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Cornell?
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bobob said:
the students i met there last weekend really liked PBL...then again, they were the students willing to show us around and try to convince us to go there on a saturday morning! so clearly they love the place! ahaha they thought it was preferable to starting the morning with lecture where you might fall asleep...the PBL sessions aren't intense really, and they thought the interactive nature was a good way to wake up. i also heard from several third years that they think it prepared them well for their rotations, in that you pretty much go through the same steps when dealing with patients (interview, brainstorm, learn all you can about their issues one night, then come up with probable diagnoses).
in terms of student input, they seem somewhat receptive...they're actually thinking of ditching (or at least revising) the format of their journal clubs because of student complaints this year. not sure what the issue was or what they plan to do about it!
it's fun being a cornell cheerleader, even though i'm not sure whether or not i'm going there! 🙄
Was this like a mass email or something? I feel so left out 🙁
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princessd3 said:
Oh thank heavens, you gave me hope. I was actually waiting for you (which in a sense means that you're famous, to me atleast!) to post. If you don't get in, there's no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I'm gonna get in.
Princessd3, hopefully we'll hear tomorrow!
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tkdusb said:
I'm waiting too, but tomorrow's Saturday so I think it's unlikely they'll email anything. We'll probably have to sit in suspense over the weekend. 🙁
tkdusb said:
Are you serious? I'm blushing. Anyway, we might have to wait until Monday right? Would they really send the email on Saturday?
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i called and they said they hadnt finished selecting... this could have been a lie to avoid telling me that if i hadnt received an email i wasnt accepted, bu who knows...
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airflare said:
That's seem pretty unlikely. I would think that only a very small fraction of those that interviewed at Cornell are SDNers, so any sort of acceptance representation is liklely more indicative of all acceptances being sent out at once. We are only hearing of a few acceptances because SDNers can be considered a population group on its own, with only a few getting acceptances. (Yes, yes, there is of course the issue of SDNers being a largely self-selected population group, but that's very arguable).
Any thoughts?
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kasha said:
I love you. You are the only reason I'll be able to sleep tonight.
princessd3 said:
Yes I am serious. As an applicant, you're like me, only much better.
Mutt said:
Someone said that last year they sent out e-mails over multiple days.
Please let me get in. Please please please.
I have not posted on--or even checked--SDN forever.
The office of admissions only finished with interviews last Thursday, so I would be surprised if they had already selected every applicant. Nevertheless, I think they had probably decided on the majority of the initial acceptances prior to the end of interviews, because reviewing every application after the interview period would be logistically impossible. Most non-rolling schools actually operate that way, reviewing and accepting on a continuous basis, but not sending out those decisions until the end of the application period. For those who are waitlisted, fret not; we usually have some movement.
For those who are worried about PBL, it is actually pretty interesting. I came here thinking it would be pretty terrible, but I definitely prefer it to lecture, which I usually find incredibly boring. The value of PBL is proportional to the effort you put into participating in, and preparing for, it. As someone already mentioned, Cornell students tend to receive pretty good marks during their rotations because they are already equipped with the problem-solving and brainstorming skills required on the wards. The complaints most people have regarding PBL are the result of other annoying group members, rather than complaints about PBL per se. Another potential drawback of PBL, which is consistent with the teaching philosophy here, is that it is not geared toward Step 1.
For those who are choosing between multiple schools and trying to decide what distinguishes Cornell from other medical schools, I would advise you to consider the following:
1) There is an almost unparalleled array of training opportunities here. In addition to the medical school, graduate school, and NYP hospital, Rockefeller University, Memorial-Sloan Kettering, and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) are right across the street. Also, students rotate at numerous clinical sites throughout NYC (e.g., Queens, Brooklyn, and Bronx), which provides them with a well-rounded clinical training experience. NY Hospital obviously affords students tremendous opportunities, but some students complain that it is too posh. Cornell's other clinical sites provide access to more diverse patient populations. As a result of the numerous affiliated training sites, students can obtain whatever training they desire.
