And now for some non-technically related questions that were sent to me:
Hey, what percentage of your time is devoted to PBL and how is PBL at Columbia?
It varies from subject to subject. First semester is mostly lecture based for the basic sciences. After that, you typically have 1-2 hours of small group a day during the 2nd and 3rd semesters systems based science classes. Lecture is mornings from 8/9 until 12/1 depending on the block and if there are small group classes. Anatomy has 1 afternoon of small group a week as well as a day of dissection. The bioethics/clinical skills course that you take all three semesters is half lecture half small group essentially.
Is a research project required at Columbia? How much time are students given to do research? When do most people start to do research at Columbia.
No research is required, but a creative project related to medicine is done during your "4th year". It can be research, a public health project, a community service project, an international project, a sonnet about medicine, etc etc. I have a friend writing a philosophy of medicine treatise during the time allotted. Many people never do research, many people do some during their 1st summer (everyone gets funding from somewhere as long as you apply). I personally started research during my first semester and have continued it in some form or another throughout my time here. 20% of the class takes a year off to do research and another 20% takes time off for a second degree.
Is there a formal program that will allow students to pursue their interest in music (like Cornell's Music and Medicine program) or do students have to join one of the P&S clubs to engage in musical activities?
Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by formal. I would consider the Musicians guild a formal organization with faculty and student participation. There are a number of small groups within the guild that meet regularly. There are also several bands that perform at our variety shows (usually every month or every other month). There is a pit orchestra that plays during our musicals in the Fall. You are also allowed to take up to 2 free classes a semester at any Columbia school, including the music school. I suppose you could take one of their "class orchestras", but most people who do music down at the undergrad campus just take regular classes.
Finally, what would you say Columbia is known for? If Columbia had a weakness, what would it be?
Columbia is known for neuro, neurosurgery, psych, cardiology/transplant surgery, nephrology, and a history of graduating strong clinicians in all fields. We are also known for sending a lot of students into surgical subspecialties, but I think that has more to do with student interest than any intrinsic quality of Columbia other than all students rotate through a week or two weeks of all of the major surgical subs (Internal medicine is still the #1 specialty that people go into). Columbia's weakness would probably be cited as being in Washington Heights rather than one of the more luxurious NYC neighborhoods. I personally like it up here, but then again I studied Latin dance in college. In the past, Columbia hasn't sent a lot of people into family medicine, but that's changed in recent years with certain initiatives, especially now that we have the Bassett program.
. I love being a neuroscience major...
