What is the value in attending a top 20 med school?

[njbmd]

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A lot of people have been telling me that it's basically as easy to be successful from a lower end medical school as it would be to attend a top medical school. Now sure, getting a residency is easier from the top medical schools, but in the end, what is the benefit for working your end off to get into that good med school?

You need to get into the medical school that is the best fit for you. If that turns out to be a "top 20" school, then that's where you need to be. The benefit of hard work isn't that you attend a "top 20" school but that you have some choices.

Yes, if you do well at a lower-ranked school, you are going to have an advantage over a person who didn't do well at a higher-ranked school. The problem comes in not being able to "choose" the best school for you. If you only get into one school, that's were you go and you adapt. If you work hard, get into several schools, then you can make some choices as to where you can do your best work. Your "best" school may not be the top "ranked" school but at least you are not stuck with whatever.

The ranking of the school that doesn't accept you is meaningless in your career. The goal is not to just attend a school based on rankings alone but to have a choice as to what school works out the be the best for you. The more schools you get into, the more choices you have to weigh and likely the better your chances of ending up where you can do outstanding work.

 

[mmmcdowe]

You need to get into the medical school that is the best fit for you. If that turns out to be a "top 20" school, then that's where you need to be. The benefit of hard work isn't that you attend a "top 20" school but that you have some choices.

Yes, if you do well at a lower-ranked school, you are going to have an advantage over a person who didn't do well at a higher-ranked school. The problem comes in not being able to "choose" the best school for you. If you only get into one school, that's were you go and you adapt. If you work hard, get into several schools, then you can make some choices as to where you can do your best work. Your "best" school may not be the top "ranked" school but at least you are not stuck with whatever.

The ranking of the school that doesn't accept you is meaningless in your career. The goal is not to just attend a school based on rankings alone but to have a choice as to what school works out the be the best for you. The more schools you get into, the more choices you have to weigh and likely the better your chances of ending up where you can do outstanding work.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding.

 

[StanLee]

With the exception of Washington University and Hopkins, the students who attend a top 20 med school tend to be taller, more athletic, and significantly more physically attractive. So if you enjoy hanging out with tall, athletic, good looking people, attending a top 20 makes sense.

This is a whole lot of complete BS.

It might make sense to say that about a surgeon, an orthopedic surgeon, etc. or something...but makes aboslutely no sense about top 20 medical school students. I find it hard to believe that there is any linkage between med school and attractiveness.

Its convinient to make such bluster and BS because you figure there are no images to disprove what you say.

yet if you look at the residency profiles of almost any speciality at the top schools which routinely only take med students from top schools...these kids are nothing to be envious of. They' aren't particularly attractive guys at columbia or harvard or penn or northwestern. so I dont know where you get this crap from

 

[searun]

This is a whole lot of complete BS.

It might make sense to say that about a surgeon, an orthopedic surgeon, etc. or something...but makes aboslutely no sense about top 20 medical school students. I find it hard to believe that there is any linkage between med school and attractiveness.

Its convinient to make such bluster and BS because you figure there are no images to disprove what you say.

yet if you look at the residency profiles of almost any speciality at the top schools which routinely only take med students from top schools...these kids are nothing to be envious of. They' aren't particularly attractive guys at columbia or harvard or penn or northwestern. so I dont know where you get this crap from

Calm down Stan! Your comments reflect your lack of direct personal experience in these matters. By the way, how tall are you?

 

[ILikeDrugs]

It's similar to wearing a plain blue t-shirt, but instead you get to wear a plain blue t-shirt with a cool nike symbol. Plus, when in a group and talking about the good ol' college days you get to be the badass of the group by mentioning your top school. The sad thing is, you will be the only one aware of your school being in the top 20. Nobody else will give a sht. Cheers.

 

[searun]

It's similar to wearing a plain blue t-shirt, but instead you get to wear a plain blue t-shirt with a cool nike symbol. Plus, when in a group and talking about the good ol' college days you get to be the badass of the group by mentioning your top school. The sad thing is, you will be the only one aware of your school being in the top 20. Nobody else will give a sht. Cheers.

Are you a philosophy major? That was deep, very deep. And everytime I drive by the place where Prefontaine died in 1974, my eyes well up with tears, and I cry, I do, I cry, and I realize that if Pre were still alive, he would be second in command behind Phil Knight at Nike, and how great would that be. And Pre would wear a blue t-shirt, if he were running at age 57, that said: "Stop Pre." But nothing could ever stop Pre, except, death, which eventually stops all of us.

 

[StanLee]

Calm down Stan! Your comments reflect your lack of direct personal experience in these matters. By the way, how tall are you?

Oh great...lets attack my height and assume thats the reason I make these comments.

Seriously...your so full of $#!T its not even funny. If you dont believe what I said just look up the residents at various schools who have their images shown. Hardly any are attractive. I'm not questioning height since I cant judge how tall they are, but as a good looking guy thats not something I'm insecure of if they're unattractive.

