UHS has a similar thread; i figured i should start one too
i'm pretty set on COMP unless i hear from other schools in socal
i've got a few friends there and they all love it a lot
they told me that they really make you feel proud to be a DO
who else out there is planning on coming here next august?

Hey Fowler,
I most likely will go to COMP also unless I hear from other southern CA schools as well. Good idea starting this thread. Maybe you should start it in the Osteopathic forum instead of the pre-DO forum.

COMPs got some cute girls...i'll give you that much =)

I'm heading back to the Midwest though, but man...I'm gonna miss SoCal...

yeah slick i just realized that after i pressed post; whoops

Me too... it's COMP unless another socal school accepts me.

Well hello there my "very-potential" classmates of COMP!! Just wanted to extend a well-deserved congrats to all of you for getting accepted into COMP (a med school in beautiful Southern California!) I will most definitely be attending COMP as well unless some other Southern Cali schools sends some love my way (where if it is a UC then it would be WAY cheaper to attend).

Regardless We're IN a medical school!!!

We're gonna be physicians!!!

COMP Class of 2008 ALL THE WAY!! :clap:

Congrats for your COMP acceptance. Would anyone of you be interested in COMP's summer anatomy courses? One is for those that did not take any anatomy course at undergrad, hence is an introductory course. The other is an accelerated advance course. It is for those that meet a certain requirements such as gpa, mcat and have taken anatomy before. After you completed the advanced course, you can help your fellow classmates in the fall as facilitators. I am sure COMP, or those that have taken the course, can give you more detail info if you are interested.

i was thinking about it and my interviewer even suggested that i take an anatomy class before coming to COMP so i can be ahead of the game; i might take it at a community college next semester cause i want to have fun this summer
what are other people thinking about doing?

Originally posted by FowlersGap
i was thinking about it and my interviewer even suggested that i take an anatomy class before coming to COMP so i can be ahead of the game; i might take it at a community college next semester cause i want to have fun this summer
what are other people thinking about doing?

(i got my interview call today!!! woo hoo!)

the admissions lady i talked to said that if you take an anatomy course before you enroll you can take a special summer course that will fulfill some requirements for the first year, and you can help other students. i've taken anatomy up the butt, so i'm looking forward to not having *so* much stuff to learn that first year.

so what do you guys like to do for fun?

Of course!

Originally posted by NDESTRUKT
COMPs got some cute girls...i'll give you that much =)
Yea I hope our class has some cute girls. I like to party also. Hopefully people in our class will be cool.

California always attracts cute girls (not that I really care about my own sex)...but boys...remember that you don't want too many cute girls in your class because that means...way too many distractions! ;)

Originally posted by Luwi25
California always attracts cute girls (not that I really care about my own sex)...but boys...remember that you don't want too many cute girls in your class because that means...way too many distractions! ;)
:laugh: True. If I remember correctly from my AZCOM interview, you're not so bad looking yourself. ;)

Originally posted by Slickness
:laugh: True. If I remember correctly from my AZCOM interview, you're not so bad looking yourself. ;)

Well thanks so much for that complement Slickness...now I see where your name stems from. :D

Well, in that case...I hope I'm not a distraction for you next year at COMP cause then we wouldn't be able to be study buddies! ;)

On a serious note though...have you been keeping up with the thread I started on the "osteopathic forum" asking COMP students their opinions about the school? There are some really negative comments on that thread but they do bring up some good issues about the rotations and problems that accumulate primarily in the 3rd and 4th years. I've been thinking of maybe going over to the school and meeting with the administration and even talking to current students about some of my concerns. Do you think it's a good idea? If you have some time, maybe we can even go together, double team em' and kinda find out more about what we'll be getting ourselves into next year. Just thought I'd throw that out to you. Let me know what ya think! :)

Originally posted by Luwi25
Well thanks so much for that complement Slickness...now I see where your name stems from. :D

Well, in that case...I hope I'm not a distraction for you next year at COMP cause then we wouldn't be able to be study buddies! ;)

On a serious note though...have you been keeping up with the thread I started on the "osteopathic forum" asking COMP students their opinions about the school? There are some really negative comments on that thread but they do bring up some good issues about the rotations and problems that accumulate primarily in the 3rd and 4th years. I've been thinking of maybe going over to the school and meeting with the administration and even talking to current students about some of my concerns. Do you think it's a good idea? If you have some time, maybe we can even go together, double team em' and kinda find out more about what we'll be getting ourselves into next year. Just thought I'd throw that out to you. Let me know what ya think! :)

Hey Luwi,
Well, it is an interesting idea to talk to people at COMP because after all they are the source. However, though some students seem dissatisfied with the last two years, I don't think the situation could be as bad as they paint it out to be. After all, graduates still seem to have no problem when trying to get into residencies.

At this time, I don't think it's necessary to go and talk to the admins about the situation because I just wouldn't want to bother them. Even with all the problems, I will most likely go there pending the other socal schools. So, I say, don't worry about it. However, I do look forward to meeting you again next fall if we do actually both decide to go to COMP.:)

i was just wondering especially because my friend who is a first year at AZCOM was telling me during my interview there that there isn't really a social scene there because a lot of students have committments to families and are understandably beyond the party scene
but i guess you'll find that at any school
it even came up during my interview at COMP; someone asked the tour guide "i noticed a lot of people are married, do you guys ever hang out as a class"
the student replied by saying "yeah a lot of people are married but others aren't"
i guess its a superficial concern; but i'd like to have some fun in addition to working super hard!
Luwi, if you're concerned about the administrative matters, I think you should go ahead and meet with them, i was a journalist in undergrad and i'm always encouraging that sort of investigative curiosity
also what do you really have to lose?...nothing
but i do agree with slickness in that grads end up doing great and the complaints may not really last long-term but are more short term, also i think someone said the majority of people that comment are just sitting around on the computer and don't really have anything better to do; that's why it seems like there are more minuses than pluses...
that's just my opinion...party on

Originally posted by FowlersGap
i was just wondering especially because my friend who is a first year at AZCOM was telling me during my interview there that there isn't really a social scene there because a lot of students have committments to families and are understandably beyond the party scene
but i guess you'll find that at any school
it even came up during my interview at COMP; someone asked the tour guide "i noticed a lot of people are married, do you guys ever hang out as a class"
the student replied by saying "yeah a lot of people are married but others aren't, we even rent out the gay bar on campus some nights to hold parties" as they did for halloween
i guess its a superficial concern; but i'd like to have some fun in addition to working super hard!

I hear you. Actually, I went to walk around campus last week and I was surprised to see a bar right there in the middle of campus. I didn't know it was a gay bar though! I had to go to the bathroom there because it was late at night and not other places were open. The lady working there was nice though, and there was no one there luckily.

Anyways, I would have thought AZCOM to have more young people because they have the oncampus housing that most people live in and I guess it may seem more fun. I hope that not everyone is married in our class. I'll be 22 when school starts so I figure I'll be one of the youngest in the class. I hope there are others like me. How old are you people and are you married yet?

i'll be 23 when school starts
far from married!

26 and married, but i go out more now than when i was single.

please don't think all married people just want to sit around looking at each other and thinking "hey, we're married. let's play some scrabble."

Originally posted by that dr. jack
26 and married, but i go out more now than when i was single.

please don't think all married people just want to sit around looking at each other and thinking "hey, we're married. let's play some scrabble."

that's actually really funny that you mentioned scrabble; cause when I was on the east coast last year finishing a masters program, my housemates and I (all younger and unmarried) kind of became addicted to scrabble!

i hear you, but I think the culture at my grad school might have been different, some of the older people kind of had a stigma about the younger kids who just wanted to go out and have a good time after exams, their idea of fun wasnt really hanging out around a keg in front of 20 something year olds...
but hopefully things will be different here and there will be a greater sense of class "community"!

i'm not agist at all, because some of my closest friends were a lot older than me, I actually learned so much from them.

us youngsters can be immature at times but one of the things i'm looking forward to the most is the diversity in ages!

scarbble is cool, but i'd rather play trivial pursuit or simpson's monopoly anyday. ever since the house rule of "no scientific/obscure medical terms" came along, i've been losing all the time.

the funny thing is that i don't feel old at all- i spent my early twenties hooked up with a soul-sucking speed freak boyfriend, working and going to school full time. i've spent the months since i last graduated reading all the books and seeing all the movies i never got to before, plus trying to get my legendary low tolerance to alcohol to respectable levels.

i'm actually afraid to tell them if they ask me what i do for relaxation- "sit around at a dive bar with my friends from junior high, drinking, smoking and singing along to old punk songs on the jukebox".

i look forward to meeting you at the TUCOM interview (i see we're on the same day). if you want to hook up before, let me know. i'm going up tomorrow, and then going to the best western on sunday.

i actually cancelled tucom's i-view
maybe we'll meet up at western

I'm 23 and not married. I think we'll have a range and that'll be fun! Plus, after 21 I feel like age really ain't nuthin' but a number when comparing differences of like 3-5 years.

