2012-2013 University of Arizona Application Thread

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So what if you have no ties to Arizona lol and are OOS

How do you address this prompt?
 
Congrats on all the invites so far. I'm an MS1 and love it so far. If I can help answering specific questions let me know and I will do my best. Good luck!!
 
in-state, submitted 8/07, just got an interview today!
 
Interview invite!

OOS 3.73/3.75 31L MCAT, submitted 07/27
 
einstein1990 said:
Thanks for the info! Was it an email?
Click to expand...

Yup!

Their system looks exactly like Oakland University's, and they e-mailed me for my interview as well. I'm assuming a program that looks as sleek as theirs will be on it's **** when it comes to being consistent in letting applicants know via e-mail or checking their status page.
 
So I'm looking at their schedule for interview days, and this little gem caught me off guard:

• Welcome
• Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
• Financial Aid
• Office of Medical Student Education
• Essay
• iExperience (Optional)
• College of Medicine Lecture
• Lunch
• Tour
• Closing

I called the admissions office and asked the gal what the prompt generally pertains to. She said,"You'll just have to find out when you take it." So it looks like they are going to keep it mysterious 🙂

It becomes a part of your file for the committee to review.
 
maxx52188 said:
So I'm looking at their schedule for interview days, and this little gem caught me off guard:

• Welcome
• Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
• Financial Aid
• Office of Medical Student Education
• Essay
• iExperience (Optional)
• College of Medicine Lecture
• Lunch
• Tour
• Closing

I called the admissions office and asked the gal what the prompt generally pertains to. She said,"You'll just have to find out when you take it." So it looks like they are going to keep it mysterious 🙂

It becomes a part of your file for the committee to review.
Click to expand...

😱
 
I'm an MS1 and will ask more about the essay for you guys.. . . we heard about it last week and we were all curious to know more. If I can get any helpful tips I will share!

Also, if anyone has any specific questions about the school or interview please PM me (so I get your question) and then I can respond to the forum. I have not been able to frequent SDN as much as I could before school started.

Last year I left the interview smiling and after second look I knew I would be stupid to not come here. It really is the best school for me. There is a diverse group by age, interests, hobbies and background. Some of us are old and married with dogs and houses and some of us party on the weekends. There are lots of rock climbers, runners and I just found out that one of the MS1s went to the olympics! I love every day of school. . . even studying for the tests! Sorry if I geeked you all out, but, it's true. 🙂

:luck:Good luck and keep up your confidence. That is your greatest asset!!:luck:
 
maxx52188 said:
So I'm looking at their schedule for interview days, and this little gem caught me off guard:

• Welcome
• Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
• Financial Aid
• Office of Medical Student Education
• Essay
• iExperience (Optional)
• College of Medicine Lecture
• Lunch
• Tour
• Closing

I called the admissions office and asked the gal what the prompt generally pertains to. She said,"You'll just have to find out when you take it." So it looks like they are going to keep it mysterious 🙂

It becomes a part of your file for the committee to review.
Click to expand...

Maybe they are going to write us an essay, on why we should choose their school over all the other qualified institutions. 🙂
 
After you guys clicked the date you wanted for the interview, did anything happen? I got no confirmation email or anything...where did you get the itinerary for the day?
 
BigBlueBear said:
After you guys clicked the date you wanted for the interview, did anything happen? I got no confirmation email or anything...where did you get the itinerary for the day?
Click to expand...

Clicking the day should be followed by picking the time slot.
 
I got an email with random letters. I emailed them about it and they said it was an error and they would send me an email when my interview date gets closer. Its this friday so Im getting nervous can anybody tell me where I am supposed to meet.
 
drkennyj said:
I got an email with random letters. I emailed them about it and they said it was an error and they would send me an email when my interview date gets closer. Its this friday so Im getting nervous can anybody tell me where I am supposed to meet.
Click to expand...

I sent them an email requesting meeting place/parking information. I'll let you know if they get back to me. Mine is also friday so I'm a little worried!
 
