Menu

Comments from the Class of 2018

College Strengths Liked Best
Bard College Great hands-on training My friends
Barnard College

Clinical experience

Variety/severity of pathology

Everything that's why I'm staying here.

Boston University Great patient population and faculty

My classmates, supportive staff

 

Unparalleled clinical experience

Great resources to learn from

Clinical clerkships. Student body

Brandeis University

Great clinical training

Lots of responsibility

Great community of awesome people; 3rd & 4th year rotations, especially electives in 4th years

Columbia University

Community spirit—Supportive Deans

Hands-on exposure

The people

 

Clinical education

Student body

Student body

 

Clinical training

Patient diversity

Diversity of students

Some attendings

Autonomy as students

Living in Brooklyn!

 

Outstanding and diverse clinical experience

Hands-on rotations

Relevant basic science education

Amazing research opportunities

Classmates

  Clinical experiences

I have made lasting friendships with several students, all of which will make great doctors. This is a testament to Downstates' admissions policies. The faculties were accommodating and easy to get along with. Education was valued, as was personal growth and development.

  Clinical experiences

Classmates

Cornell University

Clinical exposure

Education on the wards

Clinical experience

Clinical exposure and experience

  Medicine clerkship at Kings County

Friendly environment, not cut-throat

Plenty of opportunity to pursue your career goals

  Clinical years, autonomy on wards

Classmates, camaraderie in class

 

Clinical experience

Opportunity to rotate at different schools in NY area (but downstate was best)

Closeness amongst classmates

The strip

  Clinical exposure

Clinical exposure

 

Good clinical experience overall

Confident to function as intern after graduation

Friendly environment, not cut-throat

Plenty of opportunity to pursue your career goals

  Very supportive staff at student affairs.

The people; Confident to function as intern after graduation

  Hands-on clinical experience

Classmates

  Clinical experience, approachability of faculty, faculty blended, knowledge, willingness to take time from schedules to teach

The cafeteria – sitting with professors and other students

  Clinical experience

The experience

The people

CUNY Brooklyn College

Great clinical experience

Good education

Great faculty

Good team support

  Clinical exposure

Flexibility of faculty- made accommodations

 

Case based learning

Early clinical experience

MS3 clinical experience

Step 2 CS preparation

Broad array of electives

Clinical mentors

Diversity of student body

Campus activities

Convenience of residence halls

MS3 clinical experience

  Faculty

Camaraderie w/ students

  Didactics during wards by fellows, residents and attendings

Camaraderie w/ students; Teaching

Hands-on clinical training

  Support, community

The people

  Very thorough

The people

 

Clinical rotations excellent hands on training

Patient population is warm and friendly

Faculty

  Support, community

Faculty

 

The faculty is receptive to students.

The curriculum is innovative and accepting to change.

I enjoyed the clinical exposure. After completing my rotations at Downstate, I felt competent when I compared my experience with colleagues at other schools.

The cafeteria is very nice. It's important to have a great cafeteria when students are working so hard and good nutrition around this neighborhood is scarce.

 

Clinical years experience

CBL & small group sessions

Great class & supportive staff

My class!

  Clinical med and practicing skills

Student Life

  3rd and 4th year… being on the floors at downstate and KCH… very strong clinical experience

Creating sculpture based dissections for 1st year medical students & activity as far as instructions to teach anatomy 

  The people, the curricula and most importantly the patients!

The support of the faculty

  Clinical experience

My classmates

  Clinical experience

Small groups

Study sessions

CUNY City College

Diversity of clinical experience

Breadth of pathology

My classmates

 

Clinical experience

Friendly administration

My experience w/ patient interaction on the floor

CUNY Hunter College

Student body

The approachable doctors

The Patients

Location

All of the above

 

Patient exposure

Great, fun, knowledgeable faculty

My friends and classmates

  The clinical training was extensive and prepared me to be a resident

The people

  Clinical experience

Classmates

 

Clinical experiences

Teaching

Classmates

Rotations

  Experience on the floors, great attendings, wonderful faculty

The students and the floor work

 

Clinical experience

Hands on environment

Given a lot of responsibility early on

Research

Orientation

Camaraderie

 

Great patient experience

Very amazing faculty who are dedicated to education

Location

My classmates

The patients

Faculty

CUNY Queens College

Case Diversity

Autonomy for students on wards

Strong clinical experience

Dedicated faculty teaching

Faculty teaching

Dedication of deans and staff to assist students in all processes throughout medical school.

