2016-2017 Stony Brook University Application Thread

[summersalts]

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Thank you for the quick reply!!

Stony Brook is 14k cheaper/year. Are there any factors besides for tuition that would make one a better option over the other?

Matching in NY is a very high priority for me. You think going to a NY school provides an advantage for this?

Stony Brook has a smaller class size (140) which would be a nice contrast to Jefferson (250ish) -- people always tell me they appreciate that Stony feels like a smaller community. I can't really speak to Jeff since I didn't interview there but regarding Stony, they have a pretty high Step 1 Average (234) and very strong research. Stony's match list in NYC was excellent this year -- they match to all the big institutions - NYP-Cornell, NYP-Columbia, NYU, etc. This isn't to say that going to Jeff will make it incredibly difficult to match in NYC, but Stony will have more connections/clout with program directors across the NYC/Long Island area. Most of the class stays in NY or goes to big name institutions in the East/West Coast.

 

[In_Arsene_We_Trust]

Thank you for the quick reply!!

Stony Brook is 14k cheaper/year. Are there any factors besides for tuition that would make one a better option over the other?

Matching in NY is a very high priority for me. You think going to a NY school provides an advantage for this?

Congrats! Compare match lists. Both schools are good. At the end of the day, pick a school where you felt it is a good fit for you. IMHO


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[SirCardiac]

Thank you for the quick reply!!

Stony Brook is 14k cheaper/year. Are there any factors besides for tuition that would make one a better option over the other?

Matching in NY is a very high priority for me. You think going to a NY school provides an advantage for this?

Also take into account location. Philly vs suburban. Can you see yourself living a quieter life for 4 years? The Stony campus is really dead on the weekends.

 

[ThinkGoodWillBeGood]

Stony Brook vs. Hofstra?

 

[Styrene]

Stony Brook is great. Besides the anatomy course during first half of M1, they teach to the boards (class tests/finals are all custom NBME except for anatomy, which may have been mentioned at interview). And if you are interested in research, everyone I know who sought out research is currently doing research -- everything from lab work to clinical stuff to international trips during the summer between M1/M2.

Stony Brook vs. Hofstra?

 

[SirCardiac]

Stony Brook vs. Hofstra?

On the other hand, Hofstra has initial clinical experience which allows M1s and M2s to learn and direct patient care early on. Northwell is also the largest health system in NY so I believe you will have many opportunities to explore. Location is otherwise similar to Stony Brook on Long Island, but is closer to the city if that is important to you (35mi v. 60mi). Hofstra is relatively new but has produced many excellent matches.

 

[partypantss]

Stony Brook vs. Hofstra?

Keep in mind some of the people giving responses are currently waiting for a WL spot from stony Brook and therefore want to convince you to go elsewhere... Between Hofstra and SB unless there was something that you absolutely loved about hofstra, SB is the better choice IMO. Hofstra is a new school, SB is established, cheap and gets impressive scores/ matches. I'm also on the SB WL but I'm not gonna feed you crap just for the miniscule chance it leads to a spot for me lol

 

[Shirafune]

Keep in mind some of the people giving responses are currently waiting for a WL spot from stony Brook and therefore want to convince you to go elsewhere... Between Hofstra and SB unless there was something that you absolutely loved about hofstra, SB is the better choice IMO. Hofstra is a new school, SB is established, cheap and gets impressive scores/ matches. I'm also on the SB WL but I'm not gonna feed you crap just for the miniscule chance it leads to a spot for me lol

Agreed, SB is the more established program career-wise/academically. Like partypantss said, unless you would be much happier at Hofstra, pick SB.

 

[SirCardiac]

Keep in mind some of the people giving responses are currently waiting for a WL spot from stony Brook and therefore want to convince you to go elsewhere... Between Hofstra and SB unless there was something that you absolutely loved about hofstra, SB is the better choice IMO. Hofstra is a new school, SB is established, cheap and gets impressive scores/ matches. I'm also on the SB WL but I'm not gonna feed you crap just for the miniscule chance it leads to a spot for me lol

Stony is a great school, I completely vouch for the OP to go there. However, s/he is asking for a comparison and since others have already described or are more familiar with Stony, others are providing more info to answer the OP's question. Make an informed decision, go where it fits you. Stony or Hofstra or wherever.

 

[summersalts]

Stony Brook vs. Hofstra?

