**Decision-Making Thread**

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lol.psych

psychiatrist (private prac)
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15+ Year Member
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Many of us have multiple acceptances, and are having a hard time deciding where to go. We should start a list of Pros and Cons of the schools we're considering to help each other decide where to go! (I know there's a school info database, but it'd be cool to have every school all in one place) (different things matter more to different people, so don't super-stress things that mean a bunch to you and downplay things that mean little)

Rosalind Franklin University

+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around

-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum


UMDNJ-NJMS
+Near NYC
+Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby

-Newark
-Students seemed bland
-Step 1 around 220 (correct me!)


UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Pass/Fail
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 around 228 (correct me!)

-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring


UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin

-Not much stood out


UT Southwestern

+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty

-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

Members don't see this ad.
 
Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around

-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum


UMDNJ-NJMS
+Near NYC
+Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby

-Newark
-Students seemed bland
-Step 1 around 220 (correct me!)


UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Pass/Fail
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 around 228 (correct me!)

-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring


UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin

-Not much stood out


UT Southwestern

+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty

-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty


University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC

-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road


SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade

-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings


SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)

-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus
 
Last edited:
Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around

-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum


UMDNJ-NJMS
+Near NYC
+Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby

-Newark
-Students seemed bland
-Step 1 around 220 (correct me!)


UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Pass/Fail
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 around 228 (correct me!)

-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring


UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin

-Not much stood out


UT Southwestern

+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty

-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty


University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC

-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road


SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade

-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings


SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)

-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus


Wright State
+Friendly Students
+Is associated with 7 hospitals
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+small class size (~100)
+school has a homey feeling to it
+awesome preparation for step 1
+close to columbus and cincy
+good matching all over the country
+very focused on primary care if that's your thing
+first year students have a very good/close relationship with the second years (i.e. for advice, book recs, etc...)

-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Members don't see this ad :)
This is going to get really informative really fast.
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold
- It is religious (Bad...but not that bad considering they dont care if you are religious)

Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum

UMDNJ-NJMS
+Near NYC
+Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
-Newark
-Students seemed bland
-Step 1 around 220 (correct me!)

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Pass/Fail
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 around 228 (correct me!)
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)

-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)


University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+Friendly Students
+Is associated with 7 hospitals
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+small class size (~100)
+school has a homey feeling to it
+awesome preparation for step 1
+close to columbus and cincy
+good matching all over the country
+very focused on primary care if that's your thing
+first year students have a very good/close relationship with the second years (i.e. for advice, book recs, etc...)

-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold
- It is religious (Bad...but not that bad considering they dont care if you are religious)

Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum

SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)

-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters


UMDNJ-NJMS
+Near NYC
+Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
-Newark
-Students seemed bland
-Step 1 around 220 (correct me!)

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Pass/Fail
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 around 228 (correct me!)
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+Friendly Students
+Is associated with 7 hospitals
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+small class size (~100)
+school has a homey feeling to it
+awesome preparation for step 1
+close to columbus and cincy
+good matching all over the country
+very focused on primary care if that's your thing
+first year students have a very good/close relationship with the second years (i.e. for advice, book recs, etc...)

-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold
- It is religious (Bad...but not that bad considering they dont care if you are religious)

George Washington
+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum


SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Pass/Fail
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 around 228 (correct me!)
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+Friendly Students
+Is associated with 7 hospitals
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+small class size (~100)
+school has a homey feeling to it
+awesome preparation for step 1
+close to columbus and cincy
+good matching all over the country
+very focused on primary care if that's your thing
+first year students have a very good/close relationship with the second years (i.e. for advice, book recs, etc...)
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
See, the problem with this thread is that many people pros are other people's cons, and vice versa... As much as us scientific pre-meds want to put our decision-making into a formula that works for everyone, it just doesn't work that way!
 
See, the problem with this thread is that many people pros are other people's cons, and vice versa... As much as us scientific pre-meds want to put our decision-making into a formula that works for everyone, it just doesn't work that way!

you make a good point - however, a "fact" is a "fact", whether it's listed as a positive one or a negative one...
 
