For those of you who go to super prestigious medical schools, what's the thinking behind someone who goes to a "top 10" school and then goes to a relatively ordinary primary care residency with no oooh ahhh flavor to it. Is it true interest in a lesser known program? Close to family and friends? Following an SO? I mean it DOES happen.

And how do classmates react? Does anyone care? Do faculty care? Is it OK? I mean in the words of Bon Jovi: "It's my life...It's now or never..." but really what's the reaction.

For those of you who go to super prestigious medical schools, what's the thinking behind someone who goes to a "top 10" school and then goes to a relatively ordinary primary care residency with no oooh ahhh flavor to it. Is it true interest in a lesser known program? Close to family and friends? Following an SO? I mean it DOES happen.

And how do classmates react? Does anyone care? Do faculty care? Is it OK? I mean in the words of Bon Jovi: "It's my life...It's now or never..." but really what's the reaction.


Hey about doing a non-prestigious residency at a super-prestigious medical center?

To answer your questions: They won't care. No. No. Yes. Nobody cares.

Worrying about prestige is so "pre-med."

No one cares.

Hey about doing a non-prestigious residency at a super-prestigious medical center?

To answer your questions: They won't care. No. No. Yes. Nobody cares.

Worrying about prestige is so "pre-med."

LOL, you should post this in the pre-allo forum. By the way I like your blog, it is really good.

So do I. I read some of it yesterday. Great stuff. I especially liked the "day-in-the-life" post. The stroke guy was hilarious.

For those of you who go to super prestigious medical schools, what's the thinking behind someone who goes to a "top 10" school and then goes to a relatively ordinary primary care residency with no oooh ahhh flavor to it. Is it true interest in a lesser known program? Close to family and friends? Following an SO? I mean it DOES happen.

And how do classmates react? Does anyone care? Do faculty care? Is it OK? I mean in the words of Bon Jovi: "It's my life...It's now or never..." but really what's the reaction.

In our super prestigious top 1 medical school, this matters a lot! Often, we castrate those who enter relatively ordinary primary care residencies so that they can't spawn further embarassments. The ooooh and aaaah factor is paramount to any other factors out there. We don't care whether or not that student exhibits a true interest in helping people. Or whether that student values stupid items like family, friends, and companionship over the almighty rankings. And heaven forbid someone pass up an opportunity to work in a highly ranked place for a significant other. I mean it just DOES NOT happen in our top 1 medical school!

Classmates are typically very hostile and bitter to these miscreants. I care, the faculty cares, and the alumni might even give these students a ring to throw around a couple 4 lettered words. It is truly offensive and not OK. In the words of 50 Cent: "You shouldn't enter low ranked residency programs. Cause I'll break yo face."

First off, I will say that your biggest worries should be: 1) Doing as well as you CAN in medical school, not to just get a prestigious residency but so that you will know how to actually practice medicine and help your patients; 2) Be confident in yourself so that you make the best decision for you and not for the people around you.

I go to a decently prestigious medical school, and honestly, I think the prestige issue of residency clearly matters to some people -- then you have to decide if that matters to you. I think most people recognize that the match can be a cruel mistress, that people have different goals and demands (SO/spouse work situation, cost of living, etc.), and that some very smart people choose to go into less competitive fields or less competitive locales for their own personal reasons. However, there are other people who are going to analyze the situation and gossip about it, and come to the possibly erroneous "conclusion" that someone who matched at a lesser known program, or in an "undesirable" locale or field maybe didn't have the "pedigree" to do better. I definitely felt this at my school -- there was a certain element of "competitiveness" and gossip all the way through school -- surmising how different people did on rotations or exams or explicitly comparing known scores, then comparing interview offers (the ever-present "I'm interviewing in Boston next week"), so it wasn't surprising that match results were treated the same way. If you are at a school that tends to historically have strong match results (lots of competitive specialties, lots of big name institutions), and if you are easily influenced by outside perceptions, then you may feel a little like an outlier going to practice family medicine in Lafayette, Louisiana when the majority of your class IM matches were to the Brigham, Johns Hopkins, etc.

Bottom-line, from my experience, there will be some portion of your class that will care about status. Hopefully, there will be an even larger portion that recognizes that everyone has to find the best fit for themselves.

