Once you have finally gotten through your undergrad experience, choosing a medical program to advance your education and career may shock you when you realize it is not as easy as you thought it would be.
Many different factors go into choosing the perfect medical program for you, and you should be sure to consider the following factors to ensure a positive experience.
Location
The first thing that needs to be considered when choosing your next step in the medical field is the location. If you have an idea of where you want to live in the future, try to find a school near that location. It will make finding jobs in the future much more comfortable, as you will have the opportunity to make connections with influential people from the beginning.
If you do not think there are any excellent medical programs near the location you like, you might have to do a little more research. For example, if you know your specialty is internal medicine, try finding specific internal medicine residency locations. You may be shocked to see a highly ranked school or program in your field near you.
Specialty
As said before, you should keep your specialty in mind throughout your decision. Time is valuable, and you should not waste too much time on specialties that do not concern your profession. In the beginning, you will most likely have to go through general classes and programs; however, as time passes, you should be able to control what you are learning and experiencing. Your residency should not be in dentistry if you want to work in the emergency room.
Prestige
You do not need to go to the highest-ranked program or school to get a job or residency; however, studies show that people that go to more widely known and appreciated schools have an easier time finding a job or residency in the future. As long as you do well throughout the entire program, your school will not matter as much, but you might be able to make better connections if you go somewhere with a high success rate. More opportunities come with more prominent schools, but if you are not happy at your school, succeeding will not be as easy, so choose a school or program that makes you happy.
Cost
Cost is a factor that, unfortunately, has to be worried about on a higher level than most people prefer. Most people come out of school in debt, so you will not be alone, but if you will be in less debt from one school than another, do what you have to do to save money.
A few thousand dollars goes a long way, and that holds true after you graduate and complete residency. However, do not let high costs hold you back from fulfilling your dream. Being in debt is not the end of the world, and as long as you are smart with your money, you will eventually recover.
