Vanderbilt vs. Northwestern

[mountainplant]

Hi! First-time poster, but I’ve been lurking here for a while, and this thread has been super helpful over the past couple of years. Shoutout to everyone who takes the time to answer questions like these!

I’m very lucky to have multiple acceptances right now and would really appreciate any advice on which school might be the best fit. At this point, I’m mostly deciding between Vanderbilt and Northwestern, but I’m open to thoughts on the others as well. Cost of tuition is not a factor (cost of living may be a minor factor, but wouldn’t be an overwhelming reason to choose one over another).

Vanderbilt

Pros:
- P/F for both preclinical and clinical—everyone says this is a huge deal and should be weighted heavily
- Previously ranked in the top 5? I don’t care much about specific rankings but want to keep doors open for a competitive specialty. Does this matter?
- Warmer weather
- I have friends in Nashville

Cons:
- Living in Tennessee – I’m a URM (black female) but grew up in a predominantly white area and went to college in one as well, so I’m used to it. My bigger concern is how things might change in TN over the next few years (laws, policies, etc.)
- Distance from family – My parents are in CT, and my brother is in Chicago
- I’d rather not have a car during med school

Northwestern

Pros:
- Applied ED for undergrad and got rejected, so this acceptance feels extra sweet lol
- I LOVE Chicago – Waterfront + city vibes + great food + fun sports culture (this is important to me)
- Strong dual degree (potential MD/MBA) and global health opportunities
- Streeterville area seems really nice, and student wellness/amenities seem to be a priority
- Shirley Ryan Lab – I’m interested in PM&R or ortho (maybe neuro or cardiology?) and this seems like an incredible resource

Cons:
- 2 year pre-clinical
- clinical rotations are not p/f
- AOA
- Cold. I’ve lived in NYC this past year, and everyone says Chicago winters are worse ;(
- Match list seems Midwest-heavy, and I’d prefer to match in NY or Philly
- I’m having a hard time nailing down how Northwestern is viewed in the academic medicine community. Some people/faculty I’ve talked to at other med schools speak very very favorably, while others are a bit more lukewarm. Is this something that should factor into my decision?

Also got into Wake Forest, Rochester, UCSD, BU, Emory and Dartmouth, but I’m not really considering them at this point—unless there’s something I should be thinking about!

Would love any thoughts—thanks in advance!

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[newkungfukenny]

NU but I'm biased to the idea of living in Chicago>Nashville (I'm also URM). Has all the amazing things you mentioned, and NU really sold me during the interviews on how important the city is to the NU experience. With your brother being closer, interdisciplinary studies being an option, and the Shirley Ryan Lab being an absolute powerhouse for your interests, those things for me personally, offset the main pro Vandy offers: which is p/f through clinical rotations.

Prestige difference here is nonexistent for the med school and Northwestern definitely has stronger home residency programs if I recall correctly, and certainly has an exceptional reputation nationally in academic medicine. I'll also speculate that the decision for many to remain in the midwest is most likely self-selecting.

Disclaimer: on NU waitlist, didn't apply vandy

 

[Present-Row-4056]

Pretty sure the reputation of the two schools are equivalent. Weather isn't too bad. We only had around 2 weeks where it was really cold the rest has been pretty tolerable. We have bridges connecting all the buildings so don't need to go outside if needed while on campus.

SRL is pretty incredible and the ortho/PMR research groups are pretty well established so easy to get started as an M1.

 

[mountainplant]

NU but I'm biased to the idea of living in Chicago>Nashville (I'm also URM). Has all the amazing things you mentioned, and NU really sold me during the interviews on how important the city is to the NU experience. With your brother being closer, interdisciplinary studies being an option, and the Shirley Ryan Lab being an absolute powerhouse for your interests, those things for me personally, offset the main pro Vandy offers: which is p/f through clinical rotations.

Prestige difference here is nonexistent for the med school and Northwestern definitely has stronger home residency programs if I recall correctly, and certainly has an exceptional reputation nationally in academic medicine. I'll also speculate that the decision for many to remain in the midwest is most likely self-selecting.

