does anybody actually like/want to attend UCSD?

[chef]

I've never visited CA before, but have heard so many nice things about life in CA, especially in SD, so I was really excited when I got an interview offer from UCSD. However, over the last 2 weeks I found out rather disheartening info about UCSD from both this website and interviewfeedback.com. Almost everyone who talks about UCSD mentions the terrible atmosphere at UCSD, the competitiveness, unhappy students, cutthroaty culture, .. basically a nightmare school. Now I am not even sure if I want to interview there and waste my time and resources to only verify these things with my own eyes.

Once and for all, how much of this is really true? I do not believe in a truly 'non-competitive' school; everyone worked their butts off to get to their schools, and they will continue doing the same to get into the best residencies. What is the in-state/outofstate ratio at UCSD?

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[none]

Okay, UCSD is a GREAT place!!! I'm an undergrad here and there simply is not a place in the country with better weather (and yes, that includes Hawaii). There is very little social atmosphere, but that's why I came here. I guess the lack of a social environment fosters that idea of competition...but it's not really that...it's more that people just don't socialize with others, not that they actively compete with them. UCSD is very much a research oriented institution, but is pretty good with clinical stuff too and definitely prepares you for working in CA with the heavy Spanish-only population. Housing is quite tight and expensive off campus, but manageable if you work at it. Anyways, yeah, I love it here and I'd love to go here for med school...just gotta get that autobiography done. 🙂

 

[kafshar]

I have never met a medical student from UCSD that wasnt depressed. Everyone hates it there. Too much hours in class. Very competitive...etc..etc. It is not only me... but I know many other people who have heard only negative things about it. I think you should go and find out for yourself. Maybe that can be a question you ask your interviewer.... because they may trying to emphasize changing that.

 

[deleted7807]

I've heard all the rumors from other people about how much UCSD sucks, but when I interviewed there, the students seemed happy, excited about their opportunities, and nice. In fact, I went away from UCSD absolutely loving the school. Rumors are just rumors. Go to the school and give it a try. Talk to the students. Basically, decide for yourself and don't let others decide for you.

 

[Scooby Doo]

Chef,

I hope I wasn't the one who told you all those bad things about UCSD 🙂
I was telling some girl on the East Coast who had an interview there that she should be prewarned of the competitive side at UCSD med school.
While noone is talking of the undergrad campus, I think the med school is different. I know a girl who just graduated there last year and she was regretting that she chose medicine for her first 3 1/2 years there. Only in her last 1/2 year when she realized she was going to be out of there did she finally start getting happy. This is her opinion on the place....

Also, to "i can't think of a name", have you met any students at ANY interviews who don't like the school? The ones who interview you and volunteer for all the stuff LOVE the school or they wouldn't be doing it. I have yet to meet a student who was part of the "process" who spoke poorly of the school.

 

[rhizoid7]

Hi, just my take on this issue. I think that some people have spread negativity and lies about UCSD simply because they don't want the competition at getting accepted. I've lived in San Diego for 7 years and, although it has become rather expensive and not so laid back over he last 5 years or so, it really is a great place to go to school. I've attended USD, SDSU, and UCSD, and I liked the atmosphere at UCSD the most. It's a really selective school, and the students attending know they're the top dogs, and sometimes let that fact be known through their attitudes and behavior. However, if you're accepted, you'll be one of the gang and shouldn't feel ill at ease among these high-achievers. When I apply next year, UCSD will definitely be on my list.

DJ

 

[Triangulation]

Is UCSD really that selective? From their ave MCATs and GPAs, I wasn't under the impression that they were as selective as described here.

 

[jmejia1]

The only information I know about UCSD excluding web information comes from a friend who interviewed there last year. He graduated from a California State University and was drilled on this fact at the interview.

"What makes you think you can handle our academics coming from X school when we have students that attended schools like Princeton, Harvard and other tough schools enrolling in our class."

This is pretty much a direct quote according to this old friend of mine. Maybe that shines light on the type of personalities or attitudes running around UCSD. I applied there and if I'm granted an interview I plan to check it out myself. I live in L.A. so it's not like I'll be spending too much resources to go.

