Match list 2016 yep you're right spress
Nope. I am correct.
Let's look at an example. VCU, a midtier medical school.
Students who matched into competitive specialties went to these places. While they are excellent programs, they are no way as prestigious as MGH or other top tier programs. If you look at Harvard medical school's Ophthalmology match list, you see a lot of BASCOMs in Miami while this is not happening in VCU match list.
Dermatology (1)
St. Louis University + 1 year transitional at St Luke's Bethlehem, PA
Ophthalmology (2)
Eastern Virginia Medical School (with transitional at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center-WA)
Geisinger Health System (with Medicine-prelim at Lankenau Medical Center, PA)
Orthopedic Surgery (3)
Allegheny General Hospital-PA
San Antonio Military Medical Center
Thomas Jefferson
Radiology Oncology (1)
University of Wisconsin
Vascular Surgery (Integrated) (1)
University of Massachusetts
Let's look at students who matched into prestigious hospitals.
These are not considered as competitive as the Rad Onc, Derm, Opto, and Ortho
Emergency Medicine
Icahn SOM Beth Israel
New York Presbyterian/Queens
Family Medicine
UPMC St. Margaret-PA
UPMC Altoona Health Hospital-PA
General Surgery
Cleveland Clinic
NYP Hospital-Weill Cornell
Internal Medicine
University of North Carolina
Neurology
NYP-Weill Cornell
Therefore, if one goes to a midtier medical school and is a top student, one has two choices:
(1) Competitive specialty in midtier places
(2) Primary care or less competitive specialties in top tier places