Iowa vs. MCW

[ekmf27050]

Hi all- As I get more panicked about choosing a school, I figured I would turn to the reliable online forums to help me decide... But seriously, any input is appreciated. I've narrowed down to Iowa and Medical College of Wisconsin as of now! Although I know a lot can change between now and residency, I am interested in Ortho, so have been trying to get a feel for availability of elective rotations, time for aways, research, board prep support, etc. Both seem to have pretty strong ortho depts, residency programs, and match rates from what I can tell.

School 1: University of Iowa
Pros

• Sweet, sweet in state tuition
• Established "career tracks" for specialties like Ortho, with recommended ortho and other subspec rotations, advising from dept faculty- also 2.5 years for rotations instead of 2
• Super close to home- about 3 hours driving- no more flying!

Cons

• Super close to home- I'm used to being 24+ hours away, and I love my parents, but it's kind of helped me "stand on my own two feet" and be an adult not being an easy drive away (if that makes any sense)
• No formal board prep in the curriculum (review courses, NBME questions on regular exams, etc)- Step 1 is also separated from pre-clinical courses by a year-- not sure if that's a huge con, but would make it hard to study outside dedicated time and basic science/preclinical subjects aren't my strength
• Taken with a grain of salt- I've talked to some students who say they make time for their wellness, but at the expense of some grade points. I've also talked to students who study and do nothing else-- overall, I get a vibe that students here are a little more fried that the other place I've looked at

School 2: Medical College of Wisconsin
Pros

• A research distinction track would be built into my curriculum- I would still have to figure out mentors and projects, but a scheduled part of my courseload would be dedicated to research
• What appears to be both a semester-long and month-long step 1 review course before dedicated study time- so my board review would be built into my courseload to some extent
• Chill vibes. (I know, I know)-- but seriously, I've talked to quite a few students here who have emphasized that they work hard, get good grades, and still work out, go home, etc.

Cons

• A little further from home, probably 7 hours driving- no direct flights- not a huge trip, but at least 1/2 to 3/4 of a day
• Higher competition for the popular subspecialty rotations like ortho (larger student body, lower number of ortho elective rotations)
• Appears to have less focus on student wellness (programs are very new), less access to nice/free gym facilities on campus

Summary: Iowa seems like the slightly better school, with a good specialty track setup, newly revamped curriculum (2014?) that cuts out some fluff, 2.5 years for exploring clinical specialties, and close support from home if I need it. However, MC Wisconsin seems like it would be more "comfortable" (if med school can be comfortable)- board prep and research are both built into the curriculum, and students there seem very comfortable with balancing their workload, ECs, and wellness.

What to do, what to do...

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[Bryant088]

Definitely go to Iowa. In-state tuition, close to family, way better school overall, and one of the best ortho departments in the country.

 

[ChicagoBear]

Not that MCW is a bad option, but a great school like Iowa for in-state tuition AND you are interested in Ortho - what decision

 

[ekmf27050]

Definitely go to Iowa. In-state tuition, close to family, way better school overall, and one of the best ortho departments in the country.

Not that MCW is a bad option, but a great school like Iowa for in-state tuition AND you are interested in Ortho - what decision

I'm going to be honest, I have no background in med education, from family or acquaintances. So aside from the few widely stereotyped school reputations, I don't know what schools are "top tier" vs "mid tier" vs "low tier"- and it's so hard to find objective information online.

It seems like MCW might be better at integrating my ortho app needs (research, good board prep) into the curriculum, but Iowa might have a better ortho program overall?

 

[1203xx]

Personally, i'd be bored out of my mind if I went to Iowa lol...

at least Milwaukee is a decent sized city and not too far away from Chicago

 

[Bryant088]

I'm going to be honest, I have no background in med education, from family or acquaintances. So aside from the few widely stereotyped school reputations, I don't know what schools are "top tier" vs "mid tier" vs "low tier"- and it's so hard to find objective information online.

It seems like MCW might be better at integrating my ortho app needs (research, good board prep) into the curriculum, but Iowa might have a better ortho program overall?

Actually, Iowa has more research funding than MCW. You should be able to find plenty of research opportunities at either school. But if you're serious about ortho, it's worth considering the advantage of having a strong home program at Iowa.

Your performance on boards is going to depend on your individual effort. For what it's worth, Iowa's Step 1 average is ~234 last time I checked (which is solid).

 

[WIMNFamilyMed]

Iowa city is a great size, seems very safe, enough diversity. I didn’t interview in Milwaukee but Iowa City seems like the better program for me.

And you’re far enough from home and parents know you’re busy- you’ll still have your space!

 

[Lawpy]

Iowa hands down. Home program in your field of interest, cheaper tuition and having a support system nearby are decisive factors.

 

[ChicagoBear]

Actually, Iowa has more research funding than MCW. You should be able to find plenty of research opportunities at either school. But if you're serious about ortho, it's worth considering the advantage of having a strong home program at Iowa.

Your performance on boards is going to depend on your individual effort. For what it's worth, Iowa's Step 1 average is ~234 last time I checked (which is solid).

I have heard that the average Step 1 scores for the first class through the new curriculum is several points higher than the most recent 234.

 

[ekmf27050]

Personally, i'd be bored out of my mind if I went to Iowa lol...

at least Milwaukee is a decent sized city and not too far away from Chicago

Iowa city is a great size, seems very safe, enough diversity. I didn’t interview in Milwaukee but Iowa City seems like the better program for me.

And you’re far enough from home and parents know you’re busy- you’ll still have your space!

Somewhat embarrassingly, I am very solidly a suburbs person. I can't explain it. Cities make me feel twitchy, rural areas creep me out... I'm at my most comfortable in a decent sized suburb where people aren't on top of each other but they would hear you if a serial killer broke into your house.

Iowa hands down. Home program in your field of interest, cheaper tuition and having a support system nearby are decisive factors.

In my view, the main advantage of Wisconsin is that the things I already have to do (research, board prep) are built into the curriculum, rather than being added on in addition to the curriculum. I don't know if that's a good thing or just a lazy thing, but it is a thing
If MCW had a dud ortho match list it would make things easier, but they definitely don't.

Thanks for the input all, and good luck to everyone else as we approach choice time!!

 

[humblethinker]

Iowa hands down. Home program in your field of interest, cheaper tuition and having a support system nearby are decisive factors.

What are some of the reasons why a home program in a field of interest is important and how might you suggest students take advantage of this?

 

[Lawpy]

What are some of the reasons why a home program in a field of interest is important and how might you suggest students take advantage of this?

This is specialty specific, but here's one example on the advantages of having a home program (this is for derm, but it probably applies to related competitive specialties like ortho): How big of an advantage is having a home program?

 

[Giraffe_Funk]

Iowa hands down. Home program in your field of interest, cheaper tuition and having a support system nearby are decisive factors.

MCW has a home ortho program lol

 

[Lawpy]

MCW has a home ortho program lol

I think even so, OP presented it to be a slight negative: "Higher competition for the popular subspecialty rotations like ortho (larger student body, lower number of ortho elective rotations)".

Still doesn't change my recommendation btw.

 

[mj2760066]

I think Iowa here because of their really strong pre-clinical curriculum from what I've heard! Being close to home obviously has its pro's and con's, but I've heard that during medical school it can be a really good thing, even if to go back barely at all, just for support or a quick break if you need it.