Medical Should I send a letter of intent to Mayo?

[Goro]

Hello, so here is my situation. I wanted to post here to protect my anonymity. I was recently accepted to Emory SOM, which was one of my top choices. I attended Emory for undergrad and have done research for the SOM since freshman year, which I would be able to continue throughout medical school. The only other school I would consider other than Emory (that I have an interview with) is Mayo. I received an II for Mayo's 2+2 program which is also very attractive for me. I live very close to Mayo's Florida campus so I would love to be near family. The issue is that Mayo is known for basically needing a letter of intent for me to be seriously considered. I am not a high stat applicant for Mayo (3.9, 514 MCAT) but I think my ties to the Jax area really helped my chances. Does Mayo's 2+2 program carry the same weight as their Mayo MN campus (if I attend Mayo, will I be viewed as a Mayo graduate regardless that I did the 2+2 program)? And is it prudent for me to send a letter of intent there? If the 2+2 carries the prestige of main Mayo then this would make me seriously consider it, but if it does not then I may just prefer to attend Emory SOM. Thank you again for everything

Mayo seems to be one of those needy schools, or they like seeing people grovel. So, yes send the LOI.

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[TheBoneDoctah]

If you wanna go to Mayo you better send the LOI

 

[gutonc]

Thanks for the reply, have you heard how residency programs view the 2+2 program at Mayo vs attending Mayo MN?

What will your diploma say? Mayo or Miracle Whip?

I would argue though that Emory is at least as good as real Mayo and light years better than Miracle Whip so I'm not sure I understand the question. Send Emory a deposit check and relax the rest of the cycle.

 

[Goro]

Thanks for the reply, have you heard how residency programs view the 2+2 program at Mayo vs attending Mayo MN?

Suggest you inquire in the MD student forum. GME is not my area of expertise.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thanks for the reply, have you heard how residency programs view the 2+2 program at Mayo vs attending Mayo MN?

I'm amused by the analogies but it is reasonable to presume that Mayo Clinic will protect its reputation for all of its successful graduating students with a Mayo degree when it comes to residencies.

 

[lord999]

There is a difference for Mayo MN for research-intensive postgraduate, and there is a definite advantage if applying for East Coast or certain institutions in the Midwest due to past experience. The 2+2 program will have decent opportunities but does not have the same level of history as the MN side. Really no negatives, but there are a couple of situational areas where MN has better connections.

I'll give a concrete example. If you're applying to NIH/NCI for some of the more arcane ones (Medical (Biochemical) Genetics, Heme/Onc, Path, or AI) which there are significant research links, MN is probably going to have an edge over AZ or FL especially from the MD/PhD routes simply on faculty recognizance between the programs if not outright spending summers there beforehand. But for almost any standard residency through ERAS, Mayo is just Mayo.

But with the above, it is really more what the student does in the program. A MN grad that does not have a side business in one of the other buildings is probably just as competitive. The selection though is such that it is unlikely that the student has no professional extracurriculars.

And Emory is just fine. Either/or are good choices.

 

[lord999]

Thanks for the response. So would you still view 2+2 Mayo over Emory in terms of weight for residencies?

You're stressing over details, I think. Either would be fine. Emory has a better public health right now, where I would favor Mayo for bench sciences if research is your bent. Both are capital R Research Intensive on the continuum for Primary Care vs. Research. Again, it's really what your endpoint is and your competitiveness depending on how this is all scored. I would look at the financial package, but all equal, I would probably opt for Emory if I were not going into bench.