OSU vs Wisc vs UVM vs Downstate

[Rutinni]

So, I've gotten into two schools so far (Ohio State and Univ. of Wisconsin), and I'm waiting to hear back from another two (SUNY Downstate and Univ. of Vermont).

I really liked Ohio State's ISP curriculum, but I couldn't get away from the unnerving sensation that everything was, well, flat. Madison's a great school, but nothing about it really caught my attention. Vermont was great and I loved Burlington, but it's expensive as an out-of-state student. Downstate offers great clinical experience, but my wife got mugged in the subway on her way to meet me after the interview.

Any thoughts/guidance/advice? As a note, I am a non-traditional student with a wife and infant kid...

Thanks!

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[drizzt3117]

Don't worry about curriculum too much. It's really not that important. You're going to learn everything during the first two years on your own anyways.

What's important educationally is how the clinical years are set up. Being that you have a family at UW you could do all of your clinicals in Madison, which would be pretty nice.

Beyond that, I'd focus on your decision on where you would like to spend the next four years. I think Madison is a significantly nicer place to raise a family personally, but ymmv.

So, I've gotten into two schools so far (Ohio State and Univ. of Wisconsin), and I'm waiting to hear back from another two (SUNY Downstate and Univ. of Vermont).

I really liked Ohio State's ISP curriculum, but I couldn't get away from the unnerving sensation that everything was, well, flat. Madison's a great school, but nothing about it really caught my attention. Vermont was great and I loved Burlington, but it's expensive as an out-of-state student. Downstate offers great clinical experience, but my wife got mugged in the subway on her way to meet me after the interview.

Any thoughts/guidance/advice? As a note, I am a non-traditional student with a wife and infant kid...

Thanks!

 

[mb1985]

Congrats! OSU and UW-Madison are excellent schools. I did not interview at UVM but I can give you my take on the others. In general, decide what is most important for you (curriculum, research opportunities, clinical experience, etc.)

Downstate and OSU will provide a unique clinical experience compared to UVM and UW. I am thinking urban vs rural. Then again UW has clinical sites all over and I am sure you can get excellent urban exposure in Milwaukee. UW-Madison also has the TRIUMPH program.

OSU and UW are heavy hitters in research. I was really impressed with OSU during the interview day and I am confident that the "Top 20" goal will happen. UW-Madison is excellent for research and primary care. Not many schools can claim that.

ISP at OSU seems like the best option for you given your family situation. I do admit that I fell in love with UW-Madison integration of public health and medical education. They seem to ease you into the coursework. The Learning Communities/Houses are pretty cool too. I got a vibe that the students, faculty, and staff are supportive and approachable.

I am sorry about your wife getting mugged. That is very unfortunate. Be advised that there are a number of areas in Brooklyn that are safe and affordable. Once you find the right community, I assure you that raising your child in NYC will open up tons of doors and opportunities.

At SUNY Downstate you can get in state tuition after one year. Considering housing costs in NYC it may make it comparable to UW-Madison in terms of total COA even as an OOS student. I cannot recall if it was easy to establish residency here...

Overall great options. Like drizzt317 said, Madison is a great place to raise a family. Also, you will learn the same thing across medical schools. They way it is taught and who is teaching can make for an enjoyable or miserable experience. BUT at the end of the day its really going to come down to you putting in the time and effort.

Go with your gut. OSU and UW-Madison have second look the same time so you may be doing some jumping around.

Good Luck.

 

[Kfire326]

Don't worry about curriculum too much. It's really not that important. You're going to learn everything during the first two years on your own anyways.

What's important educationally is how the clinical years are set up. Being that you have a family at UW you could do all of your clinicals in Madison, which would be pretty nice.

Beyond that, I'd focus on your decision on where you would like to spend the next four years. I think Madison is a significantly nicer place to raise a family personally, but ymmv.

