The facilities really are the afterthought on the school (although those escalators did make me feel like I was in an old Montgomery Ward's). I do think, however that nicer classrooms and student lounges or a sign and recognition that they value their med students. The bigger part was probably the students and faculty and admissions staff I interacted with (which is sadly a randomly bad experience but perhaps a sign), as well as the lack of diversity in the Pittsburgh area and therefore lack of diversity in patient populations that were the turn off. That combined with the fact that the school seems to be shifting their focus away from primary care and research to solely research (the new dean and reserach scholarships being the only merit scholarships are a sign of this).
Primary care is huge here. Research is as well, but that doesn't mean patient care is any less emphasized. Pitt students get out into the community and volunteer at clinics for the underserved all the time. We also see patients - real ones, in the hospital - starting second semester, and do clinical skills training from day 1. The director of undergraduate medical clinical education is a primary-care physician and trust me, she makes SURE that each and every one of us - including those looking to go into rads or ortho - know how to do a DAMN good physical exam by the end of semester 1. Patient care is not at ALL de-emphasized because of research.
As for the facilities that you think suck so hard, the small group rooms all have "SmartBoards" that you can write on with magic computer pens, so that PBL groups can write on their powerpoint files and histo slides, etc. Basically whatever is on the computer is projected on to the Smartboard, and you can write on the file. You can also use it as a magic chalkboard/whiteboard. So the small group rooms also have chalkboards, what of it? Does that make us less of a school than a whiteboard-only facility? Hahahaha, oh pre-meds, you slay me.
The "cave" anatomy lab has a camera system so that the director of the course can dissect/show structures to the entire lab over the closed-circuit TV system (there are ~10 tvs situated around the lab near the benches so that you can watch from your own station.) It's also well-ventilated - it hardly ever reeks the way most anatomy labs do - and well-lit, and is basically, as FAR from a cave as it could possibly be. I saw way less appealing labs on my tour of schools when I was applying. By the way, Pitt has one of the largest gross specimen museums of any school - in where? - yep, the "dingy cave" of an anatomy lab. Our lab is spacious, well-equipped, and an excellent place to learn anatomy.
My class is the most unified, friendly, brilliant, non-competitive and lovely group of people I have ever met. My very best friends in my life are from my med school class. We are happy students. I'm sorry you met one of us and judged the whole school by your negative interaction with ONE student.
The faculty are outstanding and so kind and intelligent. Our curriculum really allows you to focus on one thing at a time, and we are all getting a great education with a solid foundation for boards and wards.
You know not of what you speak, OP. Our hospitals and Scaife are top-notch facilities with top-notch patient care, and we are getting an excellent education. I hope someone who appreciates Pitt takes the seat that you might have had.
Oh, and those escalators? Rule.
I've never been to downtown Philly, but Oakland (where the school is) has its share of homeless bums that pester you at the ATM's and urinate at the bus-stops. Most of the crime in the city is avoidable... but tell that to my friend who got mugged at gunpoint walking home from Wendy's.
