OHSU vs. U of Wash.

[nwalltheway]

Hi everyone! I'm interested in attending med. school in the northwest but I can't decide between OHSU and U. Wash. Any input would be great! I can't decide between the two.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Silverman780]

Well I'm from the Portland area so I'm naturally biased for OHSU.

That being said OHSU supposedly is a top school for patient care and i know that as a first year med student they are all about getting you patient contact time. I from time to time will drop off Pt. at OHSU and from time to time will have a MS1 in the room as we give the report to the nurse or doc. OHSU has a massive campus, including a VA medical center right next door, along with the shriners hospital and Dornbecers children's hosptial connected. The actual class rooms and are older buildings and are smack dab in the middle of it all.

UW is all about research and as a result their curriculum is more geared to that effect.

 

[Dookie2010]

Well I'm from the Portland area so I'm naturally biased for OHSU.

That being said OHSU supposedly is a top school for patient care and i know that as a first year med student they are all about getting you patient contact time. I from time to time will drop off Pt. at OHSU and from time to time will have a MS1 in the room as we give the report to the nurse or doc. OHSU has a massive campus, including a VA medical center right next door, along with the shriners hospital and Dornbecers children's hosptial connected. The actual class rooms and are older buildings and are smack dab in the middle of it all.

UW is all about research and as a result their curriculum is more geared to that effect.

OHSU is a fantastic school, but your bias definitely shows. UW is THE top school for patient care, has been ranked #1 for primary care for many years. Patient care is integrated into the curriculum from the beginning. But it's also a top ten for research. The campus and connected hospitals/care centers are extensive, and the facilities are top-notch. Basically, I think UW is best of both worlds in terms of patient care and research and the better choice of the two (now have I shown my bias enough? ). Both are amazing schools, however, and you'd get great opportunities at either.

That being said, OP are you asking because you were accepted to both or are you asking because you're deciding which to apply to? If it's the former, congrats, and my vote would definitely go for UW.

However if it's the latter, you're getting a little ahead of yourself in "picking" between the two. Both are incredibly competitive and strongly favor in-state applicants (for UW we're talking only 2% of out of state even get an interview, let alone accepted, and in order to even get a secondary you would need a demonstrated interest in underserved or rural populations). Are you from the northwest? If so, I'd think you'd have the best shot at whichever one you're in state for (for UW, "in-state" means resident of washington, idaho, wyoming, montana, or alaska). Either way, you should definitely apply to both. It will be a tough process, but the benefits are huge if you are accepted to either (plus you get to spend 4 years in the PNW. nothing better than that ).

 

[nwalltheway]

Thanks so much for the great advice! My dad's family lives in Portland about 20 min. from OHSU actually. I visited the campus last summer and really enjoyed my time there. I haven't visited UW yet but I will in the summer. I have not yet applied to either, but I just wanted to get an idea so I can know where to declare state residency. I know OHSU would be the easy choice considering how close my dad lives from the campus (I'll be moving in with him), but I would miss the independence that I have in my undergraduate life. I am considering working for a few years post-graduation in the biotech. industry, and I know this will help me get residency in WA (if I can get a job there) if I decide UW, so it will obviously be the more difficult of the two, but I feel like I may enjoy UW more as a whole.

 

[Dookie2010]

Thanks so much for the great advice! My dad's family lives in Portland about 20 min. from OHSU actually. I visited the campus last summer and really enjoyed my time there. I haven't visited UW yet but I will in the summer. I have not yet applied to either, but I just wanted to get an idea so I can know where to declare state residency. I know OHSU would be the easy choice considering how close my dad lives from the campus (I'll be moving in with him), but I would miss the independence that I have in my undergraduate life. I am considering working for a few years post-graduation in the biotech. industry, and I know this will help me get residency in WA (if I can get a job there) if I decide UW, so it will obviously be the more difficult of the two, but I feel like I may enjoy UW more as a whole.

Yeah, if you're looking to establish residency somewhere definitely go with Washington. Although both prefer in state, UW is much more stringent about residency (OHSU takes a fair number of OOS). But keep in mind that the Seattle area has an extremely high cost of living, so it may be tough financially to live on your own depending on the job you get. That's just one factor of many you'd have to consider, however. Good luck!