Now take a abercrombie fitch look alike football jock who's 6'5 and I'd be a little concerned...but I dont see these types populating the top 20 med schools.

I can see it say at Law school and perhaps the 5-20 business schools(top 5 are basically nerdy guys) but med school? Please.

 

[Handy388]

Oh great...lets attack my height and assume thats the reason I make these comments.

Seriously...your so full of $#!T its not even funny. If you dont believe what I said just look up the residents at various schools who have their images shown. Hardly any are attractive. I'm not questioning height since I cant judge how tall they are, but as a good looking guy thats not something I'm insecure of if they're unattractive.

Now take a abercrombie fitch look alike football jock who's 6'5 and I'd be a little concerned...but I dont see these types populating the top 20 med schools.

I can see it say at Law school and perhaps the 5-20 business schools(top 5 are basically nerdy guys) but med school? Please.

you'll be surprised. I go to a top 20 NY school, and many of our people are very tall and attractive, both men and women.

In medical school, you will simply find a higher caliber of people. Both intellectually, socially, and of their appearance. Don't expect find much nerds there, at least in higher ranked schools, because they can afford to choose.

 

[diosa428]

Oh great...lets attack my height and assume thats the reason I make these comments.

Seriously...your so full of $#!T its not even funny. If you dont believe what I said just look up the residents at various schools who have their images shown. Hardly any are attractive. I'm not questioning height since I cant judge how tall they are, but as a good looking guy thats not something I'm insecure of if they're unattractive.

Now take a abercrombie fitch look alike football jock who's 6'5 and I'd be a little concerned...but I dont see these types populating the top 20 med schools.

I can see it say at Law school and perhaps the 5-20 business schools(top 5 are basically nerdy guys) but med school? Please.

I also go to a top 20 school and my classmates are far more attractive than the law students and business students here.

 

[Schemp]

Although I can't speak from experience, I'd be inclined to believe that those at med school are generally more attractive. It definitely seems to me that richer kids end up being more attractive kids/adults just because of the way they're raised. They may not actually be naturally more attractive, but they have the money to nurture there looks, if that makes sense. Since a large proportion of med students come from rich families, it follows that many of them will be pretty attractive.

 

[searun]

I was joking when I made the comment about top 20 med students being taller, more athletic, and more attractive. Several of you took the bait.

However, there really are alot of very attractive people at the top 10 med school that I attend, both men and women. It is surprising how many varsity college athletes are members of my med school class. I live in an apartment with three other male med students - I am 6'2", two of my roommates are 6"1", and the fourth roommate is 6 foot and all of us are quite athletic. Did we self select each other with these characteristics as roommates. Perhaps subconciously.

But the nerdy med school stereotype definitely does not apply at my school. But, seriously, I was kidding. So relax, Stan. 5'7" is fine. I think that Napoleon was only 5'4" and he did ok.

 

[elyswim]

This thread delivers! 👍

 

[redlight]

haha what's funny is that you are ~all talking about the SAME silly top 20 school (minus diosa).

 

[quirks]

From what I can tell, the main benefits of a top 20 school have to do with resources. You probably get a very similar education, but regardless of rank, the more money your school has the more resources it has, and top 20 schools tend to have a lot of money. This can also be passed down to you as financial aid (scholarships, institutional loans with better rates than federal), or as money for extra curricular activities/stipends for summer research/etc. And then there's the connections/networking factor.

However, as I said, a lot of this has more to do with the money than the actual ranking (but I guess the ranking is influenced by the money), so you don't necessarily have to go to a top 20 school to see these kinds of benefits. In end, you have a choice or you don't, and you go to med school somewhere and become a doctor (in the best case scenario).

 

[diosa428]

I was joking when I made the comment about top 20 med students being taller, more athletic, and more attractive. Several of you took the bait.

However, there really are alot of very attractive people at the top 10 med school that I attend, both men and women. It is surprising how many varsity college athletes are members of my med school class. I live in an apartment with three other male med students - I am 6'2", two of my roommates are 6"1", and the fourth roommate is 6 foot and all of us are quite athletic. Did we self select each other with these characteristics as roommates. Perhaps subconciously.

But the nerdy med school stereotype definitely does not apply at my school. But, seriously, I was kidding. So relax, Stan. 5'7" is fine. I think that Napoleon was only 5'4" and he did ok.

You're not the only one who was joking...

 

[texahn]

Way to digress

 

[elyswim]

Since we're digressing why did StanLee get banned? his inability to detect internet sarcasm made me lol

 

[surag]

Since we're digressing why did StanLee get banned? his inability to detect internet sarcasm made me lol

he made a reference to one's private part in another post. perhaps the stalinist crackdown is beginning to show its effects....

 

[moonsovermyhamy]

Accepted

 

[mfrizzo3]

I notice most people have disdain for those leaving to a top 20 medical school, atleast in my neck of the woods. It's straight up jealousy, point blank. We all want a top 20 school pick one of us but it just can't happen.

Not really.