UFCOM vs. MCW vs. WSU vs. OUWB

[FullThrottle5]

I know that there have been a lot of these posts but I have really liked the conversations started from these on similar posts. It also seems crazy that I can't narrow down from 4 schools but I really like certain things about each school. I would really appreciate any feedback or something I may be missing about a particular school. Thanks!

A little bit about myself:
I would like to go into a surgical specialty and be involved in research.

Here is a little bit about each school that I thought to be relevant.

UFCOM:
-Location: Farthest from my family (A flight away)
-Cost: ~$49,000 for OOS tuition (haven’t received a fin-aid package yet)
-Ranking: Ranked 42(Research) & 75(Primary Care) on USNEWS
-Curriculum: This is probably the best curriculum and program compared to the other places I’ve interviewed
-Grading System: Pass/Fail
-Facilities: Nice facilities and simulation center. Stay up to date with latest technology.
-Opportunities: Awesome research, tons of funding, volunteer/outreach, international missions, and more. Also, about 60 percent of UF College of Medicine graduates go on to become chief residents.
-Class size: 130 students (prefer small class)

MCW:
-Location: About a 7-8 hour drive from home
-Cost: ~$50,000 (haven’t received a fin-aid package yet)
-Ranking: Ranked 51(Research) & 55(Primary Care) on USNEWS (2013)
-Curriculum: New Discovery Curriculum. Seems to be pretty updated and well organized
-Grading System: Honors, High Pass, Pass, Low Pass, and Fail (prefer just pass/fail)
-Facilities: Seem to have pretty nice facilities and great hospitals surrounding the school
-Opportunities: Great research opportunities and get a ton of funding. Special scholarly pathways to go beyond the standard curriculum.
-Class size: 204 students

WSU:
-Location: Very close to home
-Cost: ~$31,790.00 (haven’t received a fin-aid package yet)
-Ranking: Ranked 64(Research) & Rank Not Published(Primary Care) on USNEWS
-Curriculum: Traditional based
-Grading System: Pass/Fail/Honors
-Facilities: Old facilities and anatomy labs. Wasn’t very impressed in this area. Seems to be outdated technology wise…
-Opportunities: Great location in downtown Detroit with tons of opportunities and a diverse patient population. Also, great research and a ton of funding. The staff seemed pretty excited about their increasing research funding. A lot of volunteering and free medical clinic are also appealing
-Class size: 290 students

OUWB:
-Location: Very close to home
-Cost: ~$47,000 (haven’t received a fin-aid package yet)
-Ranking: Not ranked, too new for USNEWS ranking
-Curriculum: Brand new curriculum that seems to be very well organized. This was one of the best curriculums I’ve heard about during interview days.
-Grading System: Pass/Fail/Honors
-Facilities: Brand new, state of the art facilities. Amazing anatomy lab and medical buildings. Awesome rec center and work out facilities. It seems like a very manageable schedule
-Opportunities: Somewhat limited research compared to other schools because it is so new. Great relationship with Beaumont though and it seems like the Royal Oak hospital is full of great opportunities. Tons of volunteer opportunities and community outreach. Also, Beaumont residency seems likely…
-Class size: 100 students

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[FullThrottle5]

I would really appreciate it if people could say why they voted for one school over the other. Thanks!

 

[ChemEngMD]

Without financial info I would choose UF hands down. IMO Florida >> any of the other locations + UF easily has the most name recognition out of any of those schools. Giant state university with lots of opportunities (research and otherwise) and one of the better medical schools in the southeast. Not to mention you could be attending UF football and basketball games.

If one of the schools decides to throw you a scholly or some decent aide though then things would change a bit.

 

[wiley224]

n/a

 

[wiley224]

na

 

[FullThrottle5]

you should go to OUWB. Judging by what you have what put down in the post, it seems the best option for you.

or wayne state

I am guessing your advice is slightly biased based on the fact that you are waitlisted at UFCOM...

 

[Spica]

You can get re-classified from OOS to in-state in your second year at UFCOM, so that's another thing for you to consider cost-wise. (I clearly remember seeing a note about that somewhere on the financial aid website and the OOS student I talked to during the interview day at UF told me he got reclassified, but you can call the admissions office to find out the details of that). Good luck with your choice!

 

[Spica]

Also, very supportive atmosphere aaaand warm weather at UF COM are hard to beat .