Ok... so this is just a lame excuse to bump the thread...
If you were accepted to Mayo, what would be the reasons for you to turn down the acceptance?
Temporary insanity or some generous combination of:
1. can't stand the location (although I think the phone-interview pre-screened for your emotional capacity to handle the place)
2. don't care about the money (not really a big issue, but makes the offer slightly less lucrative)
3. accepted into a school with arguably greater prestige (not rank, mind you, as Mayo is easily in the top 10 for prestige) such as Harvard, UCSF... not sure what others.
4. care about whether your future non-mid-west patients will recognize your school name (surprisingly low recognition rates in CA amongst non-health professionals).
5. concerned about how the small class size will affect your social life.
6. don't necessarily want to simply practice medicine or teach once you get out (I would argue that Harvard or Yale would offer more political connections if you wanted to go that route).
Most likely, Mayo offers the absolute best clinical training in the world (including all the current top 10 schools). Unfortunately many people, including residency directors, aren't aware of this, or refuse to believe it. If you want to match into UCSF or Harvard (which mayo clinic folks definitely do on occasion) for a highly competitive residency, be prepared to compete against other folks from UCSF and Harvard who the residency directors at UCSF and Harvard may regard as "more prestigious" than you.
Then again, it seems most Mayo students match back into Mayo Clinic for residency, which is great as Mayo Clinic's residency programs are top notch. But it also means you may be stuck in Rochester or one of the satellite clinics for 8 years to life.


