Vandy vs. Dartmouth

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DoctorMario

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This may make an interesting debate. Vandy has bigger facilities and a higher ranking, but Dartmouth is Ivy League and has all of those benefits. Additionally, Vandy is urban while Dartmouth is rural. They are sort of on different sides of the spectrum.

I'm interested to see what current med students and pre-meds have to say.
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DoctorMario said:
This may make an interesting debate. Vandy has bigger facilities and a higher ranking, but Dartmouth is Ivy League and has all of those benefits. Additionally, Vandy is urban while Dartmouth is rural. They are sort of on different sides of the spectrum.

I'm interested to see what current med students and pre-meds have to say.
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???
 
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I have to agree with previous posters about Vandy over Dartmouth. I don't know how much weight "being an Ivy school" has... I mean really, being in the Ivy league just means that you are one of the oldest schools in the country. Some Ivy schools are better than other Ivy schools depending on which academic area you're looking at. Some non-Ivy schools are also better than some Ivy schools. Should focus on other factors besides just being ivy or not.

Besides, Dartmouth is really cold most of the time. :D
 
Mr. Belding said:
:laugh:

Like, uh, you can tell chicks that you go to an ivy league.

Vandy, hands down.
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I mean't resources, deep pockets, connections, reputation, other graduate programs (Tuck, etc). I guess I was a little ambiguous.

I agree that Vandy prevails, but I was trying to be unbiased in the original post. I still think it'd be interesting to get some defenders of Dartmouth in here to press their case.
 
Mr. Belding said:
And more interesting than vandy vs. dartmouth, what is this hands down business? Why have I been saying that all my life without having a clue what that means?

Discuss.
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As taken from: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/win-hands-down.html


Meaning

Win easily, with little effort.

Origin

Many phrases have originated as jargon in the world of sport, including several from boxing. The memory of Muhammad Ali dancing round the ring with his hands at his side and going on the win the bout might encourage us to think that that is the origin of this one. Not quite, although it does come from sport - horse racing.

Jockeys need to keep a tight rein in order to encourage their horse to run. ANyone who is so far ahead that he can afford to slacken off and still win he can drop his hands and loosen the reins - hence winning 'hands down'. This is recorded from the mid 19th century. For example, 'Pips' Lyrics & Lays, 1867:

"There were good horses in those days, as he can well recall, But Barker upon Elepoo, hands down, shot by them all."

It began to be used in a figurative sense, to denote an easy win in other contexts, from the early 20th century.
 
:laugh: you seem great, Mr. Belding. I hope we're classmates next year (Davis would be nice... or maybe BU)!
 
AC Slater's Dad said:
And more interesting than vandy vs. dartmouth, what is this hands down business? Why have I been saying that all my life without having a clue what that means?

Discuss.
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I couldn't come up with anything original. Maybe Vandy is over-glamorized in my head.. .but I felt this was a no-brainer.
 
DoctorMario said:
This may make an interesting debate. Vandy has bigger facilities and a higher ranking, but Dartmouth is Ivy League and has all of those benefits. Additionally, Vandy is urban while Dartmouth is rural. They are sort of on different sides of the spectrum.

I'm interested to see what current med students and pre-meds have to say.
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you know who went to Dartmouth...Dr. Meredith Grey. um, does that help? But you can got wrong either way...both are awesome schools heh
 
DoctorMario said:
This may make an interesting debate. Vandy has bigger facilities and a higher ranking, but Dartmouth is Ivy League and has all of those benefits. Additionally, Vandy is urban while Dartmouth is rural. They are sort of on different sides of the spectrum.

I'm interested to see what current med students and pre-meds have to say.
Click to expand...


How are you even using these two school names in the same sentence? Have you been accepted to both of these schools or are you just passing time trying to make completely random comparisons?
 
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Dartmouth is the right school for 1) anyone who loves the great outdoors, 2) who thrives in a small, tightknit class, 3) who prefers a fantastic education from dedicated physicians who love to teach, and 4) who is interested in having a huge choice of local, domestic, and international clinical experiences during years 3/4.

And if you enjoy affordable four season recreation, the artistic, academic, and athletic perks of the beautiful undergrad campus, the relative proximity of Boston and Burlington, fresh air and starry nights, and the sweet feeling of safety and security in New Hampshire--then Dartmouth is the right school for you.

