Stanford vs Hopkins vs WashU

[ArtVandalay7]

Hello, everyone!

I have narrowed my choices down to three great programs, but I am really having trouble determining which to choose. Before I list the pros and cons of each, some information about me: I am most interested in either psychiatry or general surgery and would like to explore global health. I have a military scholarship that will cover a large amount of tuition, so money is not the top motivating factor. I have many interests outside of and tangential to medicine, and though I want to do everything I can to match into a highly ranked residency program, I also want to enjoy my time as a medical student and develop in more areas than just medicine. My pros and cons are as follows:


Stanford (awaiting FA)
Pros:
-definitely my favorite location of the three
-true pass/fail curriculum
-proximity to the undergrad/grad campus provides more opportunities for interdisciplinary studies
-flexible curriculum
-small class size
-the Stanford name goes beyond medicine

Cons:
-expensive COL
-not much access to diverse patient populations
-I have no real interest in staying for 5 years (something about 80% of students do)



Johns Hopkins (awaiting FA)
Pros:
-most regarded name in medicine of the three
-family in the area
-very strong clinical training (if not the best in the U.S.)
-ties to Baltimore
-partner could keep their job in the area (not a deal breaker since they are open to looking for a new position)
-very diverse patient population
-strength of public health program (interest in public health-based research)

Cons:
-nothing “new” (I have spend the majority of my life in and around Baltimore. Though I love it, I would like to branch out)
-mixed impressions on interview day (nice students and staff but not a great experience during my faculty interview)
-chance of clinicals no longer being pass/fail in the future


WashU (full tuition scholarship)
Pros:
-money
-surprisingly nice experience during interview day
-the area around the medical school seems very nice
-opportunity to work in a new area with a diverse patient population

Cons:
-limited global health opportunities
-didn’t vibe well with the students
-I am just not as excited about the prospect of becoming a student at WashU when compared to Stanford or Hopkins. It is an amazing school! But I am somewhat ambivalent about the idea of attending.

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[RunnerDad]

What an outstanding choice you have in front of you. Many congrats for your success this cycle. This is going to be a bit off the wall in terms of feedback on your options, because I don't really have much to add on the substance of these schools, all three of which are top grade. I had a cousin who, many years ago, moved with his wife and three young daughters from the luxury of Huntington Beach, California, to a rural home not terribly far from St. Louis. After three years living there -- he was a children's book writer -- he moved back to California, where they still had their primary residence. He said it was such an amazing experience to live in a place that was unfamiliar to him and outside their comfort zone, that the people were incredibly friendly, and that the cost of living was so dramatically different that they practically lived like kings (well, "farmer kings," I guess). WashU tends to see fewer applicants than some other T10 schools (J-Hop being the other exception), probably because of location. But I think people sell that area short by not experiencing it. And it's certainly a school that won't limit your residency matching options anywhere in the U.S.

Best of luck in your decision!

 

[ArtVandalay7]

Congratulations! Caveat: admitted to Stanford and WashU with similar circumstances and leaning towards WashU for my situation (so ignore any bias I may have lol)

I was most impressed by the global health opportunities at Stanford, both from the breadth and the available funding/curricular flexibility. It was also my impression that people gravitate towards that extra year for their own interests, rather than being forced into it by the curriculum, or whatnot. I also wouldn't sweat any differences in medical prestige between these three, any gaps are pretty much in laymen prestige, as you mentioned. Personally, I strongly value being close to family, so Hopkins would hold an edge for me assuming costs would be similar post-FA (but that sounds like less of a factor for you, given your military funding). I would really reflect on if having a support system close by is important and then go from there.

Also for my own decision lol but what was your off vibe at WashU, if you're ok with sharing? Happy to DM if you'd prefer

Hey! Thanks so much for the response. I tried sending you a DM, but it didn’t go through. Maybe if you send the first message?

 

[potato100]

Congrats! I'm actually in the same boat as you re: Stanford and WashU (with a full tuition scholarship for WashU). I wanted to visit both, but had to choose one due to overlapping SLW. Would love to chat more! Send me a DM

 

[Saturday’s Child]

Hello, everyone!