 

[Dianyla]

Hi everyone! I'm interested in attending med. school in the northwest but I can't decide between OHSU and U. Wash. Any input would be great! I can't decide between the two.

Both are very strong primary care and rural care. UW is stronger for research, but OHSU has solid research going on as well.

The choice will likely be made for you based on residency. UW is fairly OOS hostile, so unless you're a resident of WA or WAMI (Wyoming/Alaska/Montana/Idaho) you will have a very hard time getting into UW. For being nominally a "state" school OHSU is very OOS friendly, their class is something like 30% OOS. OHSU also gives preference to WICHE candidates, but only from Wyoming and Idaho (I believe... don't quote me on that).

 

[chman]

OHSU is a fantastic school, but your bias definitely shows. UW is THE top school for patient care, has been ranked #1 for primary care for many years. Patient care is integrated into the curriculum from the beginning. But it's also a top ten for research. The campus and connected hospitals/care centers are extensive, and the facilities are top-notch. Basically, I think UW is best of both worlds in terms of patient care and research and the better choice of the two (now have I shown my bias enough? ). Both are amazing schools, however, and you'd get great opportunities at either.

That being said, OP are you asking because you were accepted to both or are you asking because you're deciding which to apply to? If it's the former, congrats, and my vote would definitely go for UW.

However if it's the latter, you're getting a little ahead of yourself in "picking" between the two. Both are incredibly competitive and strongly favor in-state applicants (for UW we're talking only 2% of out of state even get an interview, let alone accepted, and in order to even get a secondary you would need a demonstrated interest in underserved or rural populations). Are you from the northwest? If so, I'd think you'd have the best shot at whichever one you're in state for (for UW, "in-state" means resident of washington, idaho, wyoming, montana, or alaska). Either way, you should definitely apply to both. It will be a tough process, but the benefits are huge if you are accepted to either (plus you get to spend 4 years in the PNW. nothing better than that ).

This. I might be a little biased as I'm a Husky, but location, rankings, environment, etc., is really hard to beat at UW IMO.

 

[samsunimomo]

As posters have mentioned before, UW tops primary care and their research is incredible. Speaking as a Seattle resident, the city is also quite beautiful and active. Although Seattle is an urban city, crime rate is comparatively low, and the University District is incredible, especially at night. That being said, UW accepts a low percents of OOS applicants, so it would also depend on how competitive you are.

 

[Ignatius M.D.]

Both are really great schools, and in nice areas. I would establish residency for UW since they really are not friendly towards OOS, and OHSU is more flexible. You could then apply to both, and stand a better chance I would think.

 

[Endolas]

OHSU also gives preference to WICHE candidates, but only from Wyoming and Idaho (I believe... don't quote me on that).

Wyoming and Montana.

(sorry to quote you)

 

[chman]

Wyoming and Montana.

(sorry to quote you)

The big island and Alaska too, I believe.

 

[mmmcdowe]

OHSU is a fantastic school, but your bias definitely shows. UW is THE top school for patient care, has been ranked #1 for primary care for many years. Patient care is integrated into the curriculum from the beginning. But it's also a top ten for research. The campus and connected hospitals/care centers are extensive, and the facilities are top-notch. Basically, I think UW is best of both worlds in terms of patient care and research and the better choice of the two (now have I shown my bias enough? ). Both are amazing schools, however, and you'd get great opportunities at either.

That being said, OP are you asking because you were accepted to both or are you asking because you're deciding which to apply to? If it's the former, congrats, and my vote would definitely go for UW.

However if it's the latter, you're getting a little ahead of yourself in "picking" between the two. Both are incredibly competitive and strongly favor in-state applicants (for UW we're talking only 2% of out of state even get an interview, let alone accepted, and in order to even get a secondary you would need a demonstrated interest in underserved or rural populations). Are you from the northwest? If so, I'd think you'd have the best shot at whichever one you're in state for (for UW, "in-state" means resident of washington, idaho, wyoming, montana, or alaska). Either way, you should definitely apply to both. It will be a tough process, but the benefits are huge if you are accepted to either (plus you get to spend 4 years in the PNW. nothing better than that ).

