UPenn=stressful?

[unicorn06]

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Hi,

I just interviewed at UPenn, and I came away with the impression that all of the med students there are really stressed out. Everyone I met was very nice and seemed happy enough, but they also kept emphasizing how stressful the 2nd and 3rd years are. This scared me, and I was wondering if anyone else had the same experience. I really like Penn but don't want to put myself through an extremely stressful medical school program if I don't have to.

 

[linuxizer]

Ultimately you'll want to get input from med students here directly, but all the ones I know are extremely chill. YMMV.

--Ari

 

[Saluki]

I've read similar posts about Wash U among others. Bottom line, second and third year students at top schools are going to be stressed. Don't take it too much to heart- undergrad as a pre-med was stressful too, and you made it just fine🙂

 

[Risa]

My student host at UPenn told me in an email that students there study for "every waking minute" for 5-7 days before a test. I'm not visiting for another couple weeks, but the concept of that much studying really freaked me out.

Conversely, I was at Harvard yesterday and the students there were TOTALLY laid back (contrary to the idea that all people at top schools are stressed). They said they're the happiest med students ever. And at Cornell last month, they said they were extremely unstressed too. I think strict pass/fail grading has something to do with it...

 

[Shredder]

screw it, stress is tight, it toughens you up. many ppl function best under stress. as long as one keeps eating and pushing weight, everything else can be sacrificed in the name of the goal, whatever that is. i guess sleep helps too

 

[red dot]

i heard the same thing or worse about jefferson.

 

[Maerad]

All this stress has nothing to do with the schools. It's just Philadelphia; it sucks. 😛

 

[SailCrazy]

I read that in a few of the interview feedback responses.

 

[tigress]

All this stress has nothing to do with the schools. It's just Philadelphia; it sucks. 😛

Oh yeah? 😛 Check out Drexel. Students there are definitely not over-stressed. They get great board scores, and sure test time can be stressful, but overall the class is very fun and laid-back and collaborative.

I hadn't heard that about Jefferson. I've heard about Penn both that it's stressful and that it's not at all. All the Penn students or recent grads I've spoken to have absolutely loved the school, and none particularly complained about the stress level. I know a woman who just finished residency who went to Penn and had 2 children while there, and she said they were extraordinarily accommodating and nice, and she wasn't too stressed at all. However, I have heard that the first 1.5 years can be stressful because everything is sort of crammed in. Clinical years are supposed to be awesome, though, and that's most of your time there.

Not that Penn is going to give me an interview 😛 Wish they would...

 

[Saluki]

Not that Penn is going to give me an interview 😛 Wish they would...

You've got good numbers and lots of volunteer activities. Why wouldn't UPenn give you an interview? Be more optimistic!

 

[Severus]

I dunno, Upenn is weird like that. I had a 34 and a 3.9 and got no love from them last year. 🙁 But maybe I was just cursed by gypsies or something.

 

[Saluki]

I sure hope I wasn't cursed by gypsies, because it's one of my top choices. I want to do pediatrics, and where could be better for that?

 

[Severus]

Yeah, it's a great school and they seem to be pumping out tons of people going into peds lately.

I'm sure you'll be fine. As long as you have good numbers (which I'll classify as 33+, 3.8+) and some research experience, I don't think you'll suffer the gypsy curse. Like I said, I dunno what happened with my situation. I called, they didn't give me any feedback so...

 

[Slide]

I dunno about their med students, but the premeds at Penn are way too overstressed. I've grown so much white hair there 🙁

 

[tigress]

yeah, it's my gpa that's cursed me 😛
well, aside from the fact that I dropped out of their grad school program But if they asked either of my PIs or the head of the program about me they'd probably hear positive things. Not that they would take the time to do that, of course. I bet they took one look at my application and chucked it out the window

The gpa is probably what's kept me from interviewing at Pitt and Emory, too. Temple is just a fluke. Who the heck knows what's up with them? hah

 

[Saluki]

Your gpa is a 3.65; that doesn't sound bad to me...

 

[Severus]

yeah, it's my gpa that's cursed me 😛

Nah, that's just what the gypsies want you to think. 😱 *flees in terror*

Note: Before someone gets pantybunch over the gypsy stuff, realize that I'm just joking.

 

[tigress]

Nah, that's just what the gypsies want you to think. 😱 *flees in terror*

Note: Before someone gets pantybunch over the gypsy stuff, realize that I'm just joking.

oh yeah, my brother would be on your tail...they're the Roma, of course!

 

[Severus]

oh yeah, my brother would be on your tail...they're the Roma, of course!

They've got awesome tea, even if it is darn expensive. 👍

[/thread derailment] 😛

 

[gujuDoc]

I dunno, Upenn is weird like that. I had a 34 and a 3.9 and got no love from them last year. 🙁 But maybe I was just cursed by gypsies or something.

Wow, Sev.........that's harsh. When you do reapply, I hope you get a lot of good luck going your way. 🙂

 

[newbie04]

I hadn't heard that about Jefferson. I've heard about Penn both that it's stressful and that it's not at all.

I know a second year at Jefferson and she says the competition is intense.

