@happymomof1 I think name does matter; the directors of residency programs do look into the quality of prior students and directors of different medical schools. Besides that, the opportunities also matter. You’re going to have more opportunities to do “field work” at a medical school with a well-established hospital, and that will benefit you when applying for residency and getting inundated with interview questions. Which medical schools are going to allow you to treat patients at these hospitals? The big name-schools. Doing work in well-established hospitals also provides medical students with the opportunity to treat things that you wouldn’t normally see in a smaller hospital, which can be a great learning experience. Furthermore, it’ll be much more beneficial to be doing intense, true-to-life disease treatment in a hospital than going over textbook cases. Many times, real-life disease varies so much from the textbook that it can be easily misdiagnosed if one is not experienced. It’s not just about receiving your MD and specializing; it’s about the quality of your work in career.