If you’re serious about applying to OOS state schools, keep CU on your list. As noted, the campus is very close to both light rail and two main highways, and both Denver city and Jefferson County have great mountain parks a very short drive away. And it’s got a very high rate of acceptances of OOS applicants, for many reasons, not the least of which it gets almost no money from the legislature so they want the OOS money. I recently sat next to a CU Medical professor, who claimed state support was as low as 3%; not sure if he was exaggerating, but the medical school takes a lot of OOS students.
If you are just interested in working out at a gym, I’m sure there in one near every medical school in the country. It sounds like you want to live in a less urban environment and people are just pointing out that even if the school is in a state known for outdoor activities, like Colorado or Oregon, you may still be an hour or more from true wilderness hiking.
What about University of New Mexico? I don’t know their OOS acceptance rates, but it’s sure pretty there. UMass might also be an option. Again, I don’t know how OOS acceptance friendly they are, but good proximity to hiking and the like.
some of public schools have outrageous OOS tuitions.
Oregon is at 67k.
Colorado is at 65k.
@thumper1, IIRC, U Mass only takes instate except for MD/PHD. Dartmouth has it’s own ski hill with cheap lift tickets for students as well as endless opportunities for outdoor activities. OP, I am in the camp of not doing ED.
I am a UVM medical school graduate and I can honestly say that the accessibility of the outdoors was paramount in my success as a medical student. It served as an integral part of my ability to decompress and cope with the demands of school (there is something profoundly therapeutic in hiking and exploring the outdoors after a stressful exam) So, in my opinion, if the outdoors is something you love, it should be put into your school choice equation.
Family member in this family loves the outdoors and hiking, biking and the like. Went to medical school in NYC. Easy train ride out of the city on weekends to go places…or rented a car.
The following came off the UMass website…so apparently they do accept OOS students now.
My daughter’s friend is in medical school now. His free time seems to vary…sometimes he is free on a weekend to see friends and even go away for a day or two (occasionally), while other weeks he has a lot more going on and has very little time to do anything. He does have time for the gym, a game of basketball etc.
I hate to say it–but I agree with @skypilot.
If you have the option and know what that something is very important to you, then it’s not unreasonable to use that as one factor when making decisions.
As I mentioned above, lifestyle was a big factor for my girls when making choice about where to apply for residency & med school. You can’t be successful if you’re miserable. And for some people living in the middle of a major city without access to their hobbies make them pretty darn miserable.
The Dean of Admission at the local strongly encourages new med student to maintain 1 of their favorite activities during medical school–whether it’s playing on a sport team, baking competitions, painting, or just flipping the frisbee with the dog at the local park. Everybody need stress relief. Everybody need the mental health breaks that a hobby provides. Especially med students.
OP, you will have some free time in medical school. Certainly during the first 2 years. No one studies 24-7. Even during your clinical years, you will have the occasional free weekend between rotations or a free afternoon when clinic ends early. If you find value in using that time to get outdoors, then do it.
@texaspg, outdoor activities don’t have to be huge time commitments. It’s possible if there’s close by access to wilderness areas to go spend an couple of hours in an afternoon indulging in your outdoor hobby and go back and be ready to work with a fresh mind and need spirits.
@Skypilot Take UC-Irvine off your list. OOS unfriendly.
If you want to add more lottery schools–add Utah, add AZ-Tuscon. If you don’t mind dry mountains and want to be in the West, maybe consider Nevada-Reno. Nevada-Los Vegas maybe, but I personally despise Los Vegas, though D1 said there is some excellent climbing and backpacking nearby and Zion is less than 3 hours away. Maybe add UVA.
Unless you’re 100% committed to attend NJMS do not apple EDP. EDP means you’ve basically written off the rest of this cycle and if not accepted by NJMS, you will have to reapply next year.
Great outdoor access school, but takes less than 2% OOS --and those are either Native American (through the Indian in Medicine program) or from WICHE states without a medical school (Idaho, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming).
Unless the OP graduated from NM HS, his chances are essentially zilch.
Too bad about NM!
Since this student is looking at some expensive public universities for OOS students…what about some of the private medical schools?
Is this admitted or matriculating? Texas schools are required to have 90% instate but i think the numbers are higher only because of lower matriculation of OOS students.
The trouble with that is there are very few private MD schools in the West, except in CA. And CA has a surfeit of highly qualified applicants which makes an acceptance unlikely.
There are DO schools in some wilderness accessible areas, including some pretty remote areas like the RVUCOM secondary campus in St George, UT.
@Skypilot Take Kaiser off your list. Kaiser is looking for students with a high level community service commitment and a desire to practice primary care. Plus since it’s tuition free for the next 5 years, everyone and their cousin and their cousin’s dog will be applying.
There is a tremendous amount of hiking in upstate NY. SUNY upstate is probably a good idea (?).
@Texaspg That’s admitted. UNM simply will not send a secondary to anyone who does not have a strong NM tie. (i.e. NM high school graduate or immediate family member who lives in NM)
^^Agree about Upstate.
I’ve never been to medical school (and my kids aren’t in one) but I would absolutely consider this in my decision…medical school is hard and you need every restorative plus that you can find…nature is a great cure…you are smart to pursue it and be surrounded by it.
Ok…I’m going to change my response.
If the environment is very important to you…then don’t apply ED to that Jersey school…you don’t want that environment…right? Apply in the regular round and apply broadly. Hopefully you will garner acceptances to schools that have the recreational pluses you are looking for.
Good luck!
OP, you should throw your hat into the ring for Mayo, Az (Scottsdale) where there are lots of hiking and biking trails. They have a holistic process for admissions and OP is definitely in the range for MCAT. Mayo gives very good financial aid where the average debt for students upon graduation is around $125k. The med students get a “selective” week every 6 weeks where they are off from classes and can spend so many of those weeks on vacation and on selectives where they can sign up to shadow a doctor for a few days, take an online class, work on research, etc. OP could easily fit in time for outdoor activities during selective weeks. And while it’s pretty hot in Scottsdale to be outside 6 months of the year the mornings are cooler, and there are mountains 90 minutes away. Med students can also travel to out-of-state hospitals during selective weeks, so a trip to UT, NM, or CA would be doable.
Drop the Nevada schools. The low number of OOS students that they accept are from neighboring states (listed on their websites). At least that’s the case for the Reno location.
When D applied this last season, the majority of her applications were for schools on the other side of the Mississippi for reasons that others have mentioned here (not many private med schools in the west). Surprisingly, her acceptances were all at state schools (2 OOS, one IS). She is also loves camping and hiking the mountain trails which is therapeutic for her. I’m certain she will make time to go on hikes during med school.
You’ve gotten some great feedback here. I have to wonder, why Keck? UCLA? Any place in the middle of a big city is not going to allow easy access to nature. Utah and AZ-Tucson are some great ideas.
“Early decision” for med school is a scam. Apply to all the schools “regular” and early in the cycle.