Drexel Vs NYMC

[dreamingofmed]

Hello,
I would love some advice on schools to choose. My goal is do to primary care likely (Family medicine/IM). It is possible that I may be interested in a more competitive specialty later, but I feel it is not likely.

Drexel:
I really love Drexel. I want to be in a city with lots of things to do and eat.
Pros:
-Near support system. My partner has extended family in Philly. We are planning to get married so we would have a small support system if we move there. My best friend from high school is also going to graduate school in Philadelphia (1 yr only) so we would be able to live together and hang out. This would relieve my stress a lot during M1.
-in City, has diverse foods, lots of things to do. This is important to me and my partner.
-cheap apartments. Partner and I can have a bedroom and a home office. Important since he works from home and needs separate office.
-Flipped classroom, students only go to campus about 3 times a wk preclinical
-Amazing extracurriculars- outreach programs to work with underserved, fun clubs like book club/skiing club. I'm really into skiing and I'm not sure if that can be done in NYC
-opportunity to go back to CA for rotations. Philly has 25 spots for their Kaiser Bay Area year long rotations (lottery system assignment). It's possible to stay here for 3rd year and 4th year rotations and then just go back to Philly for match week. This is ideal because I have support in the bay area and am from california. It would be great if I could go back to CA M3 & M4.

Cons:
-Cost ~100-105K/yr, Projected debt is going to be about 400-420K. This is very high since I want to do primary care.
-Lottery system rotations. There are 220 spots for the year long rotations and I want to end up in the Kaiser Bay Area but it's not guaranteed. Otherwise I could be driving all over for my rotations.
-no Research, I know that students have to email professors at Jefferson/Temple/Penn to get research.

NYMC:
I actually did not like NYMC at all. It's in a small suburban area that has no restaurants open late and it is really far from New York City. It's right next to a prison and all the students live in dorms??

Pros:
-20-30k off tuition/yr. Likely will be getting NYMC need based scholarship. Lower cost. ~280k-320k depending on how much tuition I get off. This is my biggest pro.
-Near friends in main NYC. I would be able see some friends every once in a while, but I am not as close with these friends as my best friend going to Philly.
-Good match list

Cons:
-nothing to do. Restaurants aren't open late and there aren't many food options. I am asian and there seems to be no asian grocery stores?? I know this will really stress me out and end up negatively affecting academics and my relationship.
-Most students live in dorms. That is so weird to me and I can't do that since I have a partner. We'll have to find off campus housing which I know will be more expensive. I'm not sure we would be able to afford having a bedroom and an office in NYC. Our apartment might be cramped since we would both need home work stations.
-Most students match into NYC residencies. Very few CA residencies which is where I want to go.
-strangely religious? They seem to be either catholic/jewish, I am not sure.
-Bought out by the Touro DO system.
-students go to class a lot. They just started recording lectures for students but it seems like students still go to class


All in all, my main pro for NYMC is the discounted tuition. I would have to reapply for it every year so that is more of a hassle. I'm not sure if its guaranteed I will get the discount as well. I mostly like Drexel because of the city culture and support system but the cost is high.

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[appthiscycle]

Disclosure: I have an A to Nymc but based on ur list of pros and cons, definitely go to Drexel. It sounds like you’ll be much much happier there.

 

[Bowel-Plumber]

Disclaimer: I have an A at Drexel and NYMC, dropping both though

You should go to Drexel. You just don’t seem interested in NYMC at all and that’s fine. Personally, I like NYMC a lot more and would have gone there if I had to choose from the two, but the reasons I like them are essentially for the reasons you dislike them (I like suburbia)

Your list clearly shows that you want to go to Drexel and that’s fine. Go where you will be happy and thrive

 

[obscurecomplimenter]

Current NYMC student here. I am also leaning Drexel for you; I love Philly and it does overall sound like you will be happier there given what you've shared. For completeness' sake / for any else who might come across this thread, though, I will address a couple things you brought up re: NYMC:

-nothing to do. Restaurants aren't open late and there aren't many food options. I am asian and there seems to be no asian grocery stores?? I know this will really stress me out and end up negatively affecting academics and my relationship.

Philly is objectively a way cooler place than Valhalla (speaking as a city person); NYMC is indeed in the middle of nowhere/requires a car to do anything. It is definitely a quieter area which is more for people that like natural beauty / small cute downtowns, but city people will likely be pretty disappointed. That said, many students do end up living in NYC if they want to.
There is an H-mart nearby, and a couple hidden treasures if you know where to find them, but agreed no comparison to Philly.

-Most students live in dorms. That is so weird to me and I can't do that since I have a partner. We'll have to find off campus housing which I know will be more expensive. I'm not sure we would be able to afford having a bedroom and an office in NYC. Our apartment might be cramped since we would both need home work stations.

It is true that most students live on-campus their first two years, which is appealing to those who are single / want to build community with classmates, but agreed that it wouldn't suit your situation with your partner. It is possible to find nearby off-campus spots that fit your specifications (e.g. in nearby White Plains which is very city-like/walkable, albeit it's not Philly). I currently know of a 2-bedroom spot in Valhalla for $2300/mo. But yes, will likely have to pay a lot more $$ for a nice 2-bedroom with the space you're desiring compared to Philly prices. (Probably ~$3000+ around here).

