Choosing between two schools based on curriculum style (which is best?)

[sneider3]

I'm debating between two schools, but am most interested in which curriculum style would be best. Both are 2 years lecture without early clinical, but one divides the curriculum across the two years by organ systems while the other has first year as normal organ system functioning and the second year as patho. Has anyone heard any feedback on which curriculum style is preferred for step prep, etc?

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[longhaul3]

My preference would be the first option, but I beg you not to make your decision based on this. It's one of the least important things I can think of. Pre-clinical studying these days is pretty much done at home using Pathoma and Anki and other commercially available resources. You will learn the material the same at both schools. The difference in Step 1 scores is far greater within any given school than between any two given schools, plus I think you'll be taking it P/F anyway.

Things that are all far more important:

• Cost
• Location
• Quality of affiliated hospitals
• Prestige/reputation
• Research infrastructure
• Quality of residency programs in IM and other core med school rotations
• Existence and quality of home department in any specific fields of interest
• Condensed pre-clinical (not an option for you I take it)
• P/F pre-clinical

From someone who has been through med school—in terms of importance, this falls just a step above the quality of sandwiches served on interview day.

 

[sneider3]

My preference would be the first option, but I beg you not to make your decision based on this. It's one of the least important things I can think of. Pre-clinical studying these days is pretty much done at home using Pathoma and Anki and other commercially available resources. You will learn the material the same at both schools. The difference in Step 1 scores is far greater within any given school than between any two given schools, plus I think you'll be taking it P/F anyway.

Things that are all far more important:

• Cost
• Location
• Quality of affiliated hospitals
• Prestige/reputation
• Research infrastructure
• Quality of residency programs in IM and other core med school rotations
• Existence and quality of home department in any specific fields of interest
• Condensed pre-clinical (not an option for you I take it)
• P/F pre-clinical

From someone who has been through med school—in terms of importance, this falls just a step above the quality of sandwiches served on interview day.

Thanks for the feedback and you make a good point. The two schools I am deciding on are pretty much 1 for 1 on all points except location, with both locations also being great, so I'm just trying to find even the smallest things that puts one school ahead of the other.