Why is your top choice your top choice?

[LolaLee]

It seems that every school that I visit has a lot to offer with a few negatives thrown in the mix. I feel like I have about 10 top choices but no definite winner so I am just waiting to see where I get in and then deciding later. Just curious if anyone else is in a similar position and how those of you with top choices decided on a favorite.

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[argonana]

I've begun to place a lot of weight on the quality of the Administration--accessibility, flexibility, etc. It's not something I came into this process thinking about at all.

 

[titoincali]

It seems that every school that I visit has a lot to offer with a few negatives thrown in the mix. I feel like I have about 10 top choices but no definite winner so I am just waiting to see where I get in and then deciding later. Just curious if anyone else is in a similar position and how those of you with top choices decided on a favorite.

I feel exactly the same way. I'm coming to hate when people ask me what my top choice is because I feel so indecisive!

 

[jhrugger]

Assuming that other factors already went into the equation when deciding where to apply (such as reputation, location, state residency considerations),
I think that the third year/fourth year curriculum is a significant factor in distinguishing schools that are all in the running for "top choice". While there is definitely overlap among schools (I am sure all incorporate surgery, medicine, and OB/GYN in the clinical core), different schools may place a different emphasis on certain clerkships-- Some will offer 3 months for surgery while others will only offer 6 weeks, and some will have a more rigid set of clerkship requirements while others will leave ample "wiggle room" for electives.


jhrugger

 

[veenut]

I applied to a bunch of schools that I thought I'd be happy to attend. I'm refraining from ranking them until I actually visit them for the interview, and then I basically just rate them based on how I felt when I was there. very subjective, but i figure that if I was really happy and comfortable for the day i was there, there's a good shot i'll feel that way for my 4 yrs of school...

 

[gdbaby]

Right now Iowa is my top choice. I am interested in geriatrics and their Center on Aging is top notch!

 

[tigress]

Yah I feel the same way. I don't have a top choice. I just want to see where I get in and then weigh all of the positives and negatives for each one before deciding. I am more interested in some schools than in others, though.

 

[chef_NU]

I think the best two criteria to judge a school are:

1. How the school matches to residencies that you are possibly interested in.

2. How happy the students are (in a general sense). I know this may be a bit hard to do and most of your evidence will be anecdotal, but hey, it's worth a shot.

 

[tigress]

I think the best two criteria to judge a school are:

1. How the school matches to residencies that you are possibly interested in.

2. How happy the students are (in a general sense). I know this may be a bit hard to do and most of your evidence will be anecdotal, but hey, it's worth a shot.

Those are good criteria. I'm just not sure that at this point we could even really evaluate a match list. Personally I don't know much about which residencies are good for which specialties, and this in spite of the fact that I've been reading residency forums here at sdn for a while now. Most of those forums won't say which residencies are considered better than others (it's like the equivalent med school discussions here). For example, in EM there was a whole thread about which programs are good, but nobody could really agree, and some people said it depends on too many factors (like type of program, community vs. academic, etc.) to really be able to rank them.

I would love to be able to understand match lists, though. I"m just not sure I'm knowledgeable enough at this point.

 

[unicorn06]

There are a few things you can easily see from a match list. One is where the students match. If they all tend to stay in the area and you'd like to do your residency across the country, that's a bad thing. Second, you can look at how many seem to match into competitive residency programs. If you want to go into derm or neurosurg, you should look for a place that gets a realatively high percentage of its students into these specialties or at least other highly competitive residencies. On the other hand, if you want to go into family practice, you may not want a school where everyone seems specialize.

 

[pagemmapants]

Dook.
Why?

1) Accelerated basic sciences (I'm a molecular/cell/developmental bio major & I've taken some basic anatomy already = LOTS of hard science = not scared of condensation)
2) Flexibility/possibilities of 3rd year (CDC anyone?! )
3) Obscene # of electives 4th year
4) Incredible post-grad "network" of physicians
5) Proximity to my parents - i.e. live at home first year
6) Ridiculously good rep
7) Gorgeous campus
8) NOT URBAN; low cost of living
9) Generally happy & content student body
10) Friendly, organized, dedicated, and personable admissions staff

 

[Uncle_Tbag]

Cheap tuition, location, and access to an amazing hospital network.

 

[tigress]

There are a few things you can easily see from a match list. One is where the students match. If they all tend to stay in the area and you'd like to do your residency across the country, that's a bad thing. Second, you can look at how many seem to match into competitive residency programs. If you want to go into derm or neurosurg, you should look for a place that gets a realatively high percentage of its students into these specialties or at least other highly competitive residencies. On the other hand, if you want to go into family practice, you may not want a school where everyone seems specialize.

Those are good points. Is there really THAT much variation from school to school with regard to the things you bring up? I guess I can check.

