why do people ask?

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fewcherpeedsdoc

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there's been a lot of threads of "should i go to this school or that school"

REALLY PEOPLE???? (my hint of SNL weekend update flavor)

people shouldn't be asking SDNers their opinion on this issue. inevitably you'll get a majority of biased opinions that arent necessarily in depth.

you should probably practice some decisiveness and figure it out on your own:thumbup:

perhaps, ask a family member or a close friend. if you value peoples opinion on here to the extent that you're going to listen to where they think you should be going...then that's ___________. (i'll let you fill in the word you think goes there)

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there's been a lot of threads of "should i go to this school or that school"

REALLY PEOPLE???? (my hint of SNL weekend update flavor)

people shouldn't be asking SDNers their opinion on this issue. inevitably you'll get a majority of biased opinions that arent necessarily in depth.

you should probably practice some decisiveness and figure it out on your own:thumbup:

perhaps, ask a family member or a close friend. if you value peoples opinion on here to the extent that you're going to listen to where they think you should be going...then that's ___________. (i'll let you fill in the word you think goes there)

Many people are the first person in their families to go to medical school, so they wanna make sure that they are making the right choice. Or they want to be sure that other people are picking the medical school for the right reasons, or they want more info to make a better, and more informed decision...

I for one, love the XXXXX vs YYYYY medical school threads...
 
what doesnt make sense to me is how these individuals got accepted in the first place to these schools if they don't know sufficient information already...

it's like, how did they make the case of "why do you want to go to YYYY school?" during interviews
 
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there's been a lot of threads of "should i go to this school or that school"

REALLY PEOPLE???? (my hint of SNL weekend update flavor)

people shouldn't be asking SDNers their opinion on this issue. inevitably you'll get a majority of biased opinions that arent necessarily in depth.

you should probably practice some decisiveness and figure it out on your own:thumbup:

perhaps, ask a family member or a close friend. if you value peoples opinion on here to the extent that you're going to listen to where they think you should be going...then that's ___________. (i'll let you fill in the word you think goes there)
It does seem that everybody likes their own med school and would recommend it, just as the great majority of residents like their own program and would recommend it, and the great majority of fellows like their own program and would recommend it, etc. Sure, sometimes you'll get that bitter guy posting, but usually it's people sticking up for the home team. I think the reason for this is that most med schools are pretty good and most med students have a decent experience. Couple this with the fact that virtually nobody has any real basis for comparison: how many people get to experience two different medical schools first-hand? When you tour around interviewing for residency and fellowship, you will notice that 99%+ of the people you talk to will say "Yeah, I really like it here! I'm glad I came! I made a good choice!" And they mean it. But they would say (and mean) the same thing if they'd ended up at Y instead of X.
Obviously it does matter, in some ways, where you go. Some places will help you get that derm residency at the location of your chosing, and at some places it'll be harder. But I think applicants can generally take some comfort that, in the United States in the year 2009, you are probably not going to end up having a disasterous medical school experience and will likely end up posting "I really like it here! I'm glad I came!" on some thread next year.
 
btw, congrats on the UT southwestern acceptance. my bro went there for his oral surgery internship. he thought it was one of the best environments since they had a world renowned oral surgeon there. i guess southwestern attracts top notch physicians to train future ones.
 
I for one, love the XXXXX vs YYYYY medical school threads...
I could not agree more. My favorite part of the threads is seeing how people's opinions of a "top 5 undergrad" or a "top 5 med school" differ. Also the decision of where to go to med school will effect at least the next four years of your life and the financial ramifications will last significantly longer. I don't blame people for wanting others opinions of what school to attend.
 
btw, congrats on the UT southwestern acceptance. my bro went there for his oral surgery internship. he thought it was one of the best environments since they had a world renowned oral surgeon there. i guess southwestern attracts top notch physicians to train future ones.

Thanks! I am excited. Maybe you will join me there in 2010?:D
 
It does seem that everybody likes their own med school and would recommend it, just as the great majority of residents like their own program and would recommend it, and the great majority of fellows like their own program and would recommend it, etc. Sure, sometimes you'll get that bitter guy posting, but usually it's people sticking up for the home team. I think the reason for this is that most med schools are pretty good and most med students have a decent experience. Couple this with the fact that virtually nobody has any real basis for comparison: how many people get to experience two different medical schools first-hand? When you tour around interviewing for residency and fellowship, you will notice that 99%+ of the people you talk to will say "Yeah, I really like it here! I'm glad I came! I made a good choice!" And they mean it. But they would say (and mean) the same thing if they'd ended up at Y instead of X.
Obviously it does matter, in some ways, where you go. Some places will help you get that derm residency at the location of your chosing, and at some places it'll be harder. But I think applicants can generally take some comfort that, in the United States in the year 2009, you are probably not going to end up having a disasterous medical school experience and will likely end up posting "I really like it here! I'm glad I came!" on some thread next year.

