Vanderbilt vs. Virginia

[Endure]

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Hi everyone,

Super grateful to be given a chance to decide between these programs. While I intend to go to the second look at both programs, I would like to hear what you guys have to say in the meantime. Keep in mind that I tend to suffer from "last person speaking syndrome," where I like the program I saw recently the most. It's pretty bad.

I saw Vanderbilt in November and UVA last week. It's striking how similar the two are. Both schools have a shortened pre-clinical curriculum, P/F-unranked grading system, divided Hogwarts-like "colleges," emphasis on student wellness and collegiality, super strong research opportunities, and beautiful surroundings. Here goes the comparison:

Vanderbilt University

• (+) Inexpensive tuition for a private school.
  
• (+) Huge emphasis on student wellness.
  
• (+) 4-6 month research clerkship.
  
• (+) Ability to tailor my education around my interests.
• (+) Giant reputation in medicine.
• (+) Small first year class size (85 students).
• (+) No away rotations.
• (-) Super far from family and friends (NJ resident).
• (-) Minor concern I won't be able to kill it here.

University of Virginia

• (+) Beautiful town and campus.
• (+) Huge emphasis on student wellness.
  
• (+) Ability to tailor my education around my interests.
  
• (+) Much closer (driveable) to friends and family.
• (+) Felt like I could really kick ass here.
• (-) Expensive OOS tuition.
• (-) Less well-known and prestigious.
• (-) Research is not required during clerkships.

Background: I'm from a small, no-name liberal arts college, absolutely love research, and have a SO to consider. It's really important to me that the school fosters a close-knit community between students, similar to the atmosphere at my undergrad. I've also heard nothing about financial aid from either program.

I'm pretty torn. Your thoughts will help!

 

[solitarius]

1. Net indebtedness for each school
2. Whichever you really like more at the gut level for whatever reason
3. Prestige. Slightly favors Vandy.

 

[aspirantmed]

I'm not a medical student, and can't speak to this for sure .. but in a pass-fail curriculum like Vanderbilt's is there really a concern about "killing it?" During the pre-clinical year and on Step 1, my understanding is that you would be putting your skills to test against a body of medical knowledge, not against how you stand relative to your peers. Now, if you think that Virginia's curriculum and resources are better structured to help you "kick ass," then that's a different story, but otherwise I think your concern about not being able to "kill it" at Vanderbilt may not be something to worry about.

Also - If you're coming from the NY/NJ area, Charlottesville is a good 5-6 hours out. At that point, a flight from BNA to EWR/PHL/LGA/JFK, plus time spent getting to/from the airport and all of that, would take approximately the same amount of time. In terms of miles, UVA is closer to NJ, but whether that really means it's easier to get home or that you'd be able to do so more often is something I'd question.

It also seems that you're looking at about a 10k/year difference in terms of tuition .. but over the span of an entire career, 40k relative to an MD's lifetime earnings may or may not be substantial enough to tip the scale in favor of either school. Depends on what your financial situation is like, but I wouldn't consider it sizable enough to be a major consideration in the grand scheme of things.

One last thing - where'd you hear that Vanderbilt doesn't allow away rotations?

 

[nemo123]

One last thing - where'd you hear that Vanderbilt doesn't allow away rotations?

I think he meant that all of Vandy's clinical rotations are done at hospitals on campus (so he won't need a car).

Anyways, I think it's too early to pick considering you haven't heard about financial aid. That being said, UVa is going to probably end up being more expensive in the long run than Vandy since you're OOS.

You also say that you want a close-knit and small community like your college. Vandy is set to only have a matriculating class of 88 this year, while UVa's is 156.

Going off of aspirantmed, a flight from BNA to any of the airports in the NYC area is also very cheap. My trip back in September cost me only $220 from JFK (no stops) and was the cheapest flight out of all the interviews I went to (cheaper than Rochester).