Among the major component of that ranking system is the number of people who go into primary care. I'd be careful what conclusions you draw about quality, which is not to say that I don't think they are high quality there. I just don't think that this is a good way to "prove" UW is the best at primary care or overall clinical care.

 

[eli20]

Don't know much about OHSU, but UWash was like the dream school I was ineligible for haha

 

[Dianyla]

Wyoming and Montana.

(sorry to quote you)

No worries! I was just being too lazy to go look it up.

 

[Musclemass]

This. I might be a little biased as I'm a Husky, but location, rankings, environment, etc., is really hard to beat at UW IMO.

There are no doubt many pluses, but for many people the weather isn't one of them.

 

[chman]

There are no doubt many pluses, but for many people the weather isn't one of them.

I guess, but where are you comparing it to? Every major city on the east coast gets more rain each year. Look at the mid west right now and their snow and frigid weather. Comparatively, our weather is really quite mild when looked at objectively. I will freely admit that we have many gray days (and this fall has been unusually horrid), but there is also a lot of media hype. Some would also argue that summers here are some of the most beautiful in the world, making the winter bearable. It's no California though, this is true.

 

[Musclemass]

In the Midwest and East after the snow or rain storms pass it's often very sunny and bright. I'm sure that happens in Seattle too but people I know there say it is can be quite damp and dreary. I know the days of drizzle don't add up to much rain. I'd be curious to compare the days of precipitation to other places.

The lack of sunshine is depressing, it negatively affects people's moods. I agree that the area is beautiful on clear summer days, but that's true of most places.

 

[Silverman780]

There are no doubt many pluses, but for many people the weather isn't one of them.

Hint: The weather in the northwest isn't as bad as we advertise. Overall it's fairly enjoyable.

 

[chman]

In the Midwest and East after the snow or rain storms pass it's often very sunny and bright. I'm sure that happens in Seattle too but people I know there say it is can be quite damp and dreary. I know the days of drizzle don't add up to much rain. I'd be curious to compare the days of precipitation to other places.

The lack of sunshine is depressing, it negatively affects people's moods. I agree that the area is beautiful on clear summer days, but that's true of most places.

To the first part, yes, it is gray often in the winter. I just think that it is funny people focus on this when the weather for the rest of the country in the winter is less than perfect. Cleveland, for example, has more gray days. When was the last time you heard something about this on the news? At a certain point one must wonder how much is media hype.

As for the second part I'm going to have to disagree. I have talked to a lot of non-natives, and traveled quite a bit, and it truly is more incredible here in the summer than most places, at least in the US. Most places in the US don't have the geography we do here: two mountain ranges, salt water, and fresh water all within a few miles. But don't take my word for it, come here some summer and see for yourself.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Moving to School Specific Discussions.

 

[KPCOFGS]

As for the second part I'm going to have to disagree. I have talked to a lot of non-natives, and traveled quite a bit, and it truly is more incredible here in the summer than most places, at least in the US. Most places in the US don't have the geography we do here: two mountain ranges, salt water, and fresh water all within a few miles. But don't take my word for it, come here some summer and see for yourself.

This is definitely true if you ask me. Obviously mine is just one opinion but having experienced SoCal and PNW summers recently... there's no question that the Northwest wins. I don't care how many beaches there are in LA.

On the other hand, if you're still just comparing OHSU and UW, there's not much difference, climate-wise.

 

[tensoranalysis]

So i'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that everyone assumes UW is better than OHSU based upon USNEWS research ranking. While I don't disagree with this ranking. I'd just like to point out what should be obvious: opinion of the research strength of an institution should be highly subjective.

What I mean is, you may find that the rankings don't necessarily correlate with programs that suit your research interests. This goes beyond just ranking individual programs, but also includes what the research theme of the faculty cohort is. Sometimes it just works better somewhere else.

maybe that doesn't matter to you quite yet.

 

[pdxjazz]

As someone from Oregon currently going through the interview process, no question would I establish residency in Washington over Oregon. If you are an Oregon resident you will most likely get a "out of the region" rejection from UW before you even get their secondary application no matter what your ties to Washington are. You can still apply to both schools if you are a Washington resident and UW has a very strong preference for residents (and a few WWAMI applicants).

