How rough/beneficial is Duke's 1 yr science curriculum

[radi0headfan]

I was wondering if someone knows a little more about how demanding it is to complete Duke's condensed 1-yr science curriculum (in comparison to other schools that do the normal 2 yrs). I'm debating whether to apply to Duke because of this, as I'm not sure if this will become too overbearing for me. Also, do the pros of this setup outweigh the cons? Thanks!

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[EyeballLove]

BUMP! I'm wondering about this too...

 

[radi0headfan]

anyone?!...come on..i know there's some duke hopefuls/med students in here!

 

[diosa428]

Hi,

I'm a current MS2 at Duke. I'd say the one year curriculum is both great and stressful. It's great because you get it all over with in one year, leaving you with an entire year to do research or pursue a dual degree, which, to me, is a lot more fun and interesting than sitting in class and taking tests. Plus, as an MS2, I'm doing rotations and seeing patients, which is waaaay more interesting to me than sitting in a classroom, and I feel like I'm learning a lot more.

The year is also stressful, although I can't really compare it with other med schools, because I didn't go to any other med school. First year is longer here than it is at other schools - you go from the beginning of August until the end of June, and you only get 3 weeks off for summer. You get 2 weeks (I think?) for Xmas break and a week in March for spring break, and that's about it. It's a loooong year. The tests are pretty frequent - for the most party they're every 2 weeks, although there are some periods of time where you have a test every week. I actually found that to be pretty helpful, because it prevents you from getting too far behind in the material, which builds up pretty fast. By the end of the year, I was pretty burnt out (but still easily passing). The end of the year definitely would have been a lot more difficult if I had been trying to honor the last block. I think the admissions committee here does a good job of only accepting students they think will be able to handle the curriculum, and there's a lot of support for the students, so, while honoring may be difficult, very few (if any) actually fail. And honestly, after doing all that in one year, I see no need to take 2 years to learn that material. It's pretty unnecessary, in my opinion.

Anyway, there are some other 2nd years around here, who I'm sure will chime in eventually. Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[MrBurns10]

I'm one of the aforementioned "other 2nd years", so I'll chime in as well. Duke's one-year curriculum is totally and completely worth it in my opinion. Mind you I'm only a 2nd year so I won't know for sure how it'll affect me in the future, but so far I've loved only having one year of basic sciences. Honestly, you do NOT need 2 years of that stuff. Plus, whether or not you work harder depends on the other schools you're deciding between. For example, UNC and Case Western get out most days by noon or 2pm at the latest, so you would work harder at Duke. However, if I had to do 9-4 or 5 for 2 years like they do at U Chicago, I think I'd hurt myself. Give me 9-4 for one year, thank you very much.

I think the biggest advantage of Duke's curriculum (besides the obvious 3rd year research which tends to look good on residency apps) is that, since we do rotations a full year earlier than other schools, there is a LOT more time to decide what field you would like to go into. Plus, whereas many other schools don't offer electives until 4th year, Duke offers 3 electives + 1 surgery elective 2nd year, therby exposing you to fields you think you'd be interested in earlier.

If you can't tell, I'm a big proponent of the curriculum, at least so far! Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[ekb1701]

So does this mean I could devote a year to getting an MPH and still get out in 4?

 

[MrBurns10]

So does this mean I could devote a year to getting an MPH and still get out in 4?

correct

 

[diosa428]

So does this mean I could devote a year to getting an MPH and still get out in 4?

Yes, and if you get your MPH at UNC, Duke will pay the tuition for it. If you get it elsewhere, you have to pay tuition to Duke and whatever school you're getting the MPH at, which sucks, but apparently some students have gotten scholarships in the past (to places like Hopkins).

 

[blargh]

i talked to a lot of baylor med students, and apparently the 1.5 year curriculum is already really really rigorous. 1 year sounds pretty scary.

 

[MrBurns10]

i talked to a lot of baylor med students, and apparently the 1.5 year curriculum is already really really rigorous. 1 year sounds pretty scary.

Honestly, it's as rigorous as you want it to be. Obviously you can't completely slack off and even passing requires a fair amount of studying, but if you're not shooting for honors and are happy with doing the best you can, it's really not a bad year. I was much happier when I developed a relaxed attitude about the whole thing than when I was worried about getting honors. Because as you'll find out, doing well requires a lot of effort...honors requires a degree of luck.

Take it from diosa and me. We just finished the first year and we're both advocates for it. And I was an advocate for it even during the year when things got particularly stressful. We all survived and I have no doubt you would as well.

