Do people care about where a doctor graduated when choosing his/her family doctor?

[Blaster]

It seemed to be a weird question, but I still undecided and would like to ask for your advise.

I got accepted to both UF and USF, and am planning to do pre-med. I know UF is the top one in the State, but it does not throw out generous merit scholarships as others do. For a NMF, UF offers only $2000 (or less?) while USF offers $48,000 (12,000 per year) plus some extra. Unluckily, I'm a NMF, and I am in a hard battle as where to go. If I choose UF, my family has to pay ~10,000 per year for food and board; or pay almost nothing if going to USF.
My question is, does it make a big difference if I do pre-med at USF? In real life, do people care about where a doctor graduated when choosing his/her family doctor/physician?
Thank you for your kind opinion!

[Muffy333]

I care whether the dr went to medical school in this country; otherwise I wouldn't even ask where they went undergrad.

[marny1]

agree with Muffy.
I do check out where my doctor got his/her MD degree. I'm much less concerned where they went UG.

[Blaster]

Thank you!
Yes, both UF and USF have medical schools. I was accepted to both Honors Colleges. I don't want to ask my parents for $10,000 per year if I can be self supported. But UF has a brand name nationwide...

Besides, I am from Florida, who pays full tuition to most kids in state universities.

[sly_vt]

I don't know where my doctors have gone UG -- in fact, I don't know where they've gotten their MDs either. Of course, I live in a rural state where we have little to no choice in doctors.

[Blaster]

Really appreciated all your input!
My parents said the same, they are not sure where my family doctor got his MD, but sure it's not from Florida, ha ha ...

[StickerShock]

Agree with Muffy -- US med school is a must for me. But I'm not fussy about UG. I do happen to know all their UG schools, though. Just passing time reading the diplomas on their walls.

[owlice]

Don't care! Do well, and be relieved to not have a huge debt when you graduate from UG. (Save that for med school!)

I don't know whether my wonderful family doctor went to school in the US or not, even; I do know he's the brother of my son's pediatrician's brother-in-law.

[mathmom]

Undergrad, don't know, don't care. Med school, I might care, but in practice, don't - I choose doctors by recommendations.

[Columbia_Student]

I've always checked to make sure they graduate from US colleges and US Medical schools.

[momofthreeboys]

I don't care about undergrad really. I do care that they graduate from a US medical school. I tend to tilt toward the MDs vs. the DOs but even that's becoming a fine line.

[cnp55]

My Ob/GYN is Harvard UG and Harvard Med ... and I think she is an awesome doc.

OTOH ... I started going to her because of good personal recommendations. Found out afterwards what her education was (very high end private schools in our area) ... right back thru elementary school.

It probably would not have made a difference in going to her in the first place however. As I said, she came with excellent recs from friends.

[Beil1958]

Don't know or care where my docs went to school--other than that they went to school in the US.

Reminds me of that old line... Question: "What do you call a doctor who graduated last in his med school class?" Answer: "Doctor..."

[huskem55]

if you check out the "find a doctor" on many hospital sites, it will usually tell you where the doctor did med school, but finding out where they went to undergrad is posted much less frequently.

[idad]

As noted above, not only does no one know what undergrad school the typical doctor attended, no one know how one did in school either. Would one rather have the bottom of the class at Harvard med school or the top of the class at really good state U? Often, more important, from what I understand, is the quality of the residency. There are some very good foreign trained docs as well, and if their residency was in the U.S., I doubt one would find any difference.