med school prestige?

[gnin]

I know this subject has been debated on this board before, but how much is one encumbered in the residency app process by going to a lower ranked allopathic school? Hypothetically, if an applicant from an obscure school had jr year aoa, 290 boards, and excellent recs and research experience, would he be able to get a neurosurgury or ophthlalmology residency at johns hopkins? Are there many residency directors that would simply toss an application in the trash if they didn't see a big-name medical school on the return address?

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[Blade28]

290 on the boards?! That should help get your foot in the door pretty much anywhere, no?

 

[Seaglass]

Bottom line, great medical students will get to pick where they want to go for residency no matter what allo school they went to.

C

 

[Amy]

I sincerly DOUBT that any program would "toss" an app with the stats you mention. I have heard that the school you go to can help you (or hurt you) somewhat, but it's a pretty minor factor overall.

Even someone from the Timbuktu College of Medical Stuff could choose his residency with a score of 290.

 

[syrinx]

I know this subject has been debated on this board before, but how much is one encumbered in the residency app process by going to a lower ranked allopathic school? Hypothetically, if an applicant from an obscure school had jr year aoa, 290 boards, and excellent recs and research experience, would he be able to get a neurosurgury or ophthlalmology residency at johns hopkins? Are there many residency directors that would simply toss an application in the trash if they didn't see a big-name medical school on the return address?

With those credentials, you would probably get the interview for Hopkins neurosurgery. Getting the spot is a different story. I would imagine the interview, who you know, and LOTS OF LUCK matter at that point. Precedent says NO to the obscure school thing though. Just check out the medical schools of the current residents. All 3 of their incoming class come from Hopkins. No obsure or DO schools represented.
http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/nustrn/residents/index.html

 

[Apollyon]

One thing I notice about all the JHU NSx residents is that they are hyper-academic All-American. I look at the list of graduates, and there is a guy that was 4 years ahead of me at my college (ie, his first year at JHU Med was my first year at VMI); this guy was Regimental Executive Officer, a member of the Honor Court, and triple majored in Biology, Chemistry, and English. He had studied at Oxford and at Athens, and graduated distinguished. Also, apparently, he was an imbiber every night he wasn't on call.

 

[fourthyearmed]

Is a 290 possible?

 

[supercut]

I don't think that coming from a particular med school makes much difference for getting the interview. Getting the spot is more nebulous, and relates more to how well they think you will fit into the program.

And reputation of med school doesn't mean better. I went to a little known state school, am now at a program at a better known med school. I think the students here are weaker than at my med school, more coddled, and have more of an entitlement mentality. The expectations for student here are much lower than they were at my med school. What is requried for honors here would be barely passing at my med school.

If you are really interested in a particular program, do a visiting elective there. I think that cuts more weight than your med school. My top choice was at a pretty prestigous program, and it seemed that the majority of my fellow interviewees had done visiting electives there. I don't know if that's why I didn't match there, of course, but I sure felt like an outsider cuz everyone seemed to know most of my fellow interviewees.

 

[Jamezuva]

Is a 290 possible?

I would think so, cuz one of the med students who was in the class above me scored in the mid 280s on Step 1.

 

[poutsara]

i agree that a a superstar is a superstar regardless of where he or she graduates from. but generally speaking, going to the prestigious med school doesn't only mean you get the name. it also means you get to do your rotations at the prestigious hospitals, you get the letters of rec from the famous clinicians, you do research with the best scientists in the best labs, and so on. in other words, it's easier to become a superstar at a top school. i know, lots of people say "well, students who get into the top schools are smarter, more motivated, are innately better, etc," however, i think the prestigious schools also offer more opportunities.

 

[elayboy]

With those credentials, you would probably get the interview for Hopkins neurosurgery. Getting the spot is a different story. I would imagine the interview, who you know, and LOTS OF LUCK matter at that point. Precedent says NO to the obscure school thing though. Just check out the medical schools of the current residents. All 3 of their incoming class come from Hopkins. No obsure or DO schools represented.
http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/nustrn/residents/index.html

I personally know the 3 Neurosurgery residents in the incoming class as I went to med school with them. They were all very capable students with a well rounded background. And they all got to know the chairman quite well. Apparently, neurosurgery is a very small community, and I believe all 3 had done research with the chairman. Just my two cents.