UW-Madison vs. Tulane

[Sye]

Hi Everyone,

I have to make a hard decision and choose between UW-Madison and Tulane medical school. I was hoping to get some advice. It would be great to hear from people who are really familiar with these schools, and/or are attending one of them.

Here is my situation:

I'm from California. I love it here, and hope to come back at some point (it would be great to come back to Cali for my residency)

My opinion of the two schools:

Pros:
Tulane: I fell in love with NOLA, and could easily see myself live there. I really liked the students at Tulane. They seemed well-rounded, diverse, and happy. The school seems to emphasize a balanced life for it's students. Also the clinical opportunity there seems very unique and their emphasis on training stellar clinicians is very appealing to me. Overall it seems like I could be very happy there.

UW-Madison: UW is truly an impressive school. They have a strong emphasis on primary care and are big on research. This appeals to me a lot, since I want to be at a place that trains strong clinicians, but also encourages research. Madison seems like a clean, and beautiful city. Sailing is big there, and that's great for me since I'm a sailor.

Cons:
Tulane: they were hit hard by the hurricane, but have improved a lot, and they have a badass dean that partly makes up for it. They're not very strong in research, and this is somewhat bothersome. I don't know how reputable Tulane is among residency program directors. NOLA can be a dangerous place to live in, and they get serious Hurricanes!

UW-Madison: because its a state school, 70% of their students are from Wisconsin. Less diversity, less "worldly" student population (compared to Tulane). The students seemed nice, but there were instances that raised red flags (but I can't really judge because my interactions were limited. Please don't take my statement the wrong way. I am not hating on anyone here, and I know that my limited interactions cannot describe the whole student population at UW. that's exactly, why I'm here asking advice)
The winters at Madison are brutal! There's not as much to do in Madison, as say a place like NOLA.

Considerations: I really like both schools, and although I think I like NOLA more than Madison, I could make myself happy in Madison. The most important deciding factor for me at this point is how each of these schools affect my chances of residency. Are there significant difference between these two schools when it comes to matching for residency? Would going to one over the other significantly improve my chances or put me at a disadvantage?
Although reputation is not that important to me, I was wondering how these two schools compare when it comes to national reputation among doctors, and most importantly among residency program directors?


I really appreciate your feedback!

Thank you

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[sector9]

Moving thread to "School specific discussions"

 

[Sye]

ok thank you! I'm new, and wasn't exactly sure where I should post it!

 

[MDclassof2017]

You forgot the other big factor: cost. Unless you don't care how much you borrow or your parents are paying? Tulane is one of the most expensive schools in the nation. Do you really want to spend that much money on that school? Try to borrow as little as possible because healthcare is going down the drain and we are not sure how this is going to pan out in the future. Taking out a quarter of a million for tuition may not be so wise.

 

[Sye]

Sorry I forgot to say that I have been offered a decent scholarship from Tulane, so the cost comes to be about the same

 

[wanderedtoolong]

Sorry I forgot to say that I have been offered a decent scholarship from Tulane, so the cost comes to be about the same

Did you get a scholarship with your admission letter? I was hoping maybe they'd offer me a little something, but I guess not if all the merit stuff is given out at time of admission.

 

[sector9]

I'm sure you've researched the "US News Rankings" of the schools. Neither school really stands out in my mind (it's often said that in the eyes of residency program directors, it mostly comes down to Top 20 vs. the rest when it comes to thinking about med school rankings) as being head and shoulders above the other. And med school ranking is one of the least important factors when program directors consider their future residents anyway, according to surveys of PDs. Tulane doesn't participate in the rankings anymore but they also wouldn't be considered "Top 20" by anyone (although a great school to be sure, I think they'd likely be in the middle of the pack though most likely lower ranked that UW-Madison).

I would go where you felt most comfortable with the students. It sounds like you liked both the location of Tulane and the students better at Tulane, and since they're about the same cost to you, I'd probably go with Tulane

 

[alpinism]

Hi Everyone,

I have to make a hard decision and choose between UW-Madison and Tulane medical school. I was hoping to get some advice. It would be great to hear from people who are really familiar with these schools, and/or are attending one of them.

