M1 Tour Guides Impart Medical School ìWisdomî Onto Applicants

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Having completed a little more than three months of medical school, first-year students at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have taken up the tradition of serving as tour guides for prospective students.

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ First-year student Fahd Ahmad spoke of his role, ìThe tour I got when I applied to medical school was a large part of my decision to come here.Ý I wanted to do my utmost to be able to influence the new batch of prospective students in the same way.î

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ University of Chicago senior and medical school applicant Joseph Murphy received a tour when he interviewed at the University of Missouri in early November.Ý ìI think that the tour gave me a really good sense of what I can expect in my first three months of medical school.Ý We saw the M1 labs, the anatomy lab, and the M1 lecture hall.Ý I feel pretty confident basing my decision on those three rooms.î

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ In addition to showing the physical buildings of the medical school, the tour guides serve as an invaluable source of information regarding the school, the city, and life in general.

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Brown University graduate Michael Kleecamp had his questions answered by the first-year students when he toured the facilities.Ý ìIt was good to hear what life will be like as a medical student at MU.Ý Or at least what life will be like during the first block and a half here.î

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Although Mr. Kleecamp had inquired about many topics, he was largely satisfied with the responses he received.Ý ìI wanted to know about their Step 1 pass rate and what the ophthalmology department was like, and if their graduates were matching at competitive programs.Ý The tour guides did not know the answers to these basic questions about their medical school, but I did learn that I should be sure to get Lippencottís when studying for the first block exam.î

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ As the University of Missouri has a problem based learning curriculum (PBL), much of the tours focused on the benefits of PBL.Ý Janet Taylor, a senior biochemistry student at Truman State University, spent much of her tour in an M1 lab.Ý ìThe tour guides kept talking about how great PBL is and how well it prepared them for their future.Ý I felt assured that having completed exactly one blockís worth of material, they had a good hold of what they were talking about.î

 

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Taylor would go on to say that ìThe students seem to enjoy medical school here.Ý They talked about how PBL was the best way to learn medicine and what a great time they have had during their 12 weeks of medical training so far.Ý Based on their experience of having completed exactly 7% of medical school, I valued their opinion quite highly.Ý I hope that will be accepted to MU so that I too can experience these magical twelve weeks of lucidity.î