Importance of med school for CRTP/HHMI/DDCF/etc./Sarnoff

[tbo]

I'm just getting to know more about the 1-year medical student fellowships that exist and it's quite obvious that most of the people that go through these programs come from top-notch med schools.

I was curious how important prestige of your med school counts in your application to these programs. I'm attending a school that has a very scant history of sending students to these programs. Granted, I have no clue if it's just because the school doesn't actively encourage them or what not, but I can't help but notice all of the current fellows and alumni are all from top 10 med schools.

I suppose my saving grace is that I have a strong research record, but I'm just concerned that numbers and medical school prestige will dictate who gets these fellowships. Perhaps I've worked at an academic hospital for too long that I'm highly cynical about selection processes that go on.

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[thesauce]

Where are you getting this information? The vast majority of us ARE NOT from top 10 institutions. The programs don't hold your school against you. Being interested in research is the primary selection factor.

 

[tbo]

Where are you getting this information? The vast majority of us ARE NOT from top 10 institutions. The programs don't hold your school against you. Being interested in research is the primary selection factor.

I just view some of the "Current Fellow" or past fellow listings and see boatloads of Harvard, Stanford, JHU, WUSTL students. Don't get me wrong, there's research talent abound, but I appreciate the information that the vast majority are not from these places. There really is a dearth of information on the selection process.

 

[RxnMan]

Comparing statements:

I'm just getting to know more about the 1-year medical student fellowships that exist and it's quite obvious that most of the people that go through these programs come from top-notch med schools.

I was curious how important prestige of your med school counts in your application to these programs...

Why ask a question that you've already come to a conclusion about?

If you want some info on the selection process, look at the forum FAQ - I put in there everything that past applicants have told me about these programs, including what the interviewers look for. Far and away, past fellows said that interest in research is what these programs are looking for.

 

[tbo]

Comparing statements:

Why ask a question that you've already come to a conclusion about?

Hm, my original post was poorly phrased but not contradictory. Anecdotally, the listing of past and present fellows shows a huge proportion of students from top schools. This is -- I suppose -- where the "quite obvious" observation came from. But as I consider it, maybe these programs aren't pushed to students in smaller schools, therefore, maybe less apply. So while they might be considered on equal footing than their top-school counterparts, fewer ultimately become fellows. Perhaps a higher proportion of students going to the "top tier" schools also are more interested in establishing research careers further down the road. It's these sorts of speculations that form the basis of my original question.

Much appreciated on the FAQ. I perused it once, but should give it a harder look. Thanks.