 

[rocco92]

Definitely Vanderbilt. This school is churning out leaders in medicine, they have a really ambitious mentality about what they envision for their school and their students. The extremely small class size is a HUGE factor, you get a more personal education and way more access to resources/faculty. Vandy also has insane Step 1 averages and great match lists. You won't go wrong either way of course, but I would say Vandy. Best of luck with your decision.

 

[3838]

Hi everyone,

Super grateful to be given a chance to decide between these programs. While I intend to go to the second look at both programs, I would like to hear what you guys have to say in the meantime. Keep in mind that I tend to suffer from "last person speaking syndrome," where I like the program I saw recently the most. It's pretty bad.

I saw Vanderbilt in November and UVA last week. It's striking how similar the two are. Both schools have a shortened pre-clinical curriculum, P/F-unranked grading system, divided Hogwarts-like "colleges," emphasis on student wellness and collegiality, super strong research opportunities, and beautiful surroundings. Here goes the comparison:

Vanderbilt University

• (+) Inexpensive tuition for a private school.
  
• (+) Huge emphasis on student wellness.
  
• (+) 4-6 month research clerkship.
  
• (+) Ability to tailor my education around my interests.
• (+) Giant reputation in medicine.
• (+) Small first year class size (85 students).
• (+) No away rotations.
• (-) Super far from family and friends (NJ resident).
• (-) Minor concern I won't be able to kill it here.

University of Virginia

• (+) Beautiful town and campus.
• (+) Huge emphasis on student wellness.
  
• (+) Ability to tailor my education around my interests.
  
• (+) Much closer (driveable) to friends and family.
• (+) Felt like I could really kick ass here.
• (-) Expensive OOS tuition.
• (-) Less well-known and prestigious.
• (-) Research is not required during clerkships.

Background: I'm from a small, no-name liberal arts college, absolutely love research, and have a SO to consider. It's really important to me that the school fosters a close-knit community between students, similar to the atmosphere at my undergrad. I've also heard nothing about financial aid from either program.

I'm pretty torn. Your thoughts will help!

You probably would know better than I do after visiting, but at Vandy, I've heard (from a friend who attends the school) the emphasis on wellness by the school is because people are insanely stressed at the school. UVA seemed to stress wellness just cuz. Just something to take into consideration. Ultimately, I really think you should choose a school based on how happy and successful you will be there. What are the students like? Proximity to family is one too. Also, what is the clinical "culture" at the school and does it suit your personality/the way you learn? I've come to the conclusion that prestige is important, to be sure, but if you're not happy/in an environment conducive to your growth, it doesn't matter.

 

[3838]

I think he meant that all of Vandy's clinical rotations are done at hospitals on campus (so he won't need a car).

Anyways, I think it's too early to pick considering you haven't heard about financial aid. That being said, UVa is going to probably end up being more expensive in the long run than Vandy since you're OOS.

You also say that you want a close-knit and small community like your college. Vandy is set to only have a matriculating class of 88 this year, while UVa's is 156.

Going off of aspirantmed, a flight from BNA to any of the airports in the NYC area is also very cheap. My trip back in September cost me only $220 from JFK (no stops) and was the cheapest flight out of all the interviews I went to (cheaper than Rochester).

UVA has like separate colleges or something. So I feel like the small community that's close-knit is kind of a draw for both schools. Consider cost OP. That's a HUGE deal too. It will let you be more free when choosing specialties.

 

[Endure]

You probably would know better than I do after visiting, but at Vandy, I've heard (from a friend who attends the school) the emphasis on wellness by the school is because people are insanely stressed at the school. UVA seemed to stress wellness just cuz. Just something to take into consideration. Ultimately, I really think you should choose a school based on how happy and successful you will be there. What are the students like? Proximity to family is one too. Also, what is the clinical "culture" at the school and does it suit your personality/the way you learn? I've come to the conclusion that prestige is important, to be sure, but if you're not happy/in an environment conducive to your growth, it doesn't matter.

