Which med schools accept transfer students?

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TRPMinus

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It honestly sounds to me like this is a personal problem. You feel like you're better than your classmates, and that you "deserved" to go to a higher-ranked school than the one you're at now.

Get over yourself, dude. You're in a class with your peers and future co-workers. Learn to get along with them.
 
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Are you a ms1? If you can stick it out for ms2, then after that, it will seem like you're at a different school once you're doing rotations 3rd year.

I have only seen schools that accept 3rd year transfers. But really, once you're a 3rd year, it will feel differently anyway.
 
C's really DO get degrees though. Don't mistaken prioritization for apathy. At many many schools, preclinical curriculum is awful and spending all that extra time memorizing irrelevant PhD minutia is useless and better spent elsewhere.
 
It's really hard to get a transfer to another school. It's not like college where they don't really care why you're transferring as long as you meet requirements. Curriculums do vary, so transferring between M1 and M2 years could result in some knowledge gaps as well, although most schools should be able to identify any topics that need to be addressed to get you caught up. Most people who transfer have "big" reasons to do so; sick family members or a spouse/kids moving across the country, etc. Transferring just because you don't like the culture at your school is not going to be viewed as a good reason to transfer. The new school is going to wonder if you'll be happy with their culture as well; i.e. is this a real phenomenon at your school or is this just your own jaded perception and no where will truly make you happy.

If you really want to transfer and aren't just venting your frustrations right now, you will need to come up with a better reason than "not being happy with my school".
 
Aerus said:
C's really DO get degrees though. Don't mistaken prioritization for apathy. At many many schools, preclinical curriculum is awful and spending all that extra time memorizing irrelevant PhD minutia is useless and better spent elsewhere.
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very true. as i found out when it was step 1 study time and I had all this useless info in my brain and none of the relevant stuff.
 
TRPMinus said:
Is there a list out there of US MD schools that accept transfers? I'm at a US MD currently but pretty unhappy with the school. I feel like there is a lot of apathy and that people are content to just do the bare minimum. When I was trying to get into med school, I was probably a bit idealistic. I applied to a pretty top-heavy list, hoping that I could go somewhere where I would be surrounded by people that would be passionate and encourage me to learn and grow. I thought that med school was full of people that were gung-ho about learning, wanted to help people, and were after more than just money (I was wrong). I interviewed at some great schools but ended up getting waitlisted and rejected at my top two choices (I had 3 interviews that I attended, was offered 4). Right now I feel like I'm surrounded by a bunch of undergrads who have a "c's get degrees" mentality and couldn't care less about personal or professional growth. Anyways I have good stats but I think that transferring is probably a tough business. I'm doing very well in school but feel disillusioned by the reality of med school. I'm not looking to transfer because I want an easier road. I want to transfer because I want to be challenged by my surroundings. Any advice appreciated
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Yeah I'm going to be blunt here. Get over yourself.
 
TRPMinus said:
Not sure how getting over myself will fix the situation since it's the school culture that I dislike. Doesn't have a whole lot to do with me, actually. I'm not saying that I "deserve better", I am just frustrated with what I'm seeing. I'm guessing you think I'm stuck up because I said I interviewed at some great schools. If it makes you feel better, I'm not caught up in rankings. I just liked the culture at the other schools better, at least from what I saw.

Let me give you an example: My class was informally polled on why we chose to go into medicine. The top two entered results? "Chicks" and "Money". How is that something that I want to be a part of? Maybe i'm unrealistic to think that it could be different at other schools, but I'm sort of disturbed by it. Are you just ok with that?
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Absolutely, welcome to the real world where medicine is a job. A dang good one I might add, but still a job nonetheless.
 
TRPMinus said:
Let me give you an example: My class was informally polled on why we chose to go into medicine. The top two entered results? "Chicks" and "Money". How is that something that I want to be a part of? Maybe i'm unrealistic to think that it could be different at other schools, but I'm sort of disturbed by it. Are you just ok with that?
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I'm guessing a number of those people were just being smart asses. Is your class about half female? if so, I doubt they were giving that answer and not every male gave that answer. So really, there are many in your class that don't think that way.

If your class has 75+ students, surely you can find a student or two that you can make friends with.

Many med students don't like the first two years. Grin and bear it.
 
