Do DO do a or MD from "low" tier schools ever feel inferior?

[Monkey.King]

So yesterday I had an annual doctors appointment, and I asked him what medical school he went to. I love to discuss and ask questions regarding med school and anything medicine related when I go to the doctors or my PA. But anyway, this isn't my usual doc and he replied "Does it really matter where I went to school?" In my mind, I'm thinking well damn, sorry for asking smart ass. What harm is asking a simple question like that? I replied "No" and just left it alone. After some deeper thinking into it because it really bugged me, I thought that was a reasonable response. I started thinking of how some people out there doubt a doctors capability if they didn't go to a prestigious school or have an MD degree instead of a DO.

So do some doctors out there actually feel inferior to other doctors with a more prestigious background despite them all being qualified to do the same thing? And I never really thought that people actually question the school a doctor attended and their background (I can understand if it's a situation where a parents child needs surgery, the success rate is 30%, and they want the best doctor possible). Can people even request more "qualified" doctors? Do they have to pay out of pocket for a request like that?

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[Mad Jack]

Lol, where you go to medical school has infinitely less impact than where you complete your residency on what kind of physician you become. If ever there was a question that embodied everything wrong with how premeds think, this is it. Outside of academia, no one cares where you went to medical school post-residency, they are far more interested in where you trained and whether you have a clean malpractice history.

 

[Affiche]

When people ask about which medical school someone attends/attended my first thought is, "this person knows nothing about medical education". I've had friends proudly tell me that they researched which med school their doc attended before making an appointment, and all I can do is roll my eyes. If you must research your doc's background, look up where he/she trained for residency.

That all said, I chose a lower ranked med school over ivy leagues because the lower ranked school pays my tuition. Am I embarrassed? Hell no. I'm damn proud of the opportunity this school gave me to come out debt free. The financial freedom I'll have after training will open more doors for me than the name of the school I attended, especially considering my career goals. So no, I don't feel inferior at all, but I do feel sorry for med students who are enslaving themselves to loans because they were duped by the "prestige" factor. This is not a common opinion on SDN at all, and I'm sure I'll get backlash for it by people who vehemently disagree, but that's my stance.

 

[AccessoryNavicular]

When people ask about which medical school someone attends/attended my first thought is, "this person knows nothing about medical education". I've had friends proudly tell me that they researched which med school their doc attended before making an appointment, and all I can do is roll my eyes. If you must research your doc's background, look up where he/she trained for residency.

That all said, I chose a lower ranked med school over ivy leagues because the lower ranked school pays my tuition. Am I embarrassed? Hell no. I'm damn proud of the opportunity this school gave me to come out debt free. The financial freedom I'll have after training will open more doors for me than the name of the school I attended, especially considering my career goals. So no, I don't feel inferior at all, but I do feel sorry for med students who are enslaving themselves to loans because they were duped by the "prestige" factor. This is not a common opinion on SDN at all, and I'm sure I'll get backlash for it by people who vehemently disagree, but that's my stance.

Well given that patients don't have access to the financial incentives behind where a doctor chose to go to school, I would like to probe and ask you whether the financial incentives matter at all. That is to say, would you still advocate that school ranking isn't important in the absence of this information?


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[Affiche]

Well given that patients don't have access to the financial incentives behind where a doctor chose to go to school, I would like to probe and ask you whether the financial incentives matter at all. That is to say, would you still advocate that school ranking isn't important in the absence of this information?


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Dude, you missed the main point of both my post and @Mad Jack's. Where your doc trained for residency is what actually matters.

 

[ChrisMack390]

OP, did the doctor know that you are applying to medical school and are probably researching medical schools? Or did you just ask this out of the blue? In the latter case, I could understand why this might be insulting.

 

[Mad Jack]

Well given that patients don't have access to the financial incentives behind where a doctor chose to go to school, I would like to probe and ask you whether the financial incentives matter at all. That is to say, would you still advocate that school ranking isn't important in the absence of this information?


