What makes UCSF so great?

[Direct Laryngoscopy]

Is is on the level of Harvard, Columbia or Stanford. Would one be silly to choose that medschool over the aforementioned. I'm just interested. I'm matriculating this month, but I was just curious. I know this board is filled with a lot of West Coasters, but one choose so and so school over it?

Just Curious

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[AxlxA]

UCSF because i live in sf, I work for UCSF and i used to deliver food to UCSF from a restaurant on 9th AVE. My grandmother and grandfather had had surgeries at UCSF. I also worked at SFGH which is associated with UCSF. I would pick UCSF over god.

 

[Medikit]

Also UCSF promises its students free ice cream

 

[Direct Laryngoscopy]

Also UCSF promises its students free ice cream

🙁 My school promises me a bill 😳

 

[SpeedRacer]

UCSF because i live in sf, I work for UCSF and i used to deliver food to UCSF from a restaurant on 9th AVE. My grandmother and grandfather had had surgeries at UCSF. I also worked at SFGH which is associated with UCSF. I would pick UCSF over god.

i, too, would pick UCSF over god. however, i didn't apply because i 100% knew (especially being out of state) i'd get rejected.

 

[gujuDoc]

In all seriousness, it probably has to do with research dollars and opportunities that are offered there, etc. etc.

However, what I think would make UCSF great is its optimal location and cheap tuition for both in state and out of state people, in comparison with some of the other places.

 

[DrBowtie]

In all seriousness, it probably has to do with research dollars and opportunities that are offered there, etc. etc.

However, what I think would make UCSF great is its optimal location and cheap tuition for both in state and out of state people, in comparison with some of the other places.

optimal location is subjective. Extremely high cost of living 👎 IMO.

 

[Direct Laryngoscopy]

In all seriousness, it probably has to do with research dollars and opportunities that are offered there, etc. etc.

However, what I think would make UCSF great is its optimal location and cheap tuition for both in state and out of state people, in comparison with some of the other places.

So the vast East Coasters accepted would pick UCSF over the other schools I mentioned (and others)?

 

[AxlxA]

Okay here is the truth about UCSF's location.

It is situated at the side of Twin Peaks, which is where the TV tower is. Parking there is HORRIBLE, there is a few bus lines that pass there: 66, 43, 6, and N. I've delivered food to the Med student's housing area... very secluded and out of reach from the rest of SF(i got lost trying to find that place). Weather is mostly foggy, very windy if u walk on Parnasus. UCSF Library is not too shabby on the other hand, i love the view from it. Since it's on a hill, u can see basically half of SF from the windows.

Good thing is, if you're doing Md/PhD there, you probably get housing over at Mission bay(which is where i work and where they're building grad student housing right now. I think they're almost done.) Mission bay is totally committed to research, we have 3 buildings erected now for research. Mission Bay is 5 min walk from SBC park where the Giants play. 10 mins away from Downtown SF.

I agree with guru on the $$ thing. Best price for a top med school. I think the hospitals around here can see a very diverse patient population as well because of the many diverse communities we have here.

 

[jackets5]

Im an east coaster, and i would pick UCSF over those schools in a heart beat. Although i like the west coast so much more so than the east. When your talking about schools like UCSF, Harvard, Columbia etc. It all comes down to where you want to live for the next four years of your life.

QUOTE=dpoke1]So the vast East Coasters accepted would pick UCSF over the other schools I mentioned (and others)?[/QUOTE]

 

[vmc303]

How difficult are admissions if you're out-of-state?

 

[CTSballer11]

optimal location is subjective. Extremely high cost of living 👎 IMO.

I am an east coaster, and I would love to live in Cali.

 

[notdeadyet]

I've delivered food to the Med student's housing area... very secluded and out of reach from the rest of SF(i got lost trying to find that place). Weather is mostly foggy, very windy if u walk on Parnasus.

I know a lot of folks not familiar with SF tend to live in student housing when you get accepted to UCSF, but at some stage, it's probably worth your while cutting the string. There are lots of neighborhoods to live in that are close to UCSF that are lovely. No need to live in the dorms anymore.

Mission bay is totally committed to research, we have 3 buildings erected now for research. Mission Bay is 5 min walk from SBC park where the Giants play. 10 mins away from Downtown SF.

