UTMB vs Georgetown

[mayway]

Hi everyone I’ve been in a very fortunate and unique position to be accepted to good schools with solid reputations but I am still waiting on financial aid packages. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for scholarships but not holding out too much hope. I do plan to go for the PSLF route for loan forgiveness so tuition cost definitely matters, but maybe not as much as it should. Prestige is also pretty comparable, the schools have similar match lists so I’m not too worried about that. They’re also both P/F preclinical

I am someone who is extremely chronically ill too so healthcare and weather matter the most to me, which is why it’s so hard to make a decision. I get very bad flare ups in cold weather and also don’t breathe very well in colder thin air. I’m originally from the Midwest though so both DC and Galveston are still better options than my Midwest options.

UTMB
Pros
- Tuition is 40k (OOS)
- Texas weather is warmer
- A LOT of family kinda close in Houston
- NBME exams
- four year md/mph and discovery year/tracks available

Cons
- The laws - I am married and if I get pregnant on my medications right now I will be at extremely high risk and need to terminate
- Far from other hospitals and opportunities - Galveston is not an ideal location, especially if I need to seek second or third opinions for healthcare. I would need to go to Houston
- My husband will not follow me - this location is not compatible for our careers and we will have to be long distance for the few years
- AOA
- graded clinicals
- do not want to end up in Texas, would much rather match west or east coast

Georgetown

Pros
- no AOA
- P/F clinical
- will have support from husband - will move with me
- much more ideal location in terms of research and clinical opportunities, will also have more access to top notch research facilities nearby for my healthcare

Cons
- Jesuit - no abortion teaching - I guess that’s UTMB too though
- in house exams
- cost - 70k tuition is kinda ridiculous
- DC can get cold
- will have less extended family support
- no four year md/mph program, more rigid curriculum

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[ACKjp]

First off - congrats! Both are great choices. I’m a fellow applicant who does not know a ton about either school (only applied to GT and was rejected), but I would go to Georgetown solely based on the fact that your husband can move with you. Having his support will be huge and honestly the biggest factor in this decision imo

 

[wysdoc]

Is there a specialist in Galveston that could take over care/management of your chronic illness? I think this might be the biggest thing to figure out.
Weather and cost of tuition, cost of living are better in TX. Houston is only 30-40 minutes from Galveston if you should need to go there for medical reasons.
I can’t think of any job that doesn’t exist in Houston, so not sure why your spouse won’t move with you?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

This seems too obvious. If you don't want to stay in Texas, go to Georgetown.

I don't think any medical school teaches students how to do abortions. The medical school is affiliated with the Jesuit tradition but you don't have to be a devout Catholic to go.

I would be more concerned about your access to women's health resources and care. At least at Georgetown, you can visit your member of Congress and get involved in advocacy much easier if it's important to you.

Also, yes DC can get cold. It also can get insanely hot in the summer. Almost like Houston. Without the hurricane threats.

 

[krissrik]

congratulations! Both great schools

 

[mayway]

Thank you for the considerations everyone! In terms of job opportunities he’s in the tech industry so the nearest hub is Austin or he’d have to take a large pay cut. Texas is also fat and unfamiliar for both of us so there’s less social support.

For specialists I would love to have a single one be able to handle everything but that would be difficult because I rotate between 4-5 ones each for separate reasons with my comorbidities, without going into too much detail. I have 4-5 specialists I see regularly at least every month or so with about a dozen specialists I see at least once a year.

The cost is significantly cheaper though, and I will really need to consider whether Georgetown is worth the location. I think the difference will be about 120k (without interest) across 4 years, considering I wouldn’t be taking extra loans for housing in DC. The thing that scares me the most about Texas is the laws, not just as a future physician, but mostly as a patient