Most relaxed medical schools in the US?

[dopaminesurge]

What do you guys think? Let's generate a list. I say Yale and Stanford.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[star22]

Univ of Hawaii is pretty laid back.

 

[jhrugger]

HOPKINS! wait, no.

...and dopaminesurge, good luck with Yale! I loved everything about it, from the library, to the people, to New Haven... but I got the axe. Seriously, best of luck.

 

[docmode]

Stanford, hands down!

 

[Apparition]

I heard Sinai is really laid-back, from rumors though.

 

[Rafa]

Yale and Stanford.

Point, set, match.

 

[dnw826]

What do you all mean by relaxed???

 

[riceman04]

Jefferson

 

[browniegirl86]

UCSF is pretty chill . . . everyone there is very relaxed.

The curriculum includes lots of free time

 

[KAI1927]

Princeton, no question

 

[Flopotomist]

UCSF is pretty chill . . . everyone there is very relaxed.

The curriculum includes lots of free time

UCSF is anything but chill.. the curriculum MAY be chill - but the students are hyper anal, excessively competitive and the opposite of "chill"

 

[Keg]

Vanderbilt has the most laid back (and the happiest) med students in the country...

 

[-Goose-]

Tulane.

 

[happydays]

UCSF is anything but chill.. the curriculum MAY be chill - but the students are hyper anal, excessively competitive and the opposite of "chill"

Well, you wouldn't feel it if you were also hyper anal, excessively competitive and the opposite of "chill."

 

[KAI1927]

Tulane.

Thats what attracted me

 

[drmota]

Thats what attracted me

i thought i'm what attracted you?

basically, any school with a P/F grading curriculum for the pre-clinical years. this includes tulane.
-mota

 

[riceman04]

UCSF is anything but chill.. the curriculum MAY be chill - but the students are hyper anal, excessively competitive and the opposite of "chill"

yeah but something tells me Brownie girl is definitely not a relaxed individual...so she just might fit in and feel relaxed

 

[Elastase]

UCSF is pretty chill . . . everyone there is very relaxed.

The curriculum includes lots of free time

I highly disagree with the above also. Everyone seems constantly stressed, both 1st years and 2nd years. If anything UCLA is much more relaxed than UCSF.

 

[KAI1927]

i thought i'm what attracted you?

basically, any school with a P/F grading curriculum for the pre-clinical years. this includes tulane.
-mota

They didn't up until last year, I still not sure how I feel about it; but I'm in it for the long haul. p.s. I have male genitalia, but I am flattered none the less.

 

[Anastasis]

I heard UTMB is pretty laid back. Must be something about being near the beach (nasty Tx beach aside, still a beach.)

 

[DrHuang]

i thought i'm what attracted you?

basically, any school with a P/F grading curriculum for the pre-clinical years. this includes tulane.
-mota

i heard it was only for this year...when i interviewed there, beckman told me that they would revert to the H/High Pass/P/F grading system

 

[Dookter]

yeah but something tells me Brownie girl is definitely not a relaxed individual...so she just might fit in and feel relaxed

I sat next to Brownie at a lunch at WashU, and she seemed very nice and chill to me.

 

[browniegirl86]

yeah but something tells me Brownie girl is definitely not a relaxed individual...so she just might fit in and feel relaxed

Hahahaha you are SO far off. I'm the laziest person I know. I do what I have to do to get what I want, but I'm definitely not Type A in the least.

Out of the places I interviewed/went to second looks, UCSF was the only one where the students weren't studying at all during the weekend. And where they all described the stress level as "surprisingly low." And called faculty by first names, even nicknames. So that's my basis for comparison.

P.S. Was your post really necessary?

 

[browniegirl86]

I sat next to Brownie at a lunch at WashU, and she seemed very nice and chill to me.

Thanks

 

[Nutmeg1621]

Anyone know about University of Maryland? I have spoken with their admissions office on the phone and they seem really nice and less stressful. Though I don't think I'll have much of a choice when I finally get to med school b/c I am not leaving Maryland so my choices are Hopkins, University of Maryland, GW, and Georgetown.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

I heard UTMB is pretty laid back. Must be something about being near the beach (nasty Tx beach aside, still a beach.)

As is UTHSCSA (There is no nasty beach there, though...)

 

[Anastasis]

As is UTHSCSA (There is no nasty beach there, though...)

but with FANTASTIC mexican food.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

but with FANTASTIC mexican food.

HELL YEAH!

 

[Mr. Tee]

Princeton, no question

 

[Nutmeg1621]

 

[funshine]

When people use the term "laidback," I think they're really talking about overall student happiness. No offense, but you're not going to find much "free time" in med school, nor many laidback students...on the surface perhaps, but everyone is going to study like crazy come exam time, which is like every other week, right?

And no, UCSF is anything but laidback, from what I hear. My friend is an MS3 there, and he was actually complaining about how much his classmates studied, and how guilty he felt because he wasn't in the library with them 24-7. My friend also happens to be one of the hardest studiers I know and comes from a very strong undergrad, so for him to feel GUILTY about his study habits was pretty alarming. He has since adjusted and found his own method of coping. It's interesting to see the difference in viewpoints you get from student-hosts/strangers and your actual friends who aren't afraid to sound like they're complaining or being negative.

 

[browniegirl86]

When people use the term "laidback," I think they're really talking about overall student happiness. No offense, but you're not going to find much "free time" in med school, nor many laidback students...on the surface perhaps, but everyone is going to study like crazy come exam time, which is like every other week, right?