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And you just proved yourself incapable of actually reading the main point of anything posted. Only people who don't know anything about medicine look at the medical school of their physician. Anyone with any real knowledge will look at where they completed residency and their malpractice record.

 

[xffan624]

So yesterday I had an annual doctors appointment, and I asked him what medical school he went to. I love to discuss and ask questions regarding med school and anything medicine related when I go to the doctors or my PA. But anyway, this isn't my usual doc and he replied "Does it really matter where I went to school?" In my mind, I'm thinking well damn, sorry for asking smart ass. What harm is asking a simple question like that? I replied "No" and just left it alone. After some deeper thinking into it because it really bugged me, I thought that was a reasonable response. I started thinking of how some people out there doubt a doctors capability if they didn't go to a prestigious school or have an MD degree instead of a DO.

So do some doctors out there actually feel inferior to other doctors with a more prestigious background despite them all being qualified to do the same thing? And I never really thought that people actually question the school a doctor attended and their background (I can understand if it's a situation where a parents child needs surgery, the success rate is 30%, and they want the best doctor possible). Can people even request more "qualified" doctors? Do they have to pay out of pocket for a request like that?

I've talked to plenty of doctors that I've seen as a patient about medical school, but nearly all of them knew that I was a current medical student or pursuing medical school. They were friendly and open about their experiences regardless of where they went to school (DO or MD). I think OP you would have gotten a different demeanor had you explained your reason for the question after their initial response.

 

[AccessoryNavicular]

Dude, you missed the main point of both my post and @Mad Jack's. Where your doc trained for residency is what actually matters.

I didn't miss that point at all, it just wasn't the focus of the question I asked you. To be more direct and quote your post, would you feel embarrassed if you went to a lower tier school with no financial incentive?

Edit: Wow and the personal attacks begin for a simple question. Rather than jump to conclusions, it might be better to ask clarifying questions on your end to get a better idea of what I understood from your post @Mad Jack

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[Catalystik]

Do they have to pay out of pocket for a request like that?

If you prefer to consult with a major medical center or specialist that is not on the preferred provider list of some forms of health insurance, or that is not pre-authorized, you may end up paying some or all of the bill. Other types of health insurance allow you to go wherever you wish.

 

[Affiche]

I didn't miss that point at all, it just wasn't the focus of the question I asked you. To be more direct and quote your post, would you feel embarrassed if you went to a lower tier school with no financial incentive?


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No. I'd be disappointed that my best option was a sticker price low tier school, but I'd still be proud of having an MD after my name in four years.

I'd be embarrassed if I paid sticker price to attend medical school and dropped the ball so hard that I ended up in a residency that I knew would hinder my career.

 

[spartan25]

This has been my plan:
Prestigious undergrad -> Prestigious med school -> Prestigious residency -> Prestigious job -> -> nursing home of my choice

So far I'm 0/2

 

[Affiche]

This has been my plan:
Prestigious undergrad -> Prestigious med school -> Prestigious residency -> Prestigious job -> -> nursing home of my choice

So far I'm 0/2

Silly considering that you can totally go from

meh undergrad-> meh med school ->prestigious residency -> prestigious job -> cush retirement

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I didn't miss that point at all, it just wasn't the focus of the question I asked you. To be more direct and quote your post, would you feel embarrassed if you went to a lower tier school with no financial incentive?

Edit: Wow and the personal attacks begin for a simple question. Rather than jump to conclusions, it might be better to ask clarifying questions on your end to get a better idea of what I understood from your post @Mad Jack

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You kind of did. @Affiche's point was that people usually choose their medical school not based on tier, but for other, more personal reasons. Because the tier of your med school is irrelevant, if patients ask what med school you went to, it shouldn't matter to you what they think. Most patients are dumb and/or have no clue about medical education.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Silly considering that you can totally go from

meh undergrad-> meh med school ->prestigious residency -> prestigious job -> cush retirement

For a lot less money too.

