I am accepted into Downstate and NYU. Which school is better? Your inputs please
Downstate vs. NYU
- Thread starter treem
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How important is cost? I'd say most people like NYU a lot more, Downstate's main pro would just be dollars.
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If you're going to be heavy into research, then go to NYU. NYU has a slight edge in prestige factor and has a much better medical center than Downstate.
Downstate has all these things going on, except you'll probably get a much better clinical education thanks to that area of Brooklyn being really underserved.
If NYU gives you no financial aid, I would go to Downstate if cost was my main priority. Otherwise, NYU > Downstate.
They're all in the city, so location should mean nothing. Commuting is a way of life, albeit the area NYU is in is more desirable than Downstate.
Downstate has all these things going on, except you'll probably get a much better clinical education thanks to that area of Brooklyn being really underserved.
If NYU gives you no financial aid, I would go to Downstate if cost was my main priority. Otherwise, NYU > Downstate.
They're all in the city, so location should mean nothing. Commuting is a way of life, albeit the area NYU is in is more desirable than Downstate.
nyu is a really nice location in manhattan while downstate is in flatbush, very different areas.
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I went to school in Manhattan and worked in Brooklyn. I'm very familiar with both. In this case, location means nothing because you can live anywhere in New York City and get around. Commuting is a way of life. I don't think location should shape his decision here.
We're not comparing an NYC school to University of Vermont. We're talking about schools literally a 30-45 minute subway ride apart.
Just saying it's a totally different atmosphere in both locations, harlem is 30 minutes from times square and I'd hardly call them equivalent. in this case location is a differentiating factor.
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i'm considering these schools, among some others. FWIW, i've spoken with three practicing docs that went to Downstate; two said they thought NYU was the better option, and the other said "you can't go wrong with either." additionally, i know a residency program director--with no affiliation at either school-- and he said that NYU graduates consistently demonstrated better clinical preparedness and were more successful in residency applications to his program. i realize that this is only N=4, but the point-of-view of a residency director is pretty substantial.
my analysis goes down like this: NYU's research edge is a given, but i'll probably do some research in the next 4 years, so it's worth noting. more importantly, from my experience during interview day, it just felt like NYU "cared more" about supporting its students throughout their medical school journey. they revamped the curriculum, they have a variety of dual-degree options, there are some pretty cool international opportunities, they go out of their way to do a lot of technology integration, they have some good housing options in a crazy location. also, i like the P/F system for preclinical work. at Downstate, it was more like, "this is medical school...go do it. we can talk when it's over."
that being said, i would not discredit Downstate's reputation in any way. from what i've heard from current students, their clinical years are VERY hands-on, and the variety and intensity of cases they see, because of their location, are nearly unparalleled at anywhere else.
hope (some of) that helps.
my analysis goes down like this: NYU's research edge is a given, but i'll probably do some research in the next 4 years, so it's worth noting. more importantly, from my experience during interview day, it just felt like NYU "cared more" about supporting its students throughout their medical school journey. they revamped the curriculum, they have a variety of dual-degree options, there are some pretty cool international opportunities, they go out of their way to do a lot of technology integration, they have some good housing options in a crazy location. also, i like the P/F system for preclinical work. at Downstate, it was more like, "this is medical school...go do it. we can talk when it's over."
that being said, i would not discredit Downstate's reputation in any way. from what i've heard from current students, their clinical years are VERY hands-on, and the variety and intensity of cases they see, because of their location, are nearly unparalleled at anywhere else.
hope (some of) that helps.
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This is exactly how I felt.
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Yeah, Harlem is only 30 minutes away from Times Square and they are different. If you're choosing where you want to live in that case, a large majority of people from NYC would probably choose Harlem. Harlem is not what it used to be and has made great strides. It's also more residential than Times Square will ever be.
To me, the two aspects of location that are important are recreation and housing. Facilities, where you spend a large portion of your time in class and in the hospital, are separate. If you went to Downstate, a lot of people live off-campus after their first year, some even starting in their first year. I don't know what the housing situation is at NYU, but I'm assuming some people live off campus because the rate could be cheaper than NYU's rate.
I'm stating that location is irrelevant because if you're going to live off-campus (for undergrad, NYU's dorms are sprinkled all over the borough, I don't know about for medical school), you can choose to live anywhere you want in the city. Short subway rides to school, home, the movies, bars is a common practice. The commute is bonding time in my opinion. If you're going to Downstate and living in Park Slope, then you aren't really living in Downstate's contrasting conditions.
To play devil's advocate, I've heard that SUNY Downstate prepares their students very well clinically. Therefore, residency directors understand the background of SUNY Downstate students and know they may start out more competent, confident and experienced than their peers after serving a high-needs area. Then again, NYU has a very renowned medical center and probably sees more "interesting" cases than Downstate, which also happens to be less technologically advanced.
at Downstate, it was more like, "this is medical school...go do it. we can talk when it's over."
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I totally got the same vibe at Downstate! I felt like it was very similar to the commuter college I go to in the city right now, you just go in, do your work, leave and never really know the person's name who sits next to you.
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I totally got the same vibe at Downstate! I felt like it was very similar to the commuter college I go to in the city right now, you just go in, do your work, leave and never really know the person's name who sits next to you.
If you are interested in primary care maybe downstate is a good option. if you will get instate tuition, maybe downstate is cheaper, although big budget privates (ie NYU) have money to spread around to the students.
Other than those considerations, NYU is certainly the better school. Their match list is better, especially if you are interested in more competitive specialties. Their new curriculum (18month pre-clinical vs. 2 yrs) is attractive since one starts rotations earlier, giving more time to sample different fields before applying to programs. The location is ideal if you like city living. Downstate isn't in the best hood and though there are cool/nice places around, you'd definitely be commuting.
All that said, you'd be crazy to pass up on NYU unless Downstate is MUCH cheaper or of course if you just don't think NYU will be a good fit.
Other than those considerations, NYU is certainly the better school. Their match list is better, especially if you are interested in more competitive specialties. Their new curriculum (18month pre-clinical vs. 2 yrs) is attractive since one starts rotations earlier, giving more time to sample different fields before applying to programs. The location is ideal if you like city living. Downstate isn't in the best hood and though there are cool/nice places around, you'd definitely be commuting.
All that said, you'd be crazy to pass up on NYU unless Downstate is MUCH cheaper or of course if you just don't think NYU will be a good fit.
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Downstate has a great match list-- with a lot of specialization. I don't know how you can just say NYU's match list is better than Downstate. Match lists are not as important as match list trends, and even then there's a lot of nuances that go into deciphering a match list.
Downstate's financial aid is terrible, but if NYU Med is anything like NYU undergrad, the financial aid is just as bad. At least with Downstate, you get public tuition, so expect nothing less than a 15-20K scholarship from NYU to even the costs. According to MSAR and the ways each school may report graduate indebtedness, NYU = 141K, Downstate = 119K. 20K is not chump change, but shouldn't really be a deciding factor in your decision here. Your particular financial aid package from each school will vary from the average.
Firstly, I never said Downstate doesn't have a great match list. They matched very well this year. I said NYU has a better match list, especially in more competitive specialties. Looking at the lists side by side, I think that claim holds ture - see surgical specialties, OBGYN, and all sub-specialties. Secondly, I'm not going to get into an argument on a thread where the OP hasn't joined his/her own discussion.
Who is hating on Downstate? No one has even mentioned USNews rankings here...
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