2) The pre-clinical curriculum here is comparatively low stress (Honors, Pass, Fail), engaging (due to PBL), and geared towards self-motivated students (we finish by 1pm every day first year, even during Anatomy, which allows plenty of time for napping and studying). I will admit that I wish that years 1&2 were graded as P/F, but pretty much everyone I have ever met has stated that pre-clinical grades are much less important than Step 1 scores and clinical grades. (As proof of this, consider that our formula for determining AOA rates third year grades TWICE as heavily and first and second year grades COMBINED.) Some would argue that grades from the first two years are indicative of future performance, which is true to some extent, but I think that the effort one puts into the first two years is the most important factor. (Also, our curriculum does not teach for the Boards, so pre-clinical grades are not necessarily a good predictor of Step 1 performance.) In other words, try to learn as much as you can the first two years, and you will do well.
3) The medical school in located in a great part of NYC. True, you will not have the money and/or time to constantly party it up in NYC, but it is definitely nice to have access to anything imaginable when you feel like going out. Students here usually do not go out because of a test the following week (especially on Mondays), rather than because of insufficient money. On "free" weekends (i.e., those weekends not followed by a Monday exam), most students go out at least once per weekend. Also, the student affairs office is usually able to arrange discounted admission to various concerts, musicals, and museums, which many students take advantage of. I went to the US Open last year, and will make a concerted effort to go at least once every year that I remain in NYC.
4) We are done by 1pm every day first year.
5) (for those worried about US News rankings): We recently established a formal collaboration with Baylor's former main teaching hospital--don't ask me how this will actually benefit Cornell's students in NYC--which I think was a tactical move to increase our NIH funding and thereby increase our ranking in US News. I have not seen the new rankings, so I do not know if it was an effective strategy. In any case, I will be surprised if we do not move up at least one spot.
6) In spite of our PBL-intensive, non-Step 1 oriented curriculum (I am not particularly concerned about this, but I assume many SNDers are), we are perceived as being a very good school, and we therefore tend to match quite well. I am still not sure how to interpret match lists (I cannot assess the preferences and life situations of the applicants, so it is difficult for me to gauge to "success" of a match list), but consider that many Cornell students are incredibly adamant about remaining in NYC, which means that many graduates will choose a less prestigious program so that they can remain in the city. I have been told that essentially every graduate could obtain a very, very good residency position if s/he would be willing to move out of the NE, which many are unwilling to do. (To learn a bit more about the Match at Cornell, try reading the following NY Times article, which was published today: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/nyregion/17meds.html)
7) NYP is the most represented site for residency training among graduates. A similar trend exists at nearly every other medical school in the country, which explains why 'prestigious' medical schools have such enviable match lists: the largest contingent of the graduating class at every 'prestigious' medical school remains at the same 'prestigious' institution for residency training. (This effect is especially magnified at HMS, because HMS has three very good general hospitals affiliated with it, in addition to its numerous specialty affiliates.) If you want to do residency in NYC, you will be in a very good position to do so. If not, you will still be in a very good position to obtain a great residency, because you will be perceived as coming form a very good school.
Before concluding this ridiculously long message, I want to note two quick complaints I have of the school:
1) Students only receive one grade for each class during the first two years, which amounts to total of seven grades, even though each course during those two years includes material from many different subjects. For example, our current course (i.e., Human Structure and Function) includes anatomy, physiology, embryology, and histology, but we only receive one grade for the entire course. Consequently, a stellar performance in histology may be negated by a non-Honors grade in anatomy. Throw in the fact that PBL, which is graded rather subjectively, accounts for 30% of the grade of most courses, and it becomes difficult to determine one's grade. Because PBL contributes so significantly to one's grade in a course, which I do not necessarily think is a bad thing, you can usually distinguish the gunners during PBL sessions because they invariably demonstrate an annoying aggressiveness. Many students find this more comical than enraging. Also, importantly, the faculty do not usually appreciate such students.
2) There is no undergraduate campus associated with the medical school. I usually only find this sporadically annoying. Nevertheless, almost every complaint I have about the school stems from this fact. These complaints include the less than ideal computing services, lack of student culture (being in NYC usually compensates for this, but it would still be nice to have more students right around the medical school), a fairly dismal library, insufficient study space, and limited school-sponsored dining options. Other students have mentioned the same complaint, but most students here wanted to be in a city, and most 'top' medical schools in big cities are not intimately affiliated with their undergraduate or other graduate/professional schools.
