Your impression of med students at various schools?

[eye of newt]

I'm interested in finding out what those of you who have been through the interview and visiting process think of the med students at various schools, whether you or not you have actually matriculated medical school yet.

I hear there's a consesus that Columbia P&S students are a friendly bunch that foster camraderie on campus. What about the Harvard students? Are they a pretentious lot, or surprisingly down to earth? Any schools where the students just don't seem to get along or have a very limited social life? Inquiring minds want to know, even if first impressions are deceiving...

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[Sparky Man]

I really clicked with the students at UPenn. They were very nice to talk with. The first year students at Wash U were extremely nice, too, but I received a very jaded view from the second year students. It was kind of nice to hear the truth, to be honest. That's probably where I'll go. I thought Yale students came off as very immature/bratty, but keep in mind I'm basing this on just a few people. I didn't feel like I fit in at all at UTSW because I wasn't from Texas. Everytime I said I was from California, some of the fellow interviewees looked shocked, like they have never been around one of me before. Anyway, that's what stood out in a nutshell.

Sparky

 

[Dr Who]

There are many things to consider when anwering this question. In the end there are other criteria to consider other than the particular school that would have a profound influence on student relations. One example that comes to mind is the grading system used. Students at schools with a letter grading system (A, B, C, F) tend to be MUCH more competitive and cutthroat. The system fosters intense competition between students, and that can and will affect the social environment at that med school.
Students at schools with a pass/ fail grading system tend to be much more laid back and willing to honestly help out fellow students. The need to compete the first two years is, to a large extent, eliminated.

Now this might be true in most cases but remember that all in all there will always be individual differences. There are cases where a student at a med school with a letter grading system is laid back, easygoing without that competitive mentality that define so many med students and still do quite well in med school. On the other hand, there are students at schools with pass/ fail grading systems that are unnecesarily competitive by nature and will do whatever it takes to be on top.

In the end if you are lucky enough to have been accepted to more than a couple of med schools, then take your time and choose wisely. I believe that there are things more important than "prestige". Remember, this will be your home for the next four years and like it or not, the people that are around you will have a profound effect on your overall experience. So if you can, visit te med school and have private talks with current med students. That way you can make an informed decision that is best for you.

Dr Who

 

[eye of newt]

Thanks for the replies, Sparky Man and Dr Who. I agree, prestige is not as important as some other factors when determining the right medical school to attend. I want a place where I can fit in and get along with the other students easily, not somewhere I feel I've always got to one-up my colleagues on exams.

Dr Who, I think you bring up a very valid point in noting schools with Pass/Fail grading system will contribute to a greater sense of ease and comraderie amongst the students.

Would anyone else like to share their experience or opinions of the student body at the medical schools they have visited?

 

[LadyBulldog]

i've heard that duke has a great environment and that everyone is really helpful/nice/*normal*.....that's coming from yale undergrad alum though so....

 

[eye of newt]

i've heard that duke has a great environment and that everyone is really helpful/nice/*normal*.....that's coming from yale undergrad alum though so....

Really? Do you know about ethnic and racial tension? I have an undergrad friend who's graduating from Duke this year and he claims there's quite a bit of discrimination and race-related tension at Duke. People tend to stick to their "kind" apparently. Perhaps things are different at the graduate level.

 

[Medikit]

Well here's my impression from my three interviews:

MCW: Pretty cool, laid back yet intelligent and competitive, ready to have a good time, read to study hard.

Wake Forest: Pretty cool, laid back yet intelligent and competitive, ready to have a good time, read to study hard, lots of comradery between students.

Penn State: Pretty cool, laid back yet intelligent and competitive, ready to have a good time, read to study hard.

 

[PostalWookie]

Here are my impressions:

Harvard - overachievers in the worst way. I'm convinced most of them are there for the name only

Yale - what do you expect from a university that bottles its own water? My student itnerviewer was a douchebag, and the kids giving the tour all had that Yale undergrad vibe

Hopkins - much more chill than I expected actually, given what I know about the undergrad

Columbia - they seem happy, but Dean Franz looks for a certain type to fill most of the spots, and since I clearly am not that type, I had a gut feeling that I wouldn't like it. But a lot of my friends loved it.

UPenn - the students (both current and perspective) were by far the most normal and relaxed bunch I saw anywhere.

