<p>I want to enter an extremely competitive field (cosmetic surgery). Once you get to a certain level of success in that field, you're pretty much working for wealthy people who are (usually) prestige-whores. The thing is, a lot of people assume that schools that are renowned for undergrad are just as prestigious when it comes to med school...but this is only true some of the time (ex. Harvard). Is it better to get a med degree from a school like WashU or, say, Stanford. I'm not saying AT ALL that Stanford is not a prestigious med school (ha), or that it's easy to get into by any means...but I think it's safe to say that Stanford is more prestigious than WashU in the general public's eyes, but WashU is considered to be more prestigious within the medical community. Obviously it will be incredibly difficult to get into either of these schools, but let's just look at it hypothetically. :)</p>
<p>Use the search function... this type of question has been answered before.</p>
<p>Come back to us when you have the option of choosing between Stanford and WashU for med school.</p>
<p>What a waste. Why bother to go to medical school, and start learning how to be a healer, then become a beautician instead? </p>
<p>If cosmetics are what interest you, then learn to be a hairdresser. It is honest work, and it makes people look prettier for far less cost and danger than cosmetic surgery. Give up your med school slot and let someone else become a doctor and take care of sick people.</p>
<p>2o_o7: I have searched, but most of the threads are along the lines of, "what's the point of going to a prestigious med school?" I already know that prestige is important in plastics; I'm just wondering what kind of "prestige" is more important in this particular field.</p>
<p>norcalguy: read the last sentence of my post...I wouldn't dream of having the luxury of choosing between the two. It's also kind of a personal thing- I'm more motivated to achieve a specific goal than a broad, general one. ex. I tried hard in HS so I could attend ____ University, not so I could go to "a good college."</p>
<p>afan: I don't want to be a cosmetologist, and I don't love beauty. True, I enjoy art and aesthetics...but I am truly intrigued by/passionate about biology and medicine. Don't label me as a "waste" of a slot in medical school simply because I'm not striving to cure cancer.</p>
<p>We'll discuss this when the time comes. We'll see you then.</p>
<p>It sounds like you love money more than medicine. Maybe you should consider business.</p>
<p>There are a lot of "ifs" in your question, especially in how it relates to your future. The biggest is your assertion of "success past a certain level" in plastics. That's a huge ****ing big if, if you don't mind me saying. You are correct that in plastics (one of the very fields of medicine in which this is true) perceived prestige is more important than actual...but, the odds of this really affecting you are minimal...</p>
<p>Think about this way. Say you end up with a job in Plastics in Dallas or Kansas City. If you are the best surgeon in plastics, it's (for the most part) not going to matter that you went to the University of Oklahoma or the University of South Dakota for medical school or even your residency/fellowship. Only if you end up in NYC, LA or Miami are you likely to run into people who can pay for your services and question your educational background...</p>