Which schools should I pick for an interview?

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ExGaucho

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I've been invited for an interview at Western/CSPM/DMU/NYCPM/KSUCPM & I'm debating about which invites I should accept.

Let me just get this out the way, I've been living in SoCal for the past 14 year & can honestly say I really don't care about living in a BIG city. I also attended UCSB.......& I can honestly say really I don't care about partying (I don't drink/smoke...not much of a dancer). Last but not least, I'm baggage free: single & don't have kids.

Academically this is what I'm looking for:
-Small class size (I did much better in a small class vs. giant lecture halls as an undergrad)
-Enthusiastic Faculty (I can't stand professors who just read off slides when they lecture even if they are relatively "easy graders"...I prefer those who put the board to use at times & really delve into the subject)
-Early exposure to clinical
-Ample time for clerkships /boards before CRIPs
-Tutoring program (Was really helpful in Undergrad)
-On-site clinic for pre-clerkship clinical exposure (or short commute if possible since I'm planning on ditching my car)

Outside of the classroom:
-Dependable public transport (I've a car but I prefer to sell it to save money...but I don't mind biking to commute if they have safe bike paths/trails)
-Reasonable rent (I live in West LA.....so it shouldn't be tough to find a more affordable market)
-Decent weather (I've never seen snow although I've been on the other side of the coast...just not in the winter)
-Solid Gym on campus (This is where I vent)
-Decent intramural sports (This is where I socialize)
-A relatively liberal/diverse student population / community (I'm from Cali/URM)

I going to interview at Western/CSPM since I live in SoCal thus it isn't much a hassle. Everything about DMU seems great except for the weather & maybe public transport but I'm planning on flying out to Des Moines. NYCPM/KSUCPM have large class sizes thus I'm not too sure about those...along w/ the weather.

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Congratulations on your interviews!!!

In regards to your question of where to interview at, it seems as though you've answered this yourself by the end of your post. ;)

I going to interview at Western/CSPM since I live in SoCal thus it isn't much a hassle. Everything about DMU seems great except for the weather & maybe public transport but I'm planning on flying out to Des Moines. NYCPM/KSUCPM have large class sizes thus I'm not too sure about those...along w/ the weather.
 
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I can only comment on DMU since that is my school. Des Moines is small, but it is the capital city of Iowa so there's no cornfields. You can live right next to campus like a lot of students do. The gym is small but adequate. Intramural includes volleyball and basketball. I'm not sure if there's anything else. Public transportation is minimal but the campus is located in a pretty nice area and everything is within walking distance. As far as weather... well, it's the upper midwest so it's just upper midwest weather: snow, ice, just plain old cold. BUT the perk is that DMU has underground tunnels that connect you to all the buildings.

The only other thing I want to comment on is the early clinical exposure. This is obviously a personal opinion. To me, clinical exposure during the first and second year is really not that big of a deal. Here's why: board I is the summer after second year. You want to spend all the time you have to pass that sucker, the first time. Clinics come after that. To be honest, as a first year, I can't imagine having to deal with clinics right now on top of all my schoolwork. DMU does not have early clinical exposure, but maybe that's why they have consistently have a high first time board pass rate? Who knows. Either way, good luck on your decisions.
 
I can only comment on DMU since that is my school. Des Moines is small, but it is the capital city of Iowa so there's no cornfields. You can live right next to campus like a lot of students do. The gym is small but adequate. Intramural includes volleyball and basketball. I'm not sure if there's anything else. Public transportation is minimal but the campus is located in a pretty nice area and everything is within walking distance. As far as weather... well, it's the upper midwest so it's just upper midwest weather: snow, ice, just plain old cold. BUT the perk is that DMU has underground tunnels that connect you to all the buildings.

The only other thing I want to comment on is the early clinical exposure. This is obviously a personal opinion. To me, clinical exposure during the first and second year is really not that big of a deal. Here's why: board I is the summer after second year. You want to spend all the time you have to pass that sucker, the first time. Clinics come after that. To be honest, as a first year, I can't imagine having to deal with clinics right now on top of all my schoolwork. DMU does not have early clinical exposure, but maybe that's why they have consistently have a high first time board pass rate? Who knows. Either way, good luck on your decisions.

^This. We get clinical exposure second year at scholl. Its funny as a pre pod this was important to me, i believed the earlier the better. Now as a first year it is not even a priority. I am so swamped with school work that just the basic clinical reasoning skill class is plenty enough for me. Boards and do well in your courses!

Attend as many interviews as you fiscally can, you will be amazed at how your rank list changes after interviewing. Scholl was 3rd on my list and became my top choice after all my interviews. Congrats on the interviews and Good luck!
 
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