Wright State vs. UToledo

[doit4themunki]

Alright so I just got the call that I was accepted to Wright State after being accepted to Toledo about 3 weeks ago.

I'm having a REALLy hard time deciding what to do or how to even decide. I had positive experiences when I interviewed at both schools. Both are relatively close to my home which was important to me as well. Tuition is almost identical. The areas are pretty similar too (suburban, nothing much going on..etc). Its hard for me to look at matches cause I have no idea what I want to do yet.

I have my own opinions....what would you guys do in my situation? Any / all help is appreciated...biased or not

THANKS!

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[Bungie]

I only interviewed at Toledo (WL'd) and don't know much about WSU.

I believe WSU is directed more to primary care and more rural care than Toledo. I also believe Toledo has a bigger class size than WSU (not quite sure). I would prefer to live in Dayton instead of Toledo, but if the choice was mine, I'd choose UT because I want to specialize and their fourth year rotations are what I want. I also want to do research. I guess it depends on what you see yourself doing.

Edit: Plus I have family in Toledo.

 

[doit4themunki]

I only interviewed at Toledo (WL'd) and don't know much about WSU.

I believe WSU is directed more to primary care and more rural care than Toledo. I also believe Toledo has a bigger class size than WSU (not quite sure). I would prefer to live in Dayton instead of Toledo, but if the choice was mine, I'd choose UT because I want to specialize and their fourth year rotations are what I want. I also want to do research. I guess it depends on what you see yourself doing.

Edit: Plus I have family in Toledo.

Thanks for your input I really appreciate it. It would probably help some if I had an idea what I wanted to specialize in. What do you mean about their 4th year rotations being what you want?

 

[Bungie]

They have CT surgery rotation 4th year (and 3rd year) and not all schools have one. The school I'm currently accepted to doesn't have it. There are also a lot of pediatrics and cardiac-based rotations. UT also has 28 weeks elective 4th year, where as my school has 14, I believe.

UT Electives

WSU Electives pg.11


Edit: WSU has some good rotations in CT surgery and ped. cardiology as well. I would still go with Toledo because of family. Plus that's my only option as of now.

 

[doit4themunki]

They have CT surgery rotation 4th year (and 3rd year) and not all schools have one. The school I'm currently accepted to doesn't have it. There are also a lot of pediatrics and cardiac-based rotations. UT also has 28 weeks elective 4th year, where as my school has 14, I believe.

UT Electives

WSU Electives pg.11


Edit: WSU has some good rotations in CT surgery and ped. cardiology as well. I would still go with Toledo because of family. Plus that's my only option as of now.

Ah, I see. Thank you so much for your input!

 

[Bungie]

Let us (and by us I mean me) know what you decide, if you don't mind. Thanks.

 

[doit4themunki]

Let us (and by us I mean me) know what you decide, if you don't mind. Thanks.

I definitely will...its going to be REALLY tough

 

[JimmyD123]

I looked at both of these schools a lot. I am currently planning on going to Toledo. My biggest reason is that it seems like Wright State really emphasizes primary care, which if you know thats what you want to do, then it be a great option. But if you are undecided going to a school that is focused intently in one area may not be the best choice. Also a secondary point is that I believe Wright State does not have its own University hospital but is instead affiliated with a list of local area hospitals. This probably means that you have less access to physicians who work in an academic setting. And I have been told in the past that you can always start on an academic path and switch to private sector, but it is very difficult to start with community or private sector and switch to academic.

It was for these reasons I opted to not apply to Wright State. But I also am reasonably confident that I want to do some research and specialize down the road, so overall Wright State would of been a poor fit for me.

 

[doit4themunki]

I looked at both of these schools a lot. I am currently planning on going to Toledo. My biggest reason is that it seems like Wright State really emphasizes primary care, which if you know thats what you want to do, then it be a great option. But if you are undecided going to a school that is focused intently in one area may not be the best choice. Also a secondary point is that I believe Wright State does not have its own University hospital but is instead affiliated with a list of local area hospitals. This probably means that you have less access to physicians who work in an academic setting. And I have been told in the past that you can always start on an academic path and switch to private sector, but it is very difficult to start with community or private sector and switch to academic.

It was for these reasons I opted to not apply to Wright State. But I also am reasonably confident that I want to do some research and specialize down the road, so overall Wright State would of been a poor fit for me.

Thanks so much, this is a really good point.

 

[FIREitUP]

Just wanted to say congrats! Also, "theres gotta be a better way to say that"

 

[doit4themunki]

Just wanted to say congrats! Also, "theres gotta be a better way to say that"

 

[Isoprop]

Wright State! You'll love it here. WSU was actually my first choice out of all the Ohio schools I applied (I applied to all except Case and OSU). I just *clicked* better here.

No offense to Toledo, but Dayton is a little nicer, a little less snowy, and closer to Columbus.

