Penn State BS/MD (PMM) v. OU BS/MD (MHSP)

BSMD1212
Wed, 04 Apr 2018 16:07:42 +0000

I am deciding between Penn State’s and SKMC’s (Jefferson University’s) 7 Year BS/MD program and Oklahoma University’s 7 Year BS/MD program. Some factors I am considering are:

Fit: OU is extremely conservative, and I am afraid I will not fit in such an environment. Pennsylvania and Philly are more suitable for my ideologies.

Ranks: For UG and Med, Penn State is ranked MUCH better

Program: Penn State is structured to be completed in 7 years, whereas OU is structured for 8 years, with some students self-planning to finish in 7 years. I would prefer to be in a program that is already structured for all my classmates to graduate in 7 years, so I am not worried that I may lose an extra year due to unestablished programs or poor planning.

Cost: 500K for Penn vs 250K for OU - a huge factor for my parents

Establishment: Penn’s BS/MD is MUCH more established than OU’s BS/MD

Location: I absolutely love Pennsylvania and Philly, and much less keen on Oklahoma. But OU UG is close to medical schools for shadowing, while Penn is close to hospitals but far from medical schools.

Rigor (not a huge factor): Penn’s requirements are easier than OU’s

Applying Out: I can apply out for OU, but not for Penn

Some things I am not sure about yet, however, is which is better for Residency Matching and Step/USMLE Scores: Penn or OU?

Based on these factors, which school/program would you suggest I choose?

Thank you for your time!