Am I an idiot for turning down a full ride to Columbia?

[hs764]

As of April 30 I have been committed to the University of Virginia, who gave me $30,000 per year in scholarships and $10,000 per year in institutional loans. I really love UVA and I think I would be a great fit there. My family lives close to Charlottesville and I really have my heart set on going there.

However, last week Columbia admitted me off of their waitlist and today they just told me that they are giving me $74,000 a year, which fully covers tuition and some living expenses. Overall I would only be paying about $60,000 total to go to school there, as opposed to $200,000 at UVA.

The issue is that I hate New York. I have been living here for the past five years and actually working at Columbia, and while I got a decent enough impression of the school on interview day, I don't like the hospital facilities and I hate the city itself. I have friends here but I've never really felt at home and I have been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to move away. That being said, Columbia is an incredibly well-renowned school with tons of resources and I'm sure I would get a wonderful education here. The hospital is in a very diverse neighborhood and I'm sure I would get to see tons of unique cases, and I would definitely have plenty of opportunity to use my medical Spanish. I just don't know if saving the extra money is worth it at a place where I don't think I'll be happy. UVA just felt right, and I can't say the same thing about Columbia.

Oh, and I have to make this decision by tomorrow. So please, any advice or personal anecdotes about these schools would be incredibly welcome.

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[Perrotfish]

Only 1-2 years? I don't know how much I would be making as a neurologist, but that doesn't seem too bad.

Meaning 1-2 years of you working life would be working JUST to pay off the debt. You will likely pay it off over 10 years, but if you work Monday - Friday every Friday for this 10 years you get to go into work knowing you could have had a 3 day weekend if you had gone to Columbia instead of UVA

That's really what you are spending when you take out loans, the hours of your life . Assuming a 60 hour academic work week you will be trading 5800 waking hours of your life for the chance to live in Virginia rather than New York for 4 years.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Unless something drastically changes with my personality, I'm like 99% sure I won't want to stay here for residency. I'm really hoping to end up somewhere back in the southeast at a place like Vanderbilt, Duke, or Emory. Those were all my top choices for med school along with UVA, but the money just didn't end up working out. From the info they gave me on interview day, about 25% of Columbia med school grads end up doing residency at Columbia and about 50% end up doing it somewhere in New York state. I don't know if that's by choice or by circumstance, but I definitely don't want to go to med school here if that's going to make it more unlikely for me to be able to get a residency back in the southeast.

It's usually by choice. It's kind of hard to get "stuck" in NYC because it's viewed as a desirable place to live/train, so if you want out, it's much easier to get out than it is to get in.

 

[hs764]

It's usually by choice. It's kind of hard to get "stuck" in NYC because it's viewed as a desirable place to live/train, so if you want out, it's much easier to get out than it is to get in.

That's good to know, because at the moment I am very much feeling stuck in NYC.

 

[hs764]

Maybe this is dumb, but I want to feel excited about where I go to med school. I was excited about UVA. I'm not excited about Columbia. I would feel kind of stupid for turning this down because I already turned down my dream school (Vanderbilt) because they offered me 20K less per year than UVA did, so it would kind of feel self-defeating to turn down an even bigger scholarship to go to UVA. But I'm just not excited about the prospect of staying here.

 

[Avada Cadaver]

Maybe this is dumb, but I want to feel excited about where I go to med school. I was excited about UVA. I'm not excited about Columbia. I would feel kind of stupid for turning this down because I already turned down my dream school (Vanderbilt) because they offered me 20K less per year than UVA did, so it would kind of feel self-defeating to turn down an even bigger scholarship to go to UVA. But I'm just not excited about the prospect of staying here.

You know, I hear stories about fresh attending's choosing to work in super rural undesirable places (that pay higher/pay off your loans) for a couple years to pay of their student loans. If it helps you could imagine attending Columbia as a version of that; Sacrificing four years to have no loans and the ability to essentially match wherever you please.