 

[radi0headfan]

I'm one of the aforementioned "other 2nd years", so I'll chime in as well. Duke's one-year curriculum is totally and completely worth it in my opinion. Mind you I'm only a 2nd year so I won't know for sure how it'll affect me in the future, but so far I've loved only having one year of basic sciences. Honestly, you do NOT need 2 years of that stuff. Plus, whether or not you work harder depends on the other schools you're deciding between. For example, UNC and Case Western get out most days by noon or 2pm at the latest, so you would work harder at Duke. However, if I had to do 9-4 or 5 for 2 years like they do at U Chicago, I think I'd hurt myself. Give me 9-4 for one year, thank you very much.

I think the biggest advantage of Duke's curriculum (besides the obvious 3rd year research which tends to look good on residency apps) is that, since we do rotations a full year earlier than other schools, there is a LOT more time to decide what field you would like to go into. Plus, whereas many other schools don't offer electives until 4th year, Duke offers 3 electives + 1 surgery elective 2nd year, therby exposing you to fields you think you'd be interested in earlier.

If you can't tell, I'm a big proponent of the curriculum, at least so far! Let me know if you have any other questions.

I'm just curious how everything is pulled off in one year by going to class 9-4, if there's schools that do 9-4 for two yrs....diosa mentioned that Duke's yr is a little longer than other medical schools, but is that enough to squeeze all the sciences in, or am i missing something? I definitely do like the advantages you have by finishing everything in one year, but then I look at a program like Yale which gives you an optional 5th year to continue research or get more clinical exposure....you can do the normal 4 and then take a victory lap!

I have a cousin that actually just graduated from Duke this year, and I remember she looked like poop at the end of her first year ....just like you guys, i know she enjoyed the overall experience and she said one of her years was pretty chill..i can't remember if that was 3rd or 4th...but i don't know if she was just saying that in relation to the hell she went through her first yr...did you guys have any free time at all during the first year?...as in getting to just do normal stuff like regularly workout, go out with friends from time to time?...i guess those questions sound kind of naive, since they usually depend on each person, but this 1 yr thing is scaring me a bit!

And through just passing your classes, for residencies, does Duke's name give more clout than the GPA you get from there? ...or is it mainly based on the USMLE's?

Thanks for all your help guys!...I appreciate it.

 

[diosa428]

I'm just curious how everything is pulled off in one year by going to class 9-4, if there's schools that do 9-4 for two yrs....diosa mentioned that Duke's yr is a little longer than other medical schools, but is that enough to squeeze all the sciences in, or am i missing something? I definitely do like the advantages you have by finishing everything in one year, but then I look at a program like Yale which gives you an optional 5th year to continue research or get more clinical exposure....you can do the normal 4 and then take a victory lap!

I have a cousin that actually just graduated from Duke this year, and I remember she looked like poop at the end of her first year ....just like you guys, i know she enjoyed the overall experience and she said one of her years was pretty chill..i can't remember if that was 3rd or 4th...but i don't know if she was just saying that in relation to the hell she went through her first yr...did you guys have any free time at all during the first year?...as in getting to just do normal stuff like regularly workout, go out with friends from time to time?...i guess those questions sound kind of naive, since they usually depend on each person, but this 1 yr thing is scaring me a bit!

And through just passing your classes, for residencies, does Duke's name give more clout than the GPA you get from there? ...or is it mainly based on the USMLE's?

Thanks for all your help guys!...I appreciate it.

Duke does cut some stuff out of the curriculum, in addition to having a lengthened year. I've only been doing rotations for 2 1/2 weeks now, but I certainly don't feel like I'm any worse off for it. Of course, I just assume I'd have forgotten anything that we didn't learn anyway.

I had time to workout almost everyday last year, although I'd exercise less on the weekend before a test usually (tests are on Mondays, so you have the whole weekend to study). Since we usually had a test every other week, a lot of people would chill for the week after the test and go out that weekend, and then kind of pick up the steam with studying the next week. I feel like a lot of our classmates had plenty of time to get involved with stuff that interested them.

3rd and 4th years are both pretty chill (ppl jokingly call Duke a "2 year" med school). 3rd year is research, which can pretty much be as chill as you want - you can do whatever you want, wherever you want, as long as you have something to write up at the end of the year. 4th year is like any other school, with a bunch of electives and only a few mandatory rotations (Sub-I, etc).

