solid in state vs very good private school

[sickofit]

---

Members do not see this ad.

if you're interested in clinical medicine (and not academic medicine), would it be wise to choose the better private school over the cheaper in-state one? is it important? happiness/location aside, is the money spent on the education worth it for the better name and supposedly better teaching?

 

[28129]

My Dad says in 20+ years no patient has ever asked him where he went to medical school at.

 

[velouria]

Personally I would go with the cheaper state school. You're going to get a good education at nearly any US medical school. It's what you do with that education later that matters.

 

[Childe]

I've heard mixed answers to this. Interested to see what people have to say.

 

[Megalofyia]

What about the cheaper state school in a place you hate at a school you don't particularly like vs the expensive private school in a place that is better but small at a school you think you will enjoy?

Suck it up for four years and have very little debt and ditch the city for residency or leave when you can and pay the money?

 

[28129]

If by success in practice you mean earning power, then there's no correlation between where you graduate from and how much you can make. It's not like law or business school.

A lot of people who graduate from Johns Hopkins, U-Penn, and so forth go into academics and research, where there's less money than what you'd expect to get in private practice.

Furthermore, debts accrued during private med school education can be stifling afterwards.

 

[babinski bob]

It all depends on your financial situation. If your parents are covering you entirely, go wherever you please. Otherwise, go to the cheaper school. All US medical schools are going to provide you w/ an outstanding education. Go to your state school.... You'll be thanking yourself many years down the road. What would you rather pay? 2500 dollars per month for 10 years or 1000 per month for ten years? That extra 1500 could be used for a TON of things. Figure you'll bring home an NET income of ~90/year upon completion of residency as a internal medicine doc (140K/yr gross). If you're forking over 2500/month, then basically 1/3 of your net salary is going toward loans, leaving you 5K to invest for retirement (remember, you're already many years in the hole from having attended so much school!), save for/buy a house, buy a car, pay for childrens expenses, travel, eat, etc. That extra 1500 will be a godsend... Don't be foolish to think that attending the private school is worth 100-150K extra over the long run. Most all of your real training is as a resident. You're going to be on equal footing as any other US trained med student provided you work hard. Go to your state school and don't even think about it. The only exception i can think of is if you get into Hopkins or Harvard and you intend on pursuing an academic career where your "pedigree"might be important. Otherwise, no one gives a damn where you went to school, your patients certainly won't. Go to your state school and don't think twice about it.

 

[Street Philosopher]

Originally posted by ShantanuThakur
My Dad says in 20+ years no patient has ever asked him where he went to medical school at.

i don't either but i always check up on them using the AMA site before i choose a physician

 

[babinski bob]

Street Philosopher quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by ShantanuThakur
My Dad says in 20+ years no patient has ever asked him where he went to medical school at.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i don't either but i always check up on them using the AMA site before i choose a physician


Ignore this... No one does this.. Where you went to school does not imply you're going to be a good physician. Remember, all of your REAL training comes from residency anyway. Think about it... Most of the people that go to "top schools" like Harvard, Hopkins, or Duke, do so because of the fantastic research opportunities available. Just because you're good at the bench doesn't mean you'll be good w/ patients!

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by babinski bob
Don't be foolish to think that attending the private school is worth 100-150K extra over the long run.

Originally posted by ShantanuThakur

Furthermore, debts accrued during private med school education can be stifling afterwards.

well, the real answer is - look carefully at both financial aid packages. Some private schools have very extensive grant and loan programs and some don't. Some public schools are cheap - and others have no grant money at all. Don't assume that the private school will be more expensive.

In the end last year my cheapest option was actually a private school rather than my state school.

 

[thackl]

I am going to a cheap school in a city with cheap cost of living. I have top 20 stat's and keep telling myself it doesn't matter🙁

But it kind of does. Amongst your piers, it will kind of matter😕

 

[DW]

Originally posted by tBw
well, the real answer is - look carefully at both financial aid packages. Some private schools have very extensive grant and loan programs and some don't. Some public schools are cheap - and others have no grant money at all. Don't assume that the private school will be more expensive.