Here is my situation:

I'm from California. I love it here, and hope to come back at some point (it would be great to come back to Cali for my residency)

My opinion of the two schools:

Pros:
Tulane: I fell in love with NOLA, and could easily see myself live there. I really liked the students at Tulane. They seemed well-rounded, diverse, and happy. The school seems to emphasize a balanced life for it's students. Also the clinical opportunity there seems very unique and their emphasis on training stellar clinicians is very appealing to me. Overall it seems like I could be very happy there.

UW-Madison: UW is truly an impressive school. They have a strong emphasis on primary care and are big on research. This appeals to me a lot, since I want to be at a place that trains strong clinicians, but also encourages research. Madison seems like a clean, and beautiful city. Sailing is big there, and that's great for me since I'm a sailor.

Cons:
Tulane: they were hit hard by the hurricane, but have improved a lot, and they have a badass dean that partly makes up for it. They're not very strong in research, and this is somewhat bothersome. I don't know how reputable Tulane is among residency program directors. NOLA can be a dangerous place to live in, and they get serious Hurricanes!

UW-Madison: because its a state school, 70% of their students are from Wisconsin. Less diversity, less "worldly" student population (compared to Tulane). The students seemed nice, but there were instances that raised red flags (but I can't really judge because my interactions were limited. Please don't take my statement the wrong way. I am not hating on anyone here, and I know that my limited interactions cannot describe the whole student population at UW. that's exactly, why I'm here asking advice)
The winters at Madison are brutal! There's not as much to do in Madison, as say a place like NOLA.

Considerations: I really like both schools, and although I think I like NOLA more than Madison, I could make myself happy in Madison. The most important deciding factor for me at this point is how each of these schools affect my chances of residency. Are there significant difference between these two schools when it comes to matching for residency? Would going to one over the other significantly improve my chances or put me at a disadvantage?
Although reputation is not that important to me, I was wondering how these two schools compare when it comes to national reputation among doctors, and most importantly among residency program directors?


I really appreciate your feedback!

Thank you

UW is mostly in-state, so there is less diversity in terms of "where students are from" b/c most are from Wisc, while Tulane has students from all across the US. However, the majority of UW med students didn't go to UW-Madison for undergrad (60%) and many state residents did undergrad out of state. An average UW class usually has 4-5 from Minnesota, 10-15 from the west coast, 10-15 from the east coast, and another 15-20 from the midwest besides Minn. The current M1 class has 13 from the west coast.

Both school's adcoms place a large emphasis on ECs and are friendly to non-trads. The vast majority of students at UW have spent time abroad, and many have done things like Peace corps, Americorps, TFA, WHO internships, International research fellowships, Military vet, etc..

Answering your questions:

It all depends...

Are you more interested in academic medicine, research, or public health?
UW will offer more opportunities in those areas (also primary care of course)

Are you more interested in tropical/international medicine or working with minorities/underserved populations/low income patients?
Tulane will offer more opportunities in those areas

Can you stand the cold winters or would you much rather live in a warmer climate?
Usually temps are below 40 from December to March in Madison

Do you absolutely want to go back to cali for residency?
The #1 factor for matching will be your performance in med school (step 1, clinical grades, LORs, research). Besides that, all things considered it will help somewhat to go to a higher ranked school b/c of more research opportunities, more influential LORs and connections, and better school reputation among PDs (residency directors). Tulane is unranked while UW is #27 research/ #12 primary care/ #25 residency director rankings.

 

[sazerac]

My avatar gives away the fact that I am biased, but since neither school is exceptional in cost or ranking, the only real factor is geography.

Sye, when you are 80 years old will you regret pissing away the opportunity to live in New Orleans for four years?

That is all.

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

Can you go to the drive-thru for daquaris in Wisconsin? Didn't think so.

