Ahh...Harvard

[veenut]

Dude, you started it, go back and read...I posted what I liked and you came out with some crap about how I only liked it because I went there expecting to like it...and that I would probably end up being a "lolely" ER doc out of HMS...

That is completely condescending and totally not within the realm of calm discourse in which the conversation in this thread had been previously. Before you chimed in this thread was level and intelligent, then you had to reply to my post condescendingly...that started it all.

Yeah, I turned into an ass on you, but hey man, ctfo and be respectful in the first place and you will get respect.

(Hehe, I knew I wasn't going on your ignore list!)

i think you misinterpreted his comment about being a lowly ER doc. he was asking what happens IF you just become a normal doctor versus some superdoc who practices politics or writes literary criticism in his spare time. not necessarily saying that you were destined to suck.

get a grip, you completely overreacted.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Chopianista]

Hey... easy there sport.

Some of us are pretty darn happy with UofM and wouldn't choose Boston over Ann Arbor!

I second that!

 

[Bogdanohawks]

Let's face a little bit of truth, ladies and gents:

As a number of people have mentioned on other threads, med
school is what you make it. Talking about "Top 10" schools is
useless because it is highly unlikely that you will go to a med
school (ANY med school) and then end up unemployed with
an M.D. All medical schools are good in that all will allow you
to become a great doctor if you work hard and are motivated.

One of my parents is an oncologist in a private practice. A few years
ago, her group had an opening because one of the doctors
left the state. Several doctors were interested in occupying
the new spot. One of them was a man who had gone to
Harvard undergrad, then gone to Harvard med school, got
top grades and recommendations, and got into a top oncology
residency. Despite his qualifications, my mom and one of her
colleagues were the only ones in her group who wanted to
let him in to the practice. All the others (>5 doctors) did not
want him and wanted another candidate (who went to some
"random" state med school, by the way). Was it jealousy that
sparked this aversion? Could be. Was it human nature? You bet.
Eventually, my mother and her colleague helped convince the
head of this clinic to give him the position, and that man now is
a great doctor at the clinic.

What was the point of this anecdote? The point is, in the real
world few people really give a good damn about US News rankings
and name schools. In the end, its about the connections YOU
make, the work YOU put into your career, YOUR dedication
to medicine, and, last but not least, LUCK. You think that just
because your school has more opportunities for connections
(like Harvard) you will always have a better chance at good
connections? Only if you need to be led by the hand and need
to have the connections put right under your nose. If you are motivated, then no matter what school you go to, you WILL find SOME
connections that will get you A (maybe not THE) position you
want. What do I mean by "A" versus "THE"? It is not always up to
you. Many doctors are rejected from different practices simply due
to crap like jealousy of other doctors or other factors out of
the candidates' control. In the real world, the stress of medicine
takes a toll on all normal humans and sometimes people behave
horribly not because it is in their nature but because they are
having a bad day. Unfortunately for you, it could be that their bad
day is also your day of the interview.

In the end, if you want to become a doctor who focuses on patients
(i.e., not a research doctor), then go to whatever medical school
feels best for you. Do not just pick the "Top 10" names. "Top 10" is,
really, a myth in the real world. Use whatever opportunities are around
you (e.g., connections your parents may have if they are doctors)
and forget about all that peripheral BS. Focus on YOUR goals.

Finally, about the US News rankings. It's the media. The US is possibly
the greatest place to live on this wide world of ours (in terms of
financial and career possibilities). However, don't doubt that corruption
does not exist in the US, albeit much less so than in countries like
Russia. You can be certain that at least a little bit of corruption exists
at major newspapers, and you probably wouldn't be wrong to think that
some people affiliated with the "Top 10" don't contribute a little $$$ to
people at US News to "skew" the stats for the rankings a little bit. Lo
and behold, School X always "comes out on top."

