Vanderbilt vs Michigan (please help!!)

[nopalpitation]

Hi everyone! I am so torn between these two schools right now. I wasn’t able to make Vanderbilt SLW, but will be at Michigan’s SLW, so maybe visiting one will give me a better idea of where I see myself. Cost is not a factor in this decision since I didn’t get aid from anyone yet.

I'm currently looking for any insights/advice people might have on whether going to a more competitive school like Michigan is going to help me in the match process. I'm interested in pursuing a competitive specialty such as Ophthalmology/Ortho/ENT. I'm URM, from the East Coast, and ultimately, I would like to be based in NYC for residency and onward.


Vanderbilt (unknown cost)
Pros

• P/F clerkships (minimizes competition?)
• smaller class size of ~100 people (more hands on?)
• no internal ranking/AOA
• 1 yr preclinical

Cons

• No merit aid
• Will be in a red state
• Match list seems to match primarily to Midwest/South or at Vandy which isn’t where I want to be long term
• Further from home

Michigan (No Aid Given)
Pros

• Strong at home Ophtho and ENT programs
• Strong alumni network
• Great match list for my specialty interests in the east/west coast

Cons

• AOA
• Graded clinicals (but is this a PRO since it’s an opportunity to distinguish myself?)
• More competitive

Summary: In all, I’m nervous about Michigan being harder/ more stressful due to AOA/graded clerkships negatively affecting my match into a competitive specialty if I do poorly on them. HOWEVER, it could be a great thing if I do well on them to distinguish myself. I ultimately want to end up on the east coast/in NYC, and Michigan seems to offer a better match rate in terms of my locational preferences. Vandy seems “easier” due to P/F clinicals, but is it worth it to end up with a match that might not be where I end up seeing myself?

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[ClashRoyaleKing]

My vote would be Vanderbilt. Nashville is a fantastic place to be, decent weather, and the pros you listed significantly outweigh its cons for you. You can match anywhere you want from there, so don't be deterred by its match list in the South.

 

[cytomegalovirus123]

Go wherever is cheaper

 

[Student2025!]

I agree whichever is cheaper. Sounds like you would be happier at Michigan especially if near family. Go where you will be the happiest and more comfortable.

 

[kahantry roads]

I’m in the exact same position right now! Vandy actually has the #1 ENT program so that should be a pro for Vandy instead. The students at SLW also seemed incredibly happy and a large portion of the day was spent talking about student wellness which is incredible. From my conversations with the current students, Vandy is excellent at surgical training specifically so that would be a plus if you want to go into ophtho or ENT but I was less won over by that bc I’m thinking of more medical specialties. I was/still am a little concerned about the match list being heavily southern/midwest skewed but talking to med students they said time and time again that it was bc of the preference of students to stay in the south and they even said Vandy loves to favor its own students in the match so if Vandy’s home program is one of your top ranked programs you have a high chance of matching there by default which can be reassuring if you’re interested in competitive specialties even if it’s not in the location you were hoping for. Another big con for me at Vandy is the exam schedule (16-24 hour exams spread over 2-3 days is actually insane) and the fact that their longest in-person days are Friday where they have in-person sessions until 5 (cuts down on your ability to do weekend trips) versus Michigans much more flexible schedule with the pre-recorded lectures. Vandy does happen to be the cheaper option for me bc of merit aid so that’s where I’m leaning at the moment but I am going to Michigan SLW to give it a fair shake and in case Michigan matches so hope to see you there!