@NervousDad01 - some good links with regards to comparing and looking at med schools:[ul]
[]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReuhUWHV2sM
[]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pja8VKZJBVo
[]http://www.studentdoctor.net/2014/06/top-factors-to-consider-when-comparing-medical-schools/
[]https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/1/docs/advising/prehealth/New_Logo-35_Questions.pdf (“35 Questions I Wish I had Asked” - Adopted from the AAMC)[/ul]
So these are questions that I’ve put together both from going thru this thread from the beginning, PMs I’ve gotten from CCers about the program, as well as questions I remembered parents/students had asked in the past, as well as modified from the 35 Questions AAMC link above. Many of these you can possibly find answers to on the website as well. And of course, this isn’t an all-inclusive list.
PART 1
General[ul]
[]What do you think are the positives of the program in your view?
[]What do you think are the negatives of the program in your view?
[]If you could do it all over again, would you still do the UMKC BA/MD program, some other combined program, or the traditional route?
[]What insight do you think you have now about medicine or the BA/MD program, that maybe you didn’t have or wish you had coming in from high school?[/ul]
Undergraduate curriculum itself[ul]
[]What undergraduate majors are currently allowed within the Bachelor/MD combined program? What major do most students end up choosing?
[]Which semesters are students allowed to take undergraduate coursework?
[]How many credit hours can students take of elective undergraduate courses, that are outside of the required undergraduate coursework?
[]If a student wants to choose an undergraduate degree outside of Bio/Chem/Liberal Arts, like Business, Engineering, Political Science, etc. with their MD, is that feasible within the six year program? If it is allowed, but requires more years in the program, would I get to pay undergraduate rate tuition for those extra years when I’m taking undergraduate coursework?
[]How did you feel regarding the pace/intensity of the program in the first 2 years? Too fast/too slow/about right?
[]Why do BA/MD students not take 1 year of General Bio, General Physics, Organic Chemistry plus labs? [this always gets asked since traditionally and in most combined programs these premed requirements are still taken by students)
[]How much holiday time do students get in Years 1 & 2?[/ul]
Student Life & Student Body[ul]
[li]How diverse is the class (race, gender, economics)?[/li][]How active or involved are BA/MD students on the undergraduate Volker Campus when it comes to student organizations?
[]Are BA/MD students able to join a UMKC sports team? If so, which ones have been done in the past?
[]What fun activities are available for students in Kansas City or the surrounding areas?
[]How well integrated are BA/MD students with the undergraduate campus students and in what way (i.e. classes, events, etc.)
[]Are students able to sign up for a part-time job to relieve expenses, while in the program?
[]How do students find balance within the program?
[]How safe is the Volker and medical school campuses? How safe is the city?[/ul]
Year 1 & 2 Docent Experience[ul]
[]Which hospitals do students rotate at for their Year 1-2 Docent experience?
[]How often and how long do they meet for?
[]What are students actually doing and learning during Docent?
[]Is it the same Docent both years or only in the first year?
[]Is it similar to shadowing done by traditional premed students?[/ul]
Financial aid:[ul]
[li]Why are students charged at the School of Medicine rate while taking undergraduate classes, instead of the undergraduate rate, in the first 2 years [this almost always gets asked by parents as there is some confusion in how the tuition bill is tabulated][/li][li]Are students in the first 2 years eligible for undergraduate level university sponsored scholarships?[/li][]What university sponsored scholarships are available to BA/MD students?
[]Are regional/out-of-state students eligible for any university sponsored scholarships?
[]What is the average level of debt load that BA/MD students graduate with? [keep in mind there will be quite a few students whose parents pick up the entire bill so their debt level will be $0, which will naturally bring the average debt level figure down]
[]Total amount given in grants [don’t have to be paid back], loans [have to be paid back w/interest], scholarships [don’t have to be paid back]
[li]What requirements have to be met in order to eventually qualify for in-state tuition, if that is possible?[/li][]Is there financial guidance and advising available for students as they progress through the program?[/ul]
Extension (taking longer than the 6 years) and Attrition (leaving the program altogether) - keep in mind some people may end up eventually doing both:[ul]
[]Why do people extend in the program?
[]Why do people leave the program?
[]What has been the percent extension in the last 6 years, both at the Year 1-2 level and then at the Year 3-6 level?
[]What has been the percent attrition in the last 6 years, both at the Year 1-2 level and then at the Year 3-6 level?
[]If the percentages are HIGH → Why do you think those rates are high?
[]What has the school done to try to bring these rates down?
[]What resources does the school offer to students when they find themselves in academic trouble?
[]How involved is the school/professors when a student gets into academic trouble initially?
[]How transferable are courses to other institutions, if a student decides to leave the program?[/ul]
The medical school curriculum[ul]
[li]Is the basic science curriculum traditional subject based or organ system based?[/li][]What is the grading system for basic science coursework and required clerkships?
[]Are lectures during the basic science years recorded? (https://www.aamc.org/download/268838/data/lecture_video_recording_and_attendance.pdf)
[]Is there a mandatory lecture attendance policy? (see link above)
[]How well do you think your basic science coursework and class exams prepared you when it came to your boards? What aspect of your basic science education do you think should change to help future students in this regard?
[]Do students get to dissect cadavers in the required Anatomy course? [this question ALWAYS gets asked every year as long as grass is green]
[*]Have there been any recent changes or will there be changes in the near future of the BA/MD curriculum?[/ul]