 

[Affiche]

For a lot less money too.

That's how you actually get to the cush retirement

The money that you invest into your retirement will grow and grow....
Or the interest you pay on loans will.

 

[spartan25]

Silly considering that you can totally go from

meh undergrad-> meh med school ->prestigious residency -> prestigious job -> cush retirement

Sorry, I was being sarcastic. I was just trying to illustrate the silliness of the want for prestige only as a means to get to the next prestigious step.

When the game is over, it all goes back in the box.

 

[Mansamusa]

I just had surgery with an anesthesiologist from a low-tier school. Didn't die, he didn't seem to feel inferior, and he felt even less inferior when he took my money.

 

[Lawpy]

Lol, where you go to medical school has infinitely less impact than where you complete your residency on what kind of physician you become. If ever there was a question that embodied everything wrong with how premeds think, this is it. Outside of academia, no one cares where you went to medical school post-residency, they are far more interested in where you trained and whether you have a clean malpractice history.

When people ask about which medical school someone attends/attended my first thought is, "this person knows nothing about medical education". I've had friends proudly tell me that they researched which med school their doc attended before making an appointment, and all I can do is roll my eyes. If you must research your doc's background, look up where he/she trained for residency.

That all said, I chose a lower ranked med school over ivy leagues because the lower ranked school pays my tuition. Am I embarrassed? Hell no. I'm damn proud of the opportunity this school gave me to come out debt free. The financial freedom I'll have after training will open more doors for me than the name of the school I attended, especially considering my career goals. So no, I don't feel inferior at all, but I do feel sorry for med students who are enslaving themselves to loans because they were duped by the "prestige" factor. This is not a common opinion on SDN at all, and I'm sure I'll get backlash for it by people who vehemently disagree, but that's my stance.

But wouldn't where you go to medical school matter in regards to getting into a competitive residency at a top-notch academic medical center?

 

[Affiche]

But wouldn't where you go to medical school matter in regards to getting into a competitive residency at a top-notch academic medical center?

There was an attending or fellow on here (@MeatTornado, I think?) who recently posted that to get a top residency, you need 3/5 things (not in any order):

- AOA
- Prestigious medical school
- Publications
- High Step 1 score
- Honors/letters in clinical rotations

Med students attending a prestigious med school have a leg up because they're already scoring 1/5. But, it may be easier to get AOA at a lower-ranked school, so there's that. In the end, you need to do well on Step 1 and your rotations but if you bomb those, school name isn't going to magically save you. If you're able to accomplish 3-4 of those 5 while also saving a pretty penny and attending a lower ranked school, my advice is to go for it.

 

[Affiche]

If you get a top residency take a look around at your co-residents- whoever got there the cheapest won the game.

 

[Swish16]

And I never really thought that people actually question the school a doctor attended and their background (I can understand if it's a situation where a parents child needs surgery, the success rate is 30%, and they want the best doctor possible). Can people even request more "qualified" doctors? Do they have to pay out of pocket for a request like that?

How would going to a more prestigious school make you a better surgeon?




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[Mad Jack]

But wouldn't where you go to medical school matter in regards to getting into a competitive residency at a top-notch academic medical center?

It's correlative, not causative.

 

[Lawpy]

There was an attending or fellow on here (@MeatTornado, I think?) who recently posted that to get a top residency, you need 3/5 things (not in any order):

- AOA
- Prestigious medical school
- Publications
- High Step 1 score
- Honors/letters in clinical rotations

Med students attending a prestigious med school have a leg up because they're already scoring 1/5. But, it may be easier to get AOA at a lower-ranked school, so there's that. In the end, you need to do well on Step 1 and your rotations but if you bomb those, school name isn't going to magically save you. If you're able to accomplish 3-4 of those 5 while also saving a pretty penny and attending a lower ranked school, my advice is to go for it.

It's correlative, not causative.