I think there was already a thread about Mission Bay, but I'd _strongly_ recommend visiting Mission Bay before deciding to live there. I know this has been said before. There's a reason it hasn't been developed before now. It _is_ very close to the ballpark, but I think in most cities, this is understood not to be a good thing. It is also only 10 minutes away from the Financial District, but I don't think anyone goes there unless they are forced to for work. Like lots of California cities, downtown is a financial term; it's not the center of the city by most yardsticks.

The Inner Sunset, where UCSF is located, is much nicer to live in than Mission Bay. But as Ax correctly pointed out, the weather's not as nice.

 

[Flopotomist]

Is is on the level of Harvard, Columbia or Stanford. Would one be silly to choose that medschool over the aforementioned. I'm just interested. I'm matriculating this month, but I was just curious. I know this board is filled with a lot of West Coasters, but one choose so and so school over it?

Just Curious

UCSF is an amazing school. In addition to a large amount of research $$, SF will be the home of the California stem cell research center. If research isn't your thing, the clinical experience is awesome - UCSF has affiliations with great places such as Highland Hospital in Oakland. Working with Cal, you can also work towards an MS in the JMP program. The match list is quite impressive also.

So in addition to great research, amazing clinical experience, great match potential, and affiliations with amazing places, you are located in SAN FRANCISCO!!! It is never too hot, never too cold - there is always something to do, and lots of cool places to go study.

Oh - and as a state school, it is a bit cheaper than the other schools you mentioned.

 

[CTSballer11]

UCSF is an amazing school. In addition to a large amount of research $$, SF will be the home of the California stem cell research center. If research isn't your thing, the clinical experience is awesome - UCSF has affiliations with great places such as Highland Hospital in Oakland. Working with Cal, you can also work towards an MS in the JMP program. The match list is quite impressive also.

So in addition to great research, amazing clinical experience, great match potential, and affiliations with amazing places, you are located in SAN FRANCISCO!!! It is never too hot, never too cold - there is always something to do, and lots of cool places to go study.

Oh - and as a state school, it is a bit cheaper than the other schools you mentioned.

IC

 

[AxlxA]

UCSF has a lot of opportunities no matter what track you seek. Now why doesn't UCSF ask for something like this on their secondary instead of just plainly asking us for $ and letters.

I think as part of the initiative to get stem cell center here, UCSF mission bay has offered a couple of lab spaces for them at hte gladstone institute, which is this grey building next to mine. We're also very close to 3rd street, which is very dangerous.

I agree with notdeadyet on the issue of housing. You can definiltey find very affordable housings in SF, few hundred a month for an In Law apartment with very public transportation connection with UCSF. Biking is another option, hills aren't that killer in the inner sunset. Unlike what i hear from OHSU........(Ax|xA keeps dreaming)

 

[DrBowtie]

I am an east coaster, and I would love to live in Cali.

I am a midwesterner so I am used to cheap living.

 

[diosa428]

I am a midwesterner so I am used to cheap living.

But you'll find that it's expensive living in any city - Harvard is in Boston, Columbia is in NY, etc, etc. Some are definitely more expensive than others, but is SF really that much more expensive than Boston or NY? (Aside from the price of gas....)

 

[maddscientist]

San Francisco is definately not as expensive as NYC, but that ain't saying much. Rent has gone down significantly since the dot-bomb, but it still costs about $900 a month for a decent studio in a decent neighborhood. If you get into UCSF (my dream as well as many others here), there are many good neighborhoods close to campus(inner sunset, cole valley, even upper haight) depending on what your style is. You could really live whereever you wanted to because UCSF is on the N line of the MUNI. Do NOT live in the student housing at Mission Bay. I work there every day and there are no services there, just one overpriced cafe that closes at 5pm. San Francisco is the most beautiful city in the US, why else would you want to live here?

 

[TheMightyAngus]

Coming from the west coast, a lot of docs I've worked with say that east coast med schools (i.e. columbia, harvard, hopkins) have a reputation for being really cut-throat. UCSF and Stanford are known to make their students happy, as well as having top-ranked programs. Maybe that's why they're so popular

However, UCSF is a state-school so they have to fulfill certain "quotas" per se. I met quite a few docs that went there because they didn't get accepted anywhere else. And for some of them, I was actually surprised that they got into med school in the first place, which really made me reconsider the obsession over rankings. Anyway, if you want the "wow" factor, you probably should go to a top private rather than a top public--UW, Mich, UCSF, etc.