Hofstra has mandatory attendance, correct? That alone would turn me off as the hours spent in lecture are wasted hours studying for some people. Step 1 is priority. Plus, Northwell has some great institutions but the bulk of these (LIJ/New Hyde Park) are in Long Island. do you really want to be stuck on Long Island after med-school in your mid-twenties/early thirties? I for one do not and would rather match to NYC institutions.

 

[honey0102]

Just withdrew my application from here. It was a really hard decision, SB is an amazing school. Good luck to everyone!

 

[partypantss]

More people posting about withdrawing their spots than getting accepted, come on wheres that WL movement?!

 

[Phoodie]

More people posting about withdrawing their spots than getting accepted, come on wheres that WL movement?!

I'm right here with you on that...it's so frustrating because Stony is my top choice for a myriad of reasons yet I'm still getting no love


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[kbac13]

I'm right here with you on that...it's so frustrating because Stony is my top choice for a myriad of reasons yet I'm still getting no love


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I'm surprised at the limited movement from Stony. Didn't they quote 30%?

 

[delta22]

I'm surprised at the limited movement from Stony. Didn't they quote 30%?

30% of the class comes from the waitlist but doesn't speak to the percentage of people on the waitlist given offers

 

[Phoodie]

I'm surprised at the limited movement from Stony. Didn't they quote 30%?

Supposedly, yes. My waitlist email didn't mention any percentage. I did call to inquire about movement 1-2 weeks ago and was told that there has been "some" movement and to just keep waiting.


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[kbac13]

IIRC from MSAR, they put roughly 300 people on the WL and accept about 65.

 

[Phoodie]

IIRC from MSAR, they put roughly 300 people on the WL and accept about 65.

Ah yes I think you're right. I do remember those numbers being thrown around but hopefully more significant movement starts soon!


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[kbac13]

Ah yes I think you're right. I do remember those numbers being thrown around but hopefully more significant movement starts soon!


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Best of luck!

 

[Peonage]

Does Stony waitlist all interviewees that are not directly accepted? They have a huge waitlist.

 

[ThinkGoodWillBeGood]

More people posting about withdrawing their spots than getting accepted, come on wheres that WL movement?!

Hi! I was accepted off the waitlist, via phone call, on Wednesday! Sorry for not posting this sooner. There is hope.

 

[krukshanks]

Withdrew earlier this week -- good luck to all of you WL ppl!

 

[Styrene]

Congrats. SB is great. Besides anatomy, they don't really test on tiny details. The courses are also very well run and incorporate small group learning, OSCEs, case studies, lab sessions, etc. The professors are all very dedicated to teaching. Again, besides anatomy, all testing is computerized. Unit exams/finals are customized NBME exams in the library. And now we take Step 1 after our clinical rotations (March of 3rd year). I don't know what other schools do, but these are some of the things I like about it. The new curriculum has been phased in, and, though perhaps somewhat complex, it is quite innovative.

And the research opportunities are literally limitless. Also, I believe they now give all incoming classes iPad Air 2s.

If you are going here, feel free to PM me any questions.

Hi! I was accepted off the waitlist, via phone call, on Wednesday! Sorry for not posting this sooner. There is hope.

 

[Styrene]

[quoted wrong post]

 

[izzinator64]

Hard decision to make, will be withdrawing from Stony Brook. Good luck to WLs!

 

[Styrene]

Hard decision to make, will be withdrawing from Stony Brook. Good luck to WLs!

Best of luck. Where are you going instead if you don't mind sharing?

 

[izzinator64]

Best of luck. Where are you going instead if you don't mind sharing?

Thanks! I had gotten into school in Canada and am choosing there for COA/finance options and visa/citizenship reasons. Just delaying my American dream by a few years 🙂

 

[gryph1]

Thanks! I had gotten into school in Canada and am choosing there for COA/finance options and visa/citizenship reasons. Just delaying my American dream by a few years 🙂

Congrats!!! Fellow Canadian here 🙂

 

[Shirafune]

Also, I believe they now give all incoming classes iPad Air 2s.

Was your class the first to get iPad Air 2s and was it mandatory (i.e. built into tuition)?

Based on what I could find online, I'm assuming this entering class will be the first ones to receive the iPad Air 2s.

I'm debating between a traditional laptop with specs similar to Surface Pro 4 (16gb, 512gb SSD, i7). I was also thinking about getting a similar spec desktop for my room for leisure.