Great thanks! Seems like the LCME standardizations helped a lot in minimizing variability within US MD schools.

I was thinking that since top schools offer a lot of resources in regards to research and clinical training, while minimizing the length of preclinical time, the graduates from these schools will have more opportunity to strengthen their applications and exceed expectations, allowing them to land a spot in a competitive specialty at a highend program.

According to the rubric above, seems like where you went to school is in fact one factor, but the other factors play a role as well. It's just that it seems relatively easier to pursue those other factors while attending a top school, but I'm probably wrong on this.

 

[Affiche]

@Lawper resources are always there if you're willing to seek them out. My med school offers research, but I have a relationship with an investigator at a nearby academic institution so I will be doing my research with him/her instead of at my own school. I will have 2-3 publications by the time I complete M2. Many of the upperclassman at my medical school have multiple publications as well from doing research within our institution, so the opportunities are definitely there, you just have to seek them out.

 

[Mad Jack]

Great thanks! Seems like the LCME standardizations helped a lot in minimizing variability within US MD schools.

I was thinking that since top schools offer a lot of resources in regards to research and clinical training, while minimizing the length of preclinical time, the graduates from these schools will have more opportunity to strengthen their applications and exceed expectations, allowing them to land a spot in a competitive specialty at a highend program.

According to the rubric above, seems like where you went to school is in fact one factor, but the other factors play a role as well. It's just that it seems relatively easier to pursue those other factors while attending a top school, but I'm probably wrong on this.

It is easier, but going to a top school doesn't mean you're getting a top residency, nor does going to a Kew ranked school guarantee a poor residency. The kinds of people that get into top schools worked hard to get there, but some rest on their laurels or simply get demoralized by the competitiveness of their environment and end up not doing so well. Likewise, a person that might have gotten list in the shuffle at Harvard can really stand out at a lesser-ranked school by being the big fish in a small pond.

 

[Lawpy]

@Lawper resources are always there if you're willing to seek them out. My med school offers research, but I have a relationship with an investigator at a nearby academic institution so I will be doing my research with him/her instead of at my own school. I will have 2-3 publications by the time I complete M2. Many of the upperclassman at my medical school have multiple publications as well from doing research within our institution, so the opportunities are definitely there, you just have to seek them out.

It is easier, but going to a top school doesn't mean you're getting a top residency, nor does going to a Kew ranked school guarantee a poor residency. The kinds of people that get into top schools worked hard to get there, but some rest on their laurels or simply get demoralized by the competitiveness of their environment and end up not doing so well. Likewise, a person that might have gotten list in the shuffle at Harvard can really stand out at a lesser-ranked school by being the big fish in a small pond.

Thanks! This is reassuring especially given the usual SDN obsession with ranks and prestige.

 

[Mad Jack]

Thanks! This is reassuring especially given the usual SDN obsession with ranks and prestige.

SDN is made of people at the top of the bell curve, often with high expectation parents coming out of highly ranked undergraduate institutions, so of course they'll be obsessed with such things. The bottom line for getting a residency is that school prestige matters, but it is one of a number of things that matters.

 

[Monkey.King]

OP, did the doctor know that you are applying to medical school and are probably researching medical schools? Or did you just ask this out of the blue? In the latter case, I could understand why this might be insulting.

It was kind of out of the blue, but I asked about 3 questions regarding the path to med school, and I assumed he knew my intention of asking

I've talked to plenty of doctors that I've seen as a patient about medical school, but nearly all of them knew that I was a current medical student or pursuing medical school. They were friendly and open about their experiences regardless of where they went to school (DO or MD). I think OP you would have gotten a different demeanor had you explained your reason for the question after their initial response.

I thought he knew that I was just curious considering I asked a question about his experience in med school, and 2 questions about PA schools.

How would going to a more prestigious school make you a better surgeon?




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It's not about whether it does or it doesn't. It's about people believing that those two go hand and hand anyway. People love brand names.

