Tour observations

[BDiesel]

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After taking a couple of med school tours this past weekend, I noticed something. Why do they always take you to the children's hospital/pediatric wing? A couple of schools I went to had brand new children's hospitals, but why there? Why not the more general floors? Are they really awful-looking or something?

Weird.

B

 

[Apparition]

Went to a children's hospital for my only interview also. Didn't know this was widespread.

 

[Thundrstorm]

I went through the ICU on a tour, which was actually kind of uncomfortable b/c I felt like we were just in the way. We were a small group though (~7 people), so I guess we weren't terribly intrusive. Still, the people there are just so sick... I found myself not seeing much of anyhing b/c I was trying not to stare at any of the patients (and you know how in ICU everything is open and/or glass so the nurses can see all of the patients). Anyway, I wonder where the rest of my tours will go now that you guys mention the tendency to take us to the peds floor.

 

[pagemmapants]

Vandy takes people to their peds hospital because it's actually pretty neat. If I remember correctly, so does Baylor - and I think that if you go to UCLA they'll do the same thing. The thing is, Childrens Hospitals get a LOT of specified donations from well-meaning individuals, so they tend to be MUCH nicer than the normal parts of the hospitals, so they tend to be shown off a little more.

 

[badlydrawnvik]

i think i've found that most of the peds wings are the nicest and are often newly renovated. most of my tours have gone through there at some point.

 

[Rendar5]

cause kids are cute, new children's hospitals are always really nice-looking and friendly, and taking u there gives the impression that the school is really caring and not cold and impersonal, like those evil schools from teh past, or something like that, lol... It's not like the children's hospital will be any sorta focus of ur education (unless u take lots of peds electives?)

 

[Flopotomist]

I would guess it is because Peds wings are the least "hospital" looking. Also, there tends to be a lot of money (foundations, grants, etc.) in the peds wings, so they look nicer. Putting the best foot forward happens from both ends. 🙂

 

[RustNeverSleeps]

After taking a couple of med school tours this past weekend, I noticed something. Why do they always take you to the children's hospital/pediatric wing? A couple of schools I went to had brand new children's hospitals, but why there? Why not the more general floors? Are they really awful-looking or something?

Weird.

B

When I give tours, I take applicants to a regular floor and to the special pediatrics hospital. I definitely want them to get a feel for what the "regular" part of the hospital is like, but I enjoy showing them the cheery, colorful pediatrics part in addition.

 

[robotsonic]

Who would want to see gomers?

When you are just applying, it really doesn't matter to you what the regular floors look like. It will matter more for residency.

 

[RustNeverSleeps]

Who would want to see gomers?

When you are just applying, it really doesn't matter to you what the regular floors look like. It will matter more for residency.

I don't know...You spend a lot of time on the regular floors during your clinical years. If they are really horrible -- or really nice -- it might alter your impression of the school.

 

[tigress]

This is a good point. Let's see, Penn State showed us their peds floor. Jefferson barely showed us the hospital. Drexel obviously didn't show the hospital because it's in a different place. Einstein...hmm, skipped that tour 😛 but I hear it just showed the dorms and gym (aside from the lecture hall and library, which I saw).

Okay, so the only school that showed me any hospital at all showed the peds floor, that's true. I'd agree that it must be because peds is most likely to be nice looking and not as "institutional".

What's with more schools not showing hospitals? It would have been cool to see Jeff's.

 

[dajimmers]

UChicago suggested we check out the new Children's Hospital, but didn't have it included in the tour (which did include the regular hospital) until I asked if it would be ok to check it out. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen- the outside had funny designs and curves, and a playground just for sick kids, the carpets and walls were colorful, the hallways all curved like a snake vs. long strait and oppressive, they had huge patient rooms w/ flatscreen TVs and video games, communal rooms for the kids to play together w/ puzzles and such, and the lighting in the elevator changed colors randomly like a rainbow.

Other than offering a free full-body 3D MRI or something, nothing could have shown how cool it would be to learn even in the vicinity of such a building.

 

[ShyRem]

Peds floors are cool - they smell clean, they're bright, cheery, fun, and you get the sense that the kids won't die (or this is your subconscious convincing you of this). The children generally are outgoing and curious, even while in the hospital.

Geriatric floors smell like GI bleeds, cancer, dehydration. They're full of older folks with alzheimers screaming 'HELP ME! HELP ME!', moaning constantly, depressingly quiet at times, and you just know these people will die soon. Not the kind of place to take people who are thinking of medical school. Think of it - you have a choice of taking them a nice place with sick people that will likely get better or a place that smells like vomit and GI bleed and looks like a dark place where people go to die. The older folks generally want to be left alone, they don't want to see ANYONE, including their doctor and you.

If you were in the admissions department or leading the tour, which place would you rather go?

 

[gdbaby]

Peds floors are cool - they smell clean, they're bright, cheery, fun, and you get the sense that the kids won't die (or this is your subconscious convincing you of this). The children generally are outgoing and curious, even while in the hospital.

Geriatric floors smell like GI bleeds, cancer, dehydration. They're full of older folks with alzheimers screaming 'HELP ME! HELP ME!', moaning constantly, depressingly quiet at times, and you just know these people will die soon. Not the kind of place to take people who are thinking of medical school. Think of it - you have a choice of taking them a nice place with sick people that will likely get better or a place that smells like vomit and GI bleed and looks like a dark place where people go to die. The older folks generally want to be left alone, they don't want to see ANYONE, including their doctor and you.

If you were in the admissions department or leading the tour, which place would you rather go?

Shy, I am biased because I want to go into Geriatrics--love the smell of bed sores in the morning. I also volunteer at Denver's Children's Hospital and there are some pretty sad places there too. But you're right, none smell bad like the geriatrics wing.

However Shy, I know you would agree that we would just love to be invited to see ANY wing right now!

 

[ShyRem]

No lie, gd. No lie.

 

[argonana]

and the lighting in the elevator changed colors randomly like a rainbow.

👍
My favorite part of the tour was taking those elevators!!! 😀

I had no idea that children's hospitals are better funded than average!

 

[MrBurns10]

I haven't been on a single interview yet that's shown us the peds wing, even when they took us to other parts of the hospital. Interesting...