Sitting in on med school lecture?

[DiverDoc]

Has anybody done this as a premed? I have an oppertunity to do so next week. ( A medschool friend invited me to come sit in on lecture to see what its like). Im excited and kinda nervous. Please comment if you have done so and what the experience was like.

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[Dr.Inviz]

Has anybody done this as a premed? I have an oppertunity to do so next week. ( A medschool friend invited me to come sit in on lecture to see what its like). Im excited and kinda nervous. Please comment if you have done so and what the experience was like.

I'd say take it easy, soak in the environment, and don't attempt to learn anything. Just sort of get a grasp/feel of it. Sounds fun.

 

[GreenShirt]

I sat in on a lecture on an interview day. It's just like watching any science lecture, people taking notes, lecturer pointing to the power point, not that exciting. The good thing about going is that you'll be able to speak w/ med students and get advice from them.

 

[Static Line]

It might be nice to talk to some of the current students. But don't expect to get anything academically out of it or for even a feel of what it's like to be in med school. The real feeling of medical school won't hit you until you are studying you butt off on a Friday or Saturday night.

 

[Tired Pigeon]

Go for the opportunity to interact with med students and get a feel from them for what it's actually like. Don't draw any conclusions from the lecture itself. If it sucks, it doesn't mean the med school sucks - it may just be a bad professor or boring topic. Conversely, if it's great, it doesn't mean the med school is great.

Whatever you do, don't take notes like you're actually in the class & are going to be tested on the material, because you'll look like an absolute idiot (saw an interviewee doing this a couple months back).

 

[MaximusD]

I'd say take it easy, soak in the environment, and don't attempt to learn anything. Just sort of get a grasp/feel of it. Sounds fun.

WTF is MSC!? I thought you were heading to DCOM.

I sat in on a few lectures at PCOM and I liked all of them... especially an AIDS lecture the day of my interview.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

WTF is MSC!? I thought you were heading to DCOM.

I sat in on a few lectures at PCOM and I liked all of them... especially an AIDS lecture the day of my interview.

Think real hard. If you still need help, come back and ask ...

 

[Dr JPH]

Get an idea of the class dynamic. I sat in on lectures at a few different schools and that turned me off of at least one place. Good luck

 

[Tiger26]

yeah, I sat in on a lecture for about the first two weeks of class. Let's just say that i don't "sit in" on them anymore

 

[MaximusD]

Think real hard. If you still need help, come back and ask ...

I think I'm going to shove my foot up your ass.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

I think I'm going to shove my foot up your ass.

That just made my day. Let me know when you do ...

 

[musiclink213]

I sat in on a lecture during one of my interviews. I took a shuttle from the hotel, and it dropped me off insanely early, so one of the students invited me into the lecture. I had no idea what they were talking about, but it was pretty interesting. A lot of people had laptops and were chatting on AIM or playing games online while the lecture was going on.

 

[MJB]

Sat in on a morning of lectures at KCUMB last Spring...pretty interesting.

 

[lrobin15]

WTF is MSC!? I thought you were heading to DCOM.

I sat in on a few lectures at PCOM and I liked all of them... especially an AIDS lecture the day of my interview.

I had to ask too....Medical School Class of 2011

Sorry Dr. I

 

[MaximusD]

I'm going to point out the obvious. Why can't you write DCOM in your sig? All the rest of your fellow DCOMers seem to be happy with their acceptances while you seem to think that its no big thing. My suggestion, Inviz, would be for you to either get excited about DCOM or go somewhere that you can at least be proud of bc this is a rather large decision with an expensive bottom line.

Writing MSC rather than DCOM is your personal decision, but it represents a major weakness in your personality. Be proud of what you have earned...

 

[Dr.Inviz]

I'm going to point out the obvious. Why can't you write DCOM in your sig? All the rest of your fellow DCOMers seem to be happy with their acceptances while you seem to think that its no big thing. My suggestion, Inviz, would be for you to either get excited about DCOM or go somewhere that you can at least be proud of bc this is a rather large decision with an expensive bottom line.

Writing MSC rather than DCOM is your personal decision, but it represents a major weakness in your personality. Be proud of what you have earned...