 

[Stagg737]

Maybe this is dumb, but I want to feel excited about where I go to med school. I was excited about UVA. I'm not excited about Columbia. I would feel kind of stupid for turning this down because I already turned down my dream school (Vanderbilt) because they offered me 20K less per year than UVA did, so it would kind of feel self-defeating to turn down an even bigger scholarship to go to UVA. But I'm just not excited about the prospect of staying here.

Being excited about attending a school isn't a good reason to pick that school. That excitement will last all of 2 weeks once you actually start. Your general life satisfaction at each school is a valid point you should consider, but excitement about attending a particular school is not.

 

[hs764]

You know, I hear stories about fresh attending's choosing to work in super rural undesirable places (that pay higher/pay off your loans) for a couple years to pay of their student loans. If it helps you could imagine attending Columbia as a version of that; Sacrificing four years to have no loans and the ability to essentially match wherever you please.

Working in rural settings isn't necessarily undesirable for me, though. Part of the appeal of UVA to me is having to do some rotations in rural areas. Regardless, I feel like it's smarter to "sacrifice" a few work years since a) I'll have many years of work but only four of med school, and b) if I really hate where I am during med school, that could seriously impact my performance and future career.

I also just did some math with the budget that Columbia outlined for me and I'm pretty sure I would need to take out more than $60K to live here. I have credit card debt and a dog and factors they didn't budget for, plus I don't plan on living in student housing. To have anywhere near the standard of living here that I would at UVA, I'd probably have to take out closer to $100K over all four years. So that narrows the margin a bit.

 

[MJToThePreMed]

It looks like you've already made up your mind. I feel like you wouldn't be as happy at Columbia and you've already got a decent scholarship at UVA and are near family.

 

[hs764]

It looks like you've already made up your mind. I feel like you wouldn't be as happy at Columbia and you've already got a decent scholarship at UVA and are near family.

I keep going back and forth. Last night when I wrote that last post I was freaking out and decided I was dead set on UVA. Now that I've gotten some sleep I'm not so sure. I really don't want to be miserable. I don't want to stay in New York and am worried about the possibility of being stuck here for residency or meeting someone who wants to stay here and having to make that decision. However, I am also 31 and will be pushing 40 by the time I finish residency, and I also worry about not being able to properly save for retirement or support a family due to medical school debt. I already have about 80K of debt from undergrad and grad school anyway. I also don't know if choosing UVA over Columbia would close any doors for me in terms of what I choose to do for residency. I need Oprah to tell me what to do.

 

[Avada Cadaver]

I keep going back and forth. Last night when I wrote that last post I was freaking out and decided I was dead set on UVA. Now that I've gotten some sleep I'm not so sure. I really don't want to be miserable. I don't want to stay in New York and am worried about the possibility of being stuck here for residency or meeting someone who wants to stay here and having to make that decision. However, I am also 31 and will be pushing 40 by the time I finish residency, and I also worry about not being able to properly save for retirement or support a family due to medical school debt. I already have about 80K of debt from undergrad and grad school anyway. I also don't know if choosing UVA over Columbia would close any doors for me in terms of what I choose to do for residency. I need Oprah to tell me what to do.

I’ll bet you all my student loans you won’t be stuck in NYC by going to Columbia. Pls say yes :.)

 

[dpmd]

There is nothing to guarantee you won't be unhappy at uva. Med school isn't some vacation where location is the biggest factor. Having family nearby sounds great until you are either having to explain to them why you are missing another family event or until your grades drop because you don't want to miss those family events. Same with all those old friends being nearby. You talk about all the credit card debt and other expenses raising the costs to live at columbia. Is that magically going to disappear at uva or are you only looking at it for columbia to try to justify your position. You already decided 20k was enough to make you turn down your dream school. Not sure how you are able to reconcile that with the cost difference here not being enough.

 

[hs764]

There is nothing to guarantee you won't be unhappy at uva. Med school isn't some vacation where location is the biggest factor. Having family nearby sounds great until you are either having to explain to them why you are missing another family event or until your grades drop because you don't want to miss those family events. Same with all those old friends being nearby. You talk about all the credit card debt and other expenses raising the costs to live at columbia. Is that magically going to disappear at uva or are you only looking at it for columbia to try to justify your position. You already decided 20k was enough to make you turn down your dream school. Not sure how you are able to reconcile that with the cost difference here not being enough.

