Med Schools with excellent "Quality of Life"

[Neelesh]

I was wondering how the quality of life factor is subjectively assessed in medical schools and which schools top the charts?

Thanks

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[BellyDancingDoc]

I dunno, but I'm bumping because it's a good question.

Anyone?

 

[Kuba]

oops

 

[lilnoelle]

I don't think med school and quality of life can go in the same sentence. If you feel like you have an excellent quality of life in med school, either you aren't gonna pass your classes because your not working hard enough or your not gonna pass the boards because the school isn't doing its job. You have a huge amount of material to learn in a relatively short period of time.
Your job is simply to learn the material and the schools job is to try to help you learn the material. If you find time to go to a movie or a bar once a week, you'll be doing great.

 

[searun]

My criteria for quality of life include the following:

1. Snowboarding opportunities. Proximity to great snowboarding.

2. Flyfishing opportunities for native trout.

3. Mountains and backpacking/backcountry experiences in close proximity.

So, I have 4 nominations, three schools that I applied to:

1. Dartmouth

2. Vermont

3. OHSU

4. Colorado (Out of state tuition too high, unfortunately.

 

[Neelesh]

I don't think med school and quality of life can go in the same sentence. If you feel like you have an excellent quality of life in med school, either you aren't gonna pass your classes because your not working hard enough or your not gonna pass the boards because the school isn't doing its job. You have a huge amount of material to learn in a relatively short period of time.
Your job is simply to learn the material and the schools job is to try to help you learn the material. If you find time to go to a movie or a bar once a week, you'll be doing great.

However, there are schools which offer a more pleasant experience, possibly based on locations, class/exam schedule, and the attention to the students.

 

[searun]

I don't think med school and quality of life can go in the same sentence. If you feel like you have an excellent quality of life in med school, either you aren't gonna pass your classes because your not working hard enough or your not gonna pass the boards because the school isn't doing its job. You have a huge amount of material to learn in a relatively short period of time.
Your job is simply to learn the material and the schools job is to try to help you learn the material. If you find time to go to a movie or a bar once a week, you'll be doing great.

I will be on the mountain and in the back country and graduate from med school with a fine record, guaranteed.

 

[uvce]

You could check out http://www.studentdoctor.net/medical-school-rankings.asp, which has school ranking based on location and cultural life.

 

[lilnoelle]

I will be on the mountain and in the back country and graduate from med school with a fine record, guaranteed.

How often do you plan to be on the mountain and in the back country? Daily, once weekly, once monthly?

 

[lilnoelle]

However, there are schools which offer a more pleasant experience, possibly based on locations, class/exam schedule, and the attention to the students.

Your probably right. Well, my med school location isn't the best (Kansas City, KS), class and exam schedule are fantastic, and have no idea about attention to the students because I'm rarely at lecture.

 

[searun]

How often do you plan to be on the mountain and in the back country? Daily, once weekly, once monthly?

I will be snowboarding at least three afternoons per week, since Dartmouth owns a ski resort 10 minutes from campus. So I would spend about 90 minutes after class several times per week. Clear the brain and then study in the evening.

 

[lilnoelle]

I will be snowboarding at least three afternoons per week, since Dartmouth owns a ski resort 10 minutes from campus. So I would spend about 90 minutes after class several times per week. Clear the brain and then study in the evening.

Well, a lot of med students make time for exercise, though probably not 90 minutes. I have about 3 hours that are off limits every day for my kids, so you'll be using up less time than that. My initial post was probably a little exaggerated. I just heard "quality of life" and thought the Op wanted to live on a resort. (no offense intended, I just over reacted)

 

[Jbw]

lilnoelle, seriously, you need to relax.

 

[lilnoelle]

lilnoelle, seriously, you need to relax.

Well, lets see, I have a cardiopulmonary exam Friday that does not look promising. I don't need to relax, I need to stay off SDN. But thanks for your helpful advice.

All I was saying was that I forget that you guys don't have the responsibilities that I do with having two young children and a hubby while in med school. I responded with my thoughts, but they were off due to my experiences.

 

[blantant]

You could check out http://www.studentdoctor.net/medical-school-rankings.asp, which has school ranking based on location and cultural life.

as useful as these rankings seem, the data is seriously flawed-- the numbers are compiled from Interviewees and NOT from actual medstudents who attend the school.

 

[Doctor of Genes]

maybe

as useful as these rankings seem, the data is seriously flawed-- the numbers are compiled from Interviewees and NOT from actual medstudents who attend the school.

 

[NickRiviera]

Bethesda...free school + stipend makes students happy.

