copperp said:
Hi, I'm looking into which medical schools to apply to, and I'm not exactly sure about how to find med schools that would be a good match for me (preliminarily). I would like my career to involve research and patient interaction, maybe like clinical trials. Are there any schools especially known for that? Or does it even matter? I know my interests could and probably will change in teh next couple fo years, but that is the most I have to go on...How did the rest of you begin to formulate your list of places to apply?
I have a 39 and a 3.6. Thanks.
You don't have enough information about yourself yet to be able to make decisions based on research vs primary care, etc., so I would take those out of consideration and make your life simpler.
Choose a school based on where you can get in and the quality of the educational experience it offers, rather than trying to figure out if it will get you to the right place in 10 years, since your goals are vague enough that almost any place will meet them.
Curriculum - Almost all med schools teach the same material in years 1-2. The big differences are whether you have a traditional lecture-based curriculum or one that requires more small-group/problem-based learning. Those of us who hate our traditional curriculum would be learning more and doing much better with a different teaching style. Also, material taught by clinicians and MDs is more likely to be useful and interesting than material taught by PhD researchers with little clinical contact. I would avoid a curriculum that is largely taught by PhDs with little clinical exposure, unless it has exceptional faculty or other outstanding qualities.
Clinical skills - I am a huge fan of getting to work with patients regularly in your first 2 years. We work with a local doctor one afternoon per week, with extra training in physical exam and other skills. You will greatly benefit from developing basic skills for the physical exam (sequencing and patient management as well as actual skills, like finding the tympanic membrane), patient communication, writing notes, etc. BEFORE you get on the wards in years 3 and 4 and are being graded on your abilities in a very high-stress, sleep-deprived environment. Also, clinical work in years 1-2 is a very pleasant break from lectures, and for some students is often a place to shine and feel good about one's abilities.
Clinical rotations - for years 3 and 4, I personally wanted to have a wide choice of rotation sites, to not have to move out of the area (mandatory at some schools), and to be able to choose a smaller site where I could get more one-on-one attention instead of being at the back of a pack of 20 people peering at the patient. People who want to be specialists often want more exotic diseases like you see in university teaching hospitals. This is where a variety is very nice; you can start to find focus during years 1 and 2, and then test it out in 3 and 4.
Research - some schools require research. I did not want to do that, and eliminated those schools.
Location - all-important for anyone who hates rain, cold, heavy snow, endless grey winter days, or humidity. Choose only places that you will enjoy living. Factor in the community of people around you - you need to choose a place where you will be able to find and make friends outside med school and (if you have one) your family/significant other will have a good time.
It may be very important to live close to your own family; if they are older, family members are more likely to get sick and you will need to travel. At least choose a school that has convenient access to a major airport.
I wanted a place where I could afford my own apt, bike to school, not have to worry about crime on campus, etc.. Think about factors like those that might be important to you. Rank in order of priority.
Cost - go to the best school you can afford. Private schools offer much better financial aid than out-of-state state schools, and may be cheaper than in-state. Don't write them off because the tuition looks enormous.
Where you can get in - look at mdapplicants.com to see where people with your GPA and MCAT scores apply and get accepted. Understand that you should apply to at least a couple of dream schools, and a couple that you are pretty certain you can get into. Don't apply anywhere that you can't stand the idea of living.
Rankings - forget the rankings. The data on which they are based tell you nothing useful given what you have told us about your goals. People get sucked in and distracted by rankings. If you want info about particular schools, snoop around and search the allo and other non-pre-med forums.
good luck
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