BigBlueBear said:
I sent them an email requesting meeting place/parking information. I'll let you know if they get back to me. Mine is also friday so I'm a little worried!
Click to expand...

Thanks
Hey lets see if we can find each other Friday, it will be good to meet another SDNer. I'll be wearing a blue shirt with a blue tie that has small squares on it and a balck suit.
 
drkennyj said:
Thanks
Hey lets see if we can find each other Friday, it will be good to meet another SDNer. I'll be wearing a blue shirt with a blue tie that has small squares on it and a balck suit.
Click to expand...

Haha alright. I'll have a pale green shirt (I think) with a black tie and charcoal suit.

As you can tell I'm pretty clueless when it comes to fashion :laugh:
 
BigBlueBear said:
I sent them an email requesting meeting place/parking information. I'll let you know if they get back to me. Mine is also friday so I'm a little worried!
Click to expand...

I just got an email telling me where to meet.
 
Email response for all:

Quote:
Originally Posted by #######
Hi! I am interviewing at U of A next Friday, was wondering if there was anything unique about the school that you really like or something along those lines that I could talk about? This is my top choice so I really want to know what I'm talking about haha


Hi! Well, depending on your MMIs you will probably talk more about the scenarios that you are given, at which point you will just express your own ideas and thoughts about that topic. In the acting ones, just realize that you are being pushed outside of your comfort zone to test your ability to adapt and stay calm . . eg, prob not a good idea to get defensive or angry. Empathy is important here. . . This is not specific to MMI Tucson, either, this is the purpose of MMI, to get to see you in action, hear your thoughts and opinions and observe your ability to discuss.

A really awesome program is the Societies program. You get assigned a primary mentor for the four years and you start history and physical in week 1. This is not common to all schools. It really helps you get your awkwards out before you are let loose with real patients. Read through the AZmed site and check out the block system, the Team Learning, Case Based Instruction and the CUP program. Team Learning (TL) is tough but it really helps dig out your weak spots! CBI is a really awesome way to learn about diagnosing and researching with a real case (Like they do on House, but with nice people). I just finished CUP training so haven't really experienced it yet, but upper classmen just scream about it

My guess is the essay topic will not be technical or specific to Arizona, but will allow personal specificity so you can expand on something you KNOW about. (this is a GUESS, I have no confirmed info so far)

I'll surely see you on Friday as I am checking you guys in that morning. send my any more specific questions.
 
Second response for all:

Hi supportivehubby,

Your MDapps was really informative and your story is inspirational. I hope to enter medical school this cycle and wanted to know more about Tuscon. You said that a lot of the MS1 are active and love the outdoors.

Are there a lot of hiking/running trails nearby?
IThere is a MOUNTAIN range within 1 hour you experience a 30 degree temp drop and there are ski fields in the winter. We took our dog up a few weekends ago and could have spent the day/weekend there. You can camp, hike, rock climb. ETC!! 🙂 Lots of students have been going for evening runs (which I think is crazy in the summer, so I run on a treadmill in AC gym) The fav running trail is along the Wash (which is a dry river bed, that fills in monsoon storms, which or occasional in the summer)

How do you like the city itself? I've never heard of Tuscon until I decided to apply to medical school.
I was born in Tucson and my thermostat is set HIGH. I love the heat, the desert, the cactus. Tucson feels way more town than phoenix. I like that better, though phoenix was an equally attractive campus. Since I am in my 30s I am more of a home body, spending time with hubby, dog and new house. LOTS and I mean LOTS of my classmates go out regularly to drink and dance and especially to tailgate for Football games. I'd say there is something for everyone, but if you are itching for a CITY feel, then you might be disappointed here. Hope that makes sense

What do you think of the onsite hospital? Do MS1/MS2 students get a lot of clinical exposure in their first years?
I love being at the hospital! For the Societies program we walk to the hospital to interview patients, my mentor takes us to the ER as well! that is right, I am a 4th week MS1 who is attempting histories and physicals already! It is nerve racking, but it is very helpful to get this sort of exposure and guidance. I would say this is a huge huge bonus of the Tucson curriculum. Last week we were trained for blood draws and vaccinations and if I can get my name into one of the clinics I could be helping at a underserved clinic next week! There are also lots of ways to connect with other docs for shadowing formally through the school and informally if you just go ask your professor that day.