University of Sothern California (Keck)
+Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
-Bad area of LA (safety)
Well played, sir.
 
there is too much subjectivity
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
+ Grading policy less gunner-ish
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold
- It is religious (Bad...but not that bad considering they dont care if you are religious)

George Washington
+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum


SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Pass/Fail
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 around 228 (correct me!)
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Southern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+Friendly Students
+Is associated with 7 hospitals
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+small class size (~100)
+school has a homey feeling to it
+awesome preparation for step 1
+close to columbus and cincy
+good matching all over the country
+very focused on primary care if that's your thing
+first year students have a very good/close relationship with the second years (i.e. for advice, book recs, etc...)
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington
+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ 40% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Pass/Fail
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 around 228 (correct me!)
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+Friendly Students
+Is associated with 7 hospitals
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+small class size (~100)
+school has a homey feeling to it
+awesome preparation for step 1
+close to columbus and cincy
+good matching all over the country
+very focused on primary care if that's your thing
+first year students have a very good/close relationship with the second years (i.e. for advice, book recs, etc...)
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
can somone fix wright state, the things on there are outrages - "good matching" lol "close to columbus and cincy" "friendly students" "homey feel" I interviewed there and liked it but some of those things can be said about every school. Maybe you can mention the new medical school building and the sick new anatomy lab, great in-state cost. If this thread is going to be informative you have to cut out the BS. The mentioning of facilities, weather, cost, board scores etc is great though
 
can somone fix wright state, the things on there are outrages - "good matching" lol "close to columbus and cincy" "friendly students" "homey feel" I interviewed there and liked it but some of those things can be said about every school. Maybe you can mention the new medical school building and the sick new anatomy lab, great in-state cost. If this thread is going to be informative you have to cut out the BS. The mentioning of facilities, weather, cost, board scores etc is great though

I think these are all things you can edit yourself.
 
can somone fix wright state, the things on there are outrages - "good matching" lol "close to columbus and cincy" "friendly students" "homey feel" I interviewed there and liked it but some of those things can be said about every school. Maybe you can mention the new medical school building and the sick new anatomy lab, great in-state cost. If this thread is going to be informative you have to cut out the BS. The mentioning of facilities, weather, cost, board scores etc is great though

please feel free to edit anything I've written... sorry if some of them were very subjective... in regards to tuition, I didn't find it that different from OSU, toledo or the average state school in general... but i guess it depends on how you're looking at it...
 
Last edited:
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington
+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ 40% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+Friendly Students
+Is associated with 7 hospitals
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+small class size (~100)
+school has a homey feeling to it
+awesome preparation for step 1
+close to columbus and cincy
+good matching all over the country
+very focused on primary care if that's your thing
+first year students have a very good/close relationship with the second years (i.e. for advice, book recs, etc...)
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington
+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ 40% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington
+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ 40% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Penn state

+On campus housing
+/- required research component
+/- Rather rural location
+ Nice facilities and construction on going
-expensive

Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
-Scared of the grading system
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Baylor
+ The TMC!
+ Great research
+ Condensed pre-clinical curriculum
+ Flexible curriculum (research track, care of the underserved track, ethics track, etc)
+ Fun/friendly, approachable faculty
+ Cheaper tuition by private standards, especially in state
+ Cost of living
- Break from Methodist
- Controversy with president
- HOT/humid
- Houston traffic

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington

+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ 40% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Penn state
+On campus housing
+/- required research component
+/- Rather rural location
+ Nice facilities and construction on going
-expensive


Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

Texas Tech-El Paso (Paul Foster)
+ Small class size
+ Caring faculty that are obviously personally invested in the success of their first class
+ Chance to make a curriculum based on what you want
+ AIDS researchers from Harvard
- It's in El Paso
- Uncertainty of new school
- Really only one "name" lab for research

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
+High-powered research
-Scared of the grading system (rumored to be changing to pass/fail though)
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Last edited:
Corrected stat about Georgetown Match Rate (I'm a tour guide there) and added a few things to Georgetown.


