<p>I agree with the previous posters that those interested in academic medicine and competitive subspecialties have an advantage if they come from top programs ( I have served on the residency selection committee of a highly ranked medical school). Moreover, even if one were interested in more common areas of medicine such as internal medicine or pediatrics, going to a top medical school makes it easier to get into a top residency program. At a less-ranked school, one would have to be at the very top of his/her class to get into such programs. This has benefits, particularly if one then wants to pursue subspecialty training in competitive ares such as cardiology or G.I. On the other hand, where you go to medical school probably does not matter to your patients, particularly if you are practicing primary care medicine. There are happy to have a caring and qualified physician.</p>
<p>As someone already mentioned, where you attend medical school may also matter if you want to be a subspecialist in certain popular fields such as opthalmology or dermatology, or are trying to market yourself in a boutique branch of medicine whether it be cosmetic plastic surgery, non-traditional medicine or nutration with perhas a fad diet (seems like many of the better selling authors have fairly respectable credentials, at least on paper). I also agree that in healthcare management, government administration, venture capitalism, going to a name-brand school may also help as these type of jobs tend to be high profile, and one wants to establish rapid credibility with the public or investors. Just like in law, credentials matter in such situations even if it does not necessarily reflect genuine expertise. I also would say that sometimes careers can take unusual turns, and that one may not have predicted in medical school what one would be doing twenty years afterwards. However, just as going to a highly regarded university or college can increase options, so it is true for medical school. Some of these options have nothing to do with medicine so where you go does not play a huge role-e.g., Gertrude Stein attended Hopkins (did not graduate) and William Carlos Williams graduated from Penn but they are primarily known as poets with little consideration of their medical background. On the other hand, authors like Michael Crichton or Lewis Thomas who wrote about fictional and non-fictional topics in medicine probably benefited initially having a Harvard Medical School connection. I also look at the career of someone like Bernadine Healey who went to Hopkins and then pursued an academic career before becoming director of the NIH, Cleveland Clinic, Red Cross, and is now a commentator for U.S. News. Her Hopkins medical degree may have helped initially but each of her subsequent positions depended upon her previous accomplishments. Also, of note, the past 8 surgeon generals attended Utah, Puerto Rico, Ohio State, Arkansas, Meharry, Case Western, UCSF, and George Washington, respectively, which certainly represents a full spectrum of medical schools based purely on academic reputation. So attending a 'pretigious" medical school is not a prerequisite for attaining a high prolfile job in medicine.</p>
<p>One other plug for attending larger and more well known schools would be the range of faculty and clinical experiences available. If one wants to be a molecular biologist, a cardiac transplant surgeon, and or public health specialist focusing on AIDS prevention, these options are all available at such a school. Primary care medicine opportunities also would still be available. On the other hand, some schools which have mostly a primary care focus will not have the diversity of opportunities as the former. Sometimes being exposed to an exciting area or meeting an inspiring mentor can change one's career course in unanticipated ways.</p>