Anybody considering Northwestern or have questions?

i'm an M1 at northwestern and would be more than happy to answer any questions.

hot dayyyuumm! i'm gonna get started on answering those. excellent questions, btw. check back a bit later

2Xtrouble2X said:

this is one of my schools im interested in...here are some questions !!!

1) How is the atmosphere of learning...do teachers sufficiently teach their subjects?? are tests tough (equally tough i may ask?)

2) How does city life in Chicago affect your studying? can you study more effectively with all the distraction in the city?

3) How competative is Northwestern's program compared to other schools in the Greater Chicago or Illinois? Subtract LORs and EC's...what GPA/MCAT will allow me to be competative?

4) Is Northwestern more liberal/conservative ??? wont affect my decision...just want to paint a picture of the school in my head...

5) Do you think it's possible to work and study at the same time?

6) Tell me about the facility and technology upgrades...can lectures be watched/streamed online?

7) What percentage of students attend the classroom? is there a note-taking system?

thanks a lot for offering to answer questions...hopefully these are enough to help other people out with the same questions i have!!!

Good luck at Northwestern !!! I've heard about a lot of successful students from that program...

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1) How is the atmosphere of learning...do teachers sufficiently teach their subjects?? are tests tough (equally tough i may ask?)

i would say the teaching is pretty damn good, in all honesty. as you probably already know, northwestern's curriculum is organ-based, so you have a little of everything (anatomy, histology, embryology, etc.) accompanying, for example, the musculoskeletal and head&neck units. you get a variety of lecturers throughout the year, some who lecture only once in the year, and others who deliver dozens of lectures. some profs are better than others, but the vast majority are nothing short of excellent. and you end up learning the material very well, assuming you put in the hours and the effort of course. northwestern's board scores are among the best, so they must be doing something right. :] as for exams, during your first year you only have 6 exams. this is a godsend, seriously. additionally, you only have one test at a time, so you really get to focus. tests are generally difficult, but this is true anywhere you go. class averages have ranged from low 70s and high 80s, but this year they've been pretty consistent (low-to-mid 80s). northwestern is EXTREMELY conscientious about catering to student needs, and i've never seen faculty make accomodations for students like they do here. and also, the pass/fail system is heaven. seriously. do NOT go to a school with letter grades for the first two years.


2) How does city life in Chicago affect your studying? can you study more effectively with all the distraction in the city?

OH MAN! i love chicago. love love love it. truthfully, i don't consider it a distraction whatsoever. i'm pretty sure i could say the same for every student i've met here. if you want to have fun, everything is there for you, but everyone works pretty hard so it's never tantalizing. i'd even go as far to say that having the big city life helps your studying - i keep sane and de-stress often by exploring various parts of the city and eating out. basically, the answer is simple - if you've made it this far in the game, then you'll have enough discipline to work hard when you need to. and you'll have a zillion options for when you do want to unwind.

3) How competative is Northwestern's program compared to other schools in the Greater Chicago or Illinois? Subtract LORs and EC's...what GPA/MCAT will allow me to be competative?

northwestern and uchicago are arguably the most competitive med schools in illinois, if you go by rankings. they're both well-known and prestigious and match well with residency programs. as for the GPA/MCAT scores, there's quite a range. i had a friend from dartmouth with a 3.97 GPA and 36 MCAT who wasn't even offered an interview. yet there are students with much lower GPAs and MCAT scores who have gotten accepted. like any other school, it's a huge crap shoot, really. i do know that northwestern places a greater emphasis on being well-rounded though, and being able to work in a group (problem-based learning).

4) Is Northwestern more liberal/conservative ??? wont affect my decision...just want to paint a picture of the school in my head...

good question. i'm politically apathetic for the most part, so i wouldn't be able to answer that for you.

5) Do you think it's possible to work and study at the same time?

i personally would not be able to do it. i do know a classmate who works as a nurse, though. i don't know how he does it, but he does. quite amazing.

6) Tell me about the facility and technology upgrades...can lectures be watched/streamed online?

the lecture hall for the M1s is new and gorgeous. facilities are excellent, in my opinion. there's a HUGE new women's hostital (prentice) being built that should be completed this summer, if my memory serves me correctly. every building i've been inside has been squeaky clean.

that may be an exaggeration, but i've never heard complaints about the facilities or the buildings. :]

one complaint that i do have about northwestern though, is that there are no streaming videos available for the lectures. we have mp3s, which usually suffice if you skip/miss class, but there's no substitute for videos. i really wish we had videos of the lectures, as do many other students, and that's something that i'm sure northwestern will actualize quite soon.

