DO school atmosphere?

[NRAI2001]

I am a very laid back person, never really was competitive (accept when i play sports). Seems like to me DO students are more laid back than their MD counterparts. Is this an over generalization or have other people noticed this also? Is DO school more laid back and less stressful?

PS I m not a med student yet, and any answers to this post wont change where i probably end up going next year. Just posted this out of curiosity.

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[OSUdoc08]

I am a very laid back person, never really was competitive (accept when i play sports). Seems like to me DO students are more laid back than their MD counterparts. Is this an over generalization or have other people noticed this also? Is DO school more laid back and less stressful?

PS I m not a med student yet, and any answers to this post wont change where i probably end up going next year. Just posted this out of curiosity.

Yes. Not only are the people in my class less competitive and more laid back than I would have expected, but they help everyone out. For example, whenever we have review questions or learning objectives, if someone gets them done, they email it to the entire class.

Everyone is always emailing helpful shortcuts and review sheets for exams. Our goal is for everyone to pass. Class ranking isn't important. Everyone succeeding is.

 

[stretch210]

Yes. Not only are the people in my class less competitive and more laid back than I would have expected, but they help everyone out. For example, whenever we have review questions or learning objectives, if someone gets them done, they email it to the entire class.

Everyone is always emailing helpful shortcuts and review sheets for exams. Our goal is for everyone to pass. Class ranking isn't important. Everyone succeeding is.

Yes, I believe that we are less competitive with one another, but NO I don't believe it is less stressful. The stress comes from the volume of the information and your personal goals, and these are no different from MD to DO schools.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Yes, I believe that we are less competitive with one another, but NO I don't believe it is less stressful. The stress comes from the volume of the information and your personal goals, and these are no different from MD to DO schools.

I believe that the fact that we help each other out reduces the stress.

Thus, it is less stressful.

 

[NRAI2001]

Yes, I believe that we are less competitive with one another, but NO I don't believe it is less stressful. The stress comes from the volume of the information and your personal goals, and these are no different from MD to DO schools.

The volume of information will be the same between the schools.

But like in many premed classes people were often mean to eachother. Not offering help. There was always a tenseness in all of these classes. From my friends at allo schools it seems that this carries over.

 

[VALSALVA]

as a DO student with several friends in MD programs, i have to say that IN GENERAL, there seems to be no significant differences between DO and MD schools related to competitivness. the students at the school i attend are overwhelmingly friendly and helpful, and my MD colleagues/friends say the same about their classmates.

 

[surrender903]

at PCOM we are all at each others throats... i barely survived todays mauling to post this message... SEND HELP..

 

[Krazykritter]

I agree that there is an overall willingness to help each other at DO institutions more than at an MD one, however, do not interpret this as laid back. You are still sitting in a room with a 150 Type A personalities that will worry about every little thing given the opportunity.

 

[Nate]

How do you guys compare your classes to MD classes without having sat in an MD class? I think the atmosphere at your school has to do with your class and the leaders within it not the degree you are going for. Just my opinion

 

[OSUdoc08]

How do you guys compare your classes to MD classes without having sat in an MD class? I think the atmosphere at your school has to do with your class and the leaders within it not the degree you are going for. Just my opinion

This just has to do with perceptions from other students that I have talked to, as well as experiences at interviews.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Yeah it's pretty laid back but still competitive. I found Touro in Las Vegas had the most laid back atmosphere.

 

[Taus]

one funny thing about differences in the student bodies that always sticks in my head is this....when telling a friend at an allo school that we were having a MSI vs. MSII tackle football game as part of a yearly tradition......she was schocked and stated that "I don't even think there's 10 guys in my class who have ever touched a football!"....

 

[Megalofyia]

I found Touro in Las Vegas had the most laid back atmosphere.

They also get to go swimming outside for a big part of the year, and get to see the sun 375 days a year. They also have access to lots of good food.

 

[OSUdoc08]

one funny thing about differences in the student bodies that always sticks in my head is this....when telling a friend at an allo school that we were having a MSI vs. MSII tackle football game as part of a yearly tradition......she was schocked and stated that "I don't even think there's 10 guys in my class who have ever touched a football!"....

We have intramurals between classes at my school:

Flag Football
Softball
Basketball
Volleyball
etc.

 

[Taus]

same here...theres IM sports teams/clubs for basically any sport you would want.... plus the 76'ers practice here so the gym facilities/activities center is pretty sweet...

 

[DrHans]

They also get to go swimming outside for a big part of the year, and get to see the sun 375 days a year. They also have access to lots of good food.

Did our year get longer?

