When applying for rotations / residency, do they see what school you come from?

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For example, person #1 applies from one of the Big 4 schools and person #2 is from a very low tiered Caribbean school. And they BOTH have the SAME Step 1 score and SAME Step 2 score.

Sorry if this question has been answered before. I'm just wondering why a lot of people are pro-Big 4 as opposed to any other Caribbean school.

Yes, they do. They don't get just a print out of your Step scores to base their decision off of. You have to fill out large applications and they basically have access to every aspect of your academic life up until that point, including all of the institutions you've studied at. Clerkships programs are quite different from residency placement, though. Clerkship rotations aren't really "applied" for. Different Caribbean schools handle them differently. SGU and Ross, for example, have hospital agreements to place their students in various hospitals around the country. I believe AUC, Saba, and AUA still have students coordinate and schedule their own clerkships but I'm not positive about that.

Not to sound flippant, but if you don't see the benefit of the Big 4 then I'd highly suggest you expand your research. The Big 4 are called the 'Big 4' because they have shown that they can consistently and reliably get students through their programs and place them into residencies. They are also the only schools that allow physicians to practice in all 50 states. States like California, Texas, New Jersey, and New York have more rigorous standards for medical school education and subsequent state licensure. Being approved by these states indicates a level of medical education on par with US medical schools, which is a Big Deal for an international school. It also means that these schools can apply for US federal education loans. If you want a full break-down of why the Big 4 are singled out, you should see @Del Caribe 's excellent post in this thread. In short, going to one of these schools will maximize your chances of successfully becoming a physician.
 
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