7) What percentage of students attend the classroom? is there a note-taking system?

there are power-point presentations for every single lecture, and the lectures are available before class so you can print them out and takes notes directly on them. it's the easiest and most effective way, in my opinion, although a good number of students bring their laptops to class and take notes on their computers. i'd say that 80-90% of students attend the lectures.

and lastly, best of luck choosing a med school. the application process sucks, but it'll be over soon and you will be starting med school before you know it.

now, with all of that said, a few of the things that i absolutely love about northwestern:

-TONS of free time compared to students at most other schools. first-year students have only 2 hrs of lecture each day from 8am-10am, and from 10am-noon you have one of the following: histo lab, anatomy lab, or PBL. and hot dayyumm, you get the rest of the day to yourself. two out of the five days of the week, though, you have a two-hour Patient-Physician-Society class from 1pm-3pm, which includes physical examination skills, communication skills, ethics, cultural dynamics, etc. this is smooth sailing compared to students at other schools from have lecture from 8am-4pm daily, or something ridiculous like that.

-only 6 exams throughout the year. this means that each exam covers a massive amount of information, but it also means that you don't have tests looming in your immediate future all the damn time. also, you never have more than 1 exam to worry about at a time.

-amazing, DEDICATED faculty.

-PASS/FAIL system for the first two years. seriously, it would be impossible for to stress how much of a blessing this is. believe it or not, i am much less stressed in med school than i was back in undergrad at dartmouth, where we had letter and +/- grades. that was hell. although students are driven, they are not competitive (with the exception of two or three gunners that every class in every school has). you know, every school tries to talk about how their students are human and cooperative and non-competitive and blah blah blah, but this seems to really ring true at nortwestern. believe me, i would be the first to say if it wasn't.

-the location is inarguably among the best. it's in downtown chicago in one of the nicest neighborhoods imagineable. a staggeringly tremendous variety of ethnic restaurants, fine eats, diversions, attractions, bars, shopping, etc.

-living conditions: 90%+ of students live in apartments within two blocks of the lecture hall. the apartments are spacious and so damn nice, with an incredible view of the lake.

you're quite welcome, 2Xtrouble2X and pallcare.

and pallcare, happy to hear that you're attending 2nd look. i remember my 2nd look weekend at NU :]. that was what sealed the deal for me.


1) I hear that 1/4 of the class is made up of NU students coming from a 7 year BA/MD program. Is this true? What effect does this have on the class dynamics?

actually, 1/3 of the class of 2009 hails from that HPME program you are referring to. seems like a huge fraction, right? it is. northwestern is actually taking steps to dramatically reduce that number from ~60 students to around 10 students. i've heard people say that the HPME students tend to be cliquey since they've already known each other for 3 years, but honestly, after you've been here for a month or two, everyone more or less forms a small, core group of close friends so it really doesn't even matter that the HPME students came in already with close friends. and as a class, we get along quite smoothly and happily. it's like any large group, really - you form close friendships with a small handful of people whom you spend your free time with, occasionally hang out in larger groups, and say hi and crack jokes and what-not with everyone else. i have only two close friends in my class, but i personally am extremely happy here and am would be hard-pressed to find anyone in my class that i don't like.

2) What's the average amt student's will pay per month for housing? Do 1/2nd years usually live in singles or doubles?

here's the thing with northwestern housing. they did away with dorms two years ago because so few students were choosing to live in dorms over apartments. if you live in a single, you can expect to pay ~$1000/month (maybe slightly less, maybe slightly more). and if you choose a double, expect to pay ~$650-$700/month. i know it seems like a sh*tload of money, and i myself will have accumulated some insane debt after four years of med school, but consider the following:

-you're living in literally one of the best neighborhoods in the world, let alone chicago. you will have a spectacular view of either the lake or the city, or maybe even both. it's in a really safe area of chicago. there is a small beach, the lake, navy pier (major tourist attraction with a ferris wheel), formidable array of ethnic restaurants (armenian, japanese, thai, italian, mexican, chinese, to name but a few), pubs, architecturally famous buildings, etc, all within literally a 5- or 10-minute walk. it really is almost too good to be true, and i feel incredibly lucky to be studying medicine here. i am REALLY grateful that the northwestern curriculum allows for all this free time too. and if you're into shopping, michigan avenue is 3 blocks away and boasts all the malls and ritzy, high-end shops/restaurants (armani, mont blanc, gucci, brooks brothers, tru, etc.) as well as some of the more accessible ones (banana republic, H&M, ghirardelli, hershey, bandera, and so forth). to stereotype for a bit: for the girls, this is paradise. and for this guys, strolling down michigan avenue will let you catch sight of an inordinate number of foxy bombshells. :]

-but i digress. getting back to the high cost of the apartments, consider the following: many people study in the library or whatever, but i really like coming home to study. you're going to be in your mid-20s (or older) as you study medicine. you're in professional school. you're going to be working hard, very hard. you've got a LOT of responsibility that most people will never have in their entire lives. you're well-respected and you've worked damn hard to get where you are now. honestly. you deserve to live in a nice place, even if it's going to increase your cost of living or cause you to accrue more debt. this is my opinion.