It's true, there is no guarantee. I'm just going by school location and the feeling I got from the students and faculty. I've also dealt with some depression and anxiety while living in New York that I worry about having to face in medical school. It's hard not to feel constantly on edge here with all the noise and crowds, and I get really bad seasonal depression during the 4-6 months a year here when everything is cold and windy and gray. That had a negative impact on my grades during my second year of premed and I'm worried it would do the same thing in med school.

I know that med school is time-consuming regardless of where you are. Columbia and UVA seem to be equally flexible at least in their preclinical curriculum. Both are unranked P/F and have flexible exam schedules that you can take from home. I feel like in either place I'll have adequate time to go home for special occasions if I want to, it'll just be much easier to do that from UVA. My brother just told me last week that he and his wife are going to start trying to have kids in the next couple of years and they live about an hour away from UVA. That's really a strong pull for me.

It was easier to say no to Vandy because I already knew that I really liked UVA. UVA, Duke, and Vandy were my top three choices and the three places that I felt the most connection with. I didn't get into Duke and Vandy's scholarship was pretty meager, so it made just as much sense to me to go to UVA where the scholarship money was. I never thought I would get into Columbia to begin with and certainly didn't think I would get a full ride, so I hadn't even entertained this situation as a possibility. I mostly just applied here because I already have Columbia connections and wouldn't have to travel for the interview, but not necessarily because I loved the school or wanted to end up here.

 

[hs764]

I think I can confidently say that I would be happier at UVA than at Columbia, at least initially. So the biggest question for me now is, would choosing UVA over Columbia close any doors for me? I'm most interested in neurology and GI, probably non-academic. Columbia's match list does look slightly better than UVA's, but there still seem to be a decent number of UVA grads who match into places like Hopkins, UCLA, and Yale.

 

[dpmd]

It's true, there is no guarantee. I'm just going by school location and the feeling I got from the students and faculty. I've also dealt with some depression and anxiety while living in New York that I worry about having to face in medical school. It's hard not to feel constantly on edge here with all the noise and crowds, and I get really bad seasonal depression during the 4-6 months a year here when everything is cold and windy and gray. That had a negative impact on my grades during my second year of premed and I'm worried it would do the same thing in med school.

I know that med school is time-consuming regardless of where you are. Columbia and UVA seem to be equally flexible at least in their preclinical curriculum. Both are unranked P/F and have flexible exam schedules that you can take from home. I feel like in either place I'll have adequate time to go home for special occasions if I want to, it'll just be much easier to do that from UVA. My brother just told me last week that he and his wife are going to start trying to have kids in the next couple of years and they live about an hour away from UVA. That's really a strong pull for me.

It was easier to say no to Vandy because I already knew that I really liked UVA. UVA, Duke, and Vandy were my top three choices and the three places that I felt the most connection with. I didn't get into Duke and Vandy's scholarship was pretty meager, so it made just as much sense to me to go to UVA where the scholarship money was. I never thought I would get into Columbia to begin with and certainly didn't think I would get a full ride, so I hadn't even entertained this situation as a possibility. I mostly just applied here because I already have Columbia connections and wouldn't have to travel for the interview, but not necessarily because I loved the school or wanted to end up here.

Depression and anxiety can strike regardless of location. As for the seasonal depression, is the weather that much better in virginia (honest question, I am from the west coast so I think of everything east coast-ish as having cold wet or snowy winters unless it is florida).

That said it won't close any doors to go to UVA (except for maybe early retirement)

 

[hs764]

Depression and anxiety can strike regardless of location. As for the seasonal depression, is the weather that much better in virginia (honest question, I am from the west coast so I think of everything east coast-ish as having cold wet or snowy winters unless it is florida).

That said it won't close any doors to go to UVA (except for maybe early retirement)

It tends to be a bit warmer and it definitely doesn't get the snow or the wind that NYC gets. You also can have a car there, so you're not standing outside in the cold waiting for buses or walking a billion blocks in the snow. I've lived in the south, the midwest, and the northeast, and the northeast is the only place that I've really gotten seasonal depression.

