Difference between being cut-throat and playing dirty?

[aaronjw]

I know lol. What I've noticed though is that the social science/arts classes always tend to have that one annoying ass kid who always feels the need to comment/question everything the professor says.

 

Still rather take that over premeds though.

 

my biggest issues based on what I've experienced with social science type classes are professors who slant their teaching to suit their ideology - whether that be liberal, socialist, conservative, religious, non-religious, etc.

 

I have a problem with outright bias unless the course itself has this particular slant to begin with, meaning you know what you're getting into before you arrive on the first day.

 

When I encounter such professors I feel that I need to engage them. Mainly to try and expand my own thinking - if I can take the devil's advocate argument maybe he can create a position that will allow me to concede my point or thought process - but also so that people who are afraid to speak up can at least see a different opinion and therefore can choose their own thought path.

[FT4]

Premeds in general are so damn annoying that' date=' when people ask me what I want to do when I'm older, I avoid telling them medicine so that I don't attach the negative stigma associated with premeds to myself.[/quote']

 

For premeds, I don't think it's a real stigma so much as it is a stereotype that happens to fit people who have a history of specific behaviours. Every program has their keeners, but in arts its usually just 'that guy' in your lecture instead of a big part of the class. I definitely would openly share my ambitions if somebody asks, and since I am an helpful and friendly person, I don't think their thoughts jump straight to 'oh, it's another premed' since I don't fit the stereotype in most people's minds.

 

...unless of course they fit the stereotype themselves, in which case I'm sure little alarm bells are going off in their head and their scheming starts.

 

I'm slowly getting more jaded though about how much I share with people I know would push me under the bus for a spot higher on a wait list, and am withdrawing myself from some premed cliques I am in from last year. They really are toxic, even if they sometimes might be helpful. It's pretty awful I am running 'friendships' though a cost/benefit analysis, but its for my health, I swear!

[Mandibular]

Chilling with premeds truly was toxic for me. That's why I've never studied in the science library specifically because of that environment. You would inevitably run into people every 5 minutes who try to see what you're doing, trying to get an extra "edge/info" off your back and give nothing in return. That's why I would suggest you find a library that's completely off the grid ( I used to study in the physics library where you would see a person every 2 hours)

I don't want to reinforce stereotypes, but I'm sure you guys know what type of premed I'm talking about: secretive, none note sharing, purposely sabotaging their peers just to get an edge. I'm happy that the people I'm talking about didn't make it trough med school, at least not all of them. If they spend less time being defensive and more time studying productively, they would make it.

That being said, keep your head up high, work hard, and even though helping people isn't a requirement, just don't try to sabotage them and you'll be fine

 

Good luck

[Let'sGo1990]

you see that in a lot of 400 level arts seminar classes. i remember one class i took that was basically a dialogue between me, the professor, and this girl i sat beside who i ended up becoming really close friends with. i think that class only had like 15 people so i didn't really have a problem monopolizing the discussion, because in reality, everyone is expected to contribute their original ideas to the discussion, and people are glad others are talking the whole time so the instructor doesn't put them on the spot and ask them to talk... inevitably it would always be does someone other than x or y have a though regarding that... ok x and y, what are your thoughts, lol

 

i know what you mean though when a student tries to make a larger, lower level class into their own dialogue between the professor and themselves for whatever reason. they don't realize that office hours exist for a reason, humanities profs usually love to talk about their work in depth, but not when it compromises the learning of 100 other students who may not be as well versed in the topic. we use to get those i worked in children and youth services for 10 years and this is how its actually done people all the time in classes like introduction to cognitive behavioural therapy and sometimes you just want to be like that's nice lady, but can you stfu so the professor can get to the point, i know you a lot about asperger's syndrome but i don't have to hear about it everyday, lol

 

Yeah I don't mind it in smaller classes actually. It's better to have someone talkative to encourage discussion in class. It also tends to make the prof more friendly if done right. It's the big classes it can get annoying in, and even then it's all about the tone the person speaks in and the impression they give off.

[Let'sGo1990]

For premeds, I don't think it's a real stigma so much as it is a stereotype that happens to fit people who have a history of specific behaviours. Every program has their keeners, but in arts its usually just 'that guy' in your lecture instead of a big part of the class. I definitely would openly share my ambitions if somebody asks, and since I am an helpful and friendly person, I don't think their thoughts jump straight to 'oh, it's another premed' since I don't fit the stereotype in most people's minds.

 

...unless of course they fit the stereotype themselves, in which case I'm sure little alarm bells are going off in their head and their scheming starts.

 

I'm slowly getting more jaded though about how much I share with people I know would push me under the bus for a spot higher on a wait list, and am withdrawing myself from some premed cliques I am in from last year. They really are toxic, even if they sometimes might be helpful. It's pretty awful I am running 'friendships' though a cost/benefit analysis, but its for my health, I swear!

 

I can completely relate to your last paragraph. I feel like I'm too easy going with this sort of stuff. I try to be a good guy and help people out when I can, but it's hard to keep acting like that when you find out person X held back information from you about something even though you've hooked them up in the past.

 

my biggest issues based on what I've experienced with social science type classes are professors who slant their teaching to suit their ideology - whether that be liberal, socialist, conservative, religious, non-religious, etc.

 

I have a problem with outright bias unless the course itself has this particular slant to begin with, meaning you know what you're getting into before you arrive on the first day.

 

When I encounter such professors I feel that I need to engage them. Mainly to try and expand my own thinking - if I can take the devil's advocate argument maybe he can create a position that will allow me to concede my point or thought process - but also so that people who are afraid to speak up can at least see a different opinion and therefore can choose their own thought path.

