The crazy med schoolers are all up in arms over a change in our Micro course. Rather than straight lecture/memorize 50 organisms format, we now have to lead our own small group discussions of infection cases. I personally am against this because I don't learn orally, but rather by writing information out myself. So while I'll still be learning the material on my own, I now also have to spend six hours in class.

I'm also reasonablly perturbed as we are expected to grade our fellow group members. I'll be given 100 points to divide amongst my 6 group members; I'll have to do the same.

But none of this is what they're all upset about Oh no. It's just the grades. Selections from two emails today as people wanted to "discuss" the "situation"

In the end, I know we are supposed to just learn the information, and become great doctors. However, the reality is that microbiology is a 10 credit course (correct me if I'm wrong) That is a significant chunk of this year. Getting accepted to certain programs is a competitive game.

We're all obnoxious overachievers looking to build a competitive application for residency programs - after all, that's how we got ourselves here, and it's kindof a hard personality trait to switch off at this point. To pretend that we aren't concerned with compulsively monitoring our progress in a 10-credit course would be delusional.

No. Actually, no not at all. This is what gives medschoolers their gunner reputation.