HELP IN DECIDING WHICH SCHOOL?

[rosiepoo_unowho]

Hello All,

Time has come for me to decide between Pace University (Lenox Hill in NYC) and Rosalind Franklin (North Chicago). Rosalind Franklin is higher ranked, costs an estimated $40,000 less, has a smaller class size, is interprofessional, is closer to my hometown (I can see my parents more often, they're older), and I felt like their curriculum was better organized. The main pros to Pace is the location (who wouldn't want to live in Manhattan!), and ties to hospitals in NYC- I could see myself living and working in a big city like NYC post graduation.

I'm reaching out to this forum, desperate for advice- which school would you choose and why? I feel like my heart is pulling me to NYC, but my logical choice based on cost and ranking would be Rosalind Franklin. 

Anyone who's heard about either program and/or has first hand insight, I would GREATLY appreciate it.

Best,

Rosie 

 

[Emily2020]

Hello All,
Time has come for me to decide between Pace University (Lenox Hill in NYC) and Rosalind Franklin (North Chicago). Rosalind Franklin is higher ranked, costs an estimated $40,000 less, has a smaller class size, is interprofessional, is closer to my hometown (I can see my parents more often, they're older), and I felt like their curriculum was better organized. The main pros to Pace is the location (who wouldn't want to live in Manhattan!), and ties to hospitals in NYC- I could see myself living and working in a big city like NYC post graduation.
I'm reaching out to this forum, desperate for advice- which school would you choose and why? I feel like my heart is pulling me to NYC, but my logical choice based on cost and ranking would be Rosalind Franklin. 
Anyone who's heard about either program and/or has first hand insight, I would GREATLY appreciate it.
Best,
Rosie 
 

Advice is to change as little as possible because school will consume you. You might be able to do clinicals rotations in New York? But the awe of living in New York while in school could be a distraction.

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[SrTaM]

My best advice would be to go to the program that you got the best vibe from when you were interviewing. I feel like there's usually a gut feeling when you're at an interview whether you know it's the right program for you or not.

Otherwise, I say that you should pick which PA school is best overall for you - obviously, location plays a key factor - but if you're drawn to a city because of what it offers outside of school, that's not enough of a reason. Pick a program that will give you what you need for those 2+ years you're in school. Things like class sizes, being close to your family, and costs are important. You can move anywhere after school, and if a big city like NYC has a lot of draw for you, then there's no reason you can't go there to work after school. 

Just my opinion. I made two big moves in my 20s - the first entirely because of the jobs that were available (and I ended up very unhappy there after a few years, unsurprisingly), and the second because of what I wanted personally (and I still love living here, 6 years later). The city I'm moving to for PA school is a balance of both - it's likely not where I want to live/work in after school, but I love the program, and it's the best city my husband and I could found that fit both our needs/wants. 

[EMNP]

Hello All,
Time has come for me to decide between Pace University (Lenox Hill in NYC) and Rosalind Franklin (North Chicago). Rosalind Franklin is higher ranked, costs an estimated $40,000 less, has a smaller class size, is interprofessional, is closer to my hometown (I can see my parents more often, they're older), and I felt like their curriculum was better organized. The main pros to Pace is the location (who wouldn't want to live in Manhattan!), and ties to hospitals in NYC- I could see myself living and working in a big city like NYC post graduation.
I'm reaching out to this forum, desperate for advice- which school would you choose and why? I feel like my heart is pulling me to NYC, but my logical choice based on cost and ranking would be Rosalind Franklin. 
Anyone who's heard about either program and/or has first hand insight, I would GREATLY appreciate it.
Best,
Rosie 
 

Simply based on what you said I would go to Rosalind Franklin. You can always try to do rotations in NYC and work there once you graduate.


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[MT2PA]

School ranking shouldn't play a factor (because they are meaningless).  You otherwise make a good case for RF.

That said, you should actually reach out and find out if you can do rotations in NYC from RF before using that as your compromise - you may not be able to.  Doing rotations outside of your program's area is not as easy as saying 'I'll do rotations in place X, Y, and Z'. Not every program has rotations across the country, some will limit the # of rotations you can find on your own, and then you're on the hook for finding your own NYC rotations.  Do you have connections in NYC to help you get those?

I'll add, too, that while you can find jobs anywhere regardless of the school you go to, it is arguably easier to find (and get!) jobs where you have done the bulk of your rotations.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from RF, a lower price tag and a well organized curriculum mean a lot, just make sure you think through everything before you make your decision.

[beattie228]

I interviewed and was accepted at RF before getting into my first choice program on the east coast. I thought RF was really well put together. Additionally, the area the program was in didn't seem to have too many distractions, which I would have found helpful during didactic. . Between the cost of the program, closer distance to your parents and lower cost of living for North Chicago compared to NYC, RF would be the program I'd choose.

 

New York is incredibly over-saturated with PAs due to the attractiveness of living in NYC mixed with a very large number of PA programs popping out new-grads willing to take a lower salary. Training in the mid-west wouldn't stop you from going to NYC once you've finished, especially so if you're able to do an away rotation as others have mentioned above. Depending on the field you're interested in, you could always consider doing a residency in NY once finished with PA school to give you more in's as well.