Questions pre-meds should be asking about schools

[Frank Nutter]

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I realized today I had no idea - no. idea. - before med school what sorts of things would actually be important to me while I was there. So, aside from financial and family/location issues, here is a semi-stream-of-conscious list of random things the importance of which most pre-meds probably underestimate, and that you should at least have on your mind if not on a list of questions to ask at a 2nd look day or something (many I would not ask on an interview tour)

No, the student-to-cadaver ratio is not one of them.

None of these questions are about clinical stuff because I am a lowly MS2.

Studying:
Are there quiet, well-lit, non-claustrophobic places to study? Ask to see them. I am serious, it is important.
Are there places to study in groups? Conference rooms, open classrooms, computer labs, etc?
Are there any study areas open 24/7?
Can you leave your things in your study spot to go to the bathroom? lunch? class? Overnight?
Do many people go elsewhere to study, or stay at home?
Is there food available nearby? Places to store a bagged lunch? Some sort of lounge with a microwave, that sort of stuff?
Are there lockers to store books, notes, coats, equipment, etc? Are they close to the rest of the school?

School services:
Is the internet reliable and decently fast?
Does the school pay for copying/printing? If not, how much do people usually end up spending?
Are lectures videotaped and put online? Are lectures ever intentionally NOT videotaped?
Are there ever technical problems with the lecture videos?
Most importantly- are you able to watch lecture videos at 2.5x speed?
Is there a blackboard.edu type system, is it over-utilized (multiple important posts per day)? Under-utilized (not posting grades)?
What are the classrooms/lecture halls like? Is there room when they're full, are they comfortable?

Notes/Teaching:
Are you provided notes, are they well-written? Are there errors, typos, excess white space and large font? Are they often "updated" at the last minute?
How many professors are involved in teaching the material for a given topic, exam, or course? Is there one person running the ship or is it chaos?
What are the most and least popular courses? Why?
What are the best taught, most helpful course/subjects?
What is the most difficult course (if this isn't the same answer as the previous question it should raise concerns)
Is there PBL/small groups? Are they helpful? Is there significant variability between small group instructors?
Who are the best professors? What do they teach? Are they heavily involved in teaching or just occasionally? Are they new? Retiring?
Is the curriculum "integrated?" How so, and does it work?
Are individual professors aware of what others are covering, already covered, or plan to cover? Do they ever ask "did you guys learn this yet?"
Who oversees the curriculum? How much opportunity for interaction do you have with him/her?
How is student feedback solicited, reviewed and used to make changes?
Do people attend lectures? Is it worthwhile? Are they ever somehow penalized for not attending if it isn't worthwhile?

Exams/evaluation:
How are the exams written- what is the format, number of questions, who writes them?
Are the multiple choice question styles standardized? Or is there significant variation in question style between different courses and individual professors?
How is the material from each lecture represented proportionately on the exam?
Are the exams well-written?
How often are exam questions thrown out? Are there ever typos? Are the questions appropriate and fair? Do students about them?
Is material ever covered then accidentally omitted from exams?
Are you provided with practice questions?
Are board review practice questions at all helpful in preparing for course exams?
Do these exams reflect the style and content of the NBME shelf exams and the USMLE step 1?
How well do students tend to perform on the shelf exams and step 1?
What are the grade distributions like for each course? What is the typical range and median?
Do students fail? If so, is there remediation, do they repeat a year? (this is not necessarily a good thing)
Are struggling students given special help? (also not necessarily a good thing)
Are there tutoring services provided only to select groups of students?

Life:
Are students happy?
Where do most students live?
Importantly, who else lives there?
Is it safe?
Is it affordable?
What is the gym like? Do people use it? Is it nearby? Are there lockers, showers, pool, treadmills, etc?
What are the other students like, do people hang out, are there class social events, are people gunners, is it a friendly environment?

 

[Knocked Up]

I realized today I had no idea - no. idea. - before med school what sorts of things would actually be important to me while I was there. So, aside from financial and family/location issues, here is a semi-stream-of-conscious list of random things the importance of which most pre-meds probably underestimate, and that you should at least have on your mind if not on a list of questions to ask at a 2nd look day or something (many I would not ask on an interview tour)

No, the student-to-cadaver ratio is not one of them.

None of these questions are about clinical stuff because I am a lowly MS2.

Studying:
Are there quiet, well-lit, non-claustrophobic places to study? Ask to see them. I am serious, it is important.
Are there places to study in groups? Conference rooms, open classrooms, computer labs, etc?
Are there any study areas open 24/7?
Can you leave your things in your study spot to go to the bathroom? lunch? class? Overnight?
Do many people go elsewhere to study, or stay at home?
Is there food available nearby? Places to store a bagged lunch? Some sort of lounge with a microwave, that sort of stuff?
Are there lockers to store books, notes, coats, equipment, etc? Are they close to the rest of the school?

School services:
Is the internet reliable and decently fast?
Does the school pay for copying/printing? If not, how much do people usually end up spending?
Are lectures videotaped and put online? Are lectures ever intentionally NOT videotaped?
Are there ever technical problems with the lecture videos?
Most importantly- are you able to watch lecture videos at 2.5x speed?
Is there a blackboard.edu type system, is it over-utilized (multiple important posts per day)? Under-utilized (not posting grades)?
What are the classrooms/lecture halls like? Is there room when they're full, are they comfortable?