 

[Styrene]

My class was the first to get the iPad Air 2s. I think it was kind of a trial, but in my opinion, it worked out really well, so I'm sure they will do it with the rest of the incoming classes since it's so integrated into the curriculum now. For example, all of our small group quiz type things are taken on an app on the iPad Air 2, so you get your score right away. It's included in the fees, and you are required to bring it to your classes for testing and stuff like that.

Any of the Dell XPS Ultrabooks are amazing. I have an XPS 13 that I bought for medical school and it turned out really well -- I have it hooked up to a 32 inch Samsung Smart TV in my room. If you want to use it for gaming also, the new XPS 9560 runs something like GTA V at ~120 frames per second.

Was your class the first to get iPad Air 2s and was it mandatory (i.e. built into tuition)?

Based on what I could find online, I'm assuming this entering class will be the first ones to receive the iPad Air 2s.

I'm debating between a traditional laptop with specs similar to Surface Pro 4 (16gb, 512gb SSD, i7). I was also thinking about getting a similar spec desktop for my room for leisure.

 

[Shirafune]

My class was the first to get the iPad Air 2s. I think it was kind of a trial, but in my opinion, it worked out really well, so I'm sure they will do it with the rest of the incoming classes since it's so integrated into the curriculum now. For example, all of our small group quiz type things are taken on an app on the iPad Air 2, so you get your score right away. It's included in the fees, and you are required to bring it to your classes for testing and stuff like that.

Any of the Dell XPS Ultrabooks are amazing. I have an XPS 13 that I bought for medical school and it turned out really well -- I have it hooked up to a 32 inch Samsung Smart TV in my room. If you want to use it for gaming also, the new XPS 9560 runs something like GTA V at ~120 frames per second.

I've only ever taken paper and pen notes, but sooooo many people are getting 2-in-1 laptops that I feel slightly pressured to buy one. I'm not sure how well I do with tablet written notes, but I sure don't retain much by typing.

Any regrets on buying a traditional laptop?

 

[Styrene]

I've only ever taken paper and pen notes, but sooooo many people are getting 2-in-1 laptops that I feel slightly pressured to buy one. I'm not sure how well I do with tablet written notes, but I sure don't retain much by typing.

Any regrets on buying a traditional laptop?

No the laptop is great. It has a UHD+ screen. The iPads come with a keyboard stand thing so it's basically like a two-in-one.

I can't help with the note taking, as I haven't taken a single note on anything throughout M1.

 

[infinityavenue]

Anyone have any thoughts on Stony vs Downstate? Have the difficult task of choosing one by next week.


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[Styrene]

Anyone have any thoughts on Stony vs Downstate? Have the difficult task of choosing one by next week.
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If you have a car, Stony Brook. If you don't have a car but are willing to live on campus or want to live on campus, Stony Brook. If you really want to live in the city, downstate. If you just want to choose the academically best institution, Stony Brook definitely.

I know excellent physicians who have come from both institutions. Actually, all the physicians I know who have come from these two schools are excellent.

 

[infinityavenue]

If you have a car, Stony Brook. If you don't have a car but are willing to live on campus or want to live on campus, Stony Brook. If you really want to live in the city, downstate. If you just want to choose the academically best institution, Stony Brook definitely.

I know excellent physicians who have come from both institutions. Actually, all the physicians I know who have come from these two schools are excellent.

I definitely agree both schools train excellent doctors. One of my fears is that SB is it being relatively competitive due to the H/P/F grading scheme and the reputation for rotations not giving you a lot of hands-on experience (apparently hearsay on SDN is that nurses at SB are very protective of their patients, not sure how true this is though).

 

[Styrene]

It has been fairly competitive, but I'm just of the sort who is hypercompetitive by nature and associates with other people who are similar. There definitely is a group of people here who are competitive and like to worry about grades, but we are also very laid-back and down-to-earth. Then there's a whole other group who I don't think cares much about grades at all. There's also a party group. There's also a jock/sports group. It's a class of about 130 something, so there's probably a little bit of every type of person.

The way that the initial competition is mitigated is by having us take Anatomy, biochemistry, basic mechanisms of disease, and pathogens and host defenses and getting a single combined grade for all of them in the end (for the "B3" course), which is the only grade that makes it onto your transcript (the courses listed are obviously graded individually though). I think only about 13 people honored B3 in my class, and that mostly just came down to their anatomy grades. My anatomy score was below average, but I had the top grades in the whole entire class on some of the other stuff . I guess what I mean to say is that any competition there is is definitely friendly competition, and 90% of the class ends up in the same boat. Also, preclinical grades don't matter at all for residency according to a thorough review of the program director surveys over the past several years.

