Weill Cornell vs USC Keck

[diejnal2]

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Hi everyone! Having a tough time deciding.

Background:

I am from LA. I am interested in Dermatology or ENT (both fairly competitive I hear). I'm not 100% certain, but at the moment I think it would be nice to do residency/or long-run settle down in California somewhere (Bay Area or Los Angeles).

Cornell Pros:
Cornell has a better reputation + research ability at Memorial Sloan Kettering/mentors at MSK would make me stand out? This may help me be more competitive to match into Derm/ENT programs, both in NYC and even back at California? (though i don't know specifics, if someone can comment on quality of Derm/ENT at Cornell)

USC Pros:
I get to make friends and build a community in LA, which may serve me well if I choose to stay in LA long term (+ slight advantage matching at USC residency).

I feel like they're both good schools, so I'm not worried about quality of education. For several reasons, finance/tuition+ cost of living the same/irrelevant. Based on my potential specialty goals and/or location prefs, do you have any advice?

Thanks!

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Easily Cornell. Bona fide T20 + USC has had a bunch of recent scandals. Maybe not a big deal in the short or long run, but as they say organizational culture is formed at the top.

 

[deleted1131301]

Both are great options, but I would also go with Cornell. A name like that will easily help you match back into CA and pursue your desired specialty.

 

[mangowolf]

I’m not certain but I’d think the prestige boost of Cornell vs. Keck would make it worth it for ENT/derm. Not sure how the geographical bias would come into play if you want to stay in CA as it’s typically hard to match back into California period, but I’m sure lots of people in Cornell make it back to SoCal if they want

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

Cornell. Not even close.