Would you apply to a school in unfavorable location?

[deleted158872]

Would you apply to a school in an unfavorable location?
e.g., a school that is 2 hours drive from the nearest airport, located in the middle of nowhere,
or a school in a very crime-ridden area...

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[DrHart]

Better to ask, "Would you live there?"

 

[deleted158872]

i'm conflicted between maximizing my chances and living in said areas for 2+ years until i'm out on rotations...

 

[ridethecliche]

Depends on the school.

 

[DrHart]

I guess I would need a hard example to give you advice. A lot of medical schools are located in big cities that have a significant amount of crime.
Also, if you don't want to live in BFE, I wouldn't apply there. Better to be happy where you live than miserable, stressed out, and disappointed.

 

[NonTradJp]

Yeah, do not apply to places you know you would not be happy living at. You want to maximize your chances, but if you would not want to live there anyways then you have no chance of succeeding there. There are so many schools, with different missions, different goals, and different locations that if you can get someone to help you you should find enough to apply to.

 

[Goro]

Like U Chicago or Yale????

or a school in a very crime-ridden area...[/QUOTE]

 

[Theafoni]

Pretty sure Michigan State has a med school campus in Flint, MI.

I'd still go, not really scared of crime considering what I experienced in a refugee camp and dangerous neighborhoods.

 

[WingedOx]

Pretty sure Michigan State has a med school campus in Flint, MI.

I'd still go, not really scared of crime considering what I experienced in a refugee camp and dangerous neighborhoods.

actually I know a couple current interns who were at the Flint campus of MSU CHM. They both loved it, and apparently the facilities there are brand new and really nice. People act like random med students are just getting killed randomly or something...

 

[Flashfan]

I have been living in BFE for undergrad. I would hate to do this for 4 more years but I would go anywhere in the US if it were my only option. Seriously though, living in the middle of nowhere is not the end of the world. Seriously, what do you need that you can't order? Save your money for vacations to reality and plan for hobbies.

 

[futuredoc331]

I'm in the same boat. We recently moved down South and I really have no desire to go back to the cold weather up north. I will be applying to one school in Pennsylvania, but everything else will be in the South. Being miserable for two years will not be conducive to good grades.

 

[HAVOK121121]

Pretty sure Michigan State has a med school campus in Flint, MI.

I'd still go, not really scared of crime considering what I experienced in a refugee camp and dangerous neighborhoods.

You don't exactly have to live in the city if you end up there. The metropolitan area isn't bad, and the drive to Detroit or Lansing is relatively short.

 

[silvermecca]

Would you apply to a school in an unfavorable location?
e.g., a school that is 2 hours driving from the nearest airport, located in the middle of nowhere,
or a school in a very crime-ridden area...

After having immediate family members attending a school in a major city................one had car stolen, the other had a home invasion and occupants tied up in the cellar (lived to tell the tale), I think going to a medical school in the middle of nowhere looks good to me! Just my thought and thinking bad luck comes in threes! Can't complete that degree if you are six feet under!

 

[jqueb29]

I have been living in BFE for undergrad. I would hate to do this for 4 more years but I would go anywhere in the US if it were my only option. Seriously though, living in the middle of nowhere is not the end of the world. Seriously, what do you need that you can't order? Save your money for vacations to reality and plan for hobbies.

You can't order a fun night out at a nice steakhouse, club, concert, or pro sporting event. I spent the first 23 years of my life in the middle of nowhere and as a result I never considered a school that's not in a big city.

 

[drdoom12]

I purposefully did not apply to places in the middle of nowhere or places I wouldn't want to live in general. I grew up and went to undergrad in BFE. Never again.

 

[snowflakes]

Ask yourself this for every school on your list:
"Would I rather get into zero schools and have to reapply, or go to this school this year"

Problem is, if you only get into a school you don't like, turning down the acceptance is a huge problem when you reapply the next year. You'll definitely have to declare that you had previously been accepted to a medical school and choose not to attend, and this raises all sorts red flags.

Also, if you hate a school after the interview, you should withdraw for the same reason.

 

[cryhavoc]

I'd go to med school on Dagobah in the outer rim if they let me in. I'd study gross anatomy under the hot, Tatooine sun.

I'd cut into my cadaver with my lightsaber and snuggle inside for warm on the ice planet of Hoth. And then send the families a heart felt note on how he or she literally saved my life.

Location is not a problem. I also just realized I can't wait for the new Star Wars movie. And I have a weird sense of humor I better be very careful I monitor during interviews and around patients.

 

[justadream]

Let's all be real here.

Most of us would still excitedly go to HMS if it were in the middle of a war zone or if it were in Antarctica.

 

[NonTradJp]

Let's all be real here.

Most of us would still excitedly go to HMS if it were in the middle of a war zone or if it were in Antarctica.

I think most would but most do not go into med school with a family. If you get married in school and live in a war zone or Antarctica either your already equip to battle it out or you've been romancing penguins. Most would not be up to either challenge. Though penguins are cute.

 

[FalconSlice]

Like U Chicago or Yale????

or a school in a very crime-ridden area...

[/QUOTE]
No offense, Goro, but anytime I see your avatar, I get (just a little) terrified even though it's boss. I'm just a scared-y cat, I guess (intended).

 

[miamiheatfan]

Yeah, it's 4 years, I know how quickly 4 years flies by.

 

[ridethecliche]

I'd apply to all the schools you'd be okay going to, hindsight is 20/20, but would you want to have to reapply if the only school you get into doesn't fit your big city criteria?

Yes, things are different for those that are married with kids... but for everyone else that is a middling or borderline candidate, you really should put the focus on getting in. If you have options post interview, then congratulations.

The first school I got into was not in a location I liked, but I would happily have gone there if that's all I had. Not having to deal with the stress and expense of another cycle is nothing to scoff at.

On that note, if you absolutely hate a school post interview, you should withdraw.

 

[alpinism]

Just ask the thousands of people who apply to Mayo every year.

 

[NeuResurgens]

You need to ask yourself if you're a good fit for that area. If you find a location "unfavorable," that probably means you shouldn't go there.

For example, there are factors I'm considering in my application, each with certain priority ranking. Location-wise, having grown up in a warm climate and then gone to school in a cold one, not-brutal winters are an absolute must for me or I will be miserable. I also like proximity to population centers, so rural medical schools will be less favorable to me. However, I care about research and am targeting competitive specialties, so research strength matters and may override one of those other two factors if I get an acceptance at a strong research school. You need to simultaneously consider all the factors at play and figure out which school is the "most favorable."

 

[Alejandro]

I would, in the sense that if it puts you closer to becoming a physician, then sure. I'm at a place where I personally don't like the city (many will disagree with me, and understandably so, but it's just not my cup of tea), but hey, it puts me closer to where i want to be in the future.

That said, I'd hope you have a lot more drive than a city pushing you back....(unless you're married, have family, and/or other issues that would otherwise constrain your decision making)