-Most students match into NYC residencies. Very few CA residencies which is where I want to go.

This may be skewed by the fact that the vast majority of students hail from this area. I know a few CA friends who were able to match back on the West Coast. Residency match decisions are reportedly strongly influenced by a meaningful geographic connection (eg family in the area), even if you didn't go to school there. I'm not familiar with how Drexel's match list compares in this regard.

-strangely religious? They seem to be either catholic/jewish, I am not sure.

Jewish, due to the Touro connection. Plenty of non-Jewish students here and doesn't really affect too much in the day-to-day, except for (1) club event planning - food at any 'official' event has to be Kosher, and (2) all classes/campus facilities end/close early on Fridays. That's about it. If anything, you get more random days off for Jewish holidays, and they're a little more sympathetic to students with families/childbearing etc.

-Bought out by the Touro DO system.

Haven't found this to be a con at all; if anything means increased resources / getting access to all online resources, journals etc. available within the Touro network.

-students go to class a lot. They just started recording lectures for students but it seems like students still go to class

It does seem like they are moving more toward recognizing that prerecorded / video lectures are the way of the future (pre-recorded vlog lectures already implemented within the Neuro/Psych block and most other organ blocks, with live lectures only continuing to be a thing in Anatomy and Micro)-- but it is in transition right now, & I agree NYMC has historically been behind the times on this. Only a very small proportion of our students actually attend live lecture, especially by M2 year onward. There was some grumbling within the M1 class this year after a course director introduced an 'incentive' for class attendance (5 extra participation points or something)


Cost/Tuition: The cost differential does suck a lot, That said, it may be partly made up for by the higher cost of living around here (which is considerable -- Westchester is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation and Manhattan is ridiculous)

 

[doctorsoonhopefully]

Current Drexel masters student and recent accepted DUCOM student! I know a lot of ppl who are currently in the med school and wanted to let you know that if you are from CA and want to return there for rotations you are almost guaranteed that spot. They mostly try to send CA residents out there for rotations. Also there is a ton of research at Drexel! I currently have a position and know many others that do as well. That being said, Penn is right across the street (like 10-20 min walk depending now what building you would be in). Hope this helps!

 

[dreamingofmed]

Current Drexel masters student and recent accepted DUCOM student! I know a lot of ppl who are currently in the med school and wanted to let you know that if you are from CA and want to return there for rotations you are almost guaranteed that spot. They mostly try to send CA residents out there for rotations. Also there is a ton of research at Drexel! I currently have a position and know many others that do as well. That being said, Penn is right across the street (like 10-20 min walk depending now what building you would be in). Hope this helps!

Thank you! This is super helpful

 

[dreamingofmed]

Current NYMC student here. I am also leaning Drexel for you; I love Philly and it does overall sound like you will be happier there given what you've shared. For completeness' sake / for any else who might come across this thread, though, I will address a couple things you brought up re: NYMC:


Philly is objectively a way cooler place than Valhalla (speaking as a city person); NYMC is indeed in the middle of nowhere/requires a car to do anything. It is definitely a quieter area which is more for people that like natural beauty / small cute downtowns, but city people will likely be pretty disappointed. That said, many students do end up living in NYC if they want to.
There is an H-mart nearby, and a couple hidden treasures if you know where to find them, but agreed no comparison to Philly.


It is true that most students live on-campus their first two years, which is appealing to those who are single / want to build community with classmates, but agreed that it wouldn't suit your situation with your partner. It is possible to find nearby off-campus spots that fit your specifications (e.g. in nearby White Plains which is very city-like/walkable, albeit it's not Philly). I currently know of a 2-bedroom spot in Valhalla for $2300/mo. But yes, will likely have to pay a lot more $$ for a nice 2-bedroom with the space you're desiring compared to Philly prices. (Probably ~$3000+ around here).


This may be skewed by the fact that the vast majority of students hail from this area. I know a few CA friends who were able to match back on the West Coast. Residency match decisions are reportedly strongly influenced by a meaningful geographic connection (eg family in the area), even if you didn't go to school there. I'm not familiar with how Drexel's match list compares in this regard.


Jewish, due to the Touro connection. Plenty of non-Jewish students here and doesn't really affect too much in the day-to-day, except for (1) club event planning - food at any 'official' event has to be Kosher, and (2) all classes/campus facilities end/close early on Fridays. That's about it. If anything, you get more random days off for Jewish holidays, and they're a little more sympathetic to students with families/childbearing etc.


Haven't found this to be a con at all; if anything means increased resources / getting access to all online resources, journals etc. available within the Touro network.


It does seem like they are moving more toward recognizing that prerecorded / video lectures are the way of the future (pre-recorded vlog lectures already implemented within the Neuro/Psych block and most other organ blocks, with live lectures only continuing to be a thing in Anatomy and Micro)-- but it is in transition right now, & I agree NYMC has historically been behind the times on this. Only a very small proportion of our students actually attend live lecture, especially by M2 year onward. There was some grumbling within the M1 class this year after a course director introduced an 'incentive' for class attendance (5 extra participation points or something)


Cost/Tuition: The cost differential does suck a lot, That said, it may be partly made up for by the higher cost of living around here (which is considerable -- Westchester is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation and Manhattan is ridiculous)

Thank you for your additions!