Pros and cons of your med school?
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Reply 40
Hygeia
OP
14
since everyone's giving such detailed responses, i've had a think and come up with some more for UEA
Pros:
- Small med school, means you get to know everyone and in general the staff actually seem to care if you're struggling and will do anything they can to help
- Early clinical contact: from week 1 of year 1, then every week of the course
- Good communications skills teaching – they bring in actors for us to practise with, and we get lots of practice at primary and secondary care days
- 2 nice DGHs and a big teaching hospital for placements (with transport provided to the DGHs)
- In general, the staff at the hospitals are really enthusiastic about teaching
- Norwich is a really nice area (even if it's a bit remote)
- Lots of experience in most areas of medicine (I think we get to see pretty much everything, even if it's only for a week or two)
Cons:
- Not enough basic science teaching, possibly due to the strong emphasis on psychosocial taking up all the lecture slots
- PBL can be a bit hit and miss – if you have a good group, then it's brilliant, if you don't, then you have a lot more work to do yourself
- Analytical reviews
I know they're a useful skill to have for the future but I hate them!
- The med school's organisation isn't brilliant – we only get our secondary care timetables the day before we start our placement and most recently only found out which hospital we'd be at 2 days before (which then caused problems as they'd messed up people's placement requests...)
- Some 'old school' consultants spend teaching sessions insulting the way the UEA med course is run and structured
- very little surgical teaching
- 14 weeks psychiatry... though this is being reduced for future years
- For my year group, we seem to either get the worst bits of everything with improvements being made for the years below, or we're the guinea pig year where they try something on us and then decide the old way was better
Pros:
- Small med school, means you get to know everyone and in general the staff actually seem to care if you're struggling and will do anything they can to help
- Early clinical contact: from week 1 of year 1, then every week of the course
- Good communications skills teaching – they bring in actors for us to practise with, and we get lots of practice at primary and secondary care days
- 2 nice DGHs and a big teaching hospital for placements (with transport provided to the DGHs)
- In general, the staff at the hospitals are really enthusiastic about teaching
- Norwich is a really nice area (even if it's a bit remote)
- Lots of experience in most areas of medicine (I think we get to see pretty much everything, even if it's only for a week or two)
Cons:
- Not enough basic science teaching, possibly due to the strong emphasis on psychosocial taking up all the lecture slots
- PBL can be a bit hit and miss – if you have a good group, then it's brilliant, if you don't, then you have a lot more work to do yourself
- Analytical reviews
I know they're a useful skill to have for the future but I hate them!- The med school's organisation isn't brilliant – we only get our secondary care timetables the day before we start our placement and most recently only found out which hospital we'd be at 2 days before (which then caused problems as they'd messed up people's placement requests...)
- Some 'old school' consultants spend teaching sessions insulting the way the UEA med course is run and structured
- very little surgical teaching
- 14 weeks psychiatry... though this is being reduced for future years
- For my year group, we seem to either get the worst bits of everything with improvements being made for the years below, or we're the guinea pig year where they try something on us and then decide the old way was better
(edited 14 years ago)
Reply 41
ICSM
Pros:
It's a fantastic location in the middle of London, with the museums round the corner and there's always something going on.
The quality of professors is world class, with Lord Robert Winston giving a one off lecture here the other day. The lecturers seem to know everything and are fantastically knowledgeable.
The emphasis on science is very notable, with a huge amount of information being provided very quickly. This can be seen as a negative. Though it is very interesting.
The clinical communications was thoroughly useful to those people who found it difficult to take to patients and improved many students confidence. Most students feel ready to talk to patients in a professional and confident manner.
The student union is fantastic and will take care of all your problems.
There are 250 students in the undergraduate course, and there seems to be a distinct sense of community between the medics, and you are bound to find a group of people you get along with.
The boy to girl ratio isn't all that bad, especially compared to the rest of imperial.
From reading other comments, it seems that organisation is a problem at other unis. This isn't the case at Imperial, everything is conveyed clearly by email, or is on the Intranet.
Cons:
I don't if this is with all unis or just with Imperial, but they seem to leave you to your own thing, there is no one pushing you to work and no one is there to catch you if you are falling behind on work. They'll just let you fail. The personal tutor are always busy and are merely a formality. Though of course I don't have knowledge about all personal tutors.
