Advice to the Next Generation
Questions from Our Readers, Answers from Physicians
Question
"In addition to factors such as size or location, how can a prospective student tell if a medical school is the right one for him or her? How can one tell if the program it offers is a good one?"
– Marta Gorczyca, Harvard College
Answer
It seems there are three important factors: curriculum, location, and an offer of acceptance. The curricula of accredited medical schools in the US will provide you with proper training no matter where you go. There is now concentration on both classroom and case-base learning as well as horizontal integration between topics in medical colleges (eg. combined histology/pathology and anatomy classes). Although many medical schools are now pass/fail during their first two years, it is common for the clinical rotations in the first 2 years to be graded (high honors, honors, pass, low-pass, fail). Curriculum, as well as first-choice placement into residencies for fourth year medical students are important factors when looking at medical schools. Location is important if there are personal considerations that must be weighed (including whether you hate snow). Ultimately, though, you can only go where you're accepted. If you get into only one school, it becomes your top choice, and it will be adequate for opening the doors of medicine to you. I must add, though, that students are considered a good risk, and that financial aid is available for accredited medical colleges. Cost can be a consideration, and if cost makes the decision for you, that's OK, too. The accreditation process is a good check so that the US does not put out bad doctors.
– Valencia D. Thomas, M.D., Harvard Dermatology Residency Program, Intern in Reproductive Medicine at the University of California San Diego.
From afar, you should look for a school whose curriculum seems both intellectually rigorous and appealing. You should investigate their resources for the aspects of the school beyond the classroom that you find compelling--community service, research, teaching, etc. Take advice from mentors you trust and peers who have recently been through the process. During your interview days and your eventual revisits, consider the student body and your "gut feeling". You will be living and learning in this environment for at least four years, and it must be a community that you can feel at home in, in order to maximize what you get out of medical school.
– Sarah Henrickson, 3rd year M.D./Ph.D. student at HMS