Pros and Cons for Being Part of the Inaugural Class

[victoriax87]

Hey everyone.

I wanted to know your take on being part of the inaugural class--the good and the bad.

Also, would you rather be part of the first entering class of a school or the second? And why or why not?

Thanks!

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[Dreamstoo]

Hey everyone.

I wanted to know your take on being part of the inaugural class--the good and the bad.

Also, would you rather be part of the first entering class of a school or the second? And why or why not?

Thanks!

I would personally feel uneasy. I would prefer going to a med school that's been around for at least 3-5 years

 

[cliquesh]

I don't think there are any positives.

 

[Dreamstoo]

I don't think there are any positives.

Agreed. I would be kinda nervous if I went to a program that wasn't established already.

 

[postbacpremed87]

Hey everyone.

I wanted to know your take on being part of the inaugural class--the good and the bad.

Also, would you rather be part of the first entering class of a school or the second? And why or why not?

Thanks!

I am assuming you are talking about LUCOM? This is the only school that will be admitting their first class.

 

[Superman DO]

One pro is that you can have your inaugural class picture on the wall for the life of the school. It was always neat to walk through the halls of kcom and see the old photos from back in the day.

 

[Back 5]

I don't think there are any positives.

UCF set the bar with their first 2 classes. First class was 100% expenses paid scholarship, covered room and board, books etc. Second class was a tuition only scholarship. This resulted in UCF accepting a 4.0/45 candidate 😱

It's a shame that DO schools don't offer the same for their first year classes.

 

[Dreamstoo]

UCF set the bar with their first 2 classes. First class was 100% expenses paid scholarship, covered room and board, books etc. Second class was a tuition only scholarship. This resulted in UCF accepting a 4.0/45 candidate 😱

It's a shame that DO schools don't offer the same for their first year classes.

I know of a MD near where I live which open up a few years ago. Their biggest plus was the hospital they were sending their students for rotations. The hospital system is considered one of the best if not the best in my region.

 

[victoriax87]

There must be more positives!!

And yes I was referring to LUCOM, but also to MUCOM and ACOM.

 

[Dreamstoo]

Posiitve: First class of students will get a lot of attention from the staff. The staff would be more likely to open up to constructive feedback from students.

 

[macbookpro45]

Positives: if your stats are low you'll get in

Negative: everything else.


Whoever said the staff gives you more attention is clueless IMO. I speak from experience so believe me. Although this is not the same my sibling did an inaugural nursing school and the faculty used the first year as a trial and made zero amendments the students suggested which resulted in about 2/5ths of the class dropping out. Also an inaugural class generally means faculty are NOT yet on the same page regarding how things should be taught etc..


Speaking from second hand experience. Take what you want.

 

[Mosonik]

Posiitve: First class of students will get a lot of attention from the staff. The staff would be more likely to open up to constructive feedback from students.

In my experience this is absolutely true. My program chose to invest heavily in our class by hiring well over a 100% of the faculty our one class needs this year (and 95% once the other classes matriculate...and that is assuming not one more person was hired) as a commitment to our success. We have reaped tremendously from having unbelievable attention and access from faculty and staff that is never available to fully established programs.

There is tremendous opportunity to being part of the inaugural class... those that are hyper-critical over simply the way things are. It takes a special type of person to be part of one and you must recognize that hiccups will occur and take them in stride. If you have more questions about any of that, feel free to PM me and Ill give you my experience in this topic.

Remember that a program has much to gain or lose in the outcome of their first class of doctors. Establishing a reputation and legacy for not only the community, GME programs and to prospective students heavily leans on the first class. Any school worth its salt knows this and will do everything to help every ONE of you succeed. I would argue you won't find the individual support and attention at any established program that you will get as a first class.

 

[postbacpremed87]

Posiitve: First class of students will get a lot of attention from the staff. The staff would be more likely to open up to constructive feedback from students.

I would vote this.

