Do you have savings? That could be where the 15K comes from.
2009-2010 Mount Sinai Application Thread
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Do you have savings? That could be where the 15K comes from.
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Yeah. I just thought the 15,000 on FAFSA was based upon student AND parental data. My parents had about $30k saved up for my graduate school, which is technically in my name (so maybe that's where it's coming from?). It was in a 503b or whatever the student tax-advantaged savings accounts are called. This was where they were going to draw from to give me $10k/year in living expenses. The rest is loans for me I think.
It doesn't matter too much because I wasn't expecting any money, but I'm just curious.
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If you included parental information, I think that takes it into account. I'm dreading what my package is about to look like. I think the lesson I've learned is that there's no point in saving your $ b/c all it does is make you less likely to get any aid.
oh and also-- unless i'm majorly misunderstanding something on the matriculation website and in the handbook... we get free memberships to the 92nd street Y!!! that place is so baller. i can't believe it.
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Oooohhh. That sounds awesome. I love the Y, especially baller Ys. I seriously need to get in shape though, been so lazy lately...thinking about running the NYC Marathon again if I can somehow get my act together and lose 10 lbs in the next 6 months. I recently realized my intention to run the SF marathon this summer just probably isn't gonna happen given how little time I've had recently to run. Gosh I need to quit my job...
On a weird note, there's a slight possibility (although unlikely) that I might defer a year from Sinai. I applied for the Gates Cambridge scholarship, and while I didn't get the scholarships... I did get into the masters degree program I applied for at Cambridge today. I'm working out funding to see if they can somehow give me some alternative full tuition/living expense scholarship...because yeah, there's seriously no way I can afford it otherwise.
I'm gonna try and talk to someone about this at Sinai tomorrow or Saturday. In all likelihood I won't be going, but it was a weird opportunity that popped up unexpectedly this morning.
Ohhhh and sleeping bags? Do we need them?
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Are they that lenient on deferring?
Also, you have a SPOT in the NYC MARATHON! I think a few thousand people would kill for that...just letting you know that you best be running...or sell your number...even to me.
Also, you have a SPOT in the NYC MARATHON! I think a few thousand people would kill for that...just letting you know that you best be running...or sell your number...even to me.
yeah, i saw that thread about cambridge. congrats! hope the $$ works out.
that is SO COOL! now i have more motivation to work up to 26.2
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WOAH, I should mention I don't have a spot in the NYC marathon...I'm toying w/ running one this year, though I couldn't get into that. I might try for the Philly Marathon though (plus its nice and flat). If we both go to Sinai, you can run w/ me 
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WOAH, I should mention I don't have a spot in the NYC marathon...I'm toying w/ running one this year, though I couldn't get into that. I might try for the Philly Marathon though (plus its nice and flat). If we both go to Sinai, you can run w/ me
Yeah, Philly Marathon is definitely easier than NYC. Haha, looks like I'm not doing NYC...didn't realize the deadline had passed. I did NYC a few years ago on my first attempt at the lottery. It was an awesome, awesome experience (my first marathon), and I did end breaking 4 hours. The whole running through the 5 boroughs idea is awesome...although spending about 2 minutes in the Bronx was almost silly.
The last couple miles or so through the Park....terrible though. You never realize how many hilly parts are in Central Park until you run through it after previously running 23 miles lol.
Ah, if I only I could be in good shape again. I can barely run 5-6 miles now. lol. One of the reasons I really liked Sinai was so that I could go running in Central Park so easily if I wanted to. It's right across from the reservoir. I live near the main running trail in Philadelphia, and I had a 3 mile nature trail at my college. Haha, it's hard imagining living someplace without good running places closeby...again why Sinai was a big draw based on location compared to other NYC med schools.
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Ha, well, I know this might be news to you, but most the NYC schools have good running nearby...I actually prefer westside highway b/c you don't have to worry as much about cars (yikes!), but I love Central Park run...
I say we start a running club. Well, I'll prob just join NY road runners, but still...
Have you done the Philly Marathon? My main concern is people say its seriously boring b/c its not entirely in Philly and no one cheers you on...
I say we start a running club. Well, I'll prob just join NY road runners, but still...
Have you done the Philly Marathon? My main concern is people say its seriously boring b/c its not entirely in Philly and no one cheers you on...