I am not into labels nor do I care to publish on some forum where I got into school or where I will go. To me, it's not a major deal. One can be happy with what they have without making it a major issue. This includes if I were accepted into Harvard.

So, it's really a weakness in my personality? Wow, I guess your concern over my sig is as much a weakness in your personality as much as me not putting the school I may be going to in the Fall a weakness in mine. I could very well be waiting on another school ...

 

[MaximusD]

I am not into labels nor do I care to publish on some forum where I got into school or where I will go. To me, it's not a major deal. One can be happy with what they have without making it a major issue.

So, it's really a weakness in my personality? Wow, I guess your concern over my sig is as much a weakness in your personality as much as me not putting the school I may be going to in the Fall a weakness in mine. I could very well be waiting on another school ...

I was waiting on PCOM for several months. In the meantime I got into two great schools -- WVSOM and then CCOM. Each time, even though I wasn't as thrilled, I had no qualms about saying that I was going to those schools. WVSOM is in the middle of nowhere with very little name recognition, but I was PROUD of earning an acceptance. I didn't tell people I got into medical school.. I told them I got into WVSOM or CCOM.

If you aren't into labels then why even say you are accepted to med school at all in your signature? I just want you to be aware of the fact that you are perpetuating that DCOM is somehow inferior by your unwillingness to associate with the school.

I'm not saying that you ahve to have an unsightly banner in your sig like me, but I am saying that it's somewhat disturbing to note that you are willing to say that you are into medical school without giving any credit to the institution that is giving you the opportunity. -- an opportunity that they could have easily bestowed upon someone else who is equally or more deserving...

Again, this isn't to publicly scold you... I think that you should consider if my comments have any merit. If they do not, then feel free to discard them.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

I was waiting on PCOM for several months. In the meantime I got into two great schools -- WVSOM and then CCOM. Each time, even though I wasn't as thrilled, I had no qualms about saying that I was going to those schools. WVSOM is in the middle of nowhere with very little name recognition, but I was PROUD of earning an acceptance. I didn't tell people I got into medical school.. I told them I got into WVSOM or CCOM.

If you aren't into labels then why even say you are accepted to med school at all in your signature? I just want you to be aware of the fact that you are perpetuating that DCOM is somehow inferior by your unwillingness to associate with the school.

I'm not saying that you ahve to have an unsightly banner in your sig like me, but I am saying that it's somewhat disturbing to note that you are willing to say that you are into medical school without giving any credit to the institution that is giving you the opportunity. -- an opportunity that they could have easily bestowed upon someone else who is equally or more deserving...

Again, this isn't to publicly scold you... I think that you should consider if my comments have any merit. If they do not, then feel free to discard them.

Done.

 

[MaximusD]

Fair enough...

Best of luck to you, Inviz.

 

[emeddo]

If you aren't into labels then why even say you are accepted to med school at all in your signature? I just want you to be aware of the fact that you are perpetuating that DCOM is somehow inferior by your unwillingness to associate with the school.

Here at KCOM we have a good respect for DCOM, a lot of our students had a tough time choosing between the two. Why do you have to worry about sounding inferior? It sounds as if a little more confidence in your own decision is in order as well. If people want to say or imply that you school is inferior than let them becuase you know it isn't, to openly speak out against it generally shows that there are doubts on your side as well.

Osteopathic medicine is a great field with great benefits to its students and physicians.

DCOM is a great school that produces great physicians.

Who cares what other posters on SDN think? I would be more worried about what my patients think? When is the last time you went and researched where your doctor went to school before seeing them? There is a much broader scope here than silly little signatures and the name that degree on your wall is from.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

Here at KCOM we have a good respect for DCOM, a lot of our students had a tough time choosing between the two. Why do you have to worry about sounding inferior? It sounds as if a little more confidence in your own decision is in order as well. If people want to say or imply that you school is inferior than let them becuase you know it isn't, to openly speak out against it generally shows that there are doubts on your side as well.

Osteopathic medicine is a great field with great benefits to its students and physicians.

DCOM is a great school that produces great physicians.

Who cares what other posters on SDN think? I would be more worried about what my patients think? When is the last time you went and researched where your doctor went to school before seeing them? There is a much broader scope here than silly little signatures and the name that degree on your wall is from.

