Why do people complain about medical school libraries?

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Ypo.

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I always hear this as one of the bad sides of "such and such" school ("their library was tiny!")

But aren't textbooks pretty much all you need for medical school? Unless you are doing research, why is it important to have a huge library?

It doesn't make sense for schools to grow and maintain huge libraries if they are not research-oriented... you won't need them-unless you want to look up some studies on an obscure disease you might encounter during rotations (and won't be tested on in the boards anyways). In this day of modern techonology, can always just order the journal article online.

Just curious :confused:

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I agree, that was a complaint I heard at two schools. It seems to me that all a good medical school library needs is: all the textbooks, journal archives, and a little extra material such as guides and study-aids, and some books about medicine in general. Really, it doesn't have to contain world-famous literature because no one is going to use it like that. That's my pre-medical school opinion though. Maybe someone who is actually in school can enlighten me :D
 
yposhelley said:
I always hear this as one of the bad sides of "such and such" school ("their library was tiny!")

But aren't textbooks pretty much all you need for medical school? Unless you are doing research, why is it important to have a huge library?

It doesn't make sense for schools to grow and maintain huge libraries if they are not research-oriented... you won't need them-unless you want to look up some studies on an obscure disease you might encounter during rotations (and won't be tested on in the boards anyways). In this day of modern techonology, can always just order the journal article online.

Just curious :confused:

I'll provide my perspective. Currently I am completing a Ph.D in an allopathic institution. Library here is pretty well stocked with major journals. I do hope that I can continue my research career, and I really like schools have nice library with lots of journals. Yes it is true that you can order journal articles on-line, but they are really expensive. You are charged more than $10 for an article, but if your library has one it is free.

Library is one of the first things I really look at when going to a school just because I am research oriented.
 
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I'm not even in med school yet, and not even accepted as of today and I can still tell you that you have A LOT to learn between now and your graduation day. I have been researching PBL lately and am currently waiting for a decision by a PBL-ONLY school. In this brand of learning, one must have as much access to a wide variety of journals, articles, etc. as possible. When you become a physician, you will want to have read as many outside journals as possible so that you can pinpoint that rare disease/disorder. Such med school students make great doctors as they are the ones that can make the correct diagnosis and not the typical "textbook" ordinary diagnosis. One only has to hear the story of my 5 year old cousin who was stumping the peds. However, one extremely bright ped was able to relocate that one article that he read as a second year med student about the symptoms of rare forms of childhood leukemia. If I do get into med school, I don't want to be a doctor...I want to be a great doctor.
 
dr.z said:
I'll provide my perspective. Currently I am completing a Ph.D in an allopathic institution. Library here is pretty well stocked with major journals. I do hope that I can continue my research career, and I really like schools have nice library with lots of journals. Yes it is true that you can order journal articles on-line, but they are really expensive. You are charged more than $10 for an article, but if your library has one it is free.

Library is one of the first things I really look at when going to a school just because I am research oriented.

I agree to somewhat.. also doing PhD and I never go to library to get a journal. It is all online. At least my HUGE institution with about 40,000 people has online subscription to almost every journal. The measure of a man is his.. oh sorry.. I meant the measure of the school is the size of its library.

You need more then one book to get the complete informations.
Especially in PBL.. you have to continue picking up info till your knowledge of a subject is continuous. No whole in your reasoning.. or story.

This is interesting time for libraries.. Since all you really need is a good computer and fast connection. And in some cases wirelesss is a must.

The down side to this any idiot can put up info on the web.. or in some cases reply to a post at 6:30 in the morning.. hehehe :sleep:
 
I agree with docbill and I would much rather have online access than the physical article in hand. And whether PBL is arguably better or not, those kinds of schools do need the resources in order to support their curriculum.

It goes without saying that then these schools should have free printing or acessable printing available so that you can print out what you find.

Another aspect is that alot of our 3D models etc. are kept at the library so that we can check out a skeleton or whatever to study with.
 
Another thing to consider ...

while you as a student might not find the library important, it is important for faculty to have reasonable and timely access to a well-stocked library. They might need a reference book in a different field, or access to old journal articles that haven't been archived online yet. There are some journals that haven't gone online yet.

It might also affect regional (institutional) accreditation. While the DO program itself is accedited by the AOA, some institutions seek further accreditation from the regional accrediting body (Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, Western - Association of Colleges and Schools). One of the criteria that these bodies look at is the library

The library of Colorado State University has just been placed on a 2-year probabtion because it was lacking in 2 area: resource size and seating availability
http://www.collegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/09/23/415257c27cff5

The LCME (accrediting body for US MD school) in fact seeks student input about library facilities, including access and quality of holdings, and computer resources, availability of study and relaxation space.
http://www.lcme.org/studentrole.htm

So while you may think that the library is unimportant, those in academia (the old dinosaurs) and those working for accrediting bodies have deemed it important (and as a result, the school should also consider it important)
 
The only thing I cared about in the library was having a good place to study. My biggest complaint about the old LECOM library was that it was too small. It was hard to find a good place to study, away from the door and all the distractions.

The new LECOM library is much bigger, and it was much easier to find a good place to study :thumbup:
 
I think libraries are important study areas; most of the schools I have visited have small group rooms available plus tables and areas for study. Not to mention anatomy videos/other resources. Since libraries are quiet areas and they have nice little spots for studying they are just an important factor to a lot of people. Unless the school offers alternate areas for study that are as quiet and convenient I feel that the schools with small/non-existent libraries are less attractive. I believe part of why Temple was put on academic probation was because it didn?t provide sufficient study space for its students, which makes me wonder; does the accreditation of Osteopathic Medical School require the same standards in study areas? At least one of the schools that I interviewed at seemed pitiful in that area.
 
at my state med school, our library hours have been severely curtailed by funding cuts. I have high-speed Internet at home, but I still have to use certain instructional software (e.g. embryology) in the library itself. It would be nice not to be dealing with a library that closed at 5 on weekend evenings.
 
I'll start this by saying that I'm strange and I know that....

I LOVE big libraries. Although it's easy to get journal articles online, I prefer looking up hard copies in the stacks and photocopying them for reference. There's something very mind-numbing about just printing out dozens of articles from the online resources my school has.

I'm getting my MPH at New York Medical College and I had no idea medical school libraries were so small. My undergrad school had an awesome library and I loved finding a comfy sopt in an obscure area to call my own. Of course, a med school library isn't going to need a section of 18th century poets, but I do miss finding that one comfy chair by the window on a rainy day.

A nice library is important to me, but as long as I have a nice place to study I'm okay. If that place is in the library then even better. There's something to be said for just be surrounded by books. I guess I'm nostalgic, but I love the smell and feel of old books.
 
Do take into consideration the fact that other schools may be in the same town as your school...other schools with bigger budgets and a bigger library. Why duplicate when you can offer whatever the other place doesn't cover?
 
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