Seeking words of wisdom...

[Enkindu]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I'm specifically directing this inquiry to current med students that had to choose between schools with different "prestige" levels. Did anyone choose a school where they felt really "at home" over a better known, higher ranked school? If so, do you have regrets or are you happy with your choice? I've sought out and received mountains of advice regarding school selection and it is frustratingly equally divided between "go where you'll be happiest" and "go for the big name school no matter what." Will it matter to me four years from now that I turned down a school everyone's heard of to attend a relatively unknown school that I really like? Please help me make this decision- my fiance is threatening to kick me out of the house until I decide.

 

[stanMD]

Go to the school where you will be the happiest! If you enjoy where you are, you will be a better student. I know it sounds ironic that someone from Stanford is tell you this, but I have had a lot of experiences with this very topic. The best advice I got from residents here at Stanford, many of which went to average medical schools, is to try and do your residency and fellowship in a well know program at an excellent school. Residency and fellowship are where it counts. Having said that, these same residents believe that there is enough parity in medical school that it shouldn't make a difference where you go. Your residency does matter. I went to Stanford because of the name and because I felt at home here, so I got the best of both worlds. But for someone who's unsure, go where you'll be happy enough to study hard and get into good residencies.

 

[daveshnave]

I think it's amusing you're asking this, since the answer really lies within yourself (not to get all philosophical). As the previous poster said, go where you will be happiest. I don't really believe (and I've heard numerous physician/residents/students back this up) that where you go to medical school matters two licks... (the only caveat here is if you want to teach medicine at a big name school). Otherwise, it really just depends on where you did your residency, and that depends on hard hard you work while in medical school. My school (Drexel) isn't exactly ready to take over the #1 ranking of medical schools in the country, but we've had an excellent match list the past couple years. A fourth year that I got to know quite a bit this year just matched at Duke in medicine. Not too bad, especially considering all of the other great matches we also had. Go where you will be the happiest, because medical school can be very trying on you at times, and the last thing you need to be worrying about is being miserable in the location your school's at.

 

[Enkindu]

Thanks for the replies. I know how absurd it is to ask for input on a decision this personal, but it is HARD to give up a spot at a ranked school even when you know it's the right thing to do. My only real fear is that I won't match as well coming from a smaller school. Hearing from some of you actually in school now is an immense help- thanks, and keep the thoughts coming.

 

[souljah1]

If you feel like you will be happier at your state school, then you will most likely be more successful in school. Medical school is a difficult process. Forcing yourself to attend a highly ranked school when you don't really want to go there may weigh heavy on the mind and heart. Follow me here a little...you go to your state school and you feel so comfortable and balanced...you are in a better state of mental health and thus, you take advantage of a great number of opportunities....you rock medical school...you apply for residency...you get in where you want to go.

It seems to me (atleast from what you have shared) that the only reason you are considering this top school is b/c it is ranked. That is a very bad reason to attend a program. I'm sure that within yourself, you have the confidence and talent to succeed regardless of where you attend.

Tell this to yourself. Success is not something earned or bought. It is not something someone can give to you. Success is what you are and it manifests when confidence leaves no room for self-doubt or regret. A very important person in my life shared that with me at the very beginning of my decision to go toward a career as a physician. It really helped me a lot when I was put in situations where there was a lot of pressure to do things that everyone thought was the right thing to do, but didn't feel right to me.

You have to do what you feel is right - for you.

 

[banannie]

i'm not a med student yet, but i'm faced with a similar decision.

while i agree with souljah's p.o.v, and, let's face it, i agree with just about everything souljah says since he's probably the wisest and least full of BS person on SDN, i think that there are some other things you might want to think about.

is the difference between the school happy vs. unhappy, or happy vs. happier? because while it would not be good to go to a school you're sure you'd be unhappy at, is it really all that important to be at the place you think you'll be happiest? is it really possible to fully know that you'll be more at home at one place than another?

for example, you might have gotten along really well with current students at a school. but who's to say that your class will be anything like them? or maybe you met a few really great drinking buddies at a second look weekend, but how do you know that once you're in the context of a competitive classroom environment, those same people won't become complete a$$holes?

is the only difference between these schools their ranking? because sometimes rankings, while unreliable, can indicate some real differences in quality. there might be more opportunities, or at least less of an uphill battle to get access to opportunities, at the higher-ranked school . . . more opportunities to do what you think you want to do now, but perhaps more importantly, more opportunities to figure out what's really your true calling.

anyway, this process has made me somewhat of a nihilist, and i've really come to question the notion that the happiness you perceive from visiting a school a handful of times will mean squat once you're actually there.

of course, if your gut is telling you something, go with that! absolutely! but if even your gut is torn in two, as mine is, it might not hurt to question exactly where you got that "at home" feeling from at the one school, and why the other has more "prestige". at least, that's what i'm trying to do. 😉