- Joined
- May 25, 2020
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 2
Hello fellow experts of SDN! I know that the deadline for school selection is approaching in a few days. I was fortunate enough to be accepted to both schools and am currently waitlisted at USF Morsani (CORE). (if you are a medical student there, I would love to chat more). I am chronically bad at making decisions, so would love any input anyone has towards my situation!
Also, I started a tattoo apprenticeship over the past few months after I received my acceptance, and really hope to do some research regarding skin-safe pigments, allergic contact dermatitis, and/or keloid formations in POCs. Maybe I am a little delusional but I am hoping to maybe do a few tattoo gigs during vacation to supplement my daily expense. so this is why I also hope to be near major metropolitan cities.
VCU:
+ In-state tuition, (35k/yr + moderate COL), (however I have no attachment to the state and only ended up in Virginia because of my gap year clinical work, my family is overseas)
+ Decent match list
+ Seem to have a collaborative vibe, P/F curriculum (interviewer had us do a mediation session before interview which I thought was really cute)
+ seem to have a Arts in Healthcare collaboration with a director who's MD/MBA, though am not sure how developed the program is at all
+/- Nice city, however much smaller than cities I am used to (ex. D.C., Shanghai, Tokyo etc.), it is 2hr drive from D.C. but knowing my lazy self I probably won't be diligent enough to make the drive
- lower ranked (#62)
- Heard negative comments about research sites being far away
UMass:
+ higher-ranked (#47), recently received $147 million donation so it might raise even more over the next few years, brand new research building that will be put into use next year
+ Have friends near me (a nice plus but not a must)
+ Great match list, largest VA as a training site
- extremely harsh weather in the winter
- Wrocester is not dynamic at all (but is an hour to Boston)
- almost 100k more expensive than VCU!!!!!
So I guess the question really is, is the difference in rank and "potential" worth 100K? (I come from a low-income immigrant family, so I am leaning towards VCU's lower cost, but since my father's biggest regret in life is that he didn't jump on a more "prestigious" opportunity due to financial reasons when he was younger, his rhetoric is really starting to mess with my decision making..)
Also, I started a tattoo apprenticeship over the past few months after I received my acceptance, and really hope to do some research regarding skin-safe pigments, allergic contact dermatitis, and/or keloid formations in POCs. Maybe I am a little delusional but I am hoping to maybe do a few tattoo gigs during vacation to supplement my daily expense. so this is why I also hope to be near major metropolitan cities.
VCU:
+ In-state tuition, (35k/yr + moderate COL), (however I have no attachment to the state and only ended up in Virginia because of my gap year clinical work, my family is overseas)
+ Decent match list
+ Seem to have a collaborative vibe, P/F curriculum (interviewer had us do a mediation session before interview which I thought was really cute)
+ seem to have a Arts in Healthcare collaboration with a director who's MD/MBA, though am not sure how developed the program is at all
+/- Nice city, however much smaller than cities I am used to (ex. D.C., Shanghai, Tokyo etc.), it is 2hr drive from D.C. but knowing my lazy self I probably won't be diligent enough to make the drive
- lower ranked (#62)
- Heard negative comments about research sites being far away
UMass:
+ higher-ranked (#47), recently received $147 million donation so it might raise even more over the next few years, brand new research building that will be put into use next year
+ Have friends near me (a nice plus but not a must)
+ Great match list, largest VA as a training site
- extremely harsh weather in the winter
- Wrocester is not dynamic at all (but is an hour to Boston)
- almost 100k more expensive than VCU!!!!!
So I guess the question really is, is the difference in rank and "potential" worth 100K? (I come from a low-income immigrant family, so I am leaning towards VCU's lower cost, but since my father's biggest regret in life is that he didn't jump on a more "prestigious" opportunity due to financial reasons when he was younger, his rhetoric is really starting to mess with my decision making..)