But then again, there is always this thread...

the official "i hate my medical school" thread...
 
there's been a lot of threads of "should i go to this school or that school"

REALLY PEOPLE???? (my hint of SNL weekend update flavor)

people shouldn't be asking SDNers their opinion on this issue. inevitably you'll get a majority of biased opinions that arent necessarily in depth.

you should probably practice some decisiveness and figure it out on your own:thumbup:

perhaps, ask a family member or a close friend. if you value peoples opinion on here to the extent that you're going to listen to where they think you should be going...then that's ___________. (i'll let you fill in the word you think goes there)


Geez, you are so smart. I knew I shouldn't care at all what my peers thinks. *sarcasm*
 
thank you *sarcasm* hahaha

anyways, this thread isnt for people like you who don't ask others what they think. its for those who make the threads that do.

btw, your comment makes it seem like im trying to tell people who have had adverse opinions given to them, to not care about them. that's totally not the case.
 
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thank you *sarcasm* hahaha

anyways, this thread isnt for people like you who don't ask others what they think. its for those who make the threads that do.

btw, your comment makes it seem like im trying to tell people who have had adverse opinions given to them, to not care about them. that's totally not the case.

Check my post history. I did ask people what they think. That does not mean that I am a drone or someone who listens to others. It means that I am someone who wants to hear the advice of those who are in a somewhat similar position. Thanks though.
 
I think it is perfectly fine to post these comparative questions. The decision, after all and for obvious reasons, is not to be taken lightly! What I do think posters need to take into consideration, however, is where they post these questions. Almost all of them seem to be posted here, in the pre-allopathic forum, where most people have yet to begin medical school. Therefore, the advice given is by and large going to be very superficial (perspectives based on brief interview visits, tenuous traits such as "prestige" and "ranking," posts from other pre-meds, etc...) and ultimately of little use to the OP. I've read through some of the threads already posted here, and I would have a hard time taking any advice into account that wasn't given by a student of either school.

Were I to post such a question, I would probably do it in a forum more likely to be populated by students who have already matriculated at the two schools I am debating. Or, better yet, I'd go to both of their "Second Look" weekends and personally quiz students on the pros and cons of each school. Based on my beliefs, however, I would never post such a question here, unless I could be sure that many already matriculated students would share their advice with me.
 
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there's been a lot of threads of "should i go to this school or that school"

REALLY PEOPLE???? (my hint of SNL weekend update flavor)

people shouldn't be asking SDNers their opinion on this issue. inevitably you'll get a majority of biased opinions that arent necessarily in depth.

you should probably practice some decisiveness and figure it out on your own:thumbup:

perhaps, ask a family member or a close friend. if you value peoples opinion on here to the extent that you're going to listen to where they think you should be going...then that's ___________. (i'll let you fill in the word you think goes there)
Most people who post these threads have been thinking about it on their own and have done significant research on both schools. One thing that you can't find out on your own, is how people feel about the area/school. If you don't live anywhere near the school, it might be a good idea to ask people who have been there what they think about it, otherwise your just being closed minded.

It sounds like you have many family members and friends who are either physicians or in medical school. While that is great for you, everyone else isn't in that situation to have close friends who actually know much about medical school.

I, personally, do value SDNer's opinions and know that other people making these types of posts do too. It's great to hear other opinions to help you make a decision. Maybe you know exactly where you'll be happiest going to medical school, but others don't know and it's great that SDN is here to help with that.
 
I think it is perfectly fine to post these comparative questions. The decision, after all and for obvious reasons, is not to be taken lightly! What I do think posters need to take into consideration, however, is where they post these questions. Almost all of them seem to be posted here, in the pre-allopathic forum, where most people have yet to begin medical school. Therefore, the advice given is by and large going to be very superficial (perspectives based on brief interview visits, tenuous traits such as "prestige" and "ranking," posts from other pre-meds, etc...) and ultimately of little use to the OP. I've read through some of the threads already posted here, and I would have a hard time taking any advice into account that wasn't given by a student of either school.