In our super prestigious top 1 medical school, this matters a lot! Often, we castrate those who enter relatively ordinary primary care residencies so that they can't spawn further embarassments. The ooooh and aaaah factor is paramount to any other factors out there. We don't care whether or not that student exhibits a true interest in helping people. Or whether that student values stupid items like family, friends, and companionship over the almighty rankings. And heaven forbid someone pass up an opportunity to work in a highly ranked place for a significant other. I mean it just DOES NOT happen in our top 1 medical school!

Classmates are typically very hostile and bitter to these miscreants. I care, the faculty cares, and the alumni might even give these students a ring to throw around a couple 4 lettered words. It is truly offensive and not OK. In the words of 50 Cent: "You shouldn't enter low ranked residency programs. Cause I'll break yo face."

That sounds harsh. I hope that you're being sarcastic.

I mean my advisor is a general internist who graduated from UPenn years ago (I guess before it became some kind of super-subspecialist factory) and did an internal medicine residency at a very ordinary place. But back then there were US grads doing internal medicine there - now it is mostly foreign.

I guess that doesn't happen anymore - good (or maybe just US allopathic) schools and primary care? I guess the best and brightest aren't allowed to be or aren't interested in just being a primary care doc who sees ordinary things like sore throats and rashes.

Who's going to take care of us?

That sounds harsh. I hope that you're being sarcastic.

Please don't tell me that you actually took that post seriously. That post was hilarious because it was so ridiculous. Definitely reminded me of the humor on the "Colbert Report." :cool:

In the words of 50 Cent: "You shouldn't enter low ranked residency programs. Cause I'll break yo face."

:laugh: :laugh:

In our super prestigious top 1 medical school, this matters a lot! Often, we castrate those who enter relatively ordinary primary care residencies so that they can't spawn further embarassments. The ooooh and aaaah factor is paramount to any other factors out there. We don't care whether or not that student exhibits a true interest in helping people. Or whether that student values stupid items like family, friends, and companionship over the almighty rankings. And heaven forbid someone pass up an opportunity to work in a highly ranked place for a significant other. I mean it just DOES NOT happen in our top 1 medical school!

Classmates are typically very hostile and bitter to these miscreants. I care, the faculty cares, and the alumni might even give these students a ring to throw around a couple 4 lettered words. It is truly offensive and not OK. In the words of 50 Cent: "You shouldn't enter low ranked residency programs. Cause I'll break yo face."





:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :meanie: :meanie: :meanie:

I don't think Bon Jovi would have a problem with it. He seems pretty anti-prestige, so I guess it would be cool. No need to worry.

For those of you who go to super prestigious medical schools, what's the thinking behind someone who goes to a "top 10" school and then goes to a relatively ordinary primary care residency with no oooh ahhh flavor to it. Is it true interest in a lesser known program? Close to family and friends? Following an SO? I mean it DOES happen.

And how do classmates react? Does anyone care? Do faculty care? Is it OK? I mean in the words of Bon Jovi: "It's my life...It's now or never..." but really what's the reaction.

Whether people care or not is highly individual. At every med school there are students who care and students who don't. At some med schools, most people care more than most; at others, many people don't care as much.

My personal experience is... at the top of my list were two residencies. One was more prestigious in a more popular location. One was fractionally less prestigious in a less popular location. On match day, I got the more prestigious one and was totally thrilled.

But.... then I got married and had to look for an apartment within the budget of just my poor intern's salary. And holy crap, the two of us could pay a fortune to live in a small hole in a basement and still barely get by. Prestige is kinda nice, but when you really suck it up and live it, you'll have so much to think about and take care of that you won't be thinking every day of your residency, "Wow, I'm so glad I got a prestigious residency." You'll have your good days and your miserable days regardless.

That sounds harsh. I hope that you're being sarcastic.

Nooooo! I was being serious!

We super prestigious top 1 medical school students never joke around. ;)

Nooooo! I was being serious!

We super prestigious top 1 medical school students never joke around. ;)

You at Michigan????

Yeah, for the price of med school $$$$$........Is it Ferrari or Lamborghini? :laugh:
But hey, if you are only happy as a doc then go for it :D

Good Luck

as with any decision in life, you must weigh your options, whether they are financial, social, or academic. if you get into a top med school, by all means, go for it! great education/training will stay with you forever...


and its not the final destination in your quest to be a doctor, it is the journey!

Yeah, for the price of med school $$$$$........Is it Ferrari or Lamborghini? :laugh:
But hey, if you are only happy as a doc then go for it :D

Good Luck

Oooooops! My bad. It was a repply for this thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=280278&page=2
:sleep: :o