Comments from the Class of 2003

Adelphi University

"I tried very hard to improve my study technique over the past few years improving eventually. Also did research in summer 2000. I enjoyed the supportive attitude of faculty and Admissions. Additionally I benefited from Downstate’s emphasis on research. I learned much from my clerkship at KCH/Downstate during the past year. The opportunity for seeing and learning about the numerous medical problems / issues of an urban community was unique indeed."

Amherst College

"The best asset of the medical education here was the clinical experience. At an early stage we were able to see patients and had a high degree of responsibility."

Andrew University

"Clinical years."

"Minority faculty and students."

Barnard College

"I think that Downstate’s curriculum is structured in such a way to prepare students for the real world rather than it being geared toward preparing students to just be capable of passing a standardized exam."

"I like the friends I made and the sense of community so unique to Downstate. I really felt at home in this medical school in the heart of Brooklyn."

"Several small group sessions were useful and worthwhile, but very preceptor-dependent. Clinical mentor sessions every other week in 1st year. Some notes very concise, complete, and well written. Many attending have obviously spent a lot of time preparing. "

"1st and 2nd year carrels. Diversity of class."

Binghamton University

"3rd year excellent clinical education. 1st & 2nd years – although stress minutia at times, realize in 3rd year that you really learned a lot. Wide diversity of patients & illnesses. Large hands on experience (e.g., other schools do not even learn how to put in IVs etc.). Good library."

"I enjoyed my subinternship the most."

Boston University

"Great school! Many of my friends & family have attended Downstate; all of them have had great experiences here."

Brandeis University

"The clinical experience at Downstate was great. I have to do a lot, have a lot of responsibility, learn a lot as you go. The first 2 years were good as well, except for the CBL’s. What I liked best was the Pediatric rotations. I felt like my input was appreciated and my opinions were heard but that my mistakes were corrected before I managed to hurt someone. In addition, it also made it possible for me to decide the residency I want to do. Oh, and the price was definitely right."

Brooklyn College

"The patient diversity – outstanding clinical experiences."

"Wide variety of extra curricular opportunities."

"The Student Center – an amazing place."

"The faculty – some of the doctors are extremely pro-student."

"Programs designed to assist students – i.e. Kaplan for USMLE Step I."

"Student-to-student confidence. "

"There were also some people who made Downstate more enjoyable and were always there to help. These are people who are very proactive for students and can always be counted on."

"Good clinical preparation, especially in history taking. Good clinical teachers by attendings both in the 1st 2 years of medical school and during 3rd year. Attendees were both available and very willing to teach. It was a very student friendly environment. Teaching is strongly emphasized and most attendees are very willing to teach at anytime. I feel clinical skills and education are very well emphasized and encouraged."

"Clinical experience years 3 and 4. Good level of comfort as an “older applicant.” The MD is my second Doctorate."

"Strengths of my medical education: excellent clinical experience and autonomy in the care of the patient. What I like best: Freedom to choose electives and ability to make decisions."

"Diversity and responsibility.'

"Kings County Hospital – seeing all the diseases that are endemic to countries other than America, being able to manage patients on our own, with adequate supervison. Considerations were made for religious observances. As a whole, the faculty was helpful & friendly. Good guidance and support during the residency application process. Good friends, helpful, noncompetitive spirit."

Brooklyn College (BA/MD)

"Strengths:

"Clinical experience beginning 1st year."

"Hands on experience at Kings County"

"Organ-based approach to basic science curriculum."

"Liked Best:

"Array of extracurricular opportunities."

"Organ based approach to basic science curriculum."

"Feeling competent in regards to my clinical skills."

City College

"I liked the interaction between students and teachers and especially residents. Most were very enthusiastic about teaching students as much clinical knowledge as the can. Inexpensive & diverse patient."

College of Mt. St. Vincent

"Very different modalities used to convey information. (CBL, lab, lectures). Big classes and also broken down to small groups. People who care about you –very personal. Friendly and diverse class. Co-op educational programs with other affiliates and hospitals."

"Ability to go over to KCH and the diversity of patients seen there. Ability to become a RA and RD."

Columbia

"Independence during clinical rotations. Exposure to breadth of medical condition in diverse population."

"I liked the organ system blocks in the first 2 years."

