colbgw02 said:
hey guys,
sorry for snooping around on your thread, but i'm just noticing how many of you thought the tours were 'lame'. as someone who gives these tours decently frequently, i know i've had really great tours and some that were, in fact, pretty lame. i would like to hear any suggestions for improvement. i can certainly understand why just walking through the major hallways would be boring, but taking several groups of applicants through any of the clinics, wards, units, surgery suites, or even the emergency room is pretty much out of the question. i know that sucks, but is there anything else - apart from the new fitness center - that you would be interested in seeing? i normally ask my group how much they'd like to see, because many times the group appears pretty disinterested, which is probably reasonable after a long morning of interviewing, and i don't want to subject them to an even longer day of having to be 'on'. i will say that the single most important factor in making/breaking a tour is the applicants. if y'all have questions, and lots of them, it connotes interest and gives license for the guide to offer up more information. otherwise, we feel like we're cramming stuff down your throats that you're not interested in hearing. seriously though, i would like to hear your suggestions. thanks, and good luck to everyone.
The part of the tour that toured the school facilities (i.e. Volker Hall) was nice. We got to meet a number of current students, and see many of the places we will be spending our time next year. The tour guides/ MS3 students were great: friendly & helpful, and genuinely interested in both what they were doing & with helping the applicants.
That said, the hospital tour is terrible. All you see is the hallways. Anyone can walk in off the street and see that on their own. UAB has several features that make it a fantastic choice for an applicant, including the excellent (and pervasive) use of technology, the beautiful new hospital, the strong research opportunities available to students, etc... None of these were really addressed in my tour. I only know of them because I am a volunteer at the hospital, and an alumnus of the undergraduate school.
We were told repeatedly how UAB is now one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in the country, but no one told us what that meant or showed us what that looks like (in terms of patient care). We (interviewees) are left with nothing more than the word of the admissions people about these features. I fear that we are missing out on the opportunity to get some of the stronger applicants to fall in love with UAB while they are visiting here.
I understand that it is difficult or impossible for you (as an MS3/4) to take groups of students into the ER, or into clinics, etc. However, this really means that the administration needs to figure out ways to get the applicants the ability to see our students & attendings at work. When I interviewed for graduate schools, I got taken to dinner, and was given meetings with faculty & tours with faculty as well as students. Perhaps the school should have some faculty set aside time to spend with the applicants in the clinics, etc? I know that this takes both money and time, but if the school wants to increase its share of the top applicants, it might be worth considering.
As an applicant, my objectives were to see the classroom/study resouces I would be using, meet current students (at both the MS1/MS2 stage & at the MS3/MS4 stage), and I wanted to see where I would be learning to treat patients.
One of the best things I did as an undergrad was shadow a group of med students as they went through part of their day at the hospital. I got to meet the MS3 & MS4 students in our group, the intern, the residents, the chief resident, and the attending. And I got to see them presenting patients, solve problems, use the remarkable hospital facilities. etc., and even got to meet patients & see the team treating patients. It might be nice to offer such an experience as an option to interested applicants. After I went through that experience, I knew that I wanted to go to UAB even more.
Sorry for the long post, but I am SO glad you asked this question, because
1) I am an intense supporter of UAB, of both its undergrad school & the medical college.
2) I feel that the tour was the only thing about my interview experience that could have been improved.
3) I would love to get involved in assisting applicants once I matriculate in July.
4) UAB is a fantastic place, and could do much better than we are currently w.r.t. the tours. (Bear in mind that I know that this is not the fault of the student tour guides. In fact, your asking this question on SDN is evidence of the dedication of the MS3/MS4 students to helping their school by want to conduct even better interviews & tours.
Cheers,
Odrade1
ps. thanks for giving your time to the applicants, BTW.
Why is that?
! By the way I got something from USA saying that I had been placed on hold. Does this mean that I will keep on being reviewed when they meet, or they won't come back to me until near the end? 
