Vanderbilt?

[MZN]

hi everyone,
I just got my first acceptance (from UConn, my state school. Hurrah!). My question is about Vanderbilt, though. I am scheduled to interview there next week, and I am not sure if I want to go any more because I think I might rather attend UConn. Here are some questions about Vandy that I would be v. grateful if anyone could answer.

1) are they really in lecture from 9-5 every day?
2) are there Saturday classes, and how often do they meet (every other week) and for how much time?
3) is there a biomedical research requirement (or maybe it was a required course that I heard)?
4) what is Vandy's overall ranking (I guess in US News and World Report, or whatever most people use) as compared to UConn's. OR, can someone tell me how to find this info (post a link, maybe)?

Thank you so much

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[siempre595]

Nah, you should choose UConn....this opinion has nothing to do with that fact that I'm interviewing at Vandy in February and would love to go! heehee

sorry, i can't really answer your questions, but I'll ask when I get there

 

[MZN]

are there any current Vandy students out there? Also, is it ok to call the school and ask the secretary how long the students are in class for each day?

 

[jot]

it would be better to find the e-mail of a current student and ask them about their weekly scheduale and why they chose vandy.

 

[Goya]

Hey MZN. I'm a vandy student now. I guess I can answer some of your questions.

a) No. 9-5. Pshah. I would die if that happened. 1st year...MWF class goes from 8-12...sometimes ends earlier. There are electives that you can choose to do in the afternoon. Up to you. You have to choose at least 1 (some ppl choose more), but that's usually 1-2 hours. Tu/Th. Anatomy days. Yah...mebbe from 8-5. With labs taking up a whole chunk of time. Again...labs are all dependent on how long you wanna stay there for. I guess theoretically you could stay there till 10 at night . 2nd semest 1st year. Total joke. We're out by 1-2 everyday (classes always start at 8 btw). Again with electives and research (but again...those aren't 'classes'. ) 2nd year. Tu/Th are a little longer. Mebbe get out at 4. MWF. Ends at 12. With..again..electives in the afternoon if you choose that.

b) no more Saturday classes anymore. Embryo used to be on some saturdays 1st semester (not a lot)...but ppl bitched...so they got rid of it. Vandy is very student friendly like that. We bitch=they change.

c) Vandy does require a research project. It's no bid deal. If you wanna do real research then it's a great opportunity. Cuz they allocate free time for you to pursue your interests. Doesn't have to be bench stuff...but it has to have some sort of relation to the medical field. Some ppl put no effort into it...some put a lot of effort. Just depends on how into research you are. Again...not a big deal. Presentation to a small group at the end just to make sure you weren't putzin off the enitre semester. You show up not drunk..you pass

d) Vandy is 16 in the US news...whose value I don't really buy into. The differences between the schools in this range are minimal at best. Every school has its strengths and weaknesses. The differences betwee like..12 and 16. or 16 and 23. Prolly not too overally large. Vandy has a good rep in training good clinicians. Don't know too much about Uconn. So sorry...can't compare.

 

[MZN]

Thank you. That was v. helpful!

 

[Goya]

Hey no prob. Always glad to be of help

 

[stapler187]

how does that A-F grading work out? do you mind it?

 

[Goya]

Vanderbilt has a A, B, C, F system.. With B+ and B-..just to make things more confusing. Ppl will say it's the same as Honors, High pass, Pass, fail. I, personally, think that's bogus. Ppl here generally see Cs as failing (even though you can progress in school with a couple Cs). Most ppl here get Bs...and a whole ton of ppl get As. I would say most ppl are right along the some As and some Bs range. It's hard to fail..i think. Not many ppl do that. I don't know if that's the result of the system or the ppl they accept. But...that being said...teachers are really nice and they're not out to 'get' us. Vandy is a really student centered environment and I don't see many of my classmates as cutthroat. This system does promote the gunner mentality though.

My personal opinion on the grade system.