Columbia College

"Downstate allows students to experience everything. Students function as interns in every respect. We are made to feel part of the team. I feel I have a very strong sense of knowledge. I loved my class. A great group of student from a variety of different schools and areas."

Columbia University

"Clinical years – lots of diversity in patient Population & pathology very hands on."

"Diverse class – adds to everyone’s experience."

"Varied clinical experience (private community, university helpful, VA Hospital, County Hospital. Nephrology department – great teachers. Clean comfortable study carrels for 1st & 2nd years."

"SUNY Downstate offers strong scientific background and well-organized clinical curriculum."

"Clinical rotations."

Cornell University

"The strengths of my medical education at SUNY were the wide variety of pathology seen, being in contact with wide variety of ethnic backgrounds in both the physician community and the patient population."

"What I liked the best was training in the community of Brooklyn."

"Clinical Rotations – I did them all at Kings County Hospital/Downstate for the “hands on experience”. The autonomy, responsibility and experience allowed me to learn medicine in a very practical way. Compared to friends at other medical schools, I am much more independent, my experiences have been more varied."

"Pathology at our institution is very diverse."

"Curriculum, I think the new curriculum is very well done. The blend is fantastic."

"Hands on work in clinical clerkships. Small group work. The carrels."

Duke University

"Strengths: hands on clinical experience in 3rd & 4th years and varied patient populations. I liked many of my classmates and enjoyed learning and working with them."

Emory University

"Lots of patient contact during clinical rotations. On all clinical rotation, we were considered an integral member of the team. (Staff in the Dean’s office and Office of the Registrar have been most helpful – especially this year)"

Fordham University

"Clinical exposure, student oriented faculty, good student body, nice basic science background and low cost."

George Town (undergrad) - NYU (post-bac)

"Strengths – clinical experience, exposure to emergency room, diverse student population – especially for our class."

George Washington University

"Strengths:

"Strong clinical skills. Efficiency on the floor. Students here, for the most part, are great team players. We help each other out.

"Like Best:

"The people, I like my classmates. The faculty is approachable and most of them enjoy teaching. The patients are great."

Harvard

"Clinical education of 3rd & 4th years. The 3rd & 4th years at Downstate excellent in preparing students for residency and beyond. The experience and the patients seen at Downstate & Kings County (2 institutions where I spent most of my clerkship & electives) are challenging but rewarding. As a budding surgeon, I have enjoyed and benefited much from my experience at the Dept of surgery especially at sick and transplant services. "

Hunter College

"Third year of medical school at Kings County Hospital was the most enjoyable experience in medical school. The diversity of the patients as well as disease is priceless."

" Hands on, rigorous education, Kings County Hospital, diversity of site for 3rd year clerkships. Diversity of students."

"Great emphasis on research."

"Very friendly environment."

"Supportive faculty."

"I think “block” curriculum is working well."

"Great opportunity to grow professionally. "

"Being here was a pleasurable experience overall. Great classmates and faculty members made my med school life manageable."

"Very diverse (culturally) patients, inexpensive, close to home. We have to see a broad scope of types of hospitals. (private – public, all types of patients)."

New York Institute of Technology

"I had a very positive experience at Downstate. I particularly enjoyed the clinical experience. The diverse culture and ethnicity of the staff and the patient population make Downstate unique, and the enriched and wide range of pathology make our training strong. I am proud to be a Downstate student."

New York University

"My four years have allowed me to obtain a great deal of hands on training while working with the people of this community. I have learned about medicine and patient interactions as well."

"The people of Downstate, residents, faculty, employees have been a tremendous help to me. I have been involved in many organizations on campus and many of these people have become my family."

"Strengths were by far the clinical experiences, starting with the third year. "

"What I liked best again is related to the clinical experiences particularly the patient population and the vast range of pathologies I was exposed to. In addition, I also felt that the case based curriculum did aid in preparation for clerkships and clinical decision making skills. Also, I loved the diversity of my medical school class."

"I selected the clinical experience offered at Downstate by far make the program strong. The teaching on the floors has been extremely academic and evidence base, setting the students up for handling responsibility in this age of medicine. What I liked best about SUNY Downstate was the availability of faculty to the students for basically anything (education, research guidance etc)."

"I really enjoyed 3rd year and even more 4th year because of the interaction with the patient."