I do feel sorry for med students who are enslaving themselves to loans because they were duped by the "prestige" factor. This is not a common opinion on SDN at all, and I'm sure I'll get backlash for it by people who vehemently disagree, but that's my stance.

Can't say I blame them though. With everything associated with brand name schools, it's pretty much bait. I don't know anything about the matter, but I think it's due to that prestige actually mattering in other careers like law, business, banking, and others, that it's assumed that it matters in medicine. Wall Street articles are full of advertising that they are filled with Harvard and other Ivy League graduates. Pretty much everything I've read and watched regarding law school makes it seem like unless you get in a top 20 don't even bother. I've even come across a website dedicated to badmouthing and persuading people not to go to law school. Seems kind of true because there's a law school in my city that pretty much anybody with a check and pulse can get into. Reminds me of Caribbean med schools. And I think it's definitely not true and similar to the prestige factor in med school, but people make it seem like the most successful business persons and entrepreneurs graduated from top business schools.

 

[AccessoryNavicular]

According the the NRMP survey, attendee of a highly regarded allopathic medical school is miles behind a lot of other factors regarding both the decision to interview and rank an individual

I've seen plenty of kids from top undergrads at my low tier state schools... I really think the stratification of students is much different for medical school than it was for undergrad


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[Goro]

No.

So yesterday I had an annual doctors appointment, and I asked him what medical school he went to. I love to discuss and ask questions regarding med school and anything medicine related when I go to the doctors or my PA. But anyway, this isn't my usual doc and he replied "Does it really matter where I went to school?" In my mind, I'm thinking well damn, sorry for asking smart ass. What harm is asking a simple question like that? I replied "No" and just left it alone. After some deeper thinking into it because it really bugged me, I thought that was a reasonable response. I started thinking of how some people out there doubt a doctors capability if they didn't go to a prestigious school or have an MD degree instead of a DO.

So do some doctors out there actually feel inferior to other doctors with a more prestigious background despite them all being qualified to do the same thing? And I never really thought that people actually question the school a doctor attended and their background (I can understand if it's a situation where a parents child needs surgery, the success rate is 30%, and they want the best doctor possible). Can people even request more "qualified" doctors? Do they have to pay out of pocket for a request like that?

 

[Monkey.King]

No.

No to all of the questions?

 

[Goro]

*sigh*

To the title of your thread.

No to all of the questions?

 

[Donald Juan]

Silly considering that you can totally go from

meh undergrad-> meh med school ->prestigious residency -> prestigious job -> cush retirement

I think this is pretty off base at then end of the line. For one: cush retirement should be easy for any physician, just manage your money properly. Also, prestigious residency/job (whatever that means) does not equal more money.

If prestigious job IS your thing, I don't think there is a single way to look at it. For one, there are many "low tier" medical schools that send more people into specialties than some high tier schools. Yes, if you go to an ivy league medical school, you have a better chance at landing an ivy league IM residency where you can get an IM faculty position at an Ivy league or equivalent school...you may also make 1/3 the money that some random orthopedic surgeon working in a rural area that went to Whocares University for residency does, and he may see more patients and have a huge impact on helping out those in his local community.

I don't know that getting big NIH grants or getting invited to speak at national conferences automatically means your life is better, despite how prestigious those trying to climb the academic ladder make it out to be.

 

[Mad Jack]

I didn't miss that point at all, it just wasn't the focus of the question I asked you. To be more direct and quote your post, would you feel embarrassed if you went to a lower tier school with no financial incentive?

Edit: Wow and the personal attacks begin for a simple question. Rather than jump to conclusions, it might be better to ask clarifying questions on your end to get a better idea of what I understood from your post @Mad Jack

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Are you my patient? Because last I checked those were people I asked clarifying open-ended questions to.

 

[AccessoryNavicular]

Are you my patient? Because last I checked those were people I asked clarifying open-ended questions to.