I work with a 4th year med student at PENN (taking a year out) and she said there is a good mix of students (however, she said some of the egos are a little much). She also said that it's PENN, so you get a lot of people complaining about a 98 on an exam that they spent 10 straight days studying for. Personally, not the type of med school experience I am looking for...

 

[Severus]

I hope you get a lot of good luck going your way. 🙂

I hope so, too. Otherwise, Satan better return my soul. 😎

 

[Chrissy]

Oh yeah? 😛 Check out Drexel. Students there are definitely not over-stressed. They get great board scores, and sure test time can be stressful, but overall the class is very fun and laid-back and collaborative.

I hadn't heard that about Jefferson. I've heard about Penn both that it's stressful and that it's not at all. All the Penn students or recent grads I've spoken to have absolutely loved the school, and none particularly complained about the stress level. I know a woman who just finished residency who went to Penn and had 2 children while there, and she said they were extraordinarily accommodating and nice, and she wasn't too stressed at all. However, I have heard that the first 1.5 years can be stressful because everything is sort of crammed in. Clinical years are supposed to be awesome, though, and that's most of your time there.

Not that Penn is going to give me an interview 😛 Wish they would...

I heard that that particular impression of Drexel is somewhat subjective....my cousin is a first year psych resident and a recent graduate of drexel com and he said they have been fooling with the curriculum and teaching techniques for the last 3-4 years because their board scores have been significantly lower than average and their low pass rate was attracting attention.....so in the past 1-2 years the environment has become "more stressful" and comprehensive meaning a portion of every exam (regardless of year or subject) is reserved for questions from past exams/other classes....apparently too many kids were cramming and not retaining for uslme1/2.....interesting but it sounds like the "new" stressful environment is their remedy for past problems?

 

[Casey James]

Aren't all medschools stressfull?

-casey

 

[tigress]

I heard that that particular impression of Drexel is somewhat subjective....my cousin is a first year psych resident and a recent graduate of drexel com and he said they have been fooling with the curriculum and teaching techniques for the last 3-4 years because their board scores have been significantly lower than average and their low pass rate was attracting attention.....so in the past 1-2 years the environment has become "more stressful" and comprehensive meaning a portion of every exam (regardless of year or subject) is reserved for questions from past exams/other classes....apparently too many kids were cramming and not retaining for uslme1/2.....interesting but it sounds like the "new" stressful environment is their remedy for past problems?

Well my husband has been there for 3 years, and I can assure you that none of his classmates think the school is overly stressful. I'm not sure what you mean about "a portion of every exam...is reserved for questions from past exams/other classes", but the exams are pretty much normal tests. They may have changed the curriculum, but not in the past 3 years. And I have no clue what their board scores were before last year, but last year's were apparently quite high. Also, last year's match list is AWESOME.

What you may be talking about is the PIL program. That's the problem-based learning segment of the class. Supposedly their board scores dipped dramatically, and to compensate the school started adding more multiple choice questions to the tests so they would do better on the boards. According to the school the board scores are now equivalent, but I don't know if that's really true or not. Actually, now that I'm writing it, it seems obvious that this is what you were referring to. I don't know much about the PIL program at all, since my husband is in IFM (the "regular" lecture-based curriculum), and basically all of his classmates I know are also in IFM.

That said, of course it's subjective. Stress is really always subjective. I'm sure there are laid-back students at even the most crazy stressed-out schools, and vice versa. And, as the above poster says, all medical schools are stressful, at least at some point, for most people.

edit: I didn't mean to be confrontational, or to suggest that Drexel's PIL program isn't good. I know many people have loved PIL and done very well in it. As a matter of fact, my personal physician, who I love, is a graduate of the PIL program from back when the school was Hahnemann!

 

[Chrissy]

Well my husband has been there for 3 years, and I can assure you that none of his classmates think the school is overly stressful. I'm not sure what you mean about "a portion of every exam...is reserved for questions from past exams/other classes", but the exams are pretty much normal tests. They may have changed the curriculum, but not in the past 3 years. And I have no clue what their board scores were before last year, but last year's were apparently quite high. Also, last year's match list is AWESOME.

What you may be talking about is the PIL program. That's the problem-based learning segment of the class. Supposedly their board scores dipped dramatically, and to compensate the school started adding more multiple choice questions to the tests so they would do better on the boards. According to the school the board scores are now equivalent, but I don't know if that's really true or not. Actually, now that I'm writing it, it seems obvious that this is what you were referring to. I don't know much about the PIL program at all, since my husband is in IFM (the "regular" lecture-based curriculum), and basically all of his classmates I know are also in IFM.

That said, of course it's subjective. Stress is really always subjective. I'm sure there are laid-back students at even the most crazy stressed-out schools, and vice versa. And, as the above poster says, all medical schools are stressful, at least at some point, for most people.

edit: I didn't mean to be confrontational, or to suggest that Drexel's PIL program isn't good. I know many people have loved PIL and done very well in it. As a matter of fact, my personal physician, who I love, is a graduate of the PIL program from back when the school was Hahnemann!

yes, that must be what he was referring to. I was just told that they had a problem with board scores and pass rates in recent years and altered the curriculum in an attempt to rectify the problem. it seems it has worked.