What do you like most about the so far/what do you like least about it?
Most = The support (we got a practice test for our first exam) and the location of the school at the hospital. . . also the Ipad and the gym membership! Least = sometimes it is even too hot for my thermostat, but don't worry the city is full of AC infact, my other least would be the extreme AC indoors of the school. I keep two longsleeved tops in my locker

How have the teachers been? Do they try to connect with the students or are they there as an obligation like most UC professors?
They are the best. I would say 70:30 for really excited and approachable to medium approachable. I have not met anyone NOT approachable yet. There is no sense of obligation from any professors. Our first exam was before labor day and I emailed about 15 times to the various lecturers and they ALL Responded! On a Holiday WEekend. (yes, I am geeking out a little, but, if you don't ask you don't get) . . . very different feel from the UC system. . . also it helps that there is never more than 110 people, usually less since 1/2 class is alreaday podcasting most of the lectures.

I know how busy medical students are so thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions!
 
drkennyj said:
It was an awesome experience. Kind of like Disney Land for pre-meds.
Click to expand...

Did they give out tentative acceptance dates?

Did you fall asleep after the 10 stations at MMI?

Did you fall asleep during one of the stations?
 
Has anyone gotten interview invites recently sometime last week or so? Been complete since 8/6 and getting kinda worried =/
 
HalMoose88 said:
Has anyone gotten interview invites recently sometime last week or so? Been complete since 8/6 and getting kinda worried =/
Click to expand...

+1 complete 8/4.

I already have an II from Phoenix, and was not complete there until 8/30.

dsoz
 
KinesStudent said:
Did they give out tentative acceptance dates?

Did you fall asleep after the 10 stations at MMI?

Did you fall asleep during one of the stations?
Click to expand...

They said possibly mid November to March

No falling asleep afterwards there are tours and other activites that last till 2pm.

There is a rest station but I wouldn't recommend going to sleep.
 
Interviewed here today:

Overall the process was very smooth. It is clear from the onset that this is a well-established, well-run program. The students and faculty were both welcoming and professional at every turn.

MMI - My first experience with it, I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it invigorating to go room to room with a fresh start and a new topic to discus.

Facility - Top notch, the school is literally inside a hospital. Doctors, patients everyone walking around - it seems like it would be a very conducive environment for learning. A big plus in my book.

Curriculum - This crew is very forward thinking - you're first day you're given an Ipad where you can access all class notes/materials and lectures on a podcast. They employ a systems based curriculum and integrate PBL and CBI alongside it.

My overall impression was that this program is well established and has a good sense of identity. They are forward thinking, well-equipped and conscientious of the needs of a sound medical education. Excellent school.
 
KinesStudent said:
Interviewed here today:

Overall the process was very smooth. It is clear from the onset that this is a well-established, well-run program. The students and faculty were both welcoming and professional at every turn.

MMI - My first experience with it, I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it invigorating to go room to room with a fresh start and a new topic to discus.

Facility - Top notch, the school is literally inside a hospital. Doctors, patients everyone walking around - it seems like it would be a very conducive environment for learning. A big plus in my book.

Curriculum - This crew is very forward thinking - you're first day you're given an Ipad where you can access all class notes/materials and lectures on a podcast. They employ a systems based curriculum and integrate PBL and CBI alongside it.

My overall impression was that this program is well established and has a good sense of identity. They are forward thinking, well-equipped and conscientious of the needs of a sound medical education. Excellent school.
Click to expand...