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Yeah, I've done the Philly before. Did the half marathon last Fall.
Center City is small...so only the first 8 miles or so are in Center City proper. You do start at the Art Museum (remember Rocky?) and finish there as well, which is cool. The crowds are NOT, NOT like NYC. There are large sections with no one really cheering you on, which yes, I think does make a difference (my time was higher in Philly than it was in NYC despite it being an easier course).
The last 13 miles are beautiful and flat, along the Schukyll river. But you end up back-tracking (7.5 miles up the river, 7.5 miles back). There are cheer stations along this trek, but you can't seriously expect Philly to be like the NYC marathon, it's just not as populated/urban as NYC.
Running NYC is way cooler than running the Philly marathon. But, both are an achievement.
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Okay, you sound like a MUCH better run than I am...so maybe if you slow down I could run w/ you...then again, you sound like you prob won't be at Sinai next year!
Switching gears, is it business casual both days?? Kinda wish there were some "fun" activities, but oh well.
Switching gears, is it business casual both days?? Kinda wish there were some "fun" activities, but oh well.
yeah, i wish there were too. alas. i'll be coming from work tomorrow... which means i'll need to dress up for work
i usually wear jeans and a t shirt
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I am slow but steady, especially given my small legs... I think most people can keep up with me very easily. I'm also out of shape ridiculously right now so I'm a terrible runner at the moment.
I imagine the students are going to take us out tomorrow night and get us drunk. This seems to be a pattern at most schools.
Cambridge just got back to me...no more scholarships, just small, 2k-3k mini-scholarships for living expenses. So no UK for me. Paying for medical school is enough to be honest. So, I'll be at Sinai assuming I don't get off the waitlists at Stanford or Penn (or potentially Cornell). That was an interesting 3 hours for me lol.
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EHHOP. http://www.eastharlemhealth.org/eng/index.html
This is Sinai's student run clinic, basically one of the best in the country. I think it's pretty easy to get involved, a student I talked to volunteered one day a week (she was a first year).
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Oh boy, dinner at Tony's? Twenty bucks says if they try to go out it ends up at Dorian's... ahh high-school...
Yes. When I took histology, we used microscopes and had access to the same slides online. Not sure if they still make use of the microscopes though. Here's the website for online histo that we had used: http://fusion.mssm.edu/students/webslides/main_frameset.cfm?courseid=3&fromMenu=no
You should be able to do it as often as you want. They always seem to want more and more students to volunteer.
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There actually already is a running club to join!
Our histo class is basically all on the computer... you can view them during lab and at home. There are only a few glass slides, and they have them set up in the lab to make sure you see what they want you to see. the only time we make slides/ use microscopes are in microbio lab
At EHHOP you get to volunteer at least once every five weeks, they split you into five "teams" so they rotate weeks...so each week that team gets to volunteer, and then if they don't have enough they email it out to the general list of volunteers saying how many more they need.
Someone give this guy twenty bucks!
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Haha. +1
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well, second look ended today and im left wondering whether or not i met the infamous mdeast
I met a ton of people... Way less today because I was exhausted and physically hung over from all that drinking. I'm pretty open with a general lack of anonymity so if you did meet me I'm sure you could put it together.
Btw for waitlisters. Probably 80 or 90 people at revisit. 50% seemed sure on going, 25% seemed likely, 25% were deciding between Sinai and places such as ucsf Harvard Hopkins Cornell as well as some state schools.
Revisit was very fun. Made me way more comfortable slash happy about Sinai. Aron hall clearly beats any other manhattan schools. Sinai is also ridiculously laid back.
somehow i think i managed to not meet you!
anway, i'm also even more excited about sinai now. though to be honest, i wish i had met some more people i felt like i could be friends with... but i know you can't make that kind of judgment so quickly. definitely disappointed in how many people seemed to have the frat boy/girl mindset-- "all we're gonna do 1st and 2nd year is study and drink." not really how i roll.
Haha, don't worry, even though people may say this they will quickly learn that med school isn't like that at all. Plus I'm sure the class will look different by the time orientation rolls around.
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I loved revisit! I felt like there were SO many people who I'd enjoy spending 4 years with! I got a very grounded, laid-back, interesting vibe from almost everyone I met. People seemed like they had all sorts of medical--and non-medical--interests, and that they were excited to share them. Looking forward to fall!
hopefully.
