When you visit prospective medical schools, it is often easy to see the positives, while the negatives may be less obvious. Every medical school wishes to impress potential students, but not every program will be right for you.
While issues such as location and cost can be identified through a school’s written or electronic materials, there are three red flags that you should keep in mind as you tour and evaluate your medical school options.
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1. Insufficient resources: Your interests and your learning style should be at the forefront of your mind as you visit campuses. The importan ce of certain parts of the curriculum, such as problem-based learning sessions, will depend on many factors. These might include things like frequency — a bit is great, but too much can detract from your study time — or the degree to which concepts from lecture are applied , and your personal preference.
You should also consider the available resources. Pay attention to whether the facilities new or old. See if there is enough lab equipment for everyone, or if you will need to compete for it. If you are interested in an M.D.-Ph.D. track, the size and quality of research labs can best be assessed in person.
Remember, too, that medical school is difficult. Try to gauge whether the students seem reasonably supported. See if they have active extracurricular lives and access to counseling and tutoring. If they do, are these services of a useful quality?
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2. Incomplete rotations: The rotations that you complete during medical school will have a significant impact on your medical training and your ability to secure your first-choice residency. Thus, it is important to ask about partner hospitals when touring prospective medical schools.
For instance, ask if the school has rotations in different health care settings, including in a a range of hospital sizes. Variety is the foundation of a strong medical education, and you may be surprised by which setting you like most.
Beware of rotations that do not actively involve students in the care of the patient, or rotations that de-emphasize the ward-based teaching of residents and medical students. You should also ensure that there are fourth-year elective rotations in the specialties that interest you.
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3. Limited or no access to students: You will find it difficult to assess the above points without speaking to individuals who have experienced the process themselves — in other words, third-year students, fourth-year students or recent graduates.
Remember that third- and fourth-year students may be occupied with clinical rotations on the day that you visit, so you may need to ask administration for a list of students to contact. Try to gather a large sample of opinions to avoid being swayed by a single biased outlook. Being denied access to current and former students is a massive red flag.
When you begin to visit medical schools, do so with a critical eye. Observe what you can, and ask students about their experiences when time permits. Pre-clinical red flags will be determined by your particular learning style, while clinical year red flags often involve your rotations.
Keep these questions in mind as you tour medical schools, and take copious notes. The answers you receive can ultimately help you decide among your medical school acceptances in the months to come.
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Note These Red Flags When Touring Medical Schools originally appeared on usnews.com
