While all medical schools share the goal of producing well-rounded doctors, each program offers distinct opportunities and resources.
The medical school experience is shaped by that institution’s mission. Some prioritize research, others prioritize primary care and some balance both. As a result, community service, research experience and coursework expectations vary.
However, this distinction – and its impact on students’ career trajectories – isn’t so cut and dried, experts say. While premeds should consider career goals when identifying best-fit programs, most schools produce doctors capable of succeeding in a variety of disciplines.
Primary Care-Based Programs
“Schools that tend to produce a lot of students who go into primary care have given their students a robust experience in clinical medicine, particularly outpatient medicine,” says Dr. Christine Jacobs, vice president for medical affairs and dean at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. These schools value training graduates to work directly with patients.
Primary care, which includes specialties like internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics, emphasizes continuity and patient-centered care. This tends to be a good fit for aspiring primary care physicians who are interested in forming long-term relationships with patients.
Attending a school ranked high for clinical care will not prevent you from
pursuing research opportunities, experts say. Schools recognize that research experience is one way students can distinguish themselves for residency applications, along with clinical experience and community service.
“Going to a school that’s very strong in primary care allows you to see the full breadth of medicine,” Jacobs says.
Medical schools with high research activity tend to have significant federal funding from agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These research-intensive schools have infrastructure for research, innovation and discovery, experts say.
“Their institutions are focused on advancing medical science, advancing biological sciences, and they’re looking for students who might be able to contribute to that,” says Dr. Sahil Mehta, an interventional radiologist and founder of MedSchoolCoach. These schools tend to look for students with a strong academic performance and research potential.
Schools that prioritize research prepare students well for future careers as physician scientists and educators. Research-focused schools can also give students a leg up for competitive specialties, like dermatology and plastic surgery, experts say.
“Different programs will have more or fewer requirements around research, but a research-intensive medical school will always have a deep bench in terms of opportunities to participate,” says Dr. Lia Logio, vice dean for medical education at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Ohio.
