Tufts vs. Dartmouth vs. Colorado vs. BU vs. Sidney Kimmel

[CAgal]

I have been very fortunate to have been accepted to multiple schools - many of which I really liked. I would appreciate any help in making this important decision.

Tufts:
- Current top choice
- Boston is my ideal location. Loved the city, lots of things to do, tons of creature comforts I'm used to in CA, plus a hugely relevant destination for studying medicine.
- Students seemed very happy; they seemed to have good life balance outside of medical school. All of the students I spoke to on my interview day talked about the extracurricular activities they did outside of the curriculum which stood out to me. Everyone seemed pumped to be a Tufts med student.
- Best curriculum of all of my options: 1.5 pre-clinical years, 2.5 clinical; fully integrated curriculum, 8 weeks to study for STEP 1, require 2 acting sub-Is (most schools I've interviewed at only require 1), exciting research opportunities
- I've heard that Tufts grads are really well prepared clinically for residency programs. This may be why they have a great match list.
- I envision myself practicing in an urban setting in the future; ideally with an ethnically diverse, underserved patient population. I think Boston really exemplifies this demographic and therefore would be a great location to learn in.
- My one concerns is that its objective ranking/reputation is not as good as some of my other options. I'm wondering how important this is. At what point do you disregard ranking/reputation in favor of other aspects such as location or culture fit?

Dartmouth:
- Its Ivy League reputation will look good on residency apps. I'm from CA and want to match back for residency. I realize CA residencies are very competitive and therefore want to do all that I can to increase my chances. Dartmouth's reputation would be helpful in this regard.
- Everyone was SO NICE at my interview day. They really made a point to be welcoming.
- Good curriculum. 6 weeks to study for STEP 1.
- I'm currently considering primary care and Dartmouth has a very strong reputation for preventative medicine. I know that med students often change their minds so I don't want to make my decision based on my perceived preferred specialty at this time.
- Culture fit amongst fellow applicants/ admitted student on the Facebook page is so so.
- While DHMC treats underserved communities, it is not very ethnically diverse. The 4th year student who gave me my tour said she could count the time she's needed to use the translator service on one hand. This kind of turned me off.
- Dartmouth's location is VERY VERY rural. They don't even have Ubers. I am very active, however, I'm not very outdoorsy. I don't ski or snowboard. I'm worried this setting won't be a good fit for my lifestyle. I'm vegan and am concerned that Hanover will not have restaurants/health food stores with options I'm used to in CA. Eating and exercising the way I want to is very important to me, especially during this huge transition to medical school. I'm not really willing to sacrifice my wellness.

Colorado:
- Strong pediatric program
- Good culture fit among the current students
- Closer to home - maybe have a stronger connection to CA schools for residency?
- High ranking. Is this accurate?
- Beautiful campus. Not in Denver but close enough. Really liked the city when visiting for my interview.
- Hospital has a good reputation
- Traditional curriculum (2 year pre-clinical, 2 year clinical) which isn't ideal.
- Didn't love it as much as I loved Tufts but I was also pretty sick during my Denver interview so that may have affected my experience.
- I have used up all of my PTO from work so I am unable to attend Second Look

BU:
- I'm currently waitlisted here. I opted to stay on the WL for continued consideration, however, BU said that the majority of WL movement occurs between June 1 and July 31. While I want to remain under consideration at BU, June and July is very late in the cycle to change plans. I hope to have housing plans and roommates figured out by that time, in which case changing schools would be a big decision.
- All of the positive things I said about Boston in my notes about Tufts apply here as well.
- BU is the most prestigious program of all of my options (objectively based on ranking, average MCAT, acceptance data etc.)
- BMC is incredible. It's a tier 1 FREE academic medical center. Their mission is hugely appealing to me and in line with the type of work I hope to do as a physician in the future.
- I didn't get as much of a "culture fit" at BU than I did at the other schools. The interview day layout was kind of weird though so I'm not sure if this impression is accurate.

