as well as other specialties. I defer to others on the ground.

Affiliates/Clinics

Instead of having one teaching hospital, the Quillen College of Medicine has a broad patient base in the Tri-Cities region with training in every area of primary and tertiary care medicine. The students are provided access to more than 3,000 patient beds in affiliated hospitals.

www.etsu.edu

I don't think you would go wrong either way. But listen to family. Unless a huge scholarship is involved from Memphis... then think harder.

Thanks for your reply! Can you elaborate on the VA/ortho statement?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thanks for your reply! Can you elaborate on the VA/ortho statement?

ETSU has an affiliation with the Quillen VA hospital. Don't they have ortho opportunities there?

Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program - Quillen College of Medicine

www.etsu.edu

 

[Hollow Knight]

Also OP, I neglected to wright this in my post, but if you think you'll be happier near family, go for it. Your personal happiness matters more than research opportunities. If your family being close by will help you, go to Quillen