The quality of tutors in tutorials varies and some are distinctly less interested and seem to see it as a formality rather than teaching with any real enthusiasm. With some tutorials finishing in 20 minutes.
Blackboard is ****.
Pros:
It's a fantastic location in the middle of London, with the museums round the corner and there's always something going on.
The quality of professors is world class, with Lord Robert Winston giving a one off lecture here the other day. The lecturers seem to know everything and are fantastically knowledgeable.
The emphasis on science is very notable, with a huge amount of information being provided very quickly. This can be seen as a negative. Though it is very interesting.
The clinical communications was thoroughly useful to those people who found it difficult to take to patients and improved many students confidence. Most students feel ready to talk to patients in a professional and confident manner.
The student union is fantastic and will take care of all your problems.
There are 250 students in the undergraduate course, and there seems to be a distinct sense of community between the medics, and you are bound to find a group of people you get along with.
The boy to girl ratio isn't all that bad, especially compared to the rest of imperial.
From reading other comments, it seems that organisation is a problem at other unis. This isn't the case at Imperial, everything is conveyed clearly by email, or is on the Intranet.
Cons:
I don't if this is with all unis or just with Imperial, but they seem to leave you to your own thing, there is no one pushing you to work and no one is there to catch you if you are falling behind on work. They'll just let you fail. The personal tutor are always busy and are merely a formality. Though of course I don't have knowledge about all personal tutors.
The quality of tutors in tutorials varies and some are distinctly less interested and seem to see it as a formality rather than teaching with any real enthusiasm. With some tutorials finishing in 20 minutes.
Blackboard is ****.
Reply 42
Sarky
20 weeks of psych?
Bloody hell - thats like half a year!! Maybe I shouldn't have moaned about our 6 weeks on it being too long!
Reply 43
Hygeia
OP
14
*tink*
Bloody hell - thats like half a year!! Maybe I shouldn't have moaned about our 6 weeks on it being too long!
i think i get 14 weeks of psych in 5th year *shudder* not looking forward to that!
Reply 44
18
*tink*
Bloody hell - thats like half a year!! Maybe I shouldn't have moaned about our 6 weeks on it being too long!
Yeah it sounds like too long does it. I think it is only 16 weeks. Well I say only..
reems23
ICSM
I don't if this is with all unis or just with Imperial, but they seem to leave you to your own thing, there is no one pushing you to work and no one is there to catch you if you are falling behind on work. They'll just let you fail.
I don't if this is with all unis or just with Imperial, but they seem to leave you to your own thing, there is no one pushing you to work and no one is there to catch you if you are falling behind on work. They'll just let you fail.
I think this is something you'll find everywhere and it really is the difference between uni and school/college. No-one will know you're failing until the exam results come out unless you go and tell someone. That is just how it is.
Reply 45
20
Sarky
I think this is something you'll find everywhere and it really is the difference between uni and school/college. No-one will know you're failing until the exam results come out unless you go and tell someone. That is just how it is.
I think this is something you'll find everywhere and it really is the difference between uni and school/college. No-one will know you're failing until the exam results come out unless you go and tell someone. That is just how it is.
Actually, I really think that dealing with this is one of Cambridge's strengths - although the supervision system can really pile the pressure on, having 3/4 small group sessions a week with the same supervisors, week in, week out, and having to prepare work for them (or at least be familiar with your course material currently being covered) means that if you are falling behind, it gets spotted quickly. We don't have much in the way of formative/mock exams until the annual summer hell, but if you're missing supervisions, not handing in work, or just generally not seeming to be on the ball, it will be noticed very quickly. The regular contact with supervisors also means that you can also tell someone if you feel you're having trouble.
At clinical school it's more difficult because you're spread out and not so closely supervised, but they are quite good at spotting problems and bringing people in, for interventions varying from a verbal ********** to being made to retake a year instead of taking finals.
One big pro I forgot - MAY WEEK. Though the clinical school have gone and stuck finals all through it, but won't tell us the exact exam dates, so we can't book to go to anything.
Reply 46
18
Helenia
Actually, I really think that dealing with this is one of Cambridge's strengths - although the supervision system can really pile the pressure on, having 3/4 small group sessions with the same supervisors, week in, week out, and having to prepare work for them (or at least be familiar with your course material currently being covered) means that if you are falling behind, it gets spotted quickly. We don't have much in the way of formative/mock exams until the annual summer hell, but if you're missing supervisions, not handing in work, or just generally not seeming to be on the ball, it will be noticed very quickly. The regular contact with supervisors also means that you can also tell someone if you feel you're having trouble.
