You can compare medical schools you have been accepted to by attending second look weekends.
During these weekends, schools invite accepted students to campus for events that give a better understanding of what it’s like to attend that specific medical school. It’s typically a mix of meetings with faculty, tours of the campus and facilities, and social events with current medical students. Medical school second look weekends are usually in the spring of each application cycle.
Esha Chadha, a current med student at The Ohio State University, visited multiple second look weekends while deciding where to go to medical school. “I wanted to attend second look weekends to get a better feel for the school and make sure one was the right choice for me,” she says.
Choosing which med school to attend is a tough decision. Learn how to make the most of a second look weekend and address these topics to help you on your medical school decision journey:
— Campus life
— Community
— In-person meetings
— Academic experience
Campus Life
Second look weekends give accepted students a first-hand look at campus life. “I got to hear about day-to-day life, including study routines, social events, and even where students like to hang out,” Chadha says.
During the campus tour, you can explore lecture halls, study spaces and clinical training sites. You can also learn about areas for wellness — such as workout facilities — and mentorship.
Some questions about campus life you can ask current med students:
— How big is campus?
— How do you get around campus? Do you need a car? Can you walk to class from where you live?
— As a clinical student, do you have to travel to other hospital sites? If so, how far are the hospitals?
— Where do students study?
— Where do students hang out on campus?
— What are the food options on campus? Are they good?
— What is the student culture like once you go into clinical rotations?
Community
The second look weekend provides valuable insight into student culture and the institution’s culture. Talking with current medical school students and faculty, you can get a sense of whether the school values things like innovation and community engagement. At one second look weekend, Chadha says med students were excited to talk about the school’s street medicine program, which allowed students to care for homeless and undocumented individuals.
Ask these questions about a school’s community:
— Do students seem collaborative or competitive?
— Are there clubs, student organizations, or school events that reflect student culture outside of academics?
— How close are students with faculty members?
— Do students live on campus or off campus?
— Where do students typically hang out?
In-Person Meetings
Second look weekends are a great way to meet people you may interact with in medical school. “I met some of my closest friends in medical school during second look,” Chadha says. “It made starting school feel a little less intimidating because I already knew people.”
These weekends are a great time to meet with the financial aid office to discuss your financial aid package. You can negotiate your package as well as learn about scholarships and funding opportunities that may not have been mentioned during interview day.
Academic Experience
You can learn more about the academic experience at a particular school, including the structure of the curriculum — whether it’s traditional, integrated or systems-based — and how it balances lectures, small group discussions and clinical exposure.
Second look weekends are also an opportunity to understand the grading system, assessment policies and how the school supports student learning through resources like tutoring or peer mentoring. Additionally, you can explore research opportunities, early clinical experiences and the organization of clinical rotations, helping evaluate how the school aligns with your learning style and career goals.
[Read: How to Decide Where to Attend Medical School]
During second look weekends, “current students shared details about their daily academic routines, including stress management strategies,” Chadha says. “I had a realistic idea of what my daily life might look like at each school.”
Ask these questions about a school’s academic experience:
— Are lectures recorded?
— Do students attend class in person?
— Do a majority of students graduate in four years? If not, what do they do during the gap year in medical school?
— Does the school fund research? Is it easy to obtain research funding? Does the school fund conferences too?
— How do students choose where to do their clinical rotations?
Aside from the campus life, community, in-person meetings and academic experience, Chadha recommends discussing the challenges of being a student at the medical school. “Ask students what they wish they would have known before enrolling or what they would change about the school,” she says.
Use second look weekend to explore the surrounding city, she adds. “Visit neighborhoods, check out housing options and get a feel for what life outside of school would be like. It’s important to feel comfortable not just at the school, but in the surrounding area as well.”
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Medical School ‘Second Look’: 4 Tips to Make the Most of It originally appeared on usnews.com