- Joined
- Nov 22, 2020
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Hello everyone! Thanks so much for reading this and helping out — I never in a million years thought I’d have even one of these options, let alone multiple. Because they are all such incredible schools, I feel some major FOMO about the ones I won’t pick. Guess this is a great problem to have, but I really don't want to make the wrong choice! Thank you again, and I am so very grateful for these options.
Future career goals: Largely undecided, but I want to keep my options open
Overall what I’m looking for/value is:
Pros:
+ FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP!
+ WEATHER! Blue skies!!
+ 1 year preclinical, so the third year is entirely dedicated to a “Discovery” project/area of concentration
+ High Latinx population
+ Strong global health opportunities
+ Easy access to the beach and lots of other outdoor activities
+ No AOA
+ P/F clinicals for now (although they are likely to stay P/F)
+ A decent amount of time off/mini breaks (at least during M1)
Cons:
- TRAFFIC! I don’t mind driving when my car is actually moving, but I hate being stalled in traffic
- Very high cost of living area
- Large class size
- Less prestige compared to other options?
WashU! (Estimated total debt: 105k)
Pros:
+ FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP!
+ Great reputation in medicine and science
+ No AOA
+ Mostly P/F clinicals (although you can earn a “distinction”)
+ Research powerhouse
+ Lower cost of living area = better quality of life for me/partner?
+ Exams during the preclinical phase are approximately once a month and usually on Fridays
Cons:
- Although the cost of living is cheaper, I am not super excited about Saint Louis as a place
- Not great name recognition outside of medicine and science. I know this shouldn’t matter, but it does to me a little bit
- Not as exciting of a curriculum structure for me compared to my other options
Mayo Clinic AZ! (Estimated total debt: 143k)
Pros:
+ FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP!
+ Selectives! They seem like a very cool way to explore a wide variety of specialties early on
+ Strong mentorship opportunities with a high faculty-to-student ratio
+ Opportunities to be funded to visit/rotate at the other Mayo campuses
+ Access to hiking near Phoenix
+ High Latinx population
+ Great name recognition in and outside of medicine
+ From a branding perspective, I love the Mayo philosophy/values
+ No AOA
+ Medium COL area
Cons:
- HEAT! I like blue skies and warm weather, but I think 4 months out of the year will be pretty miserable
- Clinical year is graded on a H/HP/P/F system
- Small class size may be a pro overall, but it makes me nervous that I won’t be able to make friends
- Limited dual degree opportunities (really not sure if I want a dual degree, but it would be nice to have the option)
Duke! (PCLT = Primary Care Leadership Track) (Estimated total debt: TBD)
Pros:
+ 1-year preclinical and 1 year completely dedicated to research/dual degree
+ PCLT program aligns with my values and may be a built-in community of friends (I am fairly certain I do not want to do primary care, but PCLT does not limit you to applying to primary care residencies, and I am also able to drop out and join the regular MD class if I wanted)
+ P/F clinicals!
+ No AOA
+ Great name recognition both in and outside of medicine
+ I could see myself vibing with Durham, and it has decent/pretty good weather
Cons:
- No merit aid (yet? I am hopeful but we will see)
- Not 100% sure if this is true, but lack of diversity among patient population and potentially med school class?
- 1 year-preclinical seems overall like a pro, but it would be an intense year — exams every other Monday
Yale! (Estimated total debt: 400k?)
Pros:
+ YALE SYSTEM! Yale’s curriculum is the most flexible and probably the lowest stress out of all my schools — I could really focus on wellness and devote my time where it matters
+ No AOA
+ P/F clinicals!
+ No shelf exams! (Not sure how big of a deal this is, but it seems to be emphasized a lot)
+ Ivy name, great name recognition in and out of medicine
Cons:
- They do not offer merit scholarships, so likely full price (~400k?)
- Is there *too* much flexibility in the curriculum? Unsure
- Lack of patient diversity
- New Haven is cold
- Based on my limited virtual interactions, the people seem very dry? Small sample size though.
HMS! (Estimated total debt: 400k?)
Pros:
+ If my reaction to getting accepted is any indication of how I feel, I had a full-on meltdown when I got the HMS acceptance — it’s HARVARD!
+ No AOA
+ P/F clinicals!
+ Never been, but I’ve been told Boston is an awesome place to live (besides the cold). I like the walkability of Europe, and I've heard Boston is walkable in a way many other cities are not
+ Ridiculous match list -- the sky would truly be the limit
+ Strong global health opportunities
+ Class seems close/tight-knit
Cons:
- They do not offer merit scholarships, so likely full price (~400k?)
- High COL area
- Flipped classroom: unsure if pro or con. On the one hand, I think all the mandatory classes would be annoying, may not be an efficient use of time, and may make time for wellness and Extracurriculars harder. On the other hand, some of my favorite learning in undergrad was having a friend, and I teach each other the material back and forth — which seems similar to what the flipped classroom would be like?
Future career goals: Largely undecided, but I want to keep my options open
Overall what I’m looking for/value is:
- Structure in place to help me explore specialties early on: I have some rough ideas of specialties I might like (psych, oncology) but really want to explore and see if anything different catches my interest
- Sense of community: I didn’t make a lot of friends in undergrad (partly because I didn’t prioritize it, partly bad luck, partly COVID) and would really like to build some meaningful friendships. I know, I know, medical school is to learn about medicine, not make friends (and I know, once clinicals start everyone branches out in their own direction), but I still want this to the extent it’s possible
- Weather: I’m adaptable to a variety of temperatures, but don’t like extremes in either direction. I also grew up in the PNW and tend to experience mild sadness/depression during extended periods of gloomy/grey skies. Although, I could deal with more weather doom and gloom if needed.