Albany Medical College

+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Baylor
+ The TMC!
+ Great research
+ Condensed pre-clinical curriculum
+ Flexible curriculum (research track, care of the underserved track, ethics track, etc)
+ Fun/friendly, approachable faculty
+ Cheaper tuition by private standards, especially in state
+ Cost of living
- Break from Methodist
- Controversy with president
- HOT/humid
- Houston traffic

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington

+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ >45% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
+ First of its kind in DC student run clinic called the Hoya Clinic
+ Georgetown Basketball!
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Penn state
+On campus housing
+/- required research component
+/- Rather rural location
+ Nice facilities and construction on going
-expensive


Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

Texas Tech-El Paso (Paul Foster)
+ Small class size
+ Caring faculty that are obviously personally invested in the success of their first class
+ Chance to make a curriculum based on what you want
+ AIDS researchers from Harvard
- It's in El Paso
- Uncertainty of new school
- Really only one "name" lab for research

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
+High-powered research
-Scared of the grading system (rumored to be changing to pass/fail though)
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS[/QUOTE]
 
Albany Medical College

+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Baylor
+ The TMC!
+ Great research
+ Condensed pre-clinical curriculum
+ Flexible curriculum (research track, care of the underserved track, ethics track, etc)
+ Fun/friendly, approachable faculty
+ Cheaper tuition by private standards, especially in state
+ Cost of living
- Break from Methodist
- Controversy with president
- HOT/humid
- Houston traffic

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington

+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ >45% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
+ First of its kind in DC student run clinic called the Hoya Clinic
+ Georgetown Basketball!
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

Mount Sinai
+Cheap and incredible housing with full size beds!
+Location in NYC!
+anatomy labs have some of the most beautiful views of NYC ever.
+pass/fail first 2 years
+hospital right on campus - super convenient for the rotations you do there.

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC, downtown as opposed to mssm, columbia, or even cornell!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Penn state
+On campus housing
+/- required research component
+/- Rather rural location
+ Nice facilities and construction on going
-expensive


Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

Texas Tech-El Paso (Paul Foster)
+ Small class size
+ Caring faculty that are obviously personally invested in the success of their first class
+ Chance to make a curriculum based on what you want
+ AIDS researchers from Harvard
- It's in El Paso
- Uncertainty of new school
- Really only one "name" lab for research

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
+High-powered research
-Scared of the grading system (rumored to be changing to pass/fail though)
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Albany Medical College

+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Baylor
+ The TMC!
+ Great research
+ Condensed pre-clinical curriculum
+ Flexible curriculum (research track, care of the underserved track, ethics track, etc)
+ Fun/friendly, approachable faculty
+ Cheaper tuition by private standards, especially in state
+ Cost of living
- Break from Methodist
- Controversy with president
- HOT/humid
- Houston traffic

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington

+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ >45% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
+ First of its kind in DC student run clinic called the Hoya Clinic
+ Georgetown Basketball!
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

Mount Sinai
+Cheap and incredible housing with full size beds!
+Location in NYC!
+anatomy labs have some of the most beautiful views of NYC ever.
+pass/fail first 2 years
+hospital right on campus - super convenient for the rotations you do there.

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC, downtown as opposed to mssm, columbia, or even cornell!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Penn state
+On campus housing
+/- required research component
+/- Rather rural location
+ Nice facilities and construction on going
-expensive


Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

Texas Tech-El Paso (Paul Foster)
+ Small class size
+ Caring faculty that are obviously personally invested in the success of their first class
+ Chance to make a curriculum based on what you want
+ AIDS researchers from Harvard
- It's in El Paso
- Uncertainty of new school
- Really only one "name" lab for research

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
+High-powered research
-Scared of the grading system (rumored to be changing to pass/fail though)
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Vanderbilt
+Beautiful campus
+P/F
+Nashville is a fun city!
+Awesome anatomy lab
+Warm(er) weather
+high STEP1 scores
+small class size (~100)
+Emphasis project
+good financial aid
-expensive tuition


Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

i'm from buffalo & just wanted to set the record straight about our winters. while we do often get quite a bit of snow (although usually less than other upstate ny cities like rochester or syracuse for example), it's really not that cold. buffalo's right next to lake erie so that moderates our temperatures. the temperature hardly ever goes below 0 (farenheit) so i'd have to argue that there are probably a lot of med schools that are colder than buffalo.
 