 

[dudeliness]

Posiitve: First class of students will get a lot of attention from the staff. The staff would be more likely to open up to constructive feedback from students.

I would agree with this.

I'm at western university COMP-NW and this is their 3rd class, although it is important to note that the main campus in California has been around for a while.
The staff and faculty here are great. Very receptive to what the students have to say. Even though we're not the first or even the second class, I can still tell that there is definitely a collaborative atmosphere here that was absent at some of the other schools I interviewed at.
Part of the reason I chose to come here instead of another "more established" school was for the opportunity to be a part of shaping the course of this newer school, albeit in a minute way perhaps.

Someone above mentioned that if you go to a newer school you must be prepared for little bumps and hiccups and be able to take it all in stride. I would agree with that as well.

All of this is meant as advice in general btw. I can't speak specifically to LUCOM or any of the other new schools, but I feel like my school was a solid bet.

Good luck

 

[SD3321]

I was also wondering about this as well. If someone were to be accepted at an already established school lets say at least 10+ years in play. Is there any reason for them to choose a newer school like a MUCOM, CUSOM, ACOM, etc. over them? This of course is just based on the education you will get nothing else.

 

[darklabel]

Wouldn't a possible "pro" be that you will be seen equally among other more established schools in the ACGME match since DO schools aren't really ranked like MD schools?

 

[TriagePreMed]

I am assuming you are talking about LUCOM? This is the only school that will be admitting their first class.

Tuoro Middletown is taking its first class.

 

[geh926]

I was also wondering about this as well. If someone were to be accepted at an already established school lets say at least 10+ years in play. Is there any reason for them to choose a newer school like a MUCOM, CUSOM, ACOM, etc. over them? This of course is just based on the education you will get nothing else.

Same question

 

[Mehd School]

I know 3 people that were part of the first class and they all said they wish they would have gone elsewhere. Like others have posted, I'd go to a new school in a heartbeat if they covered expenses. Unfortunately that isn't really a thing in the DO world. I wonder if they think that kids are desperate to go anywhere that will take them.

I'd prefer having a graduating class, accreditation, and some alumni around. There seem to be too many headaches.

 

[victoriax87]

bump!

 

[jockdoc97]

bump

 

[postbacpremed87]

bump

I am applying to a lot of the newer schools and I honestly feel that if one of these institutions gives me a shot, then they won't regret it. I will do everything in my power to give the school a great name (high board schools, conduct myself well in clinic etc). I think a lot of "this field" is what you make it. Then again, I want to do primary care (IM, EM, or Psych) so maybe the newness of the school won't really have an effect on my ability to obtain a residency.

 

[cliquesh]

I don't think there is much more to add. In general, it's a bad idea to be part of an osteopathic school's inaugural class. It's better than nothing, though.

 

[Dreamstoo]

I am applying to a lot of the newer schools and I honestly feel that if one of these institutions gives me a shot, then they won't regret it. I will do everything in my power to give the school a great name (high board schools, conduct myself well in clinic etc). I think a lot of "this field" is what you make it. Then again, I want to do primary care (IM, EM, or Psych) so maybe the newness of the school won't really have an effect on my ability to obtain a residency.

True. I think newer schools are a little harder to have its students land highly competitive fields.

I'm interested in sports medicine and I wouldn't mind going the family medicine path because let's be honest, my desire to go to into orthopedics is much more difficult to attain.

 

[victoriax87]

Any others who have starting at a new school want to give their input?

 

[geh926]

What about the second class? 😛

 

[coolingglasses]

Not a whole lot, but I'd take it if it was all I was offered. It would help me if the new school was part of a well-established larger institution (say, a public university).

 

[speakermouse]

I am struggling with this as well. I love the prospect of having brand new technology and extra faculty attention at a new school (1st or 2nd class), but it would be nice to have alumni and a set way of doing things. Would I be crazy to turn down Western for Marian? Maybe...but I'm considering it.