If you love bright lights and city night life, then go to Nashville.
 
kbear12 said:
:laugh: you seem great, Mr. Belding. I hope we're classmates next year (Davis would be nice... or maybe BU)!
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Ditto kiddo



I don't feel like we have a consensus on the thai indian food thing though
 
Finian said:
Dartmouth is the right school for 1) anyone who loves the great outdoors, 2) who thrives in a small, tightknit class, 3) who prefers a fantastic education from dedicated physicians who love to teach, and 4) who is interested in having a huge choice of local, domestic, and international clinical experiences during years 3/4.

And if you enjoy affordable four season recreation, the artistic, academic, and athletic perks of the beautiful undergrad campus, the relative proximity of Boston and Burlington, fresh air and starry nights, and the sweet feeling of safety and security in New Hampshire--then Dartmouth is the right school for you.

If you love bright lights and city night life, then go to Nashville.
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nashville is no hanover, but it's definately not a bright lights, big city place. I also don't agree with 3.)
 
Dartmouth gets my vote. I was there during a huge snowstorm and fell in love. Of course, there is nothing that I love more than a snowstorm since I have been an obsessed snowboarder since I was 10 years old. (And Dartmouth owns its own ski/snowboard resort! - 15 minutes from campus)Yeah, I know, probably not the best criteria to choose a med school but I cannot help myself. Also great fly fishing in New England and great back packing in the back country of Vermont and New Hampshire. So Dartmouth is perfect for me. I also liked the small size of the class and the close relationships with faculty.

When I visited Vanderbilt, I was quite impressed. But Dartmouth is a better fit for me. Again, there is no perfect school....it just depends on the individual but for me, Dartmouth would be a better fit.
 
Mr. Belding said:
Man, that was quick. This is why I keep you people around.

Topic 2: Should I get thai food or indian food for dinner?

Discuss
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Indian...

... hands down!

my vote > summation of all other votes
 
silas2642 said:
How are you even using these two school names in the same sentence? Have you been accepted to both of these schools or are you just passing time trying to make completely random comparisons?
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This thread has been pretty entertaining. I've noticed alot of these comparison threads and I figured I'd take two schools that I've been accepted to that aren't "neck and neck" like many of the other schools people debate about like Vandy vs. Emory and see how it turns out. They are both very different, and while I concede that Vandy is "better" in terms of reputation, ranking and resources, it is all about fit. I think this thread proves that fit is a vital factor when choosing a school.
 
Mr. Belding said:
Man, that was quick. This is why I keep you people around.

Topic 2: Should I get thai food or indian food for dinner?

Discuss
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I've personally had a huge Chinese craving lately. Forget everything else.

Also, it's after 10. I hope you've already eaten...
 
SoFla62 said:
I've personally had a huge Chinese craving lately. Forget everything else.

Also, it's after 10. I hope you've already eaten...
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Are you aware of the sodium and fat content of the average chinese dinner in the USA? Just order a heart attack as your main course and perhaps you will get a discount.
 
munnabhai said:
Indian...

... hands down!

my vote > summation of all other votes
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Yeah, Indian vegeterian, definitley healthier. Less salt and more interesting spices.
 
seajog said:
Yeah, Indian vegeterian, definitley healthier. Less salt and more interesting spices.
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Vegetarian?! I'm not really sure what it means to smite somebody but you're smited. There.

So on the Indian vs Thai count we have one vote for indian, one for chinese, and one for vegetarian. I'm officially having a bagel. :mad:
 
which school does better on the USMLE? Has the better facilities? What makes vandy better than dartmouth?
I am really curious! Thanks all :)
 
seekingwisdom said:
which school does better on the USMLE? Has the better facilities? What makes vandy better than dartmouth?
I am really curious! Thanks all :)
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I didn't apply to Dartmouth but I got into Vanderbilt and will probably go there, so I'm probably pretty biased. Schools don't readily publish their Step 1 scores, but word around the street is that Vandy consistently is 15-20 points above national average (~232-237). That's really high and is probably why they do so well during the match. As for facilities, I've never seen Dartmouth's but Vanderbilt's are REALLY nice. By August/October, they'll be finishing a new simulation center, a new standardized patient exam center, an AWESOME anatomy lab (37'' inch touchscreen monitors at every table, plus other things), and a student lounge. That's just at the medical school. The hospital is slated to get another 11 stories, the new (and really nice) Children's Hospital is also getting another 3 stories soon, and they're constructing other things in the medical center but I don't know what their purpose is (imaging center??). So, Vandy is always building and that's what impresses me the most about it--you see your tuition money at work. The administration's responsiveness to students also is admirable (they keep repeating to us that they are #1 in student satisfaction and they ask for student feedback on practically everything), and their new curriculum seems awesome. Nashville is, well, not the best place to be but it didn't seem THAT bad when I visited for Second Look.