All I know is that we could make this experience FUN...so I'm really excited about that!

So I talked to my family physician today who is an alum of COMP. I told him how I was accepted to COMP and Temple and asked him what he thought about it.

He basically told me that if I wanted to be an FP, pediatrician, or internist, I could choose either school and I would be fine in terms of getting a good residency as long as my board scores were good. He said by the time you practice there is no difference between MDs and DOs. Also, DOs are making real advances in terms of being accepted in the medical community as compared when he was trying for residency which was about 20 years ago. However, he did say that if I wanted to specialize such as do surgery it would be more difficult if I went to COMP.

That doesn't matter though for me at least because I want to stick to primary care. He also told me that he still keeps in touch with people at COMP and that it's a tight knit group over there. So it looks like I'm off to COMP pending other CA schools.:)

Originally posted by Slickness
He basically told me that if I wanted to be an FP, pediatrician, or internist, I could choose either school and I would be fine in terms of getting a good residency as long as my board scores were good. He said by the time you practice there is no difference between MDs and DOs. Also, DOs are making real advances in terms of being accepted in the medical community as compared when he was trying for residency which was about 20 years ago. However, he did say that if I wanted to specialize such as do surgery it would be more difficult if I went to COMP.

This is great Slickness! But I think that we already knew this so why not go to a medical school that will encourage you and keep you happy (location wise) right? I just read about a study that looked at Hopkins Med students. It was a prospective study with like 30 years of follow-up. And they found that the med students with more social support that were happier during med school were less likely to get CV disease and cancer later in life. Just thought it was an interesting study...so for my health I would rather be a "happy" med student in CA. So I'll see ya at COMP (pending other CA schools). :clap:

That doesn't matter though for me at least because I want to stick to primary care. He also told me that he still keeps in touch with people at COMP and that it's a tight knit group over there. So it looks like I'm off to COMP pending other CA schools.

I think if you want to go into primary care and stay in So. Cal, COMP would be an excellent choice for you, other than CA schools. It's always good to have a successful medical career, and a network of friends nearby after you finish your med education.

Primary care is very much in high demand in So. Cal. I received a phone call from a friend last week. He and I worked for Cedar Sinai Med Center about 20 years ago. He told me that he has now three clinics within a 10 miles radius. He is looking to hire three additional primary care doctors. Work schedule is Monday thru Friday 9 to 5, no on calls, $65 to $70 per hour plus benefit. It's respectable considering you do not have to worry about overhead or malpractice insurance.

I guess I'll be joining some of you at COMP! Nice to meet you all.
If you guys are on AIM instant message me at "friedcfood."

awesome;
my IM is hpatel410
hey i know its way early to talk about this but what are people doing about housing?
when i was at gtown, i split a townhouse with five people from my class; it was cool cause we had the same schedules and worked out pretty well
don't know how many townhouses there are in the area though
but i heard a lot of people live in the surrounding areas of claremont/montclair etc.
what are other people thinking about in terms of housing;
again i know its early cause i'm waiting on other CA schools too and my decision to attend comp pends on the other schools

Hey Fowler I've looked into some apartments already and here's what I found. I posted this in a thread in the osteopathic forum but I'll repost here.

There is this apartment called the Plaza that is in walking distance from school. People have said it's a bad place to live and it is not safe. Also, I heard that COMP does not recommend students to live there. I have been there and it seems decent because it is gated but the neighborhood is a bit run down.

I have found really nice apartments in Claremont about 3 miles away from school (8 minute drive on the streets). There is actually a whole street of apartments that have both Western students and Pomona College students which is next door to the apartments. This area is nicer and has a lot of stores around it including a starbucks most likely because of Pomona Collge being right there. I will probably live there once I get all the housing information and roommate info. Supposedly we get this roommate info in March or so.

i think the way it works is that you fill out a roommate sheet and then you get copies of everyone's sheets that match your criteria and then you just call people from the sheets and figure it out from there

Housing in Ponoma isn't great...like most med students suggested, Clairemont, Chino Hills, the areas surrounding Western are probably best. Living in LA isn't too bad either. I grew up in the Pasadena/LA area and its pretty nice...lots to do. Can't say the same about the surrounding area of Pomona. Commute from LA isn't bad either, you'll be driving against traffic both ways. The school had some apartment guides in there lobby...if you didn't pick one up for the interview, i'm sure if you ask, they'll mail one to you.

i talked it over with my boy, and he said moving to fullerton would be great for us. at first i thought i could stay in long beach and commute, but i really don't want that long of a drive anymore.
fullerton is about halfway from long beach (where he works and goes to school) and pomona. its against traffic to pomona, and they have all sorts of really nice little craftsman bungelows for cheaper than the ones we like in LBC.

the only weird thing now is: living in OC, especially inland. eek! i was always safe and sheltered in LB.

Sorry I haven't been around too much lately - school is sucking up most of my time.

I just want to say 'congrats' to all of you!

- Tae

Originally posted by tkim6599
I just want to say 'congrats' to all of you!

- Tae
Thanks. Hey Tae, what's the breakdown between married students and single students in your class? Also, how many nontraditional students vs traditional students are in your class?

Finally, where do most of the single students live? I know it's a lot of questions but thanks for the help.

Originally posted by Slickness
Thanks. Hey Tae, what's the breakdown between married students and single students in your class? Also, how many nontraditional students vs traditional students are in your class?

Finally, where do most of the single students live? I know it's a lot of questions but thanks for the help.

Actually, I have no idea what the breakdown is. There are far more single students than married, and the younger the student, the more likely they are single.

Although there are a few hardy souls that live in Pomona, the majority live in the surrounding areas - Claremont, Ontario, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, north of the 10 highway, and Chino Hills south of the 10.

Claremont is arguably the closest and nicest area near Pomona, but it's also arguably the most expensive place to live.

When it gets closer to summer, those of you who live in SoCal and plan on moving closer should scope out places. If you have the time, post your experiences for those out of state - it's a big help.

Here's a link to last year's thread - some good info about apartments:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53733

- Tae

I also turned down Tucom's interview.... maybe I will see you guys at Western next year :) It's on top of my want-to-go list of schools.

Originally posted by tkim6599
When it gets closer to summer, those of you who live in SoCal and plan on moving closer should scope out places. If you have the time, post your experiences for those out of state - it's a big help.
I see thanks. I actually looked at some apartments already and I really liked the set of apartments by Pomona College. I guess that would be the Claremont ones. I'm not sure about the rest though.

Hey Slickness...

I wanted to PM you but your PM inbox is full. Just thought I'd let ya know!

And thanks guys for reminding me that I need to look for housing. Does anyone know how much a studio costs in any of the neighboring areas of Pomona? My studio in Brentwood was $1000 a month and I'm really hoping that it's way cheaper out there.

Thanks!:)

Originally posted by Luwi25
Hey Slickness...

I wanted to PM you but your PM inbox is full. Just thought I'd let ya know!
Cool. Yea I think I'm having a problem with my PM box. I think I deleted everything but I guess people still can't PM me. Does anyone know how to fix it?

Originally posted by Slickness
Cool. Yea I think I'm having a problem with my PM box. I think I deleted everything but I guess people still can't PM me. Does anyone know how to fix it?

The default is that it only shows you PM's sent within 2 days. You need to check 'all' in the date range to see and delete all of them.

Originally posted by tkim6599
The default is that it only shows you PM's sent within 2 days. You need to check 'all' in the date range to see and delete all of them.
Yes I found out I cleared my Inbox but not my sent folder as well. It's fixed now. Thanks.

I'M IN GUYS!

I'M IN!!!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

YAY FOR YOU :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

congrats....see you there!

i canceled my interviews with LECOM and DMU today. i had already been planning on going to COMP barring some incredible acceptance, but we found out a couple of days ago that my grandma has cancer, so staying here to be near her is of utmost importance.

see you all in a few months. it's crazy man- we're going to be doctors!

sorry to hear about your grandma
hopefully it is not too serious
i can't believe we're going to be doctors either
see you guys soon if we all decide to go to comp next year!!

Hey Fowler, so hows the app process going for you. Are you set on COMP or are you waiting for other schools?

i'm pretty set on COMP for now but who knows what will ultimately happen
i liked AZCOM a lot but i don't think i'd want to be there for two if not four years....
if i get in to a UC i'll probably go there
if hear good stuff from USC it will be a tough decision...
haven't heard anything positive from MD schools yet; but its all good
i'm happy with COMP and i think learning OMM will be an added benefit to my education
so yeah i guess i can say that i'm pretty set on COMP
what about you?

I'm still waiting on Loma Linda and the other Cali schools, but otherwise I'm going to COMP. I'll know for sure in April probably.