 

[Sye]

Do you absolutely want to go back to cali for residency?
The #1 factor for matching will be your performance in med school (step 1, clinical grades, LORs, research). Besides that, all things considered it will help somewhat to go to a higher ranked school b/c of more research opportunities, more influential LORs and connections, and better school reputation among PDs (residency directors). Tulane is unranked while UW is #27 research/ #12 primary care/ #25 residency director rankings.

Thank you Alpinism for your thorough reply. I just checked the match list of both schools from last year, and their placements seemed very similar. Am I missing something here?
Would you say UW afford me significantly better shots at top residency programs all else being equal?

Thank you

 

[Sye]

My avatar gives away the fact that I am biased, but since neither school is exceptional in cost or ranking, the only real factor is geography.

Sye, when you are 80 years old will you regret pissing away the opportunity to live in New Orleans for four years?

That is all.

Sazerac, my 80 years old self would've loved to experience NOLA. but also I might want to pursue an academic career. Would you say if I choose Tulane over UW, my chances of getting to top academic residencies would be the same, all else being equal?

 

[genswim24]

I am a 4th year at Tulane and am applying to one of the most competitive specialties there is. I have interviews at 7 of the top 10 academic programs in the country. If you are qualified enough for a big time academic programs, you can do it from nearly any program in the country (including Wisconson).


In terms of research, I have 3 first author publications since I started at Tulane. If you want to do research, there is plenty available. Like most things in life, you have to go out and be proactive. I found a mentor early in first year and have had plenty of opportunities to complete research. If I wanted to do more I easily could have. About half of my friends have published while in med school, and the ones who didn't really just never made an effort to (which is completely fine with the fields they want to go into).

Both schools are great, you can't go wrong either way. Just trying to dispel some myths so you can make the best educated decision for you.

 

[alpinism]

Thank you Alpinism for your thorough reply. I just checked the match list of both schools from last year, and their placements seemed very similar. Am I missing something here?
Would you say UW afford me significantly better shots at top residency programs all else being equal?

Thank you

The one thing you've got to keep in mind w match lists is that not everyone wants to go into academic medicine or into competitive specialties (or competitive locations). Wisconsin's match list is very similar to the other UW, U Washington. Both are state schools w excellent primary care and research programs. Many students specifically go to both UWs for primary care and eventually match in these fields (which are non-competitive). In addition, many of the students form the UWs love living in WI/WA and want to stay near home for various reasons (family, friends, spouse) and they only rank residencies nearby. Because of this, their match lists tend to be less "impressive" than similarly ranked private schools. It's also misleading to look at match lists to see how many went into plastics, ortho, neurosurgery etc.. b/c not everyone wants to go into these fields. The important thing is to look at where they went (not how many) and to know where are the top programs (often different than US news med school rankings).

Be that as it may, when you compare the 2012 match lists for 5 of the most competitive specialties, UW is much better in all except ortho.

school (matches)

Derm
UW (UW, Colorado, Mayo Clinic)
Tulane (2 Tulane)

Neurosurg
UW (Cleveland Clinic, Northwestern)
Tulane (UAB, Walter Reed-army)

Plastics
UW (Stanford)
Tulane (UCI)

Ortho
UW (3 UW, MCW, MSU, Wright st.)
Tulane (Navy-Portsmouth, Navy-San Diego, U Illinois, Stanford, UT Houston, UC Davis, Jefferson)

Radiology
UW (UCLA, Penn, NYU, UW)
Tulane (Tulane)

Having said that, it sounds like you'd be happier in NOLA. Going to Tulane will not significantly decrease your chances of matching back in cali and you can still easily go into academic medicine. Tulane is a well respected school and its mostly about how you do in med school not where you go (you can do research at any med school). Going to UW will likely give you a small boost if you're interested in certain higher ranked residencies/more competitive locations.

