Stigma

Since learning of my acceptance to AUC, I find myself in a recurring situation.


I run into a friend, neighbor, or acquaintance who I haven't seen in months (sometimes even a year) and they ask what I'm up to. 
"I'm going to medical school in January," I tell them.
"Awesome!" and as certain as the rising of the sun,"where are you going?"
Without pause, I respond, "the American University of the Caribbean." 
Crickets.
"It's on St. Maarten." 


After crossing this threshold, I usually receive one of two responses: the first being some comment on the wonderfulness of the weather, the beauty of the island and/or how lucky I am to be studying on the beach. 


The second response usually involves the person taking a more direct approach and asking why I'm going to the Caribbean instead of the United States. I give my automated explanation- explaining that although I never applied to US med schools, I knew my undergrad GPA was not particularly competitive, and I didn't want to spend time and money going to a postbach program to get better grades or apply to med schools and have to wait another two years before I can start my education.


I could stop there. My response sufficiently answers the question, but somehow I never do. I always feel a need to defend myself under that familiar blank gaze. I go on to explain how Caribbean med schools are just like US schools and that I only live in the island for a short while and spend my last two years rotating at US hospitals. I explain that the thing that really matters for getting good residencies is the USMLE step scores, that I will become a doctor and end up in the same place in life regardless of the med school I attend (so long as it's legitimate), thus it doesn't really matter and I'll be as good a doctor as the next bright person.


At this point, I've long lost the interest of my company, and I realize that this particular person does not know about the medical school system or even really understands the process of becoming a doctor. They were just asking a question to simply placate a passing curiosity and don't actually care where I'm going to med school.


Even though I don't mind going to a Caribbean medical school myself (and I am really looking forward to it), why do I still find the need to defend myself? Will I have to explain my decision and bolster it for the rest of my life?  To the latter question, I honestly don't think so. Maybe in the beginning when I encounter other medical school students at home or in clinicals, it's a point of pride stating where you go to med school, but otherwise once you are in residency, I don't believe patients even ask. In reality, I think it's only other doctors and people in the medical field who will be the ones to pass judgement (if it happens at all). And even then, I believe it's for no greater reason than to be petty or to be primarily concerned with a superiority complex. I really don't know. 


What I do know is I don't mind that I will go to medical school in the Caribbean, I don't care that I'm going to a  school where "Caribbean" is in the name because AUC is giving me the shot at an MD that other schools probably wouldn't have. I know AUC will be the place where I will study hard and become a knowledgeable and compassionate doctor and that's all I'm interested in. The End. People who are overly concerned with names shouldn't waste their time becoming doctors anyway.