Hi! Could you provide any insight on the following:
- Exam structure--how often and on which day of the week?
- Test questions are step based or prof’s own test to prep for step ?
- How much virtual vs in person
- Balancing research?
- Truly pass fail? Any internal grading
- Mandatory lectures?
- Where to live and cost and commute time to campus
thanks!!
not to steal this, but just in case you want insight from a variety of people - current third-year.
also, there's a curriculum change for the incoming class. But as things are:
1. One exam per week on Fridays; in first year and first semester of second year, they try to do like three or four exams in a row, then a week off, and repeat.
2. Do you mean navle? I think step is the human medical school competency exam. But the professors just give exams based on their course materials in vet school.
3. We used to have live streaming; all non-required attendance lectures are recorded. in-person is suggested, but I almost never go.
4. I do -- so I've been working on a work-study project since first-year. It's not bad because my research area is my area of professional focus (wildlife) but I sort of make my own schedule to balance things.
5. We are not currently a pass-fail school, unless this is changing with the new curriculum. I wish we were though. We still get number grades and GPAs for most courses. Clinical skills, electives, and certain courses are designated pass/fail.
6. There are some mandatory lectures - usually problem-based learning, clinical reasoning style courses; ethics, communication, etc. If there are guest lecturers, attendance is typically required as well.
7. First-year I lived about 30 minutes away so I could have a flat and a fenced yard. It was fine, and I often miss it, but I couldn't swing rent anymore. So now I live ten minutes from school with multiple roommates for about half the price.