Vanderbilt Med Perception - Matching

[begginandpleadin]

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[ngc 2170]

Vandy has quite a few superb neurosurgery applicants this year. Any top 40 NIH funded institution "feeds" into these residencies. Can't see a compelling reason to pass up the debt-free opportunity.

 

[begginandpleadin]

Vandy has quite a few superb neurosurgery applicants this year. Any top 40 NIH funded institution "feeds" into these residencies. Can't see a compelling reason to pass up the debt-free opportunity.

Thank you!

 

[mmmcdowe]

I assume you mean UCSF. It has a tough culture but the results are clear that their students match very well and frequently at West coast programs including UCSF itself. We have been very impressed with their applicants as a whole. Vandy applicants are great too but if your goal is an academic West coast practice I would take the 100k debt provided you were equally happy at both programs. If you liked Vandy more then 100 percent go to Vandy. The reality is you may change your mind and go into ent or something else where perhaps UCSF vs Vandy is more pertinent.

 

[begginandpleadin]

I assume you mean UCSF. It has a tough culture but the results are clear that their students match very well and frequently at West coast programs including UCSF itself. We have been very impressed with their applicants as a whole. Vandy applicants are great too but if your goal is an academic West coast practice I would take the 100k debt provided you were equally happy at both programs. If you liked Vandy more then 100 percent go to Vandy. The reality is you may change your mind and go into ent or something else where perhaps UCSF vs Vandy is more pertinent.

Is the prestige difference between UCSF and Vandy very significant when it comes time for PD to rank applicants in competitive surgical subspecialties like ENT, and more importantly when residency grads are applying to faculty positions? I definitely understand that UCSF has a leg up when it comes to research, etc. just trying to get a feel for how much pedigree is important among the already top-tier schools.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Is the prestige difference between UCSF and Vandy very significant when it comes time for PD to rank applicants in competitive surgical subspecialties like ENT, and more importantly when residency grads are applying to faculty positions? I definitely understand that UCSF has a leg up when it comes to research, etc. just trying to get a feel for how much pedigree is important among the already top-tier schools.

Yes for residency it can play a subtle but meaningful difference not so much for jobs except it does determine the alumni base that you know and have access to. This difference is magnified regionally when you are talking about programs on opposite sides of the country. All the Cali and west coast attendings are going to be much more aware of each other as a whole. If being on the west coast wasn't a factor for you career wise I would be less strong in my advice but its kind of like wanting to be a NYC attending and going to Emory over Columbia. If you have the financial means it makes more sense to go to the more prestigious home team.

 

[ValentinNarcisse]

For what its worth - Vandy consistently has an extremely strong match list in Neurosurgery every year, including west coast residencies.