Great thread idea....terrible execution.
 
Great thread idea....terrible execution.

Thanks for the not particularly constructive criticism. If you have ideas about improving it, I have no problem with changing the format/structure/whatever to be more useful or informative. I would appreciate it if you didn't just throw criticisms around, though.
 
Go to the top of the page, to the grey bar. Click on Medical. A menu should drop down. Click on "School Stats"

You can also use USNews for school stats, not just rankings (info about curriculum, student demographics, tuition, etc)
This is horribly outdated which is why I think this is a good idea.

Great thread idea....terrible execution.

What is wrong with the execution?
 
i'm from buffalo & just wanted to set the record straight about our winters. while we do often get quite a bit of snow (although usually less than other upstate ny cities like rochester or syracuse for example), it's really not that cold. buffalo's right next to lake erie so that moderates our temperatures. the temperature hardly ever goes below 0 (farenheit) so i'd have to argue that there are probably a lot of med schools that are colder than buffalo.
:eek::eek::eek::eek: thats cold dude!! which other US med school has colder winters?
 
:eek::eek::eek::eek: thats cold dude!! which other US med school has colder winters?

If you take wind chill into account, Chicago probably takes the cake. It can get as cold as 20-25 below with the WC, not to mention lake effect snow which is always fun to drive in.
 
i'm from buffalo & just wanted to set the record straight about our winters. while we do often get quite a bit of snow (although usually less than other upstate ny cities like rochester or syracuse for example), it's really not that cold. buffalo's right next to lake erie so that moderates our temperatures. the temperature hardly ever goes below 0 (farenheit) so i'd have to argue that there are probably a lot of med schools that are colder than buffalo.

Yes, but normal people... err...people who are from socal, think that anything below 50 fahrenheit is cold... so me thinks you are wrong about Buggalo not being cold....just saying...
 
Wait wait wait. Buffalo is cold as balls. This cannot be contested. Its a cold, cold place and well known for being so.
 
If you take wind chill into account, Chicago probably takes the cake. It can get as cold as 20-25 below with the WC, not to mention lake effect snow which is always fun to drive in.

Chicago rarely gets lake-effect snow. That requires a north-easterly wind, an infrequent event. It definitely gets cold yes, but annual snowfall is not anywhere near as high as the snow belt from Cleveland to Buffalo and beyond.
 
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I have no numbers to back this up and have never actually been to the state, but I'd put my money on North Dakota as being the coldest.
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Baylor
+ The TMC!
+ Great research
+ Condensed pre-clinical curriculum
+ Flexible curriculum (research track, care of the underserved track, ethics track, etc)
+ Fun/friendly, approachable faculty
+ Cheaper tuition by private standards, especially in state
+ Cost of living
- Break from Methodist
- Controversy with president
- HOT/humid
- Houston traffic

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington

+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ >45% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
+ First of its kind in DC student run clinic called the Hoya Clinic
+ Georgetown Basketball!
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

Mount Sinai
+Cheap and incredible housing with full size beds!
+Location in NYC!
+anatomy labs have some of the most beautiful views of NYC ever.
+pass/fail first 2 years
+hospital right on campus - super convenient for the rotations you do there.