Were I to post such a question, I would probably do it in a forum more likely to be populated by students who have already matriculated at the two schools I am debating. Or, better yet, I'd go to both of their "Second Look" weekends and personally quiz students on the pros and cons of each school. Based on my beliefs, however, I would never post such a question here, unless I could be sure that many already matriculated students would share their advice with me.


completely agree!!!
 
Most people who post these threads have been thinking about it on their own and have done significant research on both schools. One thing that you can't find out on your own, is how people feel about the area/school. If you don't live anywhere near the school, it might be a good idea to ask people who have been there what they think about it, otherwise your just being closed minded.

It sounds like you have many family members and friends who are either physicians or in medical school. While that is great for you, everyone else isn't in that situation to have close friends who actually know much about medical school.

I, personally, do value SDNer's opinions and know that other people making these types of posts do too. It's great to hear other opinions to help you make a decision. Maybe you know exactly where you'll be happiest going to medical school, but others don't know and it's great that SDN is here to help with that.

I do not think it is being close minded to NOT ask SDN PRE-MEDS! Like the poster said above, the insight you usually attain from pre-meds (even those who are currently going through the process) is superficial and limited at best. While one could argue you might gain a different perspective about why "X" school over "Y" school, he/she should be making a decision predicated on personal preferences, which usually are not gained by listening to someone else.

I am not bragging, but I did an extensive amount of research for each school to which I applied and I know for sure to which school I would attend (currently crossing my fingers as I am waiting to hear from a few of my dream schools). I do not feel like I need the help of other pre-meds to help me decide the first step in the next chapter of my life.

And yes, both my father and sister are physicians; however, their insight while applying has proven to be worthless b/c we had different reasons for applying to certain schools and they both graduated a long time ago (my dad during the flinstone age and my sister during the Lassie era...LOL)
 
what doesnt make sense to me is how these individuals got accepted in the first place to these schools if they don't know sufficient information already...

it's like, how did they make the case of "why do you want to go to YYYY school?" during interviews
Simple: you do some research and pick something that looks like the school's selling point, and you talk it up. In case you haven't figured it out yet, getting accepted to med school is all about playing their game and jumping through their hoops. There is absolutely not a chance in hell that you, as a pre-med, are going to be able to get a feel for what really goes on at a school unless you have a good friend who is an M3 or older whom you can trust to open up entirely and provide accurate information.All the interview tours and lunch with students and second looks in the world aren't going to help you much. You just make the best decision you can based on the extremely superficial information you're presented with and go from there.

On a related note, that is why I laugh every time I see someone getting overly enthusiastic about a particular school. The number of pre-meds with access to the right information is quite small, I have to imagine, so most of these people have absolutely no clue what they're talking about. Did you like the pretty hospital they walked you through on the campus tour? That was great, right? What they conveniently leave out is that you're going to be in a basement classroom for the first 2 years of school, and when you finally get to that purdy facility, you'll be busting your butt too much to care where you are. Also, the school's administration is corrupt as all hell, and the professors are self-important jackasses who'll talk down to you at every opportunity and don't teach the material you're responsible for properly. But hey, that tour sure was amazing, and the MSAR says they promote a higher standard of learning! Wow! That's top choice material for sure!
 
From what I've been able to tell from interview trips, I totally agree. Also, what's a "nice" hospital to one person might be horrendous to another, and vice a versa. For instance, I don't like the huge metropolitan hospital feel, but I love the quaint, small training hospitals... like that of Creighton. Loved it. Most people probably see it as a major minus though.

I've found that there there is no correlation (if anything, a negative correlation) between what I think about a school BEFORE I see it (no matter how much I research it) and what I think AFTER I see it.

Simple: you do some research and pick something that looks like the school's selling point, and you talk it up. In case you haven't figured it out yet, getting accepted to med school is all about playing their game and jumping through their hoops. There is absolutely not a chance in hell that you, as a pre-med, are going to be able to get a feel for what really goes on at a school unless you have a good friend who is an M3 or older whom you can trust to open up entirely and provide accurate information.All the interview tours and lunch with students and second looks in the world aren't going to help you much. You just make the best decision you can based on the extremely superficial information you're presented with and go from there.

