Does it matter where you go?

[deleted212936]

Does it matter where you go?
My counselor said that the school's reputation is important for getting good residency. Is that the case?

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[KillingMeSmalls]

Idealistically, no.

Realistically, probably.

Not to say people who go to lower-end schools can't get into good residencies, or that all people who go to excellent schools get into big-name programs, but my feeling is that, when push comes to shove between two similar students from different schools, the Harvard would get the nod over the UMass, so to speak. Maybe it's the prowess of the school, maybe it's the name of someone who wrote a letter, or made a phone call, or is well-known throughout the medical community, but it's there a little bit.

I feel like it matters more going from college to medical school than from med school to residency, though.

 

[bookgodess15]

Linky

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[MilkmanAl]

I assume you're talking about medical school? If so, where you go is basically insignificant. It might matter a *little* bit, but your Step 1 score, evaluations in your 3rd and fourth year, letters of recommendation, and basic science (first 2 years) grades matter a whole hell of a lot more. The only way I can imagine school pedigree making a difference is if 2 very similar applicants with nearly identical grades and credentials came up against each other. In that case, the Harvard guy might have an edge over the Arkansas guy or whatever.

Your college is completely irrelevant to your chances of getting a residency.

 

[Tired]

I assume you're talking about medical school? If so, where you go is basically insignificant. It might matter a *little* bit, but your Step 1 score, evaluations in your 3rd and fourth year, letters of recommendation, and basic science (first 2 years) grades matter a whole hell of a lot more. The only way I can imagine school pedigree making a difference is if 2 very similar applicants with nearly identical grades and credentials came up against each other. In that case, the Harvard guy might have an edge over the Arkansas guy or whatever.

Your college is completely irrelevant to your chances of getting a residency.

Let's not overstate it too much. The Arkansas guy is at a substantial disadvantage to the Harvard guy, depending on the specialty he wants and the area of the country he wants to go to. If you want something competitive, your school can place you at a substantial advantage, both in terms of "name brand" and the letters/connections you get out of it.

 

[QofQuimica]

Let's not overstate it too much. The Arkansas guy is at a substantial disadvantage to the Harvard guy, depending on the specialty he wants and the area of the country he wants to go to. If you want something competitive, your school can place you at a substantial advantage, both in terms of "name brand" and the letters/connections you get out of it.

The bolded part is what really matters most, IMO. But fortunately, there are at least a few high power folks at just about every medical school in this country. I don't know much about U Arkansas specifically, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the caliber of some of the departments at my state med schools in FL. The difference is that a state school will tend to have a few very strong depts, while a highly ranked research school like Harvard will be uniformly strong in just about every area.

OP, particularly if you're not sure what you want to do (which most people aren't), you could have more choices if you go to the higher ranked school, especially if you're looking to go into a more academic type of career. On the other hand, most physicians do not go into academic careers. If you want to be a community physician, it might actually make more sense to do residency in the local area so that you can make connections and be a part of that community. Medicine is a service industry, and just being a well-trained doctor won't be enough if the patients don't want to see you. For example, if you're from somewhere in Arkansas and you want to stay there, I would imagine that you'll meet a lot of your future colleagues at U Arkansas. In contrast, the big shot from Harvard might not go over so well with the locals.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I don't think Arkansas has anything to do with the OP's goals. I just brought it up for comparative purposes. Agreed on all points, though.

 

[QofQuimica]

I don't think Arkansas has anything to do with the OP's goals. I just brought it up for comparative purposes. Agreed on all points, though.

I know, hon. I was using that example because you all were.