Sunday, August 29, 2010

Medical Schools and more Medical Schools. Where should I go?

Okay, so after spending about a bajillion hours and dollars getting in my medical school applications this summer, I finished up this week and am ready to start thinking about where I should go. Here's a list of my view of each school with some pluses and negatives to each one. Let me know what you think.

UTMB. Galveston, TX.

This school, located on a small island off the gulf coast, is very hot and very humid. I interviewed there last week and the school is great. It has a very laid back student body and curriculum (no classes past noon the first two years!) and tuition is remarkably inexpensive.




But, being an island off the gulf coast, you always run some risks during hurricane season.


Texas Tech. Lubbock, TX.

I have an interview scheduled with these guys in September. Good things: football team. And that might be it. All I hear about is how terrible of a place Lubbock is, and I haven't heard great things about the medical school either.



The Ohio State University. Columbus, OH.

I thought I was special when the dean of admissions at OSU personally called me up, but then I learned that he does that with everybody who gets interviews. I have an interview set up in October with OSU. Pluses: I hear great things about the school there, and there is a large young LDS population in Columbus. They love Mormon kids. Also, I'm sure that cheering in a stadium with 100,000 + people for football wouldn't be that bad. Negatives: Its cold, and far away. From what I hear its not too close to any outdoors anything.

University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT.

What can I say? Its close to home, in state tuition, I get to keep living in awesome Utah.

However, I would also be forced to be a Ute.
Oregon Health and Sciences. Portland, OR.

I put this picture of Katie up so that if we end up here, you all would know why.

University of North Carolina. Chapel Hill, NC.

UNC actually is really appealing to me. I have had a few friends from NC, and they all say amazing things about how awesome it is. Chapel Hill is the perfect sized city for me, Its quick to get away into the beautiful Appalacians, the beach is close, and their basketball team is great. I haven't heard much about the medical school, but I'm really hoping to get an interview there to see what its like. Negatives: out of state tuition and distance from family.


Loma Linda University. Loma Linda, CA.

This is a Seventh Day Adventist School, and being such, the library is closed Saturdays, but open Sundays. They are a lot like BYU in that they promote spirituality in their curriculum. Katie's extended family lives in the area, which is always good (Sunday dinners!!). However, I really grew to dislike southern California on our trip there last year.


Washington University. St. Louis, Missouri.

Washington University was my long shot, my Harvard if you will. Their average GPA entering is at least a 3.9, and their average MCAT is a 38, which is above the 99th percentile (I got a 34). About 2 years ago, I listened to a presentation given by somebody in the admissions office at Washington University, and I was sold. It just seems like a place I want to be.

Medical College of Wisconsin. Milwaukee, WI.

If Katie thinks that Utah is unbearably cold, she has another thing coming to her with the winter average high of 28 degrees. Medical College of Wisconsin I can honestly say is one of my "safety" schools. They seem to like BYU students a lot, which is why I applied. Good things: Green Bay Packers games are close, and um....well, I'll have to get back to you one more.

UT Houston. Houston, TX.

One thing I learned by going to Texas last weekend is that the Houston area has to be the food capital of the word. You can't drive a block without seeing some unique restaurant, which for me is great. Other great things: the school is located in the middle of one the biggest and most advanced medical centers of the world, and its known for being a great school; also, some family such as Katie's brother Josh and my aunt live within driving distance. Negatives: have to live in Houston, which is way too big of a city for me.

Texas A&M. College Station, TX.

Here you get the Texas experience without the Houston experience. College Station is a smaller, very conservative city where I think I'd fit right in. Also, it has the famous low tuition prices of all Texas schools.

Alright, this post has gone way too long. It won't let me put more pictures. My thought is that if I'm only going to post once a year, I might as well make it a good one.

3 comments:

Evan and Holly said...

We just visited The OSU, which Evan is thinking about transferring to next year. It was a lot like Portland in my opinion (green, hilly, neighborhoods had that same feel) although a little more humid. It is also pretty cloudy and rainy there. We loved the school--but the tuition for out of state is high, but after a year you will qualify as a resident (as long as you live there for 12 months and don't go home over the summer).

We have a friend who did his medical school at the U, did his internship in Colorado, did another 2 year stay at the U and now is doing oncology specialty in Houston. He loves it. It is such a large facility and would provide a lot of opportunity.

Another friend of mine just started his second year at the U. The new program they are doing is awesome because you get to do things the first year that a lot of third years aren't doing--like examine and treat patients. He was seeing patients in clinic his second semester. He also has not had classes past noon his whole first year.

I think it funny that Katie likes OHSU. I think it will be overpriced because you will be out of state and I don't think OR residency rules are lenient. But I know that it has a good reputation, but hard to get into.

Just some things I know about medical schools that you are looking at through other people. I hope you find a good place for you two though.

Megan Potter said...

Hey at least you have tons of options and you will likely get in your FIRST year! I vote for Oregon for Katie's sake, plus Oregon is awesome, and not too far from home. Next I vote North Carolina, cause it's awesome. Then Ohio, cause you love football, and that stadium looked amazing. last I pick U of U, cause it's close to home, in state, but last because of that gross picture and having to be a Ute, but I guess with out the picture, it's not all that bad, except for you're already a cougar and that's a hard transition. Good luck!!

The Tabot Fam said...

Hey Mike and Katie - this is Garrett's sister Jillian. Having recently enjoyed the thrill of playing med-school roulette myself, I wanted to offer a little insight from our experience. Please feel free to take it or leave it.

We found the "white guy" factor to be a real hang up during our application process. So you might consider looking into a few DO schools. Richard is currently a 2nd year at NOVA in S. Florida. If you have any interviews down this way, want to chat Richard up about applications and scores/entries, or have any questions about med school, have Garrett give you my # or Richard's #. We'd love to share what we learned and if you interview down this way, we've got a spare bedroom with your name on it. Best of luck!