-the apartments are amazing and spacious and new. your apartment is likely to be both your office and your home. you're going to want your own little living room, workspace, kitchen, and bathroom. you're going to be so happy that you're not in some terrible matchbox dorm.

3) what are some of the things you dont like about NU?

i really love northwestern. so to be as fair as possible, i had to think about this one for a while. here's everything i came up with:

-we would really benefit from having videotaped lectures instead of just mp3s. i know other schools have lectures that are available as downloadable videos, so it should not be long before we have the same service. this is my chief complaint about northwestern, but honestly it's not a big deal since most people attend class, and while it's not difficult to make up what you skip, it's most time-efficient to sit through the lectures and get it all live. the profs know what they're doing, too.

-the med campus doesn't have a free gym for the students. damn, what's up with that? there is a really nice gym owned by northwestern, though, that is roughly $100 for an entire year's membership for students. it's a bit of a walk (6 blocks or so), but they're supposed to be moving it to a MUCH closer location this summer.

-the closest subway stop is 6 or 7 blocks away. this is both a blessing and a curse. the subway is far enough so that it's a slight pain in the ass to walk there (only about a 15- or 20-minute walk actually), but it'll deter you from making trips that you'd be tempted to make if it was right across the street. and it is definitely walkable.

-once again, cost of living (as in renting out a place...you can always find cheap eats). but as i stated above, i believe it's worth it.

-some people will always bring up the weather, but i went to college in new hampshire for four years so this is actually an improvement.

4) is there any interaction (socially or otherwise) btw the medical, business, and law students?

not formally, no. at least not to my knowledge. as for socially, there is the occasional "pan-northwestern" event, but those are rare. slightly more common are parties in which students from the med, law, and business fields are all invited. basically, it's one of those things where if you want to make something happen, it's most certainly possible, but you've got to make the effort.


hope this helps and sways your opinion favorably :].

Colonel Mustard said:

hey man, thanks for offering to answer all these questions! i just have a quick one about housing: i know the area around the school is pretty expensive, so is it feasible to live about 15-20 mins away in a cheaper area? is the public transportation reliable, or are we better off just living a few blocks away from school?

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good question, my colonel mustard friend. i strongly recommend living close-by (i.e. within walking distance from the school). when i go visit other parts of chicago, i've had issues with the bus being late sometimes. there are definitely students who commute, and they seem fine with it, but the vast majority of students (first-years, anyhow) live within a few blocks from campus. i believe there's an apartment complex called worchester (i think that's the name) that's less expensive, and very close to the campus. a small handful of students live there and are quite content with it.

1. As far as living goes, I've heard a lot of mixed responses regarding whether or not the majority of people live with roommates or by themselves...do you know what usually happens? If people live with roommates, do they generally meet them at Second Look and whatnot, or do they know each other beforehand?

actually, now that you mention it, everybody that i know who is shacking up with someone else either a) was part of the HPME program and hence were close friends with them prior to med school, or b) is married or in an exclusive relationship. i live by myself, and my close friends (who came straight from 4 years of undergrad) live alone too.

2. As for technology, are students required (or encouraged) to get a specific type and brand of computer/laptop as M1s?

not at all. you have total freedom over what type of computer/laptop you want to own.

3. As for costs and financial aid, do you know when the first financial aid check comes in, like before classes start or after, and how often you get aid checks? Also, this probably varies for each student depending on the amount of loans everyone decides on, but what is the typical amount students (regular MD) get each month to live on/pay for tuition?
the first financial aid check comes in on the first day of classes. you get financial aid checks every quarter, which is really nice b/c it forces you to set a budget, and at the start of every term you get another fat wad of cash in your account. (although it's borrowed, and not really yours.)

SirTony76 said:

I am interested in Northwesterns MSTP program because I like their Biomedical Engineering program. Any idea of what stats I need to get into this?

TP

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i know you have to be pretty competitive, but as for specific numbers, i wouldn't be able to tell you simply b/c i don't know. you're better off asking someone else. good luck though

I would also like to know the answer to the single or double situation with housing. If M1s do live together, how do they meet up? I'm guessing most M1s live alone?

i'm guessing most M1s live alone, but a significant fraction (i'm guessing 30-40%) have roommates. and of that large minority, the vast majority of them are students from that 7-year straight-out-of-high-school HPME program.

