the official "I Love my Medical School Post"

[kayakgirl]

Hey all-

Well I've just made the pretty enormous decision to leave my medical school and reapply somewhere else, for about a million reasons.

Hopefully with a year under my belt, I have a better idea of what I'm looking for in a school this time around- but I also know you can never really get a good sense of what goes on at a school until you actually go there.

So I've been here long enough know all the complaints and negatives, now I want to hear the positives.

Who loves their school (or at least likes it okay) and what did you wish you had known about your school before you got there?

(I don't anticipate a huge response, I know how much we all like to complain- but having had such an awful time at the school I chose, I kind of have this negative filter on when I look at any new school, and I'd really love to hear some of the good experiences people are having. If any?)

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[Brainsucker]

Whoa, you're going to apply as a first year or going to try transferring? 'Cause if you're going to reapply, you'll have some serious explaining to do. Crazy.

 

[Rafa]

That's kind of what I was wondering too. If you mean you're transferring, then that's definitely possible (though difficult). But if you're withdrawing and then planning on reapplying, you might have more 'splaining to do than Lucy Ricardo after the chocolate factory episode.

That said, I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do. It takes guts to walk away from a mistake, instead of digging yourself deeper trying to dig yourself out of it.

 

[bigdan]

K-

I'll reply to your request, but I'd also be interested in hearing why you left your school, and where it was (I know you won't give the name of the school, but I'm wondering if it was an MD school, and if it was in the USA), just for my own curiosity.

I am at Stony Brook, a SUNY school in Long Island. It's not the most beautiful school in the country, and the architecture of the hospital is quite possibly the worst in the country. But I am in a community (living-wise) that I am comfortable with - real low crime compared to larger cities, I've got in-state tuition, I like the professors (the vast majority seem like they really like to teach), I like that I have shadowed in several different specialties with very welcoming clinical staff, I like the class dynamic right now, etc.

It's really tough to know what the medical school is gonna bring from just the interview day. I'd have to say that the only thing that you can really rely on from that is if you *HATE* the place, try and avoid it if you have enough other acceptances to do so. But a 4 to 8 hour visit with the school's admissions staff that are spewing out facts that an applicant cannot even digest - let alone comprehend the importance of - is a tough way make an informed choice. So in deciding, I judged the schools on what I could say would make me happy...and those things are gonna be unique to you. I'm not much of a big city slicker, so suburban was fine with me. And I didn't wanna feel like debt would rule my life, so cost was huge with me. I kinda plugged in the other variables (how far from family, whatever else) and made a decent choice. I'm a very happy camper.

Medical school is tough and will have it's share of ups and downs - you know this. Can you find a school that will allow you to maximize the benefits of the ups, while controlling and minimizing the duration of the downs? What I mean is, some folks really wanna be doctors and just hate the fact that they have to do this medical school gig to get there, so they tolerate it. But the happy toleraters are ones that seem to have something - anything - that is a release that is within their control, whether that be family or friends or going out or sports or a bump of crystal meth (you get the picture). There are folks that don't have any of that and STILL have to do medical school. They're kinda isolated, and perhaps not so happy, because all the sucky stuff is there, but none of the stuff that made them happy before medical school is. I'm just rambling at this point, but the jist is to identify what is gonna be your thing - that can be at the school or away from the school or whatever, but finding that might help. And I'm not saying you hate medical school, I'm just saying that even for the most optimistic of us, it sucks sometimes and it's nice to be able to titrate in a little fun.

I'm sorry to hear that things were going so badly that you had to leave, and I wish you the best in what will likely be a challenging endeavor. If in any way I can help you, PM me.

Good luck, and hang in there.

dc

 

[kayakgirl]

OP here. I know it's kind of a crazy thing to do and may totally not work out at all but yes, I am leaving my school reapplying all over again as a first year.