Welcome aboard ladies and gentleman!!:clap: With all of these great personalities...the COMP Class of 2008 is gonna be one heck of a ride!

Congrats to all that got into COMP..I look forward to meeting you all next August. :p

welps! i guess i'll be seeing you guys at comp! :clap:

So whos going to SAPP or ISAC? As I understand it, you have to be invited for ISAC. I'm not sure if I'll go yet.

i'm takin SAPP
even after takin anatomy and biochem in the upcoming spring semester

gotta get the wheels greased up!

Originally posted by Slickness
So whos going to SAPP or ISAC? As I understand it, you have to be invited for ISAC. I'm not sure if I'll go yet.

Hey Slick...

I think that I will be going with SAPP..but I'm not sure yet. It depends on the dates for the program which will be available next month.

If anyone finds out those dates early...can ya please post? Thanks!

Originally posted by Luwi25
Hey Slick...

I think that I will be going with SAPP..but I'm not sure yet. It depends on the dates for the program which will be available next month.

If anyone finds out those dates early...can ya please post? Thanks!
Cool. I'm not sure about the dates. What about ISAC. What's the difference between the two?

are you guys talking about the two anatomy courses? i think the isap? one is the more hard core of the two and you have the chance to be a TA
at my interviewers both students that showed us around had done this in the summer and they said it was great cause they could concentrate on other subjects because they had the first half? of anatomy done...
but they both said there were cons; you lose your summer and there is a little animosity from your peers

but i doubt i'll do either because i'm going on a medical mission to the himalayas in july

anyone else interested? there are still some spots

should be quite an adventure

I think ISAC is the anatomny course during the summer which you may become a TA..I think there is another course over the summer that does a science review.

FloweresGAP...got any more info about the medical mission...is there a web site?

yeah if anyone's interested go to www.cfhi.org
it costs a little money but i think that makes it credible..
i'm going on the rural himalayan rotation

if anyone's interested let me know

it would be cool to meet some of you beforehand in a setting such as that!

Hi future COMPers...
I've been off of SDN for a while but it was my saving grace when I was in all of your positions. I'm currently an MSI at COMP and finishing up what is arguably a draining semester both intellectually and emotionally. Taking a quick study break and thought I'd peruse SDN...glad to see there is a good group of future COMP students.

So...here are my thoughts on things I've read on these posts and what I've experienced over my first 5 months as a student here at COMP.

First, for all the people coming here...as far as living situations go. I live in Claremont and I love it. I am single and young (23) and most people in my situation live in either Claremont or Chino Hills. We've got a young class...although there are quite a number of people (young and old) who are married, but I was surprised at how young our class was. I love Claremont...a nice quaint town, a nice escape from dirty Pomona. I wouldn't recommend living at the Plaza apts across the street. And Claremont (as is Chino HIlls) a short drive away.

As far ISAC and SAPP...sometimes I wish I had done ISAC, but looking back, and being done with Anatomy, I'm glad I didn't. I needed the summer off with friends to travel, to have fun, to make money...whatever YOU choose to do with your summer. You're going to be swamped with class no matter if you take ISAC or not. Might as well take advantage of your last few months off, because once school starts, its OVER. (actually, to be honest, its not THAT bad most of the time...just a matter of finding a nice balance, and surrounding yoruself with great people who are supportive and can also relax and enjoy themselves. Its easy to get overly stressed in our situations.)

I like the school..as much stuff that is said negatively about COMP, I haven't encountered TOO many problems affecting my education. Its what you make of it...everyone said that to me when I was applying, and its true. School is school..you create your own future no matter where you sent your tuition check to.

HAVE A LIFE. Go out when you're a first year. It keeps you sane. Make friends in your class. They're going to be your colleagues in the future and your closest friends when you're in school. I can already say I have some amazing friends. I was surprsied to come here and meet all these cool people, thought my class would be full of science nerds. (They're there, for sure, but definitely have plenty of cool, laid back people too!) Enjoy meeting all the new people. But, just to warn you, because school is so intense, you find that the social dynamics of the class are so intense too. People's lives become intwined (at least with the young social single crowd) and gossip becomes peoples past time.

Overall....it sucks. Med school sucks, its hard. You make decisions and question your sacrifices. But, its not that bad. You do it. You live. You make memories, and you thrive in the craziness that becomes your life. Does that make sense?? Because if it doesn't, it will when you're nearing the end of your 1st semester. Nothing can prepare you for med school, but just go with it. Let it take you in and thrive in all the things you are learning...in the fact that you are WELL on your way to becoming a caring physician. Its hard and its rewarding. That makes it worth it.

So, good luck COMP DO 2008. I will see you there next year. In the meantime, keep positive, enjoy your free time. Do nothing to prepare yourself for school, it'll all be there waiting for you.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Now, back to the bug parade for my Micro test on Monday.

Jane DOe

Thanks Jane for the insight. :clap:
I hope our class has a lot of cool people in it too. Hopefully a bunch of 21 year olds like me. However, older people would be fun too. :)

Thank you so much for that great insight JaneDoe. You're truly right that nothing can really prepare you for med school. You just prepare to face the worst and hope that you're blessed with the best. But that support network (from your collegues) is so crucial and I think it's so important to start off on a good note.

Hey, by the way I was thinking that close to school starting all us cool SDNers (that will be in the area) should meet up for dinner or lunch or something and just meet/socialize. What do y'all think? Maybe we can give each other suggestions on housing and stuff. Maybe some current COMP students might want to meet up with us and give us some advice on how to start off running! I'm up for suggestions but I think this would be a great start to the beginning of our medical careers and our lives! :D Can't you tell I'm SO excited to know that I'm on my way to being a physician and to meeting my future classmates?!!!

One more thing JaneDoe...do you think that it would be beneficial and worth our time/money to take the SAPP review/refresher course that's a month long? I was thinkin' about it but I'm not too sure.Thanks again for the words of wisdom and GOOD LUCK with your finals!

My future classmates...let me know what you think about my suggestion.
:)

Hey Luwi,
That sounds like a good idea. That dr.jack also mentioned that we should get together when more people have decided for sure. It would be nice to meet everyone.

Hey guys...
Didn't take either ISAC or SAPP...it could be different for other people, but from what I've gathered from my friends who did do SAPP, they didn't gain much.
I figure, if you're going to put in the time and money to learn the material, you may as well take ISAC.

You're welcome for the post, this is the first time I've been on SDN for a while, so I'm a bit over zealous in posting...forgot how addicting this can get!


I REALLY should get to studying...or bed.

yeah it would be awesome to get together; i'm always down to party it up

i'm down for whateva

i'll be in SAPP for sure tho so we can meet there too

when do i need to let them know i want to enroll?

I think meeting up would be tight! Count me in...time and place?


Thanks Jane DOe for the insight. It's a bit scary thinkning that I might not have a life anymore once school starts.:eek:

it's the path we chose though!

I just received my physical forms from Western. :clap:
They ask for all kinds of copies that state that we received various vaccines. I guess they want us to be squeaky clean before attending their school.

i'm glad you're at least getting something form them. i haven't received my letter yet, and the anxious-y part of me is starting to wonder if they really didn't accept me, but made some horrible mistake both times i called, and now have to break it to me.

this is the riesling talking:

hey COMP, give me my effing letter already.

AND...did you guys know that we have to send them our current transcripts AGAIN. I'm still in school and I don't know why they can't wait until School is over in June but NOPE...they want my official transcripts now and then again when I'm completely done!

Just wanna make sure you guys knew that! :D

Congratulations guys! I hope to be joining you in the Fall. Let's keep our fingers cross!:D

Good Luck! I'm sure we'll be seeing you soon as a part of our COMP class of 2008! :clap:

Originally posted by Luwi25
AND...did you guys know that we have to send them our current transcripts AGAIN. I'm still in school and I don't know why they can't wait until School is over in June but NOPE...they want my official transcripts now and then again when I'm completely done!

Just wanna make sure you guys knew that! :D
Yea it's weird. I sent my transcript in right after I received my acceptance letter and will have to send it again when I graduate.

Luwi, I saw that you got an interview to Drew/UCLA. Congrats. Looks like you're off to UCLA instead next year.;)

dr.jack, I know what you mean. I was paranoid that they didn't get my check after I sent it. I called them and they confirmed it. I'm sure if you called and they said you were accepted then you were.

i'm trippin cuz they want the physical exam 6 months prior to matriculation but i wanna get it done before the end of the year so my insurance will cover it since i already met my deductible

DAMN IT!

Originally posted by Slickness

Luwi, I saw that you got an interview to Drew/UCLA. Congrats. Looks like you're off to UCLA instead next year.;)


Thanks for the well wishes Slickness! Pending that I do hypothetically go to UCLA...I think most of the reason behind it would be the $$$$$ (only $10,500 a year). Let us know when you hear from those other stupid Cali schools. :p

It sounds like there are quite a few COMP prospective students that are getting interviews/acceptances from MD schools. Not that MD schools validate our accomplishments in any way, but it's good to know that COMP is getting many prospective students that supposedly have higher gpa/mcat/accomplishments that are being considered by other more competitive schools.

