Vanderbilt vs NYU

[tbonez71]

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I've been committed to Vandy but got off recently on the NYU waitlist. Obviously have a few days to make a decision, and I don't have fin aid yet from NYU but I am assuming at the moment that it will be equivalent for both. I didn't get to go to NYU second look so its hard for me to judge, though I did remember being pretty impressed on interview day.

I am most interested in translational research and biotech, especially within the context of innovation.

Vanderbilt
Pros

• Nashville
• 1 year pre-clinical, lots of flexibility in M3/4 (6 mo. of dedicated research time)
• True P/F even for clerkships
• Vibed well with students.
• Wellness is a huge aspect of the school, and faculty seem to bend over backwards to take care of the students
• Pretty nice weather
• Small class size
• Really nice Hospital

Cons

• The South is going to be kind of a culture shock coming from California.
• More focused on and informatics and clinical research it seems like to me.
• I have been told there may be some applicable electives our 3rd/4th years due to a new “MIDP” program they have for engineering and business, but its not clear what this would look like.
• Less diverse with faculty/students, med school is vocally trying to improve

NYU
Pros

• Top ranked on USNews (but I feel this fluctuates so I don't know if it matters/will help for residency match)
• 1.5 year pre-clinical, less intense lecture stuff and a full M1 summer
• Great Hospital system and facilities, probably more diverse population than Vandy.
• Very flexible exam schedule
• Huge focus on translational research, and even basic sciences
• Larger Latino population that I could work with (translating), urban underserved which I like
• A lot of diversity

Cons

• I really disliked New York when I visited it. Also the weather is miserable.
• H/HP/P/F for clerkships
• Apparently they rank the class pretty strictly in Dean's Letter...
• The living situation for the students is sad. They pay a ton of money to live in what looks like a broom closet.
• Didn't vibe as much with the students on interview day, but who knows how it will really be.

I did really like both of these programs, and I guess I'm wondering if the opportunities at either would be significantly different.

 

[trobinsonmd]

I've been committed to Vandy but got off recently on the NYU waitlist. Obviously have a few days to make a decision, and I don't have fin aid yet from NYU but I am assuming at the moment that it will be equivalent for both. I didn't get to go to NYU second look so its hard for me to judge, though I did remember being pretty impressed on interview day.

Two amazing options, I graduated from NYU recently and it was a really great experience...I'm also from SoCal, I think NYC was just as much a culture shock as the South to be honest in terms of living situation and transportation. If you didn't like nyc from just visiting for a few days, you will HATE it once you live here. I think new york is pretty binary, you either like it or you hate it. I've been out to Vandy a few times to visit friends there and I felt like it was pretty awesome, I think it'd actually be fun to live in the south, the people are super friendly. NYU is also pretty competitive relative to other schools (based on anecdote, no hard evidence)... so if you are not that competitive type, stick w Vandy. In terms of residency match, it's not going to matter. Both are top 20 schools and you're in a good position for the match either way if you do everything you're supposed to. Best of luck!

 

[metview]

Vanderbilt 100%. Your QOL will be a lot better there with the true P/F and your living space will be 10x better and 3x less expensive. Living in NYC blows. Be prepared to live in a broom closet while paying $3,000/mo. Also, Vanderbilt has a slightly better reputation with NYU being highly overrated.

 

[Kingsmen2018]

VANDY. You'll be better off than the crowded ****hole NYC is.

 

[Checklist]

Vanderbilt 100%. Your QOL will be a lot better there with the true P/F and your living space will be 10x better and 3x less expensive. Living in NYC blows. Be prepared to live in a broom closet while paying $3,000/mo. Also, Vanderbilt has a slightly better reputation with NYU being highly overrated.

NYU housing is about 1k/month. Expensive but 3 times lower than you claimed. Some nearby neighborhoods have even lower rents.

 

[personperson]

To second that, NYU housing is pretty cheap (relatively) to live in one of the best neighborhoods in Manhattan. I would argue against NYU being highly overrated (depending on how much you base your judgement off of rankings), but as I'm sure you saw during interview day, it is a great school with amazing hospitals. If you're interested in translational research/biotech research, I would suggest checking out the Office of therapeutics alliances at NYU Med (Office of Therapeutics Alliances (OTA) | Office of Therapeutics Alliances (OTA)). Obviously, NYC is NYC, if you hate it then go to Vandy, but from what I could gather at SLW, everyone seemed pretty chill. Best of luck wherever you go!

 

[trobinsonmd]

NYU housing is about 1k/month. Expensive but 3 times lower than you claimed. Some nearby neighborhoods have even lower rents.

Housing is not guaranteed for all four years, and a lot of the times, what you get for $1k is located in some pretty ancient buildings.

