Is it worth paying an extra 50k per year for a med school that has residency programs?

[medschoolhooray]

The schools in question are FSU, SLU, Wake Forest.

FSU is about 27k per year and I can live with family. So my total CoA yearly will be around 30k.

Where as with Wake, SLU, the CoA yearly will be around 75-80k.

Problem is FSU doesn't have many home residency programs. They only have Derm, Gen surg, FM, IM.

Where as SLU, Wake have just about every residency.

I wanna specialize in the future so how much would going to FSU hurt?


My life goal is to have a private practice

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[IlyaR]

The schools in question are FSU, SLU, Wake Forest.

FSU is about 27k per year and I can live with family. So my total CoA yearly will be around 30k.

Where as with Wake, SLU, the CoA yearly will be around 75-80k.

Problem is FSU doesn't have many home residency programs. They only have Derm, Gen surg, FM, IM.

Where as SLU, Wake have just about every residency.

I wanna specialize in the future so how much would going to FSU hurt?


My life goal is to have a private practice

Don't the vast majority of students match outside their home institution anyway? Paying $200,000 + interest for the convenience of a home program doesn't sound too prudent. I'm definitely not an authority on the matter however.

 

[RunawayGrape]

The solution is simple: go to FSU and gun for derm.

 

[Psai]

FSU is a fine school imo, I know people from there that are good

 

[Tenk]

FSU for sure. Your ability to match to a specialty will not be hindered by this so long as you get good scores, get good grades, go to conferences of X specialty you are interested in so you can network, do away rotations, and do good at interviews. (You'll have to do all that anyways no matter what school you go to)

 

[Ismet]

Don't the vast majority of students match outside their home institution anyway? Paying $200,000 + interest for the convenience of a home program doesn't sound too prudent. I'm definitely not an authority on the matter however.

The concern isn't about matching at your home program, it's about having a home program that can help you with networking, letters and such. It helps but it's not a necessity, and in OP's situation it's certainly not worth an extra 200k of debt.

 

[medschoolhooray]

Thanks for all the replies!

Looking at FSU's match list, I see a lot of people matching Prelim. Is this something I should be concerned about?

http://med.fsu.edu/userFiles/file/Class of 2016 Residency Match Results(5).pdf

Do you guys see any red flags in the match list?

 

[Ismet]

Thanks for all the replies!

Looking at FSU's match list, I see a lot of people matching Prelim. Is this something I should be concerned about?

http://med.fsu.edu/userFiles/file/Class of 2016 Residency Match Results(5).pdf

Do you guys see any red flags in the match list?

Huh? Everyone who matched prelim also matched to an advanced spot. Specialties like ophtho don't start until PGY2 and they need a prelim or transitional year for intern year

Edit: missed the one prelim surg without an advanced spot. That's not necessarily a bad sign. That person may have wanted to do a very competitive advanced spot, and with the prelim surg spot, they can have an internship and then apply again next year. A couple people in the class above me did that with derm and a couple other things, and they were successful in matching the following year to a PGY-2 spot.

 

[mw18]

Thanks for all the replies!

Looking at FSU's match list, I see a lot of people matching Prelim. Is this something I should be concerned about?

http://med.fsu.edu/userFiles/file/Class of 2016 Residency Match Results(5).pdf

Do you guys see any red flags in the match list?

On a quick glance, only one of those prelims is worrisome. The prelim surgery that doesn't have something else.

 

[bannie22]

Definitely matriculate at those schools with a full complement of residency programs.

 

[medschoolhooray]

Definitely matriculate at those schools with a full complement of residency programs.

why do you think I should?

 

[Jalby]

I think you are totally fine going to FSU. I don't think of Wake or SLU as having a big enough edge school wise and going to FSU would give you advantages to go to the local residencies over the other places. If it is me, I go to FSU and save the money.

 

[Pepe18]

That is a huge amount of money to save. Huge. Fsu has students matching to a variety of specialties.

Yes, you might have to do more leg work in networking, but it's not horrible. Not moving and having support is also great. Congrats!

 

[NoRagrets]

why do you think I should?

This is a troll/joke response, entertaining himself by going against what everyone is saying without providing any explanation. Unless he wants to back up his post, ignore it

 

[Welshman]

Maybe you could even use the lack of home specialties as a conversation starter/ice breaker with whoever you want to network with

 

[medschoolhooray]

Maybe you could even use the lack of home specialties as a conversation starter/ice breaker with whoever you want to network with

How would this work?

 

[mw18]

How would this work?

"My home hospital doesn't have a residency program, so I'm really interested in finding opportunities to get involved in the field."

 

[Welshman]

"My home hospital doesn't have a residency program, so I'm really interested in finding opportunities to get involved in the field."

pretty much. If I were in your shoes I would feel more justified/comfortable reaching out to people I didn't know and I thinks it's a more compelling reason for someone to go out of their way to help you