 

[dpmd]

It tends to be a bit warmer and it definitely doesn't get the snow or the wind that NYC gets. You also can have a car there, so you're not standing outside in the cold waiting for buses or walking a billion blocks in the snow. I've lived in the south, the midwest, and the northeast, and the northeast is the only place that I've really gotten seasonal depression.

Ah, gotcha. Just wanted to make sure you weren't being unrealistic about how happy you would be there. I lived near Seattle for a year and it did suck how dark and wet it was so much of the year so I can understand the difference weather can make. I don't know if it would have made 140k worth of a difference to me but you may place a different value on it (or maybe the difference between your two choices is larger than the difference between California and Pacific northwest, not that I had to make that decision)

 

[dark_knight]

OP. Go to UVA. You can't put a price on happiness and family. You mentioned you're older in age so you already know what's important to you.

Yes, you might have more debt but at least you'll live where you want to be. Either way you'll make decent money so I wouldn't worry about being broke or anything. Yes you'll have less luxury with the extra debt (at least for a bit) but that's definitely not the most important thing and it certainly doesn't lead to happiness.

 

[trobinsonmd]

You're not an idiot. I was in a similar situation with UCLA, except the reverse. UCLA gave me a full ride, and I had to pay almost full for NYU (I hate LA and love NYC)... to live in New York, you have to be a particular type of person... if you are not, the city will eat you alive. I have some classmates who are from very laid back cities like Seattle and Denver and after four years in this city, they look like they are ready to just crack from all the pressure and they are always stressed out and really just cannot tolerate living here... i would pick UVA if you don't like New York

 

[hs764]

You're not an idiot. I was in a similar situation with UCLA, except the reverse. UCLA gave me a full ride, and I had to pay almost full for NYU (I hate LA and love NYC)... to live in New York, you have to be a particular type of person... if you are not, the city will eat you alive. I have some classmates who are from very laid back cities like Seattle and Denver and after four years in this city, they look like they are ready to just crack from all the pressure and they are always stressed out and really just cannot tolerate living here... i would pick UVA if you don't like New York

Dang, I'll take the UCLA scholarship. I didn't really love their curriculum structure (or the interview day, for that matter) but I'd happily take it for that weather.

I've been talking to my family and WedgeDawg and I think now I am slightly leaning more towards Columbia. It's hard to rewrite what my perception of the next four years is going to be like, but this is probably too good of an opportunity to pass up. It seems like I'll have the money and the freedom to go home when I need to and a good support structure at the school. If I didn't already have a ton of undergrad and grad school debt I might still go with UVA, but seeing as I do that would probably be a really irresponsible choice.

 

[Meredith92]

If there are any Columbia med students floating around here, I would love to hear your opinion. I am genuinely worried that the quality of life I will have as a student in NYC would be lower than at UVA, but I don't know that for a fact. If med school at Columbia is amazing and wonderful and you're happy all the time, I would love to know.

Hey- just graduated Columbia p&s and have to say choosing Columbia was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My classmates were amazing and are now are lifelong friends. The p&s club is one of the best aspects of the school - I was involved in lots of clubs and felt like I had a really balanced and well rounded life. There are so many fun social events going on and so easy to find a study group during preclinical. Clinical year is intense like anywhere but I felt like I really grew into myself as a physician and feel so prepared for residency. It was really easy to do research and find mentors in fourth year. If being near family is your main priority that makes sense to be near them at UVA, but I think you would also find a wonderful home at p&s. If you wanna talk more about my experience feel free to pm me. Sorry this is a short response and didn’t get to read all the responses, on my phone, but just wanted to chime in and say how much I loved my p&s experience and I’m so sad to be graduating.

