Much to my happy surprise, a few of you took me up on my offer to email me directly, so I can answer your questions. I recently received this one:
"I have been considering PCOM for a while now. I enjoyed the insight you gave. I wanted to know more about the curriculum from a student's perspective. How are the professors? Are they helpful and have effective teaching styles? Are most of the classes taught lecture style?"
Now, since this blog is PCOM-sanctioned, that's a pretty loaded question. BUT, regardless of what I'm about to say, know that you're going to have your fair share of amazing/meh/ohdearLordwhyaretheyteaching professors at any school you attend (at any level of education). I'm not going to say that all of them were "OMG AMAZING," (although most were) and I'm definitely not going to name names, because I'd still like to be enrolled at PCOM after this.
The first faculty you meet are the Anatomy professors, and since they rotate as Anatomy lab table instructors, you get face time with each of them, which helps lessen the intimidation that comes with entering med school. Some professors also hold tutorials in preparation for your lab practicals, which, after spending 3 hours/day with us 5 days/week, they definitely don't have to do, so that proves how much the faculty is committed to seeing you succeed. OMM is structured similarly--there are weekly lectures, and small groups in lab are run by OMM fellows, residents, and faculty. After Anatomy, you see most of your professors in front of the classrooms (aside from case conference/small group sessions), unless you do research with them, or just become besties. PCOM has an open-door policy, so if you take a walk to the third floor of Evans and see someone's door open, consider it an open invitation to come in and ask a question about lecture materials or suggestions on how to study.
Once your start systems-based medicine, there are more clinician lecturers, which range from your residents that look barely older than me and are still trying to get the hang of lecturing to a large auditorium, to the docs who have been practicing medicine for longer than I've been alive (listen when they lecture, because they have the BEST stories). Lecture formats range from "I'm going to stand behind the podium and read off my slides," to "Okay, morning report! I need two volunteers! Don't be scared!" Most, if not all, of the clinicians invite students to rotate with them (which will come in handy when you have to set up your elective rotations), and more often than not, I see students talking to the docs afterwards, asking questions or getting contact information.
Hope that answers your question, and if you have any more, send them along!
Good luck to all of my classmates that are taking USMLE and COMLEX over the coming weeks; you got this!