Do they have e-versions of the textbooks for the iPad as well? I interviewed at a different school where the price of the e-texts were included in the tuition. Everyone had access to all the textbooks on their mobile device (phone, tablet, computer). That was a big plus in my book. Not needing to carry around all the books to study with, just an iPad or even a smart phone would work.

Until I get an interview, it really does not matter... 🙁

dsoz
 
We get a couple of E-text books and a number of really helpful apps for free on the iPad. The lecture notes and slides that we get for every lecture are so in-depth that textbooks are not really necessary. Some people do buy them but MOST don't.

The only book I have purchased so far is a review book that gives me practice questions to work through.
 
TTJ111 said:
We get a couple of E-text books and a number of really helpful apps for free on the iPad. The lecture notes and slides that we get for every lecture are so in-depth that textbooks are not really necessary. Some people do buy them but MOST don't.

The only book I have purchased so far is a review book that gives me practice questions to work through.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Do you know if the same information holds true for the Phoenix campus?

Also, is the iPad yours to keep, or do you return it at the end of your schooling?

dsoz
 
dsoz said:
Thanks for the reply. Do you know if the same information holds true for the Phoenix campus?

Also, is the iPad yours to keep, or do you return it at the end of your schooling?

dsoz
Click to expand...

I really can't speak with any authority about what goes on at the Phoenix campus. From what I know we are two very different schools with the same name...

The iPad is not yours, it does need to be returned at the end of you schooling. It will most likely be outdated by then anyways so I am not sure what they do with it. Good question to ask.
 
I'm going to pretend this was written to me and answer because as a 4th year patiently waiting for residency interviews, i have nothing better to do.

Hi spelledout,

i wish you had an MDApps as informative and inspirational as supportivehubby and i didn't actually ask you these questions and am somewhat apprehensive about you answering. I hope to enter medical school this cycle and wanted to know more about Tuscon. You didn't say that a lot of the MS1 are active and love the outdoors but hopefully it's still true?

well random applicant, thank you for asking all of these great questions! i don't know many of the MS 1's yet (i've been busy running around scared about the fact that i'm about to graduate and have real responsibility) but the ones i have met seem like wonderful people. i do know that the other classes all love being active and hanging out as a community, but my responses (which you didn't ask for) are solely my own and it's important to keep in mind that everyone has their own opinions.

Are there a lot of hiking/running trails nearby?
Running? Gross. Yes, there is ample opportunity to run your heart out (please don't actually wear your heart out). In addition to Mt. Lemmon (which is what was described by supportivehubby), there is a national park about 18 minutes from school (Sabino Canyon - don't believe google maps, i can totally do it in 18 minutes) with some really great hikes (and if you must, you can run). Don't believe me? http://static1.inthemo.com/80213E/prod1/9DD79AA1-C150-4712-AF65-970E8141D9FA/338fba57-9c69-40dd-af1c-a3e47fcb8bf0_h.jpg bam. that's seven falls... it's pretty sweet. there are plenty of others, but i think you get my drift.

and for those of you like me that don't like running, there are plenty of other "active" past times to do in tucson (and if you prefer less active past times, most tucson apartments have shades which you can use to block out the sunlight so that you can sit in the dark and play video games and scour http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tumblr.com/). i enjoy rock climbing and there are lots of good places to go outside within a couple of hours as well as two super swank climbing gyms in town. Tucson is a huge bike community and you will see many of them outside enjoying their freedom and occasionally straying from the rules of the road (i jest, sort of). the tour de tucson (sorry, el tour de tucson) is a huge event in november and i know a lot of people in my class have done it... and then they promptly regain all of the calories they lost that day... which brings me to the next question ...

How do you like the city itself? I've never heard of Tuscon until I decided to apply to medical school.