 

[i77ac]

Coming from the west coast, a lot of docs I've worked with say that east coast med schools (i.e. columbia, harvard, hopkins) have a reputation for being really cut-throat. UCSF and Stanford are known to make their students happy, as well as having top-ranked programs. Maybe that's why they're so popular

However, UCSF is a state-school so they have to fulfill certain "quotas" per se. I met quite a few docs that went there because they didn't get accepted anywhere else. And for some of them, I was actually surprised that they got into med school in the first place, which really made me reconsider the obsession over rankings. Anyway, if you want the "wow" factor, you probably should go to a top private rather than a top public--UW, Mich, UCSF, etc.

personally, when i had to choose what school to attend, it was really where i felt most comfortable and happy in the end. i did get accepted to top private schools, but in the end i chose SF because of i felt that i would love to be there.

true, people in general would probably be more impressed with Harvard/JHU/WashU, but it really doesn't matter in the end. trust me, if you actually get accepted to these places, you would think twice. SF is great because its location, weather, awesome/fun student body, tuition cost, and reputation. it's hard to find all these qualities in other top schools.

 

[CTSballer11]

personally, when i had to choose what school to attend, it was really where i felt most comfortable and happy in the end. i did get accepted to top private schools, but in the end i chose SF because of i felt that i would love to be there.

true, people in general would probably be more impressed with Harvard/JHU/WashU, but it really doesn't matter in the end. trust me, if you actually get accepted to these places, you would think twice. SF is great because its location, weather, awesome/fun student body, tuition cost, and reputation. it's hard to find all these qualities in other top schools.

If you want a name go for the top schools. If you want to make money, it really does not matter.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

personally, when i had to choose what school to attend, it was really where i felt most comfortable and happy in the end. i did get accepted to top private schools, but in the end i chose SF because of i felt that i would love to be there.

true, people in general would probably be more impressed with Harvard/JHU/WashU, but it really doesn't matter in the end. trust me, if you actually get accepted to these places, you would think twice. SF is great because its location, weather, awesome/fun student body, tuition cost, and reputation. it's hard to find all these qualities in other top schools.

That's true, but what would you have done if you weren't a Cal resident?

 

[housecleaning]

it's cali. it's sf. enough said.

 

[AxlxA]

it's cali. it's sf. enough said.

Clarify for us please. Only 5% of SDNers are mind readers

 

[TheMightyAngus]

it's cali. it's sf. enough said.

To me, cali and sf = traffic and smog

 

[Flopotomist]

To me, cali and sf = traffic and smog

Yes, please tell everybody from out of state that this is true...Promote this (false) idea so that there are fewer people applying and I have a better shot. (For anybody interested in actual facts versus propaganda, Northern California and Southern California are VERY different. Smog and traffic is southern california.)

 

[pseudoknot]

I am a midwesterner so I am used to cheap living.

You get what you pay for.

 

[pseudoknot]

For anybody interested in actual facts versus propaganda, Northern California and Southern California are VERY different.

True. They may as well be different states.

 

[notdeadyet]

To me, cali and sf = traffic and smog

No smog in San Francisco (being on the bay and all). Some traffic, but not like LA and better than Chicago or Boston.

 

[NorCalGirl]

No smog in San Francisco (being on the bay and all). Some traffic, but not like LA and better than Chicago or Boston.

Yeah, SF = fog. Not smog 🙂 Of course the SF Bay Area has its share of traffic problems, but we also have some good public transportation options. (Definitely not as good as in NY but it works)

I like UCSF because of the people there. Really. I've worked there for the past two years and as much as I haven't really loved living in SF, I really like the "feel" at UCSF. It's this strage combination of "laid-backness" and serious medicine/science. UCSF isn't for everybody, for sure. I met a second-year med student at UCSF whose twin sister goes to Harvard for med school. She says she'd never survive at Harvard while her sister would hate UCSF. So go wherever you'd be happiest. 🙂