<p>We’re talking about prestige in academia and more specifically, science (for the most part).</p>
<p>I think you might want to check up on where he got his MD degree, then. Another thing, an MD/PhD at a pedigree school is usually fully funded. That means no loans.</p>
<p>You’re right, there is no guaranteed road to success…we’ll just tell all the MD/PhD students at top schools that they’re living in a fairy tale.</p>
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<p>OK, smart guy, you got me (feel better now?) He ONLY got his undergrad at Princeton in Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology. His Med School was lowly Ohio State and his pediatric urology residency was at Duke. Sorry, I didn’t have his CV memorized verbatim, my eyes must have been seeing stars when I read Princeton. </p>
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<p>And they also require getting in. So, again, good luck with that. Just because you think you are worthy, it doesn’t mean everyone else will. But, seriously, I wish you the best.</p>
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<p>I’m sure they all have their own story to tell, but I can guarantee they would rather speak for themselves rather than you have speak for them.</p>
<p>My SIL has a PhD in Physics and went to Dental School at U of Mich and graduated at the top of her class. Know where she works? The community dental clinic…by choice, call it a calling. No matter where your degree is from, you still will have to function on your own merits. A piece of paper won’t give you a free pass.</p>
<p>While you seem like a bright kid and will do well in your academic pursuits, I hope at some point in your academic life, you learn a little humility. Just because you THINK you are better than everyone else and more worthy, it doesn’t make it so. Good luck convincing a MD/PhD board otherwise.</p>
<p>i don’t think this has anything to do with whether i get into medical school or not. and i don’t think i’m giving off the vibe of being better than everyone else, either. but it doesn’t matter, really…it’s useless to argue about this.</p>
<p>a guy I met the other day went to Princeton Med too, and then he rode off on a unicorn</p>
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<p>We’re not talking about what it takes to succeed as a practicing physician. In fact, I’ve always said that if you just want to be a practicing physician, then prestige matters little. </p>
<p>We’re talking about what it takes to be successful in academia. The truth is, in academia, prestige matters quite a lot. Sad but true.</p>
<p>Look, it’s specifically the PhD part of this thread that drew me in. If you all you want is an MD to become a practicing physician, then my posts don’t apply to you. </p>
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<p>I never said that they’re living in a fairy tale.</p>
<p>But to say that somebody with a PhD from Wright State who wants to become an academic that he will have the same chances of success as somebody coming out of Harvard, now that’s the fairy tale. He’s not going to have the same chances, and that guy should know that going in. Whether we like it or not, academia is a highly insular and status-conscious world where gatekeepers can and will block your chances of publication and promotion success. To pretend otherwise is the real fairy tale.</p>
<p>Look, I don’t like it. I don’t think that’s the way academia should be. It would be nice to think that, for example, journal referees and editors really would judge your papers solely on their merits without regard for your professional status. But that’s not reality. Like it or not, your status will be a factor.</p>