The Whatever--Random Medical School Stuff

mcat2
Mon, 10 Feb 2014 02:12:33 +0000

I heard there is really no record about the “mark” (other than P or not) in the preclinical years at DS’s school. Also, I had the impression that his school postpones the decision of AOA status even if there is such a list eventually (really not sure - we avoid talking about this as well as the grades at all cost, as it would be well too stressful if that would be any med student’s concern.)

But you are probably right in saying that the school could still somehow inform the residency program directors of how the student stacks up among the peers in one way or another. But I do not know how it works. For example, will it work somewhat like a “premed committee” for premed students who attend a college with a premed committee (I just use the med school application cycle just as an analogy here)? The premed advisor could write anything on the committee letter how the students perform in some “code” that we may not understand?

BTW, DS now volunteers a day in every weekend at a hospital (he even needs to commute to it, unlike at his teaching hospital which is just across the street from where he lives.) He just briefly mentioned this to us and commented it may be good for residency application in the future. Do MS3 students do this on a regular basis? It seems to be a very much like “premed-ish” activity but I really do not know. (But he did not do very much, just barely necesities, on the hospital volunteering front as a premed. It seems he is more willing to do this now than before. But he told us that he is not a very “aggresive/ambitious” premed or med school student like some of his peer premed or med school students. He just dutifully does his student’s job in his own pace.

The life seems to be quite tough for him right now as he is in some very busy MS3 rotation now.