What do you call the lowest ranked person to graduate in your class?

[Anicetus]

A family doctor in rural Idaho.


Seriously I'm actually pretty sick of this saying being a cushion for medical students. Isn't this just setting us up for a bad match time??

I know there are other factors involved but realistically where do the last people in the class ranking match at? I can't imagine it being at their top choice. I just feel this saying is thrown around way too much. Let me know if I'm crazy.

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[swamprat]

I think your crazy. It depends on so many factors including motivation and being realistic. If you've failed several classes, have no research and a lackluster board score and are hoping to match Derm.. get real, but it's doubtful you'd be relegated to rural FM unless you wanted it. Funny I have a friend from my class, prob middle of the road student who matched FM in rural Idaho because he wanted to do something out there and different.

 

[Serous Demilune]

Peds, FM, IM, Psych, Neuro, Path, probably Ob-Gyn if they wanted it bad enough. Lots of options.

 

[Lysinee]

I think your crazy. It depends on so many factors including motivation and being realistic. If you've failed several classes, have no research and a lackluster board score and are hoping to match Derm.. get real, but it's doubtful you'd be relegated to rural FM unless you wanted it. Funny I have a friend from my class, prob middle of the road student who matched FM in rural Idaho because he wanted to do something out there and different.

I would have thought a Dr would know the difference between you're and your.


I agree it's a silly and dumb question.

 

[IlDestriero]

They match at the most malignant programs in the worst locations in non competitive fields. I don't think FM and Idaho have the lock on that. Idaho is probably a good place to do FM. Bankrupt Community hospital in urban Detroit sounds much worse.

 

[gocelts]

My dad actually graduated in the bottom 20% of his medical school class 30 or so years ago at U Mich. He did IM residency at U Iowa and is now a successful cardiologist in Connecticut. However he said things were much less competitive then than they are now.

 

[Jabbed]

Are you serious? Nobody says, "Sweet, now that I'm in med school wracking up six figure debt let me just snatch bottom rank 'cause nothing matters anymore since I'm going to be a doctor anyways."

The "last in your class" platitude is used to bolster some degree of pride and integrity from the ****ty realization that you have been deemed less academically/clinically gifted than literally every other person in your class. It's something that people tell each other so they don't let the idea of failure destroy them. Sorry that you're tired of hearing it, but it's a cushion for many people's reality.

 

[Serous Demilune]

Are you serious? Nobody says, "Sweet, now that I'm in med school wracking up six figure debt let me just snatch bottom rank 'cause nothing matters anymore since I'm going to be a doctor anyways."

The "last in your class" platitude is used to bolster some degree of pride and integrity from the ****ty realization that you have been deemed less academically/clinically gifted than literally every other person in your class. It's something that people tell each other so they don't let the idea of failure destroy them. Sorry that you're tired of hearing it, but it's a cushion for many people's reality.

I would say being the literal bottom of your class at a US MD school makes you about equal to someone at the top 5% of a Caribbean school. I.e., you'll match what you want as long as your expectations aren't high and you don't completely f*ck up your residency interviews.

 

[AlmostAnMD]

I was going to say "unmatched"

 

[PL198]

it's not like you're doomed if you don't get into a good program... I swear people think their lives are dependent on matching into a good residency. Obviously it's not going to hurt you but it's not like you become untouchable if you are at a below avg program.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

As someone from a rural area who wants to go back...and at least so far is digging primary care. This is okay with me. 😛

 

[Screwtape]

A dentist?

 

[DocVader1990]

I would say being the literal bottom of your class at a US MD school makes you about equal to someone at the 50% of a DO school and the top 5% of a Caribbean school. I.e., you'll match what you want as long as your expectations aren't high and you don't completely f*ck up your residency interviews.

So being at the bottom of your class will still match you better than 50 percent of DO's? This statement has the makings of an excellent troll thread.

 

[BrooklynBulls]

Bottom of your class doesnt close that many doors. But the associations most likely to be caused by being last in the class? Low/failing board scores, non-stellar LORs, poor clinical grades, etc, do. If the ONLY problem on your app is you're in the last quartile, but good to stellar elsewhere? That's not a problem. But its honestly rare in my experience.

 

[Microshaft]

who cares about your rank
im bronze league and im owning nubs lolz

 

[Ariodant]

What do I call the lowest ranked person to graduate in my class? Classmate. And once s/he graduates, doctor.

 

[PL198]

who cares about your rank
im bronze league and im owning nubs lolz

challenger = derm + ortho

 

[Serous Demilune]

.

 

[DocVapor]

Why not? If half a DO class matches rural primary care (not sure if they do) then yea.

You should know better than to make statements about competitiveness based off of match lists.

 

[Serous Demilune]

You should know better than to make statements about competitiveness based off of match lists.

That's pretty much what this whole thread's about, no? Anyway sorry, I'll take out that part of my post.

 

[Apoplexy__]

being the literal bottom of your class at a US MD school makes you about equal to someone at the 50% of a DO school

Something like this would only be true in the comparison of a bottom-class US MD vs. 50th percentile DO matching into highly competitive specialties for allopathic programs. For most other comparisons, I would be surprised if the difference between US MD and DO (when considering osteo+allo programs combined) was more than the difference between top 10 med schools and other US MDs.

 

[Serous Demilune]

Something like this would only be true in the comparison of a bottom-class US MD vs. 50th percentile DO matching into highly competitive specialties for allopathic programs. For most other comparisons, I would be surprised if the difference between US MD and DO (when considering osteo+allo programs combined) was more than the difference between top 10 med schools and other US MDs.

You're right, that was stupid of me. I took it down.