i was jus wondering, how important is the "reputation" of medical school when it comes to residency matching? obviously, the usmle 1, grades, and recommendations are important as well, but the residency match list at columbia is a lot better than that of, oh i don't know, finch or nymc, and i'm just curious as to how much effect the medical school reputation had on the differences found in those matches.
have you really been banned 5 times??!!! http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14315&highlight=school+reputation+and+residency
From every doctor that I've ever talked to (and that would be quite a few) the general consensus seems to be that it only matters if you're gunning for an academic position. In terms of income or specialty choice it makes no difference based upon everything that I've seen (which, again, is quite a lot). Medicine is one of the only professions left where this is the case....actually, it might be the only profession left where your degree is roughly worth the same irrespective of institution (Finch not withstanding ...I don't know any Finch grads actually...hmmm)
i don't think reputation affects residency. on the other hand, where most graduates from a medical school match affects where later graduates from the same medical school match. i have a friend who goes to finch, and she said many students get great residencies back in california because it finch has ties to many programs back in california. if you attend uic, most get residencies in chicago because the medical school has ties to the residency programs in chicago. therefore past match lists are accurate representations of where one can match.
I've heard the same things. Engineering is another profession where your alma mater is irrelevent (as long at it is accredited).
Overall, there isn't any real importance of med school reputation. I have a perfect example. One of my friend's father is now the chief of medicine at Christ Hospital in Chicago, not to mention a world-reknown cardiologist. Guess where he went to medical school? Mexico.. His family didn't have the money to afford a U.S. allopathic school so he studied in Mexico city. He's currently incredibly rich... Lucky.. eh?
Think about your favorite family doctor. Think about his or her med school, if you know. Then think about whether the two things have any connection. And then you'll see that if you want to be a family doctor or something like that, patients probably couldn't care less where you got your M.D.
I work at a Harvard hospital and I see the match lists every year. It makes no difference. And I have been told by two docs, one a Johns Hopkins grad and the other Georgetown that it makes absolutely no difference and I shoudl go to a state school to save money. Clinical recs out of 3rd and 4th year count the most.