Disclaimer: on NU waitlist, didn't apply vandy

Thank you so much! These are all great points. I hope you end up wherever your top choice is!

 

[mountainplant]

Pretty sure the reputation of the two schools are equivalent. Weather isn't too bad. We only had around 2 weeks where it was really cold the rest has been pretty tolerable. We have bridges connecting all the buildings so don't need to go outside if needed while on campus.

SRL is pretty incredible and the ortho/PMR research groups are pretty well established so easy to get started as an M1.

Really good to know, thanks a bunch!!

 

[Mr. Macrophage]

This is a tough one! Location seems very important to you, so Northwestern definitely takes the cake there. However, I do want to say that Nashville is an absolutely incredible city with anything you could want, and while it is majority white (I think 55%?) there is still quite a bit of diversity in the area! Totally understand the red state concerns.

Curriculum wise, Vanderbilt definitely takes the cake. 1 year preclinical and true pass/fail clinical with no AOA is fantastic, as you’ll have more (undistracted) time to focus on extracurriculars, research, etc. Strong point in favor of Vanderbilt.

They are pretty equivalent in home programs. Vanderbilt is #1 in ENT and Urology, and is in the top 20 for General Surgery, IM, Anesthesia, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, EM, and PM&R. Northwestern is #1 for PM&R and OBGYN and is in the top 20 for Anesthesia, Pediatrics, Urology, Plastics, Dermatology, Pathology, EM and IM.

Their reputations are also pretty equivalent! Northwestern has the edge if you wanna stay in the Midwest, and Vanderbilt has the edge if you want to stay in the South. However, both are nationally recognized, and the medical community and layperson consider them equal. I think Northwestern matches more Midwest due to student choice.

Northwestern’s MD/MBA is very attractive. Both schools have a ton of interdisciplinary options, but Kellogg is of course the higher ranked business school. This is a point in favor of Northwestern.

Based on your priorities and the pros/cons you listed, I would probably choose Northwestern. Location seems very important to you, and you have a clear preference for Chicago. Vanderbilt’s curriculum is really really hard to beat, but none of that matters if you’d be unhappy and isolated from your support system!

Disclaimer: also accepted at Northwestern

 

[mountainplant]

This is a tough one! Location seems very important to you, so Northwestern definitely takes the cake there. However, I do want to say that Nashville is an absolutely incredible city with anything you could want, and while it is majority white (I think 55%?) there is still quite a bit of diversity in the area! Totally understand the red state concerns.

Curriculum wise, Vanderbilt definitely takes the cake. 1 year preclinical and true pass/fail clinical with no AOA is fantastic, as you’ll have more (undistracted) time to focus on extracurriculars, research, etc. Strong point in favor of Vanderbilt.

They are pretty equivalent in home programs. Vanderbilt is #1 in ENT and Urology, and is in the top 20 for General Surgery, IM, Anesthesia, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, EM, and PM&R. Northwestern is #1 for PM&R and OBGYN and is in the top 20 for Anesthesia, Pediatrics, Urology, Plastics, Dermatology, Pathology, EM and IM.

Their reputations are also pretty equivalent! Northwestern has the edge if you wanna stay in the Midwest, and Vanderbilt has the edge if you want to stay in the South. However, both are nationally recognized, and the medical community and layperson consider them equal. I think Northwestern matches more Midwest due to student choice.

Northwestern’s MD/MBA is very attractive. Both schools have a ton of interdisciplinary options, but Kellogg is of course the higher ranked business school. This is a point in favor of Northwestern.

Based on your priorities and the pros/cons you listed, I would probably choose Northwestern. Location seems very important to you, and you have a clear preference for Chicago. Vanderbilt’s curriculum is really really hard to beat, but none of that matters if you’d be unhappy and isolated from your support system!

Disclaimer: also accepted at Northwestern

Thank you so much for the reply! You laid out some great points, and I’m definitely leaning towards northwestern. Congrats on your acceptances—maybe we will meet at NU one day if that’s where we end up!

 

[jvquarterback]

Medical education will be similar so choose based on cost and the city.