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- Apr 5, 2020
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Hi world,
I'm narrowing down my med school decision ahead of the April 30th deadline and could use some advice. I've been fortunate enough to get accepted at Weill Cornell, the Joint Medical Program at UCSF/Berkeley, and Mount Sinai. All second looks have been cancelled this year and I've got absolutely no clue which to go with. I know I'm lucky to have gotten into these programs and I don't mean to boast about them by any means. I'm just really at a loss. Since I'm from New York City and went to college upstate, a move to California would mean living across the country from my closest friends and family, and SO (long distance never works out so am I just setting us up to break up?). That being said, the UCSF/Berkeley program has a really health equity/social justice-oriented curriculum, and I'm looking to work in underserved (mostly Spanish-speaking) communities throughout my career. I'm tentatively interested in OB/GYN because I want to address maternal health disparities among Latin women.
My main hold up for Weill Cornell is that its pretty disconnected from health disparities work, for JMP is that it would be a cross-country move away from my support network, and Mount Sinai is that its the lowest ranked out of the three.
Here are the pros/cons of each, any and all thoughts would be most welcome:
Weill Cornell:
Pros: #9 medical school, robust global health program, human rights clinic, access to underserved communities in outer-boroughs, near friends, SO and family (all huge!)
Cons: Nothing new environment-wise, the school is very hoity-toity (on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, so most of the patients they serve are insured/wealthy), very research-intense when I'm looking for a more primary care education, worried that clinical skills won't be emphasized (strikes me as the kind of place that has a lot of money for research but med students aren't expected to know how to take BP)
UCSF/Berkeley Joint Medical Program
Pros: #4 medical school, health equity curriculum, robust clinical skills, small cohort (JMP = 16 people for the 2.5 years at UCSF), great outdoors, seems really supportive and close-knit, could practice driving (lol), could use native Spanish skills when working with underserved Latino communities, adventure of a new place
Cons: Cross-country move (I've spent approx 5 days in California so moving to SF seems like a total black box), involves a masters which I wouldn't really pursue otherwise, would probably mean long-distance or breaking up with my SO
Mount Sinai
Pros: social justice-oriented, great student clinic in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood, seems like a tight-knit group of people
Cons: lowest-ranked by about 10 slots, nothing new about the environment (20 minutes away from my house)
Thank you!
I'm narrowing down my med school decision ahead of the April 30th deadline and could use some advice. I've been fortunate enough to get accepted at Weill Cornell, the Joint Medical Program at UCSF/Berkeley, and Mount Sinai. All second looks have been cancelled this year and I've got absolutely no clue which to go with. I know I'm lucky to have gotten into these programs and I don't mean to boast about them by any means. I'm just really at a loss. Since I'm from New York City and went to college upstate, a move to California would mean living across the country from my closest friends and family, and SO (long distance never works out so am I just setting us up to break up?). That being said, the UCSF/Berkeley program has a really health equity/social justice-oriented curriculum, and I'm looking to work in underserved (mostly Spanish-speaking) communities throughout my career. I'm tentatively interested in OB/GYN because I want to address maternal health disparities among Latin women.
My main hold up for Weill Cornell is that its pretty disconnected from health disparities work, for JMP is that it would be a cross-country move away from my support network, and Mount Sinai is that its the lowest ranked out of the three.
Here are the pros/cons of each, any and all thoughts would be most welcome:
Weill Cornell:
Pros: #9 medical school, robust global health program, human rights clinic, access to underserved communities in outer-boroughs, near friends, SO and family (all huge!)
Cons: Nothing new environment-wise, the school is very hoity-toity (on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, so most of the patients they serve are insured/wealthy), very research-intense when I'm looking for a more primary care education, worried that clinical skills won't be emphasized (strikes me as the kind of place that has a lot of money for research but med students aren't expected to know how to take BP)
UCSF/Berkeley Joint Medical Program
Pros: #4 medical school, health equity curriculum, robust clinical skills, small cohort (JMP = 16 people for the 2.5 years at UCSF), great outdoors, seems really supportive and close-knit, could practice driving (lol), could use native Spanish skills when working with underserved Latino communities, adventure of a new place
Cons: Cross-country move (I've spent approx 5 days in California so moving to SF seems like a total black box), involves a masters which I wouldn't really pursue otherwise, would probably mean long-distance or breaking up with my SO
Mount Sinai
Pros: social justice-oriented, great student clinic in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood, seems like a tight-knit group of people
Cons: lowest-ranked by about 10 slots, nothing new about the environment (20 minutes away from my house)
Thank you!