 

[Eastern Blot]

I looked at both of these schools a lot. I am currently planning on going to Toledo. My biggest reason is that it seems like Wright State really emphasizes primary care, which if you know thats what you want to do, then it be a great option. But if you are undecided going to a school that is focused intently in one area may not be the best choice. Also a secondary point is that I believe Wright State does not have its own University hospital but is instead affiliated with a list of local area hospitals. This probably means that you have less access to physicians who work in an academic setting. And I have been told in the past that you can always start on an academic path and switch to private sector, but it is very difficult to start with community or private sector and switch to academic.

It was for these reasons I opted to not apply to Wright State. But I also am reasonably confident that I want to do some research and specialize down the road, so overall Wright State would of been a poor fit for me.

I bolded the points I certainly agreed with. These are all reasons I withdrew from WS as well!

 

[doit4themunki]

Wright State! You'll love it here. WSU was actually my first choice out of all the Ohio schools I applied (I applied to all except Case and OSU). I just *clicked* better here.

No offense to Toledo, but Dayton is a little nicer, a little less snowy, and closer to Columbus.

I do think I would prefer to live in Dayton although it is about an hour farther away from my home in Cleve. I really did like Wright State when I interviewed and felt it was a really good match for me...but since I thought I was 100% going to Toledo to this point and have been looking more into it I really like it a ton...

Don't get me wrong I am SO grateful to even HAVE a choice...but this is hard!

 

[swimerbear]

So I understand your dilemma entirely! It seems ungrateful to be so stressed about having a choice, but really its like your mind can't even comprehend getting into one school, let alone having a choice!

Anyway I had to choose between Toledo and another school. While there were many little things that helped make the choice, I think the biggest thing for me was the sense that the school was more "commuter". I went to a really small high school and undergrad, and I work at a med school now where all of the students live within a 1 mile radius of the school. While I don't know the living situation/class closeness of WSU, I know that most of the students at Toledo live at least 15 minutes away. Also, I really disliked the fact that they didn't have any dedicated student space in the med school campus (aka student carrels, etc) I guess this was really important to me because I am NOT a home studier.

I know that the students say that they spend a lot of time together, but I remember some students telling me that they didn't know the names of everyone in their class. This was a huge turnoff for me. I really want to feel like I am integrated into a close knit community.

Anyway, just my two cents. I know how hard it is to make a choice, so good luck! And congrats!!

 

[doit4themunki]

So I understand your dilemma entirely! It seems ungrateful to be so stressed about having a choice, but really its like your mind can't even comprehend getting into one school, let alone having a choice!

Anyway I had to choose between Toledo and another school. While there were many little things that helped make the choice, I think the biggest thing for me was the sense that the school was more "commuter". I went to a really small high school and undergrad, and I work at a med school now where all of the students live within a 1 mile radius of the school. While I don't know the living situation/class closeness of WSU, I know that most of the students at Toledo live at least 15 minutes away. Also, I really disliked the fact that they didn't have any dedicated student space in the med school campus (aka student carrels, etc) I guess this was really important to me because I am NOT a home studier.

I know that the students say that they spend a lot of time together, but I remember some students telling me that they didn't know the names of everyone in their class. This was a huge turnoff for me. I really want to feel like I am integrated into a close knit community.

Anyway, just my two cents. I know how hard it is to make a choice, so good luck! And congrats!!

Yes the community is EXTREMELy important to me so I do value your opinion on that. And thanks for the sympathy..however much I may not deserve it

 

[doit4themunki]

Anyone else care to share (PLEASE)? I have like 24 hr to decide

 

[glasshalfMD]

Come on munki, after all the suggestions I gave you for apartment complexes in Dayton, you might not even come to the Boonshoft?!

I withdrew from Toledo as soon as I got my Wright State interview invite. That's how not-sold I was on living in Toledo for four years. I know 2 current rising M3s at WSU, and 4-5 rising M2s - they all love it.

I respect what the others have said regarding their choice to attend UT being based off a desire to do research, but I do need to add that Wright State and Miami Valley Hospital made the announcement somewhat recently that they are expanding their joint Neuroscience institute. Being interested in neuroscience research, this was a huge plus for me. While they may not have as much variety as a larger school, there are still quite a few opportunities out there.

Additionally, while primary care IS where a good chunk of WSU students end up, the school's match list hums to the tune of variety. It seems you can pretty much go into anything you like (if you're willing to work hard for it, obviously). I was reading over some of the M4 rotations and getting excited even though they're 3 years away right now! To me, I would rather go to a school that's community-based with rotations in a bunch of area hospitals rather than being confined to a few select buildings for several years in a row.

In any event, clearly I'm partial toward WSU. I loved it. Iso is going there - he seems pretty cool. It's definitely a tight-knit group of students. That has its downsides (everybody up in yo biznass), but also its upsides (plenty of camaraderie, people to study with, friends to be made, etc.) I hope you make the decision that's right for you!

 

[1234ER]

I have a few friends that go to WSU, and they say they absolutely love it there. I also know a guy at UT (friend of a friend), and from what I understand, they spend the first 2 years in the same lecture hall, for all classes. Both are good schools, but If I had to choose between the two, I would choose WSU.
I think it all comes down to what you want out of the next 4 years of your life.

