The Reputation of Different Schools

[darknation]

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Hello all, i will be applying as an IMG in the next cycle. Can you comment on the reputation these different schools have? I have no clue as to how these schools are viewed, especially when I'll be trying to match, come match time (hopefully to a competitive field). I'm confused as to how schools are ranked (I know there are 2 Top 10 lists floating around, one for Research Based and one for Primary Care.......) but what about an "overall" ranking? Here are some of the universities I wanted to apply to:

- John Hopkins
- SUNY Upstate
- Wayne State
- NYMC
- Harvard Medical School
- Case Western
- Boston U
- Columbia
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Albany Medical College
- Dartmouth Medical School
- Chicago Medical School (Rosalind Franklin)

Are any of these schools considered "bad" or a "low tier" school? I only know about Harvard 😛

 

[4whom]

The reputation-factor of a school rapidly drops off to near negligibility after Harvard/Hopkins.

 

[scgroat]

Are you kidding? Most people would be happy to go to any of those schools. Instead of worrying about the reputation, worry about getting in to a few of them. If you get in, that means that you are plenty capable of doing whatever you want. If you are considering certain specialties, then that's a different issue altogether. You're certainly resourceful enough to see which schools are best known for certain specialties.

I'll sum up future posts. Harvard's best. No, Johns Hopkins is best. Wrong, Chicago is best. I know that you probably don't realize it, but the answer to your question is entirely subjective outside of a few concensus #1s. I do envy the position you're in. Good luck.

 

[Xotica]

Are you kidding? Most people would be happy to go to any of those schools.

Especially IMGs.

 

[akinf]

Hello all, i will be applying as an IMG in the next cycle. Can you comment on the reputation these different schools have? I have no clue as to how these schools are viewed, especially when I'll be trying to match, come match time (hopefully to a competitive field). I'm confused as to how schools are ranked (I know there are 2 Top 10 lists floating around, one for Research Based and one for Primary Care.......) but what about an "overall" ranking? Here are some of the universities I wanted to apply to:

- John Hopkins
- SUNY Upstate
- Wayne State
- NYMC
- Harvard Medical School
- Case Western
- Boston U
- Columbia
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Albany Medical College
- Dartmouth Medical School
- Chicago Medical School (Rosalind Franklin)

Are any of these schools considered "bad" or a "low tier" school? I only know about Harvard 😛

By the looks of it, you are applying to just the schools that take internationals. I suggest applying, if you get interviews, then see which schools fit you best from there on. Rep can be a factor, but try not to make it the main factor. Also, I don't know if you have considered McGill in Canada. They take internationals as well.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm confused as to how schools are ranked (I know there are 2 Top 10 lists floating around, one for Research Based and one for Primary Care.......) but what about an "overall" ranking?

Go to the US News website and look at the research ranking, that will give you a rough idea of how the schools are ranked, prestige-wise (i.e. overall). Not that it tells you accurately which schools are "better" than which, and it is driven by research funding, not quality, but it is the closest to an overall ranking for allo schools you are going to find. The primary care is perhaps interesting if you just want to see how many folks go into primary care, but tends not be useful as an allo ranking as there are too many less competitive allo and DO schools surpassing many of the big name allo schools on that list (i.e. it is further off the mark in terms of an overall list).

As for your list, unless you are quite a stellar applicant, you possibly want to dump some of those longshots in favor of some less highly ranked places.

 

[darknation]

I think I will have an okay shot at them, with conversion, my GPA should be a 3.8 and my ECs involve varsity rowing, working at a pharmacy, shadowing, student leader, president of a few clubs, kinesiology research, etc. I was just worried because I've heard that there are some "low-tier" medical schools in the US and I don't want to unwittingly go to one because I didn't know how they are viewed (something you guys definitely know a lot more about).

I am applying to only schools that take international students, why waste money at a school that doesn't? I'm actually from Canada so this is just in case I don't get in here. I only know Canadian schools, I'm now trying to learn about some in the US. I also picked schools around the border so I'll be closer to home.

Thanks for the help! 🙂

 

[Law2Doc]

I was just worried because I've heard that there are some "low-tier" medical schools in the US and I don't want to unwittingly go to one because I didn't know how they are viewed (something you guys definitely know a lot more about).

There are only 120 or so allo med schools and all are quite competitive. Half of all applicants do not get into a US allo med school. So there really isn't a low tier, just competitive versus more competitive. Every allo school places students into competitive residencies and so I kind of doubt you are going to "unwittingly" end up at a bad one, because there isn't really such a thing.

 

[FizbanZymogen]

Just about any allo med school you could get into in the US would be great. We call some schools "low-tier" on these forums but it is really a misnomer as their really aren't any bad US med schools. I would put a so called low-tier US Allo and even some top DO schools against almost any international med school, period.

 

[VincentAdultman]

Hello all, i will be applying as an IMG in the next cycle. Can you comment on the reputation these different schools have? I have no clue as to how these schools are viewed, especially when I'll be trying to match, come match time (hopefully to a competitive field). I'm confused as to how schools are ranked (I know there are 2 Top 10 lists floating around, one for Research Based and one for Primary Care.......) but what about an "overall" ranking? Here are some of the universities I wanted to apply to:

- John Hopkins
- SUNY Upstate
- Wayne State
- NYMC
- Harvard Medical School
- Case Western
- Boston U
- Columbia
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Albany Medical College
- Dartmouth Medical School
- Chicago Medical School (Rosalind Franklin)

Are any of these schools considered "bad" or a "low tier" school? I only know about Harvard 😛

SUNY is the best and all the others are crap. It's science.