type of medical school

[voirlesetoiles]

Top 25, ivy league, Cali medical schools, rankings for med school clinical programs and research programs... how much do these matter in the long run? How are these categories affecting your decision-making process if you are a current applicant?

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[Wizard of Oz]

My only consideration was cost.

All US allo schools give you the same material albeit in different ways. It's really just up to the student to learn everything.

One of the best posts I've ever read on SDN said something like this:

Here's how it's gonna go. You're gonna ask if these things you mentioned matter. Current students will say no. You're gonna go to the highest-dollar place you can find anyway. Later on, you'll agree with us.

 

[copingmethods]

A doctor I know told me that if you want to go into a really competitive specialty it's probably a good idea to go to the best school you can - residencies can be competitive, so every little bit helps.

 

[Just kiss me]

bumping this thread . I'm just wondering because apparently for an emotionally sane lifestyle I heard it's better to aim for low tier schools. Thoughts???

 

[Boolean]

bumping this thread . I'm just wondering because apparently for an emotionally sane lifestyle I heard it's better to aim for low tier schools. Thoughts???

I don't follow how you mean or your logic behind bumping this.
If anything, going to a higher tier school would grant you a more emotionally sane lifestyle (higher match rates into the ROAD).

 

[Just kiss me]

I don't follow how you mean or your logic behind bumping this.
If anything, going to a higher tier school would grant you a more emotionally sane lifestyle (higher match rates into the ROAD).

Emotionally sane in terms of the medical school experience. I read many threads about medical school and depression and suicide, some people posted that it happens more in higher tier schools.

 

[Boolean]

Emotionally sane in terms of the medical school experience. I read many threads about medical school and depression and suicide, some people posted that it happens more in higher tier schools.

This is going to happen everywhere. Look at Harvard and MIT for UG, both are highly ranking institutions and both have higher suicide rates. Look at Goldman Sach's or any other top firm of that nature, you're going to find higher suicide rates here as well. Unfortunately suicide and success seem to be coupled at the upper echelon.

 

[Just kiss me]

This is going to happen everywhere. Look at Harvard and MIT for UG, both are highly ranking institutions and both have higher suicide rates. Look at Goldman Sach's or any other top firm of that nature, you're going to find higher suicide rates here as well. Unfortunately suicide and success seem to be coupled at the upper echelon.

Which is why I think for a more emotionally sane lifestyle it might be better to attend a low tier school. I completed a degree at one of the best schools in the world and I cannot emphasize enough how miserable i was. Definitely aiming for a low tier school.

 

[Porkloins]

Which is why I think for a more emotionally sane lifestyle it might be better to attend a low tier school. I completed a degree at one of the best schools in the world and I cannot emphasize enough how miserable i was. Definitely aiming for a low tier school.

QoL for students at the top med schools actually can be very good. I originally thought that you were considering aiming for a low-ranked med school so that you could have a more enjoyable undergrad experience, but looks like that ship already passed

Obviously med school rankings mean something, otherwise there would be no point in publishing them. I think the difference usually matters most for those interested in research, academic medicine and the competitive specialties like ROAD.

 

[Osteoth]

It really depends on what your goals are.

If you are interested in a competitive specialty AT ALL, then it behooves you to go to the best school you got into in order to maximize research opportunities (a must for competitive specialties), in addition to the prestige factor.

If you aren't, then cost would most likely be your most important factor, considering that the most competitive specialties are often the ones with the highest pay/best lifestyle.

 

[Just kiss me]

Sorry but higher pay does not equate better lifestyle. I want to have a great medical school experience, it is 4 good years, I did not enjoy undergrad at all due to the competition among students at every level. I want a school where students get together help each other instead of competing with each other. Social life matters more to me than anything else.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

Sorry but higher pay does not equate better lifestyle. I want to have a great medical school experience, it is 4 good years, I did not enjoy undergrad at all due to the competition among students at every level. I want a school where students get together help each other instead of competing with each other. Social life matters more to me than anything else.

Most of the top schools are P/F...which leads to better QoL due to everyone helping each other in a noncompetitive environment...

EDIT: Just because YOU don't think higher pay means better lifestyle doesn't mean it isn't true for someone else.

 

[Heplayer92]

bumping this thread . I'm just wondering because apparently for an emotionally sane lifestyle I heard it's better to aim for low tier schools. Thoughts???

I don't think the "tier-system" (however anyone wants to "rank" schools) determines how happy you will be. I'm assuming you are not currently applying. I honestly had no idea going in as well, but what really helped was talking to current students during interviews/host-programs to gauge a certain "fit" for the school. There are several factors...such as grading vs. pass/fail...mandatory vs. optional lectures...dissection vs. prosection...the list goes on and on and on. What matters is what will make YOU the most happy. Good luck!

 

[Boolean]

Sorry but higher pay does not equate better lifestyle. I want to have a great medical school experience, it is 4 good years, I did not enjoy undergrad at all due to the competition among students at every level. I want a school where students get together help each other instead of competing with each other. Social life matters more to me than anything else.

At every school students are going to compete against each other. As is the very nature of medicine. Not everyone can be the best. Competition keeps forward progress.

 

[Afford]

How would going to a low tier school be less stressful? All schools have to learn the same material. I would say go to a P/F school, so you don't have to worry about an 89 vs a 90. Even at low tier schools, students are still motivated and want to succeed, so you'll have overachievers no matter which school you go to.