Tbh i didn't even consider oxbridge style courses! I agree that that is a real strength. Supervisions sound like a great way to learn. Unfortunately we never have anything even close to that.
If southampton had supervisions but kept its high clinical contact it would be perfect for me.
Reply 47
Iceman you are quite harsh on PMS! But fair enough you've been here longer than me and some of it is deserved.
Pros
1. I think our clinical skills teaching is great. The facilities are great, the teachers are good and we can go and practice whenever we want, and there's usually someone around to go over things again. Also we have actors for communication skills, I've only had a couple of sessions with them so far but they've been really useful.
2. I think PBL is quite good for knowing if your doing a similar amount of work to everyone else. If everyone else has done the questions in more detail than you every week its a bit of a sign. It doesn't really get noticed by the facilitator though. So far it seems like the only way to fail PBL is to be rude/swear/make it obvious that you have done no work whatsoever. People can easily say about 2 words in PBL and still pass professionalism.
3. Early placements. This is good, but some of them are quite pointless. Also we have a two hour placement, and then 2 hours to discuss what we did in our placements. This drives me insane.
4. Exeter is lovely. Nightlife not so good, but its very pretty and I've always felt completely safe here. It was a bit of a shock coming from London cos its quite small, but its easy to settle in and find your way around, which is good as we're only here 2 years. I'm not sure what Plymouth and Truro are like, got to wait until 3rd/5th year to find out!
Cons
1. Not enough anatomy. We have a tiny little bit of small group stuff where we draw on each other and the odd lecture but it really isn't enough. No disection/prosection. We don't really seem to be tested on it much either.
2. Not really enough basic science in general. We get plenty of time for 'self-directed learning' so if you want to learn it you can, but we have very few lectures, and they seem to be cutting out even more. Apparently theres less lectures than last year. They try to make up for this by saying we can watch last years lectures on Emily, which isn't the same. In my oppinion there's way to much public health/psychosocial issues, but it sounds like PMS isn't the only place with this problem.
3. Lack of information from the med school. They don't tell us anything, we're supposed to find deadlines etc on Emily without being told to look.
4. In Exeter there's very little chance to meet non-medics. All the medics live together on a different campus. In a way this is nice as we're all quite close, and we all go out together etc, but it's hard to get involved in much at the main uni cos its so far away.
Pros
1. I think our clinical skills teaching is great. The facilities are great, the teachers are good and we can go and practice whenever we want, and there's usually someone around to go over things again. Also we have actors for communication skills, I've only had a couple of sessions with them so far but they've been really useful.
2. I think PBL is quite good for knowing if your doing a similar amount of work to everyone else. If everyone else has done the questions in more detail than you every week its a bit of a sign. It doesn't really get noticed by the facilitator though. So far it seems like the only way to fail PBL is to be rude/swear/make it obvious that you have done no work whatsoever. People can easily say about 2 words in PBL and still pass professionalism.
3. Early placements. This is good, but some of them are quite pointless. Also we have a two hour placement, and then 2 hours to discuss what we did in our placements. This drives me insane.
4. Exeter is lovely. Nightlife not so good, but its very pretty and I've always felt completely safe here. It was a bit of a shock coming from London cos its quite small, but its easy to settle in and find your way around, which is good as we're only here 2 years. I'm not sure what Plymouth and Truro are like, got to wait until 3rd/5th year to find out!
Cons
1. Not enough anatomy. We have a tiny little bit of small group stuff where we draw on each other and the odd lecture but it really isn't enough. No disection/prosection. We don't really seem to be tested on it much either.
2. Not really enough basic science in general. We get plenty of time for 'self-directed learning' so if you want to learn it you can, but we have very few lectures, and they seem to be cutting out even more. Apparently theres less lectures than last year. They try to make up for this by saying we can watch last years lectures on Emily, which isn't the same. In my oppinion there's way to much public health/psychosocial issues, but it sounds like PMS isn't the only place with this problem.
3. Lack of information from the med school. They don't tell us anything, we're supposed to find deadlines etc on Emily without being told to look.
4. In Exeter there's very little chance to meet non-medics. All the medics live together on a different campus. In a way this is nice as we're all quite close, and we all go out together etc, but it's hard to get involved in much at the main uni cos its so far away.
