University of Oklahoma College of Medicine

OU’s MD program runs an 18-month preclinical phase followed by 30 months of clerkships, electives, and sub-internships. Wilson Hoyt says the pace was exactly as described, yet hard to truly comprehend before arriving: more than a semester of undergraduate material in the first month.

Wilson pairs third-party resources for the big picture with OU’s in-house materials for the details, and says the in-house materials are put together carefully enough to be worth using.

Clinical medicine courses run through both preclinical years. Starting in week one, students learn the physical exam and get training in ultrasound and x-ray, usually with standardized patients rather than mannequins.

A patient simulation center is open for extra practice outside class, and Wilson notes that OU students get more early clinical exposure than friends at other schools describe.

Each class is split into mods of 15–17 students who share a private, swipe-access mod room with desks, lockers, and white coat racks, and stay together for the first two years. Wilson calls the student culture one of the best things OU has to offer.

Modlympics, interest groups, intramurals, and student government round out the calendar.

Students train in Oklahoma City or Tulsa, where the OU-TU School of Community Medicine uses community hospitals and clinics. The Oklahoma City campus sits near downtown, with affordable food and nightlife a short drive away.

Wilson’s one complaint is that the blocks right around campus are a bit of a food desert, so pack a lunch. Wilson describes the campus as secure, with gated parking.