I, for one, am also turning down MD to go to COMP. I'm glad that the decision making process is over. Hope I see others like myself at COMP and that would make our class an interesting one.

Originally posted by Luwi25
Thanks for the well wishes Slickness! Pending that I do hypothetically go to UCLA...I think most of the reason behind it would be the $$$$$ (only $10,500 a year). Let us know when you hear from those other stupid Cali schools. :p
:laugh: It is a lot cheaper. No I think the other Cali schools all but forgot about me.

Kimiwadare, you make a good point. Recently, I looked at COMP's average gpa and mcat on their webpage. For the class of 2007, their average mcat was a 27 or 9 on each section and their average gpa was a 3.4. That, I think, is competitive among DO schools and the lower tier MD schools.

One thing to keep in mind, as was told to me by some current COMP students: some students at COMP have been known to have large chips on their shoulders because they might not have gotten into their first choice MD schools. The students said these people can be a big pain because they view themselves as better than their classmates. This is a huge generalization, but I am taking it into consideration.

I would also hate to be in the company of those students who are full of themselves. I was hoping that osteopahtic schools would have less of those big-shot students. But as Dr. Jack pointed out, I guess they are just everywhere. Their behavior stems from their personal issues with themselves and their insecurities. I would treat them(or anyone else) like how I want to be treated but I would indeed feel sorry for them.

you'll find people like that all over the place
at least no one on this thread seems to have that "i'm better than you" complex
so is everyone pumped for a fun yet intense four years!

Originally posted by FowlersGap
you'll find people like that all over the place
at least no one on this thread seems to have that "i'm better than you" complex
so is everyone pumped for a fun yet intense four years!

I soooooo AM READY!!!!! :clap: Let's bring on the fun!!! :laugh:

Originally posted by FowlersGap
so is everyone pumped for a fun yet intense four years!
Of course. You guys are lucky though because you've graduated already. I still have to take 6 upper division bio classes in the next 2 quarters just to graduate and get my degree. It's like I'm already in medical school. :rolleyes:

i wonder if i'm the only one that's feeling kinda lazy about learning anatomy....again. i was looking up some stuff in my books the other night and i just thought "arggg! not the sphenoid bone again". my husband found me reciting "simple squamous, stratified, cuboidal" laying in bed the other night.

i yearn to learn things i haven't learned before. i took anatomy in high school, then all through college, and i just want to learn something new. i know it will be very different and focus on clinical issues, and seriously that's what's keeping my hope alive. it's the same with biochem. i guess that's why some schools tell you they'd prefer if you didn't take classes as an undergrad that will overlap with med school.

i'm not looking forward to anatomy or biochem. I just don't see how people memorize so much stuff. i guess i just have bad memory. oh boy...it's gonna be a long 4 years. :(

Originally posted by crazy250
i'm not looking forward to anatomy or biochem. I just don't see how people memorize so much stuff. i guess i just have bad memory. oh boy...it's gonna be a long 4 years. :(

dood, mnemonics. that's the only way to survive.

on sunday i went to this brunch place in san diego where all the smarty arty farty people hang out. i saw this dude with all sorts of index cards placed on his table, some with drawings, and some with the middle of the words circled. i tapped him on the shoulder and said
"oh, mnemonics. nice"
to which he replied, "no, i'm in law school."

(there isn't a smiley to convey how i felt at that moment. maybe a combination of
:D , :laugh: and :rolleyes: )

Originally posted by Slickness
Of course. You guys are lucky though because you've graduated already. I still have to take 6 upper division bio classes in the next 2 quarters just to graduate and get my degree. It's like I'm already in medical school. :rolleyes:

Look at the bright side Slick...you will be THAT MUCH more prepared than the rest of us for med school. And then, you'll have all these people just wanting to be your friend because you are the one with the "fresh" knowledge about these classes that we took like 2 years back! :p

Originally posted by Luwi25
And then, you'll have all these people just wanting to be your friend because you are the one with the "fresh" knowledge about these classes that we took like 2 years back! :p
:laugh: Hmm, when you put it that way I guess it's a good thing. Just as long as they don't use me for answers.

so is anyone else gonna be in vegas for the new years?

i'm at the imperial palace

kind of a random question i know; but it seems like a lot of people plan to be there at that time!

Originally posted by FowlersGap
so is anyone else gonna be in vegas for the new years?

i'm at the imperial palace

kind of a random question i know; but it seems like a lot of people plan to be there at that time!

Hmmm, I don't even have plans yet. Kinda lame, I know. I do have a good friend who lives there, so maybe we will come up. I just dread driving there.

Hi guys,

I'm really torn between COMP and UNE. Did any of you interview at UNE?

Hey gioia,
Go to COMP so you can be with all of us cool COMPers. There's more of us on this class thread than on the UNE thread so obviously we're better. :)

UNE sucks. It's cold, in the middle of nowhere, and old.

go to COMP. It's warm, has very good looking people, an awesome city, and um...it's kinda newer? lol

Hey NDESTRUCT,

It looks like your going to Indiana State. Isn't Indiana just about as cold as Maine - without the seafood? Or are you going to COMP?

I can't wait to see everybody in the Fall. I was wondering if I'm the only one that will be bored until Fall 2004 begins? Well, I can't wait until I become a student again!

yeah i just started break and am bored again!!

what is everyone's story?

here's mine:
i went to ucla for undergrad, gtown last year to get my masters
now i'm spending the year lecturing at UCI; its a pretty awesome experience working with students and being on the other side
last quarter I TAed an intro bio lab and this next quarter i'm TAing a Physiology lab; should be pretty fun
we're gonna work with live mice, frogs and madagascar hissing cockroaches
but its gonna be a lot of work making up exams and grading, etc. but it will be all good
i can't wait to start school again too; i thought i would fully enjoy my year off especially cause of my grueling year at gtown; but i want to get back to the books, and by TAing i got to read up on stuff i'm gonna lecture on so in a way i'm getting my text book fix
other than that; i was born and raised in HB and am pretty much trying to chill as much as i can this year...

everyone else should introduce themselves too

When is the date line for the first $1000 deposit, February 15 or asap after the acceptance? Is it madatory for you all to secure your seat asap?

Is there any reason why notification of acceptance is done in various forms of communication such as phone, snail mail?

Thanks

Originally posted by calcrew14
When is the date line for the first $1000 deposit, February 15 or asap after the acceptance? Is it madatory for you all to secure your seat asap?

Is there any reason why notification of acceptance is done in various forms of communication such as phone, snail mail?

Thanks
I'm not sure about the whole deposit thing for after December. However, I would imagine you should send in the deposit as soon as possible. As for the notification, you will get the decision in the mail within two weeks. I guess you can also call to find out if you're anxious.

Sup Fowler,
I will continue by telling my story in a short version since there is not much to tell:

I'm a 4th year at some UC school and finally will graduate in the spring. I like playing sports such as football and basketball. I do hope that Western has IM teams so I can play some bball in my spare time. I like listening to cool music such as punk and rock as evidenced by quotes from different songs in my signature. I'm also good-looking, slick, and love ninja gerbils, but I digress...:) That's just a bit about me.

hey gioia,

haha i was just joking around with you and UNE. it's hecka cold there though and no indiana isn't as bad - the water makes maine WAY colder.

COMP is better - southern CA rocks. I'm not going to COMP, it was one of the schools I was considering though, the faculty is super nice and I know a lot of the preceptors for that school. Also the students are laid back and really friendly too.

California or Maine? hmmm I wonder. =)

Originally posted by Slickness
I'm not sure about the whole deposit thing for after December. However, I would imagine you should send in the deposit as soon as possible.

It took 24 days for my letter to be mailed. The delay was probably due to Thanksgiving week.

The letter says that I have until February 15 to let them know of my decision. But the sentence is followed by the informative "however" to let me know that, if I want to, I can make the deposit of $1000 to secure the offering seat asap. So far I am the only one who interpret it as a mandate. My coach and cheerleaders believe otherwise.

I wonder how Ndestrukt and others deal with the deposit.

Originally posted by calcrew14
It took 24 days for my letter to be mailed. The delay was probably due to Thanksgiving week.

The letter says that I have until February 15 to let them know of my decision. But the sentence is followed by the informative "however" to let me know that, if I want to, I can make the deposit of $1000 to secure the offering seat asap. So far I am the only one who interpret it as a mandate. My coach and cheerleaders believe otherwise.

I wonder how Ndestrukt and others deal with the deposit.

i got the same letter with the same delay. we probably interviewed the same week. i took it as "better send it in soon", so now i'm trying to figure out how to come up with a grand during christmas. i think going back to the old college standard of cookies as a present will help.

so will you be in our superlative class next fall?