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Did you go to Dorians or aces of eights? I think I was the only person from Philly there. I definitely didn't meet everyone.
Enjoyed it though. Aron hall is awesome for NYC housing and everyone seemed so down to earth. I even got hit on by a first year student so there has to be at least some dating possibilities on campus if I find myself too busy to venture off campus all the time. Lol.
didn't go to dorians-- not my kind of scene.
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AWw you missed out! Nit really my knd of bar either but I got to talk to a ton of people there the whole front of the bar was Sinai students.
have you gone to any other revisits? i actually got less of this vibe at sinai than i did at the other visit i went to. i think it's going to be a part of any med school experience...it's a high stress environment, and, for some people, that is one way to relieve stress. i also think it might be emphasized a bit more than the norm at revisit events since current students want to show prospectives that they know how to have fun. i personally was really happy to get the vibe that students at sinai have full lives...they work hard, they are social and enjoy the nyc night life, AND they engage in a lot of other experiences. just think about how much time we spent talking about EHHOP...that didn't happen at the other visit i went to. it was a more "prestigious" school so maybe they figured they didn't need to convince me that i would have a life beyond studying, but no one there, prospective students or current students, seemed to care much at all about extracurriculars. that wasn't the case at sinai.
bottom-line, the sinai students and prospectives that i met seemed well-rounded, interesting, down-to-earth, and, yes, social. they were people i'd like to have as classmates. the culture of the school/administration definitely emphasizes cultivating all aspects of your life so it makes sense that they attract a social student body. but definitely make sure that the school and students are a right fit for you...having gone into this past weekend pretty sure i wasn't going to sinai, and then leaving feeling like it might just be the right place for me, i'm more convinced than ever that being happy during med school DOES matter.
i'm not sure what this means-- are you equating social with loving to get drunk?
i found that sinai had about the same amount of party hardy stuff being said/done than at the other schools i've visited and re-visited... i was just disappointed because i thought that in a cosmopolitan place like sinai, this wouldn't be the case (and sadly i found it to be true at NYU and columbia as well). it's freaking NYC. there is so much to enjoy besides bars. i've been here for 6 years, have had a blast, and can count the number of times i've "gone out" in the traditional sense on one hand. i've always known that this makes me a huge nerd, but i thought med school would have a higher proportion of huge nerds like me.
anyway, bottom line is that i don't really care. i'm going to sinai because it seems like the right place for me in every other way. all of my friends are in NYC anyway, so it doesn't matter so much to me if i have less in common with the typical med student than i thought i would.
dw, although I can't predict your experience at Sinai if you do matriculate, I truly believe you have nothing to worry about. If your class is anything like mine (which it should be, since we were involved in selecting your class), there will be a very varied and diverse set of people. Whatever your interests are, I'm pretty sure you'll find classmates who enjoy doing the same things as you. The bar scene may be popular for some people, but not for others. I think drinking and going to bars is, fortunately for some people and unfortunately for others, a common theme at second looks/revisits. They want you to show you guys a good time, and that's just a common way to do it.
I do think it's important to be happy at a school, so if it's a serious concern of yours, PM me and we'll talk it over.
no, i don't equate being social with loving to get drunk...sorry if that's how it came across (i also think you can enjoy drinking/bars without aiming to get wasted...hangovers = bad news now that i'm not in college and like to be a productive person). i just didn't feel that your initial characterization of the sinai revisit was fair, since, like you said, it wasn't more than the average you've seen anywhere else. i also don't think you should assume that just because students there will go out to bars that it means that they won't do many, many other things and enjoy everything else NYC has to offer. a lot of people are obviously attracted to sinai, in part, because of its location...if their aim was to just get drunk all the time, there would be much cheaper cities to do that in. i'm sure you'll find many people who have many things in common with you, regardless of whether they also go out...no matter what, we're all probably going to be huge nerds
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This is the first I've heard of Sinai students having a say in admissions. Everyone on my interview day had faculty interviewers. Are students involved in the committee meetings?
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Some are, yes.