On a related note, that is why I laugh every time I see someone getting overly enthusiastic about a particular school. The number of pre-meds with access to the right information is quite small, I have to imagine, so most of these people have absolutely no clue what they're talking about. Did you like the pretty hospital they walked you through on the campus tour? That was great, right? What they conveniently leave out is that you're going to be in a basement classroom for the first 2 years of school, and when you finally get to that purdy facility, you'll be busting your butt too much to care where you are. Also, the school's administration is corrupt as all hell, and the professors are self-important jackasses who'll talk down to you at every opportunity and don't teach the material you're responsible for properly. But hey, that tour sure was amazing, and the MSAR says they promote a higher standard of learning! Wow! That's top choice material for sure!
 
Well, yeah, but I think you're missing my point. I'm saying that even after you go and check it out for yourself, there's no way to know if you're actually going to like the school without an inside source of information, and most people don't have that luxury. Yeah, you can get stuff like location and tuition and curriculum mostly out of the way on your own, but truly making an informed decision takes connections.
 
I don't understand "dream medical schools." It's a school. I don't care which school I go to, as long as it's in-state and I get an MD/DO.
 
What I do think posters need to take into consideration, however, is where they post these questions. [...]

Were I to post such a question, I would probably do it in a forum more likely to be populated by students who have already matriculated at the two schools I am debating.

That's all very well, but when such a query is posted in the allo forum, the mods often move it over here. This happened to me: I posted a query for Temple students about their school, and it was moved after a day or so. I thought this was a little strange; on the other hand, I did get replies from Temple students in this forum. As you can tell from this thread, med students, residents and even attendings do check out the pre-allo forum and post here from time to time.
 
Many people are the first person in their families to go to medical school, so they wanna make sure that they are making the right choice. Or they want to be sure that other people are picking the medical school for the right reasons, or they want more info to make a better, and more informed decision...

I for one, love the XXXXX vs YYYYY medical school threads...
Ehhh...I hate these threads as well. I remember that last year they kinda just swamped the forum...like there was one every five minutes. I understand wanting to get current students' opinions, but that's why I asked a bazillion questions on the interview trail. I won't say they're totally useless though, they just seem to get real repetitive real quick. And it seems like the same schools are brought up but with different combinations. So there'll be A v. B and A v. C and then someone will probably put up B v. C.
 
That's all very well, but when such a query is posted in the allo forum, the mods often move it over here. This happened to me: I posted a query for Temple students about their school, and it was moved after a day or so. I thought this was a little strange; on the other hand, I did get replies from Temple students in this forum. As you can tell from this thread, med students, residents and even attendings do check out the pre-allo forum and post here from time to time.
That is unfortunate!

What I would do (were I, say, a mod) is encourage current medical students to make greater use of the "specific school" subforum. They could post detailed comments about their respective schools in the school's specific thread. That way, instead of being forced to slog through 1,000 different "X vs. Y" threads (most of which are useless and of little use to their creators while isolated here), one could simply go to the school's main thread and explore it to get current opinions.

How could this be encouraged? I suppose a link to the school-specific subforum from the allopathic forum would help. The title of the subforum could also be modified (for example, "School-Specific Discussion and Feedback") for clarity. Yes, I do know that the subforum serves other purposes (such as discussing the school's application procedures) but it is still far better than being inundated by "X vs. Y" threads in a forum viewed largely by us pre-meds. A more formal application (similar to that used to solicit interview feedback) could also be useful.
 
it sounds like the majority of the people hate these threads as well, or agree that asking fellow premeds or med students is pretty much useless.

everyone is different, therefore, everyone's opinion of the school will be different. ultimately, based off the interview, tour and independent research the person should be able to make the decision on their own. it would be ridiculous to take any shallow opinions in the thread into consideration.

all the info is readily available on the websites or interview days...so MODs should just delete those threads hahaha :p

in the end, i think its the peoples ego's that motivate them to make those threads. its sad that some get into such good schools, but they dont have the decisiveness to choose the best school for themselves...
 
there's been a lot of threads of "should i go to this school or that school"

REALLY PEOPLE???? (my hint of SNL weekend update flavor)

people shouldn't be asking SDNers their opinion on this issue. inevitably you'll get a majority of biased opinions that arent necessarily in depth.

you should probably practice some decisiveness and figure it out on your own:thumbup:

perhaps, ask a family member or a close friend. if you value peoples opinion on here to the extent that you're going to listen to where they think you should be going...then that's ___________. (i'll let you fill in the word you think goes there)

They already did that, but still need some more input.


it sounds like the majority of the people hate these threads as well, or agree that asking fellow premeds or med students is pretty much useless.

everyone is different, therefore, everyone's opinion of the school will be different. ultimately, based off the interview, tour and independent research the person should be able to make the decision on their own. it would be ridiculous to take any shallow opinions in the thread into consideration.

all the info is readily available on the websites or interview days...so MODs should just delete those threads hahaha :p

in the end, i think its the peoples ego's that motivate them to make those threads. its sad that some get into such good schools, but they dont have the decisiveness to choose the best school for themselves...

