4 answers
sarah
Student
Painesville, Ohio
1
Question
Asked
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Is it a bad idea to only apply to med schools that are geographically near your family?
I want to pursue a degree in medicine. There are three medical schools within 1.5 hours from my family, thus those are the only ones to which I plan on applying. That seems reasonable to me, but when I read others' posts about med school, many students seem borderline obsessed with getting into anywhere. I feel like I have a healthy attitude about med school, but now I'm wondering if I am missing something? I understand it's competitive, but it's not life and death.
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4 answers
Christopher Pichay
physician
3
Answers
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
Christopher’s Answer
Hi Sarah!
It all depends on your priorities: If your priority is to get into medical school then it behooves you to apply wherever you can to get in which may require you looking outside of your geographic comfort. If you are a very competitive candidate and you have your "pick of the litter" and you want to stay near your family, then that is ok. However, if your priority is to stay near your family you may have to consider that you may not get in to those particular places and probably should entertain the idea of a different career path.
Medicine, training to be a physician, and being a physician are very difficult paths and require dedication, fortitude and resolve. You are going to have to go through a lot to get to the finish line but remember it is all temporary. When you get to the finish line, then you can always return to locations nearer to your family.
Good luck and God bless!
It all depends on your priorities: If your priority is to get into medical school then it behooves you to apply wherever you can to get in which may require you looking outside of your geographic comfort. If you are a very competitive candidate and you have your "pick of the litter" and you want to stay near your family, then that is ok. However, if your priority is to stay near your family you may have to consider that you may not get in to those particular places and probably should entertain the idea of a different career path.
Medicine, training to be a physician, and being a physician are very difficult paths and require dedication, fortitude and resolve. You are going to have to go through a lot to get to the finish line but remember it is all temporary. When you get to the finish line, then you can always return to locations nearer to your family.
Good luck and God bless!
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
1085
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Sarah,
It's fine to only apply to med schools close to home if you wouldn't want to move any further anyway. You'd have to be either very confident that you'll get into one of those or perfectly ok with maybe not going to med school (or maybe not going this round). That's your decision and your priorities.
Many people who are eager to become doctors would indeed do whatever it takes to go to med school. In fact, many professions, including academic work come with an expectation that you'll move to wherever the job is.
Other people might have different preferences and different priorities. Not everyone wants to stay close to home for a variety of reasons. Some people see college as a chance to experience a different part of the country. Some people see college as a chance to "get out of" whatever they need to get out of. Some people feel they need to be in New York or LA to make it in their chosen profession.
There is nothing inherently healthy or unhealthy about any of those preferences. But it's good that you are clear where your priorities are. I hope, your dreams come true and you'll get into one of those schools close to home.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
It's fine to only apply to med schools close to home if you wouldn't want to move any further anyway. You'd have to be either very confident that you'll get into one of those or perfectly ok with maybe not going to med school (or maybe not going this round). That's your decision and your priorities.
Many people who are eager to become doctors would indeed do whatever it takes to go to med school. In fact, many professions, including academic work come with an expectation that you'll move to wherever the job is.
Other people might have different preferences and different priorities. Not everyone wants to stay close to home for a variety of reasons. Some people see college as a chance to experience a different part of the country. Some people see college as a chance to "get out of" whatever they need to get out of. Some people feel they need to be in New York or LA to make it in their chosen profession.
There is nothing inherently healthy or unhealthy about any of those preferences. But it's good that you are clear where your priorities are. I hope, your dreams come true and you'll get into one of those schools close to home.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Thank you!
Keith Peevy
Physician—neonatologist
16
Answers
Mobile, Alabama
Updated
Keith’s Answer
Your considerations in choosing to which schools to apply should include:
1. Your comfort level being apart from family for 4 or more years, except some holidays, if you choose distant cities in which to enroll. In post-graduate training, time off is generally even more limited, and many people train in residency close to the school they attended.
2. Your tolerance for the expense—if all funds are being borrowed ( and then repaid), choosing state schools with lower tuition than private schools should probably be a major consideration.
3. Your competitiveness will play major role—if schools close by are more difficult to get into, distance from home may be necessary to go at all.
Remember, medical school is an immersion experience to a large degree, so family time and recreation is going to become much less common than in years prior. Medical school is not nearly so free in time as undergraduate school. Once you enter, the next 7-10 years are very busy! But the rewards in job satisfaction and the joy of to service to others will make it worthwhile.
1. Your comfort level being apart from family for 4 or more years, except some holidays, if you choose distant cities in which to enroll. In post-graduate training, time off is generally even more limited, and many people train in residency close to the school they attended.
2. Your tolerance for the expense—if all funds are being borrowed ( and then repaid), choosing state schools with lower tuition than private schools should probably be a major consideration.
3. Your competitiveness will play major role—if schools close by are more difficult to get into, distance from home may be necessary to go at all.
Remember, medical school is an immersion experience to a large degree, so family time and recreation is going to become much less common than in years prior. Medical school is not nearly so free in time as undergraduate school. Once you enter, the next 7-10 years are very busy! But the rewards in job satisfaction and the joy of to service to others will make it worthwhile.
James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
157
Answers
Oakland, California
Updated
James’s Answer
I recommend applying broadly. It is hard to get in to medical school, and narrowing down to the 3 near you is risky. I ended up getting into medical school half way across the country, and it turned out great. I was better prepared than many of my intern colleagues, I learned about a new part of our country and its people, and it afforded opportunities I would not have known about. It is hard, but good to be away from family for a time, and you are likely going to be able to get into a residency and a job after that wherever in the country you choose to live.