Whole lot of debt vs a lot of debt

[jmillski]

**this thing was moved from residency forum and so ya i know ive already asked about this on this forum. sorry for the repost pre-allo people.**


Hi all- i am currently deciding between two medical schools- UNC and Mt. Sinai. I am absolutely in love with Mt. Sinai- the curriculum, the extracurricular opportunities, the community service clinics in Harlem, the affiliated hospitals, the location. By no means do I dislike UNC- I love it too, but I'm not as excited about the prospect of attending.

So here is my dilemma- UNC would be approx. 35-40000/year while Sinai would be 58000 a year. When considering interest thats quite a difference (90-100000?). You all have been through the ropes and know the pains of debt repayment- so from your experience would the opportunities at Mt. Sinai (things like being on a organ transplant retrieval team, riding and helping the FDNY EMS crews) and my preference for Mt Sinai and its location be worth this kind of additional debt? I would be happy at either school, but am more intrigued by Mt Sinai.

additionally if it helps- i know things can change but for years i have been set on and passionate about some sort of surgical specialty. THANK YOU

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[EternalMD]

Mt. Sinai is located near the upper east side right next to central park. You will have the opportunity to have a lot of fun when not studying because you'll be in NYC in addition to knowing that their students do well in the match. With UNC, you'll be in .... well, north carolina. Living expenses will be MUCH cheaper, and in the long run, its nice not to be buried in loans.

There are always ways you can pay back your loans but i think in the long run, sinai may offer you more opportunities come match time. Thats my two cents

 

[generic]

I personally think people should do everything they can to avoid huge mounds of debt--only in medicine do some have the attitude of "$250k is doable."

The poster above stated clearly what I see as 2 advantages of Mt Sinai: fun location and possibly residency opportunities.

That said, UNC is a fine school with several nearby schools (not as many as NYC). There will be plenty of UNC alumni with placement into surg subspecialties like you may want in the future.

I would just be worried that salaries (in real terms) would continue to decrease and you're looking at ~5+ yrs of residency after school, so that will be a lot of interest you'll have to pay. Plus, interest on student loans is high now.....might be wise to avoid the debt...

 

[DrMom]

Moving to pre-allo since this is a topic related to choosing a medical school.

 

[Stratego]

I´d go with the lower cost of living and tuition. I´d bet 98% of people will find a way to be happy wherever they choose. The other 2% would probably find something to complain about wherever they go.