pdiddy348 said:
hey guys, I'm currently in the process of applying to med school and i have an AECOM interview coming up. I was just hoping to get some advice and feedback from those of you guys who are currently attending AECOM....i.e what kinds of clinical experiences there are (are there certain programs devoted to clinical exposure?), student life, etc...basically just some tidbits about AECOM that i normally wouldn't be able to learn just by looking at the website. It's really one of my top choices so the more feedback, the better 🙂
oh also, I'm meeting with Ms. Kerrigan (the Dean) so for those of you who also spoke to her during your interview, can you tell me a little about that?
thanks for the help!
I might be able to help a little...
Most people want to know about the bronx...and if its an ok place to live. yeah, its not that bad, and certainly not as bad as people make it out to be. nice neighborhood, with good italian food and delis. its safe. most people go to the city though for nightlife. city is accessible by bus/subway (about 30-40min). nice, cheap housing that close to 90% of people take advantage of... so its almost like a college environment, except of course, we work much harder. you can also keep a car here for pretty cheap (70/month) and this is a real advantage. gym is right on campus with weights, pool, basketball, track, racquetball, and squash.
as far as curriculum.. first two years are pretty standard. the one nice thing about it is that your are not stuck in lecture all day. usually you have lecture in the am, then either labs/free time/conferences/or weekly visits to various clinical sites to practice seeing/examining patients. i just mention this because i have friends at other schools who are in lecture all day. classes are pass/fail, which is fairly new (2 yrs). a real plus because all residency programs value your grades/evaluations during the clinical years way more than in the first two years. professors are nice and approachable, plenty of research opportunities if you are into that, though it is by no means necessary. i think einstein wants to train clinicians first, and reasearch investigators second.
3rd/4th years...i think this is where the school really excels. they throw you into the mix and you have a lot of responsibility as a 3rd and even more as a 4th year student. i have talked to people that have graduated and started their residencies and almost all of them say that einstein has prepared them well. you will see a variety of clinical settings and types of patients. below are the major hospitals that you rotate through, with some brief descriptions.
montefiore- large university hospital in the bronx. i think it has the most ED visits per year in NYC (170,000). thats what i heard, regardless, large volumes of patients and you will see a lot of different diseases.really great children's hospital.
jacobi- city hospital that has recently been rebuilt, used to be gross. now it is beautiful, with great facilities. you get to take care of lots of people without insurance. and the patients really appreciate the care that they get. nursing staff sucks, but thats good for you as a student because you get to practice drawing blood, placing IV's, etc... so you won't look like a jackass when you show up for residency and have never done that.
LIJ/Weiler- Long island jewish is about 20 min drive. shuttles take you there. weiler is right on campus. similar hospitals, small, with older patients.
Beth israel- 1st ave and 17th street. great location, close to east village, union square. they provide you with housing for all third year rotations offered. which is pretty cool cuz you get to spend time in manhattan if you'd like.
4th year... plenty of elective time to do away rotations, great international programs. have friends that have/will be going to south america, india, you name it. funding for these experiences is available. many people go abroad after first year too.
I'd have to say the best part about this place is the people. med school is tough so its nice to be in a supprtive/fun/friendly environment and i feel that the type of students that AECOM attracts are really cool and laid back. faculty is also pretty supportive. i hope this is not too much info. let me know if you have more specific questions. oh, i never met with the dean of admissions. i don't know if they offered that when i intervewed. buit i hear that she is nice, so don't sweat it. good luck.
