MSUCOM students: how much time do you spend in class?

[peppy]

What's a typical day like at MSUCOM? What time do you usually finish class at? Does MSU put a lot of emphasis on lecture attendance or do you find you can get enough out of the notes to not have to come to every class?
I know med school isn't going to be easy anywhere, but it seems like some schools make the lectures a lot more time-consuming than others.
For example, when I interviewed at Nova, I noticed they really push lecture attendance and spend more hours in class than other schools. Not sure if that would suit me since I'm the type who gets more out of studying from notes on my own than sitting in class.
Just trying to figure out how MSU compares since that's the one I am seriously leaning towards right now.
Thanks!

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[deleted9493]

Basically, there are 6-10 required hours every week. There is a clinical skills lab once a week (2 hrs.), a doctor patient relationship class every other week (2 hrs.), OMM lab (2 hrs.), and sometimes a random clinical skills lecture (1-2 hrs.). These are the only things that are required.

You are free to skip all basic science lectures and labs.

I began going to classes because I wasn't sure what would work best for me but now I only go when the lecturer is interesting and I've had enough sleep.

All of the lectures are made by the college into mp3 format and are available on the school's site. Not only that, but many of the professors post their written notes on the web. Many people also find it helpful to get the notes from the scribe service (in which other students take notes and type them up). There are alot of options for getting the info. you need...that's my point.

One caveat here--I am only a first year, so I can only speak for that year. I do however have a girlfriend who is a second year here...and it seems as though requirements as they pertain to attendance only get more lax.

 

[LCspark18]

yay hudson tc! i applaud your excellent vocabulary- "caveat"- nice!

To the OP, I go to most classes, though I don't feel they are totally essential; being there seems to open the window in my brain. Plus, it's fun to be with your friends and if you shout out a right answer, sometimes you can get a sticker

 

[Ratch]

ah yes, the incredible harvery sparks sticker, those are fun to get

class is, well, up to you. i have friends that don't go at all, i attend about 50% now. it all depends on your ability to manage time and your preference about how you want to spend it. first year there are alot more reasons to be on campus, namely lab time. but the classes are good. second year its a different story. alot of the lectures you simply depend on scribe notes because you cannot possibly take in all the info that is thrown at you in 50(or more often than not 59) minutes. its a personal decision in the end. if you like the professor, maybe you go. if you learn better by sitting at home on a cold winter day and reading text or the coursepack, then thats what does it for ya. there is no recipe for success other than repitition is the key to mastery and if you put in the time you should get the good result. how you chose to get there is your own perogative.