annoying "which school" question

[Doctor~Detroit]

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sorry, but i don't think the folks in pre-allo could really answer this.

i'll be starting med school in the fall, and i'm fairly sure about doing em (plenty of prior exposure). would there be any inherent advantage in landing an em residency if i go to albert einstein, u pitt, or u chicago for med school, or does where i might choose to do an em away rotation make the choice among these med schools irrelevant? or something else?

thanks!

 

[breaker1919]

Hi,
You're not going to like my answer, but it doesn't really matter. All of those schools placed people into EM this year. If you're really worried about it, try searching for their match lists. But they're all great schools. It's all about how hard you work and how well you do in med school, particularly your third year. Choose the med school that suits you the best.

 

[StudentDoc327]

Yeah all those schools are great and you can get an EM residency from any school even if it doesnt have an EM program (like I did). However, I think if you go to U of Chi or another Chi school it will probably give you a better chance in landing a residency in Chi. Same thing for a Cali school. Albert Einstein would do the same in NY. Check out their match list in the match list thread, they matched a disproportionate # into Jacobi and NYU. I realize that many of these students wanted to stay in the area and ranked these places higher, but I definitely think they had a clear advantage in the NY market. Although, I am from the south, rotated only in the south, got interviews in all regions, had never been to Chicago before January but happily matched there so it can definitely be done.

 

[Hawk22]

It really doesn't matter where you go. Pick the school where you are the most comfortable and where you can do your best. It would be nice to pick a place that won't saddle you with an ungodly amount of debt in the years to come, but that is often hard these days.

Are you interested in research? I don't know about the other places, but Pitt has one of the best EM research divisions out there and you could do some serious work with those folks if you like that sort of thing. Just a thought.

 

[SolidGold]

In case you need one more person's opinion, either 3 of those places would be great. It really doesn't matter which med school you go to, but going to one that has an established program in EM will help you a little. Since all 3 have established EM programs, you're best bet is simply to go where you feel like you'll be happiest with. I also agree with the above post, consider going where ever you'll end up with the least amount of debt, but don't let cost factor too much into your decision if there is clearly one school you favor over another. All 3 are great med schools, so congrats on getting into them. Good luck with your decision!

 

[trkd]

ditto the above if you need another affirmation.

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

thank you for all the responses. i guess i'll pick the one that maximizes the happiness-to-debt ratio, work hard, and hope for the best.

i think it would be nice to match in nyc, which einstein is obviously great at doing, but i should have less debt at the other two schools and i assume i could still match in nyc with some certainty if i put in the work.

 

[Hard24Get]

thank you for all the responses. i guess i'll pick the one that maximizes the happiness-to-debt ratio, work hard, and hope for the best.

i think it would be nice to match in nyc, which einstein is obviously great at doing, but i should have less debt at the other two schools and i assume i could still match in nyc with some certainty if i put in the work.

Wow, your question is really annoying, but I congratulate you and applaud your forethought. 😀

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

follow-up question: i noticed on this year's match list three people graduating from pitt matched at christiana. i don't know much about this program, so is this a good sign about how people match into em from pitt (i.e., is christiana a tough program to get into that people are likely to rank first on their match lists?)?

thanks again.

 

[Hard24Get]

follow-up question: i noticed on this year's match list three people graduating from pitt matched at christiana. i don't know much about this program, so is this a good sign about how people match into em from pitt (i.e., is christiana a tough program to get into that people are likely to rank first on their match lists?)?

thanks again.

Damn, I should have gone to Pitt! I will let the more experienced answer your question, though as a humble 3rd year I would be inclined to say 3 to CC is a good sign...

 

[SoCuteMD]

follow-up question: i noticed on this year's match list three people graduating from pitt matched at christiana. i don't know much about this program, so is this a good sign about how people match into em from pitt (i.e., is christiana a tough program to get into that people are likely to rank first on their match lists?)?

thanks again.

