Hellobee Boards Topic: When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?

Hellobee Boards Topic: When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:55:06 +0000 jedeve on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1707379 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:32:32 +0000 jedeve 1707379@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Sometimes. I know a lot of people judge state schools harshly, but I think it's important to realize there are multiple factors that affected where someone went to school - cost, desire to be near family, desire to practice in a certain area. And some lesser known programs are excellent, so unless you are very familiar with the medical training field, I don't think it would be fair to judge on school alone. That being said, I am more impressed by some schools. And we have a family friend who didn't get into med school anywhere he applied, and ended up going in the Caribbean. That I am less comfortable with... BSB on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1707370 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:30:42 +0000 BSB 1707370@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Nope. If I see it on their wall, I'll look. Otherwise, I don't really care. meredithNYC on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1707363 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:27:39 +0000 meredithNYC 1707363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mrs. Pen: Good God, that's depressing. I don't really check. That said, I have been lucky up to this point in my life (knock on wood) and haven't required a whole lot of medical care. I'm sure that would probably change if I were looking at specialists, etc. spaniellove on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1707289 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 12:02:16 +0000 spaniellove 1707289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I look at their education and residency but don't actually base my decision on that unless it's a specialty where one hospital is known for that department. Like if it was neurology, I'd prefer a doctor who was trained at a particular hospital in the area. sunny on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1707275 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 11:58:28 +0000 sunny 1707275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yup I looked at med school and residency when deciding who to cold call on a list of recommended doctors. Meridian on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1707215 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 11:41:01 +0000 Meridian 1707215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No, my OB and my Primary care were both referrals, so I didn't even think to check educational background! And I am happy with both. Although last year my dad (who is a doctor) asked where my OB went, so I looked it up on her profile. He didn't look impressed, haha. deactivated_account on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1707208 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 11:38:24 +0000 deactivated_account 1707208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes, I always look at their college. I like the doctors to go to a school I would have wanted to go to if I was going to go to medical school. I don't look at residency though. Maybe I should..... I also look at at yelp reviews. I picked one doctor based on the way she personally responded to a yelp reviewer. I basically want to be this doctor's best friend. Mrs. Pen on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1707192 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 11:35:20 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1707192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Happygal: you would be surprised at the number of people who do. I usually direct the patients to the physicians bios on our clinic website and ask them to choose, because I won't do that. Greentea on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1707000 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:37:31 +0000 Greentea 1707000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes. I look at undergrad, med school, and residency. aegie on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1706913 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:12:34 +0000 aegie 1706913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I am more interested in bed side manner and reviews. So for my PCP I asked around, did a lot of research and found a practice that had great reviews and people I actually knew also recommend that practice. For specialists, I absolutely look at all factors - how long they've been in practice, where they did their residency, education, other doctors in their practice (if not a solo practice) and reviews. But the number one thing I look for is board certification. Are they certified by the board in whatever it is they are certified in, is there a lapse in their certification? You can be a doctor in a field, but board certified requires recognition of his/her expertise in that field and is qualified based on their standards. snowjewelz on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1706657 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:40:54 +0000 snowjewelz 1706657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I do if the info is available but it doesn't really affect my decision. mrs. bird on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1706651 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:39:07 +0000 mrs. bird 1706651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes! More so I look into specialists training rather than my PC (I chose her based on recommendations from many in the medical field), but I want to know where a specialist went to school, where they did their residency & what they're board certified in. I was referred by a hospital once to see a dr for a follow up, he gave me meds that caused me to have seizures, refused to acknowledge that the meds were the cause (I'd never had one before) & refused to try other treatments. When I looked into him, he'd gone to med school abroad (he went to school in his home country) & wasn't board certified in the specialty he was practicing here. I don't know what standard practices are where he was trained, but I can tell you everyone I've talked to about the situation here has been taken back by his approach & they've all said they would never use the treatment he did. I've become much more diligent in checking since then. That said, I live in an area where I have access to some if the best health care in the world & I have the luxury of being picky, if I lived in an area with more limited access, I'm sure I would have no chose but to relax my standards, you work with what you've got. rachiecakes on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1706642 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:35:57 +0000 rachiecakes 1706642@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @littlek: yes, I always do! @MsLipGloss: for this reason. oliviaoblivia on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1706617 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:26:26 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1706617@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I always look. And then run it by my mom. Alivoo01 on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1706614 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:25:42 +0000 Alivoo01 1706614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I do because I'm always curious to see where they went, but it doesn't affect my decision to go to them or not. Location and reputation drives my decision. matador84 on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1706606 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:21:53 +0000 matador84 1706606@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I get curious and look. I do like to see when they are additionally trained beyond the scope of their med school education. winniebee on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended/page/2#post-1706600 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:18:23 +0000 winniebee 1706600@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Silva: it took my brother 3x to get in as well. He played college baseball for his freshman year of college and it ruined his academic record in college! Blame it on immaturity at age 18. But then was a star in medical school and did great on boards and had no problem getting a good residency. Boheme on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706595 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:15:47 +0000 Boheme 1706595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Nope. I work with doctors every day, and some of the worst ones went to the 'best' schools. I only look at their residency placement. shellio on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706590 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:13:48 +0000 shellio 1706590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I look because I'm always curious if we trained in places where we might know the same people :) (I'm a physician) Happygal on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706587 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:12:48 +0000 Happygal 1706587@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mrs. Pen: whhaaaat? People actually ask that? Charm54 on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706584 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:09:31 +0000 Charm54 1706584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Nope, it doesn't matter to me Silva on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706583 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:08:19 +0000 Silva 1706583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @winniebee: seriously, my husband graduated at the top of his med school class, was in the honor society had his choice of residency programs and stellar recommendations from docs....and it took him three tries to get into medical school. Mrs. Pen on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706582 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:07:50 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1706582@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Doesn't matter to me. I do look purely out of curiosity. I work in a clinic and we have a lot of doctors who attended school outside the country, but that hasn't affected their medical care. What bothers me more is when patients ask to see a white or "American" doctor. LuLu Mom on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706578 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:07:26 +0000 LuLu Mom 1706578@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No that wouldn't matter to me, honestly I have no idea where our doctors did go to school. Bao on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706570 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:04:47 +0000 Bao 1706570@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Nope does not make a difference to me. Mrs. Lemon-Lime on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706565 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:03:50 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1706565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @winniebee: same. I am comfortable if a doctor attended a medical school in the Caribbean, for instance, but their residency was stateside. littlek on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706564 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:02:12 +0000 littlek 1706564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Silva: Thank you! winniebee on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706553 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 07:58:08 +0000 winniebee 1706553@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Silva: same Silva on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706552 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 07:58:01 +0000 Silva 1706552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @littlek: just wanted to add, don't just look at the name of the program. Many residency programs are attached to schools, and people often make the assumption that good college = good residency program. For example, the state university that my husbands programs is attached too doesn't have the fanciest sounding name, but the residency program he is in is consistently ranked as one of the best in the country. Different programs invest in different things, and for primary care you want a school that focuses on that, not necessarily research (which many big name schools put their money in). winniebee on "When you choose a doctor, do you look at what medical school they attended?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-choose-a-doctor-do-you-look-at-what-medical-school-they-attended#post-1706547 Wed, 18 Jun 2014 07:56:57 +0000 winniebee 1706547@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Honestly where they did their residency (actual training) is more important so I look at that more. My husband and brother are doctors. Medical school you can just have good college grades and be a moron and get into a good school. Residency is based on medical school, board scores, and recommendations from doctors you work with in med school.