I call troll.
All the info is readily available on the website or interview days? Are you serious?
And for the deal about pple's ego, maybe true sometimes, but i'd say most times its not the case. People just want to have different perspectives on the different schools. You have pple here on sdn from all over who have experienced diff. things about the schools...so you never know.

If you dont like the threads, simple. Dont click on the link! Quit hating.
 
I think it's worthwhile to ask here, but you will really need to take the input with a grain of salt (even if you get input from a med student... but I'd trust them more). I'd make sure to look for specific details. If another premed is able to share with you a specific facet of a program that they thought was cool and you didn't know about it or forgot about it, awesome. (But, as others said above, not everything that "looks cool" actually matters when you're a med student.)

I think talking to other applicants, and especially med students, is potentially more valuable for getting information. Talking to your family and loved ones is a good idea too, but what do they know about the schools? Once you've gathered information, then it makes sense to talk to them as you make your decision.
 
I don't understand "dream medical schools." It's a school. I don't care which school I go to, as long as it's in-state and I get an MD/DO.

I actually have difficulty understanding why anyone would not have a dream school. That would be like saying you don't care about what food you eat as long as it is nutritious and you are full at the end. Every experience has its own flavor that appeals to different individuals differently. For example, going to med school at a place that specializes in rural medicine like Duluth would be significantly different than going to a research heavy school in a metropolis like Columbia, WashU, or Pritzker.
 
Like I've been saying, most people don't have any way of knowing what their dream school is. You can know that the major aspects of a school - location, curriculum, and cost - fit your desires, but you'll have no idea whether or not you'll actually enjoy going there. Also, for the record, every school focuses on rural medicine or primary care, with the possible exception of schools like Stanford that are research-crazy. ALL of them. Promoting primary care in underserved areas is not a unique thing by any stretch of the imagination.
 
I actually have difficulty understanding why anyone would not have a dream school. That would be like saying you don't care about what food you eat as long as it is nutritious and you are full at the end. Every experience has its own flavor that appeals to different individuals differently. For example, going to med school at a place that specializes in rural medicine like Duluth would be significantly different than going to a research heavy school in a metropolis like Columbia, WashU, or Pritzker.
What if you only applied/got accepted to schools that fit your core criteria of what you value in a med school? I don't see why you need to pin all your hopes and dreams on one particular school or handful of schools.
 
I'm totally in agreement with people who say having a dream school is both silly and ultimately self-destructive.

When I applied to colleges, I had a VERY set dream school. I had spoken to people there, knew the curriculum backwards and forwards, and loved everything about it. So when I got rejected, I was FLOORED, and ended up going to what was really my 3rd choice. And I LOVED IT. More than I ever thought I could love a place. But the reason why I loved it was that 1) the curriculum I thought I would hate actually made me fall in love with subjects I never thought I'd like; 2) my professors and friends were the kindest, most open, most "me" people in the world; 3) our administration was equally wonderful; 4) even more intangible stuff, like the way our dorms were set up or how easy it was to get into the city or how fun it was to sled on the first big snowstorm and how crappy weather brought our campus together. The thing is, until I arrived there, I didn't know these things, and how could I have?

So that's why I think dream schools are sort of a useless, stressful exercise. You don't know what curriculum will work for you, you don't really know how the professors are, you don't know how your fellow students will be, you don't know whether the bar across town is the most fun bar you've ever been to even though you're ending up in rural Kansas and you grew up in NYC. You just don't know. And stressing out about one place and one place only just ends up making you miserable, and not giving other schools a shot- schools you'd probably love just as well.

I'd just say this: think about your undergrad experience. Whether you hated it or loved it, was it because of the stuff you knew from the website, or was it cause of the intangibles- the stuff that changes every year or is simply an individual preference?
 