 

[none]

It's about as selective as the other UCs (which is an insane level of selectivity). Some might say it's slightly less selective than LA and SF, but the MCATs and GPAs don't.

 

[Scooby Doo]

Originally posted by rhizoid7:
•I think that some people have spread negativity and lies about UCSD simply because they don't want the competition at getting accepted....It's a really selective school, and the students attending know they're the top dogs, and sometimes let that fact be known through their attitudes and behavior•••

Hmmm...no, most people who talk about UCSD have gotten into top schools but just chose other schools over UCSD. "don't want the competition of getting accepted" --> not sure what you mean here but I guess you mean most people talk trash b/c it's so hard to get into...I wouldn't necessarily say that, but any UC is tough. If I had to rank the UC's I would put them as: UCSF, UCLA, UCSD, UCD, and UCI. UCSD is not the top dog school in the UC's and it's defnitely not the top dog school in the nation or the state. Why do you say that the med students at UCSD come across as cocky? I have not noticed that about the ones I have met. The one I know was just stressed as hell and very sick of the hostility and lack of interaction among students.

As for what none said, "I guess the lack of a social environment fosters that idea of competition...but it's not really that...it's more that people just don't socialize with others, not that they actively compete with them."
WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE A SCHOOL LIKE THAT??? At least ACTIVELY CHOOSE a school like that? WHY? It just totally blows me away. Are you distracted that easily? I don't know....but I just need to have options of things to do and go to a place where people are active...

 

[none]

I'm not at all into the typical college social scene. I attended CSU Fresno and was totally put-off by things like frat houses and the alcohol/other drug ridden parties that come along with them. UCSD, without such things, is a much better fit for me. I personally came to college purely for the academic experience and generally prefer social outlets elsewhere. That is certainly not the case for everyone.

 

[lilycat]

Okay, I actually just posted a similar response on Petros' thread about UCSD, but I'll be redundant anyways. 😉

Chef, it's worth it to go and check it out. Talk to AS MANY students as you can -- not just the ones who take you on your tour. However, keep in mind that the majority of medical students want to sell their school -- they want to recruit good applicants, and get them interested in their school, it's just sort of a pride thing.

I ended up declining to go to UCSD largely because of the "stressful" atmosphere I heard about there. However, now I wonder if maybe some of the negative comments I heard about UCSD had more to do with being in med school in general, and weren't really all that specific to UCSD. Maybe the UCSD students were just being more honest than the average med school student. I say this because I've been less than thrilled with my first year of med school so far, and I've been communicating with LOTS of other med students about this, both on this board, at my school, and at other schools around the nation, some of which have reputations for being extremely laid back (Yale and Tulane, specifically). Nearly all of the students have admitted to periods of high dissatisfication with their med school experience at one time or another -- for some it gets better, and others it doesn't.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that med school is not the rosy picture that may be portrayed during your interviews. Knowing what I know now, I would probably choose a school based on it's strengths in research and clinical training, the type of curriculum it uses (personally, I couldn't handle being in lecture all day, but that's me), location, and cost. Student happiness/satisfaction might factor into it, but probably not as much as it once did, just because I think that can be a difficult thing to evaluate, and it can vary tremendously from year to year, simply based upon the composition of the class.

As for UCSD specifically -- it is a great school that probably is on the rise in the next 5 years. Very strong in research, okay in clinical. Beautiful location and weather. Fun, young city. Cost of living is on the high side, and the housing market is tight. Seems like they have a highly supportive learning resource center for everything from individual tutoring to class notes, videos and study aids. Students raved about this. I was less than thrilled with my experience with their financial aid office, but I think that may be a general public school thing. Feel free to send me a private message or an email if you have any other questions about the school that I might be able to answer. Good luck.

 

[deleted7807]

Hello,
In reply to a previous post, I have actually heard students say negative things about their school at quite a few of the places that I have interviewed at...or they will be talking highly of their school while at the same time their attitude and emotions suggest the opposite. That's not to say that just because I didn't get that at UCSD that it does not exist, I am just saying that people need to go there themselves and form their own opinions.

 

[nerfornothin]

Chef, definitely go and have a look for yourself. San Diego is beautiful. The cost of living is manageable, especially if you're willing to live outside of La Jolla (the upscale part of town where UCSD is).