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It was revisit weekend, so it's hard to really strike down Sinai for inviting it's prospective students out to party. They do this at practically every school. Helps you loosen up to meet people and see that you can have fun while at medical school. I think some people do this all the time, others rarely. NY is NY, you can do with it what you want. I also like jazz clubs, comedy nights, grabbing orchestra tickets, attending random events at museums, etc. and I get sleepy on weekends sometimes and would prefer to be in bed by 12. I also like going out late too, which is why I really appreciated having everything New York has to offer so close by. It started to put my geographical worries into a more real perspective...realizing my options for fun and having a social life outside of school might be easier at certain schools and cities compared to others. NYC seems to be a huge draw, I met a student choosing Sinai over Harvard, and another over UCSF because of their strong preference for NYC.
I overall really enjoyed the weekend. I liked that most of the students I met didn't seem super competitive, high-strung people. I will admit I met some awkward prospective students (but then again...maybe I come off very awkward too!), one HuMed in particular. I also met a lot of people who seemed to have very different interests than my own...which I loved, because I love learning about cool things that other people are passionate about that I've never thought about trying. In fact, I really didn't meet anyone who seemed too much like me in their background, which, again, I loved.
I thought the partying was great, the students seemed happy, aron hall is awesome. I even met some LGBQT students, one of whom seemed to have an active dating/ social life outside of Sinai which was particularly reassuring for me (as I'm single now, and would definitely prefer not to be). Although, I questioned his sleaze-ballness as he seemed to be trying to grope prospective students who were definitely not interesting in playing for his "team", if you catch my drift. haha, Funny things I got to watch happen at Dorians....
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Free membership at 92nd street Y would be great! I had a membership this past year but got out of it as I didn't know where I would be for medical school and it would probably be a waste. It is really nice in there.
Anybody up to talking about their opinion of Second Look? What they liked? Didn't like? The feel they got from the students/administration? Any comments would be appreciated! Thanks.
hey deedubs,
how bout you convince one of those frat boy/girls to give up their acceptance to me?? i dont wanna be "party hardy" in med school
thanks,
rr
i'll do my best, buddy
i don't recall faulting sinai for inviting us to party. i was just saying that i was disappointed about how many prospective students seemed like frat boys. anyway, i'm done talking about this.
i would suggest actually reading the thread you just posted in
I'll add a few more things...since most of what was really discussed earlier was going out to bars and whether students/prospectives were "fratty" or not, and that was a small part of the weekend. I think overall the thing that most impressed me was the feel of the administration and faculty. It seemed like a place where the med students are really valued, perhaps because the institution itself is smaller given that it doesn't have a larger academic network. From the faculty who participated in revisit and from talking to current students, it sounded like faculty overall are incredibly approachable and eager to teach which was really appealing to me. I got the sense that they were constantly striving to improve the experience for medical students and that students' ideas and opinions were listened to. That's probably part of why students seemed very happy (I had heard going into the weekend that Sinai students are a really happy group and very satisfied with their experience and education, and that seemed to be the case...at least from those who wanted to talk to prospective students...)
The current curriculum is pretty traditional with the 2 year preclinical, 2 year clinical format. It makes me a little nervous since so many schools now are turning towards a shorter preclinical with more time to explore different clinical rotations in 3rd/4th year prior to residency applications. Sinai is heading in that direction also, but not for another year or two...I guess it's better though to be taught in a well-established curriculum than guinea pigs for something new. The 3rd and 4th years I talked to who were nearly done at Sinai or just about to start the residency application process seemed to feel that they received a great clinical training, and this year's match list looks pretty great overall (and I think? was 100% match)
And regarding the 92nd st Y, it's not quite a free membership...there are free passes that you can sign up for day of I think. Students said they'd never had a problem getting a pass though...the school just doesn't want to pay for full memberships if not everyone is going to use them. If you have specific questions, feel free to message me.
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I'll respond as well to my impressions of the weekend(I just jumped on internet, and definitely met MDeast but not DW)...
First off, I have to admit that I was a little less than thrilled about Mount Sinai after Friday. Its not that I have anything against drinking etc, but I was a bit nervous b/c I met a lot of HuMed people that seemed to know eachother and I also really didn't get to meet anyone at Tony's b/c of positioning/hearing (I have a random hearing disorder which no one has heard of, though was oddly featured in NYTimes last week). I didn't spend the night with a student which may have been a mistake, but opted out of Dorians (actually, I decided to swing by really quickly but I think it was too early, 10:30, when no one was there and left...I live on UES so it was easy).