I'll just say that I am very thankful I am not your patient and leave this petty dispute behind me


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[Mad Jack]

It was kind of out of the blue, but I asked about 3 questions regarding the path to med school, and I assumed he knew my intention of asking


I thought he knew that I was just curious considering I asked a question about his experience in med school, and 2 questions about PA schools.


It's not about whether it does or it doesn't. It's about people believing that those two go hand and hand anyway. People love brand names.


Can't say I blame them though. With everything associated with brand name schools, it's pretty much bait. I don't know anything about the matter, but I think it's due to that prestige actually mattering in other careers like law, business, banking, and others, that it's assumed that it matters in medicine. Wall Street articles are full of advertising that they are filled with Harvard and other Ivy League graduates. Pretty much everything I've read and watched regarding law school makes it seem like unless you get in a top 20 don't even bother. I've even come across a website dedicated to badmouthing and persuading people not to go to law school. Seems kind of true because there's a law school in my city that pretty much anybody with a check and pulse can get into. Reminds me of Caribbean med schools. And I think it's definitely not true and similar to the prestige factor in med school, but people make it seem like the most successful business persons and entrepreneurs graduated from top business schools.

People may love brand names, but people are stupid. You say "I went to MGH for residency" and most of the public will be like, "so?" Any colleague, however, wewill be impressed. You say you trained at Yale, a layman will be impressed, but depending on your field, many colleagues will be indifferent, because not all of Yale's residencies are that great.

Basically, if you want to impress stupid people, saying you went to a big name school works. Otherwise, your colleagues want to know about just about anything else. So if you want standing with your peers, it doesn't really matter. They'd much rather know about what research you've published, where you are on faculty, where you trained, etc. I'd much rather have the respect of my peers than some false veneer of respect with the public.

 

[Mad Jack]

I'll just say that I am very thankful I am not your patient and leave this petty dispute behind me


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Just because I can be a bit abrasive doesn't mean I always am. I just have very little patience in pre-allo these days. I tend to avoid it specifically because of threads like this.

 

[Affiche]

I think this is pretty off base at then end of the line. For one: cush retirement should be easy for any physician, just manage your money properly. Also, prestigious residency/job (whatever that means) does not equal more money.

If prestigious job IS your thing, I don't think there is a single way to look at it. For one, there are many "low tier" medical schools that send more people into specialties than some high tier schools. Yes, if you go to an ivy league medical school, you have a better chance at landing an ivy league IM residency where you can get an IM faculty position at an Ivy league or equivalent school...you may also make 1/3 the money that some random orthopedic surgeon working in a rural area that went to Whocares University for residency does, and he may see more patients and have a huge impact on helping out those in his local community.

I don't know that getting big NIH grants or getting invited to speak at national conferences automatically means your life is better, despite how prestigious those trying to climb the academic ladder make it out to be.

I'm in total agreement with this, actually. What I meant was that's it's entirely possible to end up with a nice retirement even if you started off at a mediocre undergrad and/or medical school. Of course, if you're able to invest more into your retirement early on instead of paying off hundreds of thousands in loans, that certainly helps.

As for having a "prestigious job", I was under the impression that academic positions often pay less even though they're very "prestigious". I don't know how common this is, but the academic institution I'm affiliated with notoriously pays its physicians much less than they could get elsewhere, so I hear about it often.

 

[Mad Jack]

I'm in total agreement with this, actually. What I meant was that's it's entirely possible to end up with a nice retirement even if you started off at a mediocre undergrad and/or medical school. Of course, if you're able to invest more into your retirement early on instead of paying off hundreds of thousands in loans, that certainly helps.

As for having a "prestigious job", I was under the impression that academic positions often pay less even though they're very "prestigious". I don't know how common this is, but the academic institution I'm affiliated with notoriously pays its physicians much less than they could get elsewhere, so I hear about it often.

