Columbia vs. SUNY/CUNY

[ruckel121]

I just got accepted to Columbia's DPT program as well as CUNY hunter and I have an interview at Stony Brook tomorrow. Aside from the price difference is there a huge difference in the schools? Will I have better opportunities being an IVY grad versus a public school grad? I know the previous threads say that it doesn't matter but i'm afraid if i turn down Columbia I will regret it. Also if anyone is a Columbia, Hunter or Stony Brook student PLEASE contact me.

Thanks.

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[bigdan]

Wow. Congrats! Looks like win-win choice no matter what.

I'm not a PT, but an OT, and I found that graduating from a small-name school had very little influence on where I worked or what I did once working. Especially now - it's a therapists' market - you will be able to get a job anywhere as long as you have a license and degree.

My hesitancy would be, in hindsight, two-fold. If you are absolutely certain that you want to be an academic, in which case you might wanna go with Columbia, and you'll feel more comfortable with an Ivy name to swing around when you talk to/send resumes to others. Also, when you go somewhere with an academic medical center attached, you get a rich and broad exposure. And Columbia is simply unparallelled in that aspect (and that's coming from a guy who is currently at Stony Brook). You see cases you won't see elsewhere. BUT - check out the salaries. There have be postings all over about how much you make, but even if you are very generous in your estimation of first year pay, figure out how long it will take to pay off your DPT with 80 or even 100K/yr.

Lots to think about, but congrats and good luck with whatever you chose!

dc

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

Wow. Congrats! Looks like win-win choice no matter what.

I'm not a PT, but an OT, and I found that graduating from a small-name school had very little influence on where I worked or what I did once working. Especially now - it's a therapists' market - you will be able to get a job anywhere as long as you have a license and degree.

My hesitancy would be, in hindsight, two-fold. If you are absolutely certain that you want to be an academic, in which case you might wanna go with Columbia, and you'll feel more comfortable with an Ivy name to swing around when you talk to/send resumes to others. Also, when you go somewhere with an academic medical center attached, you get a rich and broad exposure. And Columbia is simply unparallelled in that aspect (and that's coming from a guy who is currently at Stony Brook). You see cases you won't see elsewhere. BUT - check out the salaries. There have be postings all over about how much you make, but even if you are very generous in your estimation of first year pay, figure out how long it will take to pay off your DPT with 80 or even 100K/yr.

Lots to think about, but congrats and good luck with whatever you chose!

dc

Go to the cheapest school, a PT is a PT is a PT... Trust me in the end it wont matter.

 

[bigdan]

I generally agree.

I may be speaking out of envy - I went to a tiny school (which I did love) but would wonder how a much bigger school/medical center might have changed my views.

My last employer did have a "blacklist" of schools - short list 'cause only one school was on it - that we have had significant trouble with their grads.

Paying off medical school/law school debt to get a PT salary is a scary proposition.

dc

 

[freddydpt]

I have to put in my 2 cents. I went to BU and did a clinical affil at Columbia. I have to say that the better students I worked with were actually the Hunter students. Nothing against Columbia at all. It's a great school. I'm just saying that if you're looking for Value... meaning factoring in the cost... Hunter has significantly more value. You are still able to rotate at Columbia.