Either way, Friday night, I wasn't totally excited mostly b/c I hadn't met people that I really felt I had totally clicked with, so I was a bit concerned. However, I think my impression changed drastically on Saturday... I immediately met some people at the breakfast whom I got in a much more interesting discussion with, and felt like we were talking about something other than going out (perhaps we were the non-hungover crowd). I also was really impressed with both the faculty and student panel and really got the sense that Mount Sinai is the type of place where if you want to do something, you can. I feel its a great place for anyone with an ounce of self-motivation and I was impressed w/ the diverse interests of the students, and also found it really compelling that they seemed to focus so much on disparities in medicine. One of the best things I learned was that it was fairly easy to do your MPH at Mailman if you want to (this was probably my one draw towards Columbia), but that there is also a way to do it in 4 years without killing yourself.
I am a bit concerned about the traditional curriculum, but not greatly. While its true I'm not sure what I want to do entirely (ask me any day of the week and I jump btw ID, Peds, and possibly heme/onc), but I think Sinai presents a good opportunity to shadow doctors so you can get those experiences if you reach out for them. I got the impression students at Sinai were almost a bit more scrappy than higher ranked places where students are already impressed w/ themselves...this is a positive, I like people that just keep at it and are always striving for more.
I was one of the people in debate (I was primarily choosing btw Sinai and UCSF), this decision has been beyond difficult (if anyone wants more details, feel free to PM me), but I am really excited about Sinai (though I found it funny when a student at Sinai admitted they totally would've gone to UCSF had they got in, though chose Sinai over harvard...at least I appreciate honesty if not advertising!).
I also think one of my favorite experiences was that during the cocktail hour Dr. Butts recognized me right away w/out my name tag (I took it off b/c it had a name I don't use). I think that spoke volumes. I want to be at a school where the deans are approachable and remember students...the fact he remembered me from October was amazing. Honestly, even if he did a quick "lookup" of kids he interviewed that were coming, I still really appreciate the effort. Additionally, I spoke to Dean Parkas for a while and I felt like she was very approachable and someone I would love to work with in the future.
So, this is probably my most long-winded post, but I wanted to be honest about my feelings as they shifted throughout the weekend. I did meet a lot of kids deliberating btw Sinai and Harvard, and REALLY hope some come here b/c I really felt like I connected with some of them and would be happy to have them as my classmates. That being said, I hope everyone is pleased with wherever they wind up.
Sorry for this turning into an essay!
First off, I have to admit that I was a little less than thrilled about Mount Sinai after Friday. Its not that I have anything against drinking etc, but I was a bit nervous b/c I met a lot of HuMed people that seemed to know eachother and I also really didn't get to meet anyone at Tony's b/c of positioning/hearing (I have a random hearing disorder which no one has heard of, though was oddly featured in NYTimes last week). I didn't spend the night with a student which may have been a mistake, but opted out of Dorians (actually, I decided to swing by really quickly but I think it was too early, 10:30, when no one was there and left...I live on UES so it was easy).
Either way, Friday night, I wasn't totally excited mostly b/c I hadn't met people that I really felt I had totally clicked with, so I was a bit concerned. However, I think my impression changed drastically on Saturday... I immediately met some people at the breakfast whom I got in a much more interesting discussion with, and felt like we were talking about something other than going out (perhaps we were the non-hungover crowd). I also was really impressed with both the faculty and student panel and really got the sense that Mount Sinai is the type of place where if you want to do something, you can. I feel its a great place for anyone with an ounce of self-motivation and I was impressed w/ the diverse interests of the students, and also found it really compelling that they seemed to focus so much on disparities in medicine. One of the best things I learned was that it was fairly easy to do your MPH at Mailman if you want to (this was probably my one draw towards Columbia), but that there is also a way to do it in 4 years without killing yourself.
I am a bit concerned about the traditional curriculum, but not greatly. While its true I'm not sure what I want to do entirely (ask me any day of the week and I jump btw ID, Peds, and possibly heme/onc), but I think Sinai presents a good opportunity to shadow doctors so you can get those experiences if you reach out for them. I got the impression students at Sinai were almost a bit more scrappy than higher ranked places where students are already impressed w/ themselves...this is a positive, I like people that just keep at it and are always striving for more.