NYU - really good kids

Cornell/Weill - i'm on the fence about this one. But my overall experience there sucked, so I'm not going to pass judgement on the students

Mount Sinai - without a doubt, the happiest students. Makes me think the school isn't working them hard enough

 

[Neuronix]

I received a very jaded view from the second year students.

You'll get the same view from us Penn second years as well, believe me. The first years, especially through interview season, have it really easy here, so they're really happy. Our class has been so busy with cirriculum add-ons that we haven't really been giving our opinions to anyone. There's a few second years who stuck with hanging out with applicants, but they're the bright cheery people who never have anything negative to say about anything and are invited by admissions to meet and greet.

 

[16hoursleeper]

I'm interested in finding out what those of you who have been through the interview and visiting process think of the med students at various schools, whether you or not you have actually matriculated medical school yet.

I hear there's a consesus that Columbia P&S students are a friendly bunch that foster camraderie on campus. What about the Harvard students? Are they a pretentious lot, or surprisingly down to earth? Any schools where the students just don't seem to get along or have a very limited social life? Inquiring minds want to know, even if first impressions are deceiving...

Vandy: very friendly but southern for the most part, worked long hours but still cheery/perky

Yale: bad experience here. students seemed extremely pompous

HMS: I thought they were down to earth and diverse

UPenn: really cool (both first and second years), people you would want to be friends with. I do know some people going here next year that I would not want to be friends with however

Northwestern: most social group. bragged about how they were never in class (good for some, not really an attraction for me)

Duke: some people think they are overly stressed. I didn't see this. They all seemed really cool to me.

Hope this helps!

 

[Bfriccia1]

Duke- I thought they seemed a little overworked, but not unhappy. More reserved (introverted) than other schools.

Vandy- very outgoing group (most outgoing that I met)...definitely feels like a southern, fraternity atmosphere

Columbia- very intense (lots of future surgeons) but they also like to have fun

Cornell- more older students, diverse interests, more introverted than columbia students

NYU- younger students, seemed like undergrad all over again, they were happy though (talked about their partying a lot)

UPenn- seemed like a nice bunch of people, maybe a little high-strung

 

[myodana]

here's what i thought about 3 of the NY schools:

Einstein: students are SUPER SMART, but SUPER CHILL about the fact that they are so smart. at the 2nd look i heard this phrase multiple times, "yeah, i guess i should start studying for the boards soon..." a diverse, interesting, well rounded student body.

Columbia: students are friendly, but it seems like there's a lot of competition. i also didn't meet anyone who was terribly enthusiastic about the program (but i also had a terrible tourguide). they were fine. not amazing, but fine. cute boys.

NYMC: students found very little to say about the school. most seemed very unenthusiastic (with the exception of a 4th year who has done all of her rotations in manhattan) about most aspects of the program.

those are just the impressions that i got...

 

[SocialistMD]

Students at schools with a letter grading system (A, B, C, F) tend to be MUCH more competitive and cutthroat. The system fosters intense competition between students, and that can and will affect the social environment at that med school.

Only true at schools with a curve. Schools with preset cutoffs do not have a competitive atmosphere, so make sure you ask about this if it is a concern for you.

 

[Neuronix]

Schools with preset cutoffs do not have a competitive atmosphere, so make sure you ask about this if it is a concern for you.

I disagree. It gets more competitive regardless of whether there's a curve or not in my experience. There was a big difference for my class between the first 6 months, which was P/F only, and the next year which was H/P/F. Collaboration between students dropped alot. The study guides, notes, and old exams people used to e-mail out to the whole class suddenly disappeared as soon as that H grade was added. Basic science should be P/F everywhere IMO.

 

[Sparky Man]

You'll get the same view from us Penn second years as well, believe me. The first years, especially through interview season, have it really easy here, so they're really happy. Our class has been so busy with cirriculum add-ons that we haven't really been giving our opinions to anyone. There's a few second years who stuck with hanging out with applicants, but they're the bright cheery people who never have anything negative to say about anything and are invited by admissions to meet and greet.

Thanks Neuronix. I found the honesty a little refreshing actually. The second years looked tired and between the complaints, they said, "sure, they are happy - the first year's a joke!" I loved these guys. I think any honest med student would tell you "yeah, it's hell right now."