Like Burns already said, the variation between Duke's first year and other schools first 2 years depends upon the school. I know that some schools have class from 9-4 everyday for 2 years, while some schools get out at noon. The amount of time spent in class really varies with the program. And not everything is mandatory here, which also adds to the amount of free time you have. A lot of people (myself included) eventually stop going to class and just study on their own in their own time. So if you do that, you can really find time to do whatever you want.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I have a question, if Duke does all there basic stuff in one year as opposed to two, how do the students tend to fair on Step 1, Do you think you guys are at a disadvantage bc the other schools have had more exposure to the information?

 

[EyeballLove]

I have a question, if Duke does all there basic stuff in one year as opposed to two, how do the students tend to fair on Step 1, Do you think you guys are at a disadvantage bc the other schools have had more exposure to the information?

I'd guess that because Duke med students get good clinical exposure a year before everyone else, Step 1 should be "easier"...in the sense that it's always easier to remember things when you have cases that you can correlate with..instead of learning from the books...just my purely guessing here

 

[MrBurns10]

I'd guess that because Duke med students get good clinical exposure a year before everyone else, Step 1 should be "easier"...in the sense that it's always easier to remember things when you have cases that you can correlate with..instead of learning from the books...just my purely guessing here

I've heard this as well. Step 1 avg here is about a 230-235, and I hear from upperclassmen that it's definitely helpful to have actually seen the stuff for a year before taking the test (we take step 1 anytime during our 3rd year). I can't tell you yet from personal experience, that's just what I've heard.

And as far as Duke cutting stuff out of its curriculum, it's not like they're skipping the leg in anatomy class...they primarily cut out embryology and biochem stuff, and we did get some of it. There really is absolutely no reason why in medical school they would require you to learn all 80909234243 steps of the Krebs cycle. How is that going to make you a better doctor? So Duke just cuts that part out. It's not that we don't learn about the Krebs cycle or have to memorize the important stuff, it's just that it's pointless to learn every step. I don't think Duke students feel slighted or at a disadvantage in any way.

 

[diosa428]

I've heard this as well. Step 1 avg here is about a 230-235, and I hear from upperclassmen that it's definitely helpful to have actually seen the stuff for a year before taking the test (we take step 1 anytime during our 3rd year). I can't tell you yet from personal experience, that's just what I've heard.

And as far as Duke cutting stuff out of its curriculum, it's not like they're skipping the leg in anatomy class...they primarily cut out embryology and biochem stuff, and we did get some of it. There really is absolutely no reason why in medical school they would require you to learn all 80909234243 steps of the Krebs cycle. How is that going to make you a better doctor? So Duke just cuts that part out. It's not that we don't learn about the Krebs cycle or have to memorize the important stuff, it's just that it's pointless to learn every step. I don't think Duke students feel slighted or at a disadvantage in any way.

Hahaha are you checking SDN before surgery? I mean, I'm checking it before family med, but it's 7:30, not 4:30...

 

[radi0headfan]

There really is absolutely no reason why in medical school they would require you to learn all 80909234243 steps of the Krebs cycle. .

Awww man no Krebs? Damn!!

 

[MrBurns10]

Hahaha are you checking SDN before surgery? I mean, I'm checking it before family med, but it's 7:30, not 4:30...

Well, I have to entertain myself during breakfast somehow!

sigh...back to the OR

 

[diosa428]

Well, I have to entertain myself during breakfast somehow!

sigh...back to the OR

Hey, when I was in Ecuador, my host mom made this stuff that was like potatoes mashed up into a flattened ball with cheese in the middle, and they were fried, and she served them with avocado and some other stuff. Do you know what those are called?

 

[MassTransport]

Hey, when I was in Ecuador, my host mom made this stuff that was like potatoes mashed up into a flattened ball with cheese in the middle, and they were fried, and she served them with avocado and some other stuff. Do you know what those are called?

wth... random replies.

 

[diosa428]

wth... random replies.

Her parents are from Ecuador....

 

[nosugrefneb]

However, if I had to do 9-4 or 5 for 2 years like they do at U Chicago, I think I'd hurt myself.

This is a myth. You should look into it before you knock it.

 

[MrBurns10]

Hey, when I was in Ecuador, my host mom made this stuff that was like potatoes mashed up into a flattened ball with cheese in the middle, and they were fried, and she served them with avocado and some other stuff. Do you know what those are called?

Llapingachos! My mom makes them, too.

I get to wake up at 345 tomorrow morning. And I just got home. Man, surgery is awesome.