Which state to move to?

[KittyKats]

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Criteria:

+Sunny and warm:

Arizona
New Mexico
Nevada
Texas
Florida
Louisiana
Arkansas
Mississippi
Georgia
Alabama
South Carolina
Oklahoma
Tennessee
North Carolina

+Reasonable chances to get into local medical / and especially osteopathic schools

Brother got married and moved out so I need to move anyways.
Recommendations?

 

[Goro]

Criteria:

+Sunny and warm:

Arizona
New Mexico
Nevada
Texas
Florida
Louisiana
Arkansas
Mississippi
Georgia
Alabama
South Carolina

+Reasonable chances to get into local medical / and especially osteopathic schools

Brother got married and moved out so I need to move anyways.
Recommendations?

They're all very IS friendly (TX somewhat more competitive IS though)

Do you want dry heat or wet heat?

As for DO schools, none of the state son your list have a state DO school except TX.

I can't recommend BCOM (NM) nor WCU (MS).

 

[deleted988749]

Arkansas have strong IS preference

 

[KittyKats]

They're all very IS friendly (TX somewhat more competitive IS though)

Do you want dry heat or wet heat?

As for DO schools, none of the state son your list have a state DO school except TX.

I can't recommend BCOM (NM) nor WCU (MS).

Thanks for the response!

Don't care about what kind of heat....just want sun.

Arkansas have strong IS preference

Yes, I was thinking about that state. Its high on my list.

Also, adding Tennesse, Oklahoma, and North Carolina to my list.

 

[Means]

A lot of these states are VERY different from each other. I would at least try to visit a few of the areas before making a decision. Not sure where you are moving from, but I would choose Texas or North Carolina purely for quality of life.

 

[GreenDuck12]

NM is very Is friendly with a very low mean mcat (I think 505?) but ABQ isn’t the best city and has snow in winter. AZ is pleasant with 2 medical schools but it is very hot in summer. TX is competitive and many programs are away from the major cities if that is important to you. I don’t know if there is enough money that would cause me to move to AR. I’ve spent time in MI, LO, and SC and personally I prefer SC.

 

[caterwaiter]

I think your chances of getting in anywhere depend much more on your overall profile as an applicant than your state residency. Texas has about a million medical schools (3 DO and 12 MD, I think?) but as others have pointed out, they can be competitive for IS.

I'd think about what you want your quality of life and cost of living to look like as well. What kind of social climate do you prefer? What's your budget? Any natural disasters freak you out more than others?

I'd personally go to North Carolina. 4 MD schools (UNC Chapel Hill with IS preference, and Brody @ East Carolina University accepts only NC residents) and 1 pretty good DO school. Arizona comes in a close second (both of their MD schools are public with IS preference, 2 decent DO schools) if you can deal with the fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk summer heat, which it seems like you can.

 

[KittyKats]

Thanks for the great tips. North Carolina, Arizona, and New Mexico look pretty good then. Arkansas looks good too, some good forests for hiking. Just need a school and some sun 🙂

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

Thanks for the great tips. North Carolina, Arizona, and New Mexico look pretty good then. Arkansas looks good too, some good forests for hiking. Just need a school and some sun 🙂

New Mexico is not looking good because New Mexico's adcoms will probably think you're just moving there to get into medical school and will then leave. In 1993 a woman named Paula Buchwald applied to UNM's medical school after moving to New Mexico in 1991. She met all of the requirements for admission but was repeatedly rejected because the adcoms thought they were being conned. She sued in federal court claiming that several of her constitutional protections were violated. She ultimately lost because the U.S. court of Appeals held that New Mexico had a compelling state interest to train doctors who would stay.

FindLaw's United States Tenth Circuit case and opinions.

FindLaw's searchable database of United States Tenth Circuit decisions since

caselaw.findlaw.com

I think you're foolish to hold out for a tan. Do you really want to be a physician? If so, the places to move are either Michigan or Ohio. Those states have tons of seats including a large D.O. school in each state.

 

[m1redsox]

I feel like the best options in the sun are:
Kentucky - 2 public MD (both very attainable), 1 DO
Arizona - 2 public MD (3 with Mayo), 2 DO
Nevada - 2 public MD, 1 DO
South Carolina - 3 Public MD, 1 DO
Florida - 5 public MD (8 total), 3 DO
Louisiana - 2 public MD (3 total), 1 DO
Alabama - 2 public MD, 2 DO
Tennessee - 2 public MD (4 total, but chances at the other two are slim), 2 DO

Places like NM, Arkansas, OK, and MS are fine, but with only one public MD program, you kind of put all your eggs in one basket whereas most of the states I listed above have multiple attainable MD programs. NC and TX have pretty competitive MD programs.