I have always known that I most likely would go to COMP. Unless miracle would happen at UCSD, UCI or Drew of course. At this time, all of those schools, and other out of state allopathic schools, are still too far out of my reach. Only one out-of-state interview so far.

Originally posted by FowlersGap

what is everyone's story?


i'm sure you people know most of mine, but for the ones who don't:

i am 26, born and raised in long beach. i've also lived in SF and london.
blond, brown eyes, with a long-time love of red lipstick
married but extremely independent.
one BA in anthro, one BS in bio-physiology, both from cal state long beach.
i am a registered neurodiagnostic technologist, most commonly doing intraoperative spinal cord monitoring for spinal surgeries. i work at many different hospitals around LA and orange counties.
i am obsessed with books, crossword puzzles, most types of music (newer country not included), foil fencing, swimming and any other type of physical exertion i can find. i also like hello kitty quite a bit.

anyone else want to introduce themselves?

Originally posted by that dr. jack
blond, brown eyes, with a long-time love of red lipstick
married but extremely independent.
Too bad you're married...;)
Yes, I hope our class has some nice looking girls. It makes going to class more pleasant when there's some eye candy around.

Originally posted by Slickness
Too bad you're married...;)
Yes, I hope our class has some nice looking girls. It makes going to class more pleasant when there's some eye candy around.


i've been often told i resemble an old style film star, and was once told i looked like renee zellweger (which i don't really see). i wouldn't think of myself as eye candy, unless you get off on grace kelly or ava gabor lookalikes. i just can't compete with the modern standard of beauty of skinny skinny and lots of make-up.

if i'm in surgery i usually look like crap because i don't bother with putting on make-up (it's not cool when it smears on the inside of the mask) or even with styling my hair just so it can spend 12-14 hours in a hair cover.

i do agree that having good looking classmates helps. all you men had better be at least somewhat good looking in return.

Originally posted by that dr. jack
i do agree that having good looking classmates helps. all you men had better be at least somewhat good looking in return.

:laugh: It's cool. I'll try to do my part...;)

This thread is turning into a love connection.

Originally posted by friedcfood
This thread is turning into a love connection.
:laugh: Yea you're right. We should switch the topic.

So does everyone know what they're doing for housing yet?

I was curious about financial aid and whether or not we had to include our parent's contribution in the Fafsa. I looked on the FAQ on Western's website and it says it is optional but may be required for some scholarships. So is everyone not going to include their parent's contribution or will you do so.

I've never filled out FAFSA before so I'm not sure what to do.

Gee folks,

You're making my decision easier. I think I'll go live in the sticks of Maine for medical school. :cool:

Originally posted by gioia
Gee folks,

You're making my decision easier. I think I'll go live in the sticks of Maine for medical school. :cool:
Ok I'm not sure what that was supposed to mean. Anyways, it was obvious you had your mind set on UNECOM from the beginning. As I know myself, it's hard to change someone's mind.

So back to my financial aid question. Is anyone going to include parental information. I think it can only hurt if your parents make a decent amount of money. I'm not sure though.

from the financial aid web page for COMP, it says that since COMP is considered graduate education, we don't include our parents info.

Originally posted by that dr. jack
from the financial aid web page for COMP, it says that since COMP is considered graduate education, we don't include our parents info.
Yea I figured as much so I probably won't include it. However, I didn't work this past year so I have no tax return form and had no income. For all intents and purposes, I'm still dependent on my parents but I know that for graduate school I will be considered independent.

Most questions on the FAFSA deal with how much you make and so forth. I guess my application will have a bunch of 0s for most of the questions. My expected family contribution will be almost 0. I am wondering how they deal with that.

Originally posted by Slickness
............I think it can only hurt if your parents make a decent amount of money. I'm not sure though.

I think you are correct

Base on a student's income (and probably asset too) they want to know the parents' income (and assets too?) so that they can accurately figure how much the parents should contribute. I see no reason to keep them throwing wild punches.

Higher parents' income hurts as much as a lot of parents' assets at undergrad level. That doesn't seem to be the case here where asset doesn't seem to count much.

I am talking about loan (subsidized and unsubsidized), not grants, scholarships or other freebies.

Correct me if I am wrong.

BTW, I guess it right that your income is close to 0. No need to withholding any parents' info. My older brother didn't need that.

Originally posted by calcrew14
I think you are correct

Base on a student's income (and probably asset too) they want to know the parents' income (and assets too?) so that they can accurately figure how much the parents should contribute. I see no reason to keep them throwing wild punches.

Higher parents' income hurts as much as a lot of parents' assets at undergrad level. That doesn't seem to be the case here where asset doesn't seem to count much.

I am talking about loan (subsidized and unsubsidized), not grants, scholarships or other freebies.

Correct me if I am wrong.

BTW, I guess it right that your income is close to 0. No need to withholding any parents' info. My older brother didn't need that.
I kind of see what you're saying but Western doesn't need your parents' income. My parents make a good amount of money combined so if I do add my parent's information, I think it will hurt me. Thus, I probably won't add it since it is optional. However, as I said, I have no earnings or anything like that so my FAFSA will look pretty much blank and I'm not sure how Western will view that.

Sorry, I take it back. Your are correct. I forgot about the "cap" of about $50,000-60,000. It is wise to withhold the info if parents' gross income is above $60,000.

Still, I believe that in the process, parents' 2003 income tax return or an estimate may be required though.

Good luck.

Happy Holidays everyone- make it as fun as possible and think about how different our lives will be this time next year.

What did you all think of COMP's holiday card? I have not even received an interview invite from them yet they sent me the holiday card. I thought that was strange, but it was kind of a neat card, despite it's over-the-top cheesiness. Any other opinions?

And when on earth am I going to hear back from COMP? I've heard from every other D.O. school I've applied to, but no word from COMP. I've called my admissions coordinator twice to make sure everything was complete, that the app was submitted to the committee, etc. but still nothing. hhmm. .. .

Happy Holidays!

Originally posted by SUPERSTARZ
And when on earth am I going to hear back from COMP? I've heard from every other D.O. school I've applied to, but no word from COMP. I've called my admissions coordinator twice to make sure everything was complete, that the app was submitted to the committee, etc. but still nothing. hhmm. .. .
COMP is pretty slow in those regards. They were the last interview I had because they gave me an interview the latest. Just wait till January and I'm sure you'll get an interview.

Hey, you received a Christmas card and I didn't so they must like you.

yeah you'll probably hear soon; i just got interviews at nova, lecom and ccom in the last two days; i'm gonna cancel them though

there's still time

I am concerned about the California earthquakes. Experts predict that in the next few years, there maybe catastrophic earthquake in Cali. Is this really a problem?

Originally posted by crazy250
I am concerned about the California earthquakes. Experts predict that in the next few years, there maybe catastrophic earthquake in Cali. Is this really a problem?
Hey crazy,
I don't think it would be a problem. I have lived in CA all my life and although there have been some quakes, experts have always predicted catastrophic earthquakes coming to CA. I really don't think it's that big of a problem and am not afraid for my life for that matter.

So are you from CA and are you joining us at COMP next year?

no. but i'm pretty close to it. yes i'll be at comp. look for the craziest person in your class and that would be me. i asked the last question cuz i don't want cadavers flying all over the place when we're in anatomy lab. :laugh:

For those of you wondering what this talk of Western U's Xmas card is about(and, yes, this is from a school I have not even received an interview invite from). Be sure to click on the link. And make sure your computer's sound is on:


As another year comes to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in Western University and send our warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season...

Please take a moment to view our holiday message and short video by clicking on the below link: http://bb.westernu.edu/web/temp/holidaygreeting/
<http://bb.westernu.edu/web/temp/holidaygreeting/>

Happy Holidays!

~~From The Western University Admissions and Recruitment Team~~ Susan, Linda, Crystal, Gloria, Esther, Kathy, Pam, Bonnie, Jean, Sylvia, Michelle, Karen, Collette, Ann, Marie, Diana, Jennifer

It might be a good idea to reciprocate with an illustration to prove that Santa has granted your wish for an interview at your first choice school. Good luck.

Originally posted by crazy250
look for the craziest person in your class and that would be me.

i don't know man, i think you and i might have to tie for "craziest person". i will be trying to tone it down in the interest of acting as mature as a med student should.

did anyone in so cal feel that earthquake? slickness? Fowlers?

i don't think i've felt an earthquake since that one on MLK day in 1994- and that was only because i had just snuck back into the house after being out all night with my boyfriend. if that quake had been about 3 minutes earlier i would've been f&^ked.

