Pre-Med at Stern: When Does Competition Become “Too Much”?
The night before her chemistry final, Sarah M. turned to a classmate studying next to her in the library and anxiously asked, “Do we have to know about the orbitals too?” “No,” was the quick and confident reply Sarah received. “You only have to know the information on this slide,” the classmate said as she pointed to a specific slide in Sarah’s chemistry notes.
Although this seemed suspicious to Sarah, being that it was the night before the final and she had a lot of other material to review, she, like any other student, was happy to know she didn’t have to learn another difficult concept. Checking once more, Sarah asked, “You are sure this is all we have to know?” to which she received a smile and a nodding yes.
The next morning, to Sarah’s great dismay, she found that the entire last page of the final contained questions about orbitals. Ultimately, she received an 82% on her exam, while later on in the semester, she heard this student brag about receiving a grade near 100%. After discussing with others and reflecting on what happened, Sarah realized that this student had told her not to study the information on purpose — lest Sarah do better than her.
You might think that Sarah’s case was an extreme one and a story in which a student's desire to succeed got the best of her. Undoubtedly, the vast majority of students are willing to help one another. Some even go out of their way, taking time the night before an exam to help a struggling friend. Class group chats in which notes are shared from one student to the entire class are ubiquitous.
Nevertheless, although some may find it upsetting to discuss, there is a pervasive and arguably unhealthy competitive undercurrent that exists within the Stern pre-med circle. Whether or not you see it every day, it is always present.
“I know people who spend ten hours in the library just because they don’t want to be the first to leave,” one pre-med student recounted. She also added, “I think some girls are just under so much pressure that they are doing whatever they can to get ahead. It’s really hard to get into medical school and some girls don’t handle that well.”
Competition has its place in the university. Intentionally giving someone misleading information does not. Overt competition — whether it be for understandable reasons like the low acceptance rate to medical school or pressure from family and one’s self — can be mentally stifling and emotionally draining.
In an interview with a current pre-med student, she shared, “I’ve heard of people giving other classmates the wrong answer so they can get a higher grade.” She also mentioned that she has encountered students “asking people [their] grades and then doing the ‘oh I’m [so] sorry,’ or asking people about their science [GPAs] just to make sure they are ahead.”
Stern students generally have faith in each other — and they should. Although it would be a kind person’s instinct to ignore possible malice and give their fellow students the benefit of the doubt, in this case, ignoring the problem does more harm than good. In order to change the problems that persist in the pre-med culture on campus, we need to bring attention to this issue.
Besides the negative environment brought on by the competitive spirit, its effect on learning is even more perturbing. An outsize emphasis on solely attaining good grades means that a sincere interest in attaining knowledge suffers.
“One of the biggest issues … is the value that is placed on getting good grades and checking off all the boxes rather than a desire to learn. Many students seek out easy classes, or skip classes that do not take attendance,” another student commented.
What are we here for, if not to learn?
Aviva B. related one instance where she offered to share her notes with another student. Surprised, the student said, “Wow, thanks for being such a team player.” Aviva thought, “Team player? I didn’t know we were playing a competitive game on the field. If that was the case, I would have left long ago.”
Too much competition not only impedes the positive acquisition of knowledge, but can also encourage active immoral behavior. Cheating is an issue that contributes to the competitive atmosphere of pre-med at Stern. This age-old culprit “creates a lot of distrust/tension among students,” another student mentioned. Having observed it herself, she explained that cheating, “is a huge problem specifically in the science department. It’s unfair to fail a test and then receive no curve or redo because girls cheated and messed with the average.”
The excessive competition makes the environment unpleasant. For example, the intense atmosphere of the chemistry laboratory, which is a hub of stress, sweat and tears for some, does not need to be made more extreme. Although a natural level of competition is healthy and actually prods people on, if there is a level of competition that creates an environment of distrust and negativity, then it will ultimately be detrimental. It damages people’s interest and capability to learn. And, we are here, afterall, to learn.
The fact is that if we all helped one another, we would all be better off. As American businessman William Danforth once said, “Catch a passion for helping others and a richer life will come back to you.”
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Photo Caption: Stern College Chemistry Laboratory
Photo Credit: Hannah Mamet
