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Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

New York, NY

Allopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit

🎓 The Basics

Overall, how satisfied are you with this program?

10 out of 10

What was the zip code of your residence in high school?

20002

What do you like most?

Freedom! They trust us to know what benefits us individually and they don't micromanage our choices. I don't go to histology lab, but I do attend lecture. Other people love the small group sessions but prefer to watch lecture at double-speed and save a bunch of time. If I have a friend in town and I feel comfortable taking a day off, I take a day off. But I know exactly how I learn best, and I love that Columbia respects that. There's something for everyone. The world-class lecturers don't hurt, either. It's pretty cool to suddenly realize that the place you know the current lecturer from is "The Colbert Report". Nobel prize winners lecture as well.

What do you like least?

The administration doesn't talk to each other. We occasionally have things scheduled at times that make no sense, and have to e-mail the administration to tell them that they're all conflicting with each other. It always gets sorted out in the end, but it's kind of silly.
🧾 The Details

Does the student body seem cooperative or competitive?

9 out of 10

Does the environment seem supportive for underrepresented minorities?

7 out of 10

Does the environment seem supportive for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transsexual students?

9 out of 10

Does the environment seem supportive for married students?

6 out of 10

Does the environment seem supportive for students with disabilities?

5 out of 10

Does the environment seem supportive for older/non-traditional students?

6 out of 10

Do you/did you feel well prepared for your board exams?

No responses

How approachable are faculty members?

9 out of 10

What are the facilities and clinics like (old/new, well maintained, etc.)?

No responses

How do students from this program do after graduation - are they adequately prepared for practice?

Our match list is pretty amazing. People with fairly low board scores and no research still getting matched at top 10 residencies...

What are rotations like?

5

How do students from this program do in the Match?

No responses

Any other information you want to share?

The extracurriculars and research opportunities here are awesome. The neighborhood isn't as bad as people will have you think - sure, it's not the upper east side, but you don't feel uncomfortable walking around at night unless you're in a dark alley alone, which is a bad idea in any city. The accelerated curriculum (1.5 years pre-clinical) is something to keep in mind for non-science majors: you will have to play catch-up. The first block IS the catch-up, but while everyone else is taking it relatively easy, you'll be in crisis mode. Taking biochemistry or anatomy ahead of time is huge - even if you don't have any extra credits and only have time to look over a biochem review book during the summer, I think that would be helpful. Once the first unit is done, you're on the same basic level as everyone else.