Medical School Class Size? Size make a difference?

[DrHope30]

Hey SDNers, just curious what the typical class size is and does the size of the class make a huge difference? Curious what your think.

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[Anath]

I personally prefer smaller classes, and it was one of the reasons why my first choice was my first choice. Our school has a class size of about 104 or 105.

Most of the med schools that I interviewed at had a class size that went anywhere from 150-180.

Does it make a difference? It depends on what you like and how you learn and what makes you happy. Personally, I like to feel like I'm in a small intimate environment. And although 100 people isn't "small" by all means, it's a lot less than a class of 180 people. I would feel more comfortable about approaching people and professors in smaller classes. Not only would I feel more comfortable, but I think professors would also feel more comfortable about interacting and becoming more involved with the students. In larger classes, professors could possibly feel detached from the mass.

Now, I'm nto saying that a class of 180 people doesn't feel like they're close as a class, but logically speaking, there's more chance of cohesion when you consider 100 vs 180. The downside of a small class though is that everybody knows your business.

 

[Reavill]

I don't really think that class size has all that much to do with your experience in Med. school. I currently am a MS2 at Wayne State which currently boasts the largest class size (I think) at around 250+. I have the opportunity to get to know everyone in my class at least on a name basis. Regardless of whether you are going to be in a class of 100 or 250 you are going to have a class where everyone knows everyone who want to be known. Also most of the larger classes have smaller groups where you get to know people better.

You are only with your peers for the first two years anyway and then you're all split up over the hospitals.

Class size isn't as big of a deal in Med. school as it was for undergrad because the actual Med school is going to small regardless of where you go.

If it is a big deal to you to have a small class then that's great but there are sooo many other things that go into picking your school. I personally believe that class size is trivial compared to all the other variables.

 

[Dr. MAXY]

I difinately Agree with Anath , I think class size matters. It's part of the reason I chose OSU-COM where the class size is 88.

 

[Dr. MAXY]

Okay Mr. Proffit,

I guess you got all the answers. Huh?

 

[oldman]

Originally posted by Dr. MAXY
Okay Mr. Proffit,

I guess you got all the answers. Huh?

hey now, don't get too defensive here.

Neither of you know the others situation.

personally i like smaller classes because I came from a high school class of about 128. but even then i didn't know everyone that well, my close friends numbered about 10.

the nice thing about med school is all your classmates take the same classes, i think that's how you really bond.

 

[Thewonderer]

I honestly think the bigger the better. Okay, maybe not 250, but 80-120 is too small. My class is in the latter range. Maybe 150-180 would be good. 250 should not be bad either.

When you are in the preclinical years, all you do is to take exams and get a score associated with your name. Then in clinical years, you get split all over the hospital system. So it does not matter. However, instead, the more classmates you have, the more interesting people you get to meet. Some of your classmates will be pretty boring, studying all day long. So the more people, the more likely you will someone cool. The more poeple there are, the more likely you will be able to find your own perfect niche. As simple as that.

I am a serious proponent of bigger class size after what I have seen around me.

 

[Diogenes]

I haven't started yet, but I believe I would prefer a smaller class. I'll find out because the class size of the school I am going to go to is about 100.

 

[oldman]

That's a nice way of looking at it.

Originally posted by Thewonderer
I honestly think the bigger the better. Okay, maybe not 250, but 80-120 is too small. My class is in the latter range. Maybe 150-180 would be good. 250 should not be bad either.

When you are in the preclinical years, all you do is to take exams and get a score associated with your name. Then in clinical years, you get split all over the hospital system. So it does not matter. However, instead, the more classmates you have, the more interesting people you get to meet. Some of your classmates will be pretty boring, studying all day long. So the more people, the more likely you will someone cool. The more poeple there are, the more likely you will be able to find your own perfect niche. As simple as that.

I am a serious proponent of bigger class size after what I have seen around me.

 

[Mango]

Originally posted by Thewonderer
the more classmates you have, the more interesting people you get to meet. Some of your classmates will be pretty boring, studying all day long. So the more people, the more likely you will someone cool. The more poeple there are, the more likely you will be able to find your own perfect niche.

I agree with Thewonderer. Let's face it, any med school class is small, compaired to your undergrad class size. And no matter if your class has 90 or 260 students, it's still going to feel like high school all over again! By that I mean that with so few people, everybody knows everybody elses dirt. And whether you like it or not, cliques will form. This is inevitable when you all spend everyday in the same classes.

Anyhow, I think most schools fall in the mid range with 140-180 students. My school has 160, and I feel that there is a great diversity in my class. Plenty of different types of people. For me, I think the extreems at either end would be much less comfortable. But that's just me.

 

[Sheon]

Class size matters if you have to sit in the back.

 

[sanfilippo]

i had to make a big transition going from undergrad where most of my courses in my major had no more than 15-20 students to a lecture hall studded with at least 160 people....okay, granted, some people never go to class in medschool or dropped out, but, still, it's a sea of faces.

good side: there's a really wild mix of people in our class. people who are older, people from other states, people with an agenda and people who wander aimlessly.

to accommodate everyone, that means more hospitals to pick from for rotations, so you're not all stuck at just one teaching hospital.

bad side:
getting honors in classes is even harder. taking AOA from a class of 80 vs. 160 is a huge difference.

the administration people really treat you like a number...however, just minimize your contact with them and you'll save your sanity and peace of mind.

so, it shouldn't matter unless you're torn between two choices when making a final decision.. however, i adjusted fine to a large class and have liked my strange journey of med school so far.
-s.