Will going to a school with low board scores and getting low board scores matter for me?

[MisterFutu]

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I am interested in primary care, particularly family medicine. Will it be detrimental to go to a school known to dish out average board scores. I can probably match somewhere, and come out. Perhaps it might affect me later down the line as I apply for jobs, if I get a low boardscore. I would love to stay and work in California.

 

[sigmasigma]

In my opinion, any school you go to, board scores are going to be what you make of them. You can study really hard and do way above the school average. It's how much effort you're willing to put in.

At the end of the day, I think the most important factors of picking a medical school is being close to your support systems and being happy where you are.
Don't worry about the board score averages, just do you.

I don't really know much about board scores and jobs though....but my gut feeling is telling me that I don't think employers care after you already do your residency in your field.

 

[cliquesh]

Not all residencies are created equal. Doing well on boards will help you get into a good residency which will help you get a good job. It would be very odd if your employer asked for your specific board scores, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Take the boards very seriously. They are pretty much the most important thing on your application. Doing well will open many doors for you, especially if you decide to apply to a more competitive residency. As a pre-med, I thought I wanted to do family medicine, but I ended up in anesthesia. You may change your mind about primary care, too.

Anyway, as sigma sigma said, the boards are really up to you. You can do well at pretty much any school if you put in the hours. I personally think doing tons of practice questions is the key to high scores on standardized tests.