i am trying to decide between Loyola in Chicago and USC in LA. I liked Loyola better (teaching style, location, facilities, people) but i know USC is ranked higher, does more research, and probably has better programing for the clinical years.
is anyone familiar with either of these programs? also, do people know how much medical school rank / name plays into good residency programs?
thanks!
Admittedly I didn't apply to/interview at Loyola, so I can't really compare them. However, I am curious what strikes you as inferior about the learning style at USC? If you aren't from LA, I wouldn't judge the school based on the location. You will need a car at either school I believe, and that completely removes that issue in LA. (I'm from LA). Trust, me, if I saw the area around USC and thought that characterized the majority of what LA had to offer, I'd be pretty turned off.
USC does break-out groups in the afternoon. You have your core group of 24 and that breaks down into a smaller group of 6. These groups do discussion led by 2 physicians to make sure you have an interactive place to field questions and case study discussions outside of lecture (somewhat like PBL). For me, I can't imagine a more ideal learning situation, so I'm really curious what struck you as better about Loyola or worse about USC. Supposedly after working with these groups so long, you come out with good professional bonds that last into your career...great for referrals and when you need to call a colleague to ask a 2nd opinion.
This truly might be one of those situations where who did your student tour made all the difference. One person's attitude can cloud your whole impression of a school. My interview at USC conflicted with the main tour, so the freshman class prez gave a unscheduled tour to me and one other applicant--everybody we ran into seemed so happy, and so was she. I do understand that while maintaining a great reputation it is one of the least high strung med schools (as much as med students can be).
The school is known for responding really quickly to concerns &/or complaints of the student body b/c it's a private school--that's part of what you get for the tuition. When one prof taught a class for the 1st time and flubbed it a bit, they remedied it before her topic was even over from what I understand--I went to other schools where they definitely waited til at least the next year to fix a similar problem, so those students had to learn topic X on their own.
If you have the $ to do it, I would go to the 2nd look visit for USC if what I wrote sounds inconsistant with what you experienced/heard/saw there. If you really can afford it, maybe go to both schools' 2nd visits.
At the end of the day, however, I would not go anywhere based on reputation alone...I would seriously consider happiness and fit. You will be a better student if you take those into account, and it's better to be at a arguably lesser ranked school and be the better student and happier student physician when you see your first patients. It will benefit you and it will benefit those who are letting you learn on them as patients.