Thanks for commenting! Can you elaborate further on your friend's experience at Vanderbilt? I met up with a student for dinner prior to my interview and she seemed stressed as well. She mentioned that the shortened pre-clinical curriculum has forced professors to give fewer exams on significantly greater content. I certainly don't expect medical students to be unstressed, but I think the well-being of the students reflects heavily on the atmosphere of the school.

Regarding the curriculum, I find Vandy's Curriculum 2.0 highly desirable and intuitively designed. Problem is, UVA's is very similar – they mentioned at my interview day that they modeled their curriculum after Vanderbilt's.

Definitely Vanderbilt. This school is churning out leaders in medicine, they have a really ambitious mentality about what they envision for their school and their students. The extremely small class size is a HUGE factor, you get a more personal education and way more access to resources/faculty. Vandy also has insane Step 1 averages and great match lists. You won't go wrong either way of course, but I would say Vandy. Best of luck with your decision.

I agree with every one of your points. There's no doubt that Vandy is a powerhouse.

I'm not a medical student, and can't speak to this for sure .. but in a pass-fail curriculum like Vanderbilt's is there really a concern about "killing it?" During the pre-clinical year and on Step 1, my understanding is that you would be putting your skills to test against a body of medical knowledge, not against how you stand relative to your peers. Now, if you think that Virginia's curriculum and resources are better structured to help you "kick ass," then that's a different story, but otherwise I think your concern about not being able to "kill it" at Vanderbilt may not be something to worry about.

Also - If you're coming from the NY/NJ area, Charlottesville is a good 5-6 hours out. At that point, a flight from BNA to EWR/PHL/LGA/JFK, plus time spent getting to/from the airport and all of that, would take approximately the same amount of time. In terms of miles, UVA is closer to NJ, but whether that really means it's easier to get home or that you'd be able to do so more often is something I'd question.

It also seems that you're looking at about a 10k/year difference in terms of tuition .. but over the span of an entire career, 40k relative to an MD's lifetime earnings may or may not be substantial enough to tip the scale in favor of either school. Depends on what your financial situation is like, but I wouldn't consider it sizable enough to be a major consideration in the grand scheme of things.

One last thing - where'd you hear that Vanderbilt doesn't allow away rotations?

Thanks for posting, aspirant.

My concern about doing well at Vanderbilt stems from first-hand accounts of the atmosphere there. Several VMS 4th years that I know have mentioned that the students tend to be over-eager and arrogant, which I really can't stand. I doubt this is true of everyone who goes there, but it certainly flies in the face of the environment they portray during interview day. I should mention that these are only anecdotal accounts and may very well pertain to their graduating class only.

I definitely agree with you that their P/F grading makes this a non-issue during pre-clinical years and that the cost differential (as it stands now) is negligible. If you don't mind me asking, what was your impression during interview day?

I think he meant that all of Vandy's clinical rotations are done at hospitals on campus (so he won't need a car).

Anyways, I think it's too early to pick considering you haven't heard about financial aid. That being said, UVa is going to probably end up being more expensive in the long run than Vandy since you're OOS.

You also say that you want a close-knit and small community like your college. Vandy is set to only have a matriculating class of 88 this year, while UVa's is 156.

Going off of aspirantmed, a flight from BNA to any of the airports in the NYC area is also very cheap. My trip back in September cost me only $220 from JFK (no stops) and was the cheapest flight out of all the interviews I went to (cheaper than Rochester).

Yep, that's what I meant.

I'm definitely excited about Vandy's small class size. However, the way UVa seems to run things over there, I doubt the size of their class would be an issue. Is Vanderbilt currently your top choice?

Thanks for the insight guys!

 

[JJMrK]

Can't go wrong. Which is cheaper, where would you rather live? Go with your gut.

 

[nemo123]

Hmm maybe @Nymphicus can talk about the stress levels of Vandy's med students?

Also, isn't it often cited that Vandy has the highest student satisfaction among med schools? There used to be yearly reports on this, but I think they were discontinued a while ago...

 

[3838]

Hmm maybe @Nymphicus can talk about the stress levels of Vandy's med students?