 

[KittyKats]

I feel like the best options in the sun are:
Arizona - 2 public MD (3 with Mayo), 2 DO
Nevada - 2 public MD, 1 DO
South Carolina - 3 Public MD, 1 DO
Florida - 5 public MD (8 total), 3 DO
Louisiana - 2 public MD (3 total), 1 DO
Alabama - 2 public MD, 2 DO
Tennessee - 2 public MD (4 total, but chances at the other two are slim), 2 DO

Places like NM, Arkansas, OK, and MS are fine, but with only one public MD program, you kind of put all your eggs in one basket whereas most of the states I listed above have multiple attainable MD programs. NC and TX have pretty competitive MD programs.

Thanks, looks great. Florida especially with so many schools.

 

[viralhiker]

Michigan: 6 MD, 5 with strong IS preference, and 1 large DO.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks, looks great. Florida especially with so many schools.

Please don't get too excited about Florida. It is one of the worst states in the country in terms of outcomes. Yes, it has a lot of schools. It also has a lot of applicants. In 2019-20, FL had 3,493 med school applicants -- 708 matriculated IS, 481 OOS, and 2,304 nowhere at all.

 

[PigsHaveWings]

If you look at the AAMC tables, Puerto Rico, Kentucky and West virginia would be the easiest for in state students.

Puerto Rico for instance has an average MCAT instate of 499. Knowing Spanish would be a mandatory requirement there.

	MCAT	GPA	Matriculants	Applicants	Chance of matriculating
Kentucky	508.5	3.77	360	613	59
West Virginia	506.4	3.74	140	247	57
Vermont	512.4	3.7	56	104	54
Rhode Island	514.2	3.77	58	117	50
Indiana	512.2	3.81	379	765	50
South Dakota	509.4	3.74	80	164	49
Massachusetts	514.5	3.72	624	1298	48
Puerto Rico	499	3.62	304	636	48
Arkansas	507.5	3.73	178	374	48
New Mexico	506.1	3.74	126	265	48
New York	512.7	3.69	1674	3530	47
New Hampshire	514.2	3.72	55	117	47
Nebraska	511.5	3.78	145	309	47
Pennsylvania	513.1	3.74	767	1642	47
Ohio	511.4	3.75	825	1794	46
Connecticut	514.1	3.72	282	615	46
Alabama	508.8	3.77	265	579	46
District of Columbia	511.8	3.55	47	103	46
Montana	508.1	3.74	57	126	45
New Jersey	513.1	3.72	873	1934	45
Wisconsin	512.1	3.76	373	827	45
South Carolina	509.2	3.74	326	724	45
Maryland	512.5	3.69	528	1173	45
Louisiana	507.8	3.71	391	869	45
Alaska	509.4	3.68	41	95	43
Missouri	511.4	3.8	332	771	43
Kansas	510.4	3.78	222	524	42
Oklahoma	508.9	3.79	187	446	42
Minnesota	511.6	3.74	418	997	42
California	513.6	3.69	2603	6228	42
Illinois	511.6	3.71	934	2241	42
Wyoming	511.3	3.78	29	70	41
Tennessee	510.2	3.72	355	857	41
Maine	512.2	3.7	41	99	41
Michigan	511.1	3.73	811	1974	41
Nevada	510.1	3.71	140	341	41
NATIONWIDE	511.5	3.73	21869	53371	41
North Carolina	512	3.68	537	1322	41
Mississippi	503.8	3.77	185	457	40
Georgia	510	3.71	654	1616	40
Washington	512.4	3.69	448	1135	39
Virginia	512.9	3.68	541	1407	38
Hawaii	511.5	3.74	101	265	38
Delaware	512.7	3.72	38	101	38
Idaho	510.1	3.78	75	201	37
Oregon	512.6	3.74	205	572	36
Colorado	512.9	3.75	300	845	36
Texas	511.4	3.77	1720	4895	35
Iowa	512.4	3.81	128	368	35
North Dakota	507.1	3.8	53	155	34
Florida	510.7	3.74	1189	3493	34
Utah	513.4	3.79	212	632	34
Arizona	511.1	3.77	300	916	33

 

[KnightDoc]

If you look at the AAMC tables, Puerto Rico, Kentucky and West virginia would be the easiest for in state students.

Puerto Rico for instance has an average MCAT instate of 499. Knowing Spanish would be a mandatory requirement there.