All in all, I am very happy to be here, and I would highly recommend Cornell to any prospective students.
Good luck.
The office of admissions only finished with interviews last Thursday, so I would be surprised if they had already selected every applicant. Nevertheless, I think they had probably decided on the majority of the initial acceptances prior to the end of interviews, because reviewing every application after the interview period would be logistically impossible. Most non-rolling schools actually operate that way, reviewing and accepting on a continuous basis, but not sending out those decisions until the end of the application period. For those who are waitlisted, fret not; we usually have some movement.
For those who are worried about PBL, it is actually pretty interesting. I came here thinking it would be pretty terrible, but I definitely prefer it to lecture, which I usually find incredibly boring. The value of PBL is proportional to the effort you put into participating in, and preparing for, it. As someone already mentioned, Cornell students tend to receive pretty good marks during their rotations because they are already equipped with the problem-solving and brainstorming skills required on the wards. The complaints most people have regarding PBL are the result of other annoying group members, rather than complaints about PBL per se. Another potential drawback of PBL, which is consistent with the teaching philosophy here, is that it is not geared toward Step 1.
For those who are choosing between multiple schools and trying to decide what distinguishes Cornell from other medical schools, I would advise you to consider the following:
1) There is an almost unparalleled array of training opportunities here. In addition to the medical school, graduate school, and NYP hospital, Rockefeller University, Memorial-Sloan Kettering, and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) are right across the street. Also, students rotate at numerous clinical sites throughout NYC (e.g., Queens, Brooklyn, and Bronx), which provides them with a well-rounded clinical training experience. NY Hospital obviously affords students tremendous opportunities, but some students complain that it is too posh. Cornell's other clinical sites provide access to more diverse patient populations. As a result of the numerous affiliated training sites, students can obtain whatever training they desire.
2) The pre-clinical curriculum here is comparatively low stress (Honors, Pass, Fail), engaging (due to PBL), and geared towards self-motivated students (we finish by 1pm every day first year, even during Anatomy, which allows plenty of time for napping and studying). I will admit that I wish that years 1&2 were graded as P/F, but pretty much everyone I have ever met has stated that pre-clinical grades are much less important than Step 1 scores and clinical grades. (As proof of this, consider that our formula for determining AOA rates third year grades TWICE as heavily and first and second year grades COMBINED.) Some would argue that grades from the first two years are indicative of future performance, which is true to some extent, but I think that the effort one puts into the first two years is the most important factor. (Also, our curriculum does not teach for the Boards, so pre-clinical grades are not necessarily a good predictor of Step 1 performance.) In other words, try to learn as much as you can the first two years, and you will do well.
3) The medical school in located in a great part of NYC. True, you will not have the money and/or time to constantly party it up in NYC, but it is definitely nice to have access to anything imaginable when you feel like going out. Students here usually do not go out because of a test the following week (especially on Mondays), rather than because of insufficient money. On "free" weekends (i.e., those weekends not followed by a Monday exam), most students go out at least once per weekend. Also, the student affairs office is usually able to arrange discounted admission to various concerts, musicals, and museums, which many students take advantage of. I went to the US Open last year, and will make a concerted effort to go at least once every year that I remain in NYC.
4) We are done by 1pm every day first year.
5) (for those worried about US News rankings): We recently established a formal collaboration with Baylor's former main teaching hospital--don't ask me how this will actually benefit Cornell's students in NYC--which I think was a tactical move to increase our NIH funding and thereby increase our ranking in US News. I have not seen the new rankings, so I do not know if it was an effective strategy. In any case, I will be surprised if we do not move up at least one spot.