Sidney Kimmel:
- I really had a positive experience here. The students were hilarious and so kind. Definite culture fit here.
- I liked Philadelphia but I prefer Boston.
- Great curriculum.
- I recently received a $20,000/year scholarship here. This is separate from my financial aid package (I have yet to receive) or any additional scholarships.


Additionally, second look for BU and Dartmouth are on the same day. Do you think it would be more beneficial to go to a school to which I've actually been admitted (Geisel) or go to BU so I know how I feel about it if I were to get off the WL (usually they ask you to commit within a few days of the offer). Thank you!

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[CarpeDiem1993]

I am also currently deciding about Dartmouth; in fact, I think we have spoken before via Facebook about this choice!

First off, I didn't know that you could go to second looks if you were waitlisted- that makes this a little more interesting. For me personally, the environment of the school matters less than what the school can offer professionally in the future. That is where Dartmouth definitely has an edge. Although it is more of a name-brand mid-tier school atm, that Ivy name definitely propels it beyond its ranking when it comes to match potential. Whether people like to admit it or not, human nature, even in residency directors', just cannot help itself. An Ivy League name will always be (perhaps unconsciously) a little more impressive to people- whether or not it is merited. That is why their match lists are pretty impressive year after year- both to top programs in the NE as well as in SoCal and even across the South (we will have to see if that trend continues this Friday). I think it would definitely set you up in that regard.

HOWEVER, if you really need an urban vibe to be mentally sound/happy throughout those preclinical years, then I completely understand you leaning towards Tufts. Dartmouth just doesn't offer that, no question about it (although for much of your 3rd year you can go all over- Phoenix, San Fran, Connecticut, etc.) For me, I figure that I will be studying so much during the week that it will not matter, and on free weekends, the drive down to Boston is just 1.5 hours! But...I am also not a very urban-centric person. If that is a very serious factor for you and your well-being, then you should definitely consider Tufts.

As for second looks, I would probably go to Dartmouth's! Going to BU when you are waitlisted will be...less beneficial and probably a little uncomfortable (since you are not actually accepted yet). You already know BU checks all your boxes, so if you get in- it's easy, go for it! (though I would say that Dartmouth's prestige surpasses BU in most residency directors' minds- in spite of what USNWR says- as is evident in this year's director scores--> I understand the shortcomings in this poll, but every ranking/poll has shortcomings, including USNWR overall ranking haha).

 

[CAgal]

I am also currently deciding about Dartmouth; in fact, I think we have spoken before via Facebook about this choice!

First off, I didn't know that you could go to second looks if you were waitlisted- that makes this a little more interesting. For me personally, the environment of the school matters less than what the school can offer professionally in the future. That is where Dartmouth definitely has an edge. Although it is more of a name-brand mid-tier school atm, that Ivy name definitely propels it beyond its ranking when it comes to match potential. Whether people like to admit it or not, human nature, even in residency directors', just cannot help itself. An Ivy League name will always be (perhaps unconsciously) a little more impressive to people- whether or not it is merited. That is why their match lists are pretty impressive year after year- both to top programs in the NE as well as in SoCal and even across the South (we will have to see if that trend continues this Friday). I think it would definitely set you up in that regard.

HOWEVER, if you really need an urban vibe to be mentally sound/happy throughout those preclinical years, then I completely understand you leaning towards Tufts. Dartmouth just doesn't offer that, no question about it (although for much of your 3rd year you can go all over- Phoenix, San Fran, Connecticut, etc.) For me, I figure that I will be studying so much during the week that it will not matter, and on free weekends, the drive down to Boston is just 1.5 hours! But...I am also not a very urban-centric person. If that is a very serious factor for you and your well-being, then you should definitely consider Tufts.

As for second looks, I would probably go to Dartmouth's! Going to BU when you are waitlisted will be...less beneficial and probably a little uncomfortable (since you are not actually accepted yet). You already know BU checks all your boxes, so if you get in- it's easy, go for it! (though I would say that Dartmouth's prestige surpasses BU in most residency directors' minds- in spite of what USNWR says- as is evident in this year's director scores--> I understand the shortcomings in this poll, but every ranking/poll has shortcomings, including USNWR overall ranking haha).