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TRPMinus said:
Let me give you an example: My class was informally polled on why we chose to go into medicine. The top two entered results? "Chicks" and "Money". How is that something that I want to be a part of? Maybe i'm unrealistic to think that it could be different at other schools, but I'm sort of disturbed by it. Are you just ok with that?
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TRP, that's the baseline! I suspect your problem is that you are letting your peers and the class gestalt define you. You are not them. If they want to merely get Cs, skate by Step I and end up in a mediocre residency, that's on them, not you.

So, challenge yourself! Start tutoring...form a club. Pretty soon you'll find like-minded individuals.

The pre-clinical years will be gone in a flash.
 
I really wish I could be honest with my interviewers and say that the thing about medicine I least look forward to isn't breaking bad news, it's being surrounded by tightasses like OP all day.
 
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phantomyinyang said:
I really wish I could be honest with my interviewers and say that the thing about medicine I least look forward to isn't breaking bad news, but being surrounded by tightasses like OP all day.
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Exactly, it's a blessing to be accepted and attending medical school in the first place, having an attitude like OP is a recipe for a miserable life :shrug:
 
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Not understanding what the issue is here? Seems you need an external motivator to push you, this is more an issue on your end than anyone else.

In a field that is known for more uptight personalities, you would think it would be a nice change of pace. I don't know, it just seems kinda weird to complain everyone seems to have a laid back personality. That's like complaining an exam is too easy, just weird man.
 
You could turn the equation around. So you don't like the culture at your school? If the culture really is as you say, wouldn't surprise me if faculty/admin are disappointed also, or other students. Rather than see how to transfer out, perhaps you should ask yourself what you can do to change the situation. If you're disappointed by student involvement in social action, then start doing something in that space. Make a difference. Be a driver of change.

Or, you can be super practical about it. If every one around you is happy with C's, and you get A's, you'll be the one shining when it comes to match.
 
TRPMinus said:
Not sure how getting over myself will fix the situation since it's the school culture that I dislike. Doesn't have a whole lot to do with me, actually. I'm not saying that I "deserve better", I am just frustrated with what I'm seeing. I'm guessing you think I'm stuck up because I said I interviewed at some great schools. If it makes you feel better, I'm not caught up in rankings. I just liked the culture at the other schools better, at least from what I saw.

Let me give you an example: My class was informally polled on why we chose to go into medicine. The top two entered results? "Chicks" and "Money". How is that something that I want to be a part of? Maybe i'm unrealistic to think that it could be different at other schools, but I'm sort of disturbed by it. Are you just ok with that?
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Honestly, you sound like you really need to loosen up. If my class had had that poll, I totally would have put "chicks" for laughs even though it's not a little bit true. Learn to take a joke. Also keep in mind that a lot of the people who are espousing the "Cs get degrees" ideology are probably reminding themselves that it's okay to not get an A as long as you pass in medical school. At the end of the day, they'll still be doctors, and if they're feeling stressed or overwhelmed by school, it's totally okay for them to remind themselves of that fact. Maybe get to know some of your classmates a bit better, and please stop taking everything so seriously.
 
TRPMinus said:
Is there a list out there of US MD schools that accept transfers? I'm at a US MD currently but pretty unhappy with the school. I feel like there is a lot of apathy and that people are content to just do the bare minimum. When I was trying to get into med school, I was probably a bit idealistic. I applied to a pretty top-heavy list, hoping that I could go somewhere where I would be surrounded by people that would be passionate and encourage me to learn and grow. I thought that med school was full of people that were gung-ho about learning, wanted to help people, and were after more than just money (I was wrong). I interviewed at some great schools but ended up getting waitlisted and rejected at my top two choices (I had 3 interviews that I attended, was offered 4). Right now I feel like I'm surrounded by a bunch of undergrads who have a "c's get degrees" mentality and couldn't care less about personal or professional growth. Anyways I have good stats but I think that transferring is probably a tough business. I'm doing very well in school but feel disillusioned by the reality of med school. I'm not looking to transfer because I want an easier road. I want to transfer because I want to be challenged by my surroundings. Any advice appreciated
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You arent the only one and your thoughts are shared by many.