Both schools are great, however. Maybe someone who knows more about Dartmouth can add to this discussion though. Good luck! If you have any questions on Vandy, just PM me.

P.S. I feel that because Nashville is a larger city, Vandy Med may get more interesting cases than Dartmouth in Hanover. There really is no other major hospital like VUMC in Middle TN and arguably, in the entire state of TN, so cases come from everywhere. Duke and Barnes Jewish probably also vie for high-profile patients with Vanderbilt, but Vanderbilt's Childrens Hospital is only one of three sites in the country to do this rare procedure (the others being UCSF and Children's Hosp of Philly), so you get to see people sometimes from far places like Montana or Kansas (according to a doctor I talked to)!
 
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Thanks guys that's awesome I'm really leaning towards Vandy. I would love to know the US news rankings for the residency director rationg or whatever for DMS and Vandy if possible. Maybe someone could help interpret the results because I'm not that well versed!

Also, can you contact a supervisor for Emphasis or do you get paired up automatically? Do many people do a basic science Emphasis project or is it usually something clinical/ public health related?

Thanks again!
 
.
 
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MilkofAmnesia said:
How do you interpret the results? You ignore them. lol Residency director rankings really shouldn't enter into your decision. You'll be fine coming out of either school. What you do while you're there is what's going to make the difference.

Of course you get to pick your mentor for Emphasis. What fun would it be if you got assigned to a guy studying bowel movements if you have no interest in that? At the beginning of first year, they give you a list of faculty with the space to accept a student for Emphasis work, and you are free to contact them. There is no opportunity out of reach at Vandy. I really get the sense that everyone is there for the students.
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MilkofAmnesia is right...residency director scores shouldn't enter into the decision because they don't describe the experience or the specific characteristics a school offers that could make it a better fit for you. It's not the "score" that should matter to you; it's the ability for you to grow and learn what you want to learn in medical school. It's true that Vanderbilt is a top tier institution and hence, its director scores will be higher than most schools but that should factor into your decision minimally. Now, Emphasis is attracting and what I also liked about Vandy. Pitt had a similar program but I didn't like how it was during the 3rd and 4th year...having research during the first two years allows some integration into your coursework and a means for "variety". Let's face it, by the third and fourth years, you'll be so busy in the hospital or on interviews that it will be hard to conduct a real "scholarly project". First and second year research allows you to see what you learn in textbooks in real life research, something that I admire and know will help me understand and retain the knowledge.

For your edification, Vandy--4.2; Dartmouth--3.8.
 
In at both schools - I can say that unless you must have winter sports or need an Ivy degree on your CV, there really is no comparison between the two schools (just as the tables would be turned if you compared business schools - Tuck vs Owens)

Dartmouth simply doesn't have the med school facilities, hospitals, endowment, research, referrals, resident placement that Vanderbilt has - throw in the higher ranking , new curriculum and the (apparently from this thread) unusually satisfied students, and you cna appreciate why Vanderbilt is so highly thought of..Im not knocking Dartmouth mind you; but if Vanderbilt were placed geographically adjacent to any of the top ten schools it would probably be thought of as being among its peers ...
 
Frankly, this Vandy self-gratification festival is getting a little boring...It is like listening to Narcissus describing the beauty of his reflection. We get it. You are lovely. Thanks. And some of us do like winter sports...some of us enjoy going down a mountain at 50 miles per hour and chatting up the birds afterward.
 
searun said:
Frankly, this Vandy self-gratification festival is getting a little boring...It is like listening to Narcissus describing the beauty of his reflection. We get it. You are lovely. Thanks. And some of us do like winter sports...some of us enjoy going down a mountain at 50 miles per hour and chatting up the birds afterward.
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And we know you like Dartmouth. Someone asked our opinion and we're responding so that he can make an informed decision. If you don't like it, then don't read this thread. Give your own opinions of Dartmouth to even out this so-called "narcissistic" discussion, or just don't post.
 