 

[cliquesh]

I am struggling with this as well. I love the prospect of having brand new technology and extra faculty attention at a new school (1st or 2nd class), but it would be nice to have alumni and a set way of doing things. Would I be crazy to turn down Western for Marian? Maybe...but I'm considering it.

You shouldn't worry about the first two years. They're pretty much the same everywhere and it's really up to you to learn the material.

You should, however, be concerned about the last 2 years. This is where many DO schools fail. If Marian has quality rotation sites for its students, which it may, then Marian may be an okay choice. The problem is if you ask about their rotation sites now they will surely tell you that they have plenty of spots secured, but 3 years from now many things can change.

The first match list at new DO schools is usually pretty crappy. Is it simple because it's a new school and it has no reputation, so program directors are reluctant to recruit people from those schools? Or is the education subpar at new schools? or maybe the caliber of the students who attend new schools is subpar? Who knows.

 

[ACOMDO]

Any others who have starting at a new school want to give their input?

I am currently in the first year at ACOM and there are a few things that I have seen that I would say are positives:
1.The faculty don't have the mentality of "we've been doing it this way for years and we are not going to change it" which I think has lead to a lot of student involvement in the design of the curriculum.
2. You are the only class trying to use the resources so they are more available.
2b. The faculty (a resource) have more time to answer questions and give individualized attention.
3. Community support, because the school is new the community is excited and want to gain medical students business. This allows for discounts on almost everything that you can think of.

I will say that I agree with the resident about the first two years not being as important because if you can read and memorize things from the book it really doesn't matter how good or bad the school is, its just easier if you have excellent faculty to cut down your reading.
The nice thing about ACOM is that they already have an established clinical rotation program that was previously set-up and being used by other schools, but because AMEC (the rotation program) and SAMC (the hospital in the town) own controlling interest in the medical school they devoted the rotation spots to ACOM students when we reach 3rd year.

 

[geh926]

I am struggling with this as well. I love the prospect of having brand new technology and extra faculty attention at a new school (1st or 2nd class), but it would be nice to have alumni and a set way of doing things. Would I be crazy to turn down Western for Marian? Maybe...but I'm considering it.

Agreed. It will be hard for me to turn down Marian if it comes to it. Though rotations & residency are a bit of a concern still.

 

[flabbergabber]

Another positive that others have shared with me is that you do have more opportunities to start initiatives - no free clinic? help start one!

 

[Oo Cipher oO]

A big con is not having upperclassman you can ask questions. I have relied heavily on the older class members to give me advice and directions. I would feel completely blind the entire time.

 

[DrMeows]

Positives: if your stats are low you'll get in

Negative: everything else.

Your positive is blatantly wrong, sorry. At MUCOM our stats were average 26.25/3.57. I'd say that's pretty on par with the average DO school. Can't speak for ACOM or Campbell, but I heard Campbell was about the same. Lower stats than most is a misconception.

There's pros and cons to everything. We get a TON of attention as the inaugural class. There are hiccups though which is the negative - there are a lot of organizational issues where you basically hear the response "well that can be changed next year because this year is already set in stone" type deal. So you're probably better off being the second class, but being a first class isn't so terrible (as of now).

 

[DrMeows]

A big con is not having upperclassman you can ask questions. I have relied heavily on the older class members to give me advice and directions. I would feel completely blind the entire time.

YES. I wish we had this more than anything. This is probably the biggest annoyance lol

 

[Mosonik]

YES. I wish we had this more than anything. This is probably the biggest annoyance lol

I would definitely agree with DrMeows. Actually, at CUSOM, we haven't had that many noticeable hiccups the biggest obvious has been the lack of uppers to get advice from. Overall though, happy with my choice and hearing good things from the starts at MUCOM and ACOM too

 

[Mr Kenobi]

I'll echo the last two posters… So far so good. For the most part it feels as if the school has been up and running for a while now that we are well into the semester. Again, we are just in the preclinical years...The real test comes when we reach 3rd year rotations and such. With how much representation we have on campus from physicians and administrators of our affiliated hospital networks on a weekly basis, I'd be surprised if things weren't set up nicely come 3rd year.