 

[SocialistMD]

I disagree. It gets more competitive regardless of whether there's a curve or not in my experience. There was a big difference for my class between the first 6 months, which was P/F only, and the next year which was H/P/F. Collaboration between students dropped alot. The study guides, notes, and old exams people used to e-mail out to the whole class suddenly disappeared as soon as that H grade was added. Basic science should be P/F everywhere IMO.

Then it varies from school to school. We were H/HP/P and never had any competition between classmates.

 

[Neuronix]

Then it varies from school to school. We were H/HP/P and never had any competition between classmates.

My assumption is that students who have H/HP/P all the way through don't notice the difference between strict P/F and H/HP/P/F, beucase they never had P/F. Then again, maybe the class changes when it's P/F to start and switch to H/P/F.

I dunno, applicants can make up their own minds on this one. I still think P/F is the way to go.

 

[Shaz]

Students at every school are going to seem "chill, relaxed" because that's what the administration wants you to see. But, I will give you the atmosphere at the schools i've seen:

WashU - very bleak medical campus. the area was dead on friday night. Missoura' has a history of not welcoming minorites.

UPenn - really liked the surrounding area. the fact that the med school is connected to undergrad campus is a plus. great facilities.

Hopkins - breathtaking. I don't care what people say about baltimore: just walking up to the hospital (eventhough it was being retrofitted) still gave me the chills. Ofcourse the students were chill, but what amazed me was the varied talent the MSI's had.

Harvard - Nice. But there was no spunk. I agree with the person above that the students seemed like they were there just there for the name (I'm a public school product, so i'm not really used to people's condescending attitudes)

UMichigan - The administration seemed genuinely caring. This is a great school. DO NOT overlook it. I hated ann arbor because I need to be in a metropolis to be happy.

UCSF - Great hospital, right on top of a hill. I didn't like the fact that the students seemed to make fun of the fact that they were "just a public school". Just about any UC is not a "public school" in the sense of the west coast: UCLA, UCB, UCSD, UCSF can compete and surpass just about any private school in the nation.

UCLA - Ugly med campus, which is suprising considering how beautiful the rest of the campus is. Great all around school. You'll realize why Tupac wanted to live and die in la.

 

[SocialistMD]

My assumption is that students who have H/HP/P all the way through don't notice the difference between strict P/F and H/HP/P/F, beucase they never had P/F. Then again, maybe the class changes when it's P/F to start and switch to H/P/F.

There could be some truth in that, if the change only occurs in the minds of the med students. We are all a little competitive by nature, so that change may be the trigger. All I know is that our school has a website for study notes and you can always count on someone posting a fantastic review of the block's material for each subject a week or two before the exam (if it isn't already thoroughly covered in the archived notes).

 

[SocialistMD]

WashU - very bleak medical campus. the area was dead on friday night. Missoura' has a history of not welcoming minorites.

Hopkins - breathtaking. I don't care what people say about baltimore: just walking up to the hospital (eventhough it was being retrofitted) still gave me the chills. Ofcourse the students were chill, but what amazed me was the varied talent the MSI's had.

Wait a second; you thought the campus at Wash U was bleak but thought the Hopkins campus was breathtaking? Interesting...

 

[LadyBulldog]

Really? Do you know about ethnic and racial tension? I have an undergrad friend who's graduating from Duke this year and he claims there's quite a bit of discrimination and race-related tension at Duke. People tend to stick to their "kind" apparently. Perhaps things are different at the graduate level.

really? i've never heard of that actually, but being asian myself, it sounds like something i should look into!

 

[LadyGrey]

UVM : very friendly students, and not just the ones that they assigned to us to be friendly (tour guides, etc). The group of interviewees spent a lot of time waiting in the lounge between the first year and second year lecture halls, so a lot of people passed by, and so many stopped to chat with us. When my travel plans changed last minute, I found a student to host me at the last minute for a second night, and she and her roommate was especially welcoming. Also, the other students interviewing that day were a great bunch of people.

 

[it.]

bump

 

[16hoursleeper]

Really? Do you know about ethnic and racial tension? I have an undergrad friend who's graduating from Duke this year and he claims there's quite a bit of discrimination and race-related tension at Duke. People tend to stick to their "kind" apparently. Perhaps things are different at the graduate level.

Self-segregation does not equal discrimination. Both groups are choosing to be exclusive to their race.

 

[eye of newt]

Both groups are choosing to be exclusive to their race.

From what I've heard, that is because they have no other option unless they want to be openly riddiculed by being in the presence of another race. And this isn't just a black/white issue.