	MCAT	GPA	Matriculants	Applicants	Chance of matriculating
Kentucky	508.5	3.77	360	613	59
West Virginia	506.4	3.74	140	247	57
Vermont	512.4	3.7	56	104	54
Rhode Island	514.2	3.77	58	117	50
Indiana	512.2	3.81	379	765	50
South Dakota	509.4	3.74	80	164	49
Massachusetts	514.5	3.72	624	1298	48
Puerto Rico	499	3.62	304	636	48
Arkansas	507.5	3.73	178	374	48
New Mexico	506.1	3.74	126	265	48
New York	512.7	3.69	1674	3530	47
New Hampshire	514.2	3.72	55	117	47
Nebraska	511.5	3.78	145	309	47
Pennsylvania	513.1	3.74	767	1642	47
Ohio	511.4	3.75	825	1794	46
Connecticut	514.1	3.72	282	615	46
Alabama	508.8	3.77	265	579	46
District of Columbia	511.8	3.55	47	103	46
Montana	508.1	3.74	57	126	45
New Jersey	513.1	3.72	873	1934	45
Wisconsin	512.1	3.76	373	827	45
South Carolina	509.2	3.74	326	724	45
Maryland	512.5	3.69	528	1173	45
Louisiana	507.8	3.71	391	869	45
Alaska	509.4	3.68	41	95	43
Missouri	511.4	3.8	332	771	43
Kansas	510.4	3.78	222	524	42
Oklahoma	508.9	3.79	187	446	42
Minnesota	511.6	3.74	418	997	42
California	513.6	3.69	2603	6228	42
Illinois	511.6	3.71	934	2241	42
Wyoming	511.3	3.78	29	70	41
Tennessee	510.2	3.72	355	857	41
Maine	512.2	3.7	41	99	41
Michigan	511.1	3.73	811	1974	41
Nevada	510.1	3.71	140	341	41
NATIONWIDE	511.5	3.73	21869	53371	41
North Carolina	512	3.68	537	1322	41
Mississippi	503.8	3.77	185	457	40
Georgia	510	3.71	654	1616	40
Washington	512.4	3.69	448	1135	39
Virginia	512.9	3.68	541	1407	38
Hawaii	511.5	3.74	101	265	38
Delaware	512.7	3.72	38	101	38
Idaho	510.1	3.78	75	201	37
Oregon	512.6	3.74	205	572	36
Colorado	512.9	3.75	300	845	36
Texas	511.4	3.77	1720	4895	35
Iowa	512.4	3.81	128	368	35
North Dakota	507.1	3.8	53	155	34
Florida	510.7	3.74	1189	3493	34
Utah	513.4	3.79	212	632	34
Arizona	511.1	3.77	300	916	33

Yeah, well, I'll guess there is a reason those three places were not on OP's initial list!!! 😎

 

[PigsHaveWings]

Yeah, well, I'll guess there is a reason those three places were not on OP's initial list!!! 😎

Some of the states mentioned as "easy" for in state are in fact the toughest states for in-state students--texas and arizona looks terrible .

Michigan and Ohio are great choices.

 

[KnightDoc]

Some of the states mentioned as "easy" for in state are in fact the toughest states for in-state students--texas and arizona looks terrible .

Michigan and Ohio are great choices.

Definitely!! My point was more of a joke, pointing out that PR, KY and WV have low stats and relatively high odds for a reason, while trying not to be too insulting to those places. The other problem for OP is that the IS preferences are there for a reason, and adcoms are not stupid when it comes to applicants trying to game a system in order to gain an advantage.

So, establishing recent residency won't work at schools that really care about the reason for the preference. MI and OH are great places to have grown up and gone to school. I'm not sure moving to Ann Arbor to establish residency during a gap year before applying to UMich is really going to make a difference for anyone (although, who knows, maybe it will if they think it demonstrates a commitment to staying in MI?).

 

[ampersandwich]

I feel like the best options in the sun are:
Arizona - 2 public MD (3 with Mayo), 2 DO
Nevada - 2 public MD, 1 DO
South Carolina - 3 Public MD, 1 DO
Florida - 5 public MD (8 total), 3 DO
Louisiana - 2 public MD (3 total), 1 DO
Alabama - 2 public MD, 2 DO
Tennessee - 2 public MD (4 total, but chances at the other two are slim), 2 DO

Places like NM, Arkansas, OK, and MS are fine, but with only one public MD program, you kind of put all your eggs in one basket whereas most of the states I listed above have multiple attainable MD programs. NC and TX have pretty competitive MD programs.

I would use this list only after checking to see what it takes to gain residency in each state. A lot of places require that you live, work, and pay taxes for a year+ before you can be considered an in-state candidate, especially for tuition purposes. I would probably choose NV myself, for ability to gain residency easily (if you have full-time employment there), tax benefits (no income tax), mild climate, and state schools.

 

[Lampy]

Thanks, looks great. Florida especially with so many schools.

I'm born and raised in FL and moved around some in the state, feel free to PM if you have any questions about different cities/ areas

 

[deleted804295]

Criteria:

+Sunny and warm:

Arizona
New Mexico
Nevada
Texas
Florida
Louisiana
Arkansas
Mississippi
Georgia
Alabama
South Carolina
Oklahoma
Tennessee
North Carolina

+Reasonable chances to get into local medical / and especially osteopathic schools

Brother got married and moved out so I need to move anyways.
Recommendations?

The best states in the country are Texas, Hawaii, Colorado, Michigan, Arizona, and Maine.

Totally not biased.

 

[m1redsox]

After all the discussion, I would probably narrow my sunny list to Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, and Louisiana. All have above-average matriculation rates (Kentucky being the best) with multiple attainable MD schools. You could also throw Ohio on there, but they definitely get some snow.

Having lived in Louisville for a little bit, I think Kentucky is a great option. UK alone accepts over half of Kentucky applicants.