Setting yourself up for future success

[Noble Aneurysm]

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[ndafife]

I would caution you against assuming that just because you come in with a better application and MCAT that you will just blow people away in medical school. Preclinical grades mean very very little come residency applications, its essentially all your Step 1 score Your 513 MCAT is good, but definitely nothing that is going light the world on fire. You're far from the 1st person with an solid MCAT to go to a state school.

 

[Lawpy]

Hey guys,

Interesting thought here. What are the long term benefits of going to a "better school" ? I am from the state of lowly Mississippi with a state school that has pretty low average scores. Would one not think that dominating the competition at this state school would lead to a better chance for success at a residency vs. going to a middle or upper tier school with fierce competition? I realize the boards are the "great equalizer," but are other factors like grades and recommendations not huge in getting a residency? I feel I can succeed at any med school, but know from stats and going to undergrad with the same people for 4 years that will be at my state med school that I will probably be in the top 5 students in my class if I choose the in state option.

My intention is not to glorify myself in this post, just interested in seeing why I would go to a "better school" over my cheaper state school in terms of future success in getting a residency.

Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks guys!


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Where you go to medical school definitely matters for residency applications, especially if you are aiming for more competitive academic residencies in specialties requiring high board scores (e.g. derm, ortho, NSGY, etc.). Not to mention you will get better opportunities in research, clinical education, networking etc. simply because better schools have access to a lot more resource.

Regardless, I wouldn't assume that you would easily demolish competition at your state school just because you surpassed their matriculant medians.

 

[cactusman]

Hey guys,

Interesting thought here. What are the long term benefits of going to a "better school" ? I am from the state of lowly Mississippi with a state school that has pretty low average scores. Would one not think that dominating the competition at this state school would lead to a better chance for success at a residency vs. going to a middle or upper tier school with fierce competition? I realize the boards are the "great equalizer," but are other factors like grades and recommendations not huge in getting a residency? I feel I can succeed at any med school, but know from stats and going to undergrad with the same people for 4 years that will be at my state med school that I will probably be in the top 5 students in my class if I choose the in state option.

My intention is not to glorify myself in this post, just interested in seeing why I would go to a "better school" over my cheaper state school in terms of future success in getting a residency.

Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks guys!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

From what I've heard/read/seen:
a) preclinical grades are usually considered but of minimal importance, clinical are quite important
b) board scores don't necessarily equalize as much as we'd like to think (e.g. I believe UMissouri has higher average Step 1 scores than Hopkins, but even accounting for mission you wouldn't know it based on match list)
c) college stats aren't as accurate as you think for predicting med school success
c) i. if you go in expecting to be top 5 in anything, especially med school, you probably won't be

 

[Med Ed]

My intention is not to glorify myself in this post, just interested in seeing why I would go to a "better school" over my cheaper state school in terms of future success in getting a residency.

The benefits of going to a "better school" are not the same for everyone, and depend a lot on your goals. Someone with a strong desire to become a small town pediatrician does not need to get an MD from Wash U. Another student who wishes to pursue a research-heavy career in a competitive field would probably benefit from starting somewhere with a gazillion NIH dollars.

All that said, there is a rather large gray zone from the applicant side. Perhaps you are interested in matching into a competitive speciality, but understand that you don't need to match in one of three coveted programs to achieve personal fulfillment. Can you do this from UMMC? The answer is yes. Mississippi posts its match lists online, and this year folks got positions in dermatology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, urology, neurosurgery, and ENT. Granted, many of these matches are at programs in the south, which is not surprising, and does suggest that you would have to be content if you don't end up in Boston or Baltimore. Again, most of it comes down to goals.

As for UMMC, it's easy to see it as an inherently undesirable place to obtain an education, but look at it another way. Comparing UMMC on a national scale it looks modest: 700+ beds, 500+ physicians, 9,000+ employees, ~$60 million in annual research funding (all sources). But, as a medical student who is just starting a multi-decade career, how much do you really need? Mississippi has boatloads of problems and only one academic health center. Where is most of the crazy, bizarre, interesting stuff in the entire state going to funnel down to? It's all going to Jackson, the only real game in town.

 

[Noble Aneurysm]

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