Originally posted by crazy250
no. but i'm pretty close to it. yes i'll be at comp. look for the craziest person in your class and that would be me. i asked the last question cuz i don't want cadavers flying all over the place when we're in anatomy lab. :laugh:
It's cool. I'll keep an eye out for the craziest person in class and you keep an eye out for the slickest person in class.:D

I never thought about the cadavers flying around. It would be an interesting sight. They probably have them tied down so they don't fall or anything. Besides, if there was an earthquake in the anatomy lab, we might have to take cover under the cadaver tables so we'd be safe from any flying body parts.

drjack, I didn't feel the earthquake because I was sleeping at the time. Yes I like to sleep most of the day. This will conflict with class time next year.

Originally posted by Slickness
Yes I like to sleep most of the day. This will conflict with class time next year.

:laugh:

Maybe you can take the night shift when you become a doc.

Originally posted by skypilot
:laugh:

Maybe you can take the night shift when you become a doc.
Yes that would certainly work with my schedule.:)

Originally posted by Slickness


drjack, I didn't feel the earthquake because I was sleeping at the time. Yes I like to sleep most of the day. This will conflict with class time next year.

mmmmm, sleep. another thing to indulge in for the next 6 months.

Anybody leaning towards any one speciality???

I am biased towards Emergency medicince because that's most of what i've seen for the last 4 years or so. But there are other more important reasons i am leaning towards it.

You work when you work and are not on call not to mention it's not a 5 day a week 9 to 5 job... that would drive me nuts.

plus i am known to get bored easily so never knowing what would come thru those ER doors is what would keep me goin on a daily basis.

Jack of all trades...master of none!

Originally posted by DoHzA
Anybody leaning towards any one speciality???

I am biased towards Emergency medicince because that's most of what i've seen for the last 4 years or so. But there are other more important reasons i am leaning towards it.

You work when you work and are not on call not to mention it's not a 5 day a week 9 to 5 job... that would drive me nuts.

plus i am known to get bored easily so never knowing what would come thru those ER doors is what would keep me goin on a daily basis.

Jack of all trades...master of none!
I always thought EM was a job with a lot of hours. As for me, I'm leaning towards family practice because from all the doctors I've shadowed, they seemed to have the happiest time. I thought FP was a 9 to 5 job but since going to this site, I've heard that it wasn't. Maybe I should look into EM.

i'm thinking about EM too

i get easily bored as well and i'd like to see something new every time

but who knows what will happen in the next four years; our minds might completely change

hi everyone
i've been reading these threads and i thought i should post something for a change since I'm also going to be in the class of 2008.

a little about me...
26yo male from LA but has been working in NYC as a web developer for past 3 years. As for housing, I'll be living at home in Cerritos which would be about 30-40 min drive to school depending on traffic and how fast I drive :P

talk to you all again soon

Originally posted by Jinyaoysiu
hi everyone
i've been reading these threads and i thought i should post something for a change since I'm also going to be in the class of 2008.

a little about me...
26yo male from LA but has been working in NYC as a web developer for past 3 years. As for housing, I'll be living at home in Cerritos which would be about 30-40 min drive to school depending on traffic and how fast I drive :P

talk to you all again soon
Hello Jinyaoysiu and welcome.
I also live about 30 min from school but I'm going to get an apartment close by. I heard that some people do commute even as far as from Hollywood.

Originally posted by DoHzA
Anybody leaning towards any one speciality???

I am biased towards Emergency medicince because that's most of what i've seen for the last 4 years or so. But there are other more important reasons i am leaning towards it.

You work when you work and are not on call not to mention it's not a 5 day a week 9 to 5 job... that would drive me nuts.

plus i am known to get bored easily so never knowing what would come thru those ER doors is what would keep me goin on a daily basis.

Jack of all trades...master of none!


i hear you with the jack of all trades bit- my parents were prophetic with giving me this name.

right now, i want to be open to everything, but peds and OB/GYN just doesn't pull at me (BUT YOU'RE A CHICK! CHICKS LOVE THAT STUFF!). ER sounds cool, cardio/neph/pulm not so much.

ortho, neuro and gas are the ones i see most often, so i'm drawn to those. i did have a gas man tell me i should do neuro, because the reimbursement for an EMG is the same as an inguinal hernia repair (except it takes less time and i know how to do EMG now), plus most programs aren't hard to get into and finding a job wouldn't be too hard.
who knows, i could end up doing neonateology. crazy.

I called up the financial aid office and they said that you do not have to include your parents' information while filling out the fafsa because you are considered independent. It is also ok if you're a senior in college and did not work. Your fafsa application will just have a bunch of 0s on it. I thought I would throw that out there for anyone that was wondering about financial aid at COMP.

I'm going into internal medicine...from there i'll start with primary care or oncology....not sure tho.


Has anyone asked COMP about the ISAC program?

Originally posted by friedcfood



Has anyone asked COMP about the ISAC program?

i e-mail dr. kuehn about it, and he said he would get my stats from admissions and get back to me about it. my guess is that they invite some people, and if you're really serious about it you can get in even if you don't have the GPA/MCAT stats they give as "minimums".

hey all, just wanted to congradulate you on getting into medical school and welcome to COMP. I'm a third year and i finished rotating through the Arrowhead block. I just wanted to throw down a few tidbits of advice.

Make sure you focus on your academics, your friends, your classmates, your family during your first two years. try not to get caught up in all the drama of medical school (because it's the same everywhere). make shure you get "me time"/"fun time". it's the only way you'll stay sane and keep a clear focused mind.
ultimate goal is doing well in class and doing the best you can on the board exams.

right now i'm on my vacation rotation and i am struggling to figure out what i want to do for the rest of my life. i started out thinking about peds, then i discovered i hate kids 10hrs/day. then i thought ortho, then i discovered 7 yrs of residency and my boards scores were not in the 90th percentile, then psych, then FP, then IM. so i'm back to square one with absolutely no idea what i want. you'll find that there are more factors that play into finding the right residency for you than just hours and salary. for those of you who made up your mind, congradulations and best of luck to you.

i had a great experience my first two years at COMP and created close bonds with all of my classmates. i'm having an even better time out in rotations.

i hope your experiences will be as good as mine.
peace all.
~j

hey all, just wanted to congradulate you on getting into medical school and welcome to COMP. I'm a third year and i finished rotating through the Arrowhead block. I just wanted to throw down a few tidbits of advice.

Make sure you focus on your academics, your friends, your classmates, your family during your first two years. try not to get caught up in all the drama of medical school (because it's the same everywhere). make sure you get "me time"/"fun time". it's the only way you'll stay sane and keep a clear focused mind.
ultimate goal is doing well in class and doing the best you can on the board exams.

right now i'm on my vacation rotation and i am struggling to figure out what i want to do for the rest of my life. i started out thinking about peds, then i discovered i hate kids 10hrs/day. then i thought ortho, then i discovered 7 yrs of residency and my boards scores were not in the 90th percentile, then psych, then FP, then IM. so i'm back to square one with absolutely no idea what i want. you'll find that there are more factors that play into finding the right residency for you than just hours and salary. for those of you who made up your mind, congradulations and best of luck to you.

i had a great experience my first two years at COMP and created close bonds with all of my classmates. i'm having an even better time out in rotations.

i hope your experiences will be as good as mine.
peace all.
~j

Thanks for your post pyoj. It's good to see a COMP student that enjoyed his/her first two years. Could you provide more input on how the social scene is the first two years. In other words, do classmates hang out together or maybe even party together?

Thanks for the tips! :clap:

Originally posted by pyoj
hey all,
Make sure you focus on your academics, your friends, your classmates, your family during your first two years. try not to get caught up in all the drama of medical school (because it's the same everywhere). make sure you get "me time"/"fun time". it's the only way you'll stay sane and keep a clear focused mind.
ultimate goal is doing well in class and doing the best you can on the board exams.

~j

Thanks. That's exactly what I am going to do. Hope that you don't mind if I join allopathic training afterwards though. That's the only way I can have this cake and eat it too.

In the mean time, let's DO it! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :thumbup:
I myself just can't wait any longer!
:meanie::meanie: :meanie: :meanie: :cool:

So calcrew, are you going to COMP next year?

Pyoj, your post made me feel really good for some reason!

EVERYBODY ELSE, I'm freaking out cuz i just found out i have to live solo out at COMP and I have no idea what town to pick or where to live and the thought of livin alone would kill me cuz i live off of other people's energy so after 10 hrs in class comin home to nothin would drive me nuts

oh well +pity+

Originally posted by DoHzA
Pyoj, your post made me feel really good for some reason!

EVERYBODY ELSE, I'm freaking out cuz i just found out i have to live solo out at COMP and I have no idea what town to pick or where to live and the thought of livin alone would kill me cuz i live off of other people's energy so after 10 hrs in class comin home to nothin would drive me nuts

oh well +pity+
Why can't you get a roommate?

Originally posted by DoHzA
Pyoj, your post made me feel really good for some reason!