Keep in mind however that applying to other schools is not easy if you live in the Northwest. Other than OHSU and UW, medical school interviews will require a 2 or sometimes 3 day trip plus the time zone difference is a real killer when heading east. When it's midnight on the east coast and most people are in bed, your body is still on west coast time and you are wide awake. Then getting up the next morning for a 8:00 am interview when your body wants to sleep means you will be dragging butt throughout the day. Not ideal for a day when you want to be at your sharpest. Then of course there is the significant amount of money you will spend on flights, hotels, taxis, meals, etc. And there is always the flight delays due to weather or mechanical problems that can really screw up your schedule when you have several flight connections.

Since you are willing to relocate to establish residency, you might consider other options such as Texas, Florida, or New York. Texas and Florida have gobs of medical schools, strong preference for residents, and really cheap tuition in Texas. Places like New York also have tons of schools and easy travel to their schools as well as surrounding states. California has allot of applicants, but strong preference for those applicants and several medical schools. Even if you picked a state that had a few medical schools your chances for acceptance would probably be higher than those from either Oregon or Washington if you are a strong applicant.

I just hate to see you throw all your eggs into the Northwest basket if you really want to go to medical school. Keep in mind you can still apply to Oregon from elsewhere, or to residency programs in the Northwest after medical school, or worst case move here after you have finished residency to start a practice.

Oh, and as to the question of which school is better, OHSU or UW, it really doesn't matter unless you hold an acceptance to both. At that point you will probably know which one you will attend.

 

[KayBil]

I wanted to revive this forum, as I am currently in this position. I am accepted to the MT WWAMI program with UW and also have an opportunity to attend OHSU. There are numerous aspects of each school I am evaluating. UW-WWAMI is slightly different than the typical UW experience, as you spend your first year in Bozeman, second year in Seattle, and for rotations you can choose a track or the traditional UW rotation set-up. OHSU offers benefits with limited relocating, more patient interaction first and second year, along with more research opportunities (again with first year in Bozeman--opportunities are less than the typical UW program). I am just curious if anyone has advice or input to the strength of either program. I am interested in cardiology and radiation oncology---both competitive specialties, so I want to make the right choice. Thanks for any help!

 

[nwmd22]

Just to give some background, I went to undergrad in Portland and had a 2 year internship at OHSU. I loved Portland, it's an amazing city to live in! Very eclectic, and they're not exaggerating the "hipster" vibe of it too much, but that's what makes it so unique... and the food in Portland is better than the food in Seattle any day of the week. OHSU is a great school- I worked directly with a person getting her MD/MPH and she had nothing bad to say about the program, except she felt that her class tended to have a lot of non-trads so she didn't get a very social vibe. As people have mentioned, they do offer a fair bit of patient interaction during your first two years. As an intern in their public health and preventative medicine dept, even I got to sit in on grand rounds and occasionally round with MDs who took me under their wing.

However, I'm from Seattle, and have been accepted to UW.. and Seattle is great too! Way more in terms of culture/nightlife-- it's just a bigger, more metropolitan city. UW has a very unique program, especially with rotating for your clinical years through the WWAMI region. Is that something that appeals to you? You can get a lot of experience if you're the only med student in rural Wyoming for a rotation... they NEED your help a lot more than if you're working at UW on that same rotation. You do still get patient interaction your first two years (check the website for their "Back to the Bedside" video for more info), so I wouldn't let that be a deal-breaker, myself. Both are great for research, but I do know that OHSU has had some serious budget cuts, and it's not a totally public institution--30% of its funding is private, which is why they take more OOR students than other public med schools. I agree with what someone else mentioned earlier though- research doesn't have to be about ranking, it's about what programs you're interested in and which school has more to offer you in terms of your interests!

You can't go wrong with either school. Their programs are very unique, definitely different. Which looks more appealing to you? Don't worry about cardiology/rad onc right now... I'm working at a rad onc clinic right now with 4 MDs who did their residency at UW, and 2 went to UW for med school. They definitely can turn out rad oncs. You can rock your Step1 and 2 no matter where you are, and that will have more influence on your residency than which school you choose.

Either way, good luck with your decision!!! And congrats on having that decision to make, KayBil!