so... yeah, this decision is killing me too. its good to think out loud, so here we go (please forgive the stream of consciousness):
I'm at OSU now, and spend my days with Med and Dent students, so I feel i've got a pretty good idea about what being a Buckeye is all about. and I went down to Cinci last week to hang with some friends who are first year students. so you can see i'm trying to figure it out 🙂
I'm trying to make my decision with three criteria in mind, (these things will not make you happy):
1. Do not let the fact that your friends are going somewhere have any effect on your decision. (this is YOUR decision. imagine that they were not there)
2. Do not let price be a factor. (You're going into debt anyway, you can suck it up and pay it off)
3. Do not let any ideas about prestige factor in. (ultimately go where you'll be happy. prestige will not make you fullfilled in the long run)
that being said, i like my friends, money and prestige, so you see why this list can be challenging. 😉
*my* perceptions of Cincinatti: 1. friendly students! no doubt! students are super cool there.
2. crappy area of town. seriously man, you don't want to be walking around after dark. and does anyone walk to campus from their apartment/house? i think not. and cincinatti as a town is not so much of a good place. I almost can't believe i'm saying this, but "race relations" are a problem. I grew up in columbus and that just sounds weird, but when i talk to friends of mine down there they always mention it and "how conservative" Cincinatti is. my friend who grew up in cleveland told me that he wouldn't want to raise his kids in cincinatti. if its what you grew up with and it all you know, and you love the town, great, but, for me, i'm like, a little iffy about it.
3. integrated pathway the first two years is quite seemless, well tested. lots of quality hospitals around. some type of really cool acting internship in internal medicine your fourth year that people love.
4. is there more of an individual attention/teaching emphasis at UC? they have a whole really nice area set up for clinical models and actors who act like patients. I think OSU does the patient actor thing but they do it in the basement of Meiling or some conference room somewhere just thrown together.
5. I want to get out of Columbus. something special happens when a group of people come together who are all doing something new together. you know, when you went off to camp for the summer. shared misery brings people closer. it was SO fun. and med school I hope will sort of be the same way. so that's why i'm leaning toward UC. I want to see new stuff. change things up a little. 🙂
*my* perceptions of OSU: 1. OSU campus is pretty safe. i'm not saying things don't happen (rapists, murders, etc.), but you're not in the middle of city. Columbus is more spread out. long discussion to follow of how columbus is a mall, movie-theater, "where do you want to go out to eat tonight/which bar in the arena district do you want to go to make life interesting because there is nothing else to do" type of town. it is sort of safe and cozy though and people are midwesternly nice.
2. OSU has an integrated pathway, sort of. I mean they're trying. some lectures overlap content, some suck, to hear the students tell it (it is the school's first time using it this year). And on the interview they tell you about "how innovative OSU is". whatever. they cut PBL because it takes up too much faculty time. "they took the best parts of all three pathways and made the Integrated Pathway". uh huh. they saw that they could save a bunch of money and faculty time if they cut PBL and they saw that all over the nation all the other schools where becoming integrated and they felt behind so they got a committee together and created the IP. and the research tower? sure, its planned, and a date's been set for it (2005... maybe?) we'll see...
3. at OSU, its tough to find a mentor. you know, someone who really wants to help you out. i know several extremely bright, excellent med students who are struggling to think of someone who can write a letter of rec for them. letter of rec hunting always sucks anyway, but you're just sort of a number at OSU in some ways.
4. plenty of nice coffee shops around to study at. and nice apartments, reasonably priced.
5. i'm sorry, but its cool to be a buckeye. a "bearcat" just seems second-rate. i'm such a columbus-born freak. i apolgize. 🙂
6. OSU students are OK. some really cool. its a big class. you'll find someone cool to hang with.
7. Dr. Notestine (vice chair of student admissions or something) on my interview never blinked when he talked. his presentation weirded me out a little. anyone else?
anyway, thanks for reading my rant 🙂 i can't decide, i'm waiting for my financial aid info to come back simply to postpone deciding. i do enjoy reading other's thoughts on all this, so please give us your two cents. thanks 🙂
