Hey Everyone! I have been lucky enough to be accepted to both UVM and VCU and am trying to decide by tomorrow morning (or ideally tonight) on which to attend. They seem to both be similarly ranked and the COA for both is about $95K/year as I am OOS for both schools unfortunately. I would love people's opinions especially former students of these schools!
UVM
Pros
Cons
VCU
Pros
Cons
Summary: UVM is well-recognized and student wellness seems to be a priority, but COL and housing seems like a nightmare. VCU seems more academic and COL is cheaper, but students seem not as happy and maybe more competitive. I would love all y'all's thoughts as I try and decide!
UVM
Pros
- Students seemed really happy here and not stressed (talked to a few former students and they all said they would choose UVM again).
- School admin focuses on student wellness a lot
- Smaller class size (~120 students) and possibly less competition for mentors
- Seems to be well-recognized around the US which may give me a good leg up for residency
- Students seemed to be close with one another and studied a lot together
- Staff seem very responsive and kind
- Smaller town
Cons
- Not sure if this is a con but I am kind of unsure of the no-lecture/all PBL-based learning (pre and post PBl quizzes as well) since I am a non-trad student. I am not sure if this would require me to be on campus more (I would like to be on-campus less since I have a dog and I am an at-home studier).
- Low diversity both within the class and patient population (I am Hispanic so I worry about it).
- COL in Burlington right now seems super high (and school only give 22K/year to live off of after tuition&fees which doesn't seem doable with rent prices)
- Low housing availability (I have a dog so I am looking for a house with limited # of stairs since she is older)
- Snow/Winter
VCU
Pros
- Seems slightly more academic (robot simulators, has MD/PhD, etc)- not sure how true this is
- Has 3+3 program where you can do 3 years of medical school and then match into VCU's residency for certain specialties (I am thinking IM).
- Cheaper COL (plus give more $/year for living expenses)
- Have friends from grad school who recently moved to the area
- More plentiful housing options
- More diversity (student and patient-population wise)
- Heavier research opportunities
Cons
- Students seemed more stressed and less friendly (one current student told me to be careful which fellow students I trust)
- Sounds like med students do more of their own thing vs do stuff with each other
- Student wellness seems not as prioritized
- Have heard mixed reviews about their remediation policy (not sure how it works exactly).
- Staff via email are not as responsive and sometimes come off unfriendly.
- Can't be considered for scholarships because I am unable to provide parental income info.
Summary: UVM is well-recognized and student wellness seems to be a priority, but COL and housing seems like a nightmare. VCU seems more academic and COL is cheaper, but students seem not as happy and maybe more competitive. I would love all y'all's thoughts as I try and decide!