 

[hs764]

Hey- just graduated Columbia p&s and have to say choosing Columbia was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My classmates were amazing and are now are lifelong friends. The p&s club is one of the best aspects of the school - I was involved in lots of clubs and felt like I had a really balanced and well rounded life. There are so many fun social events going on and so easy to find a study group during preclinical. Clinical year is intense like anywhere but I felt like I really grew into myself as a physician and feel so prepared for residency. It was really easy to do research and find mentors in fourth year. If being near family is your main priority that makes sense to be near them at UVA, but I think you would also find a wonderful home at p&s. If you wanna talk more about my experience feel free to pm me. Sorry this is a short response and didn’t get to read all the responses, on my phone, but just wanted to chime in and say how much I loved my p&s experience and I’m so sad to be graduating.

I don't know what your housing situation was, but would you say that people who live off campus have that same experience?

 

[RaspberrySlushy]

Go to UVA. Money is only one factor. To an outsider, it seems clear you prefer UVA. You are arguing more against the people suggesting you go to Columbia and to me, that tells me how you feel. It’s like when you flip a coin and don’t get the answer you deep down want, and it becomes clear which choice you want.

Some people love NYC and it suits them but you’re not one of them and that’s just who you are. It sounds like the city stresses you out and the seasonal affective stuff is no joke. I have a friend who lives in NYC who deals with that and it’s not easy. It just sounds like you’re already really burnt out on NYC life and pace and culture and weather and that could be a real crappy way to start off Ned school.

It just seems UVA and its setting will be so much better for your mental health and if you’re dealing with a lot of stress/anxiety/depression/seasonal affective on top of the stress of med school, as others have said, that will probably impact your performance significantly.

Also your feelings about these places are not hypothetical. You’ve lived in different places and know how they affect you, and I think even if on some level you’re going back and forth, on another, deeper level it seems clear that you want UVA.

 

[hs764]

Go to UVA. Money is only one factor. To an outsider, it seems clear you prefer UVA. You are arguing more against the people suggesting you go to Columbia and to me, that tells me how you feel. It’s like when you flip a coin and don’t get the answer you deep down want, and it becomes clear which choice you want.

Some people love NYC and it suits them but you’re not one of them and that’s just who you are. It sounds like the city stresses you out and the seasonal affective stuff is no joke. I have a friend who lives in NYC who deals with that and it’s not easy. It just sounds like you’re already really burnt out on NYC life and pace and culture and weather and that could be a real crappy way to start off Ned school.

It just seems UVA and its setting will be so much better for your mental health and if you’re dealing with a lot of stress/anxiety/depression/seasonal affective on top of the stress of med school, as others have said, that will probably impact your performance significantly.

Also your feelings about these places are not hypothetical. You’ve lived in different places and know how they affect you, and I think even if on some level you’re going back and forth, on another, deeper level it seems clear that you want UVA.

I just have valid arguments for both sides. I do think the UVA lifestyle is more my speed. But I worry about missing opportunities if I pass up Columbia. Not just because of its faculty and prestige, but also the sheer volume and uniqueness of cases it gets. Getting to do rotations in a state psychiatric hospital would be amazing.

 

[hs764]

I just have valid arguments for both sides. I do think the UVA lifestyle is more my speed. But I worry about missing opportunities if I pass up Columbia. Not just because of its faculty and prestige, but also the sheer volume and uniqueness of cases it gets. Getting to do rotations in a state psychiatric hospital would be amazing.

That said, at least where I work, Columbia's facilities are pretty janky. But I don't know if that's true of the whole hospital.

 

[ergo432]

Take my words with a grain of salt because I'm waitlisted at Columbia, but I was offered an acceptance to an amazing school by all logical standards (ranking, research & clinical opportunities, etc.) sometime ago that I can't feel excited about. I'm on the waitlist forums because I'm so much more excited about my waitlist offers and every time I think about going to this school I feel uneasy. I'm not saying "being excited about where you're going" is the most important factor, and for many it's not, but it is certainly something worth considering. It depends on who you are, and I'm the type of person who really cares about the environment I'm going to be in even if it's only for 4 years. Right now I have to actively try to correct my attitude. So if you do choose NYC, consider you'll have to go through a similar process.

