2023-2024 Pittsburgh

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Happyswimmingawg said:
I heard that the current M1s have Monday - Friday mandatory classes starting at 8 am and ending at 12 pm. Someone said the students have to be physically present on campus during that time. Does anyone know how true this is? I can’t find anything explaining it on their website.
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I attended the curriculum info session and this is true. There are 20 hours of required class time. Classes are case-based and for each hour of class there’s about an hour of pre work. Besides the 8-12 class time, there is also one day a week in the afternoon you also have clinical skills from 1-5. The rest of the time is independent learning
 
Semsemrocks said:
I attended the curriculum info session and this is true. There are 20 hours of required class time. Classes are case-based and for each hour of class there’s about an hour of pre work. Besides the 8-12 class time, there is also one day a week in the afternoon you also have clinical skills from 1-5. The rest of the time is independent learning
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Thank you! Do you know if I have to arrive to campus at 8 am and leave at 12 pm? What if students want to do 9 am to 1 pm or something like that? 8 am sounds torture based on my college experience, not sure I want to try it again haha
 
Happyswimmingawg said:
Thank you! Do you know if I have to arrive to campus at 8 am and leave at 12 pm? What if students want to do 9 am to 1 pm or something like that? 8 am sounds torture based on my college experience, not sure I want to try it again haha
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You can certainly adjust your sleep schedule for your important medical school classes
 
Happyswimmingawg said:
Thank you! Do you know if I have to arrive to campus at 8 am and leave at 12 pm? What if students want to do 9 am to 1 pm or something like that? 8 am sounds torture based on my college experience, not sure I want to try it again haha
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Classes start at 8 am but you don’t have to leave at 12! I think you can stay on campus as long as you like for studying and lunch.

I know that 8 am isn’t the best but you’ll likely have to get up early for clinical rotations so it may help you get used to the schedule.

I will say that the faculty presenter for the info session said that this curriculum isn’t for everyone. If you prefer lectures, don’t like teamwork based learning (prefer learning on your own), etc. then don’t choose Pitt.

Oh and one last thing. He said that 20 hours of required class time was around the median compared to other schools. So if you prefer less, then there are better options in that regard.
 
Semsemrocks said:
Classes start at 8 am but you don’t have to leave at 12! I think you can stay on campus as long as you like for studying and lunch.

I know that 8 am isn’t the best but you’ll likely have to get up early for clinical rotations so it may help you get used to the schedule.

I will say that the faculty presenter for the info session said that this curriculum isn’t for everyone. If you prefer lectures, don’t like teamwork based learning (prefer learning on your own), etc. then don’t choose Pitt.

Oh and one last thing. He said that 20 hours of required class time was around the median compared to other schools. So if you prefer less, then there are better options in that regard.
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Thank you ♥️
 
Does anyone know about the PSTP program? I keep on receiving several emails about info. sessions. Can you apply for it once you get into their MD program?
 
Happyswimmingawg said:
Does anyone know about the PSTP program? I keep on receiving several emails about info. sessions. Can you apply for it once you get into their MD program?
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I think applications are open now or open up soon. They emphasized in the info session that it's rolling admissions so apply early if you're interested. You apply before you get accepted to the MD program
 
For the PSTP application, does anybody know if we can just sort of copy-paste our AMCAS activity section for their CV section? It just seems like they are asking for a repeat of what has already been written on AMCAS (like the Awards/Honors, Hobbies and EC Activities, Oral/Poster Presentation sections, etc).
 
Guggenburg said:
For the PSTP application, does anybody know if we can just sort of copy-paste our AMCAS activity section for their CV section? It just seems like they are asking for a repeat of what has already been written on AMCAS (like the Awards/Honors, Hobbies and EC Activities, Oral/Poster Presentation sections, etc).
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I think you can copy and paste the awards, publications, presentations, etc., but I think for the rest I'm going to rewrite/rephrase. I'm not sure if it matters though because I'm pretty sure the PSTP app is reviewed independently?
 