Also, isn't it often cited that Vandy has the highest student satisfaction among med schools? There used to be yearly reports on this, but I think they were discontinued a while ago...

Maybe they were discontinued because of the condensed curriculum lol...

Yeah, my friend's experience might be a bit different, because he was in the transition group that was dealing with a 1.5 year curriculum. He just felt that the curriculum was entirely too condensed. He thought the curriculum was great on paper but was really dissatisfied with the experience that he got. He did say the students below him seemed a little less stressed.

 

[3838]

OP, the other thing I didn't mention...most med students seem to say that the preclinical years are generally similar enough at most schools. I feel like schools focus on that when pitching to us mostly because that's what we're familiar with. We're coming from college so that's what we can "understand" and evaluate. I would focus more on the clinical years, though. That's when you will be really learning, IMO. I would try and get in touch with some M3's and M4's and ask about clinical rotations, about the "teaching culture" on those rotations -- how much do the residents and doctors actually make you feel like you are a part of the team/do you actually feel like you're there to learn. Ask generally what their clinical experience was like, whether they felt like anything was lacking or missing. There's an old thread on SDN about clinical years. I can't find the link though.

That being said, weigh cost. But I wouldn't put cost above happiness/comfort. Not at the med school level. Go where you feel satisfied with the opportunities, your ability to actually take advantage of them, and your feeling that the environment is conducive to your success. If you would be equally happy at both in each of those three areas, then make the choice based on cost.

 

[aspirantmed]

Thanks for posting, aspirant.

My concern about doing well at Vanderbilt stems from first-hand accounts of the atmosphere there. Several VMS 4th years that I know have mentioned that the students tend to be over-eager and arrogant, which I really can't stand. I doubt this is true of everyone who goes there, but it certainly flies in the face of the environment they portray during interview day. I should mention that these are only anecdotal accounts and may very well pertain to their graduating class only.

I definitely agree with you that their P/F grading makes this a non-issue during pre-clinical years and that the cost differential (as it stands now) is negligible. If you don't mind me asking, what was your impression during interview day?

That's interesting; I suppose interview days are just brief glimpses of the 'big picture,' and so it's hard to get a sense of the real day-to-day from the people you meet and things you see, but I didn't get that impression of stress and arrogance at all. The students I talked to seemed enthusiastic about the curriculum, the city/lifestyle, and Vanderbilt's wellness program. I don't know where they get the 'happiest medical students' claim from, but it says a lot that everyone believes in it .. After all, I didn't hear other medical schools try to make that claim. Interestingly enough, even some students at other schools where I interviewed cited Vanderbilt as one of the schools that puts a lot of emphasis on student wellness and satisfaction.

I heard from a few of the first-year students that the new curriculum was challenging, but they seemed to appreciate it in the broader context of earlier clinical exposure, greater flexibility in the 3rd/4th years, and more varied learning modalities. In other words, it was somewhat of a "Yeah, it's rough, but it's well-intentioned and will help out down the road," kind of mentality. In particular, a few people said the problem-based learning part of the curriculum was hard to grasp at first, but made content retention and application a lot easier.

I also did hear from a few people that people in the 'transitional years' of the curriculum felt a little bit like guinea pigs and had to handle some of the bumps and hurdles of adjusting the curriculum. Now, according to the curriculum talk on interview day, they've 'field tested' all of the components of the new curriculum during the last few years, and it's been improved a lot each year. From that, I can understand why it might have been difficult for recent classes, but I don't think we'll face the same issues. Granted, I interviewed early in the year; it'll probably be helpful to ask around at Second Look and see how the first year students feel about the curriculum now.

 

[Endure]

OP, the other thing I didn't mention...most med students seem to say that the preclinical years are generally similar enough at most schools. I feel like schools focus on that when pitching to us mostly because that's what we're familiar with. We're coming from college so that's what we can "understand" and evaluate. I would focus more on the clinical years, though. That's when you will be really learning, IMO. I would try and get in touch with some M3's and M4's and ask about clinical rotations, about the "teaching culture" on those rotations -- how much do the residents and doctors actually make you feel like you are a part of the team/do you actually feel like you're there to learn. Ask generally what their clinical experience was like, whether they felt like anything was lacking or missing. There's an old thread on SDN about clinical years. I can't find the link though.