In the end, if you want to go to Harvard because you think people
will like you better, then you are too concerned with other people's
opinions of you. Keep in mind that many strangers who praise you for
going to Harvard (1) are secretly jealous of you, and (2) would be
inwardly happy to find out that your spine snapped during a ski accident
in the winter of your first year at Hah-vuhd. Although such people
may pretend to be your friends, and although should such people become your patients you should treat them will all kindness and fairness,
you should not also value their opinions of you. Value the opinions
of people who truly love you and care about you. Focus on your own goals and eventually things will work out. They may not work out they way you initially plan, but they will work out nonetheless, and you will have a chance to lead a happy life as a good doctor.

 

[no-see-um]

Let's face a little bit of truth, ladies and gents:

As a number of people have mentioned on other threads, med
school is what you make it. Talking about "Top 10" schools is
useless because it is highly unlikely that you will go to a med
school (ANY med school) and then end up unemployed with
an M.D. All medical schools are good in that all will allow you
to become a great doctor if you work hard and are motivated.

One of my parents is an oncologist in a private practice. A few years
ago, her group had an opening because one of the doctors
left the state. Several doctors were interested in occupying
the new spot. One of them was a man who had gone to
Harvard undergrad, then gone to Harvard med school, got
top grades and recommendations, and got into a top oncology
residency. Despite his qualifications, my mom and one of her
colleagues were the only ones in her group who wanted to
let him in to the practice. All the others (>5 doctors) did not
want him and wanted another candidate (who went to some
"random" state med school, by the way). Was it jealousy that
sparked this aversion? Could be. Was it human nature? You bet.
Eventually, my mother and her colleague helped convince the
head of this clinic to give him the position, and that man now is
a great doctor at the clinic.

What was the point of this anecdote? The point is, in the real
world few people really give a good damn about US News rankings
and name schools. In the end, its about the connections YOU
make, the work YOU put into your career, YOUR dedication
to medicine, and, last but not least, LUCK. You think that just
because your school has more opportunities for connections
(like Harvard) you will always have a better chance at good
connections? Only if you need to be led by the hand and need
to have the connections put right under your nose. If you are motivated, then no matter what school you go to, you WILL find SOME
connections that will get you A (maybe not THE) position you
want. What do I mean by "A" versus "THE"? It is not always up to
you. Many doctors are rejected from different practices simply due
to crap like jealousy of other doctors or other factors out of
the candidates' control. In the real world, the stress of medicine
takes a toll on all normal humans and sometimes people behave
horribly not because it is in their nature but because they are
having a bad day. Unfortunately for you, it could be that their bad
day is also your day of the interview.

In the end, if you want to become a doctor who focuses on patients
(i.e., not a research doctor), then go to whatever medical school
feels best for you. Do not just pick the "Top 10" names. "Top 10" is,
really, a myth in the real world. Use whatever opportunities are around
you (e.g., connections your parents may have if they are doctors)
and forget about all that peripheral BS. Focus on YOUR goals.

Finally, about the US News rankings. It's the media. The US is possibly
the greatest place to live on this wide world of ours (in terms of
financial and career possibilities). However, don't doubt that corruption
does not exist in the US, albeit much less so than in countries like
Russia. You can be certain that at least a little bit of corruption exists
at major newspapers, and you probably wouldn't be wrong to think that
some people affiliated with the "Top 10" don't contribute a little $$$ to
people at US News to "skew" the stats for the rankings a little bit. Lo
and behold, School X always "comes out on top."

In the end, if you want to go to Harvard because you think people
will like you better, then you are too concerned with other people's
opinions of you. Keep in mind that many strangers who praise you for
going to Harvard (1) are secretly jealous of you, and (2) would be
inwardly happy to find out that your spine snapped during a ski accident
in the winter of your first year at Hah-vuhd. Although such people
may pretend to be your friends, and although should such people become your patients you should treat them will all kindness and fairness,
you should not also value their opinions of you. Value the opinions
of people who truly love you and care about you. Focus on your own goals and eventually things will work out. They may not work out they way you initially plan, but they will work out nonetheless, and you will have a chance to lead a happy life as a good doctor.

I went to an Ivy league school and I agree with most of this...

