Comments from the Class of 2008

STRENGTHS: Clinicals, Block system

LIKED BEST: Classmates

STRENGTHS: The hands on clinical training. The case based learning and group learning. The block system based on organ systems.

LIKED BEST: The people (students, professors, residents, attendings), and their ability to rally around a cause. The block parties.

STRENGTHS: A lot of hands-on and do-it-yourself floor work. I know I can handle managing all facets of my patients’ care. That is; orders, blood draw, IVs, obtaining consults and necessary tests, working with social workers, etc.)

LIKED BEST: My peers, urban experience in medical care and opportunity to be fairly independent in patient care (treated more like a resident)

STRENGTHS: Opportunities for meaningful patient interaction. Fellow students were interesting and worked together/support each other. Anatomy department.

LIKED BEST: Rotations during 3^rd year (opportunities to apply knowledge). Small group work with fellow students (during the first two years) and faculty.

STRENGTHS: Excellent faculty. Lots of hands on experience

STRENGTHS: The diversity of the class. Location

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience was excellent. Medical students were treated as an essential part of medical care teams and given a lot of responsibility/autonomy with supervision as needed. I am able to impress attendings/ residents at other institutions with my proficiency in patient care, clinical tasks, and the ability to overcome limited access to resources

LIKED BEST: My fellow classmates are the most diverse (culturally, racially, politically, sexual preference, etc) of any medical school class I have encountered. This created a dynamic and expressive environment for learning.

STRENGTHS: Neuroscience was taught very well, especially 1^st years. Medicine rotation and subinternship at KCH offered the opportunity for very hands on learning, which was effective. Radiology elective catered to adult learning – was very well taught.

LIKED BEST: Some of my fellow students were really great. Opportunity to learn hands on during clinical years.

STRENGTHS: The clinical years because I was able to do a lot and take care of the patients. We are given more responsibility than other students at other medical schools.

LIKED BEST: My friends, very good clinical experiences, I saved a lot of money by coming here.

STRENGTHS: Patient population, clinical rotations, student autonomy.

LIKED BEST: My colleagues.

STRENGTHS: Experience during rotations, kings County and Downstate gives a lot of hands on experience

LIKED BEST: The students and faculty that I have met during rotations. Down to earth and actually enjoy teaching.

STRENGTHS: Subinternship was a great learning experience. I feel much more prepared for intern years afterward.

LIKED BEST: The friends that I have made

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience and responsiveness of 3^rd year clerkship directors to students comments

LIKED BEST: Clinical experience

STRENGTHS: Clickable histo atlas and radiology online. Great learning tools. Varied clinical sites for clerkships. Case Based Learning and other group learning activities. Learning enhanced by friendly cohort. You learn how to get things done and how to do things yourself (procedures, blood draws, etc.). Award winning faculty.

LIKED BEST: Great support to fall back on if needed. Student center activities.

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience. Opportunity to see many hospital systems. Opportunity to be involved in extra curricular experiences. Diverse student body (learn from other cultures)

LIKED BEST: The neighborhood and its people. The MPH program.

STRENGTHS: Hands on Learning experience

LIKED BEST: Interaction with classmates

STRENGTHS: Much patient exposure from 1^st year on Essential of Clinical Medicine. Great teaching staff.

LIKED BEST: As above. Great student support

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience, start your 3^rd year and hit the ground running, feel comfortable doing so because your given responsibility right away and are prepared to accept it since you have been given training during your first two years.

LIKED BEST: The friends that I met and went through these four years with could never be replaced by a better experience.

STRENGTHS: Patient pathology is very diverse. Class is not cookie cutter. Opportunity to actually make an impact on a patient’s health.

LIKED BEST: Clinical experience. Supportive environment. Level of patient responsibility and autonomy.

STRENGTHS: Strong 3^rd and 4^th year experience. Chance to see and do a lot on the Floors, Emergency Rooms and Operating Rooms.

LIKED BEST: 3^rd and 4^th year.

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience – urban, medically underserved population; variety of pathology (spectrum of disease process); hands-on experience (ability to do as much as you want).

LIKED BEST: Clinical experience

STRENGTHS: Lots of responsibility in MS 3 and MS 4 years at Kings County Hospital Center. Working with patient population that has significant pathology.

LIKED BEST: Living in New York City

STRENGTHS: Good clinical experience, nice variety of clinical sites.

LIKED BEST: My friends

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience during MS 3 & MS 4. Support for students. Office hours.

LIKED BEST: Student body, friendly, supportive class.

STRENGTHS: Hands-on education. Role models (residents, attending), supportive student staff.

LIKED BEST: Hands-on education. Muffins & bagels during 4^th year of Essentials of Clinical Medicine. Students

STRENGTHS: Very good mentors and attendings who were helpful.

LIKED BEST: New friends that I have come to know.

STRENGTHS: Clinical training. Support of classmates.

LIKED BEST: I picked Downstate because of the people I met on my interview date and during a second look day and that has always been the part of Downstate I have most loved – my colleagues.

STRENGTHS: Large range of clinical experiences and a lot of clinical responsibility.

