"Pedigree" Programs

[medstudent2222]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Posted this on otomatch also...

I'm a third year student set on ENT. My step 1 score is competitive, in the mid-240s. My grades have been good and I think I'm in the running for senior AOA. I have several ENT research projects in progress and am confident that I'll have good recommendation letters from people in the field. I go to an American med school that is outside the "top 40."

I've spoken to several ppl regarding the strategies for where to do aways. Many have told me to do them at places you consider slight reaches as it can be that extra bump that you need. That being said, I know that several programs will filter out applicants if they don't go to certain medical schools (whether they're not top-40s or not Ivy, etc.). I don't want to waste an away on a place that won't take me even if I do a good job.

I realize that schools might not have a definitive policy of filtering based on where the applicant went to medical school, but are there certain "pedigree" programs that are notorious for only taking kids from the top schools?

 

[lildave2586]

My personal opinion is that you should have a reason to do an away rotation other than it "looks good on paper." I'm from a small school with a small program (2 residents a year) and I wanted to see what a bigger program was like, so I did an away at a bigger place that takes 4 a year and has a very large faculty. It was great to see how a big place works. It also helped me realize that I wanted to be at a smaller program with less emphasis on research and more on clinical training.

I think you need to ask yourself what your goals are. Do you want to go to a big name program? Do you need to stay in a certain region of the country? These are all important things to consider. The only "big name" I applied to was Vanderbilt, and that's because it was in my region. It wasn't feasible for me to move my family all the way across the country or up north where we couldn't afford to live (my wife stays home with our baby). Just some things to think about.

 

[Leforte]

I cannot think of any programs that only look at applicants from certain schools. Some programs are more likely to select applicants to interview from their region - but generally this is because there is a history of people thinking that there are "safety programs" to interview at, but have not real interest in being in the area - i.e. the person from CA programs who apply in the Midwest or South with no family connection, etc. It would be unlikely that that person would be selected over similarly qualified applicants who are more regional.

Also, I would really think about exactly what type of program that you want to train at, and what are you looking for in your career. You can go into academics from any residency program, generally can get descent fellowships from most residencies and can go into private practice from any place. Having trained at a certain place for the name recognition is pretty poor, IMHO. No one cares where you did your residency, as long as you are competent, compassionate and a nice person who plays well with others.

 

[medstudent2222]

I want an academic program in a large city. Some of the programs I'm looking at are very competitive and that's why I'm asking this question.

I just want to make sure I don't devote 1 month of hard work to an away program and then find out that I started behind the eight-ball by virtue of not going to a top-10 medical school. I've heard that programs like mass eye/ear, cornell, upenn are schools that generally only take from the top-40s but, of course, you need to take everything you hear with a grain or salt.

 

[plauto]

Posted this on otomatch also...

That being said, I know that several programs will filter out applicants if they don't go to certain medical schools (whether they're not top-40s or not Ivy, etc.). I don't want to waste an away on a place that won't take me even if I do a good job.

You do? You'd be the first person to know anything about how this whole residency application thing works. That is not true. The other posters gave you great advice. Think about what you want. You can do anything you want from almost any ENT residency program.

 

[ThePursuit]

How about you just go to the program's website and look at their current residents and past residents. If they're all from Harvard and Stanford and Yale (which they won't be), you'll have your answer.

 

[medstudent2222]

I was not trying to sound presumptuous. It was a dean at my school who told me that there are top-40 filters. And several attendings have told me that, while it might not be automatic, that there are some programs that specifically value kids from top schools more than others. THAT was what I was asking about.