I want CA residency. Should I go to CA med school?

[pandemicpremed97]

is it easier to match w a CA residency (for a competitive speciality) if you go to a CA school? I noticed CA schools tend to have more CA matches than east coast schools, but I wonder if that is because east coast students aren’t applying to CA as much.

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[Putkernerinthehall]

Yes, the latter.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Getting into CA medical school is tougher than matching for CA residency.

 

[drducky.]

Go to the highest ranked school you can. You’ll have a better chance at Harvard to match back to cali than an unknown cali school.

 

[spottedcory]

Go to the highest ranked school you can. You’ll have a better chance at Harvard to match back to cali than an unknown cali school.

This was something I've been confused about. Looking at the match lists of a midwest T20 versus a midwest mid-tier, it seems that the mid-tier matches much more people back to Cali (proportionally) in highly ranked programs (in internal medicine specifically) according to match lists over 3 years. Maybe the T20 students just don't want to go to CA (but I thought everyone wanted to go to CA haha). In this case, does rank/school matter?

 

[drducky.]

This was something I've been confused about. Looking at the match lists of a midwest T20 versus a midwest mid-tier, it seems that the mid-tier matches much more people back to Cali (proportionally) in highly ranked programs (in internal medicine specifically) according to match lists over 3 years. Maybe the T20 students just don't want to go to CA (but I thought everyone wanted to go to CA haha). In this case, does rank/school matter?

I think there’s a lot of factors to consider. For example, most of these top IM applicants will want a fellowship afterwards and it’ll be easier to get one at a top academic hospital than a community hospital in cali.

People do prefer living at a good location, but not at the cost of their career.

 

[Banco]

There is definitely regional bias to some extent during the residency application process.

Now, if you grew up or have permanent residency in CA, then that will be taken into account when applying for residency, so you don't absolutely have to go to a medical school in CA. Also remember that match lists are self selecting - people who want to be in CA tend to go to medical school there etc.

Now, will you be able to match in CA without ever having lived there or gone to medical school there? Absolutely yes.

 

[pandemicpremed97]

I think there’s a lot of factors to consider. For example, most of these top IM applicants will want a fellowship afterwards and it’ll be easier to get one at a top academic hospital than a community hospital in cali.

People do prefer living at a good location, but not at the cost of their career.

there are top academic hospitals in ca though, can you clarify what you mean by this?

 

[spottedcory]

Do top community residency programs exist? If you don't plan on using it as a stepping stone for a different residency? Does rank only matter for academic programs?

 

[drducky.]

there are top academic hospitals in ca though, can you clarify what you mean by this?

Yes but there are many more top academic hospitals in the rest of the country.

An easy to understand analogy is like applying to colleges, sure you have a top school like stanford that lets you stay in cali and go to a prestigious school, but what if you don’t get into stanford? Are you gonna really turn down yale to go to cal state just to stay in california?

 

[Putkernerinthehall]

No, but I might turn down Yale and New Haven for UCLA, USC, UC Berkley, or UC San Diego

 

[pandemicpremed97]

Yes but there are many more top academic hospitals in the rest of the country.

An easy to understand analogy is like applying to colleges, sure you have a top school like stanford that lets you stay in cali and go to a prestigious school, but what if you don’t get into stanford? Are you gonna really turn down yale to go to cal state just to stay in california?

I see what you're saying! Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Mad Jack]

This was something I've been confused about. Looking at the match lists of a midwest T20 versus a midwest mid-tier, it seems that the mid-tier matches much more people back to Cali (proportionally) in highly ranked programs (in internal medicine specifically) according to match lists over 3 years. Maybe the T20 students just don't want to go to CA (but I thought everyone wanted to go to CA haha). In this case, does rank/school matter?

Top people tend to favor top programs not programs in a specific geographic area