  Clinical training, hands-on training

Brooklyn, close proximity to Manhattan

Working in an urban setting

  Diversity & Mentorship

Location, other students – supportive not competitive

  Working and learning in a service-oriented hospital while enjoying the benefits of a diverse academic environment. A strong emphasis on working for the undeserved both domestically and internationally. The faculty and administration were fantastic in nurturing a global perspective on health, and they take pride in educating students with unique goals and perspectives

The clinical experience of KCH and UHD were diverse, challenging, and interesting

 

Diversity – of patients, physicians, faculty, staff and fellow students

Accessibility of faculty – their commitment to our education was obvious throughout

p>

Hands-on aspect of training – I always felt encouraged and that my getting involved was even essential

Duke University

Clinical exposure

Atmosphere & camaraderie of student body

Camaraderie

Faculty who like to teach

Emory University

Exposure to pathologies

Class community

Classmates

Brooklyn

Fordham University The diversity

Carrel B

Georgetown University Clinical experience

Clinical

Great people

Georgetown University Clinical exposure

People

Diversity

 

Clinical experience

People

Patients & students

Student Center

Harvard University Opportunity to do service (Brooklyn Free Clinic) or research opportunities

3rd year rotations. I was able to rotate through about 10 hospitals in third year, gaining unmatched experience in clinical medicine.

Haverford College Great resources especially the product service, transcribing service, and academic development. The school has been open to change. 

The friends I made

The experiences I had during my clinical rotations

Hofstra University The faculty and administration were fantastic in nurturing a global perspective on health, and they take pride in educating students with unique goals and perspectives

Rotate through a variety of hospitals with wide variety of patients.

Faculty trust medical students

John's Hopkins University Clinical years were the best

My classmates

 

Clinical experience

Anatomy lab

The students

The faculty

 

Exceptional clinical education w/ opportunities for meaningful involvement in clinical care.

Unparalleled diversity of both patients and my fellow students.

The students and faculty.  I have never worked with such a loving and dynamic group of people.

  The clinical hands-on experience

The people I met (students, residents, attendings)

  Clinical experience

Learning medicine, meeting new people

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Clinical, hands on training

Amazing classmates!

  Great clinical experience  
New Jersey Institute of Technology Diverse clinical experiences

the camaraderie between classmates

 

Great clinical exposure

Friendly attendings and faculty

My co-students

New York University 3rd & 4th year clinical years at the Downstate and Kings County sites

My fellow students

  Independence

Fun

  Clinical experience

Found great friendships

  Curriculum, Academic Development

Campus events

  Clinicals

Clinicals

  Clinical experience

My class, professors and attendings

 

Great clinical exposure

Teaching all year round!

Working with the people

Making friends

  The clinical experience was unparalleled

Getting the necessary clinical skills

  Good clinical experience  
  Clinical years

People

 

Clinical education

Engaging faculty

Great student class

Students

 

Great teachers

Great clinical experience

Great student body

The people I worked with including students & faculty

Being able to work with underserved population

  Clinical education

Good people, fun clinical experiences

 

The variety of practice settings within urban communities.

Contact with those for which medical care access is a continued issue.

Variety of faculty and professional role model, a vast majority of which showed compassion for patients and students.

Heterogeneity of the student body and community groups.

People, people, people. Always people.

  Clinical experience is unmatched

My classmates

  People

People

 

Excellent clinical and hands on training

A wonderful and rewarding patient population to work with

Meeting all my classmates and making life long friends

  Clinical training

Tutoring

Block parties

Pennsylvania State University

Excellent support from staff and faculty to develop individual learning

habits and clinical skills

Patients are incredible in this community.

Awesome student body

 

Clinical training

Hands on

Classmates

  Clinical rotations

The people & atmosphere

Pennsylvania State University

Excellent support from staff and faculty to develop individual learning

habits and clinical skills

Patients are incredible in this community.