Academics pays less until you reach the chair and director levels at most places- then it can pay significantly more, particularly at big hospitals. We're talking seven figures. But those positions are hard to obtain- the average PP job in the boondocks will pay FAR more than an academic city job. Won't be prestigious, but you'll be making more money and helping people that actually need care in underserved areas.

 

[Affiche]

Just because I can be a bit abrasive doesn't mean I always am. I just have very little patience in pre-allo these days. I tend to avoid it specifically because of threads like this.

Girrrrrrrrl you and me both. My posts have become increasingly more abrasive and less tolerant over the last year on SDN. Stupid knows no bounds, I've learned.

 

[bc65]

In my experience, if people ask where you went to school, it's simple curiosity. This is true for both doctors and patients.

OP: Your question to your doctor was reasonable, and quite common in my experience. Your doctor's reply was not.

I didn't go to a prestigious school. I don't feel inferior. But I might feel more superior if I had.

 

[deleted407021]

People are disgruntled or dissatisfied for a number of reasons, often dependent upon the individual. Being a fully licensed physician trained in the US is probably not something that a lot of us are going to be bummed about -- DO, MD or JH trained superstar.

 

[deleted647690]

.

 

[deleted647690]

.

 

[Swish16]

People are disgruntled or dissatisfied for a number of reasons, often dependent upon the individual. Being a fully licensed physician trained in the US is probably not something that a lot of us are going to be bummed about -- DO, MD or JH trained superstar.

I agree. A practicing physician from a DO or a US MD school shouldn't ever feel inferior considering most pre-med students get weeded out after orgo and don't even get to the point of applying to medical school. Only ~40% of those that do get to the application stage get into an MD program.

Medical school is the pinnacle of academic achievement in my mind. It's unnecessary that patients or premed students should judge their physicians by the perceived pedigree of a physician's training. The average layman doesn't know that training at Mayo, UCSF, or Cleveland Clinic is better than Penn or Yale for most programs.


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[Mad Jack]

I agree. A practicing physician from a DO or a US MD school shouldn't ever feel inferior considering most pre-med students get weeded out after orgo and don't even get to the point of applying to medical school. Only ~40% of those that do get to the application stage get into an MD program.

Medical school is the pinnacle of academic achievement in my mind. It's unnecessary that patients or premed students should judge their physicians by the perceived pedigree of a physician's training. The average layman doesn't know that training at Mayo, UCSF, or Cleveland Clinic is better than Penn or Yale for most programs.


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I'd hardly call us the pinnacle of academic achievement- that probably goes to high-powered PhD grads in the sciences. What they do is infinitely more difficult than medicine- anyone of average intelligence can become a doctor with enough hard work, but to make it through a well-regarded PhD in the hard sciences, you need to be pretty damn intelligent and creative.

 

[Monkey.King]

*sigh*

To the title of your thread.

*sigh*
Then why quote the entire thing that had multiple questions?

In my experience, if people ask where you went to school, it's simple curiosity. This is true for both doctors and patients.

OP: Your question to your doctor was reasonable, and quite common in my experience. Your doctor's reply was not.

I didn't go to a prestigious school. I don't feel inferior. But I might feel more superior if I had.

Thank you. This is why at first I was a bit mad until I thought about why he answered that way. Even if I was trying to come off disrespectful or make him feel inferior, why would he give a damn about what someone who can't even get his own health insurance without mom have to say. And I doubt anybody no matter how crazy they are will request a doctor with a "better" academic background for a simple annual check up.

I'd hardly call us the pinnacle of academic achievement- that probably goes to high-powered PhD grads in the sciences. What they do is infinitely more difficult than medicine- anyone of average intelligence can become a doctor with enough hard work, but to make it through a well-regarded PhD in the hard sciences, you need to be pretty damn intelligent and creative.

And I have neither of those traits . Also, this made me wonder. When it comes to researching big industry diseases like diabetes and cancer, can any doctor or PhD grad get Ito researching cures like that, or is it mainly the ones who come from the well-regarded programs you spoke of? Probably a stupid question, but I'm curious and don't know anything regarding things like this.