 

[CerealBox]

At every school I've been to (I've only interviewed at top 10s, including Harvard and Hopkins) the kids are brilliant.... They are all focused and determined and dedicated and compassionate and massively dedicated future doctors. But at every school except Harvard, that was enough...in fact, I found I got weird/dirty looks and got grilled a little when I mention future aspirations that do not directly include medicine (ie politics, literatary criticism, etc). Whereas at Harvard ... it was taken forgranted that becoming a great physician would be only one of an HMSers many, many achievements in life. In fact, both my interviewers focused on my aspirations OTHER than medicine almost exclusively.

What I'm saying is, all the top 10's/20's are going to have brilliant people who will be great doctors, but Harvard seems to want/attract people who will be great doctors/policy writers/politicians/major humanitarians/artists/earth shakers etc.

That's why I think I liked Harvard best.

i saw this at Harvard.. but saw it more at Yale, actually. (Could just be the people I stayed with).

and also heard UChicago is like this (but also didn't witness it first hand)...

i am also drawn to the amazingness outside and inside of medicine thing. i like schools that value this. i want to be surrounded by classmates who want to be future leaders... i think most top schools i interviewed at pick unique students. a lot of the same really cool/interesting people were interviewing at all the same schools as me.

 

[QofQuimica]

i saw this at Harvard.. but saw it more at Yale, actually. (Could just be the people I stayed with).

and also heard UChicago is like this (but also didn't witness it first hand)...

i am also drawn to the amazingness outside and inside of medicine thing. i like schools that value this. i want to be surrounded by classmates who want to be future leaders... i think most top schools i interviewed at pick unique students. a lot of the same really cool/interesting people were interviewing at all the same schools as me.

Including you, Seattle.

 

[SailCrazy]

Ha ha, no offense intended. Maybe it didn't come across well. I'm a Michigan alum and bleed maize and blue. Among my current acceptances, I'm strongly leaning toward Michigan over Hopkins (making Michigan my top choice), so there!

I don't think it came across poorly... I just had to pull that one semi out of context! I'm similar to you, except that I just withdrew from Hopkins once my Michigan acceptance came in.

 

[CTSballer11]

Let's face a little bit of truth, ladies and gents:

As a number of people have mentioned on other threads, med
school is what you make it. Talking about "Top 10" schools is
useless because it is highly unlikely that you will go to a med
school (ANY med school) and then end up unemployed with
an M.D. All medical schools are good in that all will allow you
to become a great doctor if you work hard and are motivated.

One of my parents is an oncologist in a private practice. A few years
ago, her group had an opening because one of the doctors
left the state. Several doctors were interested in occupying
the new spot. One of them was a man who had gone to
Harvard undergrad, then gone to Harvard med school, got
top grades and recommendations, and got into a top oncology
residency. Despite his qualifications, my mom and one of her
colleagues were the only ones in her group who wanted to
let him in to the practice. All the others (>5 doctors) did not
want him and wanted another candidate (who went to some
"random" state med school, by the way). Was it jealousy that
sparked this aversion? Could be. Was it human nature? You bet.
Eventually, my mother and her colleague helped convince the
head of this clinic to give him the position, and that man now is
a great doctor at the clinic.

What was the point of this anecdote? The point is, in the real
world few people really give a good damn about US News rankings
and name schools. In the end, its about the connections YOU
make, the work YOU put into your career, YOUR dedication
to medicine, and, last but not least, LUCK. You think that just
because your school has more opportunities for connections
(like Harvard) you will always have a better chance at good
connections? Only if you need to be led by the hand and need
to have the connections put right under your nose. If you are motivated, then no matter what school you go to, you WILL find SOME
connections that will get you A (maybe not THE) position you
want. What do I mean by "A" versus "THE"? It is not always up to
you. Many doctors are rejected from different practices simply due
to crap like jealousy of other doctors or other factors out of
the candidates' control. In the real world, the stress of medicine
takes a toll on all normal humans and sometimes people behave
horribly not because it is in their nature but because they are
having a bad day. Unfortunately for you, it could be that their bad
day is also your day of the interview.

In the end, if you want to become a doctor who focuses on patients
(i.e., not a research doctor), then go to whatever medical school
feels best for you. Do not just pick the "Top 10" names. "Top 10" is,
really, a myth in the real world. Use whatever opportunities are around
you (e.g., connections your parents may have if they are doctors)
and forget about all that peripheral BS. Focus on YOUR goals.

