CUNY Downstate: pros and cons?

[sakomar]

Any suggestions or personal experiences with this school? Thanks!

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[BushBaby]

Originally posted by sakomar
Any suggestions or personal experiences with this school? Thanks!

I think you mean SUNY Downstate....

 

[Veilside]

well it's in brooklyn, so the neighborhood is crappy
but according to my pre-med advisor, she was very impressed by the curriculum and clinical training that downstate offers

 

[silvercholla]

I want to get my 2 cents right now... everyone who visits DS says that it's a crappy school in a crappy neighborhood. I don't know about it being a crappy school, I really never saw anything wrong with it. Especially since there is a level one trauma center right across the street. That being said it's not the best neighborhood in the world but because a lot of perspective students come from safe suburbia they think that the area is equivalent to south central LA and that the only reason anyone would want to go there is because they couldn't get in anywhere else. Well I have talked to some of the students and some (gasp) actually wanted to go there. Look make your own decisions. but for the love of chicken don't make a snap judgement based on what you are used to living around and what the idiot box protrays Brooklyn to be. Anyway like i said just my 2 cents.

And yes I am ready for the flaming!!!!

 

[sakomar]

SUNY it is, forgive a person watching a race from a back seat my girlfriend is getting into Downstate because of the BA/MD program in Brooklyn college... therefore, this is the only school that she can apply to (a minus) but she's guaranteed a place in there (a -big?- plus)...

The neighborhood is crappy though... been there... don't like the idea of her taking late busses but what is the alternative? She cannot drive to school everyday with the amount of sleep she will get... And I will be stuck somewhere in between Harvard-Cornell-Hopkins triangle... Four years road to fame and happiness starting next fall

I am glad to hear about curriculum and training... kinda knew this but yet, an independent opinion is very encouraging!

Sometimes two cents go the long way Thanks!

 

[silvercholla]

Originally posted by sakomar
SUNY it is, forgive a person watching a race from a back seat my girlfriend is getting into Downstate because of the BA/MD program in Brooklyn college... therefore, this is the only school that she can apply to (a minus) but she's guaranteed a place in there (a -big?- plus)...

The neighborhood is crappy though... been there... don't like the idea of her taking late busses but what is the alternative? She cannot drive to school everyday with the amount of sleep she will get... And I will be stuck somewhere in between Harvard-Cornell-Hopkins triangle... Four years road to fame and happiness starting next fall

I am glad to hear about curriculum and training... kinda knew this but yet, an independent opinion is very encouraging!

Sometimes two cents go the long way Thanks!

If you knew then why'd ya ask?

 

[sakomar]

'cause asking is the only way to compare what one (believes to) know to what other people (believe to) know... most people ask for an advice when they are pretty sure of what their decision is... if you're asking for advice when lost, there's not much help around...

 

[wexy]

As someone who LIVES in Brooklyn, I want to make the point that Brooklyn is a huge Borough, and 3 million people live here.

Downstate happens to be in a poorer section of the borough, however there are some very nice, even upscale (gasp!) areas, along with the many middle class neighborhoods.

So dont speak in generalizations if you dont know what you are talking about.

- wexy

 

[silvercholla]

Originally posted by wexy
As someone who LIVES in Brooklyn, I want to make the point that Brooklyn is a huge Borough, and 3 million people live here.

Downstate happens to be in a poorer section of the borough, however there are some very nice, even upscale (gasp!) areas, along with the many middle class neighborhoods.

So dont speak in generalizations if you dont know what you are talking about.

- wexy

 

[sakomar]

as someone who comes to brooklyn every week and enjoys some neighbourhoods a lot, i cannot say the same about the downstate location... i am sorry... maybe it's just me. maybe not.

 

[ny skindoc]

As far as the pluses, the school has a very good reputation with residency programs and its graduates do well in getting into competitive programs in NYC and elsewhere.The school is across the street from one of the largest municipal hospitals in NY and there is no shortage of clinical opportunities.The state tuition while increasing over the past couple of years is still way below private schools who do not have any better matchlists.On the negative as noted the local area is not good.So students stay close to the school and dont wander around the area much at night.But most know how to look out for themselvs so serious incidents are few.The facilities are pretty run down compared to private schools, although a new Kings County Hospital is under construction.Over all the school is a good place for the right student,someone who wants an urban medical education and does not need to be pampered.

 

[woolie]

Hey! I live about 8 blocks from Suny Downstate! I think it's the best place and it has an excellent clinical and research reputation. Didn't we just have a Nobel Prize winner a couple of years ago?

As for the neighbourhood, I grew up in rural Massachusetts and my family was from all over New England; now I live in Crown Heights and like I said before describing Columbia's neighbourhood: people are people, and some people just don't have any money. I don't have any money either, so I figure we're all equal here.

Honestly tho, I have always found the people in this neighbourhood to be very kind and helpful and I have never felt unsafe, even late at night. I often have felt that the people in this area are incredibly considerate and polite, while those over the hill in the richer neighbourhoods weren't always so. I really like my neighborhood alot and have felt humbled by what I have learned from living here, and embarrased by my (old) prejudices.