What's more important for matching into a CA program you want? Coming from a prestigious school or having home program advantage (for ROADS specialty)

[G'rish24]

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Title. Looking for insight from PD directors, those who have matched, or those about to apply. Thank you!

 

[FindersFee5]

Derm and optho are a different world of competitiveness from anesthesia or radiology. The answer is going to be very different for the different specialties.

 

[G'rish24]

@FindersFee5 looking more at optho, derm, ortho, maybe CT

 

[efle]

@FindersFee5 looking more at optho, derm, ortho, maybe CT

Are you pre-med? These could not be any more different. Plus isn't the intent to enroll deadline already past? What actual decision are you facing right now?

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

Are you pre-med? These could not be any more different. Plus isn't the intent to enroll deadline already past? What actual decision are you facing right now?

I was thinking the same thing. pretty much top 4 'prestigious' residencies in California lol. only field missing from their interest is neurosurgery

 

[G'rish24]

Are you pre-med? These could not be any more different. Plus isn't the intent to enroll deadline already past? What actual decision are you facing right now?

Got off a waitlist. Both schools have home programs. More worried that there's only a handful of spots for surgical residencies, and not all of them are going to go to their home students. So was hoping to see if it'd be easier to match into a program coming from its home med school or coming from a more prestigious school. Was trying to not list the exact one so I can be less identifiable.

 

[efle]

Personally I would not consider UCSF to be a significantly better launchpad than UCLA or UCSD unless you knew you wanted academic medicine as a career and would be interested in doing residency/fellowship/first job all at UCSF. They are all familiar "top 20" schools with all the necessary resources, and they all place people into fantastic residencies across the state and country every year.

But, nobody can help without knowing what draws you to each one. Family closer to one? Significant other? Cost differences? If you see yourself training and practicing in SoCal, definitely don't talk yourself out of going to med school there over prestige brownie points

 

[Tenk]

Assuming you are a likable person with decent scores, home court will always trump prestige, especially if you have been involved with the program and are buddies with the PD.

 

[Slave to the Game]

Assuming you are a likable person with decent scores, home court will always trump prestige, especially if you have been involved with the program and are buddies with the PD.

Big assumption.

In an ideal situation, go to CA program and be a great person with amazing board scores.

In the more likely situation of average board scores and average personality, go to the prestigious school and try to hide your mediocrity on interview day.