I agree that cost, curriculum, and community are most important, no question. If you aren’t happy in med school it would hard to thrive and at that point it doesn’t really matter what your school ranking is.
Perhaps it would be better to label other secondary factors as “tip the needle” factors assuming two schools are comparable in cost/community vibe? All else being the same I think high ranking / funding would provide more flexibility for residency which might pay down the road. Similar to
@Goro point about USNews I guess I’m wondering if there’s better secondary factors than those I listed
Let me take one proxy you list as an example (a little more insight than some of the others): NIH funding as a proxy for research opportunities.
First, do you know what grants go into that calculation? HHMI grants do not, and these are some of the most competitive and creative grants for investigators available. There are also program grants that support MSTP students and programs. Do you know if these are included? How about new grants that are targeted for specific research infrastructure or programs? Finally, what about looking for research at the NIH or other hospitals that are affiliated but not part of the university/medical school? Funding is great but even the PhD students don't think NIH funding really tells you that you will be in a better position for a tenure track faculty job. Be aware that there is some bias in the ratings that reflects the legacy of the school and its resources.
Now it would be interesting what "community " thinks about the rankings and how much they feel they validate what they know about the program they are part of. But then you need to point to school administration for student research, past abstracts from student research days, conferences, publications, and student awards and grants. Not NIH funding.
Even members of the National Academies on faculty or who are alumni is more about brand pride, not about research opportunities.
The infrastructure is important to produce lists of Rhodes, Churchill, or Truman Scholars at the undergrad level, but it doesn't tell you about the university's true academic excellence.
Brand promotion is part of the perception of the subjective value you feel the school's name has on any diploma you get. It is not rational and feeds on a selfish desire to validate your decision to attend or teach or work at a specific university. Don't get too caught up with it as it can steal joy as you constantly torture yourself with regret. Be happy with your choice and do what you can to increase the value of your degree and brand by excelling in your way with their resources and curriculum.
So yes, many of those other things are very important for the people who pay attention to them, but unless you are vying to be a C-suiter in the medical school or at the University, don't view these metrics or polls as objective measurements of the quality of the school. In fact, there are many other metrics that you probably could look at that gives you a slightly better idea:
- % of students on financial aid, midrange amount of grants, midrange amount in loans; # on HPSP, # on NHSC; midrange amount of student debt upon graduation.
- % of students graduating within 4 years, % needing an additional year due to academic difficulties, % dismissed before taking board exams
- # doing extra degrees or certificates (which contribute to a longer graduation) and where they match
- # of patents or venture capital funded start-ups/companies
- # that do alternative careers such as medical affairs, public policy, or intellectual property; # that do locums, private practice, or community non-profit work
- # matching to hospitals that are not affiliated with the school
- # of national student leaders and involvement with AAMC, AMA, etc.
The best data for me could never be published widely but it would focus on the students at the 10th percentile or lower and show the % who pass boards, % doing research, specialty matches, and any awards. I want to know more about the accomplishments of the "bottom 10%" of any medical school class and the resources available to help them succeed to get their MD's than those who get AOA status. Hopefully you won't be at the bottom 10%, but someone has to be in every medical school class.