6) In spite of our PBL-intensive, non-Step 1 oriented curriculum (I am not particularly concerned about this, but I assume many SNDers are), we are perceived as being a very good school, and we therefore tend to match quite well. I am still not sure how to interpret match lists (I cannot assess the preferences and life situations of the applicants, so it is difficult for me to gauge to "success" of a match list), but consider that many Cornell students are incredibly adamant about remaining in NYC, which means that many graduates will choose a less prestigious program so that they can remain in the city. I have been told that essentially every graduate could obtain a very, very good residency position if s/he would be willing to move out of the NE, which many are unwilling to do. (To learn a bit more about the Match at Cornell, try reading the following NY Times article, which was published today: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/nyregion/17meds.html)
7) NYP is the most represented site for residency training among graduates. A similar trend exists at nearly every other medical school in the country, which explains why 'prestigious' medical schools have such enviable match lists: the largest contingent of the graduating class at every 'prestigious' medical school remains at the same 'prestigious' institution for residency training. (This effect is especially magnified at HMS, because HMS has three very good general hospitals affiliated with it, in addition to its numerous specialty affiliates.) If you want to do residency in NYC, you will be in a very good position to do so. If not, you will still be in a very good position to obtain a great residency, because you will be perceived as coming form a very good school.
Before concluding this ridiculously long message, I want to note two quick complaints I have of the school:
1) Students only receive one grade for each class during the first two years, which amounts to total of seven grades, even though each course during those two years includes material from many different subjects. For example, our current course (i.e., Human Structure and Function) includes anatomy, physiology, embryology, and histology, but we only receive one grade for the entire course. Consequently, a stellar performance in histology may be negated by a non-Honors grade in anatomy. Throw in the fact that PBL, which is graded rather subjectively, accounts for 30% of the grade of most courses, and it becomes difficult to determine one's grade. Because PBL contributes so significantly to one's grade in a course, which I do not necessarily think is a bad thing, you can usually distinguish the gunners during PBL sessions because they invariably demonstrate an annoying aggressiveness. Many students find this more comical than enraging. Also, importantly, the faculty do not usually appreciate such students.
2) There is no undergraduate campus associated with the medical school. I usually only find this sporadically annoying. Nevertheless, almost every complaint I have about the school stems from this fact. These complaints include the less than ideal computing services, lack of student culture (being in NYC usually compensates for this, but it would still be nice to have more students right around the medical school), a fairly dismal library, insufficient study space, and limited school-sponsored dining options. Other students have mentioned the same complaint, but most students here wanted to be in a city, and most 'top' medical schools in big cities are not intimately affiliated with their undergraduate or other graduate/professional schools.
All in all, I am very happy to be here, and I would highly recommend Cornell to any prospective students.
Good luck.
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DrDarwin said:
man, reading this has me all excited and shaking and i'm not even a med student yet. i can't imagine how my own match day is going to be. gosh i hope cornell gives me something good.
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DrDarwin said:
Talk about a good post about the school.
Don't we wish that all med students from schools we are considering did this.
Thanks very much indeed Dr. Darwin.... 😀 Now all I need is an acceptance email. 😀
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kirexhana said:
Hey Kirexhana, wouldn't it be awesome if we ended up there.
Btw, congrats on those acceptances, I had been following your md apps profile for a while
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I was accepted yesterday to Cornell, thru the mass email, and I have to decide between there and UCLA. I am excited to go to the second look weekend in May. This is going to be such a hard decision......
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Hi future future doctors,
I wanted to let you all know about Cornell's soon-to-be-open free student-run health clinic. Students have been working on getting this going for a few years now, and we are set to open our doors in a matter of weeks. If you find yourselves here next fall, it could be a pretty exciting time, as you'll have the opportunity to help the clinic succeed during its first operating year.
(if you don't get in to Cornell, don't despair- the other NYC schools also have clinics that have started up over the past few years...)
This is definitely one of the cooler things that's happened during my time here [I'm a third year].
Hope to see you guys soon!
-d
PS BTW, You future Cornellians are gonna reap the benefits of years of construction that have caused the upper classmen nothing but misery! Remember that when you're in your swank new anatomy lab.... 🙂
I wanted to let you all know about Cornell's soon-to-be-open free student-run health clinic. Students have been working on getting this going for a few years now, and we are set to open our doors in a matter of weeks. If you find yourselves here next fall, it could be a pretty exciting time, as you'll have the opportunity to help the clinic succeed during its first operating year.
(if you don't get in to Cornell, don't despair- the other NYC schools also have clinics that have started up over the past few years...)
This is definitely one of the cooler things that's happened during my time here [I'm a third year].
Hope to see you guys soon!