It is inevitable that brand new facilities will have some sort of tech issues. First of all, the faculty has to learn how to use everything. The wifi was really slow for the first week and the testing software on the iPads had some issues that they worked out well before any graded assessments took place. There were a couple hiccups with the school email system syncing and running smoothly... which was solved in a day or two…etc. Really all minor things that got taken care of quickly. Overall, the IT team has been pretty on top of everything. If I tried to think of any issues that I could actually be critical of, they haven't really had anything to do with the school being new or this being the first class.

Obviously the biggest disadvantage of being in the inaugural class is no upper class-men.

Also on a semi-unrelated note: The gunners…so.many.gunners. Welcome to med school? I thought I'd avoid some of that being at a new school…Nope. The smell of hot gun powder easily masks the stench of cadaver lab on my scrubs when I get home at the end of the day.

 

[binderring]

I'll echo the last two posters… So far so good. For the most part it feels as if the school has been up and running for a while now that we are well into the semester. Again, we are just in the preclinical years...The real test comes when we reach 3rd year rotations and such. With how much representation we have on campus from physicians and administrators of our affiliated hospital networks on a weekly basis, I'd be surprised if things weren't set up nicely come 3rd year.

It is inevitable that brand new facilities will have some sort of tech issues. First of all, the faculty has to learn how to use everything. The wifi was really slow for the first week and the testing software on the iPads had some issues that they worked out well before any graded assessments took place. There were a couple hiccups with the school email system syncing and running smoothly... which was solved in a day or two…etc. Really all minor things that got taken care of quickly. Overall, the IT team has been pretty on top of everything. If I tried to think of any issues that I could actually be critical of, they haven't really had anything to do with the school being new or this being the first class.

Obviously the biggest disadvantage of being in the inaugural class is no upper class-men.

Also on a semi-unrelated note: The gunners…so.many.gunners. Welcome to med school? I thought I'd avoid some of that being at a new school…Nope. The smell of hot gun powder easily masks the stench of cadaver lab on my scrubs when I get home at the end of the day.

What did they do to qualify them as gunner?

 

[Mr Kenobi]

What did they do to qualify them as gunner?

Gunned










srsly tho…I have witnessed a whole spectrum of gunning in the mere 2 months I have been in medical school...and here I was thinking some of these things were myths: You have the-- telling on people for (completely normal/appropriate) Facebook stuff in attempts to get them disciplined types…talking down to classmates as if they hold some sort of authority types….the old classic, after overhearing two people talk about how they found the exam to be difficult, "that test was so easy I barely even studied" comment types…the raising hand for every damn question and summarizing their entire CV before getting to the point of the question types(not kidding)…the "I didn't come to med school to be a doctor, I came to be a surgeon" types…etc etc.

I cringe at least a few times a week due to observing something along these lines. It has been so gnarly at times that I have wondered if inaugural classes breed this sort of personality. Kinda like a chip on the shoulder mentality/something to prove, coupled with the super type A (haha) personalities that a lot of med students already seem to possess. I mean there are a lot of go getters and academically inclined folk in the class that are normal as well…but the guns seems to be in the majority IMHO.

 

[BuddyTheElf]

You have the-- telling on people for (completely normal/appropriate) Facebook stuff in attempts to get them disciplined types…talking down to classmates as if they hold some sort of authority types….the old classic, after overhearing two people talk about how they found the exam to be difficult, "that test was so easy I barely even studied" comment types…the raising hand for every damn question and summarizing their entire CV before getting to the point of the question types(not kidding)…the "I didn't come to med school to be a doctor, I came to be a surgeon" types…etc etc.

:

Spot on. I would assume you get quite a few gunners at every school, but it is really hard to be surrounded by these types every day.
Other than that, the only real Con is no upperclassmen. But we're surviving so far without them.