 

[silas2642]

It seems that every school that I visit has a lot to offer with a few negatives thrown in the mix. I feel like I have about 10 top choices but no definite winner so I am just waiting to see where I get in and then deciding later. Just curious if anyone else is in a similar position and how those of you with top choices decided on a favorite.

Location is really important to me-- I wanted to be close to home, but then there's the match list, clinical experience, what kind of curriculum they have, what the students are like.

 

[chef_NU]

Dook.
Why?

1) Accelerated basic sciences (I'm a molecular/cell/developmental bio major & I've taken some basic anatomy already = LOTS of hard science = not scared of condensation)
2) Flexibility/possibilities of 3rd year (CDC anyone?! )
3) Obscene # of electives 4th year
4) Incredible post-grad "network" of physicians
5) Proximity to my parents - i.e. live at home first year
6) Ridiculously good rep
7) Gorgeous campus
8) NOT URBAN; low cost of living
9) Generally happy & content student body
10) Friendly, organized, dedicated, and personable admissions staff

Seilienne:

I noticed you listed Duke's connections to the CDC for 3rd year students. I know that Emory and CDC have a sweet postdoc fellowship program which I am very interested in (and pissed off that I didn't apply to Emory, even though it would be a long shot for me to get in). I couldn't find the link, but if you are interested in ID, as I am, it may be worth looking into.

Ha, it'd be nice if I were able to have "dook" as one of my choices though. Congrats!

 

[riceman04]

I applied to a bunch of schools that I thought I'd be happy to attend. I'm refraining from ranking them until I actually visit them for the interview, and then I basically just rate them based on how I felt when I was there. very subjective, but i figure that if I was really happy and comfortable for the day i was there, there's a good shot i'll feel that way for my 4 yrs of school...

ok so I could not stay away from SDN forums any longer....

But I truly agree with your methodology....when I apply to med schools I will not rank schools until I have interviewed there.

That's cool

 

[fullefect1]

$150,000 less in loan money is the reason for my top choice.

 

[Saluki]

Small class size
great research opportunities
location in smaller city
snow
a warm fuzzy feeling whenever I look at the school's website

 

[63768]

johns hopkins: emphasis on research, urban setting where i can see a large cross-section of patients, conditions and illness, good match list for orthopedic surgery, badass reputation. i highly doubt that i'd get into (or even interview at) johns hopkins but we shall see.

 

[45408]

Northwestern. Well, for one, because I actually had an interview there! I also applied to Stanford, Yale and others, but there's no point in making them my top choices if I haven't heard a peep from them.

Northwestern has an awesome location but is still near my and my fiance's families. The school has a pretty cool curriculum, and their students do well on the boards. The hospital(s) immediately adjacent to the building are superb. I've never seen a hospital like that. The students also seemed pretty cool, as did most of the other applicants.

 

[45408]

Those are good criteria. I'm just not sure that at this point we could even really evaluate a match list. Personally I don't know much about which residencies are good for which specialties, and this in spite of the fact that I've been reading residency forums here at sdn for a while now.

Exactly. It's like a bunch of pre-meds arguing over which med school textbooks are better. We really have no idea! Obviously, a residency at Harvard is a good thing, but we really don't know what residencies are known for what. If you asked Joe Patient if he'd rather have a doctor from Washington University or Yale, he'd probably go with Yale because it sounds better. Likewise, I don't know what the best program for nephrology is!

 

[ExtraAverage]

It seems that every school that I visit has a lot to offer with a few negatives thrown in the mix. I feel like I have about 10 top choices but no definite winner so I am just waiting to see where I get in and then deciding later. Just curious if anyone else is in a similar position and how those of you with top choices decided on a favorite.

I definitely had a top choice going in: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (and it's not just because they accepted me)

I came to the conclusion that it was a wonderful school by taking everything into account, the facilities, the curriculum, the people, the location, the familiarity (did grad work there), etc.

BUT, what really made it my top choice was the ideology of the school. They are amazingly committed to social justice. Subjects such as medical ethics and patient communication (which I greatly enjoy speaking/reading about) are emphasized. I feel many medical schools champion the idea of "treating the patient and not the disease," but Loyola goes further. They advocate further involvement in health care and community service programs. They want their students to get involved in helping out the community. In the end, I believe they are truly committed to ideals affiliated with social justice, such as helping the underserved and fostering culturally competent physicians.

So, to answer your question directly, the main reasons behind my simply "liking" Loyola were many. However, the reason it was my top choice was due to the definitive congruence of thought between the school and me.

 

[Moto]

I hate to say this, but except for SUNY, I have interviewed at four private schools that cost the same and really to me no matter how they distinguish themselves, to me they are the same.

I really don't care if they have windows in their anatomy lab, or the gym right across, b/c in the end if I can cut the tuition cost in half, I will take that school as top choice.

