One small step for Chris . . .

I think I’d be accused of secrecy and hermicy (Chris-word alert: acting like a hermit, in either a literal manner or just exhibiting antisocial tendencies) were I not to announce that I received my first acceptance to medical school yesterday.  I was leaving work when I received a call from SUNY Upstate informing me that I had just been accepted.  This was a bit odd considering it was 7:30 NY time, but evidently they call as soon as the admissions committee meeting finishes.  So I am now officially headed to Med school.  Upstate is one of my safety schools, but the acceptance fulfilled the task of a safety school.  I now have a backup plan in place.  I’ve listed my med school choices below, ranked in order of my current (but ever-changing) preference.  

Columbia     Honestly the facilities at my top 4 schools are nearly identical.  The curriculum is very similar and the tuition is about the same.  Columbia comes out on top because it has the best reputation.  Plus they have a Med School rugby team, and list Buckaroo Banzai amongst their alumni.

Mt. Sinai     Mt. Sinai: the alternative med school.  It’s not really associated with an undergraduate university, so is pretty much the rebel of all schools biomedical.  I’ve always wanted to go to school with the cool med students.  It had some of my favorite housing and is about 3 feet from Central Park.

Ohio     The underdog school.  This was the last school I put on my list, but turned out to be one of my favorites.  The campus is great and Columbus seems like a good place to live.  This is my school with the highest percentage of Mormons, though I’d have access to a greater actual number at one of the NYC schools.  The hospital serves only Wendy’s food.  

Rochester     Great school with all the benefits of living in my hometown.  Free food and laundry are great benefits, but weren’t quite enough to put this school at the top of the list.

Upstate     Not exactly world-renowned, but a good school.  Although it’s not really associated with Syracuse University, it’s pretty much the same campus.  I liked the faculty and the programs, and am sure I’d like studying here.  They’re obviously the most intelligent university since they’re the first to accept me.

Albert Einstein     Einstein was a fine school, but not what I was expecting.  It has a great reputation, but seems a bit rundown.  I think it would set me up to be a great doctor, but don’t think I’d enjoy studying there as much as the schools that beat it out on the list.  I’m on their waiting list, which means they haven’t really decided anything yet.

Stony Brook     This is my last choice.  But obviously I wouldn’t have spent the 100 dollars to apply if I didn’t think it was a worthwhile school.  It’s the best state school in NY, which has a number of good ones (such as Upstate.)  So the tuition would be much less than my top 4 picks and I’d have a good chance of being retained for residency.  It’s located pretty far out on Long Island though, so I’d be a bit limited socially.  I describe it as being my only suburban med school.  

Current Song: “Good Luck” by Basement Jaxx