Med School Geography Matter for Residency?

[Dbate]

I wanted to ask if anyone (especially faculty members) could answer a question.

Does the medical school you attend effectively restrict or limit your chances of attending a residency in another location?


I am from Texas and because of cost I am about 98.9% sure I will attend a Texas medical school (if I am admitted).

But I would like to eventually practice in California. I keep looking at the match list of medical schools to see if the location matters and there seems to be a huge geographic bias.

USC's match list is full of california residencies. UT-Southwestern has mostly Texas.

I can't tell if this is because people are choosing to stay close to where they attended medical school or not.


Would going to a california medical school be worth it to have the chance to match in California?


P.S. I haven't been admitted to any med school, but I am thinking ahead. The difference in price between going to USC and any school in Texas is $160K principle (not even including interest).

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[NervousNerd]

I brought up this same topic. I created a thread in the residents forum.

Funny, we are from opposite ends of the country, NY and TX, but both want to end up in Cali for residency. I was told that the school you attend really doesn't limit and residency matching. That being said, check the schools match listings to see how many students matched in Cali residencies. Most of the NY schools I am looking at match in San Diego (where I hope to end up)

Residency matters on boards exam scores, 3rd year grades (pass, honors, etc), and your intent. Stand out in your med class and you can go anywhere

 

[battousai]

Going to a CA medical school might make it easier to match into certain CA residencies only because you'll be able to meet and interact with attendings who make these decisions. However, I don't think that it's worth 160k of extra debt for that. You're better off doing an away rotation your 4th year and do really well while you're there.

 

[theseeker4]

I wanted to ask if anyone (especially faculty members) could answer a question.

Does the medical school you attend effectively restrict or limit your chances of attending a residency in another location?


I am from Texas and because of cost I am about 98.9% sure I will attend a Texas medical school (if I am admitted).

But I would like to eventually practice in California. I keep looking at the match list of medical schools to see if the location matters and there seems to be a huge geographic bias.

USC's match list is full of california residencies. UT-Southwestern has mostly Texas.

I can't tell if this is because people are choosing to stay close to where they attended medical school or not.


Would going to a california medical school be worth it to have the chance to match in California?


P.S. I haven't been admitted to any med school, but I am thinking ahead. The difference in price between going to USC and any school in Texas is $160K principle (not even including interest).

Both are true, students often attend med school where they want to live, and therefore end up staying in that area for residency and after. Also, there is bias toward students from the area by residency directors, in part because the students who have directly rotated on a particular service have a leg up by being known by the people running that residency.

You will be more likely to match to California if you attend school there, but you will be able to move to California to practice no matter where you complete your residency. Attend the Texas school (assuming you have a choice) and if you don't match to California, you will still be able to move there once your residency is complete, so matching in Texas won't prevent you from moving out west. Saving the money is what I would do.

 

[Dbate]

Both are true, students often attend med school where they want to live, and therefore end up staying in that area for residency and after. Also, there is bias toward students from the area by residency directors, in part because the students who have directly rotated on a particular service have a leg up by being known by the people running that residency.

You will be more likely to match to California if you attend school there, but you will be able to move to California to practice no matter where you complete your residency. Attend the Texas school (assuming you have a choice) and if you don't match to California, you will still be able to move there once your residency is complete, so matching in Texas won't prevent you from moving out west. Saving the money is what I would do.

This sounds like great advice.

I have to borrow to cover everything (my parents can't help me at all), so saving $160K is a huge deal for me.

I'll just have to work hard and kill step 1. I'm interested in surgery, so I know that will be by far the most important factor.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

This sounds like great advice.

I have to borrow to cover everything (my parents can't help me at all), so saving $160K is a huge deal for me.

I'll just have to work hard and kill step 1. I'm interested in surgery, so I know that will be by far the most important factor.

+1.

I'd save the money and buy an Aston Martin or an R8 with that money.

 

[TheRobin]

I'd save the money and buy an Aston Martin or an R8 with that money.

I'd personally go with a Tesla Roadster.

 

[armybound]

Being from Texas can somewhat limit your ability to go out of state. If you're competitive and do aways out of state, that's really mitigated.

I had a lot of interviewers ask me if I was serious about leaving Texas or why I ever would. There's a big regional bias in how interviews are given, but tons of people overcome the bias and go out of state.

Schools in Texas are very good. Don't pay more to go out of state because of an anti-Texas bias. A lot of people from Texas schools go to very big programs nationwide.

 

[Ja3ger]

I'd personally go with a Tesla Roadster.

Yes, 1000x yes.

 

[darkjedi]

It is much easier to get a residency in your home institution as well as your surrounding areas. This is because you are able to easily do rotations nearby and get letters of recommendations/interact with residency directors. Once they know you and are familiar with you, and you perform well, they may wind up liking you more than other candidates. Once you try to move away to a different location, you lose that home-field advantage.

If you are dead set on matching to a particular region, your medical school region will likely not affect you that much. You will just need to be proactive about doing away rotations in the areas you like, and networking with the people there.

 

[pietachok]

When you get into your clinical years, do away rotations in CA.