Anyway, thanks for being so candid with the comments everyone. Keep those impressions coming!

 

[sven]

Yale: bad experience here. students seemed extremely pompous

Hope this helps!

Yale students have caught a lot of flak on this post. For what it's worth, I had a VERY different reaction both from my interview day and from the second look. I found students down to earth, relaxed and very supportive of one another. I also feel that it takes a certain amount of maturity to deal well with the Yale system, which gives you lots of flexibility and lots of responsibility for your own educational development.

 

[ajt2003]

My turn!

Although, I feel like I'm just going to echo what's been said:

Columbia: Really nice, if not a wee bit hyper, students. Oh, and cute. Most students were really down to earth, and went out of their way to answer questions.

Yale: The students I spoke with were really all great. Very chill, approachable; seemed fun and diverse.

Penn: Students struck me as bright and focused, but also approachable. Classes seemed laid back, and everyone was eager to answer questions. During Preview, I really just fell in love with the current class of MS1s. Happily blown away. But I'm biased. Heh.

NYU: Bright and friendly, but a little young. And I'm a little old. So that observation made me nervous.

Georgetown: Vapid and jocky (my name is not 'dude'). Aside from one or two meaningful interactions with MS4s, I was really not impressed in the least.

Sinai: was not as impressed as I thought I would be. Everyone did seem pretty laid back, but a couple of personalities just grated!

 

[Whitney]

Yale students have caught a lot of flak on this post. For what it's worth, I had a VERY different reaction both from my interview day and from the second look. I found students down to earth, relaxed and very supportive of one another. I also feel that it takes a certain amount of maturity to deal well with the Yale system, which gives you lots of flexibility and lots of responsibility for your own educational development.

I totally agree with this post. I thought that Yale students were really the most approachable and interesting students that I met on the interview trail.

Harvard students seemed a bit on edge to me, though I loved my student interviewer.

WashU kids seemed very nice, if a bit inward socially (though this may fall in the category of reading too much into too little).

Duke students seemed somewhat arrogant to me (as did the school in general....ie, interviewers and administration. I was disappointed with my visit; I thought I'd really like it there).

Case students were VERY down-to-earth and seemed like they like to have fun.

...just my impressions, based on very little....

 

[freaker]

From what I've heard, that is because they have no other option unless they want to be openly riddiculed by being in the presence of another race. And this isn't just a black/white issue.

Anyway, thanks for being so candid with the comments everyone. Keep those impressions coming!

I really doubt this is the issue. Why would it be? Duke is made up of a hodge podge of people from all over the country/world, just like other similar schools.

To make a point, I'd never seen (for instance) Asians running in self-segregated packs until I moved to California. And while there, I came to realize that Koreans hung with Koreans. Chinese with Chinese. Kind of interesting. Sure, there was intermingling, but back home, Asians were, for all practical purposes, completely homogenized with the white kids (probably because there weren't that many of them).

Anytime you get a large enough number of people together to begin forming cliques, it will begin to happen. And appearance is usually a very strong determinant, with race being the most immediately identifiable aspect of apperance. There is a reason that attractive people tend to hang with other attractive people and overweight people tend to hang with other overweight people. That's just the way society works. Some buck the trend, but as a rule of thumb, we associate with those like us.

Duke's pretty Greek, too, isn't it? My guess is that this might also contribute to some of what you're observing, particularly along black/white lines.

 

[Larsitron]

In my interviewing time, I really clicked with the students at the U of Rochester and that was a huge factor when deciding to go there. They were genuine, warm, and friendly and I can't wait to meet my class and get to know the classes ahead of me.

 

[Neuronix]

I'd like to continue this thread by giving mega props to the students at the school I decided to attend or at schools I'm hoping to get off the waitlist at. Any school I don't like or rejected me has crappy students.

 

[kikkoman]

Vandy: Probably the most friendly and social people I met at any school. Seemed more "normal," maybe a little less intellectual than at other places.

Pitt: Great students. Everyone I met there was really neat.

Michigan: The school didn't seem to have a coherent personality. A lot of people seemed to do their own thing and weren't as close to each other compared to other schools. But I got along with everyone I met really well.

Baylor: Similar to Michigan.

