Sorry to change the subject a little- but, as far as "recognition" on the west coast is concerned, are east coast programs like Beth Israel Deaconess and Brigham well regarded out west? Would somewhere like OHSU in Portland Oregon be more familiar than east coast programs? After residency I would like to end up out west- where is the best place to position yourself if that is the final goal (given that traditional west coast programs-LA, SF etc- are not an option)? I'm curious about all opinions so lets have 'em!
Groups in California are FLOODED with applicants, every group, even really crappy ones...sadly for you.
In terms of pure name recognition, very very few places can potentially land you an interview purely having it on your resume.
Of that list and on the East Coast, Brigham and Hopkins would surely be included, others like MGH or UPenn etc perhaps, depending on group.
Important thing to note is that even if you dont neccessarily train at BWH or JHU, a fellowship there will essentially baptize you a Hopkins trained pathologist, even if you were only physically there for a year's term. In the job world, it's a kinda of "top ended weight" thats given, meaning for example lets say you trained at BWH but then did a fellowship at someplace obscure in Dermpath, you still tout yourself as "Harvard trained pathologist with boards in dermpath".
Now this is obviously crap I realize, but this is essentially how the system operates.
The second part is having some legitmate reasoning for actually wanting to go to California and be in a specific group. Reasons like mad $$, nice weather and hot chicks are unlikely to fit the bill.
Attempting to camo your reasoning with phrases like "My personal philosophy is really Californian at heart even though I grew up in Brooklyn" or "I always considered California home" is unlikely to succeed.
Reasons like "My spouse is a thoracic surgeon at this hospital" is almost definitely going to work but I dont expect young pathologists to shop single surgeons at California hospitals to get a job...
The overall biggest route to a job is simply having the buddy connection. You could be the biggest douche womanizer, graduate from a no name program and land the best job on the beach in San Diego if you happen to be buddies with someone who has the power to make that happen. This isnt a meritocracy system, it is a real world system, one where connections>>all.
SO, at the end of the day things like rank lists and prestige of training programs is purely mental masturbation. It isnt the prime determiner of anything great for you in the future. The prime determiner is already in you. Dig deep within, young Padawan learner, dig deep.
