How important is lecture attendance?

[watchergub]

For the first time in my life, I actually feel kind of sick about making a decision... I'm having trouble deciding between 2 state schools.

State School #1:
-unranked
-total tuition is 20k (scholarship)
-lecture from 8-3 (all day)
-no need to buy books apparently (notes are handed out)
-housing slightly more expensive
-university hospital

State School #2:
-low ranked
-total tuition will be 30k for me
-lecture until noon
-pretty big research center (pull down a fair amount of NIH dollars)
-slightly cheaper housing
-no university hospital

Thoughts? I don't know how important lecture attendance is and if going to a school where I'd miss would be a big deal. Everything is online and people from these schools tell me "lecture is not really mandatory."

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[darkjedi]

At most schools, it doesn't matter if you attend lecture or not. As long as you keep up with the material, you'll be fine. For something like medical treatment, the academic office will likely work with you as far as skipping days go.

 

[kavorca]

It depends on how impervious you are to guilt trips involving "professionalism."

 

[tantacles]

At most schools, it doesn't matter if you attend lecture or not. As long as you keep up with the material, you'll be fine. For something like medical treatment, the academic office will likely work with you as far as skipping days go.

In your particular situation, I'd say you should go with school 1. You can listen to most lectures, and if they just give you the notes, you'll generally be able to study from those if you must. I use videos and watch them at 2x speed.

In addition, at least at my school, lecture never goes past 12, but after 12 is when all of the mandatory stuff happens anyway. We have clinical labs and small group sessions reasonably frequently. So check with the 9-12 school and see what happens in the afternoons; I would bet you at least a nickel that the school has other mandatory sessions that occur in the afternoon.

 

[Medstart108]

How could state school 2 not have a university hospital? Where do they teach their students then? Wouldn't any teaching hospital attached to a university be a uni hospital?

 

[watchergub]

How could state school 2 not have a university hospital? Where do they teach their students then? Wouldn't any teaching hospital attached to a university be a uni hospital?

School #2 teaches its students at multiple community hospitals and centers. When I said they don't have a university hospital, I meant, they don't have a hospital that THEY own and is affiliated just with their school.

In your particular situation, I'd say you should go with school 1. You can listen to most lectures, and if they just give you the notes, you'll generally be able to study from those if you must. I use videos and watch them at 2x speed.

In addition, at least at my school, lecture never goes past 12, but after 12 is when all of the mandatory stuff happens anyway. We have clinical labs and small group sessions reasonably frequently. So check with the 9-12 school and see what happens in the afternoons; I would bet you at least a nickel that the school has other mandatory sessions that occur in the afternoon.

I believe you're right. I think once a week school 2 has physician shadowing stuff going on in the afternoons at least. I'll try to figure out more about other mandatory sessions.

I do have to say, I liked the thought of less lecture time But perhaps it isn't worth that $40,000 just for that convenience.

 

[sector9]

At my school, lecture attendance is not required. On an average day, there are 60 people in lecture out of the 140+ people in our class.

Your professors will not care if you don't come. Just keep track of your schedule to know when you've got mandatory stuff

 

[pv515]

How could state school 2 not have a university hospital? Where do they teach their students then? Wouldn't any teaching hospital attached to a university be a uni hospital?

FSU and FIU both do not have a dedicated affiliate hospital. That may be what he's talking about.