In your case, would only go to UW if you are:
1. Very interested in public health/MPH (huge in their curriculum w tons of opportunities)
2. Interested in academic Anesthesiology or Gen Surgery (esp transplant) UW created the 1st anesthesiology residency and has top programs in both
3. Wanting to do a significant amount of high impact research in med school

Good Luck!

 

[Sye]

Thank you everyone for the great feedback! I really appreciate it!

 

[Brachyury]

The one thing you've got to keep in mind w match lists is that not everyone wants to go into academic medicine or into competitive specialties (or competitive locations). Wisconsin's match list is very similar to the other UW, U Washington. Both are state schools w excellent primary care and research programs. Many students specifically go to both UWs for primary care and eventually match in these fields (which are non-competitive). In addition, many of the students form the UWs love living in WI/WA and want to stay near home for various reasons (family, friends, spouse) and they only rank residencies nearby. Because of this, their match lists tend to be less "impressive" than similarly ranked private schools. It's also misleading to look at match lists to see how many went into plastics, ortho, neurosurgery etc.. b/c not everyone wants to go into these fields. The important thing is to look at where they went (not how many) and to know where are the top programs (often different than US news med school rankings).

Be that as it may, when you compare the 2012 match lists for 5 of the most competitive specialties, UW is much better in all except ortho.

school (matches)

Derm
UW (UW, Colorado, Mayo Clinic)
Tulane (2 Tulane)

Neurosurg
UW (Cleveland Clinic, Northwestern)
Tulane (UAB, Walter Reed-army)

Plastics
UW (Stanford)
Tulane (UCI)

Ortho
UW (3 UW, MCW, MSU, Wright st.)
Tulane (Navy-Portsmouth, Navy-San Diego, U Illinois, Stanford, UT Houston, UC Davis, Jefferson)

Radiology
UW (UCLA, Penn, NYU, UW)
Tulane (Tulane)

Having said that, it sounds like you'd be happier in NOLA. Going to Tulane will not significantly decrease your chances of matching back in cali and you can still easily go into academic medicine. Tulane is a well respected school and its mostly about how you do in med school not where you go (you can do research at any med school). Going to UW will likely give you a small boost if you're interested in certain higher ranked residencies/more competitive locations.

In your case, would only go to UW if you are:
1. Very interested in public health/MPH (huge in their curriculum w tons of opportunities)
2. Interested in academic Anesthesiology or Gen Surgery (esp transplant) UW created the 1st anesthesiology residency and has top programs in both
3. Wanting to do a significant amount of high impact research in med school

Good Luck!

I'm going to try and give a little balance to this post.

Tulane's School of Public Health is ranked 13; Wisconsin in not ranked. Last year, the SPH at Wisconsin had $3,996,028 in NIH funding, while Tulane's SPH had $12,530,468 in NIH funding. If you're intersted in public health, Tulane is the place to be, especially since it is the only university in America that has a school of tropical medicine.

For competitive residencies, you didn't list that there was also a radiology match at Duke

ENT
UW: Mayo, UMN X2
Tualne: Vanderbilt, Georgia HSC, UAB

Radiation oncology
UW: none
Tulane: Buffalo, UC Davis, NYU

Ophtho
UW: UW, Mizzou, William Beaumont
Tulane: SLU, Sinai, Tulane X 2

OP, I think you'll have great opportunities at either school. Good luck with your decision!

 

[Wiscoblue]

My daughter has been admitted to both UW and Tulane. Being In state for UW and having done her undergrad there, she will definitely be attending UW.

Having said that, I am a physician myself and was on the faculty at a Big Ten school for several years and having been involved in residency interviews and in the selection process, I have to say that UW has a very favorable reputation in the upper Midwest. Probably next only to Michigan and Northwestern. You can't go wrong with UW. Great school, great social scene, awesome athletics. Madison is a fantastic city. I have been in private practice now for 15 years in Wisconsin and when I'm looking to hire a new associate, I always look to get someone from UW. It's tough because most of them already have jobs and we end up getting guys from university of Chicago or MCW.