UCONN vs SUNY Downstate

[cuddlycactus]

Having a hard time deciding between SUNY Downstate and UCONN. OOS at both, so tuition is about the same (in-state tuition after year 1), but COL in NYC is of course higher.

SUNY Downstate
Pros

• Optional Lectures and less class time
• NBME-style exams
• Located in NYC where my partner’s career is based
• Have close friends in the area already for support/socializing
• Medical Spanish EC
• Cares for underserved population and only med school in BKN

Cons

• Have love/hate relationship w NYC
• Environment seems less supportive (larger class too)
• Facilities are decrepit
• Worse rank/reputation (not entirely sure since match list seems good)

UCONN
Pros

• School seems to truly care about student well-being
• Newer facilities and technology
• Closer to home
• Allows for immediate retake of failed exam without repercussions
• Possibly easier to obtain research (not sure)
• Longitudinal clinical exposure M1-M3

Cons

• Less to do in CT/don’t know anyone already in area
• In-house exams
• “Flipped classroom” with a lot of mandatory class time

Summary: Proximity to NYC was a big factor in where I applied d/t my partner of almost a decade having career based there. UConn seems like the “safer” option, but the flipped classroom and in-house exams don’t sound great to me. Interested in hearing how big of a factor the teaching and exam style should be, and thoughts on which school is a better option. Thanks!

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[Bowel-Plumber]

Without any input on the schools themselves, your post tells me that you want to go to Downstate.

I honestly don’t know much about either of these programs to tell you one is much better than the other. I do know that Downstate matches pretty well and personally, I value NBME exams and non-mandatory classes a lot more than a lot of other factors. I feel like that and the fact that your SO is in NYC makes sense for Downstate.

I will say, I did tour Downstate and the facilities looked old af. I don’t think that’s enough of a reason to rule out a school but I definitely agree with your assessment. I did get to meet with a lot of students who said their experience was amazing between the Brooklyn population, the proximity to the city and activities and dining, and the time between exams (like 8-10 weeks since theres exams only at the end of each block)

 

[cuddlycactus]

Without any input on the schools themselves, your post tells me that you want to go to Downstate.

I honestly don’t know much about either of these programs to tell you one is much better than the other. I do know that Downstate matches pretty well and personally, I value NBME exams and non-mandatory classes a lot more than a lot of other factors. I feel like that and the fact that your SO is in NYC makes sense for Downstate.

I will say, I did tour Downstate and the facilities looked old af. I don’t think that’s enough of a reason to rule out a school but I definitely agree with your assessment. I did get to meet with a lot of students who said their experience was amazing between the Brooklyn population, the proximity to the city and activities and dining, and the time between exams (like 8-10 weeks since theres exams only at the end of each block)

They both have exams only at the end of each block, which I agree I definitely like that style. How high of a priority do you think should be placed on optional lectures and NBME style exams? Would that outweigh something like the supportiveness (or lack there of) of the program?

 

[Bowel-Plumber]

They both have exams only at the end of each block, which I agree I definitely like that style. How high of a priority do you think should be placed on optional lectures and NBME style exams? Would that outweigh something like the supportiveness (or lack there of) of the program?

It’s really going to come down to personal preference. I went to high school in NY which requires standardized exams called the Regents exam. My teachers used Regents questions only for exams and I always aced the Regents exam when the time came. I had the same experience with my AP courses since my AP Bio and AP Psych and APUSH and every other AP class used questions from previous AP exams only and then I was able to do well on the real test. Finally, I realized during my MCAT studying that I studied content for so long but only saw improvement in my scores when I began attacking UWorld and AAMC questions.

With all of that said, I want to be prepared for Step from day 1. I know it works for me based on previous experiences. I’m sure some schools who use in-house exams try to emulate the NBME style and whatnot, but in the end of the day I don’t feel comfortable knowing that I could have a someone with PhD teaching the course who focuses on nitpicky details because it’s niche in their research field or something. I’m looking to do well on my standardized exams and not stress over things I don’t need to.

As for support, you’re not going to get a good answer from me. You should reach out to students at both schools and get examples. I actually think the support from your SO would go a long way over these 4 years. During my tour, the two students did say they were really happy and felt really supported. But who knows. Do you have any specific examples as to how UConn supports their students more than Downstate?