Thanks everyone, this has been extremely helpful!
 
searun said:
Dartmouth gets my vote. I was there during a huge snowstorm and fell in love. Of course, there is nothing that I love more than a snowstorm since I have been an obsessed snowboarder since I was 10 years old. (And Dartmouth owns its own ski/snowboard resort! - 15 minutes from campus)Yeah, I know, probably not the best criteria to choose a med school but I cannot help myself. Also great fly fishing in New England and great back packing in the back country of Vermont and New Hampshire. So Dartmouth is perfect for me. I also liked the small size of the class and the close relationships with faculty.

When I visited Vanderbilt, I was quite impressed. But Dartmouth is a better fit for me. Again, there is no perfect school....it just depends on the individual but for me, Dartmouth would be a better fit.
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&%$# !!!! Why didnt i send a secondary to dartmouth...
 
seekingwisdom said:
which school does better on the USMLE? Has the better facilities? What makes vandy better than dartmouth?
I am really curious! Thanks all :)
Click to expand...

I just went to Dartmouth's second look and I'm pretty disappointed by the one-sided posts favoring Vandy. (For the record I did not apply there and know nothing about it so I can only speak to Dartmouth). However, my guess is that many people have not even visited Dartmouth. Anyway, DHMC is the newest academic medical center in the country so the "facilities" question is a no-brainer for me. I spent at least 5-6 hours over the past 2 days speaking one-on-one with DMS students. Not one had a single complaint. Their faculty is dedicated and students get lots of personal attention and opportunities for unique clinical experiences because of the small class size. Their students are very happy, love their school, and each other, are proud of their intramural sports achievements and travel all over during the 3rd and 4th year where they are usually ahead of the game with clinical skills. USMLE 1 pass rate was 100% last year and is usually above 98%. It is not cold "most of the time" there. There are 4 distincts seasons, and temps in the summer get into the 80s and 90s sometimes (I used to work at a summer camp nearby). The undergrad campus provides tons of big city culture with great speakers, dance performances, music, etc. I really loved Dartmouth, and I can't imagine a more ideal environment for studying medicine. Important for me is the non-competitive environment and never-ending support from the faculty. Perhaps Vandy has all this and more, but if you haven't had the opportunity to speak with Dartmouth students and get all your questions answered, I suggest you do so before making a final decision. I was 98% sure I was not going to Dartmouth before I went to the second look, and I've done a complete 180. It's really a special place. My interview experience did not do it justice.
 
I think it's safe to say that when you're comparing schools on this level, there's no wrong choice. You just have to pick what's best for you. It looks like everyone is pretty happy at Dartmouth, so the OP just needs to go where he won't feel like he will have any regrets.
 
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I second the change in sentiment at the second look weekend for Dartmouth. I also was 98% sure that I wasn't going to pick Dartmouth, but after talking to the students (hosts, ambassadors, and random folks in the halls) I'm now 98% sure I WILL attend. The student's happiness and the accessibility of the faculty, not to mention their top notch programs for domestic health policy (one of my favorite topics). There's a lot of reasons to go with Dartmouth.
 
Where were you going to go before? (if you don't mind)
 
msurodeo said:
I second the change in sentiment at the second look weekend for Dartmouth. I also was 98% sure that I wasn't going to pick Dartmouth, but after talking to the students (hosts, ambassadors, and random folks in the halls) I'm now 98% sure I WILL attend. The student's happiness and the accessibility of the faculty, not to mention their top notch programs for domestic health policy (one of my favorite topics). There's a lot of reasons to go with Dartmouth.
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to me, the schools are equal in prestige and quality. I have met a DMS student and she seemed extremely happy. Vanderbilt students are also very happy. Both are great research institutions if that matters to you.

The inherent difference is location. I don't understand how people claim there isn't 4 seasons in Nashville, because there definitely are 4 seasons, its not some tropical paradise. The main weather difference is the winter. Nashville winters are cool and brown. NH winters are just too cold for many of us to handle. I don't ski, and Nashville isn't very far from the mountains of east TN. Therein lies the biggest difference: Vandy, you are in a city but you have to drive a bit to the mountains. Dartmouth, you are in the mountains but you have to drive a bit to a city. That being said, there are alot of outdoors type stuff to do near Nashville, with the exception of winter sports.
 
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