Finally, about the US News rankings. It's the media. The US is possibly
the greatest place to live on this wide world of ours (in terms of
financial and career possibilities). However, don't doubt that corruption
does not exist in the US, albeit much less so than in countries like
Russia. You can be certain that at least a little bit of corruption exists
at major newspapers, and you probably wouldn't be wrong to think that
some people affiliated with the "Top 10" don't contribute a little $$$ to
people at US News to "skew" the stats for the rankings a little bit. Lo
and behold, School X always "comes out on top."

In the end, if you want to go to Harvard because you think people
will like you better, then you are too concerned with other people's
opinions of you. Keep in mind that many strangers who praise you for
going to Harvard (1) are secretly jealous of you, and (2) would be
inwardly happy to find out that your spine snapped during a ski accident
in the winter of your first year at Hah-vuhd. Although such people
may pretend to be your friends, and although should such people become your patients you should treat them will all kindness and fairness,
you should not also value their opinions of you. Value the opinions
of people who truly love you and care about you. Focus on your own goals and eventually things will work out. They may not work out they way you initially plan, but they will work out nonetheless, and you will have a chance to lead a happy life as a good doctor.

good post. ctwickman, do not worry about that other guy, he definately overeacted.

 

[Monette]

I am a Canadian... and Harvard is my American dream.

Monette

 

[Mateodaspy]

i went to hms because of the purty buildings

the fact is that going to hms is not some transcendental, life-altering experience. sure, it's a wonderful school with cutting-edge research and a unique student body. however, i don't honestly feel like going to hms (or any similar institution) will actually make you a better doctor -- medical education across the board is nearly identical at every school (given, of course, though that some institutions make the pre-clinical years quite a bit less stressful by making them pass/fail), you can find a close-knit group of friends practically anywhere, and, believe it or not, there are cities more desirable than boston.

for me, the decision to go to hms was entirely unrelated to the quality of the school -- i ended up turning down better financial aid offers (and believe me, pretty much any school gives out better offers) to be with my boyfriend. the fact is, (now, please forgive me for sounding incredibly cliche), you should choose a school based on WHERE YOU WILL BE HAPPY. if family is very important to you, stay close to home. if low stress is a must, go to a pass-fail school. if you want to do research until you're old and gray, go to a research-intensive school. but by all means, DO NOT CHOOSE BASED ON US NEWS RANKINGS, or your own pride or your parents' will.

good luck to all those deciding in the coming months.

 

[45408]

2. I'm right and you know it. You got rejected.

You're acting awfully omnipotent considering that you haven't been accepted there either.

 

[45408]

you should choose a school based on WHERE YOU WILL BE HAPPY. .... but by all means, DO NOT CHOOSE BASED ON US NEWS RANKINGS, or your own pride or your parents' will.

HMS Class of 2009

Haha, "Don't choose a school based on rankings! I didn't, but I picked #1."

just teasing, man.

 

[Indryd]

You're acting awfully omnipotent considering that you haven't been accepted there either.

Talk to me in three months, w00t!

 

[MDClown08]

or that I am 5'10", 270 pounds

You're not gonna be the best example for your patients regardless of where you go to medical school.

Chill out, SDN has enough insecure and defensive people. A lot of people come from rough backgrounds, there is no need to use your background to try to guilt people into siding with you.

Why do so many threads on SDN turn into battles between individual members?

 

[Virgil]

You're not gonna be the best example for your patients regardless of where you go to medical school.

Chill out, SDN has enough insecure and defensive people. A lot of people come from rough backgrounds, there is no need to use your background to try to guilt people into siding with you.

Why do so many threads on SDN turn into battles between individual members?

Because premeds always think they're right! Don't you know this? In fact, I think that I'm so right in this sentiment that I'm asking you to bring it on. Right now. And little did you know...I'm as white as mayonnaise.

Just playing

 

[Indryd]

You're not gonna be the best example for your patients regardless of where you go to medical school.