-d
PS BTW, You future Cornellians are gonna reap the benefits of years of construction that have caused the upper classmen nothing but misery! Remember that when you're in your swank new anatomy lab.... 🙂
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I am accepted to Cornell but also on the Columbia waitlist as well. Should I even remain on the waitlist? Cornell seems like such a great place, good location, good affiliated hospitals, etc. Any reason why someone would want to choose Cornell over Columbia?
My concern with Cornell is that PBL will be a big pain in the A)#(*SS. with 8am sessions three days a week and the amount you need to prepare before hand, It seems like it will be like high school again with nightly assignments and mandatory early morning sessions.
Also, with tests every week/other week, it seems like no one at cornell ever goes out on weekends because they are worried about the test the next week.
My concern with Cornell is that PBL will be a big pain in the A)#(*SS. with 8am sessions three days a week and the amount you need to prepare before hand, It seems like it will be like high school again with nightly assignments and mandatory early morning sessions.
Also, with tests every week/other week, it seems like no one at cornell ever goes out on weekends because they are worried about the test the next week.
bubblez said:
no, email today either. I guess I'm just waiting for the rejection in the mail now.
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kungfuyourface said:
Did you interview? I would expect them to just Waitlist all of us who were interviewed and not accepted. I would honestly much rather prefer a rejection than a waitlist that I won't get off of.
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Nothing in my email either..... I don't know about waitlisting all of those who were interviewed....sounds like a bit too much.
And yes, I def agree...Much better to be rejected than on an endless waitlist.
Good luck guys.
And yes, I def agree...Much better to be rejected than on an endless waitlist.
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I called admissions on friday and they said they started sending out acceptances then and would finish next week (i.e. this week).
one whole day has passed and i havent received any communication so i guess i am just waiting for the thin white envelope in my mail.
one whole day has passed and i havent received any communication so i guess i am just waiting for the thin white envelope in my mail.
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..
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Indude said:
I wouldn't say that we'll necessarily get rejected or wait-listed if we weren't accepted last Friday. I personally don't think my chances are good because I'm nowhere near as competitive an applicant as mdavid or kirexhana, but hey, crazier things have happened!
And no matter what happens guys... we'll always have SDN!
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mbadoc said:
dok or any other current cornell students, any comments on this? i love cornell and think that PBL would be really good for me, but i also wonder if this would cramp my current scheduleless style...any thoughts?!
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i think everyone needs to chill out, the anxiety is contagious.
they probably spread out the acceptance emails so that they dont have a bunch of people responding at the same time (just like alot of schools did with secondaries)
and there is a waitlist, so not getting in now isnt equivalent to a rejection.
that said, im there with the rest of yall ;-)
they probably spread out the acceptance emails so that they dont have a bunch of people responding at the same time (just like alot of schools did with secondaries)
and there is a waitlist, so not getting in now isnt equivalent to a rejection.
that said, im there with the rest of yall ;-)
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Indude said:
does anyone know more detailed info than this.
-Are we gonna get a letter (waitlist/rejection) if we did not get email last firday?
-Or some of us will get emails sometime this week as they are still ACCEPTING people?
😕 Which one is it? 🙄
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NunoBR said:
Admissions said that decisions are still being made and when asked if they have sent out all acceptances already, she said, "No, a bulk of them were already sent last week and some more are yet to be made." So apparently, there is hope...
When I asked when they would finish sending out the acceptances, she said they should be done by the end of this...month.. (yea thats what she said.. not even week. she said month this time.. so dont know wht the deal is).
If somebody else can ask some other questions which will elicit more information, that would be helpful.
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I totally agree... I need to chill.. so who's with me for not checking their email until friday evening/ march 30th evening..and then after all that waiting and anxiety...to see my inbox missing that one mail from "cumc-admissions" which I was hoping to see... ...southpaux said:
😀 😀
Whatever happens happens for the best....
heres to hoping that it happens quickly....
tkdusb said:
yeah I interviewed late Novermber, and I assumed that if I didn't get the email on friday it was over for me...........but I guess there is still some light at the end of the tunnel.
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To add to the depression:
Someone on the February Interview Acceptances thread interviewed in the 2nd week of Feb. and already got an acceptance email. 🙁
Someone on the February Interview Acceptances thread interviewed in the 2nd week of Feb. and already got an acceptance email. 🙁
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