LIKED BEST: Clinical rotation

STRENGTHS: Cultural diversity. Hands on clinical experience.

STRENGTHS: Supportive administration and faculty. Very nice classmates. You see a lot of pathology at Kings County Hospital Center that you would not see many other places. Staying in New York City was very important to me. Less expensive than non-state schools. The Honors/High Pass /Pass grading system and the weight generally placed on tests during courses and clerkships makes the grading more objective than at some other schools.

LIKED BEST: Classmates and faculty are very nice people. It is a friendly, relaxed environment. The opportunity to rotate at Kings County is great. Patients are incredible appreciative of the care they receive and you feel as though you can make a difference in patients’ lives.

STRENGTHS: Early exposure to patients. Lots of hands on experience. Surrounded by educators who love to teach.

LIKE BEST: The relationships that I formed

STRENGTHS: Good Clinical exposure/experience. Faculty willing to teach for the most part.

LIKED BEST: Friendly faculty always willing to teach.

STRENGTHS: The clinical experience and teaching at Kings County Hospital and Downstate was excellent. The second year lectures were great as well: Triple I Block, GI, and Neuroscience.

LIKED BEST: Overall, the facilities, dorms, library, carrels were excellent for studying purposes.

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience

LIKED BEST: Clinical experience at Kings County Hospital Center. Clinical teaching at University Hospital of Brooklyn & Kings County Hospital Center very good.

STRENGTHS: Clinicals

LIKED BEST: Friends that I had made

STRENGTHS: The clinical experience is second to none at Downstate. The faculty and staff are friendly and approachable

LIKED BEST: My Classmates

STRENGTHS: There are many good faculties. There is a great variety of pathology during the clinical years. It is a very good education for a low price.

LIKED BEST: I met some really great people

STRENGTHS: Comprehensive systems based pre-clinical training. Excellent clinical training especially with cultural diversity. Hands-on anatomy/cadaver dissection. Varied clinical sites.

LIKED BEST: The patients.

STRENGTHS: Clinical training/exposure to diverse Pathology. The class was extremely diverse.

LIKED BEST: Close to Manhattan. Meeting classmates of unique and diverse backgrounds.

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience, hands-on, block curriculum

LIKED BEST: Great attendings and my classmates

STRENGTHS: The clinical years at Downstate are its strength. I feel confident going into intern year and being able to handle any floor work that I will encounter.

LIKED BEST: The diversity of people seen. Clinical years.

STRENGTHS: Clinical teaching/ clinical experience. Diversity within the class as well as the clinical experiences

STRENGTHS: Integrated 1^st and 2^nd year curriculum. Clinical diversity.

LIKED BEST: Classmates. Computer records at Kings County Hospital; Adolescent medicine; Elective and clerkship.

STRENGTHS: Anatomy was very thoroughly done, Pathology was also strong. Clinical independence was a great asset to build self confidence.

LIKED BEST: Classmates relaxed – Solidarity. Egg bacon cheese breakfast sandwiches.

STRENGTHS: The clinical experience has the potential to be the best in the country; however it is under utilized because of the disorganized staff and clerkships.

LIKED BEST: I liked making connections with the faculty, staff and patients. There is common bond that comes from living and working in Brooklyn,.

STRENGTHS: The main strength of SUNY Downstate is the range of clinical pathologies that you encounter at Kings County Hospital and University Hospital that you are unlikely to see at other hospitals.

LIKED BEST: see above

STRENGTHS: Clinical Experience in the 3rd and 4th years was strong.

LIKED BEST: I liked using the Student Center

STRENGTHS: Clinical years. Diversity of patient population.

LIKED BEST: Clinical years.

STRENGTHS: Clinical Education and working in Brooklyn hospitals.

LIKED BEST: Spending time with my classmates. Being well prepared clinically to be an intern, and having functioned as one as a med student and subintern

STRENGTHS: Good clinical experiences. Disease processes. Class was easy going and most didn't present themselves as “Gunners”

LIKED BEST: the people

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience – unmatched anywhere else.

LIKED BEST: Football, tennis, basketball, students.

STRENGTHS: Anatomy Dept, Cardiology Department, Renal Department, ER Medicine rotation at Kings County

LIKED BEST: Intramural basketball, Varsity Foosball, Diverse student population, Staff member at the student center, guards in front of the dorm.

STRENGTHS: The clinical experience was great. Basic sciences was pretty solid, I thought. ER rotations at KCH/Downstate. Medicine rotations at KCH.

LIKED BEST: The diversity of the students, faculty. The basketball courts. The various activities and opportunities to be involved in, all of the clubs and organizations. The Carrels.

STRENGTHS: Clinical experiences were memorable and trained me to do practical things I needed to do in residency.

LIKED BEST: The friends I made for life. The faculty that I looked up to are amazing and have dedicated their lives to medicine for the right reasons, selfless reasons, not for glory or ego

STRENGTHS: Clinical experience, start your 3rd year and hit the ground running, feel comfortable doing so because your given responsibility right away and are prepared to accept it since you have been given training during your first two years.

LIKED BEST: The friends that I met and went through these four years with could never be replaced by a better experience.