 

[emeddo]

One more thing, along the lines with the original post. I have never seen this done, but I don't see why it couldn't be. For those who have never been able to sit in on a med school lecture from a school, most schools have some form of recordings of their lectures and powerpoints on line. I don't know if these would be helpfull, but you could always ask the school to let you have access to some of these.

As a current medical student I rarely go to classes anymore just becuase I enjoy listening and following along on the powerpoints on my own over getting up and going to class when I don't have to. For some people this actually improves their grades as well. Its nice to pause the lecture, understand what they just said and then move on when you are ready. I find myself wishing I could do that whenever I go to live lectures.

 

[lrobin15]

Here at KCOM we have a good respect for DCOM, a lot of our students had a tough time choosing between the two. Why do you have to worry about sounding inferior? It sounds as if a little more confidence in your own decision is in order as well. If people want to say or imply that you school is inferior than let them becuase you know it isn't, to openly speak out against it generally shows that there are doubts on your side as well.

Osteopathic medicine is a great field with great benefits to its students and physicians.

DCOM is a great school that produces great physicians.

Who cares what other posters on SDN think? I would be more worried about what my patients think? When is the last time you went and researched where your doctor went to school before seeing them? There is a much broader scope here than silly little signatures and the name that degree on your wall is from.

Though I love your encouraging post, this is DCOMs first application cycle and has yet to produce any physicians, let alone great ones.

I have no doubt that they will, I just think you have the wrong school in mind.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

Though I love your encouraging post, this is DCOMs first application cycle and has yet to produce any physicians, let alone great ones.

I have no doubt that they will, I just think you have the wrong school in mind.

He was likely thinking of DMU.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

I had to ask too....Medical School Class of 2011

Sorry Dr. I

BTW, I hate your compassionate tendencies ...

 

[emeddo]

Yeah sorry about that, acronyms have never been my strong suit. Either way it all stands true, you will be graduating from an osteopathic school that has to meet base line requirments so you have the foundation. The rest of who you are will based on how much you apply your self, not where you graduated from

 

[Lamont]

I sat in on a path lecture at OSUCOM a year ago when I visited on my own...I thought it was more than worthwhile to go do. Shows interest, allows you to ask other people questions, gives you a real feel for things. Definitely a good idea

 

[MaximusD]

i did make fun of my signature in my original post, if I recall correctly. I'll be the first to admit that I'm overly enthusiastic about PCOM... I'd rather be overly enthusiastic considering it's going to be the cause of 250k of debt though..

I digress... when I went to my first PCOM lecture with DO Sig Nu Guy, I was struck by how friendly everyone was and how easily I thought it would be to make friends/others to study with in that sort of environment... That's why visiting and sitting in on lectures is important. I have the feeling that my experience may have been very different at a school like LECOM which has an attendance & dress policy...

 

[Dr JPH]

i did make fun of my signature in my original post, if I recall correctly. I'll be the first to admit that I'm overly enthusiastic about PCOM... I'd rather be overly enthusiastic considering it's going to be the cause of 250k of debt though..

Worth every penny in the end.

I digress... when I went to my first PCOM lecture with DO Sig Nu Guy, I was struck by how friendly everyone was and how easily I thought it would be to make friends/others to study with in that sort of environment... That's why visiting and sitting in on lectures is important. I have the feeling that my experience may have been very different at a school like LECOM which has an attendance & dress policy...

PCOM is a happy place.

Won't be as nice once I graduate...but I'm not going far!

 

[DO Sigma Nu guy]

I digress... when I went to my first PCOM lecture with DO Sig Nu Guy, I was struck by how friendly everyone was and how easily I thought it would be to make friends/others to study with in that sort of environment... That's why visiting and sitting in on lectures is important. I have the feeling that my experience may have been very different at a school like LECOM which has an attendance & dress policy...

We get paid to be nice.

 

[MaximusD]

We get paid to be nice.

Hey you didn't work for the office of admissions at that point yet... or did you!?

 

[Dr JPH]

We get paid to be nice.

Don't listen to this guy. He is only nice when people are looking.

 

[DO Sigma Nu guy]

Don't listen to this guy. He is only nice when people are looking.

shhh

JP they don't need to know that just yet. I was gonna suprise them the 1st day of their orientation.