That being said, weigh cost. But I wouldn't put cost above happiness/comfort. Not at the med school level. Go where you feel satisfied with the opportunities, your ability to actually take advantage of them, and your feeling that the environment is conducive to your success. If you would be equally happy at both in each of those three areas, then make the choice based on cost.

Thank you for the help!

I've heard the same thing from current medical students. The questions you bring up - specifically, whether or not students feel like they are apart of the team - are the ones that I am going to really be looking for answers to at second look. Luckily, my tour guides at UVA were both 4th years, so this was the first thing I asked them. They first dude I spoke to said that "as a med student anywhere, the amount of hands-on experience you'll get is pretty limited," which I found kinda unusual. I always understood glorified shadowing to be a major downfall of clinical rotations.

I also won't be able to go to the second look at UVA because it's on the same weekend as Vandy's.

That's interesting; I suppose interview days are just brief glimpses of the 'big picture,' and so it's hard to get a sense of the real day-to-day from the people you meet and things you see, but I didn't get that impression of stress and arrogance at all. The students I talked to seemed enthusiastic about the curriculum, the city/lifestyle, and Vanderbilt's wellness program. I don't know where they get the 'happiest medical students' claim from, but it says a lot that everyone believes in it .. After all, I didn't hear other medical schools try to make that claim. Interestingly enough, even some students at other schools where I interviewed cited Vanderbilt as one of the schools that puts a lot of emphasis on student wellness and satisfaction.

I heard from a few of the first-year students that the new curriculum was challenging, but they seemed to appreciate it in the broader context of earlier clinical exposure, greater flexibility in the 3rd/4th years, and more varied learning modalities. In other words, it was somewhat of a "Yeah, it's rough, but it's well-intentioned and will help out down the road," kind of mentality. In particular, a few people said the problem-based learning part of the curriculum was hard to grasp at first, but made content retention and application a lot easier.

I also did hear from a few people that people in the 'transitional years' of the curriculum felt a little bit like guinea pigs and had to handle some of the bumps and hurdles of adjusting the curriculum. Now, according to the curriculum talk on interview day, they've 'field tested' all of the components of the new curriculum during the last few years, and it's been improved a lot each year. From that, I can understand why it might have been difficult for recent classes, but I don't think we'll face the same issues. Granted, I interviewed early in the year; it'll probably be helpful to ask around at Second Look and see how the first year students feel about the curriculum now.

I actually applied to Vanderbilt because of it's focus on student wellness.

I wonder if current Vanderbilt students would still recommend a 1-year pre-clinical curriculum after having gone through it. A student I spoke with at my state school (NJMS) told me that she could not envision learning everything in one year, but I wouldn't weigh that opinion too heavily.

I think my problem is that I'm getting so many different opinions, as it's really hard to tell what a school's culture is like until you've experienced it yourself. Ah!

@Nymphicus, insight into your experience at Vandy would be super helpful!

 

[Endure]

Anyone else? 🙂

 

[snowflakes]

Because the costs would be pretty similar, I'd say Vanderbilt.

 

[Endure]

Because the costs would be pretty similar, I'd say Vanderbilt.

Reasons?

 

[mvenus929]

(-) Research is not required during clerkships.

I'm curious why you consider this a negative. It's not like research isn't encouraged and that there aren't opportunities for research, it's just not required.

You also say that you want a close-knit and small community like your college. Vandy is set to only have a matriculating class of 88 this year, while UVa's is 156.

You would be surprised how close my class of 155 is.

OP, if you're still remarkably torn, I do have a resource that might be of use to you. One of my classmates was the guinea pig with our class through UVA's curriculum change, did two rotations (maybe 3? I can't remember exactly) at UVA, and then transferred to Vanderbilt and did the rest of her training there. She's staying there for residency, so it must not have been that terrible of a situation for her.

