As I said before, who would you rather listen to, admission staff/ambassadors, who are obvioulsy biased, or people who actually attend, or have attended, the school and have experienced it through thick and thin?
Just to be clear for others still reading the discussion, ambassadors are students too, and serve on a volunteer basis.
I know not everyone has the same opinions, but I can almost guarantee there is a significant voice regarding the issues that I described earlier. It isn't just a few bad apples in a barrel.
I certainly don't think that any students at KCUMB are 'bad apples', though a few have obviously exercised poor judgment on occasion. And as I said earlier, while there is a good consensus about some areas where the school needs to improve, I believe most people tend to see those areas as weaknesses that need student feedback and faculty/staff work to improve, instead of manifestations of a fascist regime that is hellbent on dictating how students conduct their lives.
It is pretty obvious that Osli is speaking in an official capacity. Just look at the tone of his post. What student would talk like that, especially a second year student??
Well this is new, now I'm being accused of posting as an undercover administrator or something. For anyone who would even entertain such a ludicrous accusation, just check out my post history over the past
few years. What I don't deny is that I am a student ambassador, and while some may think that this automagically means I am unquestionably biased to the point of dishonesty, I would offer another explanation; student ambassadors have a lot more contact with faculty, staff, and administration than does the typical student. We have the chance to discuss a lot of things in an informal way that might otherwise be different, and we hear a side of the story that many students do not. We sometimes get a better glimpse into the reasons behind certain actions or policies that students question or don't understand. Student government persons are in a similar position. And if there is one thing that I want to make
very clear, it is that I
do not speak in any sort of official capacity for the school. I neither have that authority or desire. The school does not need a puppet on an internet discussion forum, and even if they did I would want no part of it. I'm here freely because I like to share my experiences and opinions, just is as the case for wanting to serve as ambassador.
Don't believe the hype, folks. I'm not saying that KCUMB is a bad school. On the contrary. If you look at prior posts, I definitely express that I think KCUMB is a good school. However, it has some significant faults that you need to consider before jumping aboard. Whatever you do, make sure you make an informed and conscious choice; that's all I'm hoping for. Don't get blindsided by some school propaganda.
Good advice for anyone, applying to any school. With one exception... my opinion here is as equally valid as is yours. My experiences and opinions are no more "propaganda" than you are a "bad apple."
The truth of the matter is that the school DOES force you (like it does with other things) to buy the full arsenal of equipment and it is all pre-packaged for you, from WelchAllyn. You do have some choice, for example, color, battery-type, and electronic steth, but it is limited. It's not a big deal, but you should know the truth.
If you're going to use the word "truth" then get the facts straight. You
DO NOT have to buy any specific type or brand of equipment; you are only required to have access to all of the required equipment. The school passes on package deals from Welch Allyn to save the students money over buying each piece individually. I had access to some equipment from a family member and had been given a Littman stethescope as a Christmas gift - I called the school and asked if I was required to buy a Welch Allyn set, and was told "absolutely not." I have no doubt that many students simply are not aware that there were other alternatives, and the forms that the university sends out sure makes it seem like your options are simply "package A, B, or C". If in doubt, pick up the phone and call the school.
I did want to point out how silly the "kickback" theory was, though. What do you think the kickback on a $700 equipment set would be? A hundred bucks? Two? Even if WelchAllyn gave the school every penny that was paid for the equipment, you're talking about at most two hundred dollars per year per student. With our tuition increasing a couple of thousand per year, do you really think it would be necessary to go to such measures to get a few more dollars? They could tack on that extra two hundred bucks (or twenty five, or whatever) to your tuition and you wouldn't even notice.
On the topic of really good professors leaving: it's a big deal.
I agree.
Why can't KCUMB keep them? If they were happy, wouldn't you think they would stay? Maybe they weren't getting paid enough, or treated right?
I can think of a few reasons, with money being probably the first, second, and third reasons. Perhaps some like the challenge of a startup school, and maybe geographic location had something to do with a case or two... but I'd put my money on money. A new school is going to have to offer a pretty lucrative salary to get a good professor to take a chance on something unproven and with no reputation. An established school like KCUMB does not have to offer that kind of salary to get professors who are happy to work here. This is basic economics.
Seriously, this fact alone speaks louder than anything else. Your assertion, Osli, doesn't explain anything; it's propaganda, pure and simple.
Whatever. I think you have your perspective and refuse to explore other possibilities. There are definitely some professors who left before I got here that I would love to have had teach me, but it isn't something I can control.
Also, at the end of the day, it is NOT a good thing to have a bunch of adjunct or new (and some of them rather poor communicators at that) professors...
Oh, I agree with that. There are two or three that I'd rather be replaced, but their role is minor and it does not affect my education significantly. But the bigger question is what do you expect? Have you not witnessed yourself that this situation is the status quo at teaching institutions all across the country? Did you interview at any big allopathic teaching hospitals, and notice that the professors were just researchers or clinicians who were concerned about their research or patients (i.e., money) and only taught the occasional class because they were forced to? Our guest lecturers come here because they want to give back to the educational system, and to our school specifically. I can't see why anyone would want it any other way. And the full time faculty at other medical schools across the country are going to have the same mix of foreign persons or otherwise "bad communicators" as is the case here. Thankfully we have outstanding professors where it really counts. Anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, pathology... all superb (if a bit eccentric!).
You never addressed the issue of poor collaboration and communication. My guess is because you know it's true and can't even come up with propaganda to cover it up. There are cluster-****'s constantly as a result of the lack of coordination. Granted, they aren't a big deal by themselves, but when you add them all together, it starts to impact your learning experience.
You want my propaganda explanation? Well, here it is... if you want a school that does not have these types of "minor" lapses in coordination, find one that has not changed a thing in ten years instead of one that is constantly shuffling the schedule year after year, section after section, and day by day in an attempt to maximize effectiveness and in response to student feedback. You can't have flexibility and perfect predictability at the same time.
On feedback: I never said that the school doesn't listen, but I said that they listened through a filter.
And what else would you possibly expect? Our great "democracy" certainly gets input from the populace through filters (republic), and so does every other school, business, and everything else in the country. Here's an unthinkable idea... perhaps people whose business is to run the education of medical students happen to know just a little bit about how to actually educate in this type of environment. And perhaps not every student wish, request, and demand is really in the best interest of all students in the school. Perhaps having a filter to figure out which ideas are worth exploring and which are not is a good thing.