 

[medickdb]

Gunned










srsly tho…I have witnessed a whole spectrum of gunning in the mere 2 months I have been in medical school...and here I was thinking some of these things were myths: You have the-- telling on people for (completely normal/appropriate) Facebook stuff in attempts to get them disciplined types…talking down to classmates as if they hold some sort of authority types….the old classic, after overhearing two people talk about how they found the exam to be difficult, "that test was so easy I barely even studied" comment types…the raising hand for every damn question and summarizing their entire CV before getting to the point of the question types(not kidding)…the "I didn't come to med school to be a doctor, I came to be a surgeon" types…etc etc.

I cringe at least a few times a week due to observing something along these lines. It has been so gnarly at times that I have wondered if inaugural classes breed this sort of personality. Kinda like a chip on the shoulder mentality/something to prove, coupled with the super type A (haha) personalities that a lot of med students already seem to possess. I mean there are a lot of go getters and academically inclined folk in the class that are normal as well…but the guns seems to be in the majority IMHO.

That sounds terribly annoying.

 

[Elevencents]

I'm curious, are the gunner types typically traditional students?

 

[MedSchoolMama]

srsly tho…I have witnessed a whole spectrum of gunning in the mere 2 months I have been in medical school...and here I was thinking some of these things were myths: You have the-- telling on people for (completely normal/appropriate) Facebook stuff in attempts to get them disciplined types…talking down to classmates as if they hold some sort of authority types….the old classic, after overhearing two people talk about how they found the exam to be difficult, "that test was so easy I barely even studied" comment types…the raising hand for every damn question and summarizing their entire CV before getting to the point of the question types(not kidding)…the "I didn't come to med school to be a doctor, I came to be a surgeon" types…etc etc.

I cringe at least a few times a week due to observing something along these lines. It has been so gnarly at times that I have wondered if inaugural classes breed this sort of personality. Kinda like a chip on the shoulder mentality/something to prove, coupled with the super type A (haha) personalities that a lot of med students already seem to possess. I mean there are a lot of go getters and academically inclined folk in the class that are normal as well…but the guns seems to be in the majority IMHO.

Sounds pleasant ..... I can't wait!

 

[BuddyTheElf]

I'm curious, are the gunner types typically traditional students?

I would say they usually are. But there's a fair share of nontrad ones too

 

[Mr Kenobi]

That sounds terribly annoying.

It is. Terribly.

I'm curious, are the gunner types typically traditional students?

Like Buddy said, seems to be a mix. Surprisingly more gunner non trads than you would think. I had a conversation with a physician faculty member the other day where he told me this was the youngest class he has ever worked with…I think the average age of the class is 26 though, so not sure why he thought that (I assumed he wasn't aware of that statistic). Either way, I suppose people in the class look young……. or act young.

Sounds pleasant ..... I can't wait!

You're laughing now 😉

 

[medickdb]

It is. Terribly.



Like Buddy said, seems to be a mix. Surprisingly more gunner non trads than you would think. I had a conversation with a physician faculty member the other day where he told me this was the youngest class he has ever worked with…I think the average age of the class is 26 though, so not sure why he thought that (I assumed he wasn't aware of that statistic). Either way, I suppose people in the class look young……. or act young.


You're laughing now 😉

You find gunners at every school. Is it really that much worse?

How has your experience been otherwise?

Obviously, I can study alone, but I'd also like to be able to have a small group of people who choose to be cooperative through the learning process rather than competitive. Those gunner types really get under my skin, and I'd like to be able to avoid them as much as possible. I've never understood why some people feel the need to toot their own horns. Self validation?

 

[DrMeows]

You find gunners at every school. Is it really that much worse?

How has your experience been otherwise?

Obviously, I can study alone, but I'd also like to be able to have a small group of people who choose to be cooperative through the learning process rather than competitive. Those gunner types really get under my skin, and I'd like to be able to avoid them as much as possible. I've never understood why some people feel the need to toot their own horns. Self validation?