Yes, reputation is nice, but who cares if you are at the bottom of your class. After a while, they all blend in to the same sale: Ooh, look, we have a computer lab! and a library! and cafeteria! and etc. etc.


So, I'm pretty sure that I will chose SUNY in the end.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

They are amazingly committed to social justice.

Social justice? You mean like punishing those that spread disease? Yeah, I'd say that's pretty innovative.

Subjects such as medical ethics and patient communication (which I greatly enjoy speaking/reading about) are emphasized. I feel many medical schools champion the idea of "treating the patient and not the disease," but Loyola goes further. They advocate further involvement in health care and community service programs. They want their students to get involved in helping out the community. In the end, I believe they are truly committed to ideals affiliated with social justice, such as helping the underserved and fostering culturally competent physicians.

Congratulations. You just described the mission of every allopathic medical school in the United States.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Cheap in-state tuition, good hospitals, and most of all- I won't have to move for two years after starting med school!

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Social justice? You mean like punishing those that spread disease? Yeah, I'd say that's pretty innovative.

 

[{:(]

1.) Duke~ I like the curriculum
2.) Univ. of Washington (school I am currently attending as an undergrad)
3.) Cornell ~ I like New York
4.) Columbia~ ^

 

[veenut]

Northwestern. Well, for one, because I actually had an interview there! I also applied to Stanford, Yale and others, but there's no point in making them my top choices if I haven't heard a peep from them.

Northwestern has an awesome location but is still near my and my fiance's families. The school has a pretty cool curriculum, and their students do well on the boards. The hospital(s) immediately adjacent to the building are superb. I've never seen a hospital like that. The students also seemed pretty cool, as did most of the other applicants.

northwestern's probably mine too...hoping to get some good news at the end of the month

 

[ExtraAverage]

Social justice? You mean like punishing those that spread disease? Yeah, I'd say that's pretty innovative.



Congratulations. You just described the mission of every allopathic medical school in the United States.

Ha. You are undoubtedly a sad little man. Thanks for adding to the thread though. Good input...

 

[wildcatbio06]

I don't know about you guys but I just want to say I go to Yale Med.

 

[temmie]

Stanford baby

 

[45408]

northwestern's probably mine too...hoping to get some good news at the end of the month

Don't hold your breath. Most of the decisions don't come out until the end of February. No doubt though - I'm hoping for some love at the end of this month too. I would be ECSTATIC.

 

[deleted77919]

I have to agree with what one of the above posters said . . . the more interviews I've attended, the more the medical schools all start to look the same. There are differences in grading, a few curricular differences (there are a few standout differences, like at Duke and Stanford, if research is your thing), but ultimately most teach the same material and everyone takes the same boards. If anything I've decided to pick a school based on my gut reaction (I think it's often underemphasized, but in reality is the summation of many small factors), location, cost of living, and tutition.

So at the moment I think my top choice is UConn, but if I were to get good news from WashU . . . well, I'd probably make them be at the top of most of those criteria. = P

 

[MollyMalone]

I like my top choice because of:

(in no particular order)

very small class size
curriculum that matches my learning style
great tuition and scholarships
cool research opportunities
fabulous 3rd and 4th year rotation possibilities & funding
not too far from home (only ~3.5 hrs.)
rocking match list
everyone I met there seemed amazingly nice and very unstressed

Now, if only they'll take me!!!

 

[SuzieQ3417]

I like my top choice because of:

(in no particular order)

very small class size
curriculum that matches my learning style
great tuition and scholarships
cool research opportunities
fabulous 3rd and 4th year rotation possibilities & funding
not too far from home (only ~3.5 hrs.)
rocking match list
everyone I met there seemed amazingly nice and very unstressed

Now, if only they'll take me!!!

Hmmm...and what school would that be? My first choice too! A lot of my reasons are similar to yours (except for the not too far from home). They have some cool electives that you can take during your fourth year that had me excited. You can't beat the small class size - definitely helps to foster a collaborative environment.

 

[thegenius]

It seems that every school that I visit has a lot to offer with a few negatives thrown in the mix. I feel like I have about 10 top choices but no definite winner so I am just waiting to see where I get in and then deciding later. Just curious if anyone else is in a similar position and how those of you with top choices decided on a favorite.

Agreed...I have no pre-conceived notions about what school to attend. I do have 3 top choices ONLY because either my in-laws live in that area or my parents live there. And my wife and I will need all of their support for our son. Those schools are Stanford, San Francisco, and Univ. of Michigan.

Unfortunately those are all top ten schools, and my chances of getting into SF are 0 (already rejected) and low (Stanford.) I think I am an odds on favorite at Michigan (deferred decision.)

I've been on a half dozen interviews and each school does have advantages and drawbacks. You do learn some fun (and disturbing) facts from each school...I just finished at USC and they budget 63K each year for their students! That is outrageous! There are medical schools that budget 15K/year less!