UNECOM Discussion Thread 2008-2009

Whoohooo !! Found out I got in yesterday. But now it is decision making time cause the 15th is approaching fast. So far I have been accepted to LECOM and UNECOM, with interview offers at ATSU, and Nova (though i think im going to cancel those). So now comes the time where I have to weigh pros and cons, and one of the few things I didn't like about UNECOM was the curriculum. The impression I got was that lectures/classes were from 8am-4pm with few breaks, and all are done in the same room. That feels a little too structured and feels much more like a middle school or highschool than a college/university. It doesn't seem like there is much time during the day for independent studying. I was wondering if any current or past student can give me some more perspective on what the average day is like for a UNECOM student, pretty much from start of class to the end of the night study sessions. Also, where can I find concrete rankings of all the osteopathic schools ??

PeteyHC said:

Whoohooo !! Found out I got in yesterday. But now it is decision making time cause the 15th is approaching fast. So far I have been accepted to LECOM and UNECOM, with interview offers at ATSU, and Nova (though i think im going to cancel those). So now comes the time where I have to weigh pros and cons, and one of the few things I didn't like about UNECOM was the curriculum. The impression I got was that lectures/classes were from 8am-4pm with few breaks, and all are done in the same room. That feels a little too structured and feels much more like a middle school or highschool than a college/university. It doesn't seem like there is much time during the day for independent studying. I was wondering if any current or past student can give me some more perspective on what the average day is like for a UNECOM student, pretty much from start of class to the end of the night study sessions. Also, where can I find concrete rankings of all the osteopathic schools ??

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Congrats on your acceptance! I can only comment a little on the curriculum, but what I noticed during the day and from my student host was yes, the classes generally run all day but it is broken up by OMM lab and anatomy lab. So you aren't in one room allll day. Im sure ShyRem can comment more specifically on the curriculum.

However, there is no such thing as a concrete ranking of schools. As anyone on the forum will tell you, any sort of ranking is very personal and the best school for you is not necessarily the best school for someone else.

Good luck!

Is the office of admissions closed today? What do you guys think about calling admissions to ask if a decision has been reached on acceptance? I'm thinking maybe I should just wait a day or two for the mail to come, but I am so anxious... I want to know now! haha... anyone know if they have a policy against people calling and begging for an answer?

Thanks for your input!!

SarahJ,

I got a letter from them in the mail yesterday. The date on the letter said November 7th, which was Friday. I live in Boston, so it was a quick delivery, but depending on where you live, it may take more than a day or two to get to you. I'd say hold out for another 2 days, than call. I feel your pain, it can be very difficult just waiting and stalking the mail man.

Thanks for the sympathy. Yes, after putting some thought into it I realized I'm being silly, waiting a day or two won't kill me. Also, if I worked for admissions I wouldn't want to receive 500 calls and have to disappoint the majority of them, so I'm going to assume they don't give out the info on the phone.

I'm actually about 40 mins west of Boston, also a massachusite. All I can say to help with your decision weighing different schools is that I know a few students who chose to go to UNECOM because the faculty and other students are exceptionally nice, and all three of them tell me they are very happy and impressed with the school. For me sunlight matters, and I love that even the anatomy lab at une looks lovely and bright. Also, its about an 1.5 hrs from home.

Hopefully I'll have something exciting to post about soon...

SarahJ said:

Is the office of admissions closed today? What do you guys think about calling admissions to ask if a decision has been reached on acceptance? I'm thinking maybe I should just wait a day or two for the mail to come, but I am so anxious... I want to know now! haha... anyone know if they have a policy against people calling and begging for an answer?

Thanks for your input!!

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Sarah I feel your pain!! I really wanted to attend UNECOM so I put all my eggs in one basket and hoped for the best. And now knowing that my decision is somewhere in the hands of the postal service while they take a day off is killing me. Unfortunately I'm in Salt Lake so my letter is probably still 2 days away. I need something to take my mind off it and sitting on SDN probably isn't the best thing for that.

PeteyHC said:

Whoohooo !! Found out I got in yesterday. But now it is decision making time cause the 15th is approaching fast. So far I have been accepted to LECOM and UNECOM, with interview offers at ATSU, and Nova (though i think im going to cancel those). So now comes the time where I have to weigh pros and cons, and one of the few things I didn't like about UNECOM was the curriculum. The impression I got was that lectures/classes were from 8am-4pm with few breaks, and all are done in the same room. That feels a little too structured and feels much more like a middle school or highschool than a college/university. It doesn't seem like there is much time during the day for independent studying. I was wondering if any current or past student can give me some more perspective on what the average day is like for a UNECOM student, pretty much from start of class to the end of the night study sessions. Also, where can I find concrete rankings of all the osteopathic schools ??

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Congratulations to everybody who has already been accepted and good luck to all of you who are in the application process. I was in your shoes last year and I feel your pain. UNECOM is a great school and I don't say that just because I decided to go there. The faculty and staff are super nice and supportive. I would choose UNECOM any day over any other school but it fits me and it may not fit you.


Typical schedule for this year's first year class (class of 2012):


Mondays:
8-12: Anatomy (Mandatory attendance for lab)
1-3: Physiology
3-5: Biochemistry


Tuesdays:
9-12: OMM*
1-3: Histology
3-5: Embryology


Wednesdays:
9-12: EOM* (Essentials of Osteopathic Medicine (intro. To physical examinations & medical humanities))
1-5: Histology Lab (students are split into groups for 1.5 hour long lab period (3-groups total))

Thursdays:
10-12: Biochemistry
1-5: Clinical Site Experience* (i.e. shadowing, frequency: approx. once a month; If you are not scheduled for that week it's "free" time).