Reply 48
18
pros:
- dissection in anatomy
- some of the extra work we do is extremely interesting - like the in-depth Neuro in the 2nd year - that i dont think other medical schools do
- SUPERVISIONS - the chance to discuss medical subjects with experts brings clarity and structure
- the lack of any kind of coursework (apart from about 2 A4 pages per year)
cons:
- some of the course is OTT on facts (ie. Biochemistry in the first year)-
- some of the course is just irrelevant and taught for the sake of teaching us "science"
- some of the course is outdated - the pharmacology course is extremely outdate - it needs to be made clinically relevant and less based on mechanisms, which although sometimes fascinating are very forgettable and not useful to the majority
- dissection in anatomy
- some of the extra work we do is extremely interesting - like the in-depth Neuro in the 2nd year - that i dont think other medical schools do
- SUPERVISIONS - the chance to discuss medical subjects with experts brings clarity and structure
- the lack of any kind of coursework (apart from about 2 A4 pages per year)
cons:
- some of the course is OTT on facts (ie. Biochemistry in the first year)-
- some of the course is just irrelevant and taught for the sake of teaching us "science"
- some of the course is outdated - the pharmacology course is extremely outdate - it needs to be made clinically relevant and less based on mechanisms, which although sometimes fascinating are very forgettable and not useful to the majority
Reply 49
Pro's:
-First years are housed with non-medics so we do socialise outside.
-The anatomy demonstrators really know their stuff
-Some of the lecturers (particularly a BioChem man and a Physiology lady... no names mentioned) are fantastically enthusiastic about their subject and find ways of integrating diseases into our year of 'Systems in Normality'
-The year is small enough to recognise everybody and name most people.
-Lots of lectures
-No PBL!
-It makes sense to learn healthy systems this year and do diseases next year.
-We get a good grounding in basic sciences.
-The staff are pretty good at being helpful and making sure you know what you're doing, where, when, and how. The Phase I Sec is a legend at this!
Con's:
-We're on a separate campus to non-medics. Next year everyone will be at Foresterhill.
-The first years are kept separate from the rest of the school at the moment.
-Structured anatomy teaching is almost non existant.
-No patient contact in first year unless you count two visits to a mother and baby
-First year seems crazy busy with all the biochem, all the anatomy, and all the systems in health packed into 2 terms.
-Prosection - I think I learn better from looking at a professionally sliced up specimen than I might by butchering it myself.
-If you fall behind no one notices until formative OSPEs and MCQs and even then you can slip through the net.
-We can't access the anatomy areas after the end of March despite our exam not being til the end of May.
-The community course is weird and feels pointless, except for the excitement of escaping Marischal for a GP's surgery and admiring its funky colour changing lights in the waiting room. And the free coffee.
-Some of the GP surgeries are a good 40mins away for the Community course.
-The same topics get mentioned time and time again at the SSLC meetings (student staff thingys) and nothing seems to change. Apparently.
-First years are housed with non-medics so we do socialise outside.
-The anatomy demonstrators really know their stuff
-Some of the lecturers (particularly a BioChem man and a Physiology lady... no names mentioned) are fantastically enthusiastic about their subject and find ways of integrating diseases into our year of 'Systems in Normality'
-The year is small enough to recognise everybody and name most people.
-Lots of lectures
-No PBL!
-It makes sense to learn healthy systems this year and do diseases next year.
-We get a good grounding in basic sciences.
-The staff are pretty good at being helpful and making sure you know what you're doing, where, when, and how. The Phase I Sec is a legend at this!
Con's:
-We're on a separate campus to non-medics. Next year everyone will be at Foresterhill.
-The first years are kept separate from the rest of the school at the moment.
-Structured anatomy teaching is almost non existant.
-No patient contact in first year unless you count two visits to a mother and baby
-First year seems crazy busy with all the biochem, all the anatomy, and all the systems in health packed into 2 terms.
-Prosection - I think I learn better from looking at a professionally sliced up specimen than I might by butchering it myself.
-If you fall behind no one notices until formative OSPEs and MCQs and even then you can slip through the net.
-We can't access the anatomy areas after the end of March despite our exam not being til the end of May.
-The community course is weird and feels pointless, except for the excitement of escaping Marischal for a GP's surgery and admiring its funky colour changing lights in the waiting room. And the free coffee.
