Why does Medical School follow a yearly schedual vs. a semester schedual?

[Kappy1]

Why doesn't Medical School run on a spring and fall semester system as many undergrad colleges do? Is it just an anatomy problem? (not enough bodies?) You would still require medical school for four years but a class that would start in the spring semster could end with a fall semster and a January graduation. It also would make senese now that the new mcat is given 22 times a year. Students wouldn't need to wait a year if they would take the September Mcat?

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[spicedmanna]

Duplicate thread in pre-allo:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=376790

 

[MaximusD]

love of God ...it's SCHEDULE.

 

[Kappy1]

I know pre-allopathic students have the same thred but I wanted to see if there are different feelings amoung pre-osteopathic and pre-allopathic students.

 

[HunterGatherer]

schools want the flexibility to make courses as short and as long as they want. Most med schools have a break around the New year.

 

[Kappy1]

sorry never learnt howto spell!!!!

 

[Frank l]

Ha ha ha. Were you homeschooled?

 

[Kappy1]

no, good old public education.

 

[Krazykritter]

Kappy,

Here's why DMU doesn't follow a semester schedule; I'll take first year as an example...1st Semester = 24 credits, 2nd Semester = 26 credits. Now, how do you propose to run a semester schedule and get that number of credit hours in w/out going 8 hours q d & 7 days q week?? Pretty much impossible w/ a semester system.

Going to a more intense 2-3 classes + OMM running at a time allows them to cram more material in a given time period. Take a drink..the fire hydrants flowing.

P.S. I always find it funny when I am interviewing someone for admissions & to try to explain a semester w/ a low GPA they tell us how they had a really busy semester w/ 18 credits!! Two years ago this would have seemed like a reasonable explanation, but now I just laugh in the face of 18 credits/semester. LOL

 

[NPEMTIV]

Why doesn't Medical School run on a spring and fall semester system as many undergrad colleges do? Is it just an anatomy problem? (not enough bodies?) You would still require medical school for four years but a class that would start in the spring semster could end with a fall semster and a January graduation. It also would make senese now that the new mcat is given 22 times a year. Students wouldn't need to wait a year if they would take the September Mcat?

Well you not only have to consider when they could start school, but possibly more important, when they end school. Schools are set to end and graduate with enough time for the students to rest/relocate to where their residency is. So you'd not only need to change when students could start med. school, but also setup multiple residency start times which is a big mess. That or the student would have to wait until the next year to start a residency.

 

[WestcoastMedicine]

At PCOM we have trimesters. No, we don't get a break between each, thats just how they design the curriculum and different courses. Keep in mind that we get out in may of our 2nd year, and start our third year a month later in June. This is pretty much the same across the board, maybe a month or two later than us. Some allopathic schools do all of the didactic portion in a year and a half, then require half a year of research, then they start rotations. These are mostly schools that get alot of their funding from the research they do and need to students to help keep the cash flowing...from what I hear. Of course the research helps the students as well, but you get what I'm saying. Regardless, from then on there are no semesters, you just rotate for 2 years with a certain number of weeks you can take off, which, is up to you when you do that. Like a "real" job.

 

[Kappy1]

Well you not only have to consider when they could start school, but possibly more important, when they end school. Schools are set to end and graduate with enough time for the students to rest/relocate to where their residency is. So you'd not only need to change when students could start med. school, but also setup multiple residency start times which is a big mess. That or the student would have to wait until the next year to start a residency.

So, residendcy programs could also start twice a year once in June and once in January. No Big mess!!! Anouther advantage could also be for a student who failed a course. He or She would not need to wait for the next year to take the course but could take it the next semester.

 

[CTrainSJU]

Thank you! I started a thread on horrible spelling on SDN and got the third degree.