I was not born in Tucson and i too knew little about it before coming to medical school (i am from phoenix). Tucson is, at it's heart, a college town. there are lots of things to do, whether you like drinking or not. we've already gone over the outdoorsy things so i will avoid repeating myself too much. there are many bars near the university as well as clubs and all that nonsense where you can dance and party like the undergrads we once were. one of my classmates actually started his own brewing company, which is now quite successful and has become a fun place to congregate - http://borderlandsbrewing.com/. there are also lots of artsy, local events. Every weekend there is a farmers market which is amazing. There are crafts fairs on 4th avenue and downtown all the time. every month they have second saturday which is when bands come out downtown and play and they have food vendors and food trucks all over the place and movies on building walls, etc. and restaurants, tucson is probably the last place i expected to have awesome restaurants... but they do. any type of food too (but especially mexican).
supportivehubby is right in that tucson is no new york in terms of things to do... but who wants to pay $2500/month to live in a shoe box when they can pay a quarter of that and live in a relative mansion (by mansion, i mean a normal to large size apartment)

What do you think of the onsite hospital? Do MS1/MS2 students get a lot of clinical exposure in their first years?
I had a similar experience to supportivehubby in that my societies mentor is an emergency medicine doctor and i was able to go see patients down there in the second week. it was a terrifying experience to see a patient in extreme pain as a meek two-week old medical student and it was single-handedly the best experience i could have asked for. so much of medicine is learning by experience and to be able to see someone like that in my first month (and in the weeks afterward) helped prepare me for third year and now in fourth year. that being said, you're not going to be given more than you can handle and the societies program does a good job of balancing learning the techniques of taking a history and physical with seeing patients. Every week during the first year you have 4 hours of societies, half of which is spent learning aspects of the physical exam and the second half spent seeing patients (who are typically hand-picked throughout the hospital to correspond to things that you are learning on your current block, ie in the cardiology section you may see someone who has a congestive heart failure exacerbation).

once you get to your third year is when the hospital becomes even more important. there are actually 4 hospitals that you may rotate through (crazy i know because tucson is not that big), they are all within 15 minutes of the campus (hey, look! google maps and i agree!). It's nice as a student because you will spend a little bit of time at each place (academic center, community hospital, academic center part 2 with a more county feel, and VA).

What do you like most about the so far/what do you like least about it?
Most = I agree that the support staff has been amazing. i think i would have to say the overall feel of the school is what i like the most though. you sometimes hear horror stories about gunners in medical schools nationwide but i feel that my class has none of that. we are all really laid back, always willing to help each other out, and other than me everyone is so smart. i was actually just talking to a friend about how nice everyone in our class was. it went something like this "yo, that [soandso] is the nicest person in the world." "yeah, but what about [bro], he's so amazing and nice, he would do anything to help you." WTF, that's not how med school is supposed to be (but it is).

Least = other than the fact that i did not get a super sweet ipad and they only redid the student lounge to include 3 huge TVs, a PSIII, new ping pong table, (to go along with an already present foosball table), and a swank new kitchen after my second year (i know, that answer sounds like how you will answer the question of your greatest weakness in interviews), my least favorite thing has been team learning and CBI (student presentations tended to be much longer than my attention span). From what i understand though, things have changed a great deal from when i was in those - the faculty and block directors are really interested in student feedback and adapting/tweaking the curriculum.

How have the teachers been? Do they try to connect with the students or are they there as an obligation like most UC professors?
i can't comment on UC professors (i'm sure they are all very nice people). Our professors are for the most part incredibly helpful and willing to teach. our neuro classes are taught by the man that wrote the textbook used at most schools which is incredibly helpful (as supportivehubby will soon find out). i used his book in undergrad and understood very little but hearing him explain everything and the special website that he gives to us with quizzes and a 3d interactive version of the text are beyond amazing. neuro is supposed to be one of the hardest blocks but he makes it very manageable. and he answers emails so fast. many of our professors are like that. the biochem director makes his own powerpoints and lecture notes that make much more sense than any book you could buy. i bought lippincott's biochem - huge mistake, never opened it. i was studying for my boards and i tried to look through the book and couldn't make sense of anything. i grabbed the powerpoints of his lectures (did we mention everything is online - powerpoints, lecture notes, audio of lectures) and bam! done, next topic please. he also answers emails fast and meets with students on a regular basis and will stay to go over anything that anyone doesn't understand.
bottom line is that the teachers are here to teach you.