The comment I bolded is absolutely wrong in my opinion. As a current Downstate student, one of the major reasons I came here was curriculum. Yes, you're going to learn everything during the first two years and take the same test at the end (step 1) no matter where you go. And yes, there will be a lot of studying to do on your own as well. But the presentation and integration of material is PARAMOUNT to your education. The order in which you study what you do helps you and lecturers alike integrate material more easily across disciplines (like histology, embryology, anatomy, physiology, etc). Downstate's curriculum is PERFECT for this, as it is a block system. Each block focuses on one organ system. Beginning with the entering class of 2012, there will be a new curriculum in place that will have the same idea about it, but will be an improvement since it will introduce pathology earlier, among many other changes I don't know about (but I know they exist). Obviously I cannot comment on any other school, but I will definitely say that curriculum matters. In fact, it was one of my top priorities when applying and interviewing for med school (second to where I thought I'd be happiest, but in reality, they are related factors).

 

[Docbeme]

I have spent a fair amount of time in both Columbus and Madison. Strictly from the perspective of cities, in my mind Madison is one of the great college towns in America. The greater Madison area is also fairly large, although not as large as Columbus. Madison's downtown is much nicer than what you will find in Columbus - good food, fun places and has to be considerably safer than Columbus from the perspective of crime. Don't underestimate just how miserable winter can be in the upper Midwest. Columbus gets cold, Madison gets bitter.

I also believe that there is way too much hype associated with curriculums - you work hard, you do well.

Either way, hope you are into college sports, as they rule the roost in both towns.

 

[drizzt3117]

I don't know what year you are in med school, but at the end of the day, you go to med school to learn medicine and you don't do that in a classroom.

IMO the most important tasks you do in med school are 1) learn the nuts and bolts of medicine, I.e. the language, how to get info from/about a patient and present it to someone, how to manage pts, etc, 2) get exposure to many specialties to determine what you want to go into. Uw does a reasonably good job at this, if the OP would like to know more, let me know.

These are different at every institution. The m1/m2 curriculum is essentially the same everywhere. Interestingly, by reputation, at least, at downstate, students get great clinical experience, so I'm not sure why you would emphasize the curriculum over that.

The other important issue is where you're going to live for 4 years, esp with a young child.

The comment I bolded is absolutely wrong in my opinion. As a current Downstate student, one of the major reasons I came here was curriculum. Yes, you're going to learn everything during the first two years and take the same test at the end (step 1) no matter where you go. And yes, there will be a lot of studying to do on your own as well. But the presentation and integration of material is PARAMOUNT to your education. The order in which you study what you do helps you and lecturers alike integrate material more easily across disciplines (like histology, embryology, anatomy, physiology, etc). Downstate's curriculum is PERFECT for this, as it is a block system. Each block focuses on one organ system. Beginning with the entering class of 2012, there will be a new curriculum in place that will have the same idea about it, but will be an improvement since it will introduce pathology earlier, among many other changes I don't know about (but I know they exist). Obviously I cannot comment on any other school, but I will definitely say that curriculum matters. In fact, it was one of my top priorities when applying and interviewing for med school (second to where I thought I'd be happiest, but in reality, they are related factors).

 

[iniquus]

I'm from New York, and the area around Downstate gets a very bad rap. It's not midtown Manhattan, but the reality is there are lot more areas in the five boroughs to worry about and avoid.

I'm sorry your wife got robbed, but those instances are few and far in between. She's a much easier target than you would be, because she's a female. It's good practice to be aware of your surroundings, to avoid certain streets/avenues, and not to carry around an excessive amount of valuables. I've felt with "street smarts," a lot of college-towns (Hopkins, UB and Duke come to mind) have much higher crime rates than the neighborhood surrounding Downstate.

The area around there is also fine to raise a family in-- but you probably will and deserve to live in a better part of Brooklyn (which could just be minutes away, such as Park Slope). Commuting is the New York way of life, do not let location deter you from getting an education at Downstate. New York is a big place.

I think you'll find the patient population around Downstate, or any other high-needs urban area, an unforgettable experience to learn medicine with.