EVERYBODY ELSE, I'm freaking out cuz i just found out i have to live solo out at COMP and I have no idea what town to pick or where to live and the thought of livin alone would kill me cuz i live off of other people's energy so after 10 hrs in class comin home to nothin would drive me nuts

oh well +pity+

don't be sad DoHzA! you'll find someone to live with, and hopefully they won't be the creepy kind of roomate.
if i didn't already have a boy to live with, i'd totally want you to live with me. we've been looking at OC and maybe it's a bit expensive for how crappy it really is (Fullerton and Brea are not Newport or Laguna after all) so we're thinking maybe Chino Hills or some sort- a house would be nice.

I had a panic attack at Target the other day because i realized in 6 months i won't be able to afford a luxury like my beloved Downy fabric softener and i will have to check prices and clip coupons and balance my checkbook and $hit.

slickeness! and all you others that are coming straight outta college and living with your parents are so lucky, because being an adult with a job and disposable income for nearly 5 years is tough to let go of. when i was a poor 22-year-old living on scott toilet paper and drugstore make-up it wasn't so bad, but now it seems like torture.

maybe that's just the vodka and blueberry juice talking though. eek, drunken typing is a bad, bad thing.

my cousin who was going to get a place w/ me decided it's pointless for him to move from diamond bar to an area 10 min away and pay rent when he can live home for free
makes sense but leaves me out in the cold
what's COMP's deal w/ settin up people w/ places or roommates?

Originally posted by that dr. jack
slickeness! and all you others that are coming straight outta college and living with your parents are so lucky, because being an adult with a job and disposable income for nearly 5 years is tough to let go of. when i was a poor 22-year-old living on scott toilet paper and drugstore make-up it wasn't so bad, but now it seems like torture.

maybe that's just the vodka and blueberry juice talking though. eek, drunken typing is a bad, bad thing.
:laugh: Drunk and typing on SDN. I've done that a few times.

Dohza, I think you fill out some survey and send it back to COMP. Then they give you a list of compatible roommates. This is what I heard but I'm sure it's something like that.

Originally posted by DoHzA
my cousin who was going to get a place w/ me decided it's pointless for him to move from diamond bar to an area 10 min away and pay rent when he can live home for free
makes sense but leaves me out in the cold
what's COMP's deal w/ settin up people w/ places or roommates?

COMP doesn't have an extensive list of apartments/housing. There are a few listings in the office, but I found the better deals using the online LATimes and other apartment websites.

Two things I found interesting right off the bat - coming from MA:

1) There is almost a 1:1 ratio of bathrooms to bedrooms in the apartments. Nice, but wierd.

2) Most rentals do not supply a refrigerator. You either have to buy one or rent from an agency.

Coming from Boston, the prices weren't shocking to me at all, but people coming from places with a lower cost of living crapped themselves.

Closer to summer, they will send out a roommate compatability form for you to fill out if interested. I don't know exactly how that works, as I didn't participate.

You still have a lot of time, before you have to move, but this thread from last year helped:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53733

We also started a Yahoo discussion group and started to talk about housing, forms, all that stuff, months before having to move. In-state peeps should help out the others coming in from out of state regarding locations, geography. Who knows - you might find a roommate on a discussion group!

hey tkim6599, i am wondering about the first year classes, especially biochem.
i've had the fear of god put into me by some third years i've talked to, who say a certain biochem professor is very tough in terms of exam questions and material considered essential for passing tests. could you give us any pointers on how to deal with that?

Originally posted by Slickness
So calcrew, are you going to COMP next year?

My crystal ball still tells me so. Funny how I surf Western University web site for a school of pharmacy last January. I didn't know of COMP then.

It would be nice if current COMP students who are satisfied with their apartments would post the contacts somewhere. Anybody lives in Phillips Ranch? An old post mentioned that it was a nice area close by.

The 1:1 bath/bed is very convenient for any inevitable coincidence. "Luxerious" is the word I'd rather say.

Finally, it is not mandatory to secure the seat asap. Just make sure that the frst and second deposits are made before the designated deadlines.

Have a nice COM everyone!

I just submitted my FAFSA application. I'm hoping COMP gives me a lot of aid. At my interview, my interviewer told me they give merit scholarships to qualified students and he volunteered this information. I hope they give me one. :)

merit scholarships?
:confused: :confused:

Originally posted by DoHzA
merit scholarships?
:confused: :confused:
Yea they give a couple out based on stats and ECs.

please explain what the hell merit scholarships are.
please.
thank.
you.

Originally posted by DoHzA
please explain what the hell merit scholarships are.
please.
thank.
you.
It is a scholarship given for good performance in academics such as a high MCAT and GPA and/or for your work in the community depending on the scholarship. Many medical schools offer them and they are not need based awards. Western has about 5 or 6 that they offer to first year students. They don't give out many but they knock down tuition costs some.

application for it?

No they told me that you don't need to fill anything out. They will just award one based on your primary and secondary applications in March or so along with your other financial aid. It sounds like a good deal if you're lucky to get one.

where u gonna live dude?

I'm not sure yet, but probably in one of the apartments in the Claremont area. There's like a whole street of apartments of college students who go to both Western and Pomona college. How about you?

no clue

u have websites for those apt's?

i need to really start lookin into this


sidenote: when does SAPP start and what's the first day of school?

No, I don't know the websites. I think there are links to websites on the old western thread. As for when school starts, I'm not sure, but I think it's around early August. Don't know about SAPP.

Originally posted by that dr. jack
hey tkim6599, i am wondering about the first year classes, especially biochem.
i've had the fear of god put into me by some third years i've talked to, who say a certain biochem professor is very tough in terms of exam questions and material considered essential for passing tests. could you give us any pointers on how to deal with that?

Someone gave me a piece of advice that was simple yet very true: they only test you on what's in the syllabus/packet. I spent a lot of time reading multiple texts instead of the packet (I'm a 'panic text buyer') I got a pretty rounded knowledge of things, but not the specifics that I could have gotten by focusing on the packet material.

1) In general, always try to do your best on the first exam if there's a series of exams. Your chances of getting a decent grade are best with the first exam, and it will give you a little 'cush for the subsequent exams that might be harder.

2) The harder subjects have higher curves.

I know these sound simplistic, but they hold as truth.

Originally posted by Slickness
I'm not sure yet, but probably in one of the apartments in the Claremont area. There's like a whole street of apartments of college students who go to both Western and Pomona college. How about you?

Hey Slick..what street is this in Claremont? Just wanted a heads up on the areas that are best before I start lookin'.

3 miles from COMP! That's very interesting. Is it within walking distance to the library? I used to live in a library once because the apartment was too crowded and unsanitary. What's the going rent in this area? Is there any public transport as a back up? Although I don't play cards, we could shuffle this deck for a few hands that we have here.

Good scouting. Thanks

Originally posted by Luwi25
Hey Slick..what street is this in Claremont? Just wanted a heads up on the areas that are best before I start lookin'.
Hi Luwi,
I don't remember the streets, but I did do a search and found a very informative webpage. It lists apartments in the Claremont, Upland, Montclair, Pomona, and Chino areas along with prices and phone numbers. It came off the Claremont college site. The link is below.
http://www.cgu.edu/housing/pdf/offhous.pdf

Anyways, I haven't seen you post in awhile. How is the application process going for you at Drew/UCLA? If I was in your position and was accepted to Drew, I would go because you just can't beat that tuition.

Could the street be Indian Hill Blvd that runs N/S between COMP and Pomona College. I believe that The libray is at Pomona College. The address is:
Dan Golden
Community Library Manager
208 N. Harvard Ave.
Claremont, CA 91711
Phone: (909) 621-4902

I'll use this address, COMP's 309 East Second St., Pomona, CA and apartment adresses from the website above to mapquest it now.

Looking at the rate on the lists, I can't help wondering where I am living at now. Some kind of palace or what? But does a king hit a wall every time he moves?

Happy hunting everyone.

Thanks for that website Slick! I actually just got back from interviewing at Albany. It is so damn cold out there...freezing and below freezing!!! Makes me love and appreciate LA even more when I go out to these interviews. I am so excited about getting into COMP because it is here in warm, beautiful, close to the beaches, Los Angeles!

Anyhoo, you are definitelty right about the tuition at Drew..can't beat that! But Drew is a tough program to get into because they only have a few slots so I'm not really countin' on that one. God will place me where I belong and so I'm just taking it a day at a time.

Have you guys started getting your vaccines done yet? I gotta do that and send them my transcripts as well over to COMP. I think the best time to start looking for housing is around June..no? Well, being so close to COMP, I'm not too worried about teh housing thing because there are so many areas available for housing options that will allow for a short commute to school. Keep me updated though! :)

Remember, if you live in Claremont you get free access to the Claremont colleges library :)

Originally posted by kpax18
Remember, if you live in Claremont you get free access to the Claremont colleges library :)

Hello Kpax,
Believe it or not, I still have your pm in my box.