 

That's interesting. I've never had a professor actually attempt to somehow embed their views in their teaching. I've had professors hold talks about religion (Christianity) in the past, but those were off hours and open for anyone to attend.

 

Good for you for speaking your mind though. A lot of people (sometimes even me) have a hard time doing that in public settings. It goes a long way in terms of respect.

[bored]

First, Second year was fine. I met a lot of kids in bio that weren't all out for medicine and made afew good friends too. Now im taking some third year courses and every single person is a premed.

 

I know this one kid (he probably reads the forums too), who wouldn't discuss anything with anyone outside his circle. The kid is one of those that sit at the front and asks many questions to bore the prof.

 

Honestly, despite their playing dirty, they still work very hard to get the grades. So I can't hate them for working hard and getting the marks.

 

I play by my own rules and help who need it, they play by their own rules and help only their circle. I guess we will see who benefits in a year or two.

[xkittens]

In my chemistry class, there are a bunch of keener premeds that I know (and dislike), and I'm friends with a bunch other premeds that aren't like that at all, we met up a couple of times a week and helped eachother out to prepare for a test that was coming up, while the cut throats refused to do such a thing because they thought they'd be giving someone else an advantage over themselves.

The class average turned out to be something like 35%, and our study group all did well, while the cutthroats failed--- miserably.

Score one for the nonkeeners

[FT4]

In my chemistry class, there are a bunch of keener premeds that I know (and dislike), and I'm friends with a bunch other premeds that aren't like that at all, we met up a couple of times a week and helped eachother out to prepare for a test that was coming up, while the cut throats refused to do such a thing because they thought they'd be giving someone else an advantage over themselves.

The class average turned out to be something like 35%, and our study group all did well, while the cutthroats failed--- miserably.

Score one for the nonkeeners

 

Study group a couple of times a week? You guys are totally keeners too! It's the good kind though, and it's great that you all recognize the value in collaboration and sharing your expertise in an area for the common good of everyone.

 

I would like to hope that these kinds of details come through in our interviews, and that interviewers have seen enough premed types to weed out the dirty players based on their attitude and responses.

[Bambi]

I'm slowly getting more jaded though about how much I share with people I know would push me under the bus for a spot higher on a wait list, and am withdrawing myself from some premed cliques I am in from last year. They really are toxic, even if they sometimes might be helpful. It's pretty awful I am running 'friendships' though a cost/benefit analysis, but its for my health, I swear!

 

Good move. Now, worry about those who would push you under the bus but do not show their true colours. Lots of toxic people around. Do what is necessary to keep your health.

[repede]

Just thought I'd add this story because of how retarded it is.

 

My younger brother is in 1st year Chemistry, and he did a lab in partners last week. At the end of the lab, they did "peer lab book evaluations", where they gave their lab book to their partners and went through a checklist.

 

- Did the author record that the mixture, when it precipitated, formed 2 colours?

 

My brother wrote "White substance precipitated from yellow mixture."

 

My brother's lovely pre-med partner said, "No, you didn't say specifically that it separated into TWO colours, so I'm not giving you the point."

[IPlayGamesNude]

I wonder if that was the lead lab...

Anyhoo, that's a little too much XD My partner and I just give each other 100% on that part because it's not really worth being stingy and anal about one or two points and make chem lab time even more unpleasant.

[apache]

you'll see this a lot in: philosophy, classics, economics, political science (don't take night classes - a lot of older people taking a single course in addition to their day job will be there and there will be intense debate... in one class in particular there were almost fist fights (albertan trashing quebec, with a couple french canadians in the class - classic, the prof for this class was paradoxically the consummate professional, while the students often weren't), women's studies (holy bejesus - good thing i just sat in on those classes), anthropology, some psychology classes (think clinical psychology and the concepts of right and wrong etc.) and a bunch more i can't really think of... it's interesting, you feel a lot more like you're getting an education, on the other hand, a lot of profs are really biased because they're teaching about contentious topics (physics doesn't get contentious until the 500 level where people are arguing about the nature of reality and the potential ramifications with regard to free will and quantum theory, lol)

 

speak up and speak out, i can't tell you how many professors i told to **** off or debated with intensely on things they presented as routine, there's one class in particular i remember where a teacher was talking about why schizophrenics don't take their meds (and other lovely facts about psychiatric meds - i literally had people for the next three years coming up to me being like hey, aren't you're that guy who got in all those arguments with the prof in class x (i'm sorry, but when your teaching notes come straight out of a pfizer commercial, someone needs to call you on it, those are 300 minds you're indoctrinating)

 

here's a great example:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2BIFSTC_vg&feature=related

 

i prefer the mad tv spoof, it's actually more scientifically accurate than the zoloft commercial, plus its hilarious:

 

 

That's interesting. I've never had a professor actually attempt to somehow embed their views in their teaching. I've had professors hold talks about religion (Christianity) in the past' date=' but those were off hours and open for anyone to attend.

 

Good for you for speaking your mind though. A lot of people (sometimes even me) have a hard time doing that in public settings. It goes a long way in terms of respect.[/quote']

[Real Beef]

Makes me glad that I am far removed from the brick & mortar educational model ... with pre-meds running around all frenzied with razor sharp teeth. Its nice and relaxing for me to be in a small rural setting preparing my application over the last while.

 

Definitely do not perpetuate the a-hole antics and avoid frenzied premed groups.

 

Beef