In the end last year my cheapest option was actually a private school rather than my state school.

i second that

 

[babinski bob]

thackl I am going to a cheap school in a city with cheap cost of living. I have top 20 stat's and keep telling myself it doesn't matter

But it kind of does. Amongst your piers, it will kind of matter


Alot of people tend to have a sort of "inferiority complex" if they're attending a non top25 school. And they'll continue to have it while they're applying to residency programs. But once you're a resident, no one gives a damn where you went to school. No one is going to give you any extra points if you went to Harvard while you're s resident. You still have to work just as hard as your fellow residents. Trust me. You won't care once you're a resident or practicing. During the mean time, study hard, do your best. Remember... it looks a hell of a lot better to finish at the top of your class (top 10%) at a less known school than finish at the middle or bottom of the pack (~50%) at a renowned school.

 

[DW]

Originally posted by babinski bob
Remember... it looks a hell of a lot better to finish at the top of your class (top 10%) at a less known school than finish at the middle or bottom of the pack (~50%) at a renowned school.

can you back this statement up?

 

[GoodMonkey]

Originally posted by babinski bob
Ignore this... No one does this.. Where you went to school does not imply you're going to be a good physician. Remember, all of your REAL training comes from residency anyway. Think about it... Most of the people that go to "top schools" like Harvard, Hopkins, or Duke, do so because of the fantastic research opportunities available. Just because you're good at the bench doesn't mean you'll be good w/ patients!

i know several people who actually do check the AMA to see. *shrug* to each their own.

 

[babinski bob]

Talk to any residency director.... Everyone knows med school is challenging and there are VERY smart people at EVERY allopathic (and osteopathic) med school. Finishing at the very top of your class means you busted your ass. Certain things grab the attention of any RD.... AOA, Honors in most of your classes, etc.... Finish at the top and people will be impressed, regardless of where you went (provided it's a US med school).

 

[Street Philosopher]

yeah, nothing counts except residency 🙄
someday someone will say, "nothing counts except fellowship."

btw you can get residency info on the AMA site too.

 

[Street Philosopher]

i'm sure getting top 10% at any medical school is tough, but getting top 50% at a school filled with people who scored 40 on their mcat is no cakewalk either.

 

[PianoGirl04]

Time to break out the oldest one in the book...

"What do you call the person who graduates last in his/her medical school class?"

"Doctor."

'Nuff said.🙂

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by babinski bob
Finish at the top and people will be impressed, regardless of where you went (provided it's a US med school).

So why not just finish at the top of the 'elite' school and then everyones happy 😉

This argument is inane.

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by PianoGirl04
Time to break out the oldest one in the book...

"What do you call the person who graduates last in his/her medical school class?"

"tBw" ???

 

[1996]

Originally posted by babinski bob
Alot of people tend to have a sort of "inferiority complex" if they're attending a non top25 school. And they'll continue to have it while they're applying to residency programs. But once you're a resident, no one gives a damn where you went to school. No one is going to give you any extra points if you went to Harvard while you're s resident. You still have to work just as hard as your fellow residents. Trust me. You won't care once you're a resident or practicing. During the mean time, study hard, do your best. Remember... it looks a hell of a lot better to finish at the top of your class (top 10%) at a less known school than finish at the middle or bottom of the pack (~50%) at a renowned school.

This is partially true when it comes to residency application. Sure, being in the top of your class (e.g. top 10%, AOA, etc) will catch the eyes of the program directors regardless of which school you went to. However, when ranking their applicants, they will almost always rank similar applicant from a top school before one from a lesser known state school. This might not matter as much in the less-competitive primary care fields since there will probably be enough spots for all top applicants from all the schools anyway. However, if you're applying to more competitive fields such as surgery where spots are very limited, the top applicant from a lesser known state school might be screwed since there might just be enough spots for top students from the top schools, especially in the better programs.

There is another advantage to attending a top school. Top medical schools are almost always associated with some of the top residency programs in the country. In the residency application process, there is frequently a different (i.e. lower) standard for applicants from the residency program's own institution (e.g. a Duke med student will be favored for the Duke programs). Top residency programs associated with a top medical school like to keep as many of their own students as they can. In most fields, especially non-surgical ones, students from top schools frequently use the program from their own school as back-up, no matter how low they're ranked in the class. Therefore, just by going to a top medical school, you are almost at least guaranteed a spot at a top residency program (barring any special circumstance such as personal problems, failing, etc.) if you are willing to stay at the same institution for residency. If you care at all about going to a top residency program, this sense of security is surely nice to have throughout medical school, knowing that the worst you can do is stay at your own (top) institution.