Prestige

[JimL]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am planning to apply to one of those BA/MD programs, but the top ones seem to be crapshoots, <2% acceptance rate and such, like HPME and PLME. More likely, I will get into one of less prestigious ones like Drexel/Drexel, RPI/Albany, etc. in the next year. I have shadowed a Emergency Room Doctor, a Radiologist, and an Ophthalmologist, and I like Radiology the most. That may or may not change, but Radiology has a very selective residency. Should I forgo Drexel or Albany med school to try to get into a better med school the "traditional" way for a better shot?

The "name brand" itself may not matter, but how about the facilities a "name-branded" school offers? Would HMS or something have better research facilities, education, clinical experience, connections, etc. to boost chances at a top residency?

What schools have very good Pre-med programs btw? i.e. Good research, volunteering, leadership, clinical, LOR, advisers etc. opportunities.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I like Radiology the most. That may or may not change

It almost certainly will if you keep an open mind. Make sure you give everything a fair shake.

Should I forgo Drexel or Albany med school to try to get into a better med school the "traditional" way for a better shot?

Absolutely not, if that's your only reason for doing so. The boost you get from going to a medical school with a bigger name is minimal, at best. I'd advise going the "traditional" route for other reasons - expanding your horizons, not cutting college short, etc. - but if you're "set" on becoming a doctor, there's no reason to put yourself through the hell of applying to med school if you don't have to.

how about the facilities a "name-branded" school offers? Would HMS or something have better research facilities, education, clinical experience, connections, etc. to boost chances at a top residency?

Facilities are kind of a crapshoot. Their quality isn't really linked to restige in any particularly meaningful way, as far as I can tell.

The education at every med school is essentially equivalent, so don't worry about that. It's not like college.

Many of the schools ranked higher in U.S. News (which ranks by research money) offer fairly poor clinical experience since they choose to push research more. That's another thing you'll have to look at on a school-to-school basis.

Connections probably won't help you that much unless you have a really good connection or are trying to get into your home school's program. That is, your Harvard connections will help you at Harvard but probably not nearly as much elsewhere. In that sense, going to a prestigious school will help you get a selective residency, but connections will be a much more significant factor if you're going into academics and/or research. If you're trying to be a clinician, potential for name-dropping should be very low on your list of reasons to go to a school.

What schools have very good Pre-med programs btw? i.e. Good research, volunteering, leadership, clinical, LOR, advisers etc. opportunities.

All big state intitutions will have tons of opporutnities for you. Most of the better private schools will, as well. The quality of your LOR's will be totally independent of what school you go to.

Advising is not something I would consider in the slightest when choosing a school. Many advisers give really terrible advice, so you should take this process into your own hands as much as possible. I would basically ignore what they say unless you can confirm it for yourself. Since you've found SDN, you're in much better shape than most people.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

I think any of those will give you great opportunities. Most of the universities with BS/MD programs have reputable medical schools anyways. So i think any one of those would do. Now ofcourse some are more highly regarded than others...but thats just because of the numbers. Forget that, your goal is to get into a program that will allow you to graduate with a BS/MD.

After that i think you should have a good chance at going into what ever residency you feel is for you.

Also, try if you dont go BS/MD...there are plenty of schools that will give you a fine education. Just do a bit research for yourself as to which you would be most comfortable in. Most of the top schools are good for "pre-med" but state schools and even a lot of city schools are good also. You should always look into the type of resources available at the undergrad you will attend this can easily be done by contacting undergrad admissions or the departments where you would be interested in doing research.