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC, downtown as opposed to mssm, columbia, or even cornell!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Northwestern
+Location within Chicago
+Pass/Fail
+Diverse patient population
+Don't need my car.
-Expensive
-Very cold winter

Penn state
+On campus housing
+/- required research component
+/- Rather rural location
+ Nice facilities and construction on going
-expensive


Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

Texas Tech-El Paso (Paul Foster)
+ Small class size
+ Caring faculty that are obviously personally invested in the success of their first class
+ Chance to make a curriculum based on what you want
+ AIDS researchers from Harvard
- It's in El Paso
- Uncertainty of new school
- Really only one "name" lab for research

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
+High-powered research
-Scared of the grading system (rumored to be changing to pass/fail though)
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Vanderbilt
+Beautiful campus
+P/F
+Nashville is a fun city!
+Awesome anatomy lab
+Warm(er) weather
+high STEP1 scores
+small class size (~100)
+Emphasis project
+good financial aid
-expensive tuition


Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS

I think the execution is fairly solid.
 
haha i am from NYC and i think 30's and below are cold...so a place that goes down to 0 farenheit is insane to me... eek! lol
 
Boston can also pretty easily get to -20 F with the windchill, particularly if you're in any sort of wind tunnel (many of these in the city) or near the river. It's the kind of cold in which you can't cry because your tears will freeze.

On the other hand, I have a roommate from northern Minnesota who says that -20 Boston weather was "not bad at all" and that she never had to use her "cold gear" when living there. So yeah.
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Baylor
+ The TMC!
+ Great research
+ Condensed pre-clinical curriculum
+ Flexible curriculum (research track, care of the underserved track, ethics track, etc)
+ Fun/friendly, approachable faculty
+ Cheaper tuition by private standards, especially in state
+ Cost of living
- Break from Methodist
- Controversy with president
- HOT/humid
- Houston traffic

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington

+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ >45% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
+ First of its kind in DC student run clinic called the Hoya Clinic
+ Georgetown Basketball!
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

Mount Sinai
+Cheap and incredible housing with full size beds!
+Location in NYC!
+anatomy labs have some of the most beautiful views of NYC ever.
+pass/fail first 2 years
+hospital right on campus - super convenient for the rotations you do there.

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC, downtown as opposed to mssm, columbia, or even cornell!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Northwestern
+Location within Chicago
+Pass/Fail
+Diverse patient population
+Don't need my car.
-Expensive
-Very cold winter

Penn state
+On campus housing
+/- required research component
+/- Rather rural location
+ Nice facilities and construction on going
-expensive


Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

Texas Tech-El Paso (Paul Foster)
+ Small class size
+ Caring faculty that are obviously personally invested in the success of their first class
+ Chance to make a curriculum based on what you want
+ AIDS researchers from Harvard
- It's in El Paso
- Uncertainty of new school
- Really only one "name" lab for research

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
+High-powered research
-Scared of the grading system (rumored to be changing to pass/fail though)
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Vanderbilt
+Beautiful campus
+P/F
+Nashville is a fun city!
+Awesome anatomy lab
+Warm(er) weather
+high STEP1 scores
+small class size (~100)
+Emphasis project
+good financial aid
-expensive tuition

Wake Forest
+Excellent clinical preparation
+Balanced curriculum of traditional lectures integrated with a couple of PBL sessions per week.
+Excellent hospital complex (+/-medical school is RIGHT IN the hospital)
+Happy students, smaller class size
+Exceptoinal anatomy lab, extremely well ventilated, great technology (CT/MRI scans of YOUR cadaver)
+Technologically savvy school (laptop provided 1st year, PDA provided third)
-Winston-Salem does not fit the tastes of many
-private = expensive (but seemingly decent financial aid)


Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
I really liked what I saw at Wake Forest when I was there for my interview (especially the anatomy lab, it smelled fresh and clean, I was impressed!)...but was a little concerned about their preparation for the boards, based on what their website says and also some of the comments from the current medical students...

Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Baylor
+ The TMC!
+ Great research
+ Condensed pre-clinical curriculum
+ Flexible curriculum (research track, care of the underserved track, ethics track, etc)
+ Fun/friendly, approachable faculty
+ Cheaper tuition by private standards, especially in state
+ Cost of living
- Break from Methodist
- Controversy with president
- HOT/humid
- Houston traffic

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington
+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ >45% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
+ First of its kind in DC student run clinic called the Hoya Clinic
+ Georgetown Basketball!
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing

Mount Sinai
+Cheap and incredible housing with full size beds!
+Location in NYC!
+anatomy labs have some of the most beautiful views of NYC ever.
+pass/fail first 2 years
+hospital right on campus - super convenient for the rotations you do there.

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC, downtown as opposed to mssm, columbia, or even cornell!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Northwestern
+Location within Chicago
+Pass/Fail
+Diverse patient population
+Don't need my car.
-Expensive
-Very cold winter

Penn state
+On campus housing
+/- required research component
+/- Rather rural location
+ Nice facilities and construction on going
-expensive


Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

Texas Tech-El Paso (Paul Foster)
+ Small class size
+ Caring faculty that are obviously personally invested in the success of their first class
+ Chance to make a curriculum based on what you want
+ AIDS researchers from Harvard
- It's in El Paso
- Uncertainty of new school
- Really only one "name" lab for research

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research Distinction Track
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
+High-powered research
-Scared of the grading system (rumored to be changing to pass/fail though)
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Vanderbilt
+Beautiful campus
+P/F
+Nashville is a fun city!
+Awesome anatomy lab
+Warm(er) weather
+high STEP1 scores
+small class size (~100)
+Emphasis project
+good financial aid
-expensive tuition

Wake Forest
+Excellent clinical preparation
+Balanced curriculum of traditional lectures integrated with a couple of PBL sessions per week.
+Excellent hospital complex (+/-medical school is RIGHT IN the hospital)
+Happy students, smaller class size
+Exceptoinal anatomy lab, extremely well ventilated, great technology (CT/MRI scans of YOUR cadaver)
+Technologically savvy school (laptop provided 1st year, PDA provided third)
-Winston-Salem does not fit the tastes of many
-private = expensive (but seemingly decent financial aid)
- students perform "near the mean" for Step 1 and 2

Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
Albany Medical College
+ Cost of living
+Hospital is in the same building that the students learn in
+ Many people can walk to campus (or live very close to campus)
+ Really get to know about medical ethics and administration
+Not many distractions
+ Getting involved in research is easy and promoted by the school
+ Dr. Bob (A physician that set up free clinics for the area)
- Most students go there because it was the only school they were accepted to
- old building
- Not highly ranked
- Not in a major urban center
- Cold winters
- Expensive

Baylor
+ The TMC!
+ Great research
+ Condensed pre-clinical curriculum
+ Flexible curriculum (research track, care of the underserved track, ethics track, etc)
+ Fun/friendly, approachable faculty
+ Cheaper tuition by private standards, especially in state
+ Cost of living
- Break from Methodist
- Controversy with president
- HOT/humid
- Houston traffic

Boston University
+ Boston Medical Center
+ Philosophy of care
+ Much thought put into Curriculum
+ Pass/Fail grading
+ Location (Urban area, South Boston)
- Buildings aren't that nice
- Expensive tuition and housing

Creighton
+ Very friendly and supportive staff and students
+ Philosophy of how medicine should be practiced
+ Very Clean/New looking campus
+ Omaha! ( actually has lots of culture)
+ Cost of living (dirt cheap for everything)
+ Outreach programs
+ Primary care (if that is what you are after)
-/+ It is religious (Bad or good, but they don't care if you are religious)
- Omaha (In the middle of the country, no large body of water)
- The cold

George Washington
+ Beautiful campus and hospital
+ In DC
+ Student and faculty diversity
+ Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills Center is an amazing resource
+ Opportunity to select a "track" if interested in focusing on particular field of study
- Private hospital; more hands-off experience
- Very expensive
- Relatively traditional curriculum
-Currently on probation with LCME; though they plan to turn this over within 1 year

