Sheffield or Manchester...course vs social life

[bump]

EDIT 1/3/08 : I've gone for the course.

I posted this in the Manchester Medical School. But some Sheffield medics wouldn't necessarily check out Manchester's and I really want to receive your opinion, so I will be able to judge from both sides.

So should I consider Course or Social Life?



My situation :

Manchester or Sheffield?
Manchester - better social life, wider cultural diversity, great restaurants, central location, easy transport via train to other major cities. Parties and social events OUTSIDE the UK are arranged.

Sheffield - better course definitely - as it's not all PBL but integrated.


Similarities
During interviews - i liked both atmospheres and interviewers.
Both have good accomodation.
Both universities are close to the city centre and train station.
Distance is not a key issue.

I want a place where I will enjoy 5 years of my life. I've only been to Sheffield twice. I don't know anyone from my school there. I haven't tried the nightlife.

Is PBL in Manchester not that bad as people say? Or would you say integrated is better?

Is Sheffield's social life just as good as Manchester?

I am interested in dancing (urban) and languages - especially Asian...and I would join these societies. I inclined slightly to Manchester because of its great asian population and also there are lots of good dance studios. Or is Sheffield just as good?

They are both excellent universities, but which one has a better reputation for medicine?

Or which would you choose in my situation?

Thanks for reading and helping.

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well i'm from manchester so i have an idea about both areas. I'd say that manchester and sheffield have pretty similarly great social scenes. Manchester has bigger, better known clubs but sheffield has a lot to offer. Plus the union at sheffield has a club night every nite and is hands down the best union in the country (or so we are constantly told).
There is a dancing society and language groups, though i'm nt sure about Korean.
Course-wise sheffield is very relaxed but its is very interesting adn they don't just drop you into the deep end like they seem to at manchester. I think manchester is higher in the league tables. But that fluxuates a lot and isn't that important when doing medicine since all medschools are gmc certified. Just visit both places and think to yourself where you would be happier.

[bump]

hey thanks.
ah sheffield - i found it so friendly. some students just came up to talk to me whilst i was walking from the station to the uni.

heh i think ive matured over a few days - and i should not be considering the nightlife as a factor to choose my university and it should be the course.

and i think i know what my conclusion will be

[.: Hope :.]

Woohoo, great decision! Hope to see you in sept!

[kldarwent]

hey bump id just thought id give u some advice.... i live in the peak district bang in between manc and shef so have experience of both plus my brother is a third year at manc med school. ive actually got an interview in shef in a couple of days and would advise u not to discount sheffields nightlife-i actually much prefer it to manchester... ok so there arent as many places to go but that does stop arguements on where to go! hehe. i think the course is also more relaxed and the course in manchester can leave u a bit lost if ur not extremely self motivated as my brother found- he is a straight A student but the self directed learning and pull of nightlife saw him retaking a whole year. obviously that is a rare example but i think u need to look at how self driven you r and whether u need a bit of structure.

sorry for the little lecture! lol.

good luck with everything!

[DJ-H]

I'm in the same boat, trying to decide between Manchester and Sheffield. Anyone else have any input?

[algy_lacey]

Sheffield and Manchester both have good and bad sides as cities to live in - but they are very different, so it really comes down to what appeals to you the most. The same goes for the courses - they are very different, but both produce decent doctors at the end of the day, so which one you choose depends on your own style of learning.

I suggest you sit down, and very carefully look over all the course details at both universities. Think how you learn best, and how you think you will be best motivated to keep up with the assignments and recommended reading. Which course is most likely to suit you? Thinking about the cities - are you more comfortable in a large, sprawling city, or a large, more compact city? Do you want to live somewhere that feels very urban, or in one of the greenest (in terms of parks) cities in Europe?

Choosing between Manchester and Sheffield should actually be fairly easy - there are a lot of differences between the medical schools, the courses and the cities! Once you've done the careful reasoning and consideration, you'll probably have a gut instinct about which one to choose, because you'll know which one is right for you

(But obviously Sheffield is the best.)

[x_hayleeiiigh]

hey im in between manchester and sheffield too! manchester originally was my first choice but now i think im more inclined towards sheffield.. i think because i would prefer having some structure and the thought of self directed learning is quite scary! but i dont reli kno enough about pbl.. all i have heard is that they just drop you in the deep end really.

is there anything that anyone regrets about going to sheffield?? because when i went there i just got a weird feeling like i should go there.. but i dunno if that is what i should go on lol!!

xxx

[DJ-H]

which of the two is more prestigious among doctors and which is considered to produce better doctors? i know those are hard to determine but you guys may have a slightly better idea (i'm an international student). which one has better teaching hospitals? ultimately, i like both cities, and i think i can adapt to either course. i want to go to the one that will make me the most competent physician. are they both about the same? am i splitting hairs?

[-Petrie-]

which of the two is more prestigious among doctors and which is considered to produce better doctors?

To be honest both are really just as 'prestigious' as the other. They're both established medical schools in big cities, which are linked to strong research universities. You could argue that Manchester is little more research-orientated so is more prestigious but you should also remember that it's a PBL-heavy course, which some doctors/consultants have their reservations about and might not consider the best way of learning.

which one has better teaching hospitals?

Again, there isn't much between them. But if you were really going to focus on it, Manchester has *slightly* more prestigious hospitals, but seriously, that's pushing it a bit - Sheffield has separate, established hospitals for cancer, paeds etc so it's that bad.

ultimately, i like both cities, and i think i can adapt to either course. i want to go to the one that will make me the most competent physician. are they both about the same? am i splitting hairs?

They both produce competent doctors. But it's worth remembering that at the end of the day, it isn't the medical school that makes the doctor, it's the student - if you're a lazy student with no interest in the subject, it doesn't matter if you go to Imperial or HYMS or Newcastle or Liverpool, you're not going to become a good doctor. I've heard it a million times from consultants - if you're a strong enough medical applicant, it doesn't matter which medical school you'll go to in the end. The only thing that should make you decide which medical school to go to is what you think about the city/uni/course. The course probably being the most important thing. If you don't like PBL, and would rather be more 'guided' in your learning (i.e. you're not told what exactly you should know, and you learn a lot of it yourself through research and reading books rather then lectures) then you should have your answer. Both are well-respected medical schools with strong teaching hospitals linked to them, so there's not much help there.