UTSW vs. Miami Miller

[verti436]

Hey everyone,

I've been fortunate to receive great offers from both UTSW and Miami. I've been deliberating this decision for a few weeks but am still torn. Additional perspectives would be very much appreciated.

Some background: I'm OOS for both schools. I would be paying in-state tuition at UTSW. Miami offered me a full-tuition scholarship, so I would just be paying Miami cost of living. Ultimately, since Miami's cost of living is significantly higher, I would expect to pay a very similar amount for overall cost of attendance at both schools. No specialty is off the table for me, but I think it's likely that I will end up pursuing a competitive specialty. I am married, so my wife will be moving with me, and she doesn't have a strong city preference either; her job prospects are more or less equal in both cities.

UTSW

Pros:

-Strong home programs for many specialties that I am potentially interested in
-First semester is true P/F
-Administration feels slightly more organized than Miami
-Ranked significantly higher than Miami in both USNWR and the survey of residency program directors. Although I am aware of the limitations of these rankings, including the low response rate of the PD survey, I would love insights into any relevant reasons why UTSW has a consistently higher ranking
-Strong match list; from what I can tell, very similar to Miami's, both in prestige and specialty
-I have extended family in Houston and friends in Oklahoma, but they're all at least a 3-hour drive

Cons:

-No true P/F after first semester; internal rankings important for AOA and for residency evaluation. This is similar to Miami
-Students consistently report a more overwhelming first semester than at other schools, from what they can tell
-Class feels slightly less friendly than what I have experienced with the Miami class so far
-Schools aside, if I can live in Miami for the same overall cost as Dallas, I would probably rather do that, but I'm open to opinions on this as well

Note: I haven't been able to figure out whether UTSW has mandatory lecture attendance or not, and would love to know this

Miami

Pros:

-Strong match list; from what I can tell, equally strong to UTSW's
-Although it is not my first language, I am proficient in Spanish, and Miami presents an excellent opportunity to become a bilingual provider (although Dallas wouldn't necessarily be a bad place to do this either)
-Robust student-led community service opportunities that seem like they would be very meaningful to me. Seems like there are more opportunities for student-led service than at UTSW
-Access to facilities of beautiful undergraduate campus
-Class seems extremely friendly and outgoing, which is important to me since I have minimal connections to either city

Cons:

-Does the lower USNWR and PD survey ranking mean anything significant?
-I have zero connections to Florida or Miami, although living there seems like it would be great
-No true P/F, class is internally ranked in quartiles, with preclinicals contributing to 20% of this
-I have been warned about mandatory lecture attendance and an overall attendance requirement that ensures students are on-campus at least 8am-12pm each day during year 1
-Administration seems slightly less organized (although this may be because of increased responsiveness to student feedback).

Thank you all for any additional perspectives you can provide!

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[suddy0613]

I think it’s kind of a draw because you’ll be paying a low amount for a good education at either institution. I would go with the one where you connected most with the students and where you prefer living. Like let’s pretend you’re about to announce to your friends and family on the school you’ve decided : which one is the first that comes to mind? Or pretend to yourself and state which school you’re going to. Does it make you feel kinda sad to give up the other one? Try it with both schools and you’ll kinda figure out which one your heart wants.

That being said, I actually interviewed at UTSW as well and what kind of bothered me during my interview day was the number of applicants who raised concerns about the competitiveness and gunner student body. It’s a fantastic school but I would say that’s a con. It’s probably a better pick if you for sure want competitive specialties but residency matching really is more about you than the school.

I’ve visited Miami before and visited the school. Can confirm that it’s a beautiful campus. Didn’t apply because I hate hot weather. Full ride is awesome and shows they value you. You’ll do fine at either school and neither would hold you back from any residency. Good luck!

 

[Reanox24]

Disclosure: OOS A to UTSW that I am heavily considering and pre-II R (likely) from Miami

I would say that regarding your point with Spanish, it is going to be a wash since Parkland has a LOT of Hispanic patients. One additional strength that you are leaving out for UTSW over Miami is the quality of the clinical rotations for med students: it is a T5 in that regard.
I don't think that lecture attendance at UTSW is mandatory, though there are some mandatory activities. That’s a big consideration when comparing to mandatory 8:00 a.m. M-F
I am biased, but if the cost is truly the same and they both have internal ranking, the UTSW name will open any door in medicine and give you superb clinical training. Miami might be a slightly cooler city, but I would have to go with UTSW here.