I was one of the people in debate (I was primarily choosing btw Sinai and UCSF), this decision has been beyond difficult (if anyone wants more details, feel free to PM me), but I am really excited about Sinai (though I found it funny when a student at Sinai admitted they totally would've gone to UCSF had they got in, though chose Sinai over harvard...at least I appreciate honesty if not advertising!).
I also think one of my favorite experiences was that during the cocktail hour Dr. Butts recognized me right away w/out my name tag (I took it off b/c it had a name I don't use). I think that spoke volumes. I want to be at a school where the deans are approachable and remember students...the fact he remembered me from October was amazing. Honestly, even if he did a quick "lookup" of kids he interviewed that were coming, I still really appreciate the effort. Additionally, I spoke to Dean Parkas for a while and I felt like she was very approachable and someone I would love to work with in the future.
So, this is probably my most long-winded post, but I wanted to be honest about my feelings as they shifted throughout the weekend. I did meet a lot of kids deliberating btw Sinai and Harvard, and REALLY hope some come here b/c I really felt like I connected with some of them and would be happy to have them as my classmates. That being said, I hope everyone is pleased with wherever they wind up.
Sorry for this turning into an essay!
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Crabby much? Thank you for your insight into Second Look. If you don't have anything constructive to add please don't respond. As a native New Yorker, talk of bars, social life and gym memberships and the like does not sway me either way as its more of a been there done that sort of thing in my case. I wanted different perspectives on what a couple people thought about the school based on their second visit. I work here so I have a good feeling about what goes on here but I just wanted to see what everyone else thought.
Thank you for your responses! I was just interested to see how people viewed Sinai the second time around.
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Oh OK, I think I definitely met you Question if you're who I think you are. I will agree with most of what you said (and most of what aarms said). I was initially a little irked because a few of the people I met earlier on Friday were a little frat-boyish or slightly awkward. I also did initially meet some awesome people, and I enjoyed hanging out with my host a lot.
I thought the bar night gave me a chance to meet way more people in a better setting and I met a ton of other prospects with cool backgrounds and interests who also seemed to value having fun and pursuing their life outside of school. This is just really important to me, because I view myself as a person before a medical student...that's just my priority in life.
I loved the informal atmosphere...of well, everything. The faculty don't take this authoritative stance over students, it seemed much more like a collegial environment where there weren't these strict hierarchies. Everyone was very approachable and I felt like they just wanted me to succeed and be happy. Sinai isn't flashy, but I don't really need this. I also had been worried that as a medical school only (no university affiliation) some of the interdisciplinary options may have been weak. But, really, after spending time talking to students I realized there are definitely enough things (and probably more so) that I'd even have time to pursue. I'm still hardcore into basic science research, and I didn't get a great sense of how emphasized/good that was at Sinai. I met a lot of people doing clinically/MPH related stuff, but as some still interested in basic science lab work and new technology development... I didn't meet a whole lot of people like me. This was good/bad...because I like being around people who have different passions than my own.
At the end of it though, I realized how much geography and fit really make and break it for me. I loved NYC and I loved that I can definitely have a life outside of school (meet new people, go out and have fun, break away from the med school bubble by walking a block to central park). I like the administration, and to be honest, it seemed like they really wanted everyone to be successful. I thought the students at the admit weekend were generally interesting...and I liked that a lot of students wanted to come because they LOVED Sinai rather than just because it was highly ranked. There was a lot of institutional pride that was justified by reasons other than..."we're so much more prestigious than such and such school", but rather concrete reasons. I'm also about 75% sure I'm gonna withdraw from Cornell....the weekend helped prove that to me. Many students (both current and prospective) seemed to be considering that option and I think most seemed to be leaning Sinai. Although, on another note, I felt it was wrong for one Sinai student to refer to Columbia kids as "pompous douchebags". That's not entirely fair.
Anyway, best of luck with all your decisions. And good luck to the waitlisters. I'd venture to say it's probably going to move at least some bit. There definitely is a guaranteed 35 or so students already from the HuMed program and MD/PhD...so that really only leaves 100 or so spots to fill with attendees (and those who couldn't make it).
