Which med school to go to???

[Medd123]

If you got into:

Duke, NYU, UPenn, Albert Einstein, and UChicago (Pritzker)

1) in what order would you rank all 5, in terms of reputation?
2) which one does best in the residency match?
*3) which one would YOU choose and why?
4) what do you know about the Duke 1 year basic science curriculum (too rushed? or just right?)
5) whose curriculum would you prefer and why?

Thanks!

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[exmike]

Id easily whittle it down to penn and duke. then its a toss up in terms of location and other factors. I'd go to penn. more urban.

 

[southbelle]

1) tie- Duke and Penn 3) UChicago 4) NYU 5) Einstein

I don't think you'll get many different orderings of those schools. The difference between duke and penn is absolutely zero, so don't decide based on that.

2) I have only looked at a few of the matches. Every med school does well though if you are a committed student with good board scores. At Duke and Penn you probably won't even need good board scores or outstanding marks to get a top residency if that's what you want. At non top 10 schools you have to do better to get ortho or whatever.

3) Duke. Because it's in the southeast and I like North carolina. All of the other schools are in geographic areas I wouldn't like as well.

4) lots of info about that in this forum. whole threads. just use the search function. I would like it because it would give me the opportunity to pretty much chill out and get an mph(research...hehe..no thanks) for a whole year.

5) See #4. Duke.

 

[quideam]

Okay, I'm familiar with most of these, so i'll give it a shot...

1. Reputation:
1) UPenn/Duke, with UPenn having a little more pull in the northeast
2) NYU/UChicago, with UChicago being maybe a bit better
3) Albert Einstein (though not far behind NYU)

2. Residency match:
Hands down, Duke and UPenn have the 'top' matches as far as students ending up in prestigious hospitals, though the other three certainly hold their own. I think that probably one of the biggest things to look at is that students tend to end up in more local hospitals for NYU, Einstein, and UChicago, while Duke's and UPenn's students are a bit more spread out. However, this also probably has more to do with preference than ability.

3. My Opinion.
Personally, I would chose UPenn first, then Duke, then NYU/UChicago, and then Einstein. I like UPenn's curruculum, and you can't beat their rep. Duke is beautiful, and I presonally like NC, but it's not for everyone. Also, doing all of the science courses in one year seems sort of overwhelming. NYU, in my opinion, is overrated, and despite popular opinion, crammed dorms in manhattan aren't the best living situation. I don't know much about UChicago, so I really can't comment. Einstein is a solid school, especially if you want to stay local or go into more of a primary care specialty or surgery. I didn't like their location, facilities, or Orthodox Jewish policies (library and gym closed friday evenings/Saturdays, etc).

4. Yeah, I think it's too rushed. But you should really ask a current Duke student about that.

5. UPenn - only 1.5 years of basic science (though Pitt has that too now! yay!), and some great clinical opportunities.

Good luck!
Quid

 

[DrJ2B]

Okay, I'm familiar with most of these, so i'll give it a shot...

1. Reputation:
1) UPenn/Duke, with UPenn having a little more pull in the northeast
2) NYU/UChicago, with UChicago being maybe a bit better
3) Albert Einstein (though not far behind NYU)

2. Residency match:
Hands down, Duke and UPenn have the 'top' matches as far as students ending up in prestigious hospitals, though the other three certainly hold their own. I think that probably one of the biggest things to look at is that students tend to end up in more local hospitals for NYU, Einstein, and UChicago, while Duke's and UPenn's students are a bit more spread out. However, this also probably has more to do with preference than ability.

3. My Opinion.
Personally, I would chose UPenn first, then Duke, then NYU/UChicago, and then Einstein. I like UPenn's curruculum, and you can't beat their rep. Duke is beautiful, and I presonally like NC, but it's not for everyone. Also, doing all of the science courses in one year seems sort of overwhelming. NYU, in my opinion, is overrated, and despite popular opinion, crammed dorms in manhattan aren't the best living situation. I don't know much about UChicago, so I really can't comment. Einstein is a solid school, especially if you want to stay local or go into more of a primary care specialty or surgery. I didn't like their location, facilities, or Orthodox Jewish policies (library and gym closed friday evenings/Saturdays, etc).

4. Yeah, I think it's too rushed. But you should really ask a current Duke student about that.

5. UPenn - only 1.5 years of basic science (though Pitt has that too now! yay!), and some great clinical opportunities.

Good luck!
Quid

I would have to totally agree with Quideam. I am quite biased but I love UPenn. If I was a selfish person , I would say Duke over UPenn since I am on the waitlist at UPenn, but I am not going to hate on my dream school. I have experience at both these schools. I did a summer program through Duke Med 2 years ago. The location is gorgeous and so close to the undergrad. The same is the case for UPenn. UPenn and Duke are both awesome. It all depends on where you think you will be happiest. In terms of residency scores as per US News, Duke has a slight edge over UPenn, not so sure as to why though. UPenn has a great and flexible curriculum, but I heard as per Neuronix (he is a great resource), that it seems UPenn babies its students requiring attendance at discussion groups. The one-year basic science year at Duke is not as horrible as people think. I heard it is quite manageable. The one year for research/combined degree is awesome. You can leave in 4 years with an MD and an MPH which I am looking to pursue. I wish I had sent in the secondary. Location is probably a huge factor. Duke would win in that aspect, but Philly is not too bad. Both medical centers are phenomenal. The 1.5 basic science at UPenn is also manageable but when I spoke to some students, they felt a bit pressured moreso than I heard Duke students mention. In the end, you should choose the school that fits your learning style best and were you would be happiest. I would not choose NYU. As an undergrad there, I have not heard many great things. From my friend who is an MS1 there, I have heard that the dorms are horrid. I actually know one person who was accepted there and I cannot imagine how he got accepted. He is absolutely arrogant and evil! I would never wish him on my worst enemy. As per AE, I did not apply as well, but from my friends who interviewed there, they felt a certain air of prejudice against non-Jewish people and just a weird vibe from the students and faculty. I am not sure about the details but that is what I have heard. I cannot tell you anything about U Chicago. Good luck with your decision-making process!

 

[BioMedResearch]

I would not choose NYU. As an undergrad there, I have not heard many great things. From my friend who is an MS1 there, I have heard that the dorms are horrid. I actually know one person who was accepted there and I cannot imagine how he got accepted. He is absolutely arrogant and evil! I would never wish him on my worst enemy.

How can you turn down the oldest medical school in the nation? Go to PENN! Rumor has it that Penn has more chairman from its medical school than any other school in the nation. Great reputation, great city, between two even greater cities, and you do clinical clerkships in year 2! Why not go to the best place you can!?!

I would call this a "lay-up" decision. (a.k.a simple shot)