 

[ergo432]

Feel free to PM me since this is such a tough choice and I really feel for you. Either go to UVA where you feel you'll be happy and find ways to deal with more debt, or go to Columbia and try to change your outlook on this situation because I guarantee going in with a "I hate NYC/Columbia & feel stuck" outlook is going to make you very unhappy for the next 4 years.

 

[hs764]

I think I have decided to go with UVA. I may regret it once the loan repayment starts kicking in, but I don't want to spend another four years living in a place I hate. I'd like to go to med school in a place that I could see myself staying in long-term, and I definitely know that wouldn't be the case in NYC. I think for my mental health and overall happiness, this is the right choice.

Update: I've officially withdrawn from Columbia. I'm scared about the extra debt, but I feel like I've made the right decision. Thank you everyone for being so helpful and providing me with perspective. Being able to vent here was incredibly beneficial.

 

[djtallahassee]

This thread is helping me with my similar decision with larger borrowing gap.

If you have time, I would model the payment of your future loans in some excel sheet floating around here, study up on the repayment plans, and then revisit your decision. I decided on the cheaper school although not in my dream location like the other. I have even more risk of the schools not even being top tier with a challenging curriculum.

My reasoning is that debt blows and the freedom after residency would be amazing. The ability to work 4 days a week, choose any specialty, invest money, or even go as a travel doctor, is just too much to pass up. Also since med school is long, I could be in a position where I need freedom and less debt (like a family) Could be the wrong decision, but I imagine 3 years of med school goes quick and then you are into your audition/res application Year. I also think you should ask yourself how ¨miserable¨you would be or if just not the ideal situation. Plenty of people take jobs in less than desirable locations because that is what they find. We can do a few years of anything.

 

[hs764]

This thread is helping me with my similar decision with larger borrowing gap.

If you have time, I would model the payment of your future loans in some excel sheet floating around here, study up on the repayment plans, and then revisit your decision. I decided on the cheaper school although not in my dream location like the other. I have even more risk of the schools not even being top tier with a challenging curriculum.

My reasoning is that debt blows and the freedom after residency would be amazing. The ability to work 4 days a week, choose any specialty, invest money, or even go as a travel doctor, is just too much to pass up. Also since med school is long, I could be in a position where I need freedom and less debt (like a family) Could be the wrong decision, but I imagine 3 years of med school goes quick and then you are into your audition/res application Year. I also think you should ask yourself how ¨miserable¨you would be or if just not the ideal situation. Plenty of people take jobs in less than desirable locations because that is what they find. We can do a few years of anything.

I've already withdrawn from Columbia, so I'm officially past that point. If I hadn't already been living in NYC for five years, I might have chosen differently. But as it is, I feel like I've already spent the last half of my 20s in a place that I don't want to be. I don't want to say the same thing about the first half of my 30s. The debt is scary, but I have some retirement savings and investments and I don't need to live fancy. Many people graduate with more debt than I'll have and they end up okay. I'm confident I'll find a way to make it work.

 

[anaminmasar]

Congrats on your decision and on a successful application cycle there was really no wrong choice here whatsoever, and you will absolutely flourish at UVA! Best of luck to you!

 

[docr3]

I've already withdrawn from Columbia, so I'm officially past that point. If I hadn't already been living in NYC for five years, I might have chosen differently. But as it is, I feel like I've already spent the last half of my 20s in a place that I don't want to be. I don't want to say the same thing about the first half of my 30s. The debt is scary, but I have some retirement savings and investments and I don't need to live fancy. Many people graduate with more debt than I'll have and they end up okay. I'm confident I'll find a way to make it work.

I applaud you for choosing happiness and feel over prestige, best of luck !! To make it to the point your at now, it says enough about your work ethic and character that I think you’ll end up fine at whatever school your at

 

[thenucleusaccumbens]

Dang, I'll take the UCLA scholarship. I didn't really love their curriculum structure (or the interview day, for that matter) but I'd happily take it for that weather.

