yikes. anyone who walks around at a med school visit and says things like that is such a loser, i bet they will find themselves without any acceptances. did you pass on to the adcoms their comments?? just curious.
i was recently accepted at NYMC and i am thrilled. i love the idea of spending 3rd/4th year rotations in NYC. is it hard to be able to do that? would i live in NYC, or do I need to stay in Valhalla?
i worry a bit that i will feel isolated at the school. do you feel that way? what do you do for fun?
Third and fourth year placements are assigned by lottery. About half of the students end up in the city, and the other half end up in and around westchester and Connecticut. If you are unhappy with your placement, usually you can arrange a trade with other students. As for feeling isolated...not at all! First of all, a vast majority of your time will be spent studying...there is no way around that. White Plains is about 10 min from the campus and there are lots of movie theaters, shopping malls, supermarkets, etc. Westchester county also has a lot of affluent communities with amazing restaurants. Opportunities for outdoor activities are also pretty endless. And don't forget, you are about a 30 minute train ride from grand central station in Manhattan. You will be very busy in medical school, and you will never have the opportunity to say "I wish I had more ways to fill my time." You will actually be wishing that you had more time to just relax and hang out with friends.
As a tour guide, I am told to report any overtly bad behavior to the office. I am also told to report students who show enthusiasm and a strong interest in the school. When a student sends me a thank you note, or a question about the school, I do forward it to the office to be added to their file. The fact of the matter is, students who think the school is just a "fallback" will probably come off as arrogant, or at least disinterested, in their interview. They tend to think that they hide their attitudes well, and that they have the admissions office fooled. In reality, the interviewers and the committee knows what they are doing, and they are amazingly good at seeing through the BS and phony enthusiasm.
Congrats on your acceptance. If you choose to attend, you will get an excellent education. The school teaches heavily "to the boards." This years third year class had an average step 1 score of 226 (national average is 218). In addition, the match lists is exceptional. Just to give you an idea, 11% of last year's graduates matched in radiology, which is one of the most competitive residencies. NYMC is affiliated with many, many hospitals, and the clinical training is superb. I am very proud of this school, and I am very happy with my choice to attend here. Good luck to all