I have to say that those of you that are touting your school as relaxed But MD schools and DO schools both have their "gunner"-isms. Not everyone in every DO class is helpful and vice versa for MD. I know students at both and both have positive and negative things to say about those willing "to help" so I think this is bad generalization to say DO's are better. Just my opinion though.

 

[Nate]

Did our year get longer?

I have to say that those of you that are touting your school as relaxed But MD schools and DO schools both have their "gunner"-isms. Not everyone in every DO class is helpful and vice versa for MD. I know students at both and both have positive and negative things to say about those willing "to help" so I think this is bad generalization to say DO's are better. Just my opinion though.

QFE!

 

[DrHans]

QFE!

ok is it bad that I had to go and look up what QFE meant?

QFE = quoted for emphasis? (So states the Urban Dictionary)

 

[Nate]

Correct, just me being lazy instead of typing "I second that" because I should be studying respiratory physiology and I am not, but gee I just undid all the good that it did and then some!

 

[samdwi]

I am a very laid back person, never really was competitive (accept when i play sports). Seems like to me DO students are more laid back than their MD counterparts. Is this an over generalization or have other people noticed this also? Is DO school more laid back and less stressful?

PS I m not a med student yet, and any answers to this post wont change where i probably end up going next year. Just posted this out of curiosity.

With experience at both an MD school and a DO school:

MD - people will help you out, but won't go out of their way to do so. From my experience, people in MD schools are quick to forget those who get left behind.

DO - atleast from my experience, classmates will do their best to help you out - more cooperative than competitive. Competition exists, but they won't try to crush you in order to gain a lead - which has and will continue to happen at any MD school. DOs are more like Marines in that they don't leave a man behind. MDs are like mercenaries: they may or may not come back to get you - after all , it ain't helping them on the boards.

Of course, this is a very generalized view based on limited experiences. I'm sure there are many exceptions.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

It also varies a great on how you're graded (pass/fail vs. %), administration / faculty, your class officers - your class specifically and not just the school and more. It's tough to generalize DO schools vs. MD schools

 

[ericdopt]

Just graduated from school this fall. I would say that we had MANY gunners who didn't give two S***s about anyone else. Lots of mind games, very clique. However, there were many people who still drank quite a bit, played intramurals, dated, married, divorced (!). Overall, it was just like life. I gravitated toward the serious group who studied hard, yet could also polish off a few brews on the weekend.

 

[DrB]

They also get to go swimming outside for a big part of the year, and get to see the sun 375 days a year. They also have access to lots of good food.

Sun? What Sun? I have heard about it... but can't seem to get out of my books...

 

[Elysium]

Yeah it's pretty laid back but still competitive. I found Touro in Las Vegas had the most laid back atmosphere.

Believe me, they aren't as laid back as you think they are. There are plenty of gunners in the (now) second year class. There's a group of students that refuse to share information, keep resources to themselves, kiss up to teachers to get ahead, and are generally pain in the asses. We even had one student that would purposely give out misinformation to screw other people. There were certainly some people that were coorperative and helpful, but don't be fooled. DO and MD schools both have a competitive enviornment and everyone wants to get ahead. No one wants to be last, no matter where you are. There were people in my class that want to go into ortho, optho, cards, etc. God help them.

 

[drDOme]

Believe me, they aren't as laid back as you think they are. There are plenty of gunners in the (now) second year class. There were people in my class that want to go into ortho, optho, cards, etc. God help them.

I agree here. The first year now has its share of laid back people and some who are high strung. I suppose all schools are like this. Overall many of first years whine, complain and try to challenge/argue every question they miss on an exam (it's ridiculous and discouraging). Are most schools like this? Some just worry about passing and others about being the top student. A handful of first year people also want to do crazy residencies as mentioned above and yes God really does need to help them.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

I agree here. The first year now has its share of laid back people and some who are high strung. I suppose all schools are like this. Overall many of first years whine, complain and try to challenge/argue every question they miss on an exam (it's ridiculous and discouraging). Are most schools like this? Some just worry about passing and others about being the top student. A handful of first year people also want to do crazy residencies as mentioned above and yes God really does need to help them.

It's definately like that at COMP (people literally challenging questions to go from a 98% to 100% on an exam). It's like that - medicine attracts these kind of people I guess. But overall, the environment isn't all that competitive. You just have to avoid the gunners and it's all good.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Believe me, they aren't as laid back as you think they are. There are plenty of gunners in the (now) second year class. There's a group of students that refuse to share information, keep resources to themselves, kiss up to teachers to get ahead, and are generally pain in the asses. We even had one student that would purposely give out misinformation to screw other people. There were certainly some people that were coorperative and helpful, but don't be fooled. DO and MD schools both have a competitive enviornment and everyone wants to get ahead. No one wants to be last, no matter where you are. There were people in my class that want to go into ortho, optho, cards, etc. God help them.

