BU vs. Cincinnati

[megan1010]

I've been trying to decide between these two schools. For some background, I am a non-traditional student and through a program at BU have learned about the medical faculty. They really care about feedback from students and seem to be big on mentoring and improving education. Both schools have similar class sizes and both seemed to have a similar environment in terms of collaboration and support. I am flexible with location having gone to undergrad in the west coast and also having lived in the east coast. I am interested in neurosurgery and have done research in the field for a few years now. I am also slightly leaning to potentially having a career in academic medicine. Research opportunities in neurosurgery are also important for me given my interest in it and its competitiveness. I don't have a particularly strong interest in pediatrics, but I haven't written it off. They both are great schools, both have lots of funding, both P/F, both have Medical Spanish electives, both have time for research (but looks like it's mostly into 4th year or b/t summers), lectures recorded, and cost isn't a huge factor for me, although I did include it. I don't have any major ties in terms of family for either place. I have a bit of a bias for BU since it's familiar for me and my experience there has been positive, but I'm hoping to maybe get some outside views/opinions. Does anyone have any input that would maybe guide me further in making a choice? I'm having trouble letting either school go.

BU:
+ Integrated curriculum (although new)
+ Boston location (familiar since I've lived here)
+ Tight-knit community
+ Passionate faculty and huge support for students
+ Impressive global health opportunities (not sure if something I'll partake in realistically)
- Expensive cost of living and tuition


Cincinnati:
+ Cheaper cost of loving and tuition
+ Faculty seem supportive and responsive to students (associate dean was super nice and down-to-earth)
+ Integrated curriculum (but also relatively new)
+ Have great spine program and neurosurgery research, great facilities
- Location (not familiar and not quite as appealing as Boston) - not a big deal though

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[megan1010]

For people voting, would you be able to say why you voted the way you did? I think that might be helpful. Thank you.

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

If it's even relatively significant, I'd follow the money. Everybody I know at UC really enjoys their time there, and as a location it's actually a great city (not to say people at BU don't enjoy it or that Boston isn't larger, I just don't know many people there haha).

But admittedly for similarly-tiered Med schools I do put a premium on costs.

 

[megan1010]

If it's even relatively significant, I'd follow the money. Everybody I know at UC really enjoys their time there, and as a location it's actually a great city (not to say people at BU don't enjoy it or that Boston isn't larger, I just don't know many people there haha).

But admittedly for similarly-tiered Med schools I do put a premium on costs.

Thank you for replying! I have heard good things about Cincinnati as a city, just not as familiar with it as I am with Boston. I have heard the winter is much more mild, which is certainly nice!

Cost, fortunately, is not a major factor in my decision to be honest (it's just a nice perk if I went to UC - I didn't calculate them out, but I don't think it'd be dramatically cheaper - most of the difference would come from cost of living I think) and so maybe I shouldn't have included cost at all haha. I guess I'm more interested in whichever will help me the most for my career (support, opportunities, resources, training, etc), but they both seem to be similar and great schools. I know people say it doesn't really matter where you go, but it's always nice to hear other people's perspectives. I also don't know if it makes any difference that I am interested in academic medicine and the fact that I'm heading down this path leaning towards a particularly specialty.

 

[megan1010]

Well, thanks to those who voted and gave input.