Not at all, IMHO. The NYCOM of today is very different than 5-10 years ago. The curriculum changed to the block format 3 years ago, so the kinks are mostly worked out and people do pretty well. Most people have pretty normal, healthy lives outside med school. I know I do. The few weeks leading up to exams are stressful, but this is medical school. It aint supposed to be easy. They dont spoon feed you here. You're expected to show up for class and learn the material, but stress wise, I cant imagine it's any more than most med schools. I dont think the drop-out/fail rate is higher than any other school. The new administration is really great and responsive. Dr. Ross-Lee, the new dean, is very proactive and student-oriented. They do what they can to make life easier. They print up all the notes and lectures for you, so in class you follow along and dont have to worry about writing everything down or pay for a scribe service. Also, all lectures can be viewed in streaming format from home online. Watching cardio lecture from my bed isnt bad. Also, all students are given brand new Sony Clies, a $300 PDA, to keep. Competition within the class is rare, as grading is H/P/F. Students are pretty supportive of each other. The school has also drastically upgraded the facilities of late including a new cafeteria (actually really great food). They have a wellness program after class most days with kickboxing, yoga, aerobics, etc to stay in shape with. They even paid for hotel rooms for anyone who wanted to go to Vegas for 5 days for the AOA Convention. I think 150 people went. Great friggin time. My liver still is recovering.
Anyway, moral of the story, med students like to complain. It's a stress reliever. Dont believe everything you hear. NYCOM has 3,000 graduates out there who are good doctors. 10 people apply for every seat in the class. If you're here, you deserve it. It's up to you to take it from there. PM me if you want more info.