Georgetown
+ Beautiful campus and surrounding undergrad campus
+ In DC
+ In Gerogetown!
+ >45% of their graduates match into top 25 residency programs
+ Committed to their philosophy of cura personalis
+ First of its kind in DC student run clinic called the Hoya Clinic
+ Georgetown Basketball!
- Buildings nicer on outside than inside
- Big class size, you have to compete with SMP students
- Expensive housing
- Grading system



Mayo
+ The Mayo Clinic
+ 13 week research requirement
+ Scholarships
+ Curriculum, Grading (Pass/Fail), Selectives
+ Philosophy
+ Beautiful facilities, remodeled student center
+ Rotation blocks can be in Florida & Arizona
+ Travel stipend
+ Close enough to Minneapolis
+/- Small class size
+/- Rochester
+/- No undergrad
- The climate

Mount Sinai
+Cheap and incredible housing with full size beds!
+Location in NYC!
+anatomy labs have some of the most beautiful views of NYC ever.
+pass/fail first 2 years
+hospital right on campus - super convenient for the rotations you do there.

New York University
+Cheap housing
+Location in NYC, downtown as opposed to mssm, columbia, or even cornell!
+Creates lots of academic physicians
+Bellevue Hospital
-Housing not so nice..

Northwestern
+Location within Chicago
+Pass/Fail
+Diverse patient population
+Don't need my car.
-Expensive
-Very cold winter

Penn State
+On campus housing
+/- required research component
+/- Rather rural location
+ Nice facilities and construction on going
-expensive


Rosalind Franklin University
+Close enough to Chicago to go there on the weekends, but far enough that it's quiet and peaceful
+Not many distractions around
-Expensive
-Cold
-Not much nightlife and entertainment
-Tiny gym
-Traditional curriculum



SUNY Upstate
+Friendly Students
+Has a good hospital
+Opportunities to do Rural Health, if interested
+Across the street from SU, if you like Football
+Can get instate tuition after 1 year
+Weiskotten Hall facade
-Middle of nowhere (6 hrs from NYC)
-Cold winters
-Old Buildings

SLU
+Has a good focus on hepatology if you are interested
+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)
-Expensive
-In St. Louis
-Dangerous
-Not the nicest looking Campus

Texas Tech-El Paso (Paul Foster)
+ Small class size
+ Caring faculty that are obviously personally invested in the success of their first class
+ Chance to make a curriculum based on what you want
+ AIDS researchers from Harvard
- It's in El Paso
- Uncertainty of new school
- Really only one "name" lab for research

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University at Buffalo (SUNY buffalo)
+ Very Cheap tuition (and OOS get residency after 1st year)
+ Great clinical research opportunities
+ Cost of living
+ BY FAR the best admissions office/staff/tour guide...
+ Nice cadaver labs
+ Big on neuroanatomy, neuroscience, neurology... (they even have a brain museum!!)
+ near Toronto
+ Golf course across the street
+ Easy to go into primary care or specialize
- It is in Buffalo (a "dying" city)
- Step scores are only average
- Med school is not really near anything or in the city
- VERY cold winters (might take the cake for the coldest medical school)

University of Iowa (Carver)
+ Great Reputation, Residencies
+ Research and Service Distinction Tracks
+ Beautiful facilities
+ Excellent Research Reputation
+ Ranked in Research and Primary Care
+ Close to undergrad campus (Iowa football!)
+/- Iowa City is fun, but its no LA
- Competitive grading system
- Traditional Curriculum

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
+ Great for trauma
+ Cost (In state)
+ Downtown Chicago - Literally
+ Largest class size in the country (good for finding people to study with)
+ Access to almost any hospital in Chicagoland area for clinical years
- Cost (Out of state)
- Large class (not so great on small group work)
- Very slow administration office
- Cold winters