 

[Mad Jack]

*sigh*
Then why quote the entire thing that had multiple questions?

Thank you. This is why at first I was a bit mad until I thought about why he answered that way. Even if I was trying to come off disrespectful or make him feel inferior, why would he give a damn about what someone who can't even get his own health insurance without mom have to say. And I doubt anybody no matter how crazy they are will request a doctor with a "better" academic background for a simple annual check up.


And I have neither of those traits . Also, this made me wonder. When it comes to researching big industry diseases like diabetes and cancer, can any doctor or PhD grad get Ito researching cures like that, or is it mainly the ones who come from the well-regarded programs you spoke of? Probably a stupid question, but I'm curious and don't know anything regarding things like this.

Anyone with a PhD can do research, and there's plenty of room for MDs to help or even design their own studies on the clinical front. You don't need to be a genius to help with research, but you at least need to be somewhat creative if you want to do something no one has done before. You're not going to get funding to do something someone else has done unless you do it better or in a different way than they did.

 

[235009]

So yesterday I had an annual doctors appointment, and I asked him what medical school he went to. I love to discuss and ask questions regarding med school and anything medicine related when I go to the doctors or my PA. But anyway, this isn't my usual doc and he replied "Does it really matter where I went to school?" In my mind, I'm thinking well damn, sorry for asking smart ass. What harm is asking a simple question like that? I replied "No" and just left it alone. After some deeper thinking into it because it really bugged me, I thought that was a reasonable response. I started thinking of how some people out there doubt a doctors capability if they didn't go to a prestigious school or have an MD degree instead of a DO.

So do some doctors out there actually feel inferior to other doctors with a more prestigious background despite them all being qualified to do the same thing? And I never really thought that people actually question the school a doctor attended and their background (I can understand if it's a situation where a parents child needs surgery, the success rate is 30%, and they want the best doctor possible). Can people even request more "qualified" doctors? Do they have to pay out of pocket for a request like that?

The simple answer to the bolded question is it depends on the individual. I've met a handful of individuals who went to SGU who very proudly share that fact either when asked or spontaneously. On the other hand there were at least a couple of DO residents where I went to med school who would cover up the "DO" on their name tag with tape. I think part of it depends on what you've achieved. The caribbean graduates I've encountered had all "made it" to a prominent position or were interviewing for fellowship so this may not be generalizable.

When people ask about which medical school someone attends/attended my first thought is, "this person knows nothing about medical education". I've had friends proudly tell me that they researched which med school their doc attended before making an appointment, and all I can do is roll my eyes. If you must research your doc's background, look up where he/she trained for residency.

Just as in OP's case I don't think most people ask in a questioning or accusatory tone. I had several patients in residency ask me where I went to med school. I would always tell them. The responses ranged from never having heard of it to telling me how it's such an awesome school (usually someone from the area). It's almost always friendly small talk.

There was an attending or fellow on here (@MeatTornado, I think?) who recently posted that to get a top residency, you need 3/5 things (not in any order):

- AOA
- Prestigious medical school
- Publications
- High Step 1 score
- Honors/letters in clinical rotations

Med students attending a prestigious med school have a leg up because they're already scoring 1/5. But, it may be easier to get AOA at a lower-ranked school, so there's that. In the end, you need to do well on Step 1 and your rotations but if you bomb those, school name isn't going to magically save you. If you're able to accomplish 3-4 of those 5 while also saving a pretty penny and attending a lower ranked school, my advice is to go for it.

Woah now we're playing a bit of telephone here. The list is only for top tier IM programs and I do not recommend generalizing to any other fields since I don't know anything about them. The components of the list of which you need 3 are:
- top ranked or AOA
- top med school
- high step 1 score
- H in IM
Of course you can get an interview/match with less than 3 depending on other factors (like research, connections, etc).