ResearchRanking? WHY?

[kreno]

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I have a question... when we generally speak about a school's prestige, and/or ranking... why is it that we inherently refer to the "Research Ranking" on USNEWS and now "Primary Care Ranking"? I mean, most of us are going into primary fields... that's the meat and potatoes of medicine! I just don't understand... how come the University of Iowa, ranked 9th, isn't considered a "top ten school" when we generally discuss? I just don't get it... ideas?

 

[MorningLight2100]

Hi kreno,

I'm curious to know why you consider primary care the "meat & potatoes," and why you have the impression that most of us are going into it? I'm inclined to think just the opposite. . . if you ask people on this forum, most are going into a specialty (which means potential research), not primary care. In fact, the AMA has really been trying to recruit students to go into primary care b/c in recent years there's been a SHORTAGE of primary care physicians, and an overabundance of specialists.

The fact that people often choose a specialty more frequently is possible responsible for the "top ten" ranked schools of which we typically speak.

Hope this helps!

 

[johnM]

because if you want to be a primary care doc, it truely does not matter where you go to med school, anyone will be able to get a FP or IM or peds residency.
but if you want to be an academic physician, then you have to do research, you need to do a residency at a great place and to do that, going to a top research school helps. So... the people who really need to go to a top school (for their career goals) are the ones who need to go to a well-respected research institution.

True, most will go in to primary care, and that's why they do a primary care ranking, what really, who cares about primary care rankings? Not primary care physicians. Not patients. For research-driven people, however, the amount of money your school is getting from the NIH is going to make a real difference in your research opportunities. So they are the ones that should really care.

 

[kreno]

As far as numbers are concerned, primary care *IS* the bulk of what most physicians are. Overall, more than 50% of medical graduates enter into some primary care speciailty... family medicine, pediatrics, etc. Even at huge Research Orientated Schools, such as Harvard and Johns Hopkins, the number of graduates entering into Primary Care is 49% and 51%,respectfully.

Your point about the AMA trying to recruit more primary care orientated students is true, however, that's because, like you said, there's been a shortage of demand. However, in any regard, this doesn't mean Primary Care wasn't, or isn't, or will not be the "meat and potatoes" of medicine.

So, with that in mind, yeah... that's my confusion? Why is the Research Ranked USNEWS report the one always used? It just doesn't make sense when half, if not more, of us are not even going into anything other than primary care specialities!
Thanks

 

[matthew0126]

it's because, at least imo, the primary rankings are wack

they take 30% of the score based on how many of that school's students enter primary care fields... now primary care is a great field and all, and arguably the most important as the "front-line" of medicine, but it is also one of the easiest "specialties" to get into... so to base 30% of the score on how many students get into the easiest specialty... that is just inverse logic to me.

well no it's not -- it does exactly what it set out to do. to tell you how primary-care-focused the school is, but not how elite/prestigious it is; then again, if you are going into primary care, who gives a rat's ass about rankings anyways

 

[johnM]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by matthew0126:
•if you are going into primary care, who gives a rat's ass about rankings anyways•••••exactly