Back on the original topic... I think people who hate on these School X vs School Y threads are people who might not feel like they are in a position to choose. Not everyone will get into more than one school they like, and so not everyone will know what its like to have to choose between multiple schools that they like. Generally, I think that while there are people who have egoistic reasons for posting these threads, there are people who genuinely can't pick between different schools. It happens. So instead of trashing these threads as a whole, how about trashing the posters on a post-by-post basis? :smuggrin:

But seriously, I find that some of these X vs Y threads are helpful. If I'm doing research on School X that I'll be interviewing at, it's nice to come across a School X vs School Y and School Z thread. Not only do some people post useful information about the schools involved, but you also sort of get a relative comparison in different categories. I thought it was nice to be able to see it from that perspective.
 
The final decision may be up to you, but it would be stupid to make that decision without getting as much information and advice as you can.
 
i think what it comes down to is, what are the main things people search for on their own, and what other information they ask about that needs the help of med students and others on SDN...

like are these threads having the majority be about study experience, professors etc or is it about location, the instate/oos tuition....

every time i see the thread its mostly filled with location, tuition stuff that is pointless in deciding between the two schools...

i guess im just thinking, if i was interviewing and on a tour at the school, i would have thought of these questions to ask already...unless you guys have suggestions on some that i might not think about that is actually useful to know about?


to that one person who said i'm hating, i know it sounds like it, but i am just surprised that these people cant decide between UCLA vs Hopkins or SD vs LA.....its like REALLY????
 
Back on the original topic... I think people who hate on these School X vs School Y threads are people who might not feel like they are in a position to choose. Not everyone will get into more than one school they like, and so not everyone will know what its like to have to choose between multiple schools that they like. Generally, I think that while there are people who have egoistic reasons for posting these threads, there are people who genuinely can't pick between different schools. It happens. So instead of trashing these threads as a whole, how about trashing the posters on a post-by-post basis? :smuggrin:

But seriously, I find that some of these X vs Y threads are helpful. If I'm doing research on School X that I'll be interviewing at, it's nice to come across a School X vs School Y and School Z thread. Not only do some people post useful information about the schools involved, but you also sort of get a relative comparison in different categories. I thought it was nice to be able to see it from that perspective.
It's attractive to think that all the whiners are just jealous, but I could make many of these threads and I restrain myself. Why? For the reasons I listed earlier.
 
Tuition is pointless when deciding between schools? Are your parents billionaires?


people should be thinking about quality of education first and foremost. if i got into harvard and have to pay 45k vs uc davis which would be free for instaters, i would pick harvard simply because of the education. everyone should be going into medicine to help people. you'll be able to help so many more people by going to a better quality institution and paying tuition. so making a thread about YYYYYY vs XXXXXX dealing with tuition is pointless and a waste of space.
 
It's attractive to think that all the whiners are just jealous, but I could make many of these threads and I restrain myself. Why? For the reasons I listed earlier.

I second this opinion. I have been blessed with a number of choices from which I will eventually decide; however, I do not need the input of other pre-meds who may reasons, distinct from mine, for wanting to attend a specific school.

I did a heck of alot of research on each school to which I applied and I knew exactly why I SPENT MY FREAKIN $$$$$ AND TIME ON THEIR APPLICATIONS.
 
I second this opinion. I have been blessed with a number of choices from which I will eventually decide; however, I do not need the input of other pre-meds who may reasons, distinct from mine, for wanting to attend a specific school.

I did a heck of alot of research on each school to which I applied and I knew exactly why I SPENT MY FREAKIN $$$$$ AND TIME ON THEIR APPLICATIONS.


congrats riceman. what school did you decide on?
 
It's attractive to think that all the whiners are just jealous, but I could make many of these threads and I restrain myself. Why? For the reasons I listed earlier.

This is true. I would probably rephrase what I posted to say, "some" of the posters. Personally I think these threads are fun to read and can be useful for when you're doing a search on a specific school, as half the time you'll see people laying out specific information that can be useful (it seems as if some schools have their champion MS1/MS2 who provides valuable info, won't name names but I think you get the idea). No matter how much research you've done, there may be something you missed or didn't consider. Of course, at some point you have to sit down and figure out what's important to you, but I don't think all these threads are necessarily a waste of time.