Pros:
-It does make me work a ton harder...and since I'm lazy..I guess I shudder to think how little I would work on P/F
-Our classes score really well on boards (again...because of the system or do they just accept good test takers? who knows)...but vandy has a good track record of producing very good clinicians. So somethin has gotta be right.
-B=P. Bs are fine. Although many of my classmates think that Bs are still unaccpetable. Punks...BUT...that being said..Honors at other schools are like top 15 percent in classes...or somethin like that...I know some classes where half the ppl got As...
-And if you're aiming for competitive residencies then you gotta work hard no matter where you go. Otherwise first 2 years...who cares?

Cons:
-It's kinda like the undergrad mentality still. Where all our lives a lot of ppl look at Bs as an inferior grade. Hard to get outta the mindset that B is ok.
-It definately does make me work harder...haha. I know I put that as a pro...but veggies may be good for me but it doesn't mean I have to like them.
-I think it can promote the gunner mentality.
-It puts a lot more stress on life

oh yah...90-100 is A 80-90 is B..etc . Mebbe curved...depends on how ppl are doing. But usually ppl do really really well. Ummm...do I like the grade system? Honestly...No, I don't. But is it enough for me to have gone to the other med schools that accepted me? No...every school has its pros and cons. And vandy is really a very supportive environment with a good trackrecord. And...basically everyone gets graded last 2 years..which is what counts. Hope that helps. This is just my opinion though. It varies. But overall I think students at vandy are super happy. So...they have to be doing somethin right

 

[MZN]

ok, I am going to my interview there. It seems like a quality place, and you have convinced me that you are happy there. Thank you again for your responses.

ok, now. I am going to have some free time in Nashville-- any suggestions of stuff to do? Is there anything within walking distance of the campus, or must I rent a car? Where do most people hang out? Any good museums, theaters, bars, or clubs?

 

[BrainDrain]

The Parthenon is a must see! It's within walking distance from Vanderbilt.

 

[MZN]

what is the Parthenon?

 

[MGoBlue13]

It's a replica of the greek building "The Parthenon" in centennial park right off of vandy's campus. It's really cool.

 

[MZN]

good stuff. I'll check it out. Any other must sees in Nashville? What about this Dolly Parton theme park? Is it worth renting a car?

 

[Goya]

2 words....Hellz no.

 

[ForceField]

Goya,

Where did you do your undergrad? When I interviewed there, I noticed a huge bias towards Ivy Leagues, Duke, etc.

Do you think that there is a different mentality towards students from state schools, smaller private schools nobody's heard of? The reason I am inquiring is because I don't know if I'd be comfortable around such students.

With my interviews so far, I did notice that the students that interviewed with me at the upper level schools were much different than those that interviewed with me at my state school and lower ranked private schools.

Any help is greatly appreciated, Thanks.

 

[Goya]

I went to the University of Chicago. Not exactly Ivy, but you couldn't tell by looking at my debt.

Well..mm..there are a lot of Ivy students (I think harvard is represented the most in most classes. ). And as you said...there is a pipeline from Duke to Vandy. But that's not to say there are not tons of ppl from state schools or smaller schools. I think it varies from year to year. I, personally, think that Vandy does take into account of undergrad when accepting ppl. Then again...what do I know what they discuss in the admissions committees? I think they have had good experiences with students from Ivies so why not accept more? I guess that's their mindset. Most of the smaller schools are from the South I think...I think most ppl here are down to earth and nice. Yah, you get the filthy stinkin rich ppl who are on trust funds (but you see that in every med school), but I think in general most of the ppl in the class are nice. Try not to judge ppl too much by the ppl interviewing on the same day. That's like 10 ppl outta the thousand they interview. If you do get in I suggest coming to 2nd look weekend and meeting some of your potential classmates. That way you can kinda tell if you mesh well with them or not.

So to answer your question

Yes, there is a large Ivy contigency
No, they're not all snotty
There are a lot of ppl from non-Ivy schools (don't know the #s...but at least 2/3 to 3/4)
I do think we need more diversity in terms of the type ppl in the class (but they're really trying to work on that....seriously...they're trying hard)
I think southern hospitality is really cool (I'm not from the south)
Give Vandy a shot. (they really do treat the students quite well)