Wisconsin (UW) vs Cincinnati (UC)

[repititionition]

Caveat lector: I'm gonna make my own decision, this is just an academic (!) exercise. I love threads that both stir the pot and generate useful content for others while potentially serving as resources for applicants in later admissions years.

That said, I'm OOS for both. Lovers and haters of University of Wisconsin and University of Cincinnati, weigh in here. What are the pros and cons of your schools?

The way I see it:

WISCONSIN

Pros:
-Highly respected program
-Research abounds
-Strong culture of letting students have their own path and goals (eg research isn't pushed, rural FM isn't pushed, etc.)
-Very reasonable tuition with substantially larger scholarship pool

+/-:
-Huge, new (and I felt, impersonal) integrated HSLC
-Definitely a town, not a city

Cons:
-Probably the whitest place I saw on the interview trail - both students and interviewees. The lack of diversity freaked me out a bit.
-Madison has a "vibrant" real estate market (read: surprisingly expensive)
-Transition from P/F in Y1 to a mandatory curve w/grades in Y2
-Seemed insular. Attitude (from students) seemed to believe that Madison is nirvana. Why would anyone ever want to leave?
-Mandatory rotations outside of Madison (~3-4 mo)


CINCINNATI

Pros:
-Systems curriculum using NBME block exams
-P/F (albeit ranked) for Y1-2
-Ability to gain IS status and tuition for Y2-4
-Student facilities are beautiful and expansive (gym in CARE/CRAWLEY, instruments (piano and guitars) in student lounges, etc.))

+/-:
-Anatomy/dissection is integrated in to systems blocks
-A true midwestern city

Cons:
-Potentially overshadowed by other nearby OH powerhouses (Case, TOSU)
-Some will not feel comfortable in the area adjacent to the Health Sciences/Hospitals Campus
-Seems that nearly all students pay "sticker" price

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[wiloghby]

You must be a superstar to get an interview at UW as an OOS applicant. That is all I have to say.

That said, looking at your pros/cons list, it reads to me like you are leaning to Cincinatti. So you should go there. If the extra cost is a big deal, then maybe go the other way. But it sounds like all other factors point to Cincinatti.

I wouldn't worry about being "overshadowed" by Case and TOSU. And while "some" might not feel comfortable in the area adjacent to Cincinatti, if you can feel comfortable there, then who cares?

 

[kickster]

Caveat lector: I'm gonna make my own decision, this is just an academic (!) exercise. I love threads that both stir the pot and generate useful content for others while potentially serving as resources for applicants in later admissions years.

That said, I'm OOS for both. Lovers and haters of University of Wisconsin and University of Cincinnati, weigh in here. What are the pros and cons of your schools?

The way I see it:

WISCONSIN

Pros:
-Highly respected program
-Research abounds
-Strong culture of letting students have their own path and goals (eg research isn't pushed, rural FM isn't pushed, etc.)
-Very reasonable tuition with substantially larger scholarship pool

+/-:
-Huge, new (and I felt, impersonal) integrated HSLC
-Definitely a town, not a city

Cons:
-Probably the whitest place I saw on the interview trail - both students and interviewees. The lack of diversity freaked me out a bit.
-Madison has a "vibrant" real estate market (read: surprisingly expensive)
-Transition from P/F in Y1 to a mandatory curve w/grades in Y2
-Seemed insular. Attitude (from students) seemed to believe that Madison is nirvana. Why would anyone ever want to leave?
-Mandatory rotations outside of Madison (~3-4 mo)


CINCINNATI

Pros:
-Systems curriculum using NBME block exams
-P/F (albeit ranked) for Y1-2
-Ability to gain IS status and tuition for Y2-4
-Student facilities are beautiful and expansive (gym in CARE/CRAWLEY, instruments (piano and guitars) in student lounges, etc.))

+/-:
-Anatomy/dissection is integrated in to systems blocks
-A true midwestern city

Cons:
-Potentially overshadowed by other nearby OH powerhouses (Case, TOSU)
-Some will not feel comfortable in the area adjacent to the Health Sciences/Hospitals Campus
-Seems that nearly all students pay "sticker" price

Current M1 at UCCOM. Being overshadowed by OSU and Case is not a thing...they aren't exactly nearby. If you care about rankings (you shouldn't, they don't mean anything), then take solace in the fact that UC has been moving up. Probably 1/4-1/2 of students live nearby school, and everybody else lives a bit farther away (10-15 min drive) in nicer areas. It's just about preference, do you value a short (walking distance) commute or location?

Not sure what you mean by Cincinnati being a "true midwestern city," but if it counts for anything, downtown Cincinnati has exploded in the past few years. Lots of new restaurants, bars, etc, much more vibrant.

I love UCCOM as well as Cincinnati, so perhaps I'm biased. Feel free to PM me with any specific questions.

 

[eizeral]

Cincinnati is only an hour from Lexington, KY too, which is a great city as well!

 

[Jennyfishy]

I'm gonna have to agree with you on the lack of diversity in Madison (and Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee for that matter). During my interview weekend, the folks I stayed with (I know some alumni who are also Southeast Asian and are now MS1s) basically said "All of the minorities have to stick together, because there's so few of us in the entire town"

Everyone's friendly, but the fact that there isn't a large population for there to be a need to have free clinics serving different ethnic demographics was kind of disappointing to learn, considering the school hosts so many unique and amazing summer language/other programs that serve underserved populations.

The mandatory rotations can be a pro/con depending on your view on it. Most people I know ended up enjoying it, despite originally being hesitant to leave the area

Good luck deciding the two though (I'm biased, so won't say anything/vote)!

 

[vagabondrunning]

I'm OOS and got into UW-M this year. I really liked the school and the city. I'm living in Boston currently, and the rent in Madison, from what I've heard, seems very affordable to me. I guess it's all relative. Hoping for a scholarship of some kind, too. Go where you feel you will have the best time!

 

[Great White Buffalo]

I've read in the U of Cincinnati thread that you can qualify as instate for tuition after a period of time. Unique for OOS to qualify as IS for tuition, something about Ohio State law. Check out the U of C SDN forum for that information.

 

[cooksgenes]

Watching this thread now, trying to decide between UW and my state school as well. I agreed with OP's cons for UW.

 

[SN12357]

Interesting discussion, and I'm also curious to see what people say as I am hoping to get some good news from Wisconsin as an OOS applicant.

I did have to laugh at your categorization of Madison's real estate as expensive, though--coming from the East Coast the rent on apartments around there looked heavenly! I put the cost of living strongly in the positive column after my visit.

 

[alpinism]

Interesting discussion, and I'm also curious to see what people say as I am hoping to get some good news from Wisconsin as an OOS applicant.

I did have to laugh at your categorization of Madison's real estate as expensive, though--coming from the East Coast the rent on apartments around there looked heavenly! I put the cost of living strongly in the positive column after my visit.

Agreed. Madison might be a tiny bit more expensive than Cinci, but on the whole its way cheaper than the coasts.

Also, ranked P/F during M1/M2 is the same thing as having grades both years.