If you think they're a waste of time, no need to post in them, or even read them... yet alone complain about them. But let them be if it can be useful for anyone in the future. I know I've found them to be fairly useful, though these are of course secondary to the information I get from student hosts, interview day experiences, etc. Of course, I'm talking about searching through the old ones - I don't think I'll make a post of my own, as I do agree with some of the reasons you posted earlier.
 
people should be thinking about quality of education first and foremost. if i got into harvard and have to pay 45k vs uc davis which would be free for instaters, i would pick harvard simply because of the education. everyone should be going into medicine to help people. you'll be able to help so many more people by going to a better quality institution and paying tuition. so making a thread about YYYYYY vs XXXXXX dealing with tuition is pointless and a waste of space.
You're aware that all medical schools have to teach you the same information, right? Unless you're going into academia or research and can use the connections Harvard would get you, you're getting next to nothing out of your $180k plus interest. Far be it from me to tell you how to spend your hundreds of thousands of dollars, though. If you'd like to pay a few hundred grand more than you need to for your medical education, be my guest.

edit: The helping people thing...yeah...wow. I'm honestly not even sure where to start with that, but I'm truly sorry that my UAMS education will make me less of a people helper than the mighty Hopkins grads. Maybe I should drop out and go work for a homeless shelter. I do so love helping people, so I might as well maximize my talents.
 
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This is true. I would probably rephrase what I posted to say, "some" of the posters. Personally I think these threads are fun to read and can be useful for when you're doing a search on a specific school, as half the time you'll see people laying out specific information that can be useful (it seems as if some schools have their champion MS1/MS2 who provides valuable info, won't name names but I think you get the idea). No matter how much research you've done, there may be something you missed or didn't consider. Of course, at some point you have to sit down and figure out what's important to you, but I don't think all these threads are necessarily a waste of time.

If you think they're a waste of time, no need to post in them, or even read them... yet alone complain about them. But let them be if it can be useful for anyone in the future. I know I've found them to be fairly useful, though these are of course secondary to the information I get from student hosts, interview day experiences, etc. Of course, I'm talking about searching through the old ones - I don't think I'll make a post of my own, as I do agree with some of the reasons you posted earlier.
By that same token, this is a thread complaining about threads that compare school x v. school y...if you don't agree don't post. :p

Seriously though, for all the schools that have been compared in the past few weeks, there were already informative threads from this cycle or last year's cycle that were either A v. B style or that asked more directly, "What's special about X school?" I did briefly glance over those threads to get a general idea for the feel of a school in preparing for this process, but then preferred to take my own specific questions to the source--med students I met in real life. I guess the X v. Y format just gets tiresome.
 
By that same token, this is a thread complaining about threads that compare school x v. school y...if you don't agree don't post. :p

Seriously though, for all the schools that have been compared in the past few weeks, there were already informative threads from this cycle or last year's cycle that were either A v. B style or that asked more directly, "What's special about X school?" I did briefly glance over those threads to get a general idea for the feel of a school in preparing for this process, but then preferred to take my own specific questions to the source--med students I met in real life. I guess the X v. Y format just gets tiresome.

yes, i guess i'm just tired of seeing these titles of the threads. i dont read them anymore. i use to long time ago when i first came on SDN...
its funny though, i laughed when i read how i posted a thread that is criticizing those that make "Y vs X" threads....the madness never stops i guess.
 
By that same token, this is a thread complaining about threads that compare school x v. school y...if you don't agree don't post. :p

Seriously though, for all the schools that have been compared in the past few weeks, there were already informative threads from this cycle or last year's cycle that were either A v. B style or that asked more directly, "What's special about X school?" I did briefly glance over those threads to get a general idea for the feel of a school in preparing for this process, but then preferred to take my own specific questions to the source--med students I met in real life. I guess the X v. Y format just gets tiresome.

You got me there :p

I think I agree with what you're saying, as with most things an excess is probably not good (and last year's flood of X vs Y posts seems so distant, which is probably why I'm not against the concept). I've always thought that these questions about specific schools on this forum would be best posed in the relevant school specific secondary threads, but at the same time people should feel free to ask the opinion of other SDNers about schools, even if they are comparisons. That's what the forums are for, right?! :p

Hey, we all find these threads at least entertaining to read. Lets just hope these posters don't actually listen to the disingenuous advice floating around out there. A friendly reminder to everyone, be sure to filter everything you read on this site...
 
I am still waiting on a few schools...including a couple of my dream schools up in the Bay Area...hint hint;););)


awww lucky bum. stanford and ucsf eh? man my bro's getting a grad degree at stanford and when i visit him i pass by the med school. it looks like a dream from the highway...

sadly, that's the closest i'll get to stanford med LOL
 
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