SDN does not reflect real life medicine so take your critics with a grain of salt

You are absolutely right: many MD students in US schools are lack luster when it comes for drive. Witness the dozens of threads on SDN about UFAP and skipping lectures while having an entitled attitude all the way through.

Here is the thing: there are also many bright students in your school but you may not hear or see them. Sit at the front of the lectures. They are there. Go to office hours for professors. They are there. Ask your professors whom they see as really bright lights in the class, then get to know those bright lights. Go to the quiet silent floors or stacks in your medical school, they will be there. Visit the library Friday night, Saturday early morning or late Saturday....yup, they are there

You will find them. Look in these and other places.

Transferring isnt even an option unless if you have dire circumstances like a sick spouse or some other grave matter.

You got into a US medical school. Half of the students score above the national mean for Step exams while, wait for it, the other half score below

go find them. They would probably love to meet you too!
 
The question I have is, how do you know that you'll automatically like it better at some other school? It's a big gamble and of course, it could work out and be better, but you could also just as easily find yourself not liking the environment for the same or different reasons.

You say that you interviewed at some great schools -- it's virtually impossible to get an idea of what the school is really like from interview day. Interview day is always just a put-on show by every school to sell themselves and the students pretty much always say just positive things. It's not until you actually matriculate at a school and become a student there that you experience the ins and outs of what the school is like and how it operates on a day to day basis.

Also, at the end of the day it doesn't matter what other people are up to. Obviously yeah it's ideal to have friends in your class that you can do stuff with during down time but you're in medical school to do well and kickstart your career. I don't think the lack of ideal motivation from other students is the best reason to transfer TBH
 
cd14+ said:
Witness the dozens of threads on SDN about UFAP and skipping lectures while having an entitled attitude all the way through.
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Lol wut? Maybe instead of entitlement that is uh, oh I don't know, those students taking advantage of the best ways to study?

cd14+ said:
Here is the thing: there are also many bright students in your school but you may not hear or see them. Sit at the front of the lectures. They are there.
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Wrong, the best students tend to never go to class.
 
TRPMinus said:
Let me give you an example: My class was informally polled on why we chose to go into medicine. The top two entered results? "Chicks" and "Money". How is that something that I want to be a part of? Maybe i'm unrealistic to think that it could be different at other schools, but I'm sort of disturbed by it. Are you just ok with that?
Click to expand...



I'll refer you to this speech since I'm assuming mods will be upset if I use profanities here.
 
cd14+ said:
Here is the thing: there are also many bright students in your school but you may not hear or see them. Sit at the front of the lectures. They are there.

Nope, some of them sit in the middle and some in the back and some are at home watching at 2x.

Go to office hours for professors. They are there.

Nope, more like making multiple passes in Robbins, Pathoma, USMLErx.

Ask your professors whom they see as really bright lights in the class, then get to know those bright lights. Go to the quiet silent floors or stacks in your medical school, they will be there. Visit the library Friday night,

Saturday early morning or late Saturday....yup, they are there

Nope, they are so smart that they don't study that late. However, you will definitely see me there the medical student who only scores around the average...

You will find them. Look in these and other places.
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Response above.


AnatomyGrey12 said:
Wrong, the best students tend to never go to class.
Click to expand...

Not true either, its actually both. At my school, the extremely bright ones seem to do fine even going to class. However, at the same time, there are also non-class goers who are also at the top as well.
 
cd14+ said:
You arent the only one and your thoughts are shared by many.

SDN does not reflect real life medicine so take your critics with a grain of salt

You are absolutely right: many MD students in US schools are lack luster when it comes for drive. Witness the dozens of threads on SDN about UFAP and skipping lectures while having an entitled attitude all the way through.

Here is the thing: there are also many bright students in your school but you may not hear or see them. Sit at the front of the lectures. They are there. Go to office hours for professors. They are there. Ask your professors whom they see as really bright lights in the class, then get to know those bright lights. Go to the quiet silent floors or stacks in your medical school, they will be there. Visit the library Friday night, Saturday early morning or late Saturday....yup, they are there

You will find them. Look in these and other places.

Transferring isnt even an option unless if you have dire circumstances like a sick spouse or some other grave matter.

You got into a US medical school. Half of the students score above the national mean for Step exams while, wait for it, the other half score below

go find them. They would probably love to meet you too!
Click to expand...