I went to a no-rep-U and had no smack talked to me during the interview. The atmosphere I encountered seemed very supportive (although, of course, this was fairly contrived, tip of the hat to Scooby.) Both profs I interviewed with were kind and easy to talk to. Students were all enthusiastic and said they enjoyed their classmates. Didn't encounter any cutthroats nor have I ever. (I live in SD and the three or four people I've known from the med school have on the whole enjoyed it.)

As lilycat mentioned they have an awesome student support department (a staff of MS/PhD's whoose sole job is to generate comprehensive notes for classes. You study from them, you pass the class.) I actually thought that financial aid seemed very open and friendly. Granted, I only listned to their rhetoric but they really made a big deal of their low hassle, no bureaucratic mess approach.

Clinincal exposure seemed good. You have the option of working in a free clinic during your first two years doing full patient exams and participating in care decisions. You can also work with a doc in almost any specialty as a first and second year elective.

In short, go check it out for yourself. My experience there was good, and although I'm sure a lot of what has been said above is based on truth it has to be said that that truth is subjective. You may love it, go give UCSD a try.

 

[rajneel1]

hello. i will just put my own two cents in. well, i feel and have heard that UCSD has a very competitive atmosphere. i meet a student from there at a graduate school fair and he totally made me feel like a loser when i was talking to him about getting into UCSD medical school. My friend, who got accepted there as an MD/PhD, also said that it was super competitive and that he wasn't impressed with the students. he eventually choose Harvard. BUT definitely go there and check it out. maybe you will like UCSD. and it is better to get accepted at and go to UCSD, then to not go to medical school at all, right?

 

[EpiII]

I just interviewed at UCSD. I stayed with an older 2nd year med student. He seemed to give me the straight scoop. It is tough and at times, you do not understand why they have anatomy in the second year (and then for 1 quarter) and focus so much attention on the molecular level in the first year (curriculum is one significant factor to think about, if you have the opportunity to 'choose' your school), but I think many understand and appreciate it later on.

I did not get the impression that there was cut throat competition, but ...

As far as the in-state / out-of-state ratio goes, they do not accept that many out-of-state applicants. One year, they only accepted 1 such person, but I believe there are a hand full (4-5)in this year's class. That is what our tour guide told us. If you are offered an interview, that is a good sign.

 

[BlackPuma]

have you guys noticed that this school creates so much controversy?!

I mean you never hear anyone coming close to complaining about UCSF and UCLA....UCLA by the way is pass/no pass, so everyone there is extremely happy, by the way, they do well on their boards thank you 😉

the pple at UCSD need to take a look at the mirror, they are no where near to UCLA nor UCSD, and the vibe that I get from teh school is that a lot of students actually go through questioning themselves on WHY they chose medicine.....that could be a refletion on the field itself OR (notice emphasis on caps implying that latter could be more true) OR it is because that the CURRICULUM is so freakin hard, that pple hate studying 15 hours a day! I never once heard a person from UCLA or UCSF saying they regretted going to medicine....I don't know what the heck the school is doing, but the environment is very competitive, their ranked, and people apparently begin to hate medicine because of it...

notice on how there isnt a thread on UCD, UCI, UCLA or UCSF...honestly, they may be better ranked than UCD and UCI, but students in those schools actually ENJOY life....that is my 2 cents

and don't tell me u enjoy SD because u went to undergrad, Undergrad and GRAD are totally different...I've heard that UCLA's med school is easier than undergrad from friends who went to UCLA for undergrad and grad...so they arent comparable....

 

[Triangulation]

Easy WatchaMaCallit. Assuming that everyone at UCLA is happy because they are a pass/fail school doesn't hold up. Certainly, the students who are failing aren't doing cart-wheels right now.

There are top-notch med students at every UC. Certainly, UCSF and UCLA are loaded, but affinities from undergrad definitely sway med school candidates. I loved the University of Washington as an undergrad and would love to return there for med school. I'm not a WA resident, so I won't be, but it would've been cool.

I do agree that over-competitiveness is destructive, but lets not condemn everyone that went there.