As other people have mentioned, there is a preference for individuals who have rotated with a program and received good LoRs. However, I would also say there is just a preference for students from the schools they are most familiar with -- those that they know have sent *other* good rotating students or graduates to them for residency. You can also see it play out with preference for graduates of a school that is from a completely different area if the program director previously was from that school/region. The place I most recently interviewed is in CA but definitely has a disproportionate representation (at least at interviews) from the schools attended by current faculty in its small department.

It is always hard to interpret match lists, because you don't know how people ranked programs.

 

[BlueLabel]

I'd personally go with a Tesla Roadster.

Aren't those catching on fire now, or something?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/tesla-stock-tumbles-model-catches-fire-20450475

 

[Dbate]

When you get into your clinical years, do away rotations in CA.

As other people have mentioned, there is a preference for individuals who have rotated with a program and received good LoRs. However, I would also say there is just a preference for students from the schools they are most familiar with -- those that they know have sent *other* good rotating students or graduates to them for residency. You can also see it play out with preference for graduates of a school that is from a completely different area if the program director previously was from that school/region. The place I most recently interviewed is in CA but definitely has a disproportionate representation (at least at interviews) from the schools attended by current faculty in its small department.

It is always hard to interpret match lists, because you don't know how people ranked programs.

I think I will go this route. I mean UTSW & Baylor are great schools, so--if I got accepted and attended one of those--they wouldn't hurt in the match process, right?

 

[Status Sciaticus]

I think I will go this route. I mean UTSW & Baylor are great schools, so--if I got accepted and attended one of those--they wouldn't hurt in the match process, right?

Whats your opinion on the other schools?

 

[TheRobin]

Aren't those catching on fire now, or something?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/t...-fire-20450475

I remember hearing about this last week. Something to do with a random object on a highway rupturing the battery pack of the car, which sits in the undercarriage. Possible a design flaw? Here's hoping they fix that by the time I save up money to buy one. I believe the current MSRP is >$60,000, so that won't be happening anytime soon.


To OP, away rotations are probably going to be your best bet here. Good luck with the application season! If you play your cards right, it will only be a matter of time before you find yourself on the Best Coast.

 

[IlDestriero]

Be great, work harder, be a stand out superstar and you write your own ticket.
Average people go to average programs.
Everyone wants to give Cali a try. Keep that in mind.

 

[armybound]

I think I will go this route. I mean UTSW & Baylor are great schools, so--if I got accepted and attended one of those--they wouldn't hurt in the match process, right?

right

 

[Dbate]

Whats your opinion on the other schools?

They're all fine schools.

I really liked all the Texas schools. I only have somewhat negative things to say about UTSA and Texas A&M.

UTSA had older looking academic facilities and I interviewed at the Temple campus for A&M. Temple was like a ghost town and all the students said the huge positive was that there were no distractions from studying :O

Based on my interview days, I already know my match list is going to be:

1. UTSW
2. UT-Houston
3. UT San Antonio
4. Texas Tech
5. Texas A&M

Didn't apply to Tech El Paso and didn't get an invite to UTMB.

 

[Dbate]

Be great, work harder, be a stand out superstar and you write your own ticket.
Average people go to average programs.
Everyone wants to give Cali a try. Keep that in mind.

That's concerning, especially since I am interested in a surgical sub-specialty...

 

[Oo Cipher oO]

Aren't those catching on fire now, or something?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/tesla-stock-tumbles-model-catches-fire-20450475

Yeah, it's a good thing gas cars have never caught on fire.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

They're all fine schools.

I really liked all the Texas schools. I only have somewhat negative things to say about UTSA and Texas A&M.

UTSA had older looking academic facilities and I interviewed at the Temple campus for A&M. Temple was like a ghost town and all the students said the huge positive was that there were no distractions from studying :O

Based on my interview days, I already know my match list is going to be:

1. UTSW
2. UT-Houston
3. UT San Antonio
4. Texas Tech
5. Texas A&M

Didn't apply to Tech El Paso and didn't get an invite to UTMB.

Ah, I had the same impressions. On the bright side, their new curriculum looks superb, and they are adding 2-3 new hospitals/buildings that should transition the students out of the other older facilities.

 

[inycepoo]

They're all fine schools.

I really liked all the Texas schools. I only have somewhat negative things to say about UTSA and Texas A&M.

UTSA had older looking academic facilities and I interviewed at the Temple campus for A&M. Temple was like a ghost town and all the students said the huge positive was that there were no distractions from studying :O

lololololz yo isn't this what they said about our undergrad city back in the day? Two and a half years later, I don't hate it like you did, pero like it still kinda sucks lol

 

[Dbate]

lololololz yo isn't this what they said about our undergrad city back in the day? Two and a half years later, I don't hate it like you did, pero like it still kinda sucks lol

I know. For med school, I am trying to avoid a repeat of new haven, so I am prioritizing large cities. Hence, my match list strongly correlates with the size of the city where the schools are located.

(except UTSW is over UT Houston because its UTSW)

 

[inycepoo]

I know. For med school, I am prioritizing large cities. Hence, my match list strongly correlates with the size of the city where the schools are located.

(except UTSW is over UT Houston because its UTSW)

Yeah, bro that makes sense. You would've loved NYC had you not chosen to live on the UES as your first neighborhood.