i wrote a lot of stuff. i apologize for that. i hope it wasn't too much and that at least two of you read it all. i'd be happy to answer more questions, whether on here or through PM (if i can figure out how it works). now i must go and do this: http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tumblr.com/post/31078840731/sneaking-around-the-hospital-trying-not-to-get-pimped
 
Last edited:
spelledout said:
I'm going to pretend this was written to me and answer because as a 4th year patiently waiting for residency interviews, i have nothing better to do.

Hi spelledout,

i wish you had an MDApps as informative and inspirational as supportivehubby and i didn't actually ask you these questions and am somewhat apprehensive about you answering. I hope to enter medical school this cycle and wanted to know more about Tuscon. You didn't say that a lot of the MS1 are active and love the outdoors but hopefully it's still true?

well random applicant, thank you for asking all of these great questions! i don't know many of the MS 1's yet (i've been busy running around scared about the fact that i'm about to graduate and have real responsibility) but the ones i have met seem like wonderful people. i do know that the other classes all love being active and hanging out as a community, but my responses (which you didn't ask for) are solely my own and it's important to keep in mind that everyone has their own opinions.

Are there a lot of hiking/running trails nearby?
Running? Gross. Yes, there is ample opportunity to run your heart out (please don't actually wear your heart out). In addition to Mt. Lemmon (which is what was described by supportivehubby), there is a national park about 18 minutes from school (Sabino Canyon - don't believe google maps, i can totally do it in 18 minutes) with some really great hikes (and if you must, you can run). Don't believe me? http://static1.inthemo.com/80213E/p...FA/338fba57-9c69-40dd-af1c-a3e47fcb8bf0_h.jpg bam. that's seven falls... it's pretty sweet. there are plenty of others, but i think you get my drift.

and for those of you like me that don't like running, there are plenty of other "active" past times to do in tucson (and if you prefer less active past times, most tucson apartments have shades which you can use to block out the sunlight so that you can sit in the dark and play video games and scour http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tumblr.com/). i enjoy rock climbing and there are lots of good places to go outside within a couple of hours as well as two super swank climbing gyms in town. Tucson is a huge bike community and you will see many of them outside enjoying their freedom and occasionally straying from the rules of the road (i jest, sort of). the tour de tucson (sorry, el tour de tucson) is a huge event in november and i know a lot of people in my class have done it... and then they promptly regain all of the calories they lost that day... which brings me to the next question ...

How do you like the city itself? I've never heard of Tuscon until I decided to apply to medical school.

I was not born in Tucson and i too knew little about it before coming to medical school (i am from phoenix). Tucson is, at it's heart, a college town. there are lots of things to do, whether you like drinking or not. we've already gone over the outdoorsy things so i will avoid repeating myself too much. there are many bars near the university as well as clubs and all that nonsense where you can dance and party like the undergrads we once were. one of my classmates actually started his own brewing company, which is now quite successful and has become a fun place to congregate - http://borderlandsbrewing.com/. there are also lots of artsy, local events. Every weekend there is a farmers market which is amazing. There are crafts fairs on 4th avenue and downtown all the time. every month they have second saturday which is when bands come out downtown and play and they have food vendors and food trucks all over the place and movies on building walls, etc. and restaurants, tucson is probably the last place i expected to have awesome restaurants... but they do. any type of food too (but especially mexican).
supportivehubby is right in that tucson is no new york in terms of things to do... but who wants to pay $2500/month to live in a shoe box when they can pay a quarter of that and live in a relative mansion (by mansion, i mean a normal to large size apartment)