I believe the library address in my previous post here is Pomona College Library. Here is the map of the Libraries of the Claremont Colleges. There are four of them.

http://voxlibris.claremont.edu/hrsloc/maplib/

All official transcripts have been requested to be sent to Western, got my physical done with last week, sent in my vaccination records over the weekend, and just filed my FAFSA!

Looks like I'm ready...now all i need is a damn apt. and who knows where it will be.


anybody decide if they are taking the SMPP course from june-july? i hope to meet some of u there!

:thumbup: :clap:

Hey kpax, I sent a pm to you back in mid december and I don't think you looked at it yet.

Luwi, yes I do believe God will put us where He wants us to be.:)

As for the vaccines, on the sheet it says to turn all that in at the maximum 6 months before attending the school. If school begins in August, 6 months before that would be at the earliest March. I thought that was kind of weird that we had to wait.

ya i had to contact the head dude of the immunization thingy and i told him i was tryin to make the new year cut off for my deductible and get my physical and what not and he said he'd accept it even though it wasn't within that time frame they said we need to make.

all it takes is an email

Originally posted by Slickness
Hey kpax, I sent a pm to you back in mid december and I don't think you looked at it yet.

.

Hey slick, sorry about that. I didnt check my msg box because the old sdn feature has the pop up new pm msg whenever I log in. I suppose its not the case anymore. I'll reply it right away.

kp

Originally posted by kpax18
Hey slick, sorry about that. I didnt check my msg box because the old sdn feature has the pop up new pm msg whenever I log in. I suppose its not the case anymore. I'll reply it right away.

kp
It's cool.

u guys been checkin your westernu email?

Originally posted by DoHzA
u guys been checkin your westernu email?
I didn't know we had one yet. How do we check it?

how far down the acceptance letter did u get?
haha
it's in there read it over again

Originally posted by DoHzA
how far down the acceptance letter did u get?
haha
it's in there read it over again
I must have received a different acceptance letter because it didn't say anything about email in mine. Maybe it is in the confirmation of the deposit.

Originally posted by DoHzA
u guys been checkin your westernu email?

yeah, but haven't gotten many useful e-mails. i want to make my name disappear like slick. how do you do it slick?

Originally posted by crazy250
i want to make my name disappear like slick. how do you do it slick?
:confused:

There was some talk awhile ago about meeting up for some grub before school actually starts. Are we still planning for that? It'll be a good time to meet other people and perhaps find roommates and what nots.

Originally posted by friedcfood
There was some talk awhile ago about meeting up for some grub before school actually starts. Are we still planning for that? It'll be a good time to meet other people and perhaps find roommates and what nots.

I SECOND that notion!!! :hardy:

anytime you guys want to meet up is cool with me. the idea of a class that starts off with people knowing each other sounds like a good idea. anyone, PM me if you want my number.

i'd also really like to persuade any current students to come along with us and talk to us.

any COMP student care to join us? i will personally buy any current COMP student a drink if they meet with us with us. (although watch it if you're thinking of 60-year-old scotch or something- i'm not gonna have a job soon.)

whoops i misread that health eval thing; i thought it said we had to get it complete six months before

dohza; when did you get your physical and who did you email

hopefully they'll be cool with sending it in early

i think we should get together before class starts; would be fun

you all seem real cool and i'm pretty excited to start school up again!

for those that are natives of the "IE" what do people usually do for fun; my friend who's a first year at comp said they get together and drive to sunset once in a while...just wondering what "hot spots" are in the area

luwi: i PMed you; i don't know if you got it?...i think you were in my algae class at ucla! i'm gonna try and get a hold of levey pretty soon

-FG

Well, I just received a Loma Linda interview. Now I'm not sure what's going to happen.

CONGRATS SLICK!!!:clap:

Originally posted by tsukiewok
CONGRATS SLICK!!!:clap:
Thanks. Although my attitude is of non-chalance. Whatever happens happens. :)

I emailed this guy about sending in my physical earlier than they ask:
Gary M. Gugelchuk

Sr. Vice President for Executive Affairs

Western University of Health Sciences

909-469-5381

FAX: 909-469-5694

gugelchuk@westernu.edu

and he okayed it...he's the head dude so he's the man to talk to

about your email you can go to https://mail.westernu.edu/exchange/logon.asp
use your first initial and whole last name as log in
and your password is last 2 digits of birthyear and last 4 of your social

worked for me
they use this to contact admitted students

i inquired about dates and it turns out that orientation is aug. 4 and first day of classes is the 9th
the catalog for 2004-2005 won't be completed til march they said

i am also up for a drink w/ the COMP 2008'ers and i think i can bring a soon to be 4th yearer and a 2nd year'er or two along if u guys want
:horns:

thanks for the info dohza

and congrats slick; that's awesome news

best of luck with the i-view at double L!

wow slickness, that's beyond cool. good luck!

Congrats on the interview slick!:clap:

Yea we'll see what happens. Honestly, Loma Linda is a bit strict because they're affiliated with SDA. Anyways, I finally signed on to my email address but there wasn't anything useful.

SDA?

congrats on the interview slick but we all know you're comin to comp with us!

Originally posted by DoHzA
SDA?

congrats on the interview slick but we all know you're comin to comp with us!
:laugh: Yea. Really I wouldn't care either way, but I think i'd have more fun at COMP.

uh oh dudes,
i just got an interview offer from CCOM. what should i do? should i interview there?

i canceled my interviews with DMU and LECOM when i got into COMP, but CCOM is so reputable and old, plus they ahve such good rotations. i love cali, but would CCOM be better for my career, especially if i want to do surgery?

ack- just today i talked to another wonderful COMP third year who put my mind at ease and was so happy with his education at COMP. i was totally confident about my decision until i came home and saw my letter from CCOM.

Originally posted by that dr. jack
uh oh dudes,
i just got an interview offer from CCOM. what should i do? should i interview there?

i canceled my interviews with DMU and LECOM when i got into COMP, but CCOM is so reputable and old, plus they ahve such good rotations. i love cali, but would CCOM be better for my career, especially if i want to do surgery?

ack- just today i talked to another wonderful COMP third year who put my mind at ease and was so happy with his education at COMP. i was totally confident about my decision until i came home and saw my letter from CCOM.

I say go - if you have the time and money.

You will never again have the opportunity to visit other places and see what it's like there. CCOM has a great reputation. Go and see if it's for you. Congrats!

Originally posted by that dr. jack
uh oh dudes,
i just got an interview offer from CCOM. what should i do? should i interview there?

i canceled my interviews with DMU and LECOM when i got into COMP, but CCOM is so reputable and old, plus they ahve such good rotations. i love cali, but would CCOM be better for my career, especially if i want to do surgery?

ack- just today i talked to another wonderful COMP third year who put my mind at ease and was so happy with his education at COMP. i was totally confident about my decision until i came home and saw my letter from CCOM.
I know exactly how you feel. I say go so you can see for yourself if it is a school that you'd like. What's up with these interviews poppin up so late in the season. :)

Originally posted by FowlersGap

luwi: i PMed you; i don't know if you got it?...i think you were in my algae class at ucla! i'm gonna try and get a hold of levey pretty soon

-FG

Hey FG! NO I didn't get your pm...did you send it to me recently? So you think you were in my algae class w/ professor Fong??! That's so cool! I did definitely take the class winter quarter of 2001 so maybe? I was the Indian/Hispanic looking girl in there so do u remember me?! :D

Anyway, please let me know about the outcome if you get a chance to talk to Levey. Have you applied to Drew also?

Also my fellow COMPers...when are we going to meet?? How about next month sometime? I'm guessing that Fri or Sat nights are best for everyone...so let's pick a date/time and central location to meet! We could meet at the grove in Orange or downtown Disney because they seem kinda central and its' closer to COMP. Let me know what y'all think.

And Slickness...I'm so happy for you!! Congrats on the LL interview and all the best of luck. Either way, you'll get to remain here in Southern Cali and that is SO important. I just got back from an interview at Albany and it was SO FREEZING cold out there. After being out here all my life, I don't think I can survive for four years in that weather! :scared:

Originally posted by Luwi25
Also my fellow COMPers...when are we going to meet?? How about next month sometime? I'm guessing that Fri or Sat nights are best for everyone...so let's pick a date/time and central location to meet! We could meet at the grove in Orange or downtown Disney because they seem kinda central and its' closer to COMP. Let me know what y'all think.

And Slickness...I'm so happy for you!! Congrats on the LL interview and all the best of luck. Either way, you'll get to remain here in Southern Cali and that is SO important. I just got back from an interview at Albany and it was SO FREEZING cold out there. After being out here all my life, I don't think I can survive for four years in that weather! :scared:
Thanks, although it looks like my interview is going to be in late Febuary or early March which is kind