"The strengths of Downstate Center around the clinical experience the hands on and decision making opportunities that the health care system allows its students. The history of Downstate as the birthplace of many advances in medicine is also a source of pride to the students it trains."

"The structure of the medical curriculum has allowed every clinical expose to the “joy of medicine”. Along with CBL’s, these exposures allow students to put learning into context, providing the understanding of the kind of book knowledge that will advance one’s clinical acumen."

"The strengths of Downstate’s are the clinical experiences at the various hospitals. There is a good variety of patients and disease processes, along a variety of presentations. The clinical experience prepares the student for practical application of technique on medicine floor. The best aspect of Downstate as a whole is the students and the diversity of the people."

"Early exposure to patient, familiarity with physical exam and history taking."

"My classmates and tuition."

Queens College

"I found the strength of medical education in the clinical years. Kings County Hospital is truly a place where one learns how to manage and learn from complex patients."

"I got very good clinical experience. I felt like I was part of the team. I was asked my opinion and expected to order /follow up tests, exams, and present patients. The pediatric dept. in particular is amazingly strong. The attendings are great teachers and I think the residents come out very well trained. I think what I like best is the student population. I made some great friends here and the majority of the students feel very strongly about their future careers. I was also well impressed by their initiative in school and community projects I am proud to be in their number."

"Strong clinical sites and good faculty. Generally, atmosphere is very friendly and supportive. My fellow students were very nice to study with and get a medical education."

Sophie Davis

"I have only been in Downstate now for a little over a year so I can only comment on the clinical training, which has been outstanding so far. I have had great exposure to the growth of medical as well as psychosocial issues. I have been fortunate to work with knowledgeable as well as enthusiastic faculty. I have also made some good friendships though the year."

"The opportunities to learn from patients with various problems."

"The wonderful patient population both hospitals serve. The variety of clinical cases. The diversity of student population."

"The one strength I appreciate is the intense clinical exposure in every clerkship. My best days at SUNY were when I was on call and had a chance to be independent (with the guidance of the senior resident). And manage the patients on the floor. My best days were when I did my case presentations after looking up differentials and clinical management."

"I enjoyed the responsibility of caring for my own patients at KCH. It proved to be a valuable learning experience."

Stanford University

"Very diverse environment (student body, community setting) Blended curriculum (elective & CBL) Challenging experience."

Stony Brook University

"I live in Brooklyn, I feel comfortable here and this took away one stressor that would affect my education. Clinically, I think I have had the best experience I could possible have. The conditions for studying were excellent. I felt very comfortable finding a quite place to study."

"Student body is probably what I liked best about this place."

SUNY

"Having been out on the “interview trail” I now realize just how strong the clinical training is at Downstate. I believe that wherever I match next year, I will be the strongest PGY-1, thanks to the clinical exposure here. In addition, some of the CBL’s sessions were very good, while others were not."

"I really enjoyed the 2 weeks of Essentials of Clinical Medicine in the 3rd year and my 4th week as a 4th year. I believe that the ER physicians are some of the best teachers at Downstate, both in the ER and as preceptors for small groups and also as advisors.

SUNY Albany

"Great clinical, good clinical, organ based system, good prep for Step 1. I like my colleagues as a whole. Clinical years were great. I was a proponent for Kings County Hospital. As I went through my clinical years, I felt that I was learning how to practice good medicine. I now feel more than comfortable going to residents. Taking with student from elsewhere. This is not always the case. SUNY Downstate has everything to prepare me for a bright future in medicine. It is up to the students not to whine, but to be proactive and take advantage of all Downstate has to offer."

"There are many strengths of my medical education, but I will detail only a couple here. First, I feel that my education has given me all the tools that I need to survive in the next step in my medical education. This notion was reinforced repeatedly during this interview season by comments made by both the attending and residents at various institutions that admire the Downstate’s graduate’s technical expertise and efficiency. Secondly, I feel that I have been given a strong theoretical background. I have been given the requisite knowledge to back up the technical expertise that I have acquired. The thing that I liked best about my time here was that I never felt like I was getting lost in a sea of medical students the atmosphere was both supportive and nurturing."

SUNY Binghamton

"The clinical training – wide diversity of cases, patient. population, teaching, ability to perform basic procedures. Less lecture – more group learning."

"My clinical experience."

"Kings County (well thought of during residency interviews)."

"Wide variety of clinical experience."

"Ample research opportunities."

