Are All Medical Schools Really Equal?

[45408]

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Yeah and some of them will arrive at some residency program that didn't really idolize over and they'll think that one sucks. Or still, they'll arrive at one of the ones they've idolized over and they'll realize they love it.

I assumed this went without saying.

 

[Law2Doc]

That may be so but that doesn't mean that there is no argument for the benefit of attending some of the highly ranked schools. Like MegaP, I don't think anyone thinks that the school ranking is going to be a massive benefit. Your arguments don't respond to what the people on this forum are actually saying.

I think a lot of us are saying that while it may not be "no benefit" it will be so little benefit that it's not worth your time worryinig about it. Sort of like getting the custom floor mats when buying a new car -- may be of some benefit, but it shouldn't govern which car you buy. There are many better things to consider in both car buying and med school selection. That's our point.

 

[fahimaz7]

I think a lot of us are saying that while it may not be "no benefit" it will be so little benefit that it's not worth your time worryinig about it. Sort of like getting the custom floor mats when buying a new car -- may be of some benefit, but it shouldn't govern which car you buy. There are many better things to consider in both car buying and med school selection. That's our point.

QFT..


For example, what school/car will allow me to get the hottest chick? Stanford? Or are those just for slutty ones?

 

[chutzpah]

I don't get why so many people are going against what l2d is saying.

and for content: Like stated before I think the only benefits of going to a 'prestigious' institutions compared to lower ranked ones is the available of resources for research/fellowships and the like. I somewhat disagree with with L2D had to say about PIs in higher ranked areas. Generally PIs are relatively helpful to their graduate students if its a mid/small lab or if they're not really well know. I guess if you work for a recent Nobel Laureate he/she probably be away a lot trying to milk as much as he can out of the lecture circuit. Other than that, it's only really important if you want to go into academia at a specific medical school, which isn't really relevant to match statistics.

 

[dokein]

I think a lot of us are saying that while it may not be "no benefit" it will be so little benefit that it's not worth your time worryinig about it. Sort of like getting the custom floor mats when buying a new car -- may be of some benefit, but it shouldn't govern which car you buy. There are many better things to consider in both car buying and med school selection. That's our point.

I think for a lot of us premeds, it's so difficult or impossible to determine whether we'd do well in PBL, or lecture, or whether a class size of 70 or 100 or 150 is best, etc. Even the question as to whether students are happy or not is tentative, and a 4-5 hour period isn't really going to help things. As for whether residency programs are malignant or not, wish us luck. Second look helps a bit but your choices are usually already a good amount narrowed by then. With a few exceptions, most students at most medical schools are mostly happy.

So if everything "important" is basically a crapshoot (I mean, it's rare that somebody knows that they can ONLY do well in either PBL or lecture), the only thing we have to go off of are these smaller factors.

Plus for people like me, I want to be a researcher in addition to a physician. I think that is a pretty common goal--not very common, but certainly not an unheard of one. Research wise, there really is a big difference between Harvard and Morehouse, because that depends on your peers and the labs you collaborate with just as much as yourself and your PI.

 

[fahimaz7]

I think for a lot of us premeds, it's so difficult or impossible to determine whether we'd do well in PBL, or lecture, or whether a class size of 70 or 100 or 150 is best, etc. Even the question as to whether students are happy or not is tentative, and a 4-5 hour period isn't really going to help things. As for whether residency programs are malignant or not, wish us luck. Second look helps a bit but your choices are usually already a good amount narrowed by then. With a few exceptions, most students at most medical schools are mostly happy.

So if everything "important" is basically a crapshoot (I mean, it's rare that somebody knows that they can ONLY do well in either PBL or lecture), the only thing we have to go off of are these smaller factors.

Plus for people like me, I want to be a researcher in addition to a physician. I think that is a pretty common goal--not very common, but certainly not an unheard of one. Research wise, there really is a big difference between Harvard and Morehouse, because that depends on your peers and the labs you collaborate with just as much as yourself and your PI.

The thing is, it does't matter where you go... If you put in the time then you will do just fine.

PBL and lecture-based schools will both provide a great education. Class size doesn't matter either. Just show up and put in the time that is required to learn the material. If you show up on day one and don't stop until after Step 1 you will do just fine.

Think of medical school like golf.. It doesn't matter where you train, if you put in the time then you will reap the rewards. A guy in his backyard that plays 5 hours/day will do a hell of a lot better than the guy at some prestigious golf academy that does't do his drills and take it seriously.