This is helpful. I agree with what you said about Second Look - I am currently leaning towards attending SL at Geisel over BU at this point. Turning down Dartmouth would be a huge decision and I think I need to go back one more time to feel good about making that decision - or possibly changing my mind! I think I would always wonder "what if."

 

[puahate]

IMO Jefferson is only in the discussion because of the scholarship, w/o that i would not even consider it with your other choices. There's that.

Try to get scholarships from the other schools.

 

[lalalallala]

Is money a factor? I don't see anything about the difference between Dartmouth and Tufts financially.

Having been to Hanover many times (where Dartmouth is), I would say that I think it is a mistake to pick a very isolated location if that isn't your personality and you aren't into the outdoorsy activities. I also think you are mistaken about the ivy league appeal of Dartmouth med. To a lay person yes they might recognize Dartmouth as an ivy league school and be impressed, but residency directors know that Dartmouth Med's reputation isn't the same as Dartmouth's reputation. I'm not hating on Dartmouth med I am just pointing out that the medical school system is different and undergrad prestige does not equal med school prestige to those with knowledge about the medical field.

I would pick Tufts for you.

I don't think your reasons for picking Dartmouth out weigh those for Tufts (I think you are wrong about the prestige and the help with matching back in CA) and I think your concerns about Dartmouth are legit (not diverse which is very true, rural - also very true). I was accepted to Tufts (likely won't be going due to money) and I agree that I thought the curriculum and students seemed really great. I also think that Tufts medical students are more respected by residency directors than USNWR suggests. Tufts also has a lot of primary care options with options in Maine and community hospitals and clinics.

 

[lalalallala]

Are WL students invited to the BU 2nd look day?

 

[965978]

It’s amazing that you did so well in the NorthEast region. I thought it was hard for CA people to get those acceptances.

Good luck! Btw I’d personally go with Dartmouth cause you get the Ivy League swagger.

 

[lalalallala]

It’s amazing that you did so well in the NorthEast region. I thought it was hard for CA people to get those acceptances.

Good luck! Btw I’d personally go with Dartmouth cause you get the Ivy League swagger.

lol yes OP - ignore the fact that you seemed to love the other school and you'd be in the middle of nowhere - go to Dart so you can say you went to an Ivy *eye roll*

 

[965978]

lol yes OP - ignore the fact that you seemed to love the other school and you'd be in the middle of nowhere - go to Dart so you can say you went to an Ivy *eye roll*

I said that I would PERSONALLY go with Dartmouth. I didn’t give advice to OP.

 

[CarpeDiem1993]

The proof is in the pudding. Just look at Dartmouth's match list. Residency director's most definitely hold Dartmouth and Brown in higher regard bc of their "ivy" tags (whether you folks like it or not haha). Their match list, year after year, is on par with top 15 schools.

Where you go to residency is the outcome...that is what matters in the end. And Dartmouth sets you up very well for that. It is a small school based at a rural hospital, so it's "rankings" based on bulk research funding is obviously not going to ever reach the heights of other larger research behemoths. I watched the match live stream today...LOL. Every other match was Harvard or Yale. Give me a break with these Dartmouth-bashers. Obviously, step score is huge. But schools also have trends. And if you do well on your step, Dartmouth sets you up real niceee.

That being said. If you won't be happy in a rural setting. If that is a serious consideration for you and you felt like a better fit at one of the other schools...then by all means, go for it! Go where you will be happy!

 

[965978]

The proof is in the pudding. Just look at Dartmouth's match list. Residency director's most definitely hold Dartmouth and Brown in higher regard bc of their "ivy" tags (whether you folks like it or not haha). Their match list, year after year, is on par with top 15 schools.

Where you go to residency is the outcome...that is what matters in the end. And Dartmouth sets you up very well for that. It is a small school based at a rural hospital, so it's "rankings" based on bulk research funding is obviously not going to ever reach the heights of other larger research behemoths. I watched the match live stream today...LOL. Every other match was Harvard or Yale. Give me a break with these Dartmouth-bashers. Obviously, step score is huge. But schools also have trends. And if you do well on your step, Dartmouth sets you up real niceee.

