top tier, middle tier, lower tier

[Alastriss]

What schools are considered top tier, middle tier, and lower tier?

Is there a discrete way of classifying them? ie top 20 in research and to 20 in Primary care is classified as top tier (US news) and 20 - 50 is middle tier and the rest is lower tier?

 

and when people speak of tiers, does this matter when u are applying for a residency in canada? Im sure top tier schools that are well known ie harvard, JHU, etc may not be a problem but is a school like wayne vs SUNY differentiated at all by program directors or is it just classified as the same in level?

[sonyvaio2700]

Other than the obvious top schools -Harvard, John Hopkins, Duke, etc. All other schools are pretty much bunched together as "almost equal". So you are right a SUNY school is almost on par with Wayne as terms of reputation. But seriously though, this should not effect you since the order of getting good residencies depends on 1) Your Step 1 scores 2) Your clinical year grades. 3) other intangibles: AOA designation, reference letters, research publication

 

School reputation does not factor a whole lot. But it would be foolish to say it doesnt completely. Since which school you go to largely depends "what contacts" you make, who you know...all of which helps get good residency placements. But on the large scale, a good student is evaluated by the first three things I mentioned.

[bane]

I gotta agree with Sony. I don't think many people put much stock in rankings by US News and Macleans.

 

There's going to be the ones that always get top 5-10, like Sony said.

 

My main concern is getting in somewhere.

 

Besides, what do you call the dumbest bumb who graduates last in his class?

A doctor.