Awesome student body

Princeton University

The people (peers & professors)

Hands-on experience

Being close to friends & family

 

Opportunity to be involved with care of patients from diverse backgrounds with differing levels of disease severity and a variety of clinical entities

Ability to significantly contribute to the medical team in meaningful ways

Clinical experience

 

Clinical skills

Great attendings

Great anatomy

Classmates were supportive

Rutgers University The exposure to diverse cases & autonomy given to the students

The students

The faculty

 

Clinical experience

Patient care responsibility

People

St. John's University

The Academic Development

The clinical rotations

The many friends I made

 

Hands on clinical training

Great faculty/staff

Amazing community

Connections/friendships made

Stanford University The people: nurses, doctors, patients and students

The friends I've made

The way it opened my eyes to see things differently

SUNY Binghamton University

Responsive faculty

Technology in education

Activities at student center

 

Clinical exposure

Advanced pathology

Hands on experience

My fellow classmates

  Great clinical experience

Working with my class

 

Great clinical experience

Significant name in "street cred"

My classmates & Green Deli guys

  Diversity of pathology seen on the wards

People & Carrels

SUNY Geneseo

Strengths were the clinical experience and rotation sites

Many students at other medical colleges are not exposed to as much hands on experience as Downstate students

I liked the diversity of both the student and patient population

SUNY Stony Brook University

Awesome teachers

Great student diversity

Brooklyn

Meeting awesome people

  Clinical exposure and strong academic support

The friends I made

  Good teachers

4th year

People are relaxed

 

Great teaching

Great staff

Lots of hands on experience

The people

  People, patient population, clinical experience

The clinical experience

  Camaraderie among students

My classmates

  Great clinical experience

Great faculty and student body

  Excellent teaching

The people

Syracuse University Good clinical experience

Terrific people that I have met!

 

Clinical experience

Camaraderie among classmates

Classmates

Interaction with professors

Touro College The diversity of the patient population

My friendships

Tufts University Hands on experience

My classmates

University at Albany The hands on clinical experience

All the great people I have had the privilege of being friends and working with them

  Clinical

Flexible

University of California, Berkeley

Clinical years

Opportunities for hands on experience

Literally everything

 

Great exposure to diverse populations

Friendly co-students

Enthusiastic staff & attendings

Virtually every hour relevant to teaching

I matured a lot in the last 4 years have both personally & in terms of my educational goals.

 

Great clinical training

Amazing colleagues

Making lifelong friends

University of California, Los Angeles Clinical training

The people I met

University of California, Santa Barbara diversity

Sense of community

University of Chicago Clinicals

The student body

University of Maryland

The clinical experience

Mentorship and teaching by residents

The environment, students and faculty were a pleasure to work with

University of Massachusetts Great teaching, great hospitals

Camaraderie 

University of Miami Amazing clinical experience

Clerkships and amazing classmates

  The people

The people

 

Unique clinical experience with many opportunities to learn hands on

Wonderful patient population with unique, complicated problems

Character building challenges in every rotation

Diverse class of students

The classmates and life long friends I made

The chance to live in NY

University of Michigan Great clinical education

Students and faculty

University of Notre Dame

Clinical training was amazing.

Students were amazing.

I made friends for a lifetime.

 

Clinical exposure with a diverse patient population

Great faculty that really cared for students education

Fellow students

Faculty

University of Pennsylvania

Clinical education- great education

The faculty really supports the students

The people, classmates, faculty, etc

 

Clinical experience

Diversity of pathology

Classmates

Gym

University of Pittsburgh

Clinical rotations/experience

Patient population

Diverse student populations

Vasser University Diversity among students & patients

Students are amazing

 

Clinical experience

Podcasting of lectures and posting of slides

Great stories of interesting patients

 

Clinical experience

Awesome class

The people

Wesleyan University

The clinical education is unparalleled

My ownership of my patients on the wards is something I doubt I could find at any other med school

The friends I made and the excellent camaraderie of the student body

 

Clinical experience

A lot of autonomy

Great student body

 Whitman College Great clinical experience

Great friendships

Yale University Great school

People

  The strengths are good clinical clerkships with diverse patient population.

Studying in a place where diversity is celebrated and being involved in club activities.

 

Clinical experience

Class camaraderie

Mentorship

My class

Other Comments

Clinical experience

People

3rd year

  Good clinical experience, very hands on very early on

3rd year.

Fellow classmates

 

Great clinical training

Small group sessions in 1st & 2nd year

The closeness of the class

  Clinical experience

Interaction with patients and faculty support

  Some excellent faculty clinicians who lead by example

Brooklyn

  Academic advising was the best department for students at Downstate

It's finally over

 

Clinical rotations

Hands on experience

Experience

Relationships w/ classmates & professors

  Diversity, lots of experience

My peers

  Clinical education

Diversity

 

Clinical experience

Attending physicians

3rd year