I've been talking to my family and WedgeDawg and I think now I am slightly leaning more towards Columbia. It's hard to rewrite what my perception of the next four years is going to be like, but this is probably too good of an opportunity to pass up. It seems like I'll have the money and the freedom to go home when I need to and a good support structure at the school. If I didn't already have a ton of undergrad and grad school debt I might still go with UVA, but seeing as I do that would probably be a really irresponsible choice.

I mean you said you have like 80k from undegrad and grad school + 200k if you went to UVA = 280k (obviously you also have to account for interest) but still i know A LOT of people who have much more than that from med school and undergrad combined. although most of the other people I know didn't have a choice (since a lot of people don't get big scholarships), but I actually do know some people who went into even more debt to go to their top choice school. you have to decide what's best for you but I wouldn't say it's "a really irresponsible choice" if you did go with UVA. 280k is not insignificant but it's not unmanagebale either.

Have you figured out what the actual difference would be yet when you account for the cost of living in NYC? I know you originally said Columbia would be 140k cheaper than UVA, but then you mentioned that there were other expenses not included in the budget Columbia gave you and you weren't going to be living in student housing there?

 

[thenucleusaccumbens]

I think I have decided to go with UVA. I may regret it once the loan repayment starts kicking in, but I don't want to spend another four years living in a place I hate. I'd like to go to med school in a place that I could see myself staying in long-term, and I definitely know that wouldn't be the case in NYC. I think for my mental health and overall happiness, this is the right choice.

Update: I've officially withdrawn from Columbia. I'm scared about the extra debt, but I feel like I've made the right decision. Thank you everyone for being so helpful and providing me with perspective. Being able to vent here was incredibly beneficial.

sorry I didn't see this before my recent comment! Good for you, you had a very difficult decision to make. Try not to freak out too much about debt. As I said I know a lot of people who have taken on more as well as people who have successfully paid off much more than you're taking on. Enjoy UVA!

 

[dpmd]

Now that you are committed it will be important to go ahead full force and not keep second guessing yourself.

 

[hs764]

Now that you are committed it will be important to go ahead full force and not keep second guessing yourself.

It's true, I did tell myself that whatever decision I made, I would make it and not look back. Fortunately still feeling very good about it three hours later.

 

[Lawpy]

I think I have decided to go with UVA. I may regret it once the loan repayment starts kicking in, but I don't want to spend another four years living in a place I hate. I'd like to go to med school in a place that I could see myself staying in long-term, and I definitely know that wouldn't be the case in NYC. I think for my mental health and overall happiness, this is the right choice.

Update: I've officially withdrawn from Columbia. I'm scared about the extra debt, but I feel like I've made the right decision. Thank you everyone for being so helpful and providing me with perspective. Being able to vent here was incredibly beneficial.

As long as you're happy with the decision, it's all good. I think from what you've said in this thread, you'll be genuinely happy at UVA and thrive there so you will definitely have no problems excelling and matching wherever you want.

 

[EnterMemberNameHere]

Congratulations! This has been the most thoughtful, difficult “help me choose” thread I’ve ever seen, and I think you made the right decision for a number of reasons, but especially because it’s not a very risky one. Columbia could have worked or magnificently for you, but it also could have blown up in your face. The money and prestige wouldn’t have mattered if you flamed out a year into P&S. Stay happy and sane, do well at UVA, and you can end up anywhere. You’ll probably even have your pick of the litter in terms of southeastern-based residencies. Also, as a note, I interviewed at both and had I been accepted to both I would have gone to Columbia, but I am almost certain I would have been happier at UVA (although not as significantly as it seems you will). Best of luck.

 

[Meredith92]

Congrats on making your decision!! I think it’s really smart to choose happiness and mental health especially during medical school. UVA is an amazing school and it will be wonderful to be near family. Now go out and celebrate!

I think I have decided to go with UVA. I may regret it once the loan repayment starts kicking in, but I don't want to spend another four years living in a place I hate. I'd like to go to med school in a place that I could see myself staying in long-term, and I definitely know that wouldn't be the case in NYC. I think for my mental health and overall happiness, this is the right choice.

