How do students make it so far?

[Rad1um]

Hello folks. Well i'm trying to get into the P.A.(Physicians Assistant) program at Western in Pomona, Ca but it's really tough to get in. Extremely competitive. Anyways I had the PLEASURE of hanging out with some current students for the most part they were an intelligent group of individuals but there were a few who were just crap. One of them didn't know that Native Americans existed on North America. He thought American has been U.S.A. since 1492. At first I thought he was trolling me but then, no. He was serious and then he said "well im not a history major." Another girl thought that paleontology was a medical term for PALE skin, and a third person, thinks "it would be dope if america took over the world and kill anyone who spoke bad about America"

Now. Im not MR PERFECT or MR SMARTY pants but I at LEAST know this land wasn't ALWAYS U.S.A... Also, this school requires a 3.7 MINIMUM GPA, a letter of recommendation, paid or unpaid medical hours, an essay stating why you should attend and the contribution you would do for the world AND a face to face interview.

Can someone please tell me HOW THE F**K they made it in? Does anyone have a similar story or at least an answer to my question?

Tl;DR - How do people make it past 5th grade and into medical school?

[Annapolis]

Crazy/ignorant people are in every part of life and every level of education. As you move forward in education you might see a lower concentration of those types, but they never disappear completely.

[Deleted]

Thats what happens when your Universities and Colleges are run as businesses.

[Spectral]

So, you know some things that they don't know and have thusly decided they're not actually real bright. Do you think you'd enjoy it if they took the same approach with you?

[Deleted]

I'm studying Photography at University and one of my fellow students had never even picked up a camera. That baffles me.

[Raiju]

I think you're being a bit specific with your examples, but yes to a large extent Academic intellect and general knowledge are different things entirely. I'm more interested in common sense personally.

[Deleted]

How are US high schools structured ? Do they focus on 1 or 2 things in the upper grades in preparation for uni/college ?

[Serpenth]

Some people are just airheads. Has nothing to do with intelligence. Most people in my college classes have no idea how to open files after downloading them from the internet, saving things to a flash drive, etc yet spend the whole class on their laptop reading facebook and reddit.

[Nario64]

I'm going to take a guess and say the OP doesn't know the correct ration of egg/vinegar/water for the correct homogenization to create the perfect mayonnaise. How dare you walk around with your head held high not knowing this simple day to day fact? You should never be allowed to go to medical school without being able to make the perfect mayo...

And thus... your argument is flawed.

[Neganova]

Following on Spectral's and Nario64's theme, what one deems to be common or essential knowledge is not the same as another. For example, I think every student ought to have a strong understanding of the make-up of matter, of atomic bonds, of how molecules form, and so on. Chemistry and basic particle/nuclear physics. Of course, many people see such knowledge as "useless," and thus either quickly forget it, or never learn it in the first place.

The education students undergo - at least here in Texas - is more or less just the average of what everyone thinks is most important.

[Rad1um]

I'm going to take a guess and say the OP doesn't know the correct ration of egg/vinegar/water for the correct homogenization to create the perfect mayonnaise. How dare you walk around with your head held high not knowing this simple day to day fact? You should never be allowed to go to medical school without being able to make the perfect mayo...

And thus... your argument is flawed.

With your FLAWED LOGIC you're saying it is equally dangerous to let someone work on you who thinks we should enslave everyone except Americans over someone who cannot make mayo?? Our conversation is over.

[Deleted]

Thats what happens when your Universities and Colleges are run as businesses.

Couldn't agree more. Most unis in the UK will take you on provided you have a fancy cover letter and score enough on your UCAS points (high school achievements). The unis couldn't care less about your personality and skills that may or may not relate to the course you are applying for. Really wish unis were more selective as morons on 2 courses I've taken drastically reduced the learning curb and teaching quality that could've been provided to those of us who had background knowledge on the subject matters.

[Catta]

Thats what happens when your Universities and Colleges are run as businesses.

Governmentally issued, approved and signed high fives!


...

You will receive your complimentary exclamation of "NIIIIiiiice" in 2-4 weeks.

[sugarlily]

Some ppl are 'book smart' & some ppl are common sense/street smart.

Its a damn shame that more aren't a mixture of all kinds of 'smart'. I think MANY students get passed along to the next grade(s) that don't really earn it & it goes on from grade school right on up. Sad. Very frustrating & sad for everybody, really.

[Deleted]

So, you know some things that they don't know and have thusly decided they're not actually real bright. Do you think you'd enjoy it if they took the same approach with you?

That's a cop out though. It's not like those examples the OP gave are vague bits of information hardly anyone knows, and that patriotic fellow there doesn't seem to radiate brightness either.

I've studied with my fair share of dunces too, but naturally it's a bit more worrying when they're in medical school.

[Rad1um]

I know a few meth heads that snort crystal every weekend(cousins of mine) who know Native Americans once populated our land. I'm not talking about trivial information here guys, these things are embedded in our brains at a very young age. Am i wrong?

[Roose]

Nepotism, cronyism, and for-profit colleges at work.

[Nario64]

With your FLAWED LOGIC you're saying it is equally dangerous to let someone work on you who thinks we should enslave everyone except Americans over someone who cannot make mayo?? Our conversation is over.

The conversation was already basically dead but... yes. There's a code of conduct amongst medical professionals. Sure he may want to enslave everyone (though I'm sure your exaggerating, or he said it for fun, or he may in fact think that) but you're in the same amount of danger under his knife as someone else's. Otherwise he'll be sued and whatever the doctor's version of debarred (lawyers) is. As others have stated, academic intelligence is why they are there, they are composed in the in-person interview, and they can speak their minds fluently through their entrance essay. Just because people want to enslave all foreigners won't mean that he'll start chopping people up on his table.

My best friend is a doctor, he's incredibly booksmart and I travel around the world with him. But leave him alone in a club and he'll probably get stabbed for looking at someone or saying the wrong thing. No street smarts in that guy.

[Catta]

I know a few meth heads that snort crystal every weekend(cousins of mine) who know Native Americans once populated our land. I'm not talking about trivial information here guys, these things are embedded in our brains at a very young age. Am i wrong?

Its embedded in the name.

[Spectral]

Thats what happens when your Universities and Colleges are run as businesses.

What, people that don't know things that you'd think they would? I somehow doubt this is a result of privatization.

---------- Post added 2013-04-29 at 06:58 PM ----------

That's a cop out though. It's not like those examples the OP gave are vague bits of information hardly anyone knows, and that patriotic fellow there doesn't seem to radiate brightness either.

I've misestimated what I'd suspect people would know too often to assume that someone's stupid simply because they don't know something that I'd expect everyone to know.