University of New England

When I first got to SUNY-Buffalo as a first-year medical student, I was unsure of whether or not my education would be able to stand up and compare to the students coming from some of the larger, more "elite" schools. My view has changed considerably. I honestly feel that I was prepared as well, if not better than many of the students here.

The UNE medical biology program has numerous advantages over the traditional pre-med programs at other colleges. The program seems to focus more on the medically oriented aspects of the biological world, while also preparing the student for the types of topics that will be covered in their medical school experiences.

I wouldn't advise anyone to enroll in the program unless they were seriously considering a career in some field of medicine. Classes such as anatomy, physiology and pathology; cardiovascular physiology; and parasitology have all helped me immensely here in medical school.

I feel that anatomy, physiology, and pathology is the most well thought out course ever created. I say this because the majority of my classmates in medical school said that they were lucky to have taken anatomy, let alone the other two during their undergraduate experiences. A,P, and P was wonderful because it integrated all three, which is a great benefit since it teaches you structure, function, and what happens when function is disrupted. It also correlates well to the new integrated organ-based curriculum that the majority of medical schools across the country have adopted.

During our G.I. module in medical school this past year, we were studying some of the intestinal and hepatic parasites. While many of my classmates were struggling to even look at the pathological conditions of such infestations, I was able to not only remember the names of most of the organisms, but also remember life cycles, symptoms, and diagnostic techniques.

All the science courses that I took as an undergrad were challenging, which at the time seemed like a nuisance. But I am grateful for it now. It amazes me how often we cover something in medical school that I can remember back from UNE. I was also able to take classes such as health care ethics and cross-cultural health care as my advanced electives at UNE. It gave me some insight into some of the problems that face medicine today, both morally and culturally.

So you ask if I've been well prepared? As a graduate from the small University of New England, I have been able to compete with people from all different undergraduate backgrounds. I guess it's just another example why you should never rule out the little guy.

(Last updated 6/02)