Chill out, SDN has enough insecure and defensive people. A lot of people come from rough backgrounds, there is no need to use your background to try to guilt people into siding with you.

Why do so many threads on SDN turn into battles between individual members?

How dare you defy me? Don't you know who I am?

 

[dilated]

This thread is like a bunch of chimps hurling feces at each other.

I think the one big advantage HMS has is layperson recognition. If you want to do politics or something, "X went to HMS" in your bio will be shorthand for "X is super duper smart". Or if you want to impress your mechanic, "I go to HMS" sounds more impressive than "I go to WUSTL". Other than that it didn't seem much different from other top 10s and I've never liked Boston, so I'm pretty indifferent to whether or not I get in.

 

[macadamianut]

hey indryd: you will let us know which school you decide to go to, right? So those folks with similar options can choose the opposite school.

 

[Indryd]

hey indryd: you will let us know which school you decide to go to, right? So those folks with similar options can choose the opposite school.

nice

I don't kow how I turned into the bad guy here. The guy acted like an ass and I called him on it. Is condescention not recognized by premeds these days? You just assume everyone REALLY is awed by our greatness?

If you saw a truly awesome movie that you loved, then wrote a post about it, then other people chimed in and a good civilized conversation was going on about it, then I got on and said "yeah, I hated that movie, it only gets good reviews because of xyz actor is in it, and you probably only liked it because you had high expectations about it...I know your type..."...I mean, to me that is totally condescending, then you find out that I never actually saw the movie, but only watched the previews...

Really, I don't get it. Should I have answered "yeah, you're right, I am a ***** and can't make my own opinions about my experiences, but instead walk blindly through life looking at everything through my rosy glasses..."

And then to the loving, gentle, wise comment "I know your type," was the correct answer "Oh, no wonder you are able to judge me so easily, you know my TYPE! You're right! I can be pinned down to a TYPE simply by the fact that I am impressed with the type of people Harvard tends to recruit!" ???

Anything I told that jerk was totally provoked by his talking down to people who are genuinely excited by the idea that we might make it into HMS. I'm sorry he can't seem to spit out his sour grapes...but whatever...

 

[DrRads101]

^

Why remain defiant? Just be a professional and admit you overreacted towards me and attacked me for no reason. It's not exactly the Christmas present I was looking for to be called a sad, pathetic little fella by someone and then be put down publicly for a rejection that happened 2 years ago by someone who is still an applicant. That was awfully bold of you to act in that manner, and to be honest in my 2.5 years here on SDN I have never seen anything like it.

 

[macadamianut]

Indryd: Let's say that perhaps ctwickman's rejection from harvard colored his perception of that place.

That still does not excuse the following statements from you:
"(I've only interviewed at top 10s, including Harvard and Hopkins) "
"You clearly have a massive chip on you shoulder, and if, indeed, you actually interviewed at HMS"
"It really sounds like you never actually interviewed at Harvard, and instead you simply spouted some silly, ignorant, stereotypical platitudes."
"Ahh...I see, rejected from Harvard...that was my second guess."
"You're right, I'm taking him too seriously. He still a sad lil' fella though. I feel sorry for him. "

Do I feel a strong motivating factor for many of the students that choose Harvard is its name? Yes
Don't get me wrong. With Harvard you get top notch resources (research opportunities, etc.), brilliant fellow students, big name faculty, a lax environment that allows many extracurricular opportunities, and a name that carries for residency, as well as access to one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the United States.
But do I think that Harvard students are as prepared as doctors as say Hopkins students? Not sure.

In the end, I think some of ctwickman's concerns are valid, and I also think you overreacted and attacked him. Just try not to be so hostile and come off as so superior next time.

 

[linuxizer]

There is no argument that Harvard's name will make people look twice. In fact, this name is only matched by Oxford's well known name (outside of America of course). Harvard was created over (or close to) three hundred years ago, hence all its accomplishments.
Harvard is perhaps more interesting than other schools because it is great across the board. Think of anything you like and I can almost guarantee you that Harvard is ranked top 10 in it. No other institution in the world can make this claim. In terms of medicine however, I would say Harvard in one of the best. I wouldn't call it the best tho.