I always appreciate Elysium's posts

 

[NTM]

one funny thing about differences in the student bodies that always sticks in my head is this....when telling a friend at an allo school that we were having a MSI vs. MSII tackle football game as part of a yearly tradition......she was schocked and stated that "I don't even think there's 10 guys in my class who have ever touched a football!"....

This is not like this at every med school. At the University of Miami our men's flag football team won the IM championship for the entire university (undergrad and grad).

 

[Taus]

congrats

 

[matteaton81]

Since I don't start until Fall 2006, I cannot tell you about classroom atmosphere...

...but I can tell you that Pikeville's faculty and students were extremely nice made me feel very welcome, which I greatly appreciated. The interview was not stressful at all compared to the ones I had at MD schools. After the day concluded, some of the students took us out for lunch at a local sports bar, and even invited us to stay so we could go out and party with them that night...lol.

By contrast, the University of Louisville's MD school had the holier-than-thou, why should we condescend to accept you attitude.

 

[BobBarker]

I think it depends entirely on the school. At OSU, most of the students are Oklahoman's and many of them OSU undergrads. The vast majority of these people would go out of their ways to help you in pretty much any circumstance. I've visited other campuses and it just isn't the same.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I think it depends entirely on the school. At OSU, most of the students are Oklahoman's and many of them OSU undergrads. The vast majority of these people would go out of their ways to help you in pretty much any circumstance. I've visited other campuses and it just isn't the same.

my interview day was weird because everybody was from ou. there was one osu guy out of the whole group. i was also the lone non-oklahoma resident. i actually felt really displaced that day, which is interesting because i grew up in oklahoma. i agree that the people are definitely friendly, but i didn't get a feeling that they were friendlier than people at other schools.

 

[OSUdoc08]

my interview day was weird because everybody was from ou. there was one osu guy out of the whole group. i was also the lone non-oklahoma resident. i actually felt really displaced that day, which is interesting because i grew up in oklahoma. i agree that the people are definitely friendly, but i didn't get a feeling that they were friendlier than people at other schools.

I'm not an Oklahoma resident. I'm also not from OU.

(on a side note, there are an equal amount of OU and OSU grads, and they only make up 50% of the class)

 

[raspberry swirl]

out of all the pre-medders i went to college with, only 3 of us went to DO schools. the other 30 or so went MD. and thank god for it. those 30 people were the craziest most stressed out anal retentive annoying people i ever sat in a classroom with. one of the reason i chose DO was to avoid people like that. and while there are certainly some crazy stressed out anal retentive fools in DO schools, i would gather that they make up a higher percentage at MD schools. my take on it is the increased number of non-trads in DO schools- when you're 35 with 3 kids, a house with a mortgage and two car payments, you realize that you dont need to get As, and that Bs and Cs are just peachy keen.

 

[Dr. Yanknpull]

Screw all of this cooperation nonsense. I am going to be a plastic surgeon no matter what, and I will crush anyone who gets in my way. I even make review sheets with wrong answers and email them to my fellow PCOMers. Oh, just kiding, you type A/s probably thought I was serious. Just kidding........or am I?

 

[HoodyHoo]

as a DO student with several friends in MD programs, i have to say that IN GENERAL, there seems to be no significant differences between DO and MD schools related to competitivness. the students at the school i attend are overwhelmingly friendly and helpful, and my MD colleagues/friends say the same about their classmates.

I have two friends in MD programs. From what I have seen, we are not necessarily more laid back, but we sure as hell are MUCH better looking.

 

[cornellmedic]

I have two friends in MD programs. From what I have seen, we are not necessarily more laid back, but we sure as hell are MUCH better looking.

I think that this discussion could be adequately summed up with a conversion between a DO student friend of mine and his MD student friend:

DO student: Hey how are classes going?
MD student: Good, you?
DO student: Good. Hey, I've got a question for you.
MD student: yeah?
DO student: Is there as much hooking up in your class among the students as there is here?
MD student: Med students hook up?
DO student: HAHA (rolling on the floor laughing)

 

[OSUdoc08]

I think that this discussion could be adequately summed up with a conversion between a DO student friend of mine and his MD student friend:

DO student: Hey how are classes going?
MD student: Good, you?
DO student: Good. Hey, I've got a question for you.
MD student: yeah?
DO student: Is there as much hooking up in your class among the students as there is here?
MD student: Med students hook up?
DO student: HAHA (rolling on the floor laughing)

That is so true!