 

[trobinsonmd]

Housing is not guaranteed for all four years, and a lot of the times, what you get for $1k is located in some pretty ancient buildings.

and yes of course other neighborhoods have lower rent, there are people who live in long island city and take the ferry every day, but when its 20 degrees outside and you have to take the subway or walk 15 mins, it gets annoying and uncomfortable

 

[ducksau5]

Housing is not guaranteed for all four years, and a lot of the times, what you get for $1k is located in some pretty ancient buildings.

This is so wrong it borders on trolling/misinformation. Housing is literally guaranteed at NYU for all 4 years, costs 1k and is between either Greenberg (slightly older) or Vilcek hall (renovated in late 2000s). Both of these buildings are a 5 minute walk from the school/hospitals. While the dorms themselves are not exactly 5 star, they are very spacious (rooms are around 125 sq ft with walk in closets, large common rooms with all amenities, gym in building, mail room, etc). To find an apartment of comparable quality and size in Murray Hill/Kips Bay would cost you $1600-1800. The neighborhood is excellent (Murray Hill), has plenty of good restaurants, a trader joes, bars and is a 20 min walk to Flatiron/union square/grand central.

 

[camb370]

disclaimer - im still on the NYU waitlist

i think you really can't go wrong! it definitely seems like you'd be happier at vanderbilt, but if you're considering matching at NYU, it might be better to go there, especially with the hub of innovation that NYC is. i can't really speak to that at vanderbilt, but i'm sure it's great there too given the quality of the school's hospitals. imo, i think go with vandy since your options won't be limited and the NYU vs. vandy difference is pretty negligible.

also, out of curiosity, when did NYU take you off the waitlist? just wondering if they've had any movement since their second wave. thank you!

 

[tbonez71]

Thanks for all the info guys - definitely agree that NYU housing isn't ideal but it isn't as bad as trying to make it on my own in Manhattan. The subsidized housing is expensive for an adequate space, but I am happy to do that over finding my own housing for 2000+ a month... Plus I can definitely see that the neighborhood around there is pretty bustling. I just wasn't a huge fan of the overall NY vibe, which mostly was the overcrowding and lack of nature. I also sensed a lot of hostility while I was there from the people in general, as opposed to what I am used to here in California (people on the grind which I get). I definitely think my QOL would be better at Nashville, though I would also miss the diversity of people you find in a big city which is a pretty big thing for me.

Mostly what I am worried about is the research though. My first impression is that NYU had a lot of basic science research, while Vanderbilt was mainly focused on clinical research and informatics.

If you're interested in translational research/biotech research, I would suggest checking out the Office of therapeutics alliances at NYU Med (Office of Therapeutics Alliances (OTA) | Office of Therapeutics Alliances (OTA)).

Stuff like this is amazing! Exactly the kind of area I want to get into, basically filling the gap in academic research and new technology as it is adapted to clinical use. So I guess I'm wondering, is it really relevant from my perspective as a medical student doing research which school I go to? At the end of the day they both have similar reputations, funding, and flexibility (maybe some more for Vandy). They both have pages about their different programs, and they both have basic science and clinical research departments, but I don't know how I can gauge which would give me more opportunity to pursue my area of interest.

 

[byunprime2]

I definitely think my QOL would be better at Nashville

Am I crazy for thinking this should be the #1 consideration? You're choosing between two top 20 schools, here. The difference in any opportunities at the med student level will be negligible. If QOL will be significantly better at one school, then that would be the one I choose.

 

[ducksau5]

Truthfully, while NYU could provide you with opportunities to get involved in research in this space as a medical student, it really wont matter because if this something you want to do as a career you will make it happen through research connections in residency/attendinghood.

The research opportunities between the 2 schools are comparable and given the level at which you can participate as a medical student is already at such a low level, I would not let it dictate which school you decide. As a medical student you should be more interested in the research going on in clinical departments and what kind of connections you can develop so you can match into residency (unless you are an MD/PhD, in which case research is vital). And on that front, Vandy and NYU have strong departments and are essentially a wash. I think it should come down to fit/QOL as others have said - if you hate NYC that should be in and of itself a deal breaker for NYU because that is a huge part of its appeal.

 

[The Unburnt]

It definitely sounds like you'd be happier at Vandy, and I think the flexibility there would give you more time to get involved in research even if they don't have tons of research in the specific area you want to work in (I have no doubt you'd be able to find something to get involved in at a school like Vandy so I wouldn't worry about that like other people have said, I think the difference might be negligible). If you hate NYC, I'd strongly advise you don't go to NYU, nothing worse than being miserable in a city when you're already trying not to be miserable studying. Like someone else said, I think it's going to be culture shock wherever you go. Nashville is still a pretty big city so I'm sure you'll still get the urban underserved population you want to work with & other aspects of city life that you may like without being as overwhelming as NYC. Both great choices, you'll get a super high quality education no matter where you pick!

 

[personperson]

To play devil's advocate, if that is your only experience in NYC, it is very hard to judge a city just on a day or two that you spent there. That being said, Nashville is a pretty cool city