Sitting-in On a Med School Class as an Interviewee

[greatjoyousday]

Hello!

My flight gets into the city really early the day before my interview and I will be staying with a student host that night. I was wondering if it would be appropriate to ask my host if I could sit in on a class with him/her. I certainly don't want to impose upon their hospitality and I don't want to be in a class if my presence wouldn't be welcomed. But I also think it would be so awesome to hear from a professor there and to really feel out the environment of a lecture.

Any experiences with this or advice would be helpful, thanks!

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[OrthoTraumaMD]

I wouldn’t do it.

 

[907914]

Hello!

My flight gets into the city really early the day before my interview and I will be staying with a student host that night. I was wondering if it would be appropriate to ask my host if I could sit in on a class with him/her. I certainly don't want to impose upon their hospitality and I don't want to be in a class if my presence wouldn't be welcomed. But I also think it would be so awesome to hear from a professor there and to really feel out the environment of a lecture.

Any experiences with this or advice would be helpful, thanks!

Most schools will let you do this during your down time on interview day. Wouldn’t worry about it. Read your primary and secondary, get some wine and cake, relax, sleep well.

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

Most schools will let you do this during your down time on interview day. Wouldn’t worry about it. Read your primary and secondary, get some wine and cake, relax, sleep well.

Really? We've been to very different interviews. I think only one of my interviews during my cycle gave me this option, and it was a school that prides itself on having very few required events on interview day. Most of my interview days were pretty busy and did not give us this option.

If anything OP, use your extra free time to explore the city that the school is in. check out areas where students live/hang out, hit a few tourist stops, find some interesting food, see what it would be like to live in the area. You'll have plenty of time to spend in lecture once you get to med school

 

[ciestar]

Of my seven interviews, only one let us sit in on a class.

 

[907914]

Of my seven interviews, only one let us sit in on a class.

Weird. 4 of the 6 of mine have the option...

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

None of the schools I interviewed at gave us that option.

 

[kinjin24]

You’ll likely be the only One in class lmao.

 

[deleted1006988]

Go ahead and ask your student host if you want - I’m sure they wouldn’t mind. On the other hand, you could also just ask to look at recordings of lectures from a library study room if you wanna get the more common med school experience.

 

[Lucca]

Ya I remember that some schools let you do that. I wouldn’t do it tbh, there’s very little value to be gained from it. It would be slightly more interesting to sit in on a PBL session just to see what it’s like if youve never had a class like that, but honestly only slightly more.

You’d be better off finding a quiet place to relax and google your interviewers if you know their names.

 

[sparkysparkyboomman]

Oh that's interesting it was never an option at my interviews. I agree with others in saying you should ask the person hosting you

 

[993444]

I wouldn’t do it.

As in “it’s inappropriate” or “waste of time”?

Some schools encourage it.

 

[Isoval]

My school explicitly allows interviewees to attend that day's medical school classes if there are any following the conclusion of the interview.

Not that every school would allow this, but it's certainly within the realm of possibility that this is something the school would let you do.

 

[greatjoyousday]

The wine, cake, and exploring route does sound more enticing... I'll probably just chill and enjoy my time in a new city. Thank you all for the guidance and advice!

 

[Osteosaur]

Only one of my interviews allowed this and it was pointless. I learned nothing. And I'm sure if I was a student motivated to learn and prepared for the (PBL) class I would have felt different. As it was I was struggling to stay awake.

Medical students lead boring lives in MS1-2 and no matter where you go you're preparing for the same big test.

Relax.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

As in “it’s inappropriate” or “waste of time”?

Some schools encourage it.

Definitely B, possibly A as well.

 

[deleted1005514]

Only one of my interviews allowed this and it was pointless. I learned nothing. And I'm sure if I was a student motivated to learn and prepared for the (PBL) class I would have felt different. As it was I was struggling to stay awake.

Medical students lead boring lives in MS1-2 and no matter where you go you're preparing for the same big test.

Relax.

This. If every school let interviewees sit in on lectures, matriculation rates would probably plummet. Lectures are the least interesting/fun thing about medical school, and they are either poorly attended, difficult to sit through, or both.

 

[Gilakend]

Also, at least at my school, lectures are so incredibly variable. Some are great and others use so many five dollar words I don't even know what they're saying. I think this would be one of the least helpful things you could do to inform your decision just because it's one random lecture out of 1000.

Talk to students (who you could ask about lectures overall), check out the facilities/study spaces, get a feel for the town or atmosphere of the school.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Also, at least at my school, lectures are so incredibly variable. Some are great and others use so many five dollar words I don't even know what they're saying. I think this would be one of the least helpful things you could do to inform your decision just because it's one random lecture out of 1000.

Talk to students (who you could ask about lectures overall), check out the facilities/study spaces, get a feel for the town or atmosphere of the school.

This. We have one lecturer I don’t even watch because I can’t understand what he’s saying. Then we have 2 or 3 who I wish did all our lectures.