doogie1000 said:
almost everyone is happy with bryn mawr's program. i NEVER saw cheating when i was there -- but i wont speak for ZachariasMouse. bryn mawr has an honor code which most people take seriously.
the course director is wonderful and although a handful accuse her of playing favorites-- i never saw evidence of it. she has done a wonderful job.
postbacs take the same courses that the bryn mawr undergrads take. the grades are all based on the curve they set. there are lots of people who dont do well. most people do quite well, however, because -- well-- we're older, more motivated, more efficient, and have fewer districtions than the typical undergrad who shares our class.
yes-- the environment is stressful b/c we're premeds for god's sakes. but when i was there-- the competition was in control. and it worked out for everyone in the end. almost everyone who applys to school gets in somewhere.
i cant explain why zachariasMouse is so unhappy. but he's just one person and doesnt represent the opinions of most. Most are glad they went and are now happy (and stressed out) med students at all of the top programs.
good luck.
Doogie, we are all aware of your love of the Bryn Mawr program, and I guess beating the horse after it's dead won't hurt it, though it may appear unseemly to some.
As far as your last comment goes, there are several good reasons why you are unable to "explain why I am so unhappy" -- probably the most important of which is that I am not (I am one of happiest people here in my opinion). What you've mischaracterized as "unhappiness" is, in actuality, more akin to disgust (I supposed those MCAT "Critical Reading" skills have a short half-life)
And just to clarify things for the larger SDN community, the "honor code" here at Bryn Mawr is taken very seriously by the undergraduates who go through rigorous indoctrination by their peers when they arrive. As far as the honor code goes for postbacs, however, we were informed of (as I'm sure you were) the basics of the code, and that the undergraduates take it very seriously and tend to get upset when postbacs take advantage of the trust inherent in this system.
So, it is somewhat disingenuous that you mention the "honor code" in defense of postbacs here, especially considering how little impact it has on postbac behavior (particularly in comparison to the undergraduates). If anything the honor code makes it ridiculously easy for postbacs to cheat as they are afforded the trust but not peer-scrutiny as the undergrads are.
Also, among the majority of us (and there are only 75 or so of us to poll), it is pretty well assumed that Jodi engages in some pretty heavy-duty favoritism. But since Jodi keeps the system completely devoid of transparency, all we have are our suspicions -- but most of us have them. This certainly isn't a smoking gun, but it certainly should give one pause.
And the curve? Doogie, that's a good one. Sure, the grades are "curved" but they are curved to the performance of the undergraduates who attend "separate but equal" classes. So these undergraduates who are, as you insinuated, less mature and less motivated and have a 4 CLASS LOAD (OPPOSED TO THE 3 CLASS/SEM LOAD, POSTBACS HAVE) set the standards of performance for the postbacs who they largely don't know. We all heard the official reason for this, but let's be honest, what is the point of this policy if not for deliberate grade-inflation?
Everyone being happy? Oh come on... we have plenty of very obviously unhappy people here who are sticking it out and a roughly 10% attrition rate for those who just can't stomach it (no, Doogie, they were not washed out because they failed to show the same academic prowness that you and I exhibit).
Though I don't know them very well, there are some very obviously unhappy people here, few of whom are even considering not pursuing medicine based on the type of people they perceive entering the field after attending this program. Am I unhappy here? Hell no, but I wish I was pushed to learn more than the minimum (what happened to this "competition" that you referred to?) rather than being coddled -- what good is that going to do me in med-school, or as a doctor, or for my patients (-- remember these people?)
Let's face it Doogie, we are probably very similar and have gained every advantage that this program has to offer. We are probably both in our mid to upper-20s, our parents are well-off and will do anything they believe will "fix" our lives, we are white (what about the medically under-represented minorities? well, they're even less represented here), we are male (Jodi seems to like that), and we probably share a common cultural heritage with Jodi as well (I can't say that this has hurt either).
The likely difference between us is that I was raised to think that being a man means looking out for those with less and that one should never confuse an entitlement for merit -- while you apparently have confused the two.
Do I feel a sense of guilt and displeasure at this program -- yes. Have I found the means or courage to do anything about it (beside posting here)? No. I guess I'm just as much of weener as everyone else, but until I change it, at least I'll admit it.
Now, back to my great spring break which consists of watching tapes of Gray's Anatomy and studying for the MCATs.
