[URGENT] UNC vs Cincinnati

[medicine_lyfe]

I would love some help figuring out which school to pick! Please share insights and other suggestions about either school that could help my decision, thanks so much!!

UNC
Pros

• Ranked slightly higher (T26?)
• Did my undergrad here, so have a support network through friends and family - family wants me to stay as well
• NBME exams only
• Great match list - have matched students at Yale, Harvard, Duke, etc - including in competitive specialities

Cons

• Although I qualify for in-state tuition, COA is ~$73,000
• Mandatory lectures (students typically done around 3-5pm) & a lot of mandatory stuff
• Flipped classroom
• School seems disorganized?? - especially through communications
• I think it’s about 8 students to a cadaver?
• Class size: ~210 (feel like I’ll just be a number)

Cincinnati
Pros

• I can qualify for in-state tuition starting my first year, so COA is ~$60,000
• #1 Children’s hospital in the country (not really as interested in peds, but it’s appealing)
• Pretty great EM residency program
• Lectures aren’t mandatory, though there are some mandatory things in the afternoon at times
• Great cadaver system, so about ~3 students to a cadaver. They also have prosections of the more nuanced systems, to cut down on time.
• Slightly smaller class size of 180
• Students seemed really happy and the communication from the students has been amazing
• 100% step 1 pass rate and 100% match rate

Cons

• Ranked slightly lower (T35)
• Not as strong match list (seems a ton of people matched within Ohio…)
• In-house exams and end of block exams are NBME
• Moving (moving costs, would have to quit work earlier, etc)

I’m leaning towards competitive specialities, so which school do you think would set me up for success for the best “bang for my buck”? Thanks!!

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[medicine_lyfe]

Bump!

 

[JungleTrouble]

Having nearby while you do your T26 and pursue competitive specialties is gonna be a good deal at UNC. Could you do the same at Cincinnati, possibly? But UNC gets you everything and puts you at a greater advantage

 

[medicine_lyfe]

Having nearby while you do your T26 and pursue competitive specialties is gonna be a good deal at UNC. Could you do the same at Cincinnati, possibly? But UNC gets you everything and puts you at a greater advantage

Do you mean living near by Cincinnati?

My worries is the fact that I’ve been at UNC so long that it will feel like I can’t escape the NC bubble. Do you think I could still match into competitive specialties at Cincinnati? Especially since Cincinnati is cheaper?

 

[JungleTrouble]

Do you mean living near by Cincinnati?

My worries is the fact that I’ve been at UNC so long that it will feel like I can’t escape the NC bubble. Do you think I could still match into competitive specialties at Cincinnati? Especially since Cincinnati is cheaper?

Cincinnat is still a great school and if you've been accepted at UNC I think you have the caliber to make the most of your opportunities at Cinci. You have more pros for cinci and they're all valid, but for me I think if yo are pursuing competitive specialties, you're gonna want every advantage possible, including family support, prestige, ranking, and resources. So now you gotta pick between the prestige and money

 

[medicine_lyfe]

No decision between two medical schools should come down to $13,000 over 4 years. I will be $350,000 in debt after medical school. Choose UNC or choose Cincy. But don't choose Cincy because it is $13k less.

Edit: I think you may mean cost of attendance per year. Advice still the same. Except $ difference is $52k not $13k.

Gotcha, thanks so much!

Edit: do you think the cost difference is that substantial comparing their rankings?

 

[medicine_lyfe]

Cincinnat is still a great school and if you've been accepted at UNC I think you have the caliber to make the most of your opportunities at Cinci. You have more pros for cinci and they're all valid, but for me I think if yo are pursuing competitive specialties, you're gonna want every advantage possible, including family support, prestige, ranking, and resources. So now you gotta pick between the prestige and money

Yeah, that makes sense. I don’t think prestige is as important to me as my sanity, as UNC’s lectures are mandatory.

 

[medicine_lyfe]

That’s hard for me to answer. I worry less about the rankings than the match list you describe. It could possibly be explained by many more local Ohio people going there. But if you want the chance to place is a more prestigious residency (whatever that means to you) and it is not in Ohio, then UNC may be the better play.

As for the cost, I’m biased. Clearly 13k is meaningless. I will admit 52k is a bit more meaningful but like I said I am biased because I will be in so much debt that your numbers seem like nothing to me.

Best of luck friend and congrats!!

From what students said, a lot of them like to stay in the area during residency, so that may explain it.

And that also makes a lot of sense, thanks for acknowledging your bias haha. I’ll take that into consideration.

Thanks so much again.

 

[JungleTrouble]

Yeah, that makes sense. I don’t think prestige is as important to me as my sanity, as UNC’s lectures are mandatory.

Sounds like Cincy is the move for ya

 

[medicine_lyfe]

Sounds like Cincy is the move for ya

Seems like it, haha!