 

[justinbaily]

I'm curious why you consider this a negative. It's not like research isn't encouraged and that there aren't opportunities for research, it's just not required.

Agreed. And even though Vanderbilt apparently has a required research rotation during the third year, at UVA you have a year and a half of fourth year. If you want to do months of research at the beginning of fourth year, then that would have the same effect as having a research clerkship. I guess the difference would be that you can either do a big research block if you want, or you could be doing electives or aways during that extra time.

 

[Instatewaiter]

I'm not a medical student, and can't speak to this for sure .. but in a pass-fail curriculum like Vanderbilt's is there really a concern about "killing it?" During the pre-clinical year and on Step 1, my understanding is that you would be putting your skills to test against a body of medical knowledge, not against how you stand relative to your peers.

You're still ranked against your peers. So yes, everyone has passes but they still rank you. Essentially there is no difference from a normal system except you have no idea where you stand.

It also seems that you're looking at about a 10k/year difference in terms of tuition .. but over the span of an entire career, 40k relative to an MD's lifetime earnings may or may not be substantial enough to tip the scale in favor of either school. Depends on what your financial situation is like, but I wouldn't consider it sizable enough to be a major consideration in the grand scheme of things.

With the normal grad interest, $40K is a few hundred bucks per month for decades... so it is not negligible. My wife's law school debt is less than 200K and the monthly payment is equivalent to our mortgage.

 

[Endure]

You would be surprised how close my class of 155 is.

OP, if you're still remarkably torn, I do have a resource that might be of use to you. One of my classmates was the guinea pig with our class through UVA's curriculum change, did two rotations (maybe 3? I can't remember exactly) at UVA, and then transferred to Vanderbilt and did the rest of her training there. She's staying there for residency, so it must not have been that terrible of a situation for her.

Truthfully, I would not be very surprised to learn how close your class is. The collegiality at UVA smacked me in the face pretty readily during my interview day. If you could refer me to that resource, I would really appreciate it! I'm revisiting Vanderbilt next week, so my thoughts on the subject should be a little clearer by then.

 

[Endure]

Bump.

Does anyone have any other thoughts? I'd love to hear them 🙂

 

[ranson]

This isn't really a comparison, even more so since you are OOS for UVA. Vanderbilt and it's not close. Your only legit concern is distance from family and even that isn't that big of a deal. Charlottesville is 6.5 hrs from Jersey, not exactly "close." Also, OOS and IS tuition for UVA are very high. You will be getting a much better bang for your $$ at Vanderbilt, which has a better reputation. Also, how can you "kill it" anywhere, when they are both P/F?

 

[Endure]

So, I just received my financial aid packages from both UVA and Vanderbilt. I got very little aid at Vanderbilt (small need-based scholarship), whereas I got a ~$30k/year scholarship to UVA.

This really complicates matters for me. I still have to run the numbers, but it seems that UVA's low cost of living and reduced price tag make it a really appealing choice. I also loved it there.

Thoughts?

 

[cookiemonsters]

So, I just received my financial aid packages from both UVA and Vanderbilt. I got very little aid at Vanderbilt (small need-based scholarship), whereas I got a ~$30k/year scholarship to UVA.

How small is small? 5K? 10? 15K? If Virginia is in the ballpark of 80-100K cheaper over four years, choose Virginia and never look back. Virginia is an extremely well regarded school in academia that will keep all doors open for residency.

 

[Endure]

How small is small? 5K? 10? 15K? If Virginia is in the ballpark of 80-100K cheaper over four years, choose Virginia and never look back. Virginia is an extremely well regarded school in academia that will keep all doors open for residency.

4k from Vanderbilt, which is honestly much less than I anticipated getting. Going to UVA would save me 82k if I did the math correctly. Truth be told, I felt a lot more at home at UVA than I did at Vanderbilt, but I wasn't able to go to second look because it was on the same weekend as Vanderbilt's.