I've gotten a few similar messages re: the new curriculum so I'll answer here: Pre-clinical stuff was different for my class, both because of COVID and just an entirely different curriculum at that time, so I can't really speak to it. My general advice is not to pick a school based on its curriculum. I know it seems important at this point, but sparing a handful of programs with really unique set-ups (e.g., Yale), they kind of all blend together and probably don't make much of a difference. Your success, regardless of where you go, will be based on your own work effort outside of the curriculum itself.

Keep in mind this is one opinion. If you asked three other current students you'd get 12 different answers.
 
during clerkship, how did your experience compare to that of students from different schools? Were the preceptors and residents generally welcoming and helpful to medical students?
 
In short, I had a very positive experience overall with clerkships. This is a challenging question to answer for a number of reasons though. Your experience is so dependent on the residents and preceptors to which you're assigned, and that's different for everyone. Naturally there's a pretty strong element of luck in this, which I'd say is the most translatable experience I've heard in speaking with med students at other schools. Beyond that, I'd only be amplifying rumors or one-off experiences.

Most of my preceptors have ranged from good to great, and thankfully there are only a couple where I questioned why they're even involved in medical education. That's just the nature of the workplace, especially at a medical center as large as UPMC. In general, however, if you do all of the things you know you're supposed to do (show up on time, be helpful without being annoying, etc.), your team will support you and try to set you up for success.

Lastly, now that I'm in the residency interview stage, there's definitely an expectation coming from Pitt (and probably any other large academic medical center) that you're very well-rounded clinically, and I think the preceptors and residents here understand and appreciate what's expected of them to help us meet that expectation.
 
JFromMars said:
do you think a car is necessary for all four years or just from rotations?
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I asked students and they said no. If you don’t have a car, they don’t put you at far places for rotations and many of the hospitals are within a walking distance. Plus public transportation is great there and it’s free since Pitt covers for it.
 
JFromMars said:
do you think a car is necessary for all four years or just from rotations?
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i went to pitt for undergrad and didn’t have a car 3/4 years never had an issue getting around. 4 of the hospitals r walking distance on campus and a lot of the others are easily accessible by the bus system
 
Anyone know when they send PCAT interviews? I interviewed 10/13 for regular MD and submitted my application in October
 
Happyswimmingawg said:
Does anyone know if the exams are NBME? I heard it makes a huge difference
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To add to this question: How often are exams and quizzes? If exams are not NBME-based, what style of questions are they? Are they essay-based like Case Western's or multiple choice? @CurrentM1atPitt
 
Happyswimmingawg said:
Does anyone know if the exams are NBME? I heard it makes a huge difference
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madamemichaelscott said:
To add to this question: How often are exams and quizzes? If exams are not NBME-based, what style of questions are they? Are they essay-based like Case Western's or multiple choice? @CurrentM1atPitt
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I think there is some form of assessment every Friday and the summative assessments are on like one Friday a month. I believe that only the summative assessments count towards your grade but I am not 100% sure. The number of exams was shortened in the new curriculum. You can find the schedule here: Academic Calendars | Office of Medical Education, School of Medicine | University of Pittsburgh

I believe in the curriculum info session they mentioned that they hire someone specifically to write all their exams in the format of the step exams. And they use old step exam questions too.

If you got an interview I would check out that info session because the faculty member can answer all your questions better than any of us!
 
can any current M1s talk about what they've done during their flex weeks or what some options are?
 
Semsemrocks said:
I think there is some form of assessment every Friday and the summative assessments are on like one Friday a month. I believe that only the summative assessments count towards your grade but I am not 100% sure. The number of exams was shortened in the new curriculum. You can find the schedule here: Academic Calendars | Office of Medical Education, School of Medicine | University of Pittsburgh

I believe in the curriculum info session they mentioned that they hire someone specifically to write all their exams in the format of the step exams. And they use old step exam questions too.

If you got an interview I would check out that info session because the faculty member can answer all your questions better than any of us!
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Thank you for this. I’m still confused on the NBME thing: are the questions NBME: based?
 