UMDNJ-NJMS
+ Near NYC and Hoboken
+ More hands-on clinical experience in first 2 years than some private schools give in 4
+ Jubilee curriculum; focus on small group learning over lectures
+ Potential for clerkships at HUMC (amazing hospital)
+ Lots of resources, stores, transportation, etc nearby
- Newark
- Students seemed bland
- Step 1 at the national average

UTMB-Galveston
+PBL
+Friendly students
+Community health involvement
+Friendly and approachable Faculty
+Step 1 230/231 this year
+Avg Jan high/low is 62/50
-Post-Ike state unknown
-Hospital's been seriously damaged
-Galveston seems kind of boring
-Humid+big mosquitos haha

UTHSC San Antonio
+Friendly students
+Program to do clerkships in super-south Texas, where you get to do more hands-on stuff than you would otherwise
+Near Austin
-Not much stood out

UT Southwestern
+Step 1 scores around 232 (correct me!)
+Parkland is awesome
+3rd years have call/go on call
+Super-smart and awesome faculty
+High-powered research
-Scared of the grading system (rumored to be changing to pass/fail though)
-Rumors of competitiveness
-Rumors of pretentious students and faculty

University of Maryland
+ Awesome Hospital
+Students Really Friendly
+Institute of Virology=:love:
+Beautiful, New Campus
+In Baltimore, close to NYC, Philly, DC
-In Baltimore (not sure that the person who posted "Baltimore" as a + has been there)
-Kind of expensive if OOS
-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

University of Sothern California (Keck)
+ Good step scores (Step 1: 233)
+ Many M3/M4 students get some scholarships
+ The weather
+ Video lectures, Nice labs, great lecture halls
+ New Hospital about a block from campus
+ Bad area of LA (this could produce more interesting cases)
+ Students get their own desks on campus
+ Pass/Fail
-Exspensive tuition
-Cost of living (hard to find an appartment for under $1,000/month)
-Almost all students are forced to drive 20+ minutes to campus
-Bad area of LA (safety)

Vanderbilt
+Beautiful campus
+P/F
+Nashville is a fun city!
+Awesome anatomy lab
+Warm(er) weather
+high STEP1 scores
+small class size (~100)
+Emphasis project
+good financial aid
-expensive tuition

Wake Forest
+Excellent clinical preparation
+Balanced curriculum of traditional lectures integrated with a couple of PBL sessions per week.
+Excellent hospital complex (+/-medical school is RIGHT IN the hospital)
+Happy students, smaller class size
+Exceptoinal anatomy lab, extremely well ventilated, great technology (CT/MRI scans of YOUR cadaver)
+Technologically savvy school (laptop provided 1st year, PDA provided third)
-Winston-Salem does not fit the tastes of many
-private = expensive (but seemingly decent financial aid)
- students perform "near the mean" for Step 1 and 2

Wright State
+New medical school building (with a very nice anatomy lab, downward suction of air)
+Is associated with 7 unique hospitals (diverse clinical oppurtunities)
+small class size (~100)
+school and dayton have a homey feel
+awesome preparation for step 1
+primary care focused
+great in-state tuition
-Cold winters
-dayton
-don't bother if you're OOS
 
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+Step 1 scores around 226(correct me!)

- Step scores are only average

- Step 1 at the national average

This is ridiculous. Counting a "National Average" step 1 score as a strike against a school? Pray tell, why is it negative that step 1 scores are "only" average? Do you even know what the national average was this year?


University of Maryland

-Inferiority Complex b/c Hopkins is down the road

I don't understand why people feel the need to make unfounded statements like these. It is obvious that you have either never been to U of Maryland or did not spend adequate time with students, residents, or attendings here. There is no inferiority complex. Hopkins does their thing, we do ours. I'm guessing that this perceived complex has something to do with rankings or endowments, followed by an assumption on your part. Hopkins certainly has a lot of money and there's the occasional lighthearted joke about "the other place down the street," but there's so much going on here that we don't have the time or energy to feel inferior. People come from all over the world to see specialists at both places. Hopkins is our partner in taking care of the people of Baltimore and of Maryland in general, and that's all there is to it.
 
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