Less research oriented = more student friendly??

[RySerr21]

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Okay, so I think its safe to say that in general, DO programs are not as focused on research as their MD counterparts. I am not saying that there are no research opporutnities at DO programs for students, nor am I saying that if you are a DO you can't do research.... so here is the point of my thread.

i go to a small liberal arts college. Needless to say, there isn't a huge focus on scientific research. By that I mean, the professors are there to teach. Their second priority is research and they dedicate their careers to their students (compared to "professors" who can not teach and only care about their research). In my opinion, that makes for an amazing educational experience, and I have loved every minute of it.

So, my question is, is it safe to say that at a med school that is not research focused (like many DO schools, and some MD schools as well), the faculty and the physicians who teach courses will be dedicated to their students in the same way i described above? More so than a professor at a med school that is very research focused?

I am somewhasted interested in research, but by no means do i want to make it a career. I would like to be in an environment that supports that. So i guess the next quesiton for the med students out there is, is your school research focused or is it "student" focused? How are you treated by your peers and your professors?

Thanks!!!

Edit: specific knowledge regarding any of the following schools would be appreciated.

DMU, Western, LECOM, NYCOM, Touro-CA, Nova, AZCOM

 

[GreenShirt]

I think it's safe to say that DO school are not research institutions. However, I find that the faculty at my school are more or less as friendly as the prof. I had at my research-oriented UG. One of the issues you run into in medical school though, is teachers who are also clinicians. Their clinical work can limit their availability and sometimes makes their lecturing a little more detached from the curriculum.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

Your assumption seems reasonable. However, I also have experience at a top 30 research MD school that had fantastic teachers who were top notch researchers, as well. I was very surprised by this and got the feeling that perhaps many med schools really try to find the best people to teach their students as well as make new discoveries. Or maybe this is just what you get at a great institution, regardless of number of NIH dollars they get. I couldn't say for sure, as I haven't experienced other programs.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

It might be impossible to make broad generalizations and we'll have to wait for interviews to get any kind of feel for the teaching skills of the professors. 🙄

 

[ShyRem]

No. I've been with research-oriented profs (both undergrad and med school), and I would almost say the opposite. The ones with research are interested in their particular field. They light up when they talk about it. And they *love* talking to interested students -- not just interested in their own research, but students who are interested in learning. Who are curious. Who want to know and understand more than just memorize.

Profs who have no research and no clinical work tend to be "here's the information, memorize it and leave me alone 'cuz I just don't really care -- I'm gettin' paid regardless".

 

[Chocolate Bear]

No. I've been with research-oriented profs (both undergrad and med school), and I would almost say the opposite. The ones with research are interested in their particular field. They light up when they talk about it. And they *love* talking to interested students -- not just interested in their own research, but students who are interested in learning. Who are curious. Who want to know and understand more than just memorize.

Profs who have no research and no clinical work tend to be "here's the information, memorize it and leave me alone 'cuz I just don't really care -- I'm gettin' paid regardless".

Interesting that I've experienced the EXACT opposite thing, and yet we both hold our experiences to be generalizable.

My UG was a research institution that was very unfriendly to its undergrads, while the community college where I took summer classes had teachers that really loved to teach the material!

 

[RySerr21]

No. I've been with research-oriented profs (both undergrad and med school), and I would almost say the opposite. The ones with research are interested in their particular field. They light up when they talk about it. And they *love* talking to interested students -- not just interested in their own research, but students who are interested in learning. Who are curious. Who want to know and understand more than just memorize.

Profs who have no research and no clinical work tend to be "here's the information, memorize it and leave me alone 'cuz I just don't really care -- I'm gettin' paid regardless".

hmmm. thanks for the input! its wierd that we've had such polar opposite experiences.

i didn't mean that I want to be at a school where the profs don't do research or don't do clinical work. I've just expereinced professors who make their research their life, don't teach, and dont care about their students. I've had many more professors who do research (altho its not their number 1 reason for living) and have the same passion for their subject that you described. IMO, those types of professors are the best for me and my educational goals. I guess there will be all types of professors at every institution.