Most of the top schools on the east coast were founded ~250-300 years ago. Penn, for instance, was the nation's first university and meets your tops-in-everything criteria. Plus it tends to encourage interdisciplinary research in a way that other schools often just give lip service too. Why doesn't Penn have Harvard's name? It sounds like a state school. People are shallow about such things, for very understandable reasons.
--Ari

 

[QofQuimica]

ctwickman and indryd, can't you guys just agree to disagree and both knock it off already? You have totally hijacked KevinZ's thread just to take pot shots at each other. I thought people were supposed to be f***ing jolly at Christmas.

Back to the original topic: I agree with previous posters that part of "the Harvard mystique" has to do with Harvard's age, and part of it has to do with Harvard having top programs nearly uniformly across the board. I also think that you cannot dismiss the visibility of Harvard's UNDERGRADUATE program. Harvard undergrad easily has the greatest name recognition among laymen in the country. I think the second school after Harvard in that respect is Yale. People nationwide are familiar with the excellent reputation of the undergraduate programs at these schools, and that respect gets transferred to their medical schools as well. Other top schools' names like Wash U and Hopkins are not familiar to laymen who are living in other regions of the country, though they are very well-known regionally and highly respected by health care professionals. The difference is that anywhere you go in this country, just about any person you meet will have heard of Harvard and Yale. Those names have become synonymous with excellence in education in general.

 

[dajimmers]

...

AHHHHH! I don't know about anyone else, but I can barely read your posts without getting a migraine. Stupid Avatar! But keep it if you must, I just don't like it one bit.

From my brief experience with Harvard (online, interview, talking w/ students), I'd say that its main attributes above other schools are:

1. Name: I'm not afraid to say that I'm drawn to the HMS name. I've lived in Michigan all my life, and attend a less-prestigious state school. People here and everywhere know the Harvard name. Even things like my Grandma saying "People only go to Yale if they don't get into Harvard" are bound to affect me at least subconsciously. Being more of a layperson than a medical professional myself, I'm still more impressed by name than I probably will be eight years from now.

2. Opportunities. All of the top 10 have great opportunities, but to me Harvard right now seems to have the greatest breadth of opportunities in research, study abroad, etc. Other schools may have better resources for certain areas (interdisciplinary stuff, as mentioned above), but as an applicant unsure of exactly what I want to do outside of medicine, I like a place where I can try it all.

3. P/F PBL curriculum. P/F sounds great, and I think I want a PBL style learning setting. Although, to me, PBL sounds much more effective for 2nd year, once I'll actually know something about medicine, vs. 1st year.

The other characteristics I need to consider are student body, clinical aspects, city life, and how my wife will like/be able to work in the area. These will take much more time to research for me, and so I can't consider them at this time...

 

[2009md2b]

Disclaimer: I'm an MS1 at HMS and procrastinating from studying the kidney.

This was quite an amusing thread to read. Besides the quabble that people are having, there is some real stuff to comment on here. HMS has a huge appeal because of the opportunities available. I have (obviously) never been a student at another medical school, but the faculty:student ratio is freaking rediculous here. If you want to find any type of doc to shadow, lab to work in, etc, there will be many many available to you in a variety of settings (17 affliated clinicial settings, nearly/all with attached research centers). Its the opportunities that make the school. And if you want to stay in Boston, going to HMS will make it considerably easier to get an HMS-affliated residency.

And its just really really awesome to be here. Can't articulate why but sometimes I have to pinch myself in the morning when I wake up and realize that I'm going to class at HMS. Maybe that sounds snobby but I'm really humbled by the experience. It has made me incredibly grateful for all my blessings.

 

[DeadorAlive]

I was actually quite put off by the number of current students that said they went to Harvard "for the name" ... a lot couldn't come up with a more compelling reason! Yikes!

I did do the ivy thing for undergrad and appreciate what it did for me... but I chose my ugrad for very specific non-name related reasons... so this freaks me out a bit about HMS

 

[Babs0309]

And if you want to stay in Boston, going to HMS will make it considerably easier to get an HMS-affliated residency.