Columbia: This school probably had the most distinct personality of any school where I interviewed. Very friendly, energetic, good at talking, ivy types (and I don't mean this as a bad thing, but more of a intellectual, on-edge personality). Definitely a place where you either fit in or you don't

Hopkins: The only school where I had a really negative reaction to the students. I thought they, without exception, were pompous and singularly focused on the school's prestige in a self-conscious way. They may be cool when not talking about Hopkins, but I think that let out the worst...

Duke: Mixed feelings about the students here. Some very nice, some a little outwardly arrogant.

Penn: Great group. My student interviewer told me that they looked specifically for "normal" students, i.e. people who like to hang out and not always focus on building refugee shelters, etc. Two of the people I met for an extended period of time during the day were very obnoxious (actually, the most obnoxious person I met during this whole process was a MS1 here), but everyone else seemed great.

Stanford: Very cool group, very relaxed. They are huge on attracting hispanics (and do a good job of it), so that's another factor if you are looking for it. What you would expect from a California school.

Harvard: Not so great. Very "uppity" in general. Not bad, but just not the type of people I would like to be with for four years.

Yale: Probably the best group of students. Relaxed, self-confident (but not self-consciously and outwardly so), comfortable, and VERY friendly. No one seems to have a chip on his/her shoulder and the school seems to bring out the very best in their students.

WashU: I liked the WashU students as well. A little more quiet and not quite as approachable as at other schools, but they seemed really friendly.

 

[xCD420]

Duke: definitely got the arrogant vibe from a lot of students there, especially my tour guide (overacheiving asian girl who bragged about her full scholarship, all the other schools she turned down, and how she was the only one going into pediatric neurosurgery)...

vandy: absoulutely the most normal student body, saw this both at the interview and on second look weekend. good chance i wil be there. not sure what above poster meant by them not being "intellectual".

georgetown: also liked the students here. alot were from cali like me, so i dont really take offense to being called "dude", it is a word i use all the time. students were normal and happy to be there.

hopkins: would like to echo above poster's sentiments of the students being pompous and arrogant. no doubt, it is a great school, but damn...

 

[eerie234]

I'd like to continue this thread by giving mega props to the students at the school I decided to attend or at schools I'm hoping to get off the waitlist at. Any school I don't like or rejected me has crappy students.

Post of the thread, no doubt. And pretty much spot on correct.

 

[DukeDoc08]

Well, I agree that there are some arrogant people in my class, but I see them every day....they must have been particularly huffy that day if you guys picked up on this during your interview day!!! I don't think Duke is any different in this aspect, though! There HAS to be some of this everywhere, right?
Overall I love my classmates, they are great group of people with a lot of different backgrounds, and the way things are set up we interact with different people in our class on a regular basis (small groups, practice course, lab, ECs) and there will be even more "mixing" next year when we hit the wards with random groupings each rotation!
As far as the stress level? Personally, it has hit me square in the head on more than one occasion, but we bounce back....there is a lot to get done in a short period of time....survive and move on has become our strategy...OH and P=MD!

 

[Realest]

I suppose since the OP was asking for your impressions of med students, your points are valid. At the same time, wouldn't you say you can find pretty much the same mix of people at every med school, regardless of prestige, location, grading system, etc. Some laid back, and some competitive. I take it most of you didn't meet more than 10 or so med students at each of these schools. Those students willing to talk to pre-meds may not be representative of the makeup of the class. I dunno, I just think it's hard to make such facile generalizations.

(And yes, I am also guilty of the same "crime")

 

[TommyGunn04]

I suppose since the OP was asking for your impressions of med students, your points are valid. At the same time, wouldn't you say you can find pretty much the same mix of people at every med school, regardless of prestige, location, grading system, etc. Some laid back, and some competitive. I take it most of you didn't meet more than 10 or so med students at each of these schools. Those students willing to talk to pre-meds may not be representative of the makeup of the class. I dunno, I just think it's hard to make such facile generalizations.

Bingo! What one person interprets as arrogance another interprets as confidence. What one sees as "overly stressed" another views as appropriate intensity. While it can be fun to generalize, I don't think it's at all possible, or accurate, to say that x school has uptight students, y school has "normal" students (whatever that means), and z school is "segregated." As the above poster so astutely points out, you meet such a small fraction of the student body and see such a small fraction of what life is really like at a given school on an interview visit that it's rather tough to get an accurate overall impression of the students, if it's even possible to do so at all.

That said, I agree, it's still fun to try

cough cough...Hopkins students are cut-throat...cough cough