 

[PZMO]

If you equate quality of life with less stress and more personal time (like I do), I would say the schools with true P/F grading and relatively few scheduled hours would top the charts. Just my two cents.

 

[Tired Pigeon]

I don't think med school and quality of life can go in the same sentence. If you feel like you have an excellent quality of life in med school, either you aren't gonna pass your classes because your not working hard enough or your not gonna pass the boards because the school isn't doing its job. You have a huge amount of material to learn in a relatively short period of time.
Your job is simply to learn the material and the schools job is to try to help you learn the material. If you find time to go to a movie or a bar once a week, you'll be doing great.

With all due respect to Lilnoelle's perspective, I beg to differ. Yes, med school is a lot of work, but the first two years in particular offer at least some time for self/family. Time management has a lot to do with it. In my experience, making "quality of life" one of my priorities (and getting out to exercise) has enabled me to stay focused & on top of my studies. To the OP specifically: I DID choose my school in part based on where I would have the best quality of life, but my definition of "quality of life" might be really different from yours. Think about what's important to you. If you had, say, an hour of free time every day in which you were not allowed to do anything med-school related, how would you most like to spend it? Thinking about this might help you decide where would be the best fit for you. Good luck!

 

[dantt]

My criteria for quality of life include the following:

1. Snowboarding opportunities. Proximity to great snowboarding.

2. Flyfishing opportunities for native trout.

3. Mountains and backpacking/backcountry experiences in close proximity.

So, I have 4 nominations, three schools that I applied to:

1. Dartmouth

2. Vermont

3. OHSU

4. Colorado (Out of state tuition too high, unfortunately.

You should apply to Stanford or UCSF. Sierra Nevada >> Appalacians.

 

[DarksideAllstar]

You should apply to Stanford or UCSF. Sierra Nevada >> Appalacians.

I am finishing up med school at the University of Nevada. Our basic sciences are done in Reno, which is about 40 minutes from North Lake Tahoe (Alpine Meadows, Squaw, Sugar Bowl, etc). During the winters I was able to snowboard about 3 times a week or so. Classes weren't required (and I don't learn well in lecture anyhow), so we'd skip out and go board. It was great. A lot of people in my class would go out (clubs, martinis, dive bars, etc) a couple times a week as well. I was able to do well the first two years of school, and did very welll on my boards. A school doesn't prepare you for your boards--you do with your work ethic and study skills, so keep that in mind. I am now in a position where I will probably get my first choice residency. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't have a life in med school--if you don't develop a sense of who you are outside of medical school, it will dominate your life and you will be completely miserable.

 

[Guile]

.

 

[EBI831]

I feel obligated to throw in the "Vanderbilt has the happiest students year after year" comment. And I believe it. They were probably the happiest bunch I saw. Everyone seemed really "cool" for lack of a better word and like they had lives outside of school.

Unfortunately it is very far from Lake Tahoe...or any skiing for that matter. DarksideAllstar, I am very very envious of your experience in med school.

i see your vandy and raise you a baylor. checkmate. happiest bunch i've seen and school out at noon 5 days a week...no snow or cold weather...cheap tuition/fees(relatively)...can we say heaven?

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Flyfishing opportunities for native trout.

As opposed to the lesser know foreign trout. They can be recognized by their different complexions and funny accents.

 

[Guile]

.

 

[weathertalk]

Yeah, which is why I'm likely going there. 😉

Although in the whole student life/quality of life debate, I think Vandy may come out ahead. I've heard from multiple students at Baylor that many students there are (I don't know how to say this without sounding like I'm describing every student body at every med school) hardcore nerds--as in, I quote, they only know how to interact socially with their books. I'm just passing along what I've heard, so don't get me wrong, I thought everyone I met was cool, laid-back, relaxed, etc., but we met a select few who wanted to drop by and say hello (and those who led the interview day).

I think pretty much every school has at least 15% hardcore nerds.

 

[Mr. Tee]

You should apply to Stanford or UCSF. Sierra Nevada >> Appalacians.

The curricula at those two schools are totally manageable too.

 

[Cirrus83]

I will be snowboarding at least three afternoons per week, since Dartmouth owns a ski resort 10 minutes from campus. So I would spend about 90 minutes after class several times per week. Clear the brain and then study in the evening.

lol my brother goes to Dartmouth for undergrad and while he thought he'd be snowboarding all the time so far he's just been doing homework all the time, haha. And that's just undergrad...

I have no idea how you plan on pulling this fantasy off, lol

To be fair though, Dartmouth people do in fact snowboard quite a bit =)

 

[sotired]

Yale

 

[KaraKiz]

Ill play along. UCSF. Very laid-back and relaxed. Lots of students taking art classes, dance classes.. even a couple yoga instructors in the 1st year class. One girl was/is on the US water polo team. The students organize ski trips, camping outings, etc. Apparently UCSF owns a cabin at Lake Tahoe..

