Thread: ALL YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT LODZ! DON'T COME HERE

Originally Posted by scottie

I'M A STUDENT HERE A LODZ. TAKE MY ADVICE DON'T COME HERE NO MATTER WHAT AIM PROMISES & SELLS YOU ON. AIM RAISED OUR TUITION ONCE WE ARRIVED IN POLAND SO THAT MANY PPL DON;T HAVE MONEY TO LIVE ON FROM DAY TO DAY. THEY DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT USMLE ALTHOUGH AIM WILL TELL YOU THAT THE PROGRMA IS USMLE BASED--CRAP! THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE. DON'T TRUST AIM!

SAVE YOUR MONEY & YOUR TIME. THIS LODZ IT IS HORRIBLE HERE! PROFS ENGLISH IS VERY BAD. THEY DON'T TEACH YOU ANYTHING--CLASSES ARE A WASTE OF TIME. ON THE EXAMS, A CORRECT ANSWER IS WORTH +1 POINT & A WRING ANSWER -1 POINT SO GO FIGURE! THEY SAY THAT THA'S HOW WE'RE TESTED IN THE USA!

PRESURE TACTICS
MOST STUDENTS HERE @ LODZ FEEL THAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN SCREWED BY AIM B/C AIM USED LAST MINUTE PRESSURE TACTICS TO GET OUR MONEY. FOR EXAMPLE, A LOT US RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM AIM DEMANDING THAT WE APPLYFOR PRIVATE LOANS OR ELSE WE COULD'NT START MED SCHOOL IN THE FALL. WELL BY THIS TIME, WE BOUGHT TICKETS, TOLD OUR FAMILIES/FRIENDS WE WERE GOING ETC. WE WERE TOLD THAT EARLIER ON THAT WE COULD GO B/C LOANS HADN'T GONE THROUGH YET SO VERYONE BOUGHT TICKETS TO POLAND. THEN, A WEEK BEFORE CLASSES STARTED WE GOT CALLS FROM AIM SAYING THAT IF WE DIDN'T APPLY OR PAY WE COULDN;T START IN THE FALL! PPL HERE ARE VERY ANGRY ABOUT THIS & ABOUT THE PROFESSORS VERY POOR ENGLISH. ANYTHING YOU LEAR @ LODZ YOU'LL LEARN ON YOUR OWN NOT IN THE CLASSROOM.

AFTER GOT INTO LODZ, WE WERE CHARGE FEES THAT WE WEREN'T TOLD ABOUT UPFRONT--BIG MONEY FEES IN THE OF ABOUT $4000 US FOR THE FIRST YEAR.

CLINICAL ROTATIONS
ITS A MESS & PPL ARETALKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT LEAVE HERE NEXT SEMESTER OR NEXT YEAR B/C ROTATION ARE NOT LOOKING GOOD FOR US. DON'T COME HERE B/C YOU DON'T DESIRE WHAT WERE GETTING FROM AIM!

THE LABS:
CADARVERS LOOK LIKE 10,000 YR OLD MUMIES. SPECIMENS ARE JUST NOT GOOD. LABS SUCK! ANATOMY IS THE WORST WASTE OF TIME & THEYHASSLE YOU ABOUT COMING TO CLASS. ITS A TONE OF WORK & THEY WANT YOU AT EVERY CLASS OTHERWISE THERE CAN BE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOU. THE PROFESSOR CAN TAKE OUT REVENGE ON YOU AT FINAL EXAM TIME. I KNOW B/C I'M HERE NOW SO DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING AIM OR LODZ TELLS YOU OPOOSIT THIS.

STUDENTS FEEL/KNOW THEY CAN LARN MORE BY STAYING HOME AND READING/STUDYING. PROFS HERE DON'T GIVE LECTURE NOTES SO WE HAVE TO READ EVERYTHING! THE PROFS @ LODZ ARE PREPARED THAT'S WHY THEY DON'T HAVE LECTURE NOTES FOR STUDENTS. ITS ALOT OF WORK HERE--UNNECESAARY WORK! YOU'LL WORK 2 TO 3 TIME HARDER HERE THEN ANY PLACE ELSE B/C YOU HAVE TO READ EVERYTHING & MEMORIZE EVERYTHING--I MEAN EVERYTHING.

WHAT'S THE POINT OF WORKING SO HARD WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO & YOU'RE PAYING OVER $20,OOO/YR IN THE YOUR FIRST YEAR! THAT KIND OF MONEY WILL BUY MUCH MORE AT ANOTHER SCHOOL THATS BEEN AROUND LONGER.

ADMINISTRATION IS BAD, VERY BAD. ONCE AIM GETS YOU HERE THEY DROP YOU LIKE A PROSTITUTE. THEY DON'T RETURN YOUR CALL OR EMAILS. IT REALLY HORRIBLE THE WAY THEY DO YOU HERE. YOUR IN A FORIEGN COUNTRY & THEY WON'T RESPOND TO YOU!

TRUST ME SAVE YOUR MONEY & TIME. GO SOMEWHERE & WORK HARD TO GET THE MOST KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN & AT A SCHOOL THAT HAS PRPOPER TOOLS & PLANNING, SO THAT IT WILL COUNT FOR YOU. IF YOU COME HERE YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK HARD FOR THE SAKE OF WORKING! DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING FROM PROFS OR THE ADMINSITRATION BEYOUND PROMISES!

I am sorry to hear about your experiences.

Unfortunately, it is not that unusual in this region.

The lessons for others to be learned, IMO are the following.

1) Do not use agents under any circumstances. If a school "requires" you to use one, immediately go elsewhere.

2) Before considering enrolling into a program anywhere, go visit the school. Check it out and speak to the students in person. If don't take the time to do this, it is precisely like buying a house sight unseen. (Think about the amount of money you are going to be investing in your education...)

3) Cross any programs that are either disapproved/unapproved by states and/or lack federal loan certification off your list.

Miklos

Duplicate post, please disregard.

very sound advice miklos.

Hi.

Don't know if you've thought of this - likely yes, but why don't you and your colleagues transfer. I think Charles (Prague) or Comenius (Bratislava), or Hungary sound worlds better.

I'm in Bratislava and we have great lab facilities (new zeiss microscopes - like 50), great access to fresh cadavers - if you want your own to do you can - we do autopsies every other week and in anatomy we always had 3 or 4 good cadavers to use - sometimes one structure showed up better on one or the other. Our clinicals are great and the professors really take an interest. If you want to show up for extra time in the ambulance (walk-in er) you can, if you want to assist with surgery, you can. It is up to you.
Our buildings need new paint and plaster, but the new EU money is going where it should. My husband just did radiology and says they have all the latest and greatest equipment.

We are in the same region - out tuition is low compared to yours (sounds like) - we pay $8,000 USD. That changed this year to 8,000 EUR, cost of living has gone up, but is doable.

However, unlike Poland, our program is a duplicate of the Slovak program so it is 6 years - definitely not built for the usmle. They teach their methodology and it is up to students to prepare for the usmle or whatever else they may choose to write. Rumour has it about 20 slovaks write the exam, and not so many in the english program - that is changing though with greater numbers in the english program that will stay until the end.

Anyhow, try to make it work there or transfer out and finish up elsewhere. Good luck.

S-

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your problems, never use an agent again. I'm very happy in Poznan!!!

Bye ........ Gerry

100 % accurate, 13 years later