Update: I've officially withdrawn from Columbia. I'm scared about the extra debt, but I feel like I've made the right decision. Thank you everyone for being so helpful and providing me with perspective. Being able to vent here was incredibly beneficial.

ngray

 

[willow84]

Congrats! Based on what you've said, I think you made the right choice. I lived in NYC for many years (also a 30-something nontrad), and I turned down even the interview invites I got to schools in the area after I had time to think. I did love living there in my 20s, but its not what I want for med school or my life. Too much of everything (stress, pressure, smells, etc)... not to mention NYC on a modest salary is tough; I couldn't imagine NYC when you're scraping by on med school loans. No thanks.

 

[Mad Jack]

I think I would like to teach eventually, but my plan right now is to practice for a while and not go into academia for several years at least. I don't know yet whether I'd prefer to be in a public or private setting, but I do plan on being a clinician for a while. I think I'd make more money that way but I'm sure it'll depend on where I live and what type of practice I'm in.



Unless something drastically changes with my personality, I'm like 99% sure I won't want to stay here for residency. I'm really hoping to end up somewhere back in the southeast at a place like Vanderbilt, Duke, or Emory. Those were all my top choices for med school along with UVA, but the money just didn't end up working out. From the info they gave me on interview day, about 25% of Columbia med school grads end up doing residency at Columbia and about 50% end up doing it somewhere in New York state. I don't know if that's by choice or by circumstance, but I definitely don't want to go to med school here if that's going to make it more unlikely for me to be able to get a residency back in the southeast.

That is by choice. You can go anywhere from Columbia, the sort of letters and exposure you get will set you up for success throughout the country. The fact that 50% of Columbia grads end up in the most competitive city in the country for decent programs is a positive correlator that they can do whatever they want.

 

[sadkmladkds]

Congrats on making your choice but I'm truly shocked the schools are not even close to equal. Regardless I wish you all the best.

 

[Marge3]

As another nontrad who knows what a psychological and physical toll those winters can take on some of us, and who also enjoys life infinitely more with a bit of distance from the huge city rat race, I applaud you! I'm so glad you had the courage to go with what you knew was right for you over what was right for Generic Student X! Congratulations!

 

[thenucleusaccumbens]

Congrats on making your choice but I'm truly shocked the schools are not even close to equal. Regardless I wish you all the best.

Seriously? "Truly shocked"? OP described how much they hated living in NYC (it's not for everyone) and how they wanted to be close to their family in VA. UVA is an excellent school - highly ranked, although not as high as Columbia, it's not like UVA is some low tier school.

 

[sadkmladkds]

The two schools aren't even close to the same level and it's six figures of debt. I am truly shocked. I realize NYC isn't for everyone but that much money for a worse school is mind-boggling.

I think my use of the word shocked is justified.

That being said OP congrats again on your choice

 

[sss1219]

The two schools aren't even close to the same level

Who cares

 

[anaminmasar]

Seriously? "Truly shocked"? OP described how much they hated living in NYC (it's not for everyone) and how they wanted to be close to their family in VA. UVA is an excellent school - highly ranked, although not as high as Columbia, it's not like UVA is some low tier school.

Who cares

Agree with you both - I think that things like this get so incredibly overblown here. The differences are not nearly as stark as many make it out to be.

 

[dpmd]

Yeah it isn't like they turned down columbia to go to a caribbean school.

 

[Z-123]

However, last week Columbia admitted me off of their waitlist and today they just told me that they are giving me $74,000 a year, which fully covers tuition and some living expenses. Overall I would only be paying about $60,000 total to go to school there, as opposed to $200,000 at UVA.

What are your stats that you received a full ride from Columbia, though? That's so ridiculously impressive.

Congratulations, no matter what!

 

[drbatsandwich]

What are your stats that you received a full ride from Columbia, though? That's so ridiculously impressive.

Congratulations, no matter what!

This...

If you are so boss that you got offered a full ride from Columbia, I'm pretty sure you will continue to be a star throughout med school and thus get matched into the residency you want regardless of it being UVA (nothin to scoff at either!)

Congratulations, OP!

 

[WedgeDawg]

Congrats on making a very difficult decision. I’m sure you’re going to do just fine