Notes/Teaching:
Are you provided notes, are they well-written? Are there errors, typos, excess white space and large font? Are they often "updated" at the last minute?
How many professors are involved in teaching the material for a given topic, exam, or course? Is there one person running the ship or is it chaos?
What are the most and least popular courses? Why?
What are the best taught, most helpful course/subjects?
What is the most difficult course (if this isn't the same answer as the previous question it should raise concerns)
Is there PBL/small groups? Are they helpful? Is there significant variability between small group instructors?
Who are the best professors? What do they teach? Are they heavily involved in teaching or just occasionally? Are they new? Retiring?
Is the curriculum "integrated?" How so, and does it work?
Are individual professors aware of what others are covering, already covered, or plan to cover? Do they ever ask "did you guys learn this yet?"
Who oversees the curriculum? How much opportunity for interaction do you have with him/her?
How is student feedback solicited, reviewed and used to make changes?
Do people attend lectures? Is it worthwhile? Are they ever somehow penalized for not attending if it isn't worthwhile?

Exams/evaluation:
How are the exams written- what is the format, number of questions, who writes them?
Are the multiple choice question styles standardized? Or is there significant variation in question style between different courses and individual professors?
How is the material from each lecture represented proportionately on the exam?
Are the exams well-written?
How often are exam questions thrown out? Are there ever typos? Are the questions appropriate and fair? Do students about them?
Is material ever covered then accidentally omitted from exams?
Are you provided with practice questions?
Are board review practice questions at all helpful in preparing for course exams?
Do these exams reflect the style and content of the NBME shelf exams and the USMLE step 1?
How well do students tend to perform on the shelf exams and step 1?
What are the grade distributions like for each course? What is the typical range and median?
Do students fail? If so, is there remediation, do they repeat a year? (this is not necessarily a good thing)
Are struggling students given special help? (also not necessarily a good thing)
Are there tutoring services provided only to select groups of students?

Life:
Are students happy?
Where do most students live?
Importantly, who else lives there?
Is it safe?
Is it affordable?
What is the gym like? Do people use it? Is it nearby? Are there lockers, showers, pool, treadmills, etc?
What are the other students like, do people hang out, are there class social events, are people gunners, is it a friendly environment?

Wow, great list. Combine this with that list about 3rd year subjectivity that is floating around and you have a real winner.

I didn't see it, but you should also inquire about protected time to study for the boards (if you have it there, I apologize, I read very quickly).

 

[Mount Sinai]

Is it courteous to inquire about the interviewer's role in the school??

 

[Isoprop]

Meh, I think 80% of your questions aren't important. Whether or not there's a fridge/microwave isn't a dealbreaker.

For preclinical years, the important things to find out are:

(a) attendance policy
(b) quality of course notes/syllabus
(c) type of curriculum - PBL, traditional, other?
(d) scheduling - block or traditional
(e) are recorded lectures available
(f) tutoring/mentoring services

(in order of importance)

Edit - also how many fluff assignemts you get per week is also important (e.g. reflection papers)

 

[gmcguitar4]

For me, they answered most questions during the tour that I was going to ask/prepared. I found that as they talked questions would just pop into my head to fill in the gaps. I mean, most of your questions seem like your just trying to get them to answer a question as opposed to actually having an interest in what you are asking. Some of them are good like..

Are there any study areas open 24/7?
Are lectures videotaped and put online?
Where do most students live?


What are you looking for in a student?
If a student is having problems either academically/personal are there services available to help this student?

Do some searching and look for differences between the 3rd and 4th year programs b/c that is, from what I hear, actually important.

 

[SnowballMaker]

Thanks for the really comprehensive list! I am trying to decide between U of Miami and Tufts right now, and these were helpful. Also, Tufts gym was really really small and Miami's was amazing, and that I think will be a deal-breaker for me because I really want to stay in shape and AM NOT paying for a gym separate from tutition....

 

[gravitywave]

don't make too big a deal about lectures being videotaped as opposed to just podcasted. it's not an important distinction in my mind. The freedom to skip lecture and study from some kind of transcript of what was said, however, is absolutely crucial.

I have friends at PA programs who are required to attend lecture and their lives are much, much worse than mine in medical school.

What medical school doesn't have 24-7 study space available? Some would complain about a library that's not open all the time, but that's not as important when so much is online now anyway.

Block scheduling and P/F are pretty vital as well, and both have been shown to improve students' mental health. Some wonder if there's a price to pay at match time, but my sense is that it's not as much for most as they give up by being in a traditional curriculum. Everyone thinks they are going to come to med school and honor everything, and it doesn't work out that way.

 

[tantacles]

Thanks for the really comprehensive list! I am trying to decide between U of Miami and Tufts right now, and these were helpful. Also, Tufts gym was really really small and Miami's was amazing, and that I think will be a deal-breaker for me because I really want to stay in shape and AM NOT paying for a gym separate from tutition....

Many people who go to Tufts end up paying $40/month to go to the YMCA around the corner. It's not a tremendous commitment, but it's definitely not great if you have another gym available.

 

[VisionaryTics]

Thanks for the really comprehensive list! I am trying to decide between U of Miami and Tufts right now, and these were helpful. Also, Tufts gym was really really small and Miami's was amazing, and that I think will be a deal-breaker for me because I really want to stay in shape and AM NOT paying for a gym separate from tutition....

Please print this, and save a copy somewhere. So that five years from now you can look back on the time that you thought that gym size was a reasonable way to differentiate medical schools.

 

[tiedyeddog]

Please print this, and save a copy somewhere. So that five years from now you can look back on the time that you thought that gym size was a reasonable way to differentiate medical schools.

Haha, to each their own.

 

[tantacles]

Please print this, and save a copy somewhere. So that five years from now you can look back on the time that you thought that gym size was a reasonable way to differentiate medical schools.

Honestly, for some people, it's just a flip of a coin between two schools, and something small like that can be the straw that makes the camel's back decide that it would rather be in Miami.

 

[FoxyMD30]

Also, Miami's gym is more than a gym. It's like heaven.

He has an incredibly valid point, that you probably wouldn't understand unless you see it.