How much PBL is there and is it worth while? I'm somewhat skeptical.

you will have two two-hour sessions of PBL per week (on mondays and thursdays). there are four "blocks" of PBL, with each block lasting about a month or so and covering 6-8 cases. so during some units (the more lab intensive ones), you won't have PBL at all. i personally like PBL much more than i like lecture. you do learn, and it actually runs like a well-oiled machine.

it also depends on who you get for your preceptor, and who is in your group for that PBL block. we've completed three PBL blocks, and from my own experience they've been getting increasingly better. much of the numbers and vocab that's completely foreign to you at the beginning of the year will slowly become part of your everyday med school vocabulary.

lastly, compared to stuff like lecture and lab, PBL is a nice break. all of the preceptors i've had have been really friendly and helpful and informal. people bring food and we make jokes and laugh, but we get **** done. and it usually only lasts 1.5 hrs per session, unless you have some asses in your group that try to show-off with long presentations and how much research they've done. (do NOT do that, by the way. both the preceptor and your fellow students much prefer concise, organized, 5-minute informal presentations.)

DrinkSKYY said:

I'm waitlisted at NWU - any idea how hard it is to get in?

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letter of interest to dean brown

not too sure how easy or difficult it is to get in off the waitlist, but it's definitely not unheard of. a friend of mine got in off the waitlist and was thrilled.

best of luck to you. definitely make it known to northwestern if it's one of your top choices

dom1n1c said:

We appreciate your time.

Do you take shelf exams or something else?

How long is the breaks between blocks?

How do u prepare for your PBL section?

Will you be at second look weekend?

Thanks again!!!

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no shelf exams, thank god. some of my friends from other schools are prepping for shelf exams and they're stressed out like hell. northwestern does really well on the boards though, so whatever they're doing seems to be working.

we have 6 units. you don't get a break in-between blocks unless it's winter or spring break. it's not too big a deal though, and since you only have 6 exams throughout the entire first year, the weeks following an exam are particularly low-stress. and plus, compared to other schools, you get a ****load of free time.

what happens in PBL is that you get pieces of a case, discuss with the group to form learning issues, and then each person in the group nabs a learning issue to research for homework. you come back to the next PBL session and give a really short, informal presentation about what you learned and how it applies to the case. the presentations don't take but 5 minutes or so, and it's really low-stress. as for the research, it really depends on which learning issue you choose. it can take as little as 5 minutes of research, or two hours if you're crazy.

haha, i'm a student here, i will definitely be at second look :]. i'm actually not hosting anybody that weekend because i'm having a good friend visit. if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to PM me.

best of luck and soak up chicago over 2nd look.

Thundrstorm said:

Thanks for posting this thread. I've decided on NU and am getting really excited about starting! I have a few questions:

1. I got the impression at my MSTP interview that the school isn't terribly diverse; any thoughts on this?
2. How good of a public transportation system is the El? I'm familiar with the Boston T, New York subway, and DC metro if you can make any comparisons to those.
3. Is Chicago student-friendly in terms of free or discounted museum and theater tickets?
4. Any suggestions for safe neighborhoods a little farther away from the school that are more affordable?

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1. there are quite a few whites and asians (but south and southeast asians), but there are also a good number of "under-represented minorities." i would say the most important thing is class dynamic, which is quite smooth at least within our class. i'm pretty confident that i could say the same for the M2 class. i've actually never heard anybody complain about the lack of diversity, but that is just from my own personal experience.

2. i'm a big fan of the chicago el. i actually use it almost daily. i would say it's on par with the boston t, which i also loved back in my undergrad years.

3. i would say so. actually, chicago has free days every week in which admissions to museums are waived for everyone. and you can get free passes or student discounts for many things you want to attend, be it operas, theater performances, museum tix, and the like.

4. i'm not the best person to ask about this, actually. wish i could tell you. any other M1s or M2s on the forum know about this?

prettymd05 said:

Hi! I have some questions for you.

1. Are most of the students there from Illinois (Im not from Illinois but I wanted to get a grasp of the geographic diversity)?

2. Do students use the clinical simulation center during the first 2 years ( I thought the dummies were cool)?

3. During second look, how many apartment buildings did you visit? Will i have time to make appointments with leasing agents from other buildings in the area that we didnt cover?

Thats it for now...but I will be back. Thank you!

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1. i would say that many are, and many are not. personally, i am not from chicago. i went to school in new hamp and come from the South.

2. yes!

3. i visited 3 or 4 apartment complexes. you should have time to schedule appoints with other leasing agents though, provided you're not flying back that same afternoon like i was last year.