Also, I am interested in academic medicine and a number of competitive specialities, so does anyone believe that Vanderbilt will be a better choice for me career-wise? At this point, I'm leaning towards UVA because of the cost differential and vibe, but I'm worried that Vanderbilt is an incredible opportunity.

 

[Oso]

So, I just received my financial aid packages from both UVA and Vanderbilt. I got very little aid at Vanderbilt (small need-based scholarship), whereas I got a ~$30k/year scholarship to UVA.

This really complicates matters for me. I still have to run the numbers, but it seems that UVA's low cost of living and reduced price tag make it a really appealing choice. I also loved it there.

Thoughts?

4k from Vanderbilt, which is honestly much less than I anticipated getting. Going to UVA would save me 82k/year if I did the math correctly. Truth be told, I felt a lot more at home at UVA than I did at Vanderbilt, but I wasn't able to go to second look because it was on the same weekend as Vanderbilt's.

Also, I am interested in academic medicine and a number of competitive specialities, so does anyone believe that Vanderbilt will be a better choice for me career-wise?

So I don't know much about either school, but it seems like you clearly like UVA more and now it's also the more affordable option. Both seem like prestigious schools, so I think your residency placement, etc. will depend more on your individual performance, and less so on which of these institutions you attended. Would a lot of people pick Vandy over UVA because of the slight difference in prestige? Probably. But that does not mean it's the right choice for you. Based on everything I've read, it seems like UVA is for you.

Edit: And you would get to be with @Ace-Co-A and possibly @terp720 .. Which is more important than money, prestige, fit, and location combined.

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

Yeah, seems like this has become a no brainer for you. You liked UVA better and now it's significantly cheaper too. I don't think going to UVA will hold you back from any residency. If all you feel you're leaving behind is prestige, then I think it's a pretty negligible difference between UVA and Vanderbilt. I wouldn't pick somewhere more competitive where I would be unhappy. I would also consult your SO in this-- in terms of job/school, living environment if he/she will be moving with you or distance if not.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

So I don't know much about either school, but it seems like you clearly like UVA more and now it's also the more affordable option. Both seem like prestigious schools, so I think your residency placement, etc. will depend more on your individual performance, and less so on which of these institutions you attended. Would a lot of people pick Vandy over UVA because of the slight difference in prestige? Probably. But that does not mean it's the right choice for you. Based on everything I've read, it seems like UVA is for you.

Edit: And you would get to be with @Ace-Co-A and possibly @terp720 .. Which is more important than money, prestige, fit, and location combined.

That's weird -- I see myself tagged here, but I didn't get summoned with a little "Alert" notification. Anywho, I'm surprised to see people state that Vandy and UVA differ categorically in terms of reputation. I would imagine that both are similar enough in the minds of Residency Program Directors, although I'm basing this on nothing but SDN experience so don't believe me.

@Endure ... I'm a big believer in supporting people to make informed decisions by providing as much information as I can. It seems that my future colleagues @3838 and @mvenus929 have already given you a good start in this regard, though. I've been sold on UVA basically from day one. I'd encourage you to take the subjective impression left on you by the school and its community very seriously. An MD is an MD, especially when you're considering - I submit - very similar schools, but your experience for the next four years will vary widely depending on where you are.

One thing that seems understated in this thread so far is the difference in location of the two schools. Charlottesville and Nashville are much different places. Something to think about. As @3838 already touched upon, the structure of the clinical years might provide an area in which you can differentiate between the two schools. UVA has away rotations and Vandy doesn't. At second look, this was presented as an advantage at UVA SOM (e.g., diversification of your clinical experience). That might be important to you. Finally, there seem to be plenty of opportunities to participate in research the summer after your first year at UVA SOM [especially the Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP)] even if it's not strictly a requirement. It sounded to my ear that participation in research or some project was a light expectation for the summer after MS-1, so there seems to be encouragement (and therefore, opportunity) in that direction.

@Endure , it'd be great to have you as a colleague. Please feel free to send a personal message if you have any questions.

Edit: Plus, we have Monticello...