What's this blabbering nonsense? You two are going to whine about medical students settling for Bs while spending 90% of their time to crush boards. Let me know when medicine taught by PhDs is real medicine. ROFL

Your first two years of medical school will be summed up by one number. That's the truth. Don't be a hater. Learn to play the game and loosen up.
 
I hate to break it to you but, perhaps you are just unexceptional as your peers at this school. Had you been deemed the type of student that exceptional places want you would have matriculated at such a school. But all isn't lost. Why don't you be the change you want to see. Start a study group, or a student org /interest group get involved in research. Be exceptional, challenge yourself , lift the people around you up, and most of all change your attitude towards your peers.
I go to a middle of the pack school and I see exceptional/driven people all he time in addition to the p=MD crowd. I am sure your school isn't different .
 
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TRPMinus said:
I want to be challenged by my surroundings.
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Let's set aside your feelings about your classmates. Chances are, you don't yet know all of them very well.

How are the classes? Are they difficult? Are you having to learn a lot of material in a short time? Med school is like that so you should be feeling challenged unless the modules you've had so far have been easy for you to digest. Likely you're going to soon be coming upon challenging material, don't you think?

At this time, you'd be transferring for MS3 year, not MS2, so really it's pointless to transfer because rotations will be a totally different animal, in a hospital setting, and with obviously very engaged professionals.

As mentioned, you don't have a legit reason to transfer in the eyes of the new med school (spouse had a job transfer, etc), so I think it would be a waste of time to even try. Any other med schools aren't going to accept your reason for wanting to transfer. And as mentioned, they'll fear that you won't like their school either.

Tomorrow, make a point to sit near some friendly but engaged faces. Hopefully you'll soon make a friend or two. Really, that's all you need.
 
You need a circumstance (a legit one). Not liking the school you picked based on the student population is not one that will be entertained, especially if the school requires a letter of intent and a dean's letter stating your standing and understanding that you want to leave (not all schools require the latter). It gives you reason to want to transfer, yes, but it's not one in which another school will entertain/allow regardless of stats and how you feel. If it were a familial reason, for instance, maybe. I'm unaware of any list, but all schools list whether or not they take transfer apps on their site (sometimes in FAQs). I transferred between M1 and M2, so it can be done, but everything needs to be in line between both schools curriculums on top of having a legitimate reason for not only transferring, but a legit reason as to transferring to the particular school in which you're applying for transfer.
 
are you a traditional student?

one of the benefits of the nontraditional students is that they have had jobs and experiences in life. This helps to inform that everywhere sucks. you would probably feel the same way about a different item at a different school. And then you will get to clinicals and feel the same. then you will get to residency with people from many different schools and some will not care. and you will feel the same in residency.

every school, every residency, and every job will have aspects that you don't like. try to see the benefit. maybe you don't have gunning that you would find in the more competitive schools, or you have better lecturers because they actually want to teach as opposed to just pumping out research. look for the benefits, put your head down, and do awesome.
 
I for one do not believe that your class is somehow different from all the other med school classes others on this forum have experienced.

The biggest question is why are u focusing so much on others right now?
Are you continuing to do things that make you happy outside of medicine?
Are you feeling isolated at your school?
Do your expectations of what med school should be like match reality?
 
First semester just generally blows. You don't know anyone well enough to know how they actually feel about things, mainly because they're either trying to work it out still or they're keeping it quiet from people they just met. Couple that with the fact that the most annoying people are also the loudest, and it's easy to feel like you dislike the whole culture of the whole school.

Coming from an M2 who actually still hates the school I'm at, I promise you it gets better. You'll find your niche of friends who get you and maybe some faculty you can relate to (and who probably share the same sentiment), and things will fall into place. Instead of feeling like I'm annoyed by all my classmates, I can now pinpoint the 10-15 dinguses who are just (unfortunately) really good at making their presence known. Keep an open mind, find your people, and ignore the douchebags. Disclaimer: med school has a scary high douchebag to non-douchebag ratio, so this might take some time.
 
