Duke Univ. Pre-Med & Mathematics: High School Junior's Perspective

[Learning Curve]

I'm a high school Junior living in Tenn. and everyone at school is starting to look into colleges they might want to try and get into. I've been looking into Duke University. From what I have seen, I think it looks like a great college with a great student life. I plan on going Pre-Med. What do you all think of Duke as far as a medical school? Also how is it's mathematics courses (if you know anything about it)? Or just anything you would like to add about the school.


~peace

 

[Apost8]

I'm sure there are many on this site who could attest to the quality of Duke University; however, here is a link to a website/forum that may be better able to answer your questions related to medical school.

http://www.studentdoctor.net/

 

[GCT]

why don't you go to the site duke.edu and find out for yourself, it's a lot more reliable source than some whimsical opinion right?

 

[leright]

why don't you go to the site duke.edu and find out for yourself, it's a lot more reliable source than some whimsical opinion right?

Yes, because Duke's website is going to give a perfectly unbiased viewpoint of the quality of the university.

 

[Learning Curve]

exactly what i would say leright lol. yea that's like asking a jets fan whos the best team in the NFL. Anyone else have something to say?

 

[Brad Barker]

if you are interested in duke as a medical school, you can check the us news and world report link that is in a sticky.


not sure what the relationship is between the medical school and the pre-med program, though. :/


cronxeh posted a link in one of the stickied threads that would be useful for you. ...forget what it's called...

edit: http://www.campusdirt.com/

 

[leright]

exactly what i would say leright lol. yea that's like asking a jets fan whos the best team in the NFL. Anyone else have something to say?

When you take a tour of the university, take it in the fall or spring when the uni is bustling with students, and ask a diverse set of people their viewpoint. Also, check out www.studentreviews.com.

 

[Learning Curve]

maybe you mean studentsreview.com since that link doesn't work.

 

[leright]

maybe you mean studentsreview.com since that link doesn't work.

yup, that's it.

 

[GCT]

Yes, because Duke's website is going to give a perfectly unbiased viewpoint of the quality of the university.

Duke's not going to want some half wit applying to their program, so you're not going to have to worry about adverstisements/fabrications about the "quality" of the university. Keep in mind that most applicants do not get in.

I'm sure Duke would have at least some concrete credentials to offer; average gpa, average mcats, things of that sort. You can also schedule some kind of tour, check out the campus, learn about the history of the university/medical school etc...You have particular criterias in mind, check to see if the university will fulfill it? But first thing first, check with the school, do some research.

Is it a great school...yes? Is the party life great...probably not. Any other specific questions, do some research; how beautiful is the setting-take a tour. You might also want to check up with the princeton review sources for the universities (try a local book store).

 

[neurocomp2003]

go bluedevils, the only thing i know about the medical field at duke is that they have some wonderful MOnkey studies

 

[imabug]

Take GCT's advice. Check out their website, get some info about how they structure their program and use it to ask people questions on specific aspects of the program. Asking people what they think of Duke's med school program is pretty vague, and isn't likely to garner much in the way of responses except from people who have actually gone through the program.

My impression of Duke's med school program (my wife considered going there at one point and a friend of hers is in it now) is that it's pretty intense, and more research focused than other programs might be. They effectively take what's covered in the first two years of most programs and feed it to you through a very large pipe in the first year. One year is allocated for research (students spend a year working on some project in a research lab), and 2 years are spent in clinical rotations.

 

[leright]

Take GCT's advice. Check out their website, get some info about how they structure their program and use it to ask people questions on specific aspects of the program. Asking people what they think of Duke's med school program is pretty vague, and isn't likely to garner much in the way of responses except from people who have actually gone through the program.

My impression of Duke's med school program (my wife considered going there at one point and a friend of hers is in it now) is that it's pretty intense, and more research focused than other programs might be. They effectively take what's covered in the first two years of most programs and feed it to you through a very large pipe in the first year. One year is allocated for research (students spend a year working on some project in a research lab), and 2 years are spent in clinical rotations.

From what I read here, looks like Duke's med program is pretty weak then, if that's how they operate.

 

[mathwonk]

I am a college professor and I have taught at Chapel Hill, and have friends at Duke math dept, and my kids went to the TIP summer program for the gifted.

The following is the list of math faculty at Duke:

* Pankaj K Agarwal, Earl D. McLean, Jr., Professor (primary appt: Computer Science)
* William K Allard
* J. Thomas Beale
* Hubert L. Bray
* Robert L Bryant, J. M. Kreps Professor
* Herbert Edelsbrunner, Arts & Sciences Professor (primary appt: Computer Science)
* Richard M Hain, Chair
* John Harer, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
* Harold Layton
* David R Morrison, James B. Duke Professor (joint with Physics)
* William L Pardon
* Arlie O Petters, (joint with Physics)
* Michael C Reed, Bishop-MacDermott Family Professor of Mathematics
* Donald Rose, (primary appt: Computer Science)
* Leslie D Saper
* David G Schaeffer, James B. Duke Professor
* Chad Schoen
* Mark A Stern, Associate Chair
* John Trangenstein, (joint with Civil and Environmental Engineering)
* Stephanos Venakides
* Xin Zhou

I personally know Robert Bryant, Dick Hain, and David Morrison and they are all superb both as researchers and teachers.

I recommend Duke to you highly in terms of academic quality of math faculty and their commitment to and skill in teaching.

Of course I myself may still be a halfwit, but the advice is free and truthful. Go see thopse guys and introduce yourself. See what you think of them, sit in on a class or three, especially from the ones I named.

I know a couple others less well, such as Chad Schoen and John Harer, and have very high opinions of their research credentials, but cannot recall seeing them teach.

I am from Nashville myself.

 

[Learning Curve]

Thank you very much mathwonk, and I was born in Brentwood if you know where that is.

I'm trying to see when they have tours in the spring to go see the place.

 

[Brad Barker]

fwiw, duke's medical school is ranked sixth in the u.s. by us news and world report for research.

sixth in primary care, as well.

and it is in the top ten of each of the specialties for primary care, save for rural medicine and pediatrics.

 

[mathwonk]

Isn't MBA in Brentwood? Did you go there? Or is that in Franklin? Its been a long time, but I know where Brentwood is, and had friends who lived there on big country estates before it became built up.

I went to Peabody myself, now USN.

 

[Learning Curve]

Actually I moved from brentwood when I was 6 months old so I have no idea what MBA is . :P

 

[Learning Curve]

What about Cornell's Medical School? Any opinions?

 

[Learning Curve]

Emailed duke with a page about myself that I took a lot of time writing and I got back one sentence: "We don't have a dental school." That was funny and disheartening (can I make up words?) at the same time.

 

[rocketboy]

If you want a great website for finding out about different schools and what it takes to get in, check out http://www.collegeboard.com.

I'm sure most of you already know about it, but for those of you that don't check it out it's an excellent online resource that is extremely helpful when preparing to apply to university.

-Jon