 

[Narmerguy]

I'm not seeing where the confusion is coming from.

What I'm trying to say is basically the same thing as what other people have been saying all along. Where you go to school does not matter as much as other factors that are more student-dependent. Does it matter? Yes, but it's pretty neglegeble. There are other things that you should consider way before the name of the school.

I assumed this went without saying.

I think a lot of us are saying that while it may not be "no benefit" it will be so little benefit that it's not worth your time worryinig about it. Sort of like getting the custom floor mats when buying a new car -- may be of some benefit, but it shouldn't govern which car you buy. There are many better things to consider in both car buying and med school selection. That's our point.

Fair enough I understand where you're coming from. I don't think we are at odds then, I misunderstood you all.

 

[45408]

I think for a lot of us premeds, it's so difficult or impossible to determine whether we'd do well in PBL, or lecture, or whether a class size of 70 or 100 or 150 is best, etc. Even the question as to whether students are happy or not is tentative, and a 4-5 hour period isn't really going to help things. As for whether residency programs are malignant or not, wish us luck. Second look helps a bit but your choices are usually already a good amount narrowed by then. With a few exceptions, most students at most medical schools are mostly happy.

So if everything "important" is basically a crapshoot (I mean, it's rare that somebody knows that they can ONLY do well in either PBL or lecture), the only thing we have to go off of are these smaller factors.

You don't have to KNOW what would help you do best, but didn't you even think about it? If we're comparing a small school with PBL in Cleveland (Lerner) to a large school with lectures in California, it would come down to a coin flip for you?

I think the most important factors are, in approximate order - location, cost, "feel" that you got from a campus visit and interview, M3/M4 rotation scheduling, general teaching style, and that's about it. When I made my final choice between two schools, it was because I liked the feel of one more than the other, as well as the fact that the "other" had something like 16 weeks of required away rotations as an M3. No thanks.

 

[dokein]

You don't have to KNOW what would help you do best, but didn't you even think about it? If we're comparing a small school with PBL in Cleveland (Lerner) to a large school with lectures in California, it would come down to a coin flip for you?

I think the most important factors are, in approximate order - location, cost, "feel" that you got from a campus visit and interview, M3/M4 rotation scheduling, general teaching style, and that's about it. When I made my final choice between two schools, it was because I liked the feel of one more than the other, as well as the fact that the "other" had something like 16 weeks of required away rotations as an M3. No thanks.

Well, I'm not really the best example since I plan to do translational research and stay in academia. And academia is overly snobby, so 'name' does matter when you're applying for grants as a junior PI and stuff (many, many sources on this so no need for argument even if I'm wrong).

But if my main focus was to be a physician, it really would not be clear:


Lecture vs. PBL: I've had lectures all my life and always done well in them and learned relatively efficiently through them. I also enjoy solving problems, so PBL sounds great. But I've never experienced PBL in any sort of depth.

Large vs. small: No idea, my high school was medium-sized and my college was large. All medical school classes are relatively small.

Location: I've lived in Oregon/California all my life and quite like it on the West Coast. That said, I would also enjoy a stint on the East Coast. Also I moved around 7 times as a kid in both small towns and large cities. Liked both, each has its unique advantages.

Cost: California schools sure are nice, assuming I get in, but you only go to medical school once and you have the rest of your life to save up money. I did not need loans for undergraduate (scholarships, work, parents) so my finances are reasonable either way.

M3/M4 rotation scheduling: Being able to do some electives M3 is definitely a plus, but it is very rare for schools to offer that. Some away rotation opportunities are nice, but it is very common for schools to offer that. 16 weeks of mandatory away requirements as an M3 is not something that any schools I'm applying to has; I've never even heard of that before!

P/F vs H/P/F: I would prefer P/F because I want to be more relaxed, but I also know that I tend to do well in competitive environments. Importantly, I know that I tend to do well in competitive environments even when I'm at the bottom. OTOH, I'm getting too old for this.

Feel during interviews: All the students seemed happy at all the schools I've been to. Interviewers seemed very nice. I have to say there is one school that stands out a bit (positively), but then other people said the students there were miserable; I'm not sure how much I should trust 4-5 hours of observation (2 hours of which are in the room waiting for interviews or interviewing) and one student host (who may or may not be representative). There's no school that struck me really badly.


I don't know if I'm an exception here? I'm really, really 33/33/33 about the schools I've been to so far--and not in a bad, way: I've been consistently impressed.