Brown vs UNC Chapel Hill

[medapplicant525]

Hi everyone, I'd like to hear some insight into choosing between Brown and UNC. I'm interested in primary care, public health, and global health. At Brown, I'll be in the four-year MD/ScM PCPM (Primary Care Population Medicine) program, and at UNC I will be in the five-year MD/MPH program.

Brown pros

-PCPM program (Msc in Population medicine dual degree) with a very cool cohort

-automatic summer research stipend & lots of mentorship with the dual degree

-lots of flexibility & freedom

-it seems like admin really values student wellness and mental health

-Friday exams

-only med school in Rhode island so opportunities for med students

-ivy league prestige??

-admissions admin has been amazing

-school seems pretty liberal & woke compared to other med schools

-lots of friends in Boston

-alumni I talked to were really cool

-lots of prestigious residency matches in the list

-providence seems really artsy with lots of great restaurants

-humanities & social science emphasis


Brown cons

-more expensive (but with aid and subsidized loans it's not so terrible)

-not a primary care focus

-go to a different school for MPH year because won’t get everything from the dual degree

-went to undergrad in the Northeast, not super excited to go back

-most of the medical attention is in Boston, not Providence

-IVY league privilege

-lots of med students come directly from Brown undergrad (8 year program). Heard it can be cliquey at first


UNC pros:

-people seem really friendly

-amazing for public health & primary care

-extended primary care rotations

-great MPH and public health school

-better location (excited to not be back in the Northeast)

-cheaper!! 35K scholarship + in-state tuition years 2-4

-global health opportunities in African continent

-research triangle

-rural health rotations

-diversity in NC


UNC cons

-bigger class size

-competition with Duke med students? Not as many opportunities for med students because lots of residents?

-lots of the class is from NC, will I fit in?

-communications from admin has been the most disorganized and a little frustrating

-it seems like most people stay in NC for residency & beyond

-didn’t like UNC 2nd look as much as Brown

-never lived in the South?

-match rate dropped to 93% this year?

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[voxveritatisetlucis]

UNC is a better med school than brown and it’s cheaper. I’d go UNC. Dartmouth and Brown med schools don’t carry the same weight as they do for undergrad from what I’ve heard.

 

[Apple Jacks]

Same as comment above

 

[srirachamayonnaise]

UNC is a better medical school than Brown. Go there.

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

While Brown and Dartmouth don't have as strong medical schools (they don't have particularly strong hospital systems), it doesn't seem to get in the way in their match list--I guess the Ivy name carries weight. As you are aware, UNC is particularly strong in primary care.
I'd personally like Providence more than Chapel Hill, but if you don't then you can't go wrong with UNC.