I have narrowed my choices down to three great programs, but I am really having trouble determining which to choose. Before I list the pros and cons of each, some information about me: I am most interested in either psychiatry or general surgery and would like to explore global health. I have a military scholarship that will cover a large amount of tuition, so money is not the top motivating factor. I have many interests outside of and tangential to medicine, and though I want to do everything I can to match into a highly ranked residency program, I also want to enjoy my time as a medical student and develop in more areas than just medicine. My pros and cons are as follows:


Stanford (awaiting FA)
Pros:
-definitely my favorite location of the three
-true pass/fail curriculum
-proximity to the undergrad/grad campus provides more opportunities for interdisciplinary studies
-flexible curriculum
-small class size
-the Stanford name goes beyond medicine

Cons:
-expensive COL
-not much access to diverse patient populations
-I have no real interest in staying for 5 years (something about 80% of students do)



Johns Hopkins (awaiting FA)
Pros:
-most regarded name in medicine of the three
-family in the area
-very strong clinical training (if not the best in the U.S.)
-ties to Baltimore
-partner could keep their job in the area (not a deal breaker since they are open to looking for a new position)
-very diverse patient population
-strength of public health program (interest in public health-based research)

Cons:
-nothing “new” (I have spend the majority of my life in and around Baltimore. Though I love it, I would like to branch out)
-mixed impressions on interview day (nice students and staff but not a great experience during my faculty interview)
-chance of clinicals no longer being pass/fail in the future


WashU (full tuition scholarship)
Pros:
-money
-surprisingly nice experience during interview day
-the area around the medical school seems very nice
-opportunity to work in a new area with a diverse patient population

Cons:
-limited global health opportunities
-didn’t vibe well with the students
-I am just not as excited about the prospect of becoming a student at WashU when compared to Stanford or Hopkins. It is an amazing school! But I am somewhat ambivalent about the idea of attending.

Congrats! Current Hopkins student here. All great schools that will provide top-notch training, resources, connections, etc. Was also considering WashU when applying, have spent a significant amount of time in STL, and have friends who go to WashU. Don’t know much about Stanford.

Regarding Hopkins, the strengths you list are honestly the most important factors to consider. Family support and limiting strain on personal relationships make a huge difference in quality of life. Clinical training is the foundation of your med school experience. Gen Surg at Hopkins is excellent, and Psych is solid as well. Patient diversity and global/public health opportunities are also icing on the cake—if those are priorities for you, Hopkins offers the best package.

For the cons, I would not worry about your faculty interview experience. That’s one out of dozens of attendings you’ll encounter in your four years—of course not all will be your favorite, but many are at Hopkins because they truly enjoy medical education and mentorship and therefore prioritize their relationships with students. Idk what to make of the future of pass/fail clinicals. I would be SHOCKED if they changed it back, but they do have regular votes scheduled I guess just to allow for a more dynamic evaluation of the grading system as opposed to just making a single declaration then forgetting about it. Seems like a move to placate a small faction of old-school faculty members who still see value in grades. Personally, I’d expect it to remain P/F. I totally get wanting a change of scenery… but if you do enjoy Baltimore already, that may be a bird in the hand, so to speak. St Louis is much less interesting than Baltimore, in my opinion—very midwestern (a bit behind the times) and landlocked with not much opportunity to escape to a nearby city like DC, NYC, or Philly. It’s a city, like Baltimore, than can grow on you, but that’s a risk you take. Palo Alto could be cool but obviously pricier, far from home, and very suburban, making it necessary (I think?) to commute to SF for any real night life or excitement.

Full ride at WashU is nothing to sneeze at, but unless you’re taking out well over 150k in loans, I’d argue that life is short & you only get one med school experience. Go somewhere you’ll be excited about and will look back on without regret. Hopkins seems to check more of your important boxes with less significant downsides. Stanford could be awesome, and if you truly want to make a big life change and see what the west coast offers, go for it. Residency would offer another chance, though no guarantee, to explore that side of the country.

 

[Biochemist3412]

Hi, I was also deciding between a few schools last year, including Hopkins Stanford and Washu. I attended WashU for undergrad, and my final choice was between Hopkins and Stanford, I ended up picking Hopkins. Feel free to pm me to discuss

 

[Biochemist3412]

Difficult: Harvard vs Hopkins vs Stanford

Hi everyone, Super grateful for these options, they are my final three choices after ruling out WashU, Yale, Cornell, UPenn. I’ve been going back and forth between these and am super indecisive. For context, I am straight MD but will be carrying out considerable translational research on the...

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