 

[Just kiss me]

Not really,

How would going to a low tier school be less stressful? All schools have to learn the same material. I would say go to a P/F school, so you don't have to worry about an 89 vs a 90. Even at low tier schools, students are still motivated and want to succeed, so you'll have overachievers no matter which school you go to.

I started undergrad at a very small community college and I loved it. People were very caring loving and supportive, there was no competitive spirit. When I transferred to one of the best schools in the U.S, it was a disaster, people were fake, isolated, and didn't care, that is emotionally draining. This competition is unparalleled at Ivy league schools.The better ranked the school the more competition among students, the less the social life, the more depression and anxiety and the more suicide. I'm still trying to enjoy my life so i will not attend a high ranked school under any circumstances again.

 

[Mad Jack]

At every school students are going to compete against each other. As is the very nature of medicine. Not everyone can be the best. Competition keeps forward progress.

Salary really doesn't equal lifestyle. A lot of the highest paid fields have **** lifestyles due to high hours, frequent call, and high liability that makes their jobs way more stressful than, say, derm, PM&R, or psych. Piles of money aren't all that fun when you've got no time to enjoy them.

And we don't compete at my school at all. Gunners aren't tolerated, period, and everybody pitches in to help one another.

 

[Boolean]

Salary really doesn't equal lifestyle. A lot of the highest paid fields have **** lifestyles due to high hours, frequent call, and high liability that makes their jobs way more stressful than, say, derm, PM&R, or psych. Piles of money aren't all that fun when you've got no time to enjoy them.

And we don't compete at my school at all. Gunners aren't tolerated, period, and everybody pitches in to help one another.

I'd say most of the ROAD has a pretty darn good lifestyle with an incredible pay.
I agree with you in terms of things like higher level surgeries, but for the most part higher end fields really aren't that bad off in terms of lifestyle (in regards to non-surgical specialties or specialties that are not solely surgical)

 

[Afford]

Not really,

I started undergrad at a very small community college and I loved it. People were very caring loving and supportive, there was no competitive spirit. When I transferred to one of the best schools in the U.S, it was a disaster, people were fake, isolated, and didn't care, that is emotionally draining. This competition is unparalleled at Ivy league schools.The better ranked the school the more competition among students, the less the social life, the more depression and anxiety and the more suicide. I'm still trying to enjoy my life so i will not attend a high ranked school under any circumstances again.

Every school has a range of people from amazingly supportive people to cold, unfriendly people. I went to a non-ivy top 20 school and I thought most people there were amazing. Sure, curves were harsh, but I loved that everyone was friendly and there were so many traditions and events, that I felt that I had a great college experience. We were even divided up into residential colleges, so I felt like I belonged to a smaller community within the whole university. I never felt like anyone tried to sabotage me or try to make me get a lower grade and I always could check my homework with other people/

 

[Itisneverlupus]

Heard many discussion in this, so please don't crucify me:

Of course there's ROAD. But does it matter as much for general surgery or even cardiothoracic?

 

[snowflakes]

I don't think lower ranking = better QoL. Anecdotally, it seems certain lower ranked schools can also be high pressure and competitive because people are competing to distinguish themselves so they can match well. (For example, someone I know at a lower ranked school was saying how her classmates have to do peer-evaluations for their small group sessions, and people actually write petty, harsh critiques of each other in an effort to make themselves look better.) In fact, I would argue that certain higher ranked schools are less competitive because there's more of a sense that there's enough success to go around for everyone. You don't need to be the best to match well, and I think that decreases competition.

 

[Boolean]

Heard many discussion in this, so please don't crucify me:

Of course there's ROAD. But does it matter as much for general surgery or even cardiothoracic?

Does what matter? Which medical school you attend? Yes. Lower end medical schools tend to have lower placement rates into surgical specialties and sub-specialties.

 

[NickNaylor]

I'm assuming by "long run" you're largely referring to your ability to get into a residency, which is the most immediate "long run" impact of your medical school performance and choice. If that's the case, this will answer everything you want to know: http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/programresultsbyspecialty2012.pdf

 

[Boolean]

I'm assuming by "long run" you're largely referring to your ability to get into a residency, which is the most immediate "long run" impact of your medical school performance and choice. If that's the case, this will answer everything you want to know: http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/programresultsbyspecialty2012.pdf

This mentions gold society membership. I've looked a bit into it but frankly everything I've found on it so far is fairly lackluster. Can you shed any more light upon this? If I recall correctly Pritzker has a chapter, not sure if you're involved or not.

 

[NickNaylor]

This mentions gold society membership. I've looked a bit into it but frankly everything I've found on it so far is fairly lackluster. Can you shed any more light upon this? If I recall correctly Pritzker has a chapter, not sure if you're involved or not.

My very limited (and admittedly cynical) view of it is that it's essentially a popularity contest. Students are nominated and chosen by fellow peers. It's not something I'm involved in, though the idealism of the organization is a good thing, I think.

 

[Boolean]

My very limited (and admittedly cynical) view of it is that it's essentially a popularity contest. Students are nominated and chosen by fellow peers. It's not something I'm involved in, though the idealism of the organization is a good thing, I think.

Alright. Thank you. It seemed a bit shifty from what I found researching it, good to know I'm not too terribly alone in that regards.