I haven’t logged into CC in a long time (Princeton '16 at the moment) but there’s just way too much going on in this thread for me not to at least say something.
- Number of applicants is increasing each year, pls fact check. https://www.aamc.org/newsroom/newsreleases/411636/10282014.html
- Within the span of 8-12 years, at the end of which OP will theoretically be finished with everything up to residency, I highly doubt there will be that huge of a change such that healthcare will be entirely public.
If by saying “it sounds like Russia” you’re suggesting that it sounds utilitarian, bleak and dystopian, it’s not. Regardless, many countries, not just Russia, offer public healthcare systems (Canada, UK, etc.) in which there are very few private practices because health insurance is provided by the state (and thus most physicians are employed by the state).
See where you get in first and then decide. JHU has advantages in that JHU med is there which has stellar medical and clinical opportunities. You can still get these at Princeton, but it’s likely easier there. That being said, a lot of you JHU undergrads will have access to the same opportunities. So it’s really kind of a situation in which the more you have the more you’re expected to do.
If you choose not to be premed, Princeton is definitely much stronger in every single aspect. I would even say Princeton is stronger than JHU for being premed because of the sheer resources we have here for funding internships, theses, projects, student organizations, extracurricular opportunities, gap year fellowships, etc.
Not to mention our school name carries a considerable more amount of weight than JHU does.
It’s splitting hairs at this point but you’re talking about two different tiers of school here that are, while both amazing schools for students, different.
Also JHU has a very pressure cooker atmosphere in that it’s awful for premeds. Not that people are cut throat but it’s harder to stand out as a premed when everyone there is a premed, not to mention the amount of gunners who will be vying for spots at JHU through the unofficial “internal admissions” process.
At Princeton you would be surrounded by more diversity in thoughts, passions and interests, at least in my opinion, even though it’s still very competitive.
If you want Baltimore, which is a pretty gross city but if you want meaningful service work that is one way to do it. Just not an idyllic, yet boring, college town like Princeton is. I do quite a bit of service work though in my free time, so there is still ample opportunity to do so at Princeton.