NE community vs. Midwestern academic

[passer of gas]

I'm a MS4 applying for gas. I'm originally from the NYC area and want to end up practicing there when I'm done with residency. Since my med school record isn't the strongest, I think I have a better shot at some of the community/low-tier programs in the Northeast. My med school told me I could probably land a better residency if I try to stay in the Midwest. However, since I really have no interest in being in academics, I'm wondering when (and hopefully, if) push comes to shove, should I try to get back to the Northeast for residency, or will a "better" named place outside of the Northeast be just as good (or even better?) when I'm trying to land a private practice job around the NY area? I'm just thinking that being closer to NY may mean more connections for the people I come in contact with, etc... I'm particularly interested in what senior residents looking for a job and recent graduates have to say.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Laryngospasm]

I'm a MS4 applying for gas. I'm originally from the NYC area and want to end up practicing there when I'm done with residency. Since my med school record isn't the strongest, I think I have a better shot at some of the community/low-tier programs in the Northeast. My med school told me I could probably land a better residency if I try to stay in the Midwest. However, since I really have no interest in being in academics, I'm wondering when (and hopefully, if) push comes to shove, should I try to get back to the Northeast for residency, or will a "better" named place outside of the Northeast be just as good (or even better?) when I'm trying to land a private practice job around the NY area? I'm just thinking that being closer to NY may mean more connections for the people I come in contact with, etc... I'm particularly interested in what senior residents looking for a job and recent graduates have to say.

You should be fine either way, especially if you have strong ties to an area, dont take a residency you dont want hoping to make "connections"

 

[jennyboo]

Apply to any and all programs that you're interested in. This includes any higher-tier academic programs as well as community programs in the northeast. Don't take yourself out of the running before they even see your application!

While I don't know the specifics of your concerns about your academic record, I think that if your advisor thinks you can land a strong residency in the Midwest, you are equally capable of landing a similar residency in the Northeast. Regional biases do exist, but you can overcome them by 1) expressing strong interest, and 2) doing an away rotation if possible. Don't apply only to community programs because they're in the right location -- when I started interviewing, I ended up finding some of the low-tier programs I interviewed at to be kinda slow, sad and depressing. There's no harm in knocking on the doors of some more well-known programs too -- the worst they can do is say no.

Apply to a range of programs -- some a reach (highly competitive for you), some moderate, and some "safe" programs. Unless you have big glaring F's and academic warning on your transcript, you might be surprised at how many interviews you get.