 

[Endure]

Wow, thank you guys for responding! I really do appreciate it.

I've been going over this in my head, gathering opinions from friends, mentors and family, and believe that the University of Virginia is the best place for me to be next year. Some may consider me crazy for giving up the opportunity to go to Vanderbilt, but I never got the fuzzies there to the extent that I got them at Virginia.

I'm certainly going to give this some more thought, particularly since I'm revisiting UVA next week, but if anyone has an opinion they'd like to share – please don't hesitate to post!

 

[3rdarmageddon]

Wow, thank you guys for responding! I really do appreciate it.

I've been going over this in my head, gathering opinions from friends, mentors and family, and believe that the University of Virginia is the best place for me to be next year. Some may consider me crazy for giving up the opportunity to go to Vanderbilt, but I never got the fuzzies there to the extent that I got them at Virginia.

I'm certainly going to give this some more thought, particularly since I'm revisiting UVA next week, but if anyone has an opinion they'd like to share – please don't hesitate to post!

I highly recommend contacting admissions about attending classes while you're there. There are some HIPPA issues, so you need to figure out which ones you can attend first. This is what I did to see if it was really as good as second look made it seem. While they were lectures, and some people did seem bored, everyone seemed just as happy and welcoming as they did during second look. Best luck in your decision.

 

[Endure]

I highly recommend contacting admissions about attending classes while you're there. There are some HIPPA issues, so you need to figure out which ones you can attend first. This is what I did to see if it was really as good as second look made it seem. While they were lectures, and some people did seem bored, everyone seemed just as happy and welcoming as they did during second look. Best luck in your decision.

That's a good idea, thanks! I'm still trying to figure out what I can go while I'm there to make the trip worthwhile.

Just to be certain, does anyone believe that Vanderbilt will open doors that UVA won't? I know some of you have already addressed this, but I would like to have a more varied perspective.

 

[Docbeme]

I'm finishing my third year at Vandy and was part of the last group doing the "old" curriculum.

You might want to check a few years of match lists and see where people ended up doing their residencies. Depending upon the area of specialization you are interested in, and if a big name training program is important to you, the match lists might be very relevant to your decision. You asked if Vandy will open doors for you that UVA won't. No one can answer this question for you. If you are AOA, many doors are open to you regardless of whether it us UVA or Vandy, but the majority of med students aren't AOA. It is where everyone else ends up that is relevant.

If you anticipate primary care as your specialty, not that you really know at this point in time, I'd look at the cost of attendance. I also have to say that comparing Nashville with Charlottesville is apples and oranges. Nashville has a ton to offer in the way of fun and cultural things to do along with a modern airport that actually flies somewhere situated less than a half hour away from the campus.

 

[Endure]

I really can't believe I'm saying this, but after thinking about it even more, I've changed my mind for good. I'm going to Vanderbilt!

I really can't believe how much soul-searching this decision required and how many times I've essentially flip-flopped from one school to another. Needless to say, I believe Vanderbilt's curriculum suits my interests more and is somewhere I envision myself growing the most. I don't think I emphasized this enough, but research is something I'm really passionate about and having time protected to focus on it during 3rd year is important to me.

Thank you so much everyone for helping me out. If you have any follow up comments, I would love to hear them.

 

[JJMrK]

Congrats. Now go enjoy your summer.

 

[ChemEngMD]

I really can't believe I'm saying this, but after thinking about it even more, I've changed my mind for good. I'm going to Vanderbilt!

I really can't believe how much soul-searching this decision required and how many times I've essentially flip-flopped from one school to another. Needless to say, I believe Vanderbilt's curriculum suits my interests more and is somewhere I envision myself growing the most. I don't think I emphasized this enough, but research is something I'm really passionate about and having time protected to focus on it during 3rd year is important to me.

Thank you so much everyone for helping me out. If you have any follow up comments, I would love to hear them.

Are you going to retract your advice you gave me in my thread now?

I understand the flip-flopping - I do it daily. Congrats on making a final decision.