The quick story:

I was an arts major undergrad, but always knew I would go into something medical (I worked as an EMT for several years) After graduating, I did a postbac program and then started applying. I had great grades, good MCATs, a pretty well-rounded application package so it looked like I had my pick of schools. Very early on in my application proccess I came across an accredited foreign school associated with a well-known American University. It was pretty new, but so far the graduates had good things to say about it and were getting good residencies and overall the repuation was wonderful. I got a great impression from everyone when I visited. It just seemed like such an adventure, like it would be more interesting than going to an American school. And I thought I'd get a neat insight into another culture, I'd get to deal with some really special medical cases, and a get a unique set of life skills from living and studying abroad. They had rolling admissions, I was accepted right away and it just seemed perfect.

Then I got there:

The school is just a mess of disorganization, the curriculum makes no sense, our schedule changes on pretty much a weekly basis, some of the exam questions aren't in English that makes any sense. We have barely any online learning resources, no syllabi to speak of, and sometimes only get the class handouts the day of class, or several days/weeks later. I thought my classmates would be like me, but many of them are only there because they didn't get in anywhere else. So, academically, I'm frustrated beyond belief. I'm at the very top of my class and I never go to lectures so I'm basically paying to sit at home and teach myself everything. And there are none of the artistic/athletic/volunteer outlets you would find at an American school, so socially and emotionally, I'm pretty miserable as well.

So that's the short story. I did well enough on the MCAT to basically get into any school I want, I had a 3.9 GPA and I just made a bold choice that didn't work out. Rather than stick it out and end up in a subpar residency after 3 more subpar years of education- I'd rather make a clean break, get a good letter of recommendation from my current school, start all over and made a more educated decision this time.

I know I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do- but I'm hoping my transcript is good enough that I'll at least get the chance to explain.

So. . . any advice, encouragement, support is more than welcome. And I'd still love to here what people are enjoying or at least finding tolerable at the schools they're at now.

 

[Gimlet]

OP here. I know it's kind of a crazy thing to do and may totally not work out at all but yes, I am leaving my school reapplying all over again as a first year.

The quick story:

I was an arts major undergrad, but always knew I would go into something medical (I worked as an EMT for several years) After graduating, I did a postbac program and then started applying. I had great grades, good MCATs, a pretty well-rounded application package so it looked like I had my pick of schools. Very early on in my application proccess I came across an accredited foreign school associated with a well-known American University. It was pretty new, but so far the graduates had good things to say about it and were getting good residencies and overall the repuation was wonderful. I got a great impression from everyone when I visited. It just seemed like such an adventure, like it would be more interesting than going to an American school. And I thought I'd get a neat insight into another culture, I'd get to deal with some really special medical cases, and a get a unique set of life skills from living and studying abroad. They had rolling admissions, I was accepted right away and it just seemed perfect.

Then I got there:

The school is just a mess of disorganization, the curriculum makes no sense, our schedule changes on pretty much a weekly basis, some of the exam questions aren't in English that makes any sense. We have barely any online learning resources, no syllabi to speak of, and sometimes only get the class handouts the day of class, or several days/weeks later. I thought my classmates would be like me, but many of them are only there because they didn't get in anywhere else. So, academically, I'm frustrated beyond belief. I'm at the very top of my class and I never go to lectures so I'm basically paying to sit at home and teach myself everything. And there are none of the artistic/athletic/volunteer outlets you would find at an American school, so socially and emotionally, I'm pretty miserable as well.

So that's the short story. I did well enough on the MCAT to basically get into any school I want, I had a 3.9 GPA and I just made a bold choice that didn't work out. Rather than stick it out and end up in a subpar residency after 3 more subpar years of education- I'd rather make a clean break, get a good letter of recommendation from my current school, start all over and made a more educated decision this time.

I know I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do- but I'm hoping my transcript is good enough that I'll at least get the chance to explain.

So. . . any advice, encouragement, support is more than welcome. And I'd still love to here what people are enjoying or at least finding tolerable at the schools they're at now.