- Cost: I don’t qualify for need-based aid but my family will not be contributing to my education, so everything will be covered by loans. Although cost is not my #1 factor and I don’t want to end up somewhere I’d be unhappy just because of cost, it also is important to consider. Why take out more loans if I could take out less?
- Smaller things to consider/stuff I care about: Research opportunities, global health rotations/service trips, Medical Spanish resources, time off (summer breaks, spring breaks, etc), work-life balance/emphasis on wellness
Pros:
+ FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP!
+ WEATHER! Blue skies!!
+ 1 year preclinical, so the third year is entirely dedicated to a “Discovery” project/area of concentration
+ High Latinx population
+ Strong global health opportunities
+ Easy access to the beach and lots of other outdoor activities
+ No AOA
+ P/F clinicals for now (although they are likely to stay P/F)
+ A decent amount of time off/mini breaks (at least during M1)
Cons:
- TRAFFIC! I don’t mind driving when my car is actually moving, but I hate being stalled in traffic
- Very high cost of living area
- Large class size
- Less prestige compared to other options?
WashU! (Estimated total debt: 105k)
Pros:
+ FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP!
+ Great reputation in medicine and science
+ No AOA
+ Mostly P/F clinicals (although you can earn a “distinction”)
+ Research powerhouse
+ Lower cost of living area = better quality of life for me/partner?
+ Exams during the preclinical phase are approximately once a month and usually on Fridays
Cons:
- Although the cost of living is cheaper, I am not super excited about Saint Louis as a place
- Not great name recognition outside of medicine and science. I know this shouldn’t matter, but it does to me a little bit
- Not as exciting of a curriculum structure for me compared to my other options
Mayo Clinic AZ! (Estimated total debt: 143k)
Pros:
+ FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP!
+ Selectives! They seem like a very cool way to explore a wide variety of specialties early on
+ Strong mentorship opportunities with a high faculty-to-student ratio
+ Opportunities to be funded to visit/rotate at the other Mayo campuses
+ Access to hiking near Phoenix
+ High Latinx population
+ Great name recognition in and outside of medicine
+ From a branding perspective, I love the Mayo philosophy/values
+ No AOA
+ Medium COL area
Cons:
- HEAT! I like blue skies and warm weather, but I think 4 months out of the year will be pretty miserable
- Clinical year is graded on a H/HP/P/F system
- Small class size may be a pro overall, but it makes me nervous that I won’t be able to make friends
- Limited dual degree opportunities (really not sure if I want a dual degree, but it would be nice to have the option)
Duke! (PCLT = Primary Care Leadership Track) (Estimated total debt: TBD)
Pros:
+ 1-year preclinical and 1 year completely dedicated to research/dual degree
+ PCLT program aligns with my values and may be a built-in community of friends (I am fairly certain I do not want to do primary care, but PCLT does not limit you to applying to primary care residencies, and I am also able to drop out and join the regular MD class if I wanted)
+ P/F clinicals!
+ No AOA
+ Great name recognition both in and outside of medicine
+ I could see myself vibing with Durham, and it has decent/pretty good weather
Cons:
- No merit aid (yet? I am hopeful but we will see)
- Not 100% sure if this is true, but lack of diversity among patient population and potentially med school class?
- 1 year-preclinical seems overall like a pro, but it would be an intense year — exams every other Monday
Yale! (Estimated total debt: 400k?)
Pros:
+ YALE SYSTEM! Yale’s curriculum is the most flexible and probably the lowest stress out of all my schools — I could really focus on wellness and devote my time where it matters
+ No AOA
+ P/F clinicals!
+ No shelf exams! (Not sure how big of a deal this is, but it seems to be emphasized a lot)
+ Ivy name, great name recognition in and out of medicine
Cons:
- They do not offer merit scholarships, so likely full price (~400k?)
- Is there *too* much flexibility in the curriculum? Unsure
- Lack of patient diversity
- New Haven is cold
- Based on my limited virtual interactions, the people seem very dry? Small sample size though.
HMS! (Estimated total debt: 400k?)
Pros:
+ If my reaction to getting accepted is any indication of how I feel, I had a full-on meltdown when I got the HMS acceptance — it’s HARVARD!
+ No AOA
+ P/F clinicals!
+ Never been, but I’ve been told Boston is an awesome place to live (besides the cold). I like the walkability of Europe, and I've heard Boston is walkable in a way many other cities are not
+ Ridiculous match list -- the sky would truly be the limit
+ Strong global health opportunities
+ Class seems close/tight-knit
Cons:
- They do not offer merit scholarships, so likely full price (~400k?)
- High COL area
- Flipped classroom: unsure if pro or con. On the one hand, I think all the mandatory classes would be annoying, may not be an efficient use of time, and may make time for wellness and Extracurriculars harder. On the other hand, some of my favorite learning in undergrad was having a friend, and I teach each other the material back and forth — which seems similar to what the flipped classroom would be like?
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