 

[TSK]

I'm going to have to side with lilnoelle. While it's unrealistic to attempt to study 24/7, schools that attempt to woo their students with museums, snowboarding, bars, clubs, mountain climbing and shopping is an unrealistic promise as well. I mean honestly, I don't know anyone in med/professional school with the time, energy, and resources to regularly pursue these activities to a point where it would sway them from one school to another.

 

[45408]

I am finishing up med school at the University of Nevada. Our basic sciences are done in Reno, which is about 40 minutes from North Lake Tahoe (Alpine Meadows, Squaw, Sugar Bowl, etc). During the winters I was able to snowboard about 3 times a week or so. Classes weren't required (and I don't learn well in lecture anyhow), so we'd skip out and go board. It was great. A lot of people in my class would go out (clubs, martinis, dive bars, etc) a couple times a week as well. I was able to do well the first two years of school, and did very welll on my boards. A school doesn't prepare you for your boards--you do with your work ethic and study skills, so keep that in mind. I am now in a position where I will probably get my first choice residency. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't have a life in med school--if you don't develop a sense of who you are outside of medical school, it will dominate your life and you will be completely miserable.

you suck 🙁

 

[melissainsd]

If you equate quality of life with less stress and more personal time (like I do), I would say the schools with true P/F grading and relatively few scheduled hours would top the charts. Just my two cents.

I agree. Any school with P/F has my vote.

 

[VandyXGirl]

I feel obligated to throw in the "Vanderbilt has the happiest students year after year" comment. And I believe it. They were probably the happiest bunch I saw. Everyone seemed really "cool" for lack of a better word and like they had lives outside of school.

Unfortunately it is very far from Lake Tahoe...or any skiing for that matter. DarksideAllstar, I am very very envious of your experience in med school.

I swear there must be something in the water to make Vandy students so happy and we are a pretty cool bunch, at least I'd like to think so! I do wish Nashville were closer to skiing. I haven't been in 4+ years and I miss it! 🙁 I'll have to organize some wicked winter break/spring break vacation to Colorado to make up for it.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Bethesda...free school + stipend makes students happy.

Until the realize the hell that is being a doctor in the military......

 

[VandyXGirl]

Ill play along. UCSF. Very laid-back and relaxed. Lots of students taking art classes, dance classes.. even a couple yoga instructors in the 1st year class. One girl was/is on the US water polo team. The students organize ski trips, camping outings, etc. Apparently UCSF owns a cabin at Lake Tahoe..

I tried! Oh why was I not born and raised in California 😱

 

[Mr. Tee]

I tried! Oh why was I not born and raised in California 😱

You don't need to be...the IS vs OOS bias isn't that pronounced.

 

[KaraKiz]

You may find this interesting:

Location rankings:

http://www.studentdoctor.net/medical-school-locations.asp

Cultural life rankings:

http://www.studentdoctor.net/medical-school-culture.asp

As ranked by the interview feedback responders.

 

[KaraKiz]

You don't need to be...the IS vs OOS bias isn't that pronounced.

At UCSF the IS/OOS ratio they are aiming for this year is 80/20. Last year it was 82/18. Not too bad for a state school really. Doesnt really make it any easier to get an interview there.. lol..

 

[Mr. Tee]

At UCSF the IS/OOS ratio they are aiming for this year is 80/20. Last year it was 82/18. Not too bad for a state school really. Doesnt really make it any easier to get an interview there.. lol..

Yeah and the acceptance ratio is 60/40.

 

[jillibean]

I would say UWash, but now that I see how many hours of class they have scheduled compared to other schools, the quality of life doesn't seem so great.

 

[Towelie]

You don't need to be...the IS vs OOS bias isn't that pronounced.

It's pretty pronounced for MD only. For MSTP it is virtually non-existant.

 

[VandyXGirl]

It's pretty pronounced for MD only. For MSTP it is virtually non-existant.

whew! makes me feel better (at least somewhat) Here's hoping for SF, CA residency!

 

[Mr. Tee]

It's pretty pronounced for MD only. For MSTP it is virtually non-existant.

60:40 (IS:OOS) is the ratio of those accepted, which mirrors the ratio of those interviewed.

The thing about the MSTP is that you have to pass the screenings, just as any MD candidate would, before the MSTP committee can review your app. The bias is non-existant at the interview stage, just as it is nonexistant for MD candidates at the interview stage. So an MSTP applicant goes through the same bias as an MD candidate.