That's an interestings story, and I definitely understand why you feel the need to leave this school. I wouldn't be able to handle an environment like that! I'm still a little confused as to why you are re-applying all over again, instead of transferring as a 2nd year.

I'm not sure what would be easier, but it seems to me that some schools might frown at having you take all your 1st year classes again. First of all, I think the school would view it as a waste of a spot in their class to put you through courses you already know. Second, it wouldn't really be fair to all of the true 1st years at your new school for your test scores to be contributing to the average, would it? If you have been learning the stuff at your current school well enough to be in the top of your class, you should be fine going into a second year curriculum here in the US. Was your decision to drop out and reapply anew based off of solid advice from someone who knows what they're talking about?

I know 2nd year transfers are less common than 3rd year transfers, but I think it still could be done...there have got to be some schools with 1st years that have dropped out. I know at least one person from my school left this year to join the seminary...you could have his spot!

 

[kayakgirl]

No schools will accept a 2nd year transfer from a foreign school (believe me I have tried and tried). Also, my curriculum is so different from the normal first year curriculum (we're on a strange "systems" based curriculum that's totally incompatible with most other schools) that I actually haven't take some of the standard first year classes, and I've already taken some 2nd year classes. That's why it's just easier to start over. I do intend to place out of the classes I've already taken- don't worry, I'm not trying to throw off the curve for everyone else.

 

[Gimlet]

Ok, I see...well good luck in your endeavor!

Edit: As for my medical school...I love it, but it's mostly for intangible things that I don't think I could put into words. Also, since I have no basis for comparison it's hard to say that the way my school does things is better than another school's way. One thing I do know to look for is BLOCK TESTING. We have block testing 1st year, but this year the 2nd year curriculum tried to go to non-block format where you have a test in a different course every week or so. All the 2nd years HATE it compared to the block testing of 1st year, and everyone is lobbying to go back to block format next year.

 

[Paws]

Hey Kayak,

Paws here. I know that I complain all the time about my school, blah, blah. I think that that's just a way for me to vent about the (probably) very normal cr@p that goes on at my school that also goes on everywhere else. It's just that when I am exhausted and frustrated and don't understand some weird aspect of renal physiology or whatever, and it's now the night before the exam - then all the otherwise stupid sh%t seems absolutely catatrophic.

What I mean is, all schools have weird stuff that is irritating or downright frustrating. The stress of med school makes it like a thousand times magnified because - for me - my bucket of serenity and peace is long depleted. I am a stress bunny, and my balance of stress and serenity is way out of whack.

If you absolutely hate your school how about this: stick it out and see what you can do to make it better. If it is a new school, then see what you can do to proactively make improvements. I know, who wants to do that? But why not? This school has your name on it now, and for better or worse you are their student. Besides, by trying to make genuine improvements you learn good life skills and you can begin to feel like you are taking charge of the situation. You know? If it is a school like Columbia's Israel program, Ben Gurion, then you can come back to NY in third year so you are almost there!

If you try and transfer now, people will look at you and ask: what is going on for you and you will have to explain very carefully. I know, it's not fair but who said human nature is 'fair?' Sometimes, we just have to stay and work things out as best we can. Just my 0.02 worth, from things I have learned in my own life.

 

[Samoa]

I think you absolutely should transfer, or restart at a US school. If it's the school I'm thinking it is, I can understand how you might have been fooled, because of it's US school. If you explain your motivations as you've explained them here, that's a perfectly acceptable reason to do what you're doing.

I would start by calling the directors of admissions at the schools where you were admitted last year, and explain to them what you did, why you did it, and that you've realized now you made a big mistake. You realize you probably can't transfer, but you're more than willing to start over if they'll let you, and sit out a year if necessary to have a definite spot in the next class.

Surely one of those schools would love to have a student who's guaranteed to appreciate the school, add some maturity and perspective to the student body, and not be a whiner. If not, it's their loss.