UMass Chan vs LKSOM (Temple)

[WillyC]

Hello all,
I am in the fortunate position to be choosing between two schools. Any advice would be greatly appreciated (particularly regarding UMass as I have not been able to find many opinions on SDN or Reddit). I have no particular preference for primary care vs specialty although I would like the option to do both. I'm from the Northeast and would like to stay (ideally match in NY my home state, but would love Boston as well).

LKSOM
Pros:

• Location (Philly is much more exciting than Worcester)
• Cost (received a $25k/year scholarship)
• Curriculum appears lighter (they do not have classes all afternoon the way UMass seems to)

Cons:

• Very difficult to have a car due to being in the city, more expensive to live in
• Match list compared to UMass (I'd love to match more in Boston/NYC, they seem very Philly-heavy)

UMass Chan
Pros:

• Better-ranked school (I know ranking doesn't ultimately matter but the opportunities could be beneficial)
• Closer to Boston, where I am currently based
• Amazing primary care if I decide to go down that route
• Much easier/cheaper to rent, and I can have a car

Cons:

• In a less exciting area (I am also openly queer and am unsure if it is a safe/accepting area)
• Potentially fewer research opportunities
• The class schedule seems intense (classes all morning and all afternoon, whereas Temple doesn't seem to have as rigorous as a schedule). I know med school is rough no matter what but I'd rather go to a school where students are less stressed
• Price (I am considered OOS and as a result am paying the full sticker price of $100k/year, and they don't let you qualify for in-state tuition after matriculation)

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated! All in all it seems like UMass is the better school but I may be more likely to have a better experience at LKSOM. Thanks!

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[chilly_md]

Go to Temple. Don’t look at rankings, most people would say these two schools are equivalent.

 

[WillyC]

Go to Temple. Don’t look at rankings, most people would say these two schools are equivalent.

Any particular reason? Thanks for the reply!

 

[chilly_md]

Any particular reason? Thanks for the reply!

It’s cheaper and the schedule is more flexible. I don’t see why you should pay 400k to go to UMass.

 

[LunaOri]

Just a couple of points: it is definitely a safe area to be openly queer. There are plenty of well-funded research opportunities. Many students match to the Boston area, if you want to be there for residency.