You are reading WAY too much into this whole match list thing. A LOT goes into making a ROL, and that is very individual for most people. Some people like Christiana - it's apparently very well-funded with good U/S experience. Other people interview there and think it's too cushy (disclaimer: I'm quoting someone...never been to Christiana and have no personal opinion) or that it's not in a desirable geographic area for them. If you want an idea of how much ROLs can vary take a look at the thread about them (sticky at the top). A BUNCH of SDNers ranked Cinci #1 this year and matched there. However, Cinci is a 4 year program and for some people that's a deal-breaker. Another SDNer gave his g/f (now fiancee) one veto, which he was afraid she would use on Cinci. Had she used it on Cinci, he wouldn't have ranked it at all and wouldn't have matched there (it was his #1). And there you have it, a brief outline of SOME of the factors that can affect a match list.

Sorry, this thread has degenerated. Fatty McFattypants.

 

[Hard24Get]

Sorry, this thread has degenerated. Fatty McFattypants.

Degenerated? It was Fatty McFattypants from the start!

 

[SoCuteMD]

Degenerated? It was Fatty McFattypants from the start!

Yeah, but I try to be gentle on the itty-bitty pre-meds. After all, they are coming from Pre-Allo which is 99.99% F McF!!

 

[Sweet Tea]

Sorry, this thread has degenerated. Fatty McFattypants.

To be fair, Christiana isn't nearly as good a program as In-N-Out. But then, nothing really compares to the Burger.

 

[SolidGold]

A BUNCH of SDNers ranked Cinci #1 this year and matched there. However, Cinci is a 4 year program and for some people that's a deal-breaker. Another SDNer gave his g/f (now fiancee) one veto, which he was afraid she would use on Cinci. Had she used it on Cinci, he wouldn't have ranked it at all and wouldn't have matched there (it was his #1). And there you have it, a brief outline of SOME of the factors that can affect a match list.

In case anyone was wondering, she vetoed Wash U in St. Louis, which I ranked 9 despite it being my second favorite program. 😀

Christiana is a great program that has a good reputation overall, and many people would rank a program like that high.

But you are really reading into it way too much. IMG's can match into a good EM program if they are good candidates, so this tells you that what medical school you go to plays a small role.

Do a google search for an article titled "Selection Criteria for Emergency Medicine Residency Applicants" by JOSEPH T. CRANE, MD, CARL M. FERRARO, MD.

A survey showed that medical school attended is ranked like 14th out of 18 criteria that EM residency programs look at. So medical school doesn't mean much at all.

 

[deleted77919]

I would echo a lot of what other posters have already said. What I will emphasize (which has also been said) is that it would be to your advantage to go to a school that has an EM program, it makes it easier to get a LOR, get involved early, talk to some residents and see what they think of things there, and also gives you exposure to the way things are done in one ED.

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

Damn, I should have gone to Pitt! I will let the more experienced answer your question, though as a humble 3rd year I would be inclined to say 3 to CC is a good sign...

In case anyone was wondering, she vetoed Wash U in St. Louis, which I ranked 9 despite it being my second favorite program. 😀

Christiana is a great program that has a good reputation overall, and many people would rank a program like that high.

But you are really reading into it way too much. IMG's can match into a good EM program if they are good candidates, so this tells you that what medical school you go to plays a small role.

Do a google search for an article titled "Selection Criteria for Emergency Medicine Residency Applicants" by JOSEPH T. CRANE, MD, CARL M. FERRARO, MD.

A survey showed that medical school attended is ranked like 14th out of 18 criteria that EM residency programs look at. So medical school doesn't mean much at all.

I would echo a lot of what other posters have already said. What I will emphasize (which has also been said) is that it would be to your advantage to go to a school that has an EM program, it makes it easier to get a LOR, get involved early, talk to some residents and see what they think of things there, and also gives you exposure to the way things are done in one ED.

thank you.