That being said. If you won't be happy in a rural setting. If that is a serious consideration for you and you felt like a better fit at one of the other schools...then by all means, go for it! Go where you will be happy!

A part of me thinks that Dartmouth’s match list is impressive because they have connections with the other ivy med schools so a lot of their students are doing rotations at Harvard/Penn/Yale/etc. So it’s not enough just to have the Dartmouth name on your diploma, you actually have to make the effort to go out to the other ivy’s and make an impression.

This is totally speculation though.

 

[CAgal]

Are WL students invited to the BU 2nd look day?

I actually don't know if they are. I think if I was really interested in attending I would call admissions and ask if this was possible but I haven't done so because I think I'm leaning towards attending Geisel's at this point. But it makes sense! Especially because they ask applicants to commit so quickly if offered admissions from the WL. So I think if you're interested in attending to sort out your feelings if you were to be offered an acceptance from the WL I think it's worth a shot calling and asking.

 

[lalalallala]

I actually don't know if they are. I think if I was really interested in attending I would call admissions and ask if this was possible but I haven't done so because I think I'm leaning towards attending Geisel's at this point. But it makes sense! Especially because they ask applicants to commit so quickly if offered admissions from the WL. So I think if you're interested in attending to sort out your feelings if you were to be offered an acceptance from the WL I think it's worth a shot calling and asking.

I agree that if you really want to go then you could call and ask but the standard is that people on the WL do not go because the intention is for it to be for admitted students. I am not on BU's WL. I was just wondering if they are doing something different from most other schools

 

[CAgal]

The proof is in the pudding. Just look at Dartmouth's match list. Residency director's most definitely hold Dartmouth and Brown in higher regard bc of their "ivy" tags (whether you folks like it or not haha). Their match list, year after year, is on par with top 15 schools.

Where you go to residency is the outcome...that is what matters in the end. And Dartmouth sets you up very well for that. It is a small school based at a rural hospital, so it's "rankings" based on bulk research funding is obviously not going to ever reach the heights of other larger research behemoths. I watched the match live stream today...LOL. Every other match was Harvard or Yale. Give me a break with these Dartmouth-bashers. Obviously, step score is huge. But schools also have trends. And if you do well on your step, Dartmouth sets you up real niceee.

That being said. If you won't be happy in a rural setting. If that is a serious consideration for you and you felt like a better fit at one of the other schools...then by all means, go for it! Go where you will be happy!

Tufts' match list was also very good this year. I am currently considering peds so I've really been focusing on where people match in peds and how many students match in CA. Both Dartmouth and Tufts were impressive in both regards. Tufts had like 5 people match at NYU for peds, and others at Mass General, Boston Childrens, UCSF, Stanford etc. Both schools matched heavily in CA. The differences between the 2 seem marginal which is what makes this decision so difficult. But it's a good problem to have and I'm trying to channel gratitude rather than confusion. Hopefully Second Look will bring some clarity.

 

[lalalallala]

Tufts' match list was also very good this year. I am currently considering peds so I've really been focusing on where people match in peds and how many students match in CA. Both Dartmouth and Tufts were impressive in both regards. Tufts had like 5 people match at NYU for peds, and others at Mass General, Boston Childrens, UCSF, Stanford etc. Both schools matched heavily in CA. The differences between the 2 seem marginal which is what makes this decision so difficult. But it's a good problem to have and I'm trying to channel gratitude rather than confusion. Hopefully Second Look will bring some clarity.

I am assuming you saw Tuft's match list on the fb page, but if not I could DM you. I would warn against looking at the match list for your decision more so than you have. Both have great match lists, but the exact number who go into peds in CA is really not a sign of your ability to match well in peds in CA from that school. Those people who matched at NYU in peds very likely wanted the east coast for example.

Tufts has all of those clinical sites - both urban and rural and the floating hospital for kids. Dartmouth is in a very different location - you said the fit wasn't as good - and it's not diverse. Hopefully second look helps you - but I just don't think the answer of which school you would enjoy more will be found in those match lists.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

If you want to do primary care in an urban setting, you should go to a med school that focuses on that IMO. BU and Tufts would be great. Reputation of all these programs is solid so dont worry about rankings or any of that garbage. Just finished the residency interview trail and can tell you that national rankings of the entire school dont matter that much compared to your scores and the things you do as a med student. Go with fit, OP.