-Some of the GP surgeries are a good 40mins away for the Community course.
-The same topics get mentioned time and time again at the SSLC meetings (student staff thingys) and nothing seems to change. Apparently.
Reply 50
Pros
- The beautiful AND practical city
- Shedloads of pubs
- The famous tutorial system
- College system - get to know people outside your course, sports teams etc
- Small year groups (150)
- State of the art medical teaching facilities
- Masses of raw science knowledge including cutting edge research
- Not a hint of PBL
- Clear cut syllabus with lectures structured around it
- Degree after 3 years, studying an option YOU pick
Cons
- Very limited clinical contact in first 3 years
- Must reapply after 3rd year for clinical school
- No dissection as standard - prosection only
- Anatomy teaching isnt fantastic
- City lacks decent nightclubs
Loads more, just cant be bothered to think of them right now...
- The beautiful AND practical city
- Shedloads of pubs
- The famous tutorial system
- College system - get to know people outside your course, sports teams etc
- Small year groups (150)
- State of the art medical teaching facilities
- Masses of raw science knowledge including cutting edge research
- Not a hint of PBL
- Clear cut syllabus with lectures structured around it
- Degree after 3 years, studying an option YOU pick
Cons
- Very limited clinical contact in first 3 years
- Must reapply after 3rd year for clinical school
- No dissection as standard - prosection only
- Anatomy teaching isnt fantastic
- City lacks decent nightclubs
Loads more, just cant be bothered to think of them right now...
Reply 51
martin101
Cons
- Very limited clinical contact in first 3 years
Cons
- Very limited clinical contact in first 3 years
Can anyone not succeed in reapplying? If so what happens to them?
Reply 52
16
ThisLittlePiggy
Can anyone not succeed in reapplying? If so what happens to them?
I thought your 'home' school has to take you out of the oxbridge/london swapsies system if you don't get a place.
Reply 53
20
Wangers
I thought your 'home' school has to take you out of the oxbridge/london swapsies system if you don't get a place.
Yes, but that's only at the end of the process. If you don't get into your first choice clinical school, your application goes to the 2nd, who will consider you if they have spaces. It then goes down your preferences until someone has room for you. If nobody does, then your "home" med school has to take you.
Reply 54
Helenia
Yes, but that's only at the end of the process. If you don't get into your first choice clinical school, your application goes to the 2nd, who will consider you if they have spaces. It then goes down your preferences until someone has room for you. If nobody does, then your "home" med school has to take you.
Haha so potentially being the worst in the year could work to your favour
Reply 55
ThisLittlePiggy
Can anyone not succeed in reapplying? If so what happens to them?
It basically means you have to pass your exams in the first two years so that when you come to applying you have a strong position. 85%, maybe more, who want to stay on, stay on, so its not that hard to stay on provided you dont **** up.
Reply 56
martin101
It basically means you have to pass your exams in the first two years so that when you come to applying you have a strong position. 85%, maybe more, who want to stay on, stay on, so its not that hard to stay on provided you dont **** up.
I say again, surely doing really crap could enable you to stay on - and seeing as preclin isn't too important you could work hard in clin school
Reply 57
20
Philosoraptor
I say again, surely doing really crap could enable you to stay on - and seeing as preclin isn't too important you could work hard in clin school
Preclinicals count towards your final quartiling for UKFPO (not that that means much really).
And you don't want to do TOO craply - if you fail your 2nd MB exams and resits, you won't get to go to clinical school at all. This even include the lame ones like Medical Sociology.
Reply 58
Helenia
Preclinicals count towards your final quartiling for UKFPO (not that that means much really).
And you don't want to do TOO craply - if you fail your 2nd MB exams and resits, you won't get to go to clinical school at all. This even include the lame ones like Medical Sociology.
And you don't want to do TOO craply - if you fail your 2nd MB exams and resits, you won't get to go to clinical school at all. This even include the lame ones like Medical Sociology.
Yeah obviously you'd step your game up if you got to resits.
Ok - but how much does preclinical count compared to clinical - hopefully a much smaller amount, right?
Reply 59
Philosoraptor
Ok - but how much does preclinical count compared to clinical - hopefully a much smaller amount, right?
Ok - but how much does preclinical count compared to clinical - hopefully a much smaller amount, right?
In cambridge, pre-clinical counts for a third of your final ranking - it's not that insignificant....
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