Do you agree with this statement?

[blazinfury]

I have heard many people say that if a student is not admitted into a prestigous MD/PhD program, they should not even bother going through with MD/PhD then. Do you guys agree? Please provide comments.

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[ecoli]

I've never heard that. Nor did I realize there is such a thing as an MD/PhD program that isn't prestigious. Not all schools are Ivy Leaguers, but I can't think of too many MSTP programs that aren't at great schools or wouldn't worthwhile to get into.

Honestly, the only one I might not want to go to, is the one at my undergrad institution. I'll probably apply, but I do really want to get out of this school.

 

[seraph524]

Never heard of that before. A MD/PhD program is pretty much one of the most prestigious graduate programs out there.

 

[RxnMan]

I have heard many people say that if a student is not admitted into a prestigous MD/PhD program, they should not even bother going through with MD/PhD then. Do you guys agree? Please provide comments.

I've never heard that statement.

It sounds like it came from someone who either never met a MD/PhD, doesn't know anything about higher education, or who is a MD/PhD from a State U, but was once dumped by a girl in favor for a dude from Johnsh Shmopkins.

 

[decal]

You're a funny guy. Anyways, I'm in a state school, non-MSTP program, but if you look at our match lists & what our alumni are up to you'd see that previous graduates have done pretty well.

 

[blazinfury]

I agree with you guys that it is a stupid statement and a stupid claim to make, but that individual's logic is that one needs to graduate from a prestigious PhD program to be a successful scientist. Since MD and PhD are linked in an MD/PhD program, if the med school is not prestigious, then the PhD program school is probably not prestigious either.

Now does one's undergrad, med school, and/or grad school influence grant committees when its time to apply for a grant and/or scientific magazines when one submits a paper for publication? I assume that the name of the school affects where one can obtain a job as an MD/Phd in the future or am I incorrect?

 

[ecoli]

It could, but like we previously stated, unless you're going to some unaccredited creationist university, you're probably going to get a decent education. And, if you're work is good it won't matter where you go to school.

There are some high power labs at lesser known schools, and there are unknowns at the Ivy Leaguers as well. The work you do is what's important.
Also, I suppose it depends what field you're working in.

 

[Ariodant]

Grant reviewers don't give a damn where you graduated from. All they want is your publications, and your potential for publications. If you can't write a grant or finish a project, you won't get $$.

 

[seraph524]

Unaccredited creationist university? Sounds like Stewart University!

 

[ecoli]

Unaccredited creationist university? Sounds like Stewart University!

You may get a grant from Creation Research Institute, but that's about it.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

I think the name of institution will only really matter as perhaps an initial boost, if that. By the time you are applying for an academic position, you'll have buffered a "dubious" MD/PhD program (there are none, of course) by a residency and/or fellowship. The medical school name becomes less important than the residency and fellowship and what sort of research you've done. 5-10 years into a tenure-track position I would think it's pretty irrelevant what medical school you went to. I think Harvard and perhaps a handful of other schools may be very choosy and have inbreeding tendencies, but most (even US News top 10 and top 20 schools) don't care.

I know a guy at a top 5 medical school/center who was offered the chance to become chairman of Harvard's pharmacology department (he isn't at Harvard). He's one of the foremost members in his field. He's known for what he's done and his 500+ publications. Nobody cares that he did his medical school and residency training in U Illinois rather than JHU.

On the other hand, I think where you do a PhD (if PhD only) matters MUCH more for getting a faculty position. If you look at the list of physics professors at Harvard, you'll see that they're nearly all Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford, CalTech, Chicago, etc. and a very small smattering of a few other places. It's highly elitist and inbred, and I think that's the case with most of academia.