What do you think of the onsite hospital? Do MS1/MS2 students get a lot of clinical exposure in their first years?
I had a similar experience to supportivehubby in that my societies mentor is an emergency medicine doctor and i was able to go see patients down there in the second week. it was a terrifying experience to see a patient in extreme pain as a meek two-week old medical student and it was single-handedly the best experience i could have asked for. so much of medicine is learning by experience and to be able to see someone like that in my first month (and in the weeks afterward) helped prepare me for third year and now in fourth year. that being said, you're not going to be given more than you can handle and the societies program does a good job of balancing learning the techniques of taking a history and physical with seeing patients. Every week during the first year you have 4 hours of societies, half of which is spent learning aspects of the physical exam and the second half spent seeing patients (who are typically hand-picked throughout the hospital to correspond to things that you are learning on your current block, ie in the cardiology section you may see someone who has a congestive heart failure exacerbation).

once you get to your third year is when the hospital becomes even more important. there are actually 4 hospitals that you may rotate through (crazy i know because tucson is not that big), they are all within 15 minutes of the campus (hey, look! google maps and i agree!). It's nice as a student because you will spend a little bit of time at each place (academic center, community hospital, academic center part 2 with a more county feel, and VA).

What do you like most about the so far/what do you like least about it?
Most = I agree that the support staff has been amazing. i think i would have to say the overall feel of the school is what i like the most though. you sometimes hear horror stories about gunners in medical schools nationwide but i feel that my class has none of that. we are all really laid back, always willing to help each other out, and other than me everyone is so smart. i was actually just talking to a friend about how nice everyone in our class was. it went something like this "yo, that [soandso] is the nicest person in the world." "yeah, but what about [bro], he's so amazing and nice, he would do anything to help you." WTF, that's not how med school is supposed to be (but it is).

Least = other than the fact that i did not get a super sweet ipad and they only redid the student lounge to include 3 huge TVs, a PSIII, new ping pong table, (to go along with an already present foosball table), and a swank new kitchen after my second year (i know, that answer sounds like how you will answer the question of your greatest weakness in interviews), my least favorite thing has been team learning and CBI (student presentations tended to be much longer than my attention span). From what i understand though, things have changed a great deal from when i was in those - the faculty and block directors are really interested in student feedback and adapting/tweaking the curriculum.

How have the teachers been? Do they try to connect with the students or are they there as an obligation like most UC professors?
i can't comment on UC professors (i'm sure they are all very nice people). Our professors are for the most part incredibly helpful and willing to teach. our neuro classes are taught by the man that wrote the textbook used at most schools which is incredibly helpful (as supportivehubby will soon find out). i used his book in undergrad and understood very little but hearing him explain everything and the special website that he gives to us with quizzes and a 3d interactive version of the text are beyond amazing. neuro is supposed to be one of the hardest blocks but he makes it very manageable. and he answers emails so fast. many of our professors are like that. the biochem director makes his own powerpoints and lecture notes that make much more sense than any book you could buy. i bought lippincott's biochem - huge mistake, never opened it. i was studying for my boards and i tried to look through the book and couldn't make sense of anything. i grabbed the powerpoints of his lectures (did we mention everything is online - powerpoints, lecture notes, audio of lectures) and bam! done, next topic please. he also answers emails fast and meets with students on a regular basis and will stay to go over anything that anyone doesn't understand.
bottom line is that the teachers are here to teach you.

i wrote a lot of stuff. i apologize for that. i hope it wasn't too much and that at least two of you read it all. i'd be happy to answer more questions, whether on here or through PM (if i can figure out how it works). now i must go and do this: http://whatshouldwecallmedschool.tu...-around-the-hospital-trying-not-to-get-pimped
Click to expand...

Thank you so much spelledout, I was just getting to write a long post to you asking these very questions so don't feel let down 🙂 Can't wait to experience some of the things you talked about. Congratulations on coming to the end of your med school experience, and surviving.

P.S. Don't forget to change your status from pre-med to med student, after all people will be refering to you as Doctor soon!
 
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