 

[oleca]

I am assuming you saw Tuft's match list on the fb page, but if not I could DM you. I would warn against looking at the match list for your decision more so than you have. Both have great match lists, but the exact number who go into peds in CA is really not a sign of your ability to match well in peds in CA from that school. Those people who matched at NYU in peds very likely wanted the east coast for example.

Tufts has all of those clinical sites - both urban and rural and the floating hospital for kids. Dartmouth is in a very different location - you said the fit wasn't as good - and it's not diverse. Hopefully second look helps you - but I just don't think the answer of which school you would enjoy more will be found in those match lists.

Would you mind DMing me tufts match list?

 

[lalalallala]

Would you mind DMing me tufts match list?

can you DM me - i'm having trouble DMing you

 

[CAgal]

Update: just added a new school into the mix, plz help.

 

[GetYourFluShotPls]

Seems like a safer bet to attend the Dartmouth second look than BU in my opinion.

 

[lalala92]

I'm in a similar boat, and the more that I think about it, the more I realize how important fit is. There are many, many people who would feel perfectly satisfied at a rural school like Dartmouth and will push you to go there for the name. But if you're someone who feels happier and more energized in an urban setting where you can exercise other hobbies, you'll be more productive and thus more successful. Other people might not relate to that, but you have to think about who you are and what makes you happy. Four years of medical school can be tough, so you should try to choose an environment that suits your personality and mindset. Good luck!!

 

[CAgal]

I'm in a bit of a similar situation. I got accepted to both Tufts and BU and I'll most likely end up choosing Tufts. Maybe my thoughts might help you with your decision.

BU is heavily affiliated with Boston Medical Center which is a safety net hospital, meaning it provides free healthcare to those who can't afford it. It sounds great, but Tufts isn't very different. Tufts offers clinical rotations at Baystate Health Medical Center and Cambridge Health Alliance which both do the exact same thing. When I was talking to students at BU vs Tufts, I felt like there was a pretty big difference in the types of clinical experiences they got. Tufts students seemed to have experiences all over the Boston area (both safety net hospitals and otherwise) while BU students mainly just did theirs at BMC. You can even see this on MSAR where it states, "Most clinical training is done at Boston Medical Center, our on-campus, principle teaching hospital." You mentioned that you really like the mission of BU/BMC but I felt like Tufts aligns with the same mission just as well. I also felt like I enjoyed the student culture at Tufts better than BU but that's totally subjective so I can understand if anyone has differing opinions on that part.

BU's match list and reputation seem a bit better than Tufts but not by enough to sway my decision because they are both pretty amazing. They're like 6 spots away from eachother on the residency director rankings so prestige doesn't seem like a big deal.

This is so helpful. After attending SL at Tufts and Dartmouth I am SURE that Boston is the place I want to be. I felt the click at Tufts and knew that I would receive an incredible education and be in a setting where I would be challenged by my peers, which was the most appealing aspect to me. All around better culture fit amongst current and prospective students at Tufts vs. Dartmouth as well. In the back of my mind, I have been thinking: "What would I do if I got off the WL at BU?" and your response makes me feel very confident to remain at Tufts. Another resounding impression I got at SL was that Tufts prepares its medical students really well clinically, making them desirable candidates for residency. Feels so good to finally have clarity; I am so excited to start school!

 

[NotGeneric]

Dartmouth seems like a solid bet

 

[CarpeDiem1993]

Idk, personally, I think you should ruminate on this decision a little longer. Just sayin'. I've heard Dartmouth is in a pretty big city- real concrete jungle typa deal.

 

[sice4]

What's the student culture at BU like?

 

[CAgal]

Idk, personally, I think you should ruminate on this decision a little longer. Just sayin'. I've heard Dartmouth is in a pretty big city- real concrete jungle typa deal.

Good point, never thought of it like that!