Apologies if this has already been asked, but it's been a minute since I read through the thread. For anyone who has already had their interview any tips or advice you'd like to share with the group? I'm starting my interview prep and I want to make sure I put my best foot forward. I would especially like to hear about the group activity and how to prep for that! Thank you all so much!!
 
yourgfgf said:
Apologies if this has already been asked, but it's been a minute since I read through the thread. For anyone who has already had their interview any tips or advice you'd like to share with the group? I'm starting my interview prep and I want to make sure I put my best foot forward. I would especially like to hear about the group activity and how to prep for that! Thank you all so much!!
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It’s a very standard traditional interview for both student and faculty. The faculty sees your primary app but the student sees nothing. Be prepared to discuss activities on your primary with the faculty member. They also have set questions that they are told to ask everyone. Just be yourself basically, not much in terms of exact things to prep.

As for the group activity, you can’t really prep for it. You just discuss a scenario in a group that mimics their team-based style learning—which is a big part of their curriculum. There is a facilitator to guide the discussion. Just make sure you contribute to the conversation, be kind to others, don’t cut people off, etc.
 
Semsemrocks said:
It’s a very standard traditional interview for both student and faculty. The faculty sees your primary app but the student sees nothing. Be prepared to discuss activities on your primary with the faculty member. They also have set questions that they are told to ask everyone. Just be yourself basically, not much in terms of exact things to prep.

As for the group activity, you can’t really prep for it. You just discuss a scenario in a group that mimics their team-based style learning—which is a big part of their curriculum. There is a facilitator to guide the discussion. Just make sure you contribute to the conversation, be kind to others, don’t cut people off, etc.
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Thank you this is incredibly helpful!
 
My interviewer was an M1. They said that they like it (they prefer going to class rather than a more remote type of curriculum) and everyone has been doing well on exams. They also said that the administration does a good job responding to their concerns and making updates as needed.
 
ChocolateCookieCake said:
Does anyone know if attendance is tracked for the optional info sessions? I missed 2 due to work and being ill.
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Can't guarantee obviously, but I don't think it is. I asked an M2 friend at Pitt who is involved in admissions and they said they were pretty sure it wasn't. I missed one on accident and still got the survey emails afterwards. The ones that I did attend they did not appear to take any kind of attendance. Probably better to unenroll rather than miss but I doubt it matters for your admissions chances.
 
SpeakMed said:
Can't guarantee obviously, but I don't think it is. I asked an M2 friend at Pitt who is involved in admissions and they said they were pretty sure it wasn't. I missed one on accident and still got the survey emails afterwards. The ones that I did attend they did not appear to take any kind of attendance. Probably better to unenroll rather than miss but I doubt it matters for your admissions chances.
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Thank you for asking your friend, that’s reassuring! I had a last minute shift and just completely forgot about the other as well, but I also got the survey emails too.
 
Is anyone else interested in PCAT waiting to submit until after the PCAT information session? I saw a little discussion in this thread that II's for that would be in February but I was not sure what the deal is since there is no deadline haha.
 
HollowJ@1 said:
Is anyone else interested in PCAT waiting to submit until after the PCAT information session? I saw a little discussion in this thread that II's for that would be in February but I was not sure what the deal is since there is no deadline haha.
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So I submitted my PCAT about two months ago since I went to a PCAT session earlier.
 
kaleidoscope1202 said:
So I submitted my PCAT about two months ago since I went to a PCAT session earlier.
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Thanks for the reply, how long did you wait to send in the PCAT secondary after your II invite? My II invite was past the first PCAT session and the earliest was in December that I could sign up for.
 
HollowJ@1 said:
Thanks for the reply, how long did you wait to send in the PCAT secondary after your II invite? My II invite was past the first PCAT session and the earliest was in December that I could sign up for.
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I went to a PCAT session in October and the application came out the next week so I submitted ASAP. You could apply and withdraw your application for the program if the info session isn't what you thought it would be, but since there's no deadline for submissions, I thought submitting as soon as possible was ideal.
 
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