How do you know if the school is a good fit?

[CuriosityKillsMe]

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I see a lot of threads talking about the fit of the school to your personality, your wants, and needs. How can you find out about the philosophy of the school? What they want from students and what students have come to expect from the school? Schools have a byline, but that's usually more or less echoed throughout most schools.

 

[pms_testosterone]

If a school offers you an acceptance then it's a good fit. 😉

But if possible, try to get in contact with a current student. If not possible, look up what people are saying about the school online.

 

[TSteezy]

I would say that I determined my "fit" at interview day. It's honestly pretty intuitive. Do you get along w/ the current medical students / fellow interviewees? Do you like the city? Can you see yourself there for a minimum of four years?

 

[21Rush12]

To me fit is hard to describe. I knew I fit where I am now and I knew for sure that I didn't feel at home at the school I didn't choose. Going to second look days helps and is in many cases the deciding factor. If you're accepted after the date, it may be worth calling the prospective school(s) and asking if it's possible to have a guided tour or meet with someone. They've already offered acceptance, so things have changed. They want you as much as you want them and sometimes there are things available to help you experience more of the school. Also try getting in any accepted students Facebook group that's around and speak to some current students and get a feel for who your classmates would be. The people going there will be your best source for the "real" story, beyond admissions website echoing of the same things from place to place.

In the end it's you who decides where you fit best based on any number of factors that you like or don't like and their relative importance to you. No place is perfect, but if it's close enough to be a hard choice it probably means you'd be happy in both places.

Good luck to you!


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[CuriosityKillsMe]

I guess the title was very misleading... I have not been accepted nor have I applied. I'm trying to find out about the culture of the schools before I apply, what kind of students are they looking for, what kind of education do they have. For an example, UWash seems to accept students that are going to give back to the community. Where would I be able to find information like this?

 

[21Rush12]

In that case, I agree with @pms_testosterone! Apply broadly and early, and beware of the small handful of strongly religious schools and their accompanying restrictive codes of conduct. Offhand I can only think of two or three. Take a look at the school mission statements on their respective admissions websites and unless you see red flags, send an application. Do your big research after being invited to an interview, and consider the fit while you're there for the interview. Make contacts and get/keep in touch with current students via accepted students groups on Facebook.

However, what's important now is getting a strong application together. Worry about fit after you're accepted; the risk of applying to too few and being rejected outright and the tremendous expense it would be to visit the average of ~15 schools applied to make it such that fit is irrelevant pre-interview.

I hope this helps...it will all come in time, worry about the pressing issues as they arise until then!


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[sliceofbread136]

It's really city location and size of school imo