TRPMinus said:
Is there a list out there of US MD schools that accept transfers? I'm at a US MD currently but pretty unhappy with the school. I feel like there is a lot of apathy and that people are content to just do the bare minimum. When I was trying to get into med school, I was probably a bit idealistic. I applied to a pretty top-heavy list, hoping that I could go somewhere where I would be surrounded by people that would be passionate and encourage me to learn and grow. I thought that med school was full of people that were gung-ho about learning, wanted to help people, and were after more than just money (I was wrong). I interviewed at some great schools but ended up getting waitlisted and rejected at my top two choices (I had 3 interviews that I attended, was offered 4). Right now I feel like I'm surrounded by a bunch of undergrads who have a "c's get degrees" mentality and couldn't care less about personal or professional growth. Anyways I have good stats but I think that transferring is probably a tough business. I'm doing very well in school but feel disillusioned by the reality of med school. I'm not looking to transfer because I want an easier road. I want to transfer because I want to be challenged by my surroundings. Any advice appreciated
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The strongest motivation and/or healthy competitive spirit comes from within, not from external factors. This really sounds like you're hanging out with the wrong crowd or that this is just a misconception on your part possibly if you're an M1 who hasn't obtained a reliable sample size of your class yet. You can't tell me that you're one of only few at a US MD school who goes beyond the bare minimum. To answer your original question, I don't think even entertaining that thought is a wise idea because I think it would look weird when it came time to apply. Program Director: "Why did you leave XYZ medical school". You: Because the atmosphere was not competitive enough. The PD's probably going to wonder what you'll think about their program. Also, more importantly, I don't think schools would accept this without a good reason (hurricanes, etc.) or else we'd be hearing about this all the time.
 
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yurithetrainerwhotrains said:
This is a late post, but I just wanted to say that reading through these posts has helped me a bit. I go to SGU in the Caribbean and am currently 3.5 months in and share very similar sentiments to OP. I too enjoy being challenged by my surroundings. I went to competitive institutions for undergrad and master's but unfortunately got what I deserve for med school. Rock bottom. This place...it's bad. If there ever were a med-school-party-school, this would be it. The students are rowdy, immature, and disrespectful, and the the way things are done is geared very much towards people who struggle academically. I've never seen such a low quality of human in my life. It's disappointing and it honestly scares me for the future of healthcare. It's difficult for me to find people I can relate to and to have the patience to sit through sessions that I find unnecessary for strong students who don't need the extra help that they force upon us. Some of the teaching is incredibly mediocre (some of the instructors and TAs have admitted to us flat out that they themselves don't understand the material). The environment crushes me every day to the point that I'm not sure this is worth it and am thinking of dropping out. I've been looking to transfer too (although I realize this is BEYOND unrealistic). The actual academic material is totally fine for me, but this environment has me losing my sanity. I hope I can keep these posts in mind as I move forward, stuck here for two years. I hope that I can find drive from within and not let this place and these people define me.
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Transferring is a possibility, even from the Caribbean. There are a few schools that will consider you, albeit if everything they look for is met. This changes depending on the individual school, and whether the attempted transfer is between 1st/2nd or 2nd/3rd. In some cases, I imagine you could even talk to schools about transferring between 3rd/4th, however you must complete 2 years at a given school, thus IF this was an option, you’d be adding a year for little benefit at that point.

I transferred, though not from the Caribbean. During my search, I did find numerous schools that are open to applications from Caribbean students.
 
If some ppl could share their success stories with transffering that would be helpful though I gotta say I can' t imagine many do caribbean -> somewhere else
 
MusicDOc124 said:
Transferring is a possibility, even from the Caribbean. There are a few schools that will consider you, albeit if everything they look for is met. This changes depending on the individual school, and whether the attempted transfer is between 1st/2nd or 2nd/3rd. In some cases, I imagine you could even talk to schools about transferring between 3rd/4th, however you must complete 2 years at a given school, thus IF this was an option, you’d be adding a year for little benefit at that point.

I transferred, though not from the Caribbean. During my search, I did find numerous schools that are open to applications from Caribbean students.
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Thank you for your insight, I appreciate it
 
shemer77 said:
If some ppl could share their success stories with transffering that would be helpful though I gotta say I can' t imagine many do caribbean -> somewhere else
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Certainly not many as transferring is pretty rare as it is, regardless. But I know 6 people who transferred successfully in addition to myself. In the ones I know personally, all are US to US, and either MD to MD or DO to DO.
 
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