 

[doit4themunki]

Come on munki, after all the suggestions I gave you for apartment complexes in Dayton, you might not even come to the Boonshoft?!

I withdrew from Toledo as soon as I got my Wright State interview invite. That's how not-sold I was on living in Toledo for four years. I know 2 current rising M3s at WSU, and 4-5 rising M2s - they all love it.

I respect what the others have said regarding their choice to attend UT being based off a desire to do research, but I do need to add that Wright State and Miami Valley Hospital made the announcement somewhat recently that they are expanding their joint Neuroscience institute. Being interested in neuroscience research, this was a huge plus for me. While they may not have as much variety as a larger school, there are still quite a few opportunities out there.

Additionally, while primary care IS where a good chunk of WSU students end up, the school's match list hums to the tune of variety. It seems you can pretty much go into anything you like (if you're willing to work hard for it, obviously). I was reading over some of the M4 rotations and getting excited even though they're 3 years away right now! To me, I would rather go to a school that's community-based with rotations in a bunch of area hospitals rather than being confined to a few select buildings for several years in a row.

In any event, clearly I'm partial toward WSU. I loved it. Iso is going there - he seems pretty cool. It's definitely a tight-knit group of students. That has its downsides (everybody up in yo biznass), but also its upsides (plenty of camaraderie, people to study with, friends to be made, etc.) I hope you make the decision that's right for you!

Don't worry! Your apartment recs weren't for nothing...I'm driving down to dayton in about 10 minutes to look at them .

Thanks for all that though...I keep hearing about the camaraderie there and it's something that definitely stuck out during my interview. This is really important to me so if nothing else I think that might be the deciding factor in where I go.

 

[glasshalfMD]

Don't worry! Your apartment recs weren't for nothing...I'm driving down to dayton in about 10 minutes to look at them .

Thanks for all that though...I keep hearing about the camaraderie there and it's something that definitely stuck out during my interview. This is really important to me so if nothing else I think that might be the deciding factor in where I go.

hope you find a place you love!

 

[Isoprop]

I'd like to add that rotating through a bunch of hospitals can be a good thing! Every hospital does their admin stuff differently, and it might be an advantage to experience that. I think the focus on primary care is a good thing also. Let's face it, even if you were pursuing Derm, you probably want a strong letter from an IM doc and very strong clinical skills from primary care fields.

That being said, UT does have some pros. They have a wider variety of electives and they allow 3rd years to do elective rotations, which is a big plus in my book. Especially for people who are undecided. Rotations also start earlier which means that UT studentshave more clerkships when filing out the ERAS.

All in all, you can't go wrong with either schools. GL, and I hope to see you @ Wright State.

 

[turkaglew]

Gotta add my two cents...

I picked Wright as an OOS student even with multiple acceptances (including 1 IS). As for being "academic" I would certainly argue that Miami Valley Hospital is an academic institution (even says so on wikipedia, half-joking). I mean, it is about to expand to over 1000 beds, it has a large neuroscience research initiative, a level 1 trauma center etc etc...Also, there are other affiliates (kettering and good sam) that are large academic-style hospitals. Just because it is _______ University Medical Center doesn't mean you wont have med students, residents and faculty attendings.

As for matches, there are 40 some percent that go into PC every year. However, many of these students matched at pretty impressive places. If you do want to specialize, you won't be held back at WSU any more so than at Toledo (if you were chosing between WSU and Harvard, that is a different story)

However, the main reason I picked WSU is the balance between TBL and lecture. Most schools are all or none. I am a big fan of integrating the two. And, Wright is good about letting you have time on your own to study. Lectures are 8 or 9 am to 12 and you get to study in the afternoon. Some of the schools I was accepted at it was like 8-5 M-F scheduled classes. Not to mention, you can stream at WSU because everything is online the same day.

Anyway, I could ramble on about this because I feel like the school is a perfect fit for me, but the decision is yours and I hope you make the one that is best for YOU. Congrats and GL

 

[doit4themunki]

Alright after a ton of thinking and taking into accounte everything everyone has said on here and everything people have told me I think I'm going to choose Wright State

I loved loved Toledo and I think it's a great program but I think what sold me was the laid back and great community feel at Wright State. that is so so so important to me.

I hope this leaves a spot open for someone who badly wants to go to Toledo, esp an SDN'er.

Thanks for your opinions all--and I'll see some of you in August

 

[BlameItOnTheOH]

Congrats on your decision! I also had the WSU vs UT decision to make, and also went with Wright State. I am fortunate enough to have a couple of friends at each school that helped me with the decision. There are definitely some little things about Toledo (electives, etc..) that made it seem better...but my friends at Wright State are happier and feel a lot less competitive with their classmates than those at Toledo. Maybe I'm just an emotional person, but ultimately I went with my gut on this one... great vibes/feelings from WSU!...See you in August!