Camaraderie OR Competitive?

[postbacca]

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Hi med students! First, congrats on getting to med school, something I am currently pursuing with all my strength!

I was hoping to get your opinions on my preconception of med school. One reason I'm greatly looking forward to it is that I envision being surrounded by extremely supportive classmates that are all in this together. I'm sure it won't be as ideal as that but generally speaking, that everyone wants their classmates to pass and that great relationships are forged in med school.

Am I wrong in thinking this? I have many friends in business and law school who say their programs are ultra competitive and cut throat. Somehow, I see medical school being different.

What are your thoughts and experiences?

Thanks in advance!

 

[VMSmith]

It does vary from school to school so I can only speak to my experience at my school, but to some degree your preconceptions are accurate.

I don't think medical school tends to either extreme (totally cooperative or totally competitive). Some of your classmates will be extremely supportive of others and will share notes, stand up for others, give credit to others who deserve credit, etc etc. And some of your classmates won't give a **** about you and will backstab you during clerkships. Your job is to surround yourself with the former and avoid the latter as much as possible.

Either way, you do forge some amazing relationships in medical school. Spending that much time with the same people tends to do that.

 

[ruralmd]

Med school is as friendly as a competitive environment can be. Some will help others will not.

This varies from place to place of course but always double check and learn things for yourself because you don't want to dependent on anyone.

 

[lildave2586]

Hi med students! First, congrats on getting to med school, something I am currently pursuing with all my strength!

I was hoping to get your opinions on my preconception of med school. One reason I'm greatly looking forward to it is that I envision being surrounded by extremely supportive classmates that are all in this together. I'm sure it won't be as ideal as that but generally speaking, that everyone wants their classmates to pass and that great relationships are forged in med school.

Am I wrong in thinking this? I have many friends in business and law school who say their programs are ultra competitive and cut throat. Somehow, I see medical school being different.

What are your thoughts and experiences?

Thanks in advance!

I think it really depends on the school. My class has great unity, but I've heard of other schools with cut-throat mentalities. I would think that upper-tier schools would have a more competitive environment, but that's just my guess. We have a lot of student-led review sessions that are very helpful, and people tend to help others who they know are struggling. I don't think it benefits anyone if someone fails out, and you can only better yourself by helping someone who is struggling (my philosophy anyway).

 

[bydotte]

i'm in a larger, less prestigious school. i'd say ours are 97% super supportive and 3% secretive cut-throat.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Bear in mind that pretty much all of your classmates were pre-meds a few months ago. People don't change that much or that fast.

Fortunately, if you focus on your education and getting good training, they won't matter.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Bear in mind that pretty much all of your classmates were pre-meds a few months ago. People don't change that much or that fast.

Fortunately, if you focus on your education and getting good training, they won't matter.

See this is going to suck for me. The pre-med environment at my school was basically non-existant. The few of us that I did know were so scattered that we never had any grounds to compete on. Totally not used to the stereotype.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Fortunately the stereotype does not really apply to the majority of pre-meds, just the most conspicuous ones. Same for med students.

 

[SuperGunner]

Know that if I'm in your class I will eat you guppy.

 

[RySerr21]

I think it really depends on the school. My class has great unity, but I've heard of other schools with cut-throat mentalities. I would think that upper-tier schools would have a more competitive environment, but that's just my guess. We have a lot of student-led review sessions that are very helpful, and people tend to help others who they know are struggling. I don't think it benefits anyone if someone fails out, and you can only better yourself by helping someone who is struggling (my philosophy anyway).

Ive never met any person that goes to the "other school." I'm not kidding. Every person ive spoken to along the interview trail and the friends i have that are in med school speak of how supportive their classmates are and they are quick to mention that "we aren't like some other schools." I just think its funny that everyone says that. I was even at an interview at a school talkigng to a current student about deciding between two schools....he mentioned he chose school X because he had heard school Y was more cut throat and his was more cooperative environment. When i interviewed at school Y later in the cycle, of course I heard "We aren't like other schools, its a really cooperative environment."

 

[T15]

Ive never met any person that goes to the "other school." I'm not kidding. Every person ive spoken to along the interview trail and the friends i have that are in med school speak of how supportive their classmates are and they are quick to mention that "we aren't like some other schools." I just think its funny that everyone says that. I was even at an interview at a school talkigng to a current student about deciding between two schools....he mentioned he chose school X because he had heard school Y was more cut throat and his was more cooperative environment. When i interviewed at school Y later in the cycle, of course I heard "We aren't like other schools, its a really cooperative environment."

I had one school where the student I stayed with did say that is was competitive, but yeah other than that everyone says their school is the most supportive.

 

[OpalOnyx]

Know that if I'm in your class I will eat you guppy.

hahahaha oh no I don't want to apply to your school!

 

[postbacca]

I had one school where the student I stayed with did say that is was competitive, but yeah other than that everyone says their school is the most supportive.

..which is good right? This probably means that most people are finding themselves in very supportive environments.

I definitely haven't heard the same from my b-school and law school friends.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Ive never met any person that goes to the "other school." I'm not kidding. Every person ive spoken to along the interview trail and the friends i have that are in med school speak of how supportive their classmates are and they are quick to mention that "we aren't like some other schools." I just think its funny that everyone says that. I was even at an interview at a school talkigng to a current student about deciding between two schools....he mentioned he chose school X because he had heard school Y was more cut throat and his was more cooperative environment. When i interviewed at school Y later in the cycle, of course I heard "We aren't like other schools, its a really cooperative environment."

This is because most schools select those students that will best represent the university to attend admissions events. At my school about 50-60 people apply and 25 are selected after essays and an interview. No school wants students bad-mouthing their program to applicants.

You really need access to a few people (those happy and unhappy) to get a good accurate feel for the school. A friend at a more cut-throat school in TX had her books stolen at the library the week of finals. If I hear of that happening, they get the cut-throat label from me immediately. The students that attend admissions events at her school will obviously not ever bring this up.

My class has been blessed to not have any such events. The smartest students in my class are some of the nicest we have. I have found that most schools are similar in being non-competitive.

Despite what some claim, I think it is rather easy to pick out which schools are more likely to have the more competitive type students.