I can't help you with the info about third year (which is actually 1.5th year). I've been on that actual floors six times seeing real patients during our introduction to clinical medicine course. The only time I saw a med student there, he was reporting his physical exam findings to the attending. Other than that, haven't seen/heard much.

I definitely agree both schools train excellent doctors. One of my fears is that SB is it being relatively competitive due to the H/P/F grading scheme and the reputation for rotations not giving you a lot of hands-on experience (apparently hearsay on SDN is that nurses at SB are very protective of their patients, not sure how true this is though).

 

[Shirafune]

Also, preclinical grades don't matter at all for residency according to a thorough review of the program director surveys over the past several years.

Do you know how pre-clinical works for AOA?

 

[Styrene]

Do you know how pre-clinical works for AOA?

Honors, High Pass, pass, and low pass are used in coming up with the quartiles for the class. A grade-based weighted point allocation system is used, with honors being I think six points clinical (and less for preclinical) and then going down from there. In the dean's letter, class quartile is reported, not absolute class standing. I have a few friends who have asked deans and other faculty and staff, and they said they don't keep absolute internal rankings. As far as the exact method of AOA, I don't know...AOA has never even been mentioned once by any faculty.

 

[ThinkGoodWillBeGood]

I withdrew my acceptance. Good luck!

 

[Phoodie]

I withdrew my acceptance. Good luck!

Best of luck where ever you're headed!

I feel like waitlist movement here has been sparse and calling the office of admissions has been no help since the waitlist ranks are confidential. Really just want to know whether or not to hold out here or just take my other acceptance and run with it.

 

[ThinkGoodWillBeGood]

Best of luck where ever you're headed!

I feel like waitlist movement here has been sparse and calling the office of admissions has been no help since the waitlist ranks are confidential. Really just want to know whether or not to hold out here or just take my other acceptance and run with it.

There's no loss in just waiting and seeing if you get off, and then making a decision between SB and your other decision. I would recommend sending SB letters of interest/intent and updates, to let them know that you're passionate about getting accepted.

 

[Phoodie]

There's no loss in just waiting and seeing if you get off, and then making a decision between SB and your other decision. I would recommend sending SB letters of interest/intent and updates, to let them know that you're passionate about getting accepted.

That's true and is definitely my plan.


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[littlefry]

Just got the call of acceptance this afternoon! So thrilled, I will be attending. In state, 3.65/507, lots of good extras. I will pray for some more wait list movement for the rest of you. I know how hard it is to play this ugly waiting game I only had admission to NYCOM prior to this phone call. Hold out hope to the very end!

 

[Doctor new york]

Just got the call of acceptance this afternoon! So thrilled, I will be attending. In state, 3.65/507, lots of good extras. I will pray for some more wait list movement for the rest of you. I know how hard it is to play this ugly waiting game I only had admission to NYCOM prior to this phone call. Hold out hope to the very end!

Did you get your letter as well or did they say they were sending it tomorrow? I also got a call today but I'm waiting for the official letter.

 

[Doctor new york]

Hey guys is there a class of 2021 page for Facebook?

 

[stresser]

Accepted via linkage today! Interviewed on 06/06. Looking forward to meeting all of you!

 

[Peonage]

Accepted via linkage today! Interviewed on 06/06. Looking forward to meeting all of you!

What is this linkage you speak of?

 

[kbac13]

Accepted via linkage today! Interviewed on 06/06. Looking forward to meeting all of you!

How did you interview on June 6th?

 

[pillowsnice]

P.S. During MS1/MS2, I would spend at least 1-2 days a week studying in my girlfriend's NYC apartment, since classes were mandatory only 1-2 days a week.

PM me for any specific questions.

Which classes were the mandatory ones? What did you do the rest of the week if not in class?

 

[Doctor new york]

So lectures aren't mandatory, but small group discussion/team-based learning exercises were. People either had the choice of watching video-recorded lectures @ home (1.5-2x speed) or go to class (I can't pay attention for more than 5 minutes in lecture) and then implement learning in these small group activities. However, the first block consisting of Anatomy/Biochem, classes were mandatory every day (up until November or so).

How were classes after November? I live in queens and I was wondering if it's worthy renting a place or just commuting