Just out of curiosity

[AA|FCB|DOC]

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What factors are you looking at when choosing which medical schools to apply to. So far I am thinking about location, and that is honestly my main criteria. I feel like there should be much more I need to look at. I am going to start going through the mission statements of the schools, but just wanted some more insight of the types of things most people are thinking about when choosing which schools to apply to (in addition to your chances when taking into account numbers). Thanks in advance

 

[deleted407021]

Look and see if they have any special curricula that may or may not conform to how you think and learn. Problem based learning, for example is gaining popularity from what I hear.

 

[DrEnderW]

I based my list solely off of location.

A lot of people look into ranking, research opportunities, and price (very important).

 

[Ismet]

What factors are you looking at when choosing which medical schools to apply to. So far I am thinking about location, and that is honestly my main criteria. I feel like there should be much more I need to look at. I am going to start going through the mission statements of the schools, but just wanted some more insight of the types of things most people are thinking about when choosing which schools to apply to (in addition to your chances when taking into account numbers). Thanks in advance

This varies a lot from person to person and depends on a lot of factors, so the following is just my opinion.

My very first factor was location. I wanted to stay within reasonable driving distance of my family, so I basically applied to PA schools and schools within a 1-state radius of PA, the farthest being a ~9 hour drive away. I wanted to be able to go home for holidays and birthdays and not have to spend an arm and a leg on flights, so location was valuable to me.

After location, I used the MSAR to whittle down my school list to schools where I would fit in their stat range for MCAT/GPA. The very top schools were pretty much out of reach of my MCAT, but I threw a couple reaches on there (and ended up at one!) and also a couple schools where I was at the top of their stat range. I was pretty much in the middle/average for the rest of the schools.

Once I had that somewhat smaller list, I started looking at the specifics of each school: their mission, their curriculum, if they have any specific requirements, etc. Price is also important. The MSAR is a very valuable resource! By the end, I had a list of 18 schools, and I ended up doing secondaries for 11 of them.

Best of luck!

 

[Thinks]

Here is my criteria
1) Rankings
2) Quality of Hospitals for rotations
3) Diversity in the school
4) Opportunities for electives

Once I have multiple acceptances, I might consider
1) Curriculum
2) Class Size
3) USMLE Stats
4) Residency List
5) Money
6) School size

IMHO, location is pretty insignificant. As long as I am getting a good education and I am with a decent bunch of people, all other stuff is pretty trivial.

 

[pandahunter]

1) Family considerations (if you need to take care of anyone or things at home that you need to be close by for)
2) COST OF ATTENDANCE (HOLY MOLY this cannot be overlooked)
3) Reputation (all US med schools are pretty similar for preclinical years, but the reputation of the school does play a role in residency. I've asked a residency director at a cali program how programs felt about my current med school. Answer: not that great. It's true there are far more significant matters in a bid for residency placement. However, don't be fooled by people telling you students from bottom tier med schools still get into UCSF, Harvard, Columbia, Yale residencies. There are a few that do, but they are almost always in primary care specialties. If you know for sure primary care is where you want to go, then this doesn't matter much. But if you're considering a more competitive specialty, give some thought into the reputation of the school.


In my opinion, school curriculum is really not something you can base your selection on especially since you really have no clue how you're actually going to do at any particular school. Plus, you can read all about things like problem-based learning and still be horribly or pleasantly surprised the day you actually partake in it.

 

[dahassa]

For just applying (it changes a little for which acceptance to take):

1- is it reasonable for me to get accepted? I understand people have dream schools, but it is important to have a balance of reach/good fit/safety. Am I applying to all top 10s with a 3.4/30?
2- family/location? Am I married w/ kids? Can I live in the Midwest? Do I hate the cold? Do I need to live in a big city? These factors are important for happiness. In the end, happiness is key for a successful medical education.
3- reputation/ranking- as previously stated in the post above, reputation plays a role in residency match. Whether it is fair or not, going to Duke over Podnuck U will make a difference. It comes after step 1/rotations/recs/research and so on but residencies are so competitive that if you want a TOP residency it can give you an edge.

 

[prado]

Location (same state), top-tier only (srs...not srs...kinda srs), cost (assuming scholarship), mandatory attendance, and grading system.

 

[gyngyn]

In some states, good students who mainly use geography become re-applicants.

 

[AA|FCB|DOC]

thanks for all the input guys. I will definitely look into those things

 

[DrEnderW]

IMHO, location is pretty insignificant. As long as I am getting a good education and I am with a decent bunch of people, all other stuff is pretty trivial.

This is definitely true for the standard go to college right after HS and then right to med school after college, single student.

However, with the age of med school always rising, location is very important to a lot of people that develop ties to a certain area (a relationship with a significant other, networking, research contacts, etc).

 

[Girly X]

Many start out with "I'll go anywhere I can get in". Which is fine because you must apply broadly. Then as things progess, especially if you are successful, location (family) and cost may become very important.