Fridays:
8-12: Anatomy (Mandatory attendance for lab)
1-3: Physiology


Please note that this is a TYPICAL week for OUR class and may or may not change for the future incoming classes. Near the exam week everything changes and we have more "free" time to study in the afternoons.


One interesting thing about our schedule is that every 6th or 7th week we have all of our exams in one week (practical exams Tuesday-Thursday and written for all classes on Friday). The upside is that during the first couple of weeks after the exams you have more "free" time and need to study less, the downside is that during the last couple of weeks before the exams you have NO free time and is all studying.


Study time varies on individual basis, I typically study about 2 hours/day on weekdays and 4-5 hours/day on the weekends. Others do more and some do less!


You have 24/7 access to all labs (Histology, Anatomy and OMM) so it's totally up to you how much, when and where you want to study.

* Indicates Mandatory Attendance, although I personally attend all classes, there are some folks who do not.

Hi Celtsfan, I'm not sure if you've gotten your letter yet- but I wanted to let you know that I called admissions and learned that my letter was mailed on Tuesday. Silly me thinking all the letters went out the same day (Friday).

I'm interviewing at UNECOM next week and I was wondering if anyone who has already interviewed (or a current student) could give me a more concrete understanding of what the day is like, specifically how long I'll be there? I saw a great post earlier in thread that gave some information, but my main concern is what time I should plan on being finished. I'm driving to NY after the interview and might be picking up a friend in Bristol on the way.

So if you already interviewed - what time did you end up leaving campus? Thanks! I visited UNECOM about 20 years ago when I had family friends going there...needless to say, I don't remember much of it, so I'm excited to see the school again!

SarahJ said:

Hi Celtsfan, I'm not sure if you've gotten your letter yet- but I wanted to let you know that I called admissions and learned that my letter was mailed on Tuesday. Silly me thinking all the letters went out the same day (Friday).

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Thanks for the update Sarah. I got worried today when I checked the mail and there wasn't anything there. Did they tell you over the phone or just tell you to wait for your letter? I wonder if they decide by interview date because my interview was on 10/14 and everyone who has posted acceptances on here seem to have interviewed before me.

khb2102 said:

I'm interviewing at UNECOM next week and I was wondering if anyone who has already interviewed (or a current student) could give me a more concrete understanding of what the day is like, specifically how long I'll be there? I saw a great post earlier in thread that gave some information, but my main concern is what time I should plan on being finished. I'm driving to NY after the interview and might be picking up a friend in Bristol on the way.

So if you already interviewed - what time did you end up leaving campus? Thanks! I visited UNECOM about 20 years ago when I had family friends going there...needless to say, I don't remember much of it, so I'm excited to see the school again!

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This would depend on whether you have a morning interview or an afternoon interview. The morning interviews are done by noon generally, sometimes not until 2 or 3 depending on how many interviewees there are that day. The afternoon days are done around 5. Saturday interviews are like morning interviews... if there are a lot of interviewees that day you may not be done until 2 or 3, if there aren't many you'll be done by noon. All depends.

Yes, I interviewed on 10/14 also. I was one of the few girls... with redish hair and a pink shirt. Even though there were only four of us though I'm sure we all looked the same, haha.

No the nice young woman who answered the phone did not tell me what the letter said, only that it had been mailed on tuesday. I also did not ask though... I don't think either of us will need to. I think the letter is coming today... or tomorrow... or monday for sure.

I interviewed in the morning and I got back to my hotel room around 12 khb- so if you're a morning person than shyrem is right (she always is!) that you should plan for noon. I think in terms of how the day goes, the person who posted at the top of page 4 did a really good job, and my interview day was pretty much just like that. If you get a chance take a walk to see the ocean, maybe you'll see some seals? I hope you have a good time, and good luck!

PeteyHC said:

. . .and one of the few things I didn't like about UNECOM was the curriculum. The impression I got was that lectures/classes were from 8am-4pm with few breaks, and all are done in the same room. That feels a little too structured and feels much more like a middle school or highschool than a college/university. It doesn't seem like there is much time during the day for independent studying. I was wondering if any current or past student can give me some more perspective on what the average day is like for a UNECOM student, pretty much from start of class to the end of the night study sessions. Also, where can I find concrete rankings of all the osteopathic schools ??

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Yeah, I agree, it seems like you're going to be in class all the time, but the reality is that you only have to attend the mandatory classes, so you can be an independent studier if you want. I know a couple in my class who prefer that route, and so they do it. There's no doubt that there is a lot of class here at UNECOM, but beyond the mandatory classes, the school treats us like adults and let's us make our own decisions about attendance.

I interviewed on 10/16 and have not received my letter yet either. That was a good idea calling, SarahJ, and thanks for the info. If I don't receive mine by Monday, I'll give them a call & let you guys know the outcome.

Hey, got my letter. I'm in!!!!!!! So excited!

Congrats to those who got accepted! I had my interview yesterday, now I'm just trying to get a flight out of Portland! Air travel is a mess today!

SarahJ said:

Hey, got my letter. I'm in!!!!!!! So excited!

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Congrats!!!!

Do they screen for secondaries? I submitted my primary about 1 month ago, but never got a secondary....

26P, 3.80 undergrad, 3.96 post-bacc

Thanks!

Yes they do screen before sending the supplemental. Do you have all the pre-reqs other than bio-chem? People in earlier posts said that unecom is unique in that you must have all other pre-reqs before applying (bio, chem, orgo, physics).

I would call them. They're very nice in the admissions office and I'm sure they'll pull up your record and tell you whats going on.

Yeah, I saw that too. I got in last Friday (!) and Im in Orgo 2 right now, so Im not sