VCU/MCV vs SLU vs Creighton

[music2doc]

I have been fortunate enough to have been accepted at 3 schools -- SLU, Creighton, and MCV/VCU -- as well as wait listed or on a post-interview hold at 4 top 40 schools. The top 40 schools are no-brainers if I get off the wait list at one of them, but I am a bit less sure with the mid-range schools. All are great, but I must choose ONE by May 15!

My goals are largely to work with global health and underserved populations, although I believe I would really like (and am well-suited for) healthcare leadership roles (e.g., running a health system or, at minimum, a department). I frequently hear comments like, "You'd make a great doctor. I could totally see you being the next [name of our unit's medical director, our chief of staff, or our CMO]." I also have some interest in healthcare policy and think dabbling in that kind of work at some point might be interesting. I would guess I will probably have a fairly multifaceted career incorporating (likely at different points in my life) medical missions, clinical work, small-time academia/teaching, and healthcare policy/advocacy/business.

Things that are important to me include the population (I would prefer to work with Latino patients at least some of the time, although none of the schools to which I have been accepted have large Latino populations, except that Creighton allows for students to go to Phoenix, AZ for 3rd & 4th year); early clinical experience (Creighton seems weak here); opportunities to work in indigent care; good research and entrepreneurial opportunities; cost; and it would be nice to be near Colorado. Overall, I feel like the best of these programs is probably VCU/MCV, but I am unsure and would like some feedback!

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[shinbeats]

I want to first disclose that i dont attend any of your listed schools with that being said hands down VCU based on your goals it seems like the greatest fit. VCU has the diversity in population, major influence on indigenous populations in Virginia and global programs for it's medical students. VCU also has many programs focused towards hands on and early clinical experience. Matter of fact VCU med students have more hands on experience than UVA (highly respected med school in Virginia) students.

 

[music2doc]

I want to first disclose that i dont attend any of your listed schools with that being said hands down VCU based on your goals it seems like the greatest fit. VCU has the diversity in population, major influence on indigenous populations in Virginia and global programs for it's medical students. VCU also has many programs focused towards hands on and early clinical experience. Matter of fact VCU med students have more hands on experience than UVA (highly respected med school in Virginia) students.

Thanks for the response!
Do you think the program there is sufficient to reach those goals? In your opinion, is there anything I should be concerned about if I were to attend VCU?

 

[shinbeats]

Thanks for the response!
Do you think the program there is sufficient to reach those goals? In your opinion, is there anything I should be concerned about if I were to attend VCU?

VCU is a well respected school and as long as you work hard you should have no problem achieving your goals. Congratulations on your acceptances and good luck.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Lol, music2doc, we have almost the same dilemma. I am on four waitlists but need to choose between Creighton and SLU. I think I'm choosing Creighton because it's closer to home, I liked Omaha better than St. Louis, it has more community service opportunities, and I got a better general feeling when I interviewed. I didn't interview at VCU so I can't give you an opinion there.

Congrats, good luck, and I have a good feeling we will both get off CU's waitlist.

 

[music2doc]

Lol, music2doc, we have almost the same dilemma. I am on four waitlists but need to choose between Creighton and SLU. I think I'm choosing Creighton because it's closer to home, I liked Omaha better than St. Louis, it has more community service opportunities, and I got a better general feeling when I interviewed. I didn't interview at VCU so I can't give you an opinion there.

Congrats, good luck, and I have a good feeling we will both get off CU's waitlist.

Thanks and I sure hope so! Good luck to you as well! I see you did the U-CO Post-Bacc. It must have been the career changer one at CU-Boulder? (Supposedly, there's a special post-bacc at UCD just for students who apply and then have to reapply. I guess if you break a 3.5 GPA in their extra-special SMP, it's a guaranteed admission to CU! Unfortunately, it's by invitation only....)

I think I am going to go with VCU because of its opportunities (at least for now -- until CU accepts me), but I sure wish it were closer! I've hardly been on the east coast at all, so it'll be an adventure -- that's for sure!

As for CU, still hoping... From what I hear, this cycle was even tougher than last year. I don't want to say too much because I've been told some things in confidence, but I do know that Ms. Patel found this to be a particularly hard cycle and she had to say "no" to a number of incredible applicants (including a number of 40+s with CU still as their "top" school).

 

[Barcu]

Creighton is a Jesuit school, which puts a major focus on underserved populations. Plus, Omaha's latino population is twice as big as Richmond's. When I interviewed there (ended up elsewhere but I was pretty close to going to Creighton), I drove through a pretty heavily Hispanic area and apparently the food was really good (something I am really missing in DC, especially painful today being Cinco de Mayo). And of course, you may get a chance to go to Phoenix 3rd and 4th year.

If you were interested in Latino populations, Creighton would be the place. I can't speak about their early clinical stuff (don't remember) and I'm sure you have other factors to consider, but the Latino comment stuck out to me. I don't know a ton about the other two schools.