Question: Do you think it is as easy (or even relatively easy) to get an HMS-affiliated residency if you go to Hopkins?

Note: When I say easy I don't mean without working ridiculously hard
just comparing two med students - one coming from Hopkins and one from Harvard, both with very good stats, and both who want to do a residency in Boston. Do you think one has a better chance over the other?

 

[diosa428]

Question: Do you think it is as easy (or even relatively easy) to get an HMS-affiliated residency if you go to Hopkins?

Note: When I say easy I don't mean without working ridiculously hard
just comparing two med students - one coming from Hopkins and one from Harvard, both with very good stats, and both who want to do a residency in Boston. Do you think one has a better chance over the other?

The obvious advantage that the Harvard student would have is connections. They will have already done rotations at whatever hospital (presumably). This may benefit them, or not, depending upon their clinical skills. If you went to Hopkins and wanted to do your residency at one of the Harvard hospitals, you could also do one of your electives there. Obviously Harvard will accept a certain number of its own, but they will also accept students from other schools and being at Hopkins certainly won't hurt you in that department.

One major factor to consider is the specialty you're thinking of. If you want to do IM for example, there are probably lots of spaces available at MGH, BW, BID, etc. But if you want to do neurosurgery, there are significantly fewer spaces, and therefore it would be much tougher. In a situation where there is only one space for an incoming resident, Harvard may be more inclined to choose one of their own.

I, of course, have no idea what I'm talking about b/c I will start med school in the fall, but these are my thoughts.

 

[rouge et noir]

Great post QofQuimica, I agree with everything you said.

I also agree with whoever said that people NOT attending harvard want harvard students to die a gruesome and painful death. I know that for sure because I wish it every day.

 

[macadamianut]

Here are the match lists for the past 2 years for Hopkins and for Harvard:

Hopkins:
2005: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=2420800&postcount=23
2004: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=1279668&postcount=26

Harvard:
2005: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=2410986&postcount=27
2004: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=1289916&postcount=94

 

[infiniti]

I remember telling someone that being a California resident, I would without a doubt choose UCSF over harvard. Look at the match list (posted above) and see how UCSF is the favorite school to match into (Keep in mind that the majority of those who applied did not get into UCSF for residency). This is not particularly related to these posts, but I wanted to use the opportunity to advice Californians (like myself) choosing between Harvard and UCSF. I know it is hard right now, but try to think about where you want to end up. You really can't go wrong with either school. UCSF students who want to go to an Harvard affiliated hospital for residency (there aren't many) usually get in (I was given this advice by one of the residency directors at Harvard)!

 

[noonday]

I also agree with whoever said that people NOT attending harvard want harvard students to die a gruesome and painful death. I know that for sure because I wish it every day.

interesting. i went to "a small school outside boston" for undergrad. in fact, it was the only college that i applied to (i was one crazy mf in high school). i did a master's at another top 30 school after that, and now work at an affiliate of arguably the #1 public school. and in comparison harvard is really, really, something special. really. it infects your soul. all the bad things people say to try to make it sound awful...it's not. it's heaven. it's a little ivory tower microcosm so well insulated by it's vast amounts of money that it can remain pure. there is no way in hell that i'll ever even get interviewed there for med school (especially since i haven't been invited and it's now too late), and i knew that all along, but i still shelled out the cash and spent the time on the app. the lure of the giant glowing H is too strong to resist...and even now, knowing the rejection is inevitable, i just pledged to my annual class gift last night.

yeah, i'm a sucker.

 

[CADreaming06]

i will have to say that i went to the harvard interview expecting to not like it . . i fell prey to the rumors, and my experiences with some (but not all) harvard undergrads helped reinforce that . . but, i loved it . the students are fantastic . . the ones i met were really down to earth, helpful, not condescending, and bright. what i saw of the facilities - they can't be beat. the only issue i may have is with their curriculum (you mean we don't have suggested texts?), but i do like the flexibility, and the fact that you can, and are expected, to have a life outside of school. although i don't think i'll make it in, i am glad that i went to the interview. good luck to those hoping for hms! it seems like a a great school.