California Internal Medicine Programs

[camng22]

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I am wondering how difficult it is to get into an IM program in California. I am not knowledgeable about the process at all, but do CA programs (both community and university) favor in state medical school applicants? By how much is it advantageous to attend a CA med school? I'm sure board scores/evaluations/etc are important but what about the med school you attended? If someone can let me know, I'd appreciate it.

 

[Captain DO]

I feel like a lot of the competitiveness is simply that so many apply to california programs, who doesnt love the idea of living in calfironia? so that drives up competition and I suppose programs generally stick with cali residents.

I looked into some programs in California...but then I looked at the cost of living... Holy heck!!
I did the math and I would save enough on rent alone to be able to buy a new car every year by living elsewhere in comparison with living in California. California residency don't pay more than other states. In fact, some pay less. I'm not sure California is worth it when you factor in cost of living....

 

[Raryn]

I am wondering how difficult it is to get into an IM program in California. I am not knowledgeable about the process at all, but do CA programs (both community and university) favor in state medical school applicants? By how much is it advantageous to attend a CA med school? I'm sure board scores/evaluations/etc are important but what about the med school you attended? If someone can let me know, I'd appreciate it.

Depends on the program. There's ~35 IM programs in CA, ranging from arguably the best program in the country (UCSF is in the top 4 on everyones list, the order varies) to a program that I ranked 18th of 18 when I applied IM (why don't I put it this way... in two of the last five years, it matched only 1 out of 8 spots. If I had known, I'd have never applied to it).

If your only criteria was to just get any IM program in CA, and you were at all a reasonable candidate (i.e. no huge red flags like multiple step failures or multiple DUIs), you can match IM *somewhere* in CA with minimal sweat. But, compared to programs of a similar quality, your average CA program is likely more competitive than it would otherwise be. Your choice (depending on your stats and desires) how much you want to compromise that one way or the other.

As for whether they favor applicants with ties to the area, I'd say that a lot of them do lean that way, simply because there's so many hundreds and hundreds of medical students who are from CA and did med school in a different state. That said, plenty of non-CA people match in CA every year, so that's not a unsurmountable problem either.

 

[lenomegaly]

Overall, I think California is one of the more desired places to train. Plus, there are lots of people from California who left for medical school.... and are now trying to come back. I agree with the comment above, the average California program is likely more competitive than its counterpart in a different state. Residency certainly feels a lot easier when its 70 degrees and sunny everyday 🙂

 

[unleash500]

Definitely more competitive but still very realistic to get into but this depends very much on your application. Many of the programs get tons of applicants.

socal easier than norcal imo .