They are at every school. I study in groups too and have some good people I review with. Don't worry, not everyone is like that! I purposely ignore the gunners as much as possible!

 

[Mr Kenobi]

You find gunners at every school. Is it really that much worse?

How has your experience been otherwise?

Obviously, I can study alone, but I'd also like to be able to have a small group of people who choose to be cooperative through the learning process rather than competitive. Those gunner types really get under my skin, and I'd like to be able to avoid them as much as possible. I've never understood why some people feel the need to toot their own horns. Self validation?

Looks like Meows beat me to it. Anyhow, very true, I am sure there are gunners at every school…I can't comment on if it is worse at other schools, but I can say that it was worse than I expected overall--which could have surprised me at any school.

I already sort of summed up my general experience (in regards to being in an inaugural class) a few posts ago. For the most part it has been a positive one. Every school has things they need to work on and I am hoping that students will actually have a say in these issues at the new school as they arise. Only time will tell though. In regards to dealing with gunners, I am an older dude, so I can usually just shake my head when I observe those behaviors…I've come across plenty of people like that in my day, but I don't know if it will ever not be annoying.

There are all types in the class, so odds are you will at least be able to find 1 person to form a study group with that you like... and seems normal . Id say that in general the vibe that I get from my class as a whole is slightly competitive vs cooperative---again, this is just my personal opinion--I am positive others don't feel this way and would be unnecessarily offended by it even being mentioned--first indicator of undercover gunner or gunner in denial syndrome😉. Don't get me wrong, there are many folks that are very cooperative too and realize that there really is no benefit in being ubber competitive with everyone else. Do note that the vibe in one class is not necessarily going to be the same in the next class etc.

Also, as an aside note: please don't add #medschoollife to every single social media post you make when you start medical school. We get it--you're in medical school and you rock🙄

 

[DrMeows]

Also, as an aside note: please don't add #medschoollife to every single social media post you make when you start medical school. We get it--you're in medical school and you rock🙄

Hahaha agree times a million. Easy way to spot a gunner. I've probably blocked a good 5 people from my Facebook newsfeed already because their "I'm in med school" posts are out of control.

 

[medickdb]

Looks like Meows beat me to it. Anyhow, very true, I am sure there are gunners at every school…I can't comment on if it is worse at other schools, but I can say that it was worse than I expected overall--which could have surprised me at any school.

I already sort of summed up my general experience (in regards to being in an inaugural class) a few posts ago. For the most part it has been a positive one. Every school has things they need to work on and I am hoping that students will actually have a say in these issues at the new school as they arise. Only time will tell though. In regards to dealing with gunners, I am an older dude, so I can usually just shake my head when I observe those behaviors…I've come across plenty of people like that in my day, but I don't know if it will ever not be annoying.

There are all types in the class, so odds are you will at least be able to find 1 person to form a study group with that you like... and seems normal . Id say that in general the vibe that I get from my class as a whole is slightly competitive vs cooperative---again, this is just my personal opinion--I am positive others don't feel this way and would be unnecessarily offended by it even being mentioned (first indicator of undercover gunner or gunner in denial syndrome😉). Don't get me wrong, there are many folks that are very cooperative too and realize that there really is no benefit in being ubber competitive with everyone else.

Also, as an aside note: please don't add #medschoollife to every single social media post you make when you start medical school. We get it--you're in medical school and you rock🙄

Thanks for your responses, Mr Kenobi and DrMeows. They were very informative.

I'm a nontraditional applicant myself who has been looking at MU-COM specifically. I'm certainly not trying to toot my own horn, but I have been in healthcare long enough to realize that there are more important things than trying to outdo everyone else. At the end of the day, we're all trying to learn. It's unfortunate that some feel the need to gun when, in reality, the people you truly compete against after everything is said and done you may never meet. Personally, I think being that competitive also gets away from what medicine should be. We all have strengths to offer. Unfortunately for them, gunners miss the point.

In response to your side note, I already don't use social media as much as most people I know, and I would be caught dead before using a hash tag.