And I can commiserate, I never got off that CU waitlist.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Thanks and I sure hope so! Good luck to you as well! I see you did the U-CO Post-Bacc. It must have been the career changer one at CU-Boulder? (Supposedly, there's a special post-bacc at UCD just for students who apply and then have to reapply. I guess if you break a 3.5 GPA in their extra-special SMP, it's a guaranteed admission to CU! Unfortunately, it's by invitation only....)

I think I am going to go with VCU because of its opportunities (at least for now -- until CU accepts me), but I sure wish it were closer! I've hardly been on the east coast at all, so it'll be an adventure -- that's for sure!

As for CU, still hoping... From what I hear, this cycle was even tougher than last year. I don't want to say too much because I've been told some things in confidence, but I do know that Ms. Patel found this to be a particularly hard cycle and she had to say "no" to a number of incredible applicants (including a number of 40+s with CU still as their "top" school).

I actually did an informal post-bacc at CU-Boulder the year before they started the "career changer" post-bacc. I just applied as a second-degree student and took the pre-reqs.

And this was a terribly tough year for CUSOM admissions, I know. I'm praying to get off the waitlist, but I know there's not a huge chance.

 

[music2doc]

I actually did an informal post-bacc at CU-Boulder the year before they started the "career changer" post-bacc. I just applied as a second-degree student and took the pre-reqs.

And this was a terribly tough year for CUSOM admissions, I know. I'm praying to get off the waitlist, but I know there's not a huge chance.

That's cool you did your PB up at UCB. Great school.

BTW, speaking of CU...well, the other CU. Did you get Creighton's email today about announcing campus assignments (for M3/M4) AFTER May 15? I was like WTH?! I suppose it makes things easier for them in some sense, but there's no way I'd take Creighton without a guarantee that I am going to Phoenix as an M3. To me, anyway, it diminishes their desirability as a school.

 

[bassvp]

music2doc,
There are a number of us pulling for you to get those other acceptances...I would love to have you as a classmate at CU assuming I don't get into one of my waitlists.

Don't know about VCU, but I had a much better feeling about SLU than Creighton personally. SLU felt like they were proud of who they were as a school, but Creighton acted like they knew they were second tier by some of their statements. I got accepted to SLU and decided to not wait for Creighton to get me off their waitlist. I think Creighton is probably where you want to be for Latino. I got the impression that there was quite a large Hispanic/Latino population in Omaha and the Arizona thing would be icing on the cake. Your first 2 years will only be a drop in the bucket as far as clinical experience is concerned compared to your clinical years.

May May 15th and shortly thereafter bring you acceptances!

 

[music2doc]

music2doc,
There are a number of us pulling for you to get those other acceptances...I would love to have you as a classmate at CU assuming I don't get into one of my waitlists.

Don't know about VCU, but I had a much better feeling about SLU than Creighton personally. SLU felt like they were proud of who they were as a school, but Creighton acted like they knew they were second tier by some of their statements. I got accepted to SLU and decided to not wait for Creighton to get me off their waitlist. I think Creighton is probably where you want to be for Latino. I got the impression that there was quite a large Hispanic/Latino population in Omaha and the Arizona thing would be icing on the cake. Your first 2 years will only be a drop in the bucket as far as clinical experience is concerned compared to your clinical years.

May May 15th and shortly thereafter bring you acceptances!

Thanks for the well-wishes! I actually had the exact opposite feeling about SLU and Creighton. It seemed like SLU students made a lot of excuses for not being as good a school as WashU and for being a second choice for everyone. Maybe it was when and with whom I interviewed. (I interviewed at SLU in early October alongside a ton of 35+ MCAT scorers and students who had interviewed at WashU the day before as well as Mayo and JHU a few weeks before that.) On the other hand, Creighton actually seemed pretty much like the students liked it.

I didn't feel like I really got a good feel for VCU's students at all, to be honest. Although I definitely felt like they had the strongest programs and most options of the three. Anyone know anything about the student population there? Anyone else get a better read on the students?

Also, anyone know about the dangers of Richmond? Is crime really that bad? What is it like on and around the MCV campus itself?

 

[Zap2012]

Just out of curiosity, did you already eliminate Arizona before the other 3 schools (happened to notice your post right underneath mine)? Just like you, I've been focusing a lot on schools with underserved opportunities and VCU was a school that stood out to me when I applied because of the combination of the underserved opportunities and preceptorships that they offer. I know Creighton is the same way too with the Magis clinic and I think it's cool that you can do your clinicals in Arizona (which I think is very appealing in terms of the patients you'd interact with), and I applied there for that reason as well. I think VCU presents the best opportunities overall but Creighton wouldn't be a bad choice either.

 

[music2doc]

Just out of curiosity, did you already eliminate Arizona before the other 3 schools (happened to notice your post right underneath mine)? Just like you, I've been focusing a lot on schools with underserved opportunities and VCU was a school that stood out to me when I applied because of the combination of the underserved opportunities and preceptorships that they offer. I know Creighton is the same way too with the Magis clinic and I think it's cool that you can do your clinicals in Arizona (which I think is very appealing in terms of the patients you'd interact with), and I applied there for that reason as well. I think VCU presents the best opportunities overall but Creighton wouldn't be a bad choice either.

No, actually I received an offer off the wait list from them shortly after posting this.