Blog Post Focus
In this post I shall discuss my thoughts on whether all US medical schools are made equally. Does each provide a similar chance to their students to be successful in becoming the physicians they desire to be? In reality, there is great variation between schools both in their perceived quality and in their actual quality of teaching. Some prepare students better and some serve their students well from strength of reputation.
Any US Medical School Can Provide a Successful Avenue toward a Desired Career
Medical education is a profoundly confusing process. Students really have to do a lot of research on their own to make sure they are on top of things each step of the way. Without being proactive, a student is challenged to be successful regardless of their medical school.
There are tons of steps between undergraduate education, medical school, residency, and practicing autonomously. So, can one get into their desired medical practice from any US medical school?
Short and Long Answers
The short answer: yes. Whether one is an MD or a DO, if one has completed medical school in the US then one can match into any specialty and pursue any form of higher medical education.
The longer answer is that training at certain medical schools will make achieving a desired future medical career easier.
Realistically, US Medical Schools Are Different in How Successful They Are
A Divide: MD and DO
First of all, while MDs and DOs are full physicians in the US, DOs make up a minority of medical students. Even with the merging of DO and MD matches into one, the MD is likely to have an edge over the DO. Not because one is better than the other, but because MDs makeup me the majority of physicians. MDs typically take the USMLE series, while DOs take the COMLEX series. Many DOs will take the USMLE exams in addition to the COMLEX exams—regardless, DOs generally will not be seen as equal to MDs during the MATCH when DOs are still a minority of the trained physicians.
History and Networks
Second, the history of the medical school and its quality will affect how easy it is to pursue a desired future career in medicine. Some programs have robust alumni networks, residency programs associated with their institutions, have readily accessible resources like research and mentorship.
Other programs are very small without developed alumni networks. Some programs lack any real mentorship. Some programs are without any affiliated residency programs. Some programs have little to no established research.
Going to a program that has strong networks, research opportunities, mentorship, affiliated residency programs, and tons of resources will make pursuing a future career in a desired specialty much easier than going to programs without these opportunities.
It is much easier to utilize existing structures than to make new ones. It is much easier to find mentors when there are robust networks. It is much easier to find mentors in your desired field when the school has an affiliated residency program in your desired specialty.
Conclusion—Yes, but Each Medical School Offers a Different Journey
While someone can become a physician from any US medical school and be successful in pursuing their dream career, the medical school you go to will affect just how challenging that journey is. Going to an MD program will probably make it easier than going to a DO program. Going to a prestigious program will probably make it easier than going to a discreet program and one may be more successful than otherwise. However, some people have gone to little known DO programs and become well known in their fields. Your medical school can help you, but any program opens up medical education up to you.
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