"Ability to be useful as a 3rd year medical student."

"Four people per cadaver."

"Interesting and diverse student body."

"Tremendous opportunity to perform procedures."

"Good training in important medicine."

"Flexibility to explore different sides (not completely but better than most).I enjoyed the camaraderie with my classmates, watching each other evolve and decide where to go in life."

SUNY Buffalo

"Clinical experience in early years. Clinical faculty is student friendly. Guidance on residency process."

SUNY at Stony Brook

"I feel very confident clinically. Acquired many clinical skills that I may not have had the opportunity of doing elsewhere. Great attending and residents. Multicultural faculty/colleagues/patient population. 3rd & 4th years of medical school have prepared me well for residency. CBL sessions were enlightening – 1st & 2nd years."

"During the first 2 years some of the strengths were small group learning, organ-system based blocks, and approachable faculty. The entire Downstate community was very welcoming and there were many activities for those who were interested. During 3rd year, our learning was extremely hands on. I feel that I have learned how to work well in both an impatient and outpatient setting. As I did most of my clerkships at KCHC, I have learned to do many tasks that are outside of the scope of a doctor’s job. However, it is nice to know that I can start and IV, draw blood from an infant, transport a patient to x-ray etc…"

"I am amazed by the transformation that takes place over the 4 years. I have enjoyed every year more than the one before and have made friends I will keep for life."

"The strengths of my medical education here at SUNY Downstate were the clinical experience and the strong support network."

"The lack of competition and the willingness of my classmates to help each other are by far the best parts of Downstate experience."

Syracuse University

"Clinical experience and student support. The diversity of the student body. I have learned a lot about other cultures and religion backgrounds. Since I was born and raised in Brooklyn, the location is also ideal for me. The hands on experience at the various sites, I feel has helped me learn the material better. Clinical experience is excellent."

University of Michigan

"The strengths of SUNY Downstate: Diverse student body, Older student population, M/F ratio relatively equal. Expert faculty. Research opportunities, Diverse array of clinical pathology. What I liked best about SUNY Downstate: Clinical years, Case Based Learning, Small group exercises, Patients at KCH."

"The strengths of my medical education were mostly clinical. When 3rd year started, I realized why I went through this process. Training at King's County is the most beneficial experience for medical students. Not only are you allowed to participate in the actual healthcare of the patients, but you are expected to. I feel fully confident to go to any hospital now and both make decisions and do procedure. The patients are also grateful for the most part, which always makes or a more relaxed training environment."

"I loved being at SUNY Downstate because there is a Downstate pride that stays with you long after graduation. Training in such in “interesting” part of Brooklyn makes you a stronger person and people always love talking to me about Downstate. I liked the people in my class, most of the faculty is caring, supportive and interested in helping you succeed."

University of Vermont

"I think the greatest strength of my medical education was the superb clinical training I received. Although it is most appropriately described as “sink or swim," I liked the independence afforded to students."

Wellesley College

"I felt that the clinical education was excellent. There was always a good mix of “basic” important cases that would always be important to know about. Also unusual or rarer cases that might not be seen elsewhere. The “hands on” experience was great, I had many opportunities to practice manual skills. I felt that during most of my clerkship, the attending and residents gave me a chance to be part of the team. I was able to make contributions, but also to learn a great deal."

"I enjoyed the clinical years, and the community. As someone who was involved in campus activities, I felt that added something to my downstate experience."

Xavier University of LA

"The strengths of my medical education were definitely my clinical experience. I feel like being apart of the Downstate community has afforded me unique, practical, and very hands on experience. During my sub-internship, I believe my experience was truly reflective of how my internship year will be."

Yeshiva College

"I loved my 4 years at Downstate. Some of the strengths were a lot of hands on training, teachers that care about teaching and were available to answer questions. I made a lot of great friends and I liked the grading system here that made students not competitive."

Yeshiva Gedola Rabbinical College

"Clinical exposure & opportunity to participate in clinical decisions and care. The library facilities were conducive to studying. I am married with 3 children. Therefore, I had little time for social activities; most of my “free” time on campus was spent in the library."

Yeshiva University

"One of the strengths is the diversity within the class and the way we are divided up into many different small groups sessions, enabling me to meet the many different people in my class."

"You get a well-rounded educator and rarely feel that there is something lacking in your knowledge and training."