And no, UCSF is anything but laidback, from what I hear. My friend is an MS3 there, and he was actually complaining about how much his classmates studied, and how guilty he felt because he wasn't in the library with them 24-7. My friend also happens to be one of the hardest studiers I know and comes from a very strong undergrad, so for him to feel GUILTY about his study habits was pretty alarming. He has since adjusted and found his own method of coping. It's interesting to see the difference in viewpoints you get from student-hosts/strangers and your actual friends who aren't afraid to sound like they're complaining or being negative.

I hear you. And I'm not saying there won't be a lot of studying. AND I don't want to make this thread a discussion about UCSF, so this is the last thing I'll say. For me, laid-back doesn't mean no studying, it just means being happy where you are and not minding the time devoted to studying. So for me, UCSF (of the schools where I was accepted) would have been the most laid-back in terms of daily schedule and a happier environment overall. Liberal attitudes, very friendly and low-key relations with faculty, P/F, etc. Sorry I was unclear.

 

[riceman04]

Hahahaha you are SO far off. I'm the laziest person I know. I do what I have to do to get what I want, but I'm definitely not Type A in the least.

Out of the places I interviewed/went to second looks, UCSF was the only one where the students weren't studying at all during the weekend. And where they all described the stress level as "surprisingly low." And called faculty by first names, even nicknames. So that's my basis for comparison.

P.S. Was your post really necessary?

Ok so people take every opportunity to form an opinion about someone else, whether they interacted in person or through the world wide web. Based on your accomplishments and your responses to some of my posts (where I was clearly joking) I made the statement I made. So in a sense, I am doing the same thing everyone else in these chat rooms do.

I did not mean to offend you and I am glad that I was wrong about you...one more stereotype of my own broken.

 

[funshine]

sorry, i don't think any of us meant to give you grief about UCSF. For what it's worth, the kids I know who go there are all very nice people: smart and intense but also friendly and not cutthroat at all. So not laidback perhaps, but happy? for the most part, yes.

 

[browniegirl86]

Ok so people take every opportunity to form an opinion about someone else, whether they interacted in person or through the world wide web. Based on your accomplishments and your responses to some of my posts (where I was clearly joking) I made the statement I made. So in a sense, I am doing the same thing everyone else in these chat rooms do.

I did not mean to offend you and I am glad that I was wrong about you...one more stereotype of my own broken.

It's ok . . . I think you and I just don't really "get" each other over the internet

 

[star22]

Hahahaha you are SO far off. I'm the laziest person I know. I do what I have to do to get what I want, but I'm definitely not Type A in the least.

Out of the places I interviewed/went to second looks, UCSF was the only one where the students weren't studying at all during the weekend. And where they all described the stress level as "surprisingly low." And called faculty by first names, even nicknames. So that's my basis for comparison.

P.S. Was your post really necessary?

Wow..... you have a 3.9, 40 MCAT and tons of ECs.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Wow..... you have a 3.9, 40 MCAT and tons of ECs.

That's what I was thinking. She's a freakin genius. Brownie, will you marry me?

 

[browniegirl86]

That's what I was thinking. She's a freakin genius. Brownie, will you marry me?

1. Good test-taker. I'm motivated by deadlines, etc. Right now, I'm not technically in school, and ALL I do is sit around all day.

2. Yes, yes I will. That solves that problem

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

1. Good test-taker. I'm motivated by deadlines, etc. Right now, I'm not technically in school, and ALL I do is sit around all day.

2. Yes, yes I will. That solves that problem

Sweet. I'm dropping out of school to be a stay at home dad

 

[Hassler]

Sweet. I'm dropping out of school to be a stay at home dad

Congratulations!!!

 

[browniegirl86]

Sweet. I'm dropping out of school to be a stay at home dad

Awesome. You can take care of my dog

 

[SuziQ]

Vanderbilt has the most laid back (and the happiest) med students in the country...

YAY! That makes me really happy to hear..

 

[drmota]

i heard it was only for this year...when i interviewed there, beckman told me that they would revert to the H/High Pass/P/F grading system

they voted on it a few weeks ago and decided to stick with P/F at least for next year. there's gonna be another vote next year to decide what to do next.

and my bad ka10927, i thought you were a chick
-mota

 

[DrHuang]

they voted on it a few weeks ago and decided to stick with P/F at least for next year. there's gonna be another vote next year to decide what to do next.

and my bad ka10927, i thought you were a chick
-mota

i stand corrected

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

What do you guys think? Let's generate a list. I say Yale and Stanford.

hahahaha
I especially liked what you wrote next to "Stanford" in your Rejected part of your mdapplicants profile.

 

[doublepeak]

I hear you. And I'm not saying there won't be a lot of studying. AND I don't want to make this thread a discussion about UCSF, so this is the last thing I'll say. For me, laid-back doesn't mean no studying, it just means being happy where you are and not minding the time devoted to studying. So for me, UCSF (of the schools where I was accepted) would have been the most laid-back in terms of daily schedule and a happier environment overall. Liberal attitudes, very friendly and low-key relations with faculty, P/F, etc. Sorry I was unclear.

I totally agree with you on UCSF. Studying and being laid back are NOT mutually exclusive.

 

[masterMood]

MIT.

Nothing beats MIT except a Honda.

 

[kalenakai]

Go Hawaii!!

 

[PDsquash83]

Go Hawaii!!

Great thread...was thinking of starting something similiar to it because it is pretty crucial to picking schools for me.

As for my two-cents, I have met a lot of Stanford med. students and relaxed/happy is the last thing that comes to mind. I could stand to be corrected but they are pass/fail but they are putting in a weird ranking system in addition. Apparently a crazy new administration is taking over. Any other info?

Great so here is the list so far:

Stanford (???)
Yale
Hawaii
Tulane
Vanderbilt


Any opinions about UPitt?

 

[happydays]

What about the

schools? Which schools have the most gunners?