P/NP system vs. traditional grades

[J2AZ]

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Some schools out there are P/NP while others give out traditional grades. I originally thought that a P/NP system would be less stressful but recently spoke with a dentist that graduated from UCONN and he told me P/NP is terrible. He felt it was not only stressful b/c you no longer were worrying about a C or a D but failing. How do you all feel about P/NP.

 

[delicious]

Some schools out there are P/NP while others give out traditional grades. I originally thought that a P/NP system would be less stressful but recently spoke with a dentist that graduated from UCONN and he told me P/NP is terrible. He felt it was not only stressful b/c you no longer were worrying about a C or a D but failing. How do you all feel about P/NP.

Here's my unbiased view.

Pass/Fail is awesome: less competition in the class, specialty programs have a harder time distinguishing the top student in your class from a mediocre student. I think that the dentist you spoke to probably didn't really have an issue with Pass/Fail; he was probably relating in a round about way that UCONN sucks!!! Middle of nowhere Farmington, CT; who could be happy there unless you were from the area? 😛

 

[J2AZ]

Hey delicious,

thanks for the input. Where do you go to school? The guy I spoke with also said that what really sucked about the P/NP was that the classes were with taken along side the "MFing Medical Students" who spent all afternoon applying the knowledge while he and the rest of the dental students were taking dental anatomy or in lab. Because of this the med students had a leg up.

 

[nnjh]

Hey delicious,

thanks for the input. Where do you go to school? The guy I spoke with also said that what really sucked about the P/NP was that the classes were with taken along side the "MFing Medical Students" who spent all afternoon applying the knowledge while he and the rest of the dental students were taking dental anatomy or in lab. Because of this the med students had a leg up.

At columbia; we are graded separated from the medical students, the tests

are also not the same. Also not all lectures are taken along with meds, only

those that are common to both.

 

[delicious]

The guy I spoke with also said that what really sucked about the P/NP was that the classes were with taken along side the "MFing Medical Students" who spent all afternoon applying the knowledge while he and the rest of the dental students were taking dental anatomy or in lab. Because of this the med students had a leg up.

When I interviewed there, I was really surprised to have actually heard animosity towards the med students. I mean you think the tour givers would be a little more professional: I literally heard the med students refered to as "losers" and "nerds." And it definetly wasn't in a joking or sarcastic tone. But that was from only one of the guys giving the tour. Mind you, the other tour givers didn't say anything, so in my mind that's just as bad.

You should check out the interview feedback for UCOnn. I think it says a lot. I personally feel that UConn has a bit of an identity issue. One poster said that their tour guide was putting down harvard like they had something to prove. That's so queer. They should just embrace who they are: a mediocre school in the middle of nowhere!! 🙄 (jk)

But I don't go to UConn so my opinion is pretty superficial I admit. I spoke to one guy who graduated from UConn, and he told me that they spend a whole year on anatomy. So, any issues (i.e. vs. med students) would probably get magnified with anatomy.

On this other thread some guy tried to tear me up because I said it was an uncool school. I really meant what I said: if I had to rank all the schools, UCONn would be the lowest in terms of places where I thought I'd be happy. But then again, you might have some really awesome classmates and as anyone could tell you, that could make all the difference in the world.

The one thing that imressed me about UConn is that they were one of the few schools that i thought had a real interview.

 

[gryffindor]

I think it's a case of "the grass is greener on the other side." I went to a school where everyone was graded - A, B, C, D (rare), F. There was a fear of failing in certain courses, teachers were not afraid to give an "F" if you deserved it. However, if you were aiming for a high class rank and agonizing over 0.2 making the difference between an A and a B, then all of a sudden the P/NP with no class rank system begins to sound real good.

Looking back, If I had to do it again, I'd probably want to attend a school with P/NP and no reported class rank.