What would you choose UCD,UCI or USC?

[calflowergirl]

Hi all!

I've been accepted to UCD, UCI and USC, but I can't make a decision. I really liked USC but the price tag is a little too much. I'm leaning towards UCD cuz my family is in the Bay Area and I've lived in Davis before. However, I'm worried that UCD doesn't have the same connections than USC. After all students at USC get into great residency matches. It seems that UCD students end up mostly at the UCD med center in Sac and few get into prestigious sites liek UCSF and Stanford.
Moreover, UCD has a letter grading system A-F whereas USC and UCI H/P/F. Will that reflect poorly on me if I get a bunch of C's and B's in medical school?

Thanks for all the input.

Cheers!

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[lessismoe]

Hi all!

I've been accepted to UCD, UCI and USC, but I can't make a decision. I really liked USC but the price tag is a little too much. I'm leaning towards UCD cuz my family is in the Bay Area and I've lived in Davis before. However, I'm worried that UCD doesn't have the same connections than USC. After all students at USC get into great residency matches. It seems that UCD students end up mostly at the UCD med center in Sac and few get into prestigious sites liek UCSF and Stanford.
Moreover, UCD has a letter grading system A-F whereas USC and UCI H/P/F. Will that reflect poorly on me if I get a bunch of C's and B's in medical school?

Thanks for all the input.

Cheers!

I think the first 2 years at UCD are P/F now. I know that 4 years ago, it was on the graded system, but I think they changed it recently.

At the second look, some 4th years were talking to us, and their class did very well in match-- I think they had 4 going into osteo. The opportunities are there if you want to distinguish yourself as a good candidate for competitive residencies. I think the reason you see a lot of UCD students getting less-competitive nocal residencies is that UCD has been billed as a primary care school for a while now. Current UCD students probably have better info than me.

Best of luck, and congrats on your acceptances!

 

[finnpipette]

I agree, Davis, students match really well. Many happen to stay in the davis medical system because they have family there and want to stay in the area. How did you interview, get accepted there, and not know that they were not P/NC? anyhow, that being said, here's a link to the 2004 match list.

http://som.ucdavis.edu/ea/records/residencymatch/2004_match_results

 

[souljah1]

I don't know the true tuition difference, but I'd wait until you get some sort of Financial Aid offer from USC. Most of us at UC's feel like we are getting financially raped with the two tuitoin hikes in the last two years. This year our fees are estimated to be around 22k/yr. Two years ago, they were 11k. The politicos here have come up with the brilliant idea to try and fix the budget by taking more money from its student body. So, don't be suprised if our ******* bodybuilder in charge continued to feel the need to hike tuition. Yes, it is still cheaper on paper than many other private schools, but private schools can sometimes offer you enough grants to make it worth it. Don't get me wrong. I think it is worth it to attend a UC school, but I just want to make you aware of the recent history regarding fees and tuition. I still feel like I am getting a great deal for the education/experience I am receiving. However, to be honest but I don't know if I would feel the same if I were paying this much at Davis.

As far as looking at the grading system....preclinical grades are low on the totem pole when residency selection comes around. It is much more important to perform well on the wards and on the boards. I don't know all that much about any of the schools you mentioned. I will say that I love going to a school that is literally attached to a bustling academic medical center. We were seeing 'real' patients in the second week of medical school. I know Davis and Irvine preclinical sites are not at their major hospitals. For me, this is a negative.

It also depends on what you want to do, what kind of medicine you want to practice (which you most likely don't know for sure yet), where you want to do residency/settle down.

For me, I would probably choose USC over Davis or Irvine unless the costs were dramatically different post-financial aid. They are all great places and you have the amazing opportunity to become a physician at each of these schools. You really have to make a list of what is important to you and then see how these schools do at making your list happen.

Best of luck.

 

[calflowergirl]

Thanks all!

Yeah...the fee hike makes it really difficult for us Californians to decide to attend a state school... (Of course if I got into UCSF I wouldn't even bother making a decision between schools).

Unfortunately, USC is well known for not giving out good financial aid to its students. I'm not financially underserved and I don't have an amazing GPA/MCAT score so there's little hope for scholarships. I guess I'll attend Davis.

 

[Jalby]

Most likely you won't get any money from us at USC. If you havn't recieved a scholarship by now, chances are that you won't.

And one thing I would like to correct. Both USC and UCD are P/F the first two years. That definately lowers the stress level. Both schools just redid their first two years and I have experienced and heard great things about both curriculums, so I would say that is a wash. Here are the biggest differences:

Cost. USC is 36K and will probably be 38K by the time you graduate. UCD Is about 22-25K and could go higher. So the difference will be between 40-60K. The cost of living is about the same between the two.

Family. That is pretty big. I like living 70 miles away from my family.

Training. UCD has a good medical complex, but there isn't much that compairs to County Hospital. What you get to do is so much different than other places I know.



Simple enough. I would say go where you think you will be happiest. I personally would go to USC>UCI>UCD, but that's because that is where I would be most happiest.

 

[calflowergirl]

Thanks Jalby!
Ur always so wise!

 

[JR]

USC has great education, is a good school and they do wel in the match.

UCI is a great school, kicked back, relax, the students get into great residency programs, a lot of time to study for step I (which is THE most impo test of your life).

I dont know anyone at UCD, so cant comment about them.

Good luck.

 

[Jalby]

UCI is a great school, kicked back, relax, the students get into great residency programs, a lot of time to study for step I (which is THE most impo test of your life).

I have 110 days from the last day of new material. Right now I have 12 hours of class a week which consist of sitting in our rooms of 24 people and having other students try to teach us the important stuff from first aid (First aid for the boards is the required book for these 7 weeks). If they give a good presentation, I have my first aid opened and I'm following along. If not, I'm flipping through my pharm and micro cards. It's friggen great. I actually have enough time that I am reading through Robbins Pathological Basis of disease (I've done 560 out of 1378 pages so far)

 

[Adapt]

I would go to UCI because I loved how Irvine looked. USC is right in downtown and UC Davis is in the middle of nowhere.

 

[souljah1]

Jalby,

That sounds great, but I would go absolutley nuts if I had to study for the boards for that long. I did five weeks and I was about to snap. Take it early and take a nice vacation!!

 

[AznTrojan]

go to USC..

the new curriculum kicks ass.. of course.. that's cuz 3rd years like me have changed it into a soft cakewalk during 1st and 2nd year..

 

[Jalby]

Jalby,

That sounds great, but I would go absolutley nuts if I had to study for the boards for that long. I did five weeks and I was about to snap. Take it early and take a nice vacation!!

I found the biggest sources of information I could on all the subjects, and just started reading. If I was just reviewing review books I would have covered them all two-three times by now. Besides, I have 6000+ questions I want to get through. www.usmleasy.com, Q-bank, Robbins Review, and Webpath. I think after all the time I put into Path, I would be sad if I missed any of those (kidding) Right now I have spent 23 hours just reading Robbins Path basis of disease, and I have 30 more hours of reading.

 

[Jalby]

go to USC..

the new curriculum kicks ass.. of course.. that's cuz 3rd years like me have changed it into a soft cakewalk during 1st and 2nd year..

Yup. Sucks to br you guys.