I thought the bar night gave me a chance to meet way more people in a better setting and I met a ton of other prospects with cool backgrounds and interests who also seemed to value having fun and pursuing their life outside of school. This is just really important to me, because I view myself as a person before a medical student...that's just my priority in life.
I loved the informal atmosphere...of well, everything. The faculty don't take this authoritative stance over students, it seemed much more like a collegial environment where there weren't these strict hierarchies. Everyone was very approachable and I felt like they just wanted me to succeed and be happy. Sinai isn't flashy, but I don't really need this. I also had been worried that as a medical school only (no university affiliation) some of the interdisciplinary options may have been weak. But, really, after spending time talking to students I realized there are definitely enough things (and probably more so) that I'd even have time to pursue. I'm still hardcore into basic science research, and I didn't get a great sense of how emphasized/good that was at Sinai. I met a lot of people doing clinically/MPH related stuff, but as some still interested in basic science lab work and new technology development... I didn't meet a whole lot of people like me. This was good/bad...because I like being around people who have different passions than my own.
At the end of it though, I realized how much geography and fit really make and break it for me. I loved NYC and I loved that I can definitely have a life outside of school (meet new people, go out and have fun, break away from the med school bubble by walking a block to central park). I like the administration, and to be honest, it seemed like they really wanted everyone to be successful. I thought the students at the admit weekend were generally interesting...and I liked that a lot of students wanted to come because they LOVED Sinai rather than just because it was highly ranked. There was a lot of institutional pride that was justified by reasons other than..."we're so much more prestigious than such and such school", but rather concrete reasons. I'm also about 75% sure I'm gonna withdraw from Cornell....the weekend helped prove that to me. Many students (both current and prospective) seemed to be considering that option and I think most seemed to be leaning Sinai. Although, on another note, I felt it was wrong for one Sinai student to refer to Columbia kids as "pompous douchebags". That's not entirely fair.
Anyway, best of luck with all your decisions.
And good luck to the waitlisters. I'd venture to say it's probably going to move at least some bit. There definitely is a guaranteed 35 or so students already from the HuMed program and MD/PhD...so that really only leaves 100 or so spots to fill with attendees (and those who couldn't make it).If you guys don't mind my asking, why are some of you nervous about a traditional curriculum? I'm obviously a bit out of the loop so I'm just curious.
I know a lot of you are undecided about the specialty you will eventually choose, but you have plenty of time regardless of which curriculum a school has to choose your specialty. For the handful of people who really can't decide even after clinical rotations, I really don't think an extra half year of rotations will help in the decision process. The best thing, from my perspective, about the 1.5 preclinical curricula is that it allows students more time to do research. There's plenty of time to do research in a traditional 2 year curriculum, but in terms of dedicated research time, you can only do it between the summer of first and second year, during fourth year, or during a year off. But in terms of the clinical aspect of the 1.5 curricula, it's not really an advantage to me.
Also, from your experiences, when do you take step 1 with a 1.5 year curriculum? I know mdeast said Penn is after clinical rotations, but do some schools do it after the 1.5 preclinical years? Doing it after 1.5 years is excellent in my opinion, but waiting until after your clinical year is terrible. It's hard enough motivating yourself to study for step 2 after your clinical year, I couldn't imagine motivating myself to study biochem and the other courses that you really don't use much once you hit the wards.
I know a lot of you are undecided about the specialty you will eventually choose, but you have plenty of time regardless of which curriculum a school has to choose your specialty. For the handful of people who really can't decide even after clinical rotations, I really don't think an extra half year of rotations will help in the decision process. The best thing, from my perspective, about the 1.5 preclinical curricula is that it allows students more time to do research. There's plenty of time to do research in a traditional 2 year curriculum, but in terms of dedicated research time, you can only do it between the summer of first and second year, during fourth year, or during a year off. But in terms of the clinical aspect of the 1.5 curricula, it's not really an advantage to me.
Also, from your experiences, when do you take step 1 with a 1.5 year curriculum? I know mdeast said Penn is after clinical rotations, but do some schools do it after the 1.5 preclinical years? Doing it after 1.5 years is excellent in my opinion, but waiting until after your clinical year is terrible. It's hard enough motivating yourself to study for step 2 after your clinical year, I couldn't imagine motivating myself to study biochem and the other courses that you really don't use much once you hit the wards.
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