California Residency Question?!?!

Started by cafutbol00
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cafutbol00

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I'm from California, and I am pretty sure this is where I want to end up.... and I got into a couple of schools including Western in the greater LA area. Western has a great residency match list and reputation out here... but the school itself and the surrounding community were less impressive than others I visited. Would I be lowering my chances for getting a california residency if I go to school out of state?

Does anyone know where I can find info on this topic?
Do residency programs generally give preference to students who went to a school in that state?

Thanks👍
 
cafutbol00 said:
I'm from California, and I am pretty sure this is where I want to end up.... and I got into a couple of schools including Western in the greater LA area. Western has a great residency match list and reputation out here... but the school itself and the surrounding community were less impressive than others I visited. Would I be lowering my chances for getting a california residency if I go to school out of state?

Does anyone know where I can find info on this topic?
Do residency programs generally give preference to students who went to a school in that state?

Thanks👍
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dr.z said:
I think it helps for you to do clinical rotations in the hospitals you are interested in doing a residency. So you can be attending schools anywhere you like.
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A high percentage of students from Touro-MI and Western obtain California residency positions because 1) They do their clinical rotations at these hospitals and thus are there for the interview process 2) They are already CA residents.

If you do go to another school, you can still obtain a CA residency, but you'll have to do your 4th year clerkship at a hospital there. Hope this helps.
 
So where you do you residencies comes down to where you do your fourth year rotations... right? So even if I scored super well on the COMLEX or USMLE, my only options for obtaining a residency program would be at hospitals that I rotated through... and I couldn't even list another site as one of my top choices. Is that correct? It seems kind of limiting.
 
cafutbol00 said:
So where you do you residencies comes down to where you do your fourth year rotations... right? So even if I scored super well on the COMLEX or USMLE, my only options for obtaining a residency program would be at hospitals that I rotated through... and I couldn't even list another site as one of my top choices. Is that correct? It seems kind of limiting.
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relax....it is generally helpful to do a rotation at a hospital that you would like to do your residency at...mostly b/c you have a chance to make an impression there.....but being that most people rank over 10 programs for residency there is no way to have done rotations at all of those places....ie it is not mandatory in the least bit and you are not limited in where you apply
 
Taus said:
.but being that most people rank over 10 programs for residency there is no way to have done rotations at all of those places....ie it is not mandatory in the least bit and you are not limited in where you apply
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Ahh, this is music to my ears! I also was under this impression! Phew! But, I am going to guess that you want to do audition rotations at your top couple choices?
 
toothless rufus said:
Ahh, this is music to my ears! I also was under this impression! Phew! But, I am going to guess that you want to do audition rotations at your top couple choices?
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I've heard that b/c cali is such a desireable area to train in that you should at least show some ties or have previous time (ie an elective) spent in the area. Getting a letter of rec. from a well known physician in your field from CA can mean a lot to other programs in the area and would likely have you on higher ground then someone who has never been to CA and never worked w/ any docs that the residency programs there know about.

Doing audition rotations at the exact programs you want to be at is a debatable point. Some will say it gives you a month to make a lasting impression on the right people....while some say it gives you a month of chances to f**k up majorly and/or rub someone the wrong way. When it comes time, people have recommended talking to residents from your program of interest and ask them just how important it is to rotate w/ them.
 
cafutbol00 said:
but the school itself and the surrounding community were less impressive than others I visited.
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Srsly? Dude who cares? Let me give you a list of why you shouldn't care:

1) You will be studying so much you won't even notice the surrounding area
2) Most people don't live in the immediately surrounding area
3) Everyone I know doesn't even go to class anymore, so you can live wherever the hell you want
4) You're going to make a decision on where to go to medical school based on how nice a school looks... wtf?


That is all.
 
i thought the same as well (going to school in CA so that obtaining a residency here would be easier). I spoke with the dean of clinical rotations at Western and he says that when he looks for residents, he does not take into consideration where they are coming from. He says that even doing rotations in CA can be to your disadvantage if they don't like you. I was pretty surprised to hear this, but in his opinion it doesn't matter.

I think he mentioned that it also depends on your specialty. When I said I was interested in family medicine, he said that those spots do not fill up so I shouldn't have a problem finding a residency anywhere.

There are many things to consider in choosing the school, I'm sure the more we are active about seeking answers it will become easier and easier. Good luck to you!
 
Anecdotally I’ve heard at least for allopathic students there is a bias in the match for instate students. Since most students in CA are residents anyway; they probably prefer to stay here. Anyways anecdotes are not the same as evidence, and there are plenty of OOS students that do there residency here so it can be done.

When I interviewed there in early November I thought the same thing about the buildings and the community. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that you really shouldn’t pick a school based solely on the community it’s in or the outward appearance of the buildings. (though if you’re looking for a tie-breaker between schools its not bad criteria then).

The point being you really should pick a school that fits you, your goals, and most importantly where you’d be happy going. As a lifetime SoCal resident holding multiple OOS acceptances I was in the same boat you’re in, but in the end I chose the offer from Western. For me it wasn’t worth moving away from my family and friends when a great school is in my back yard.

Interview day definitely sealed the deal for me; the students were excited and happy to be there. Our tour guide even busted open a cadaver’s chest for us which I though was cool. These are the people that are going to be your peers; and my interview group was the same personality type so it was a good fit for me. You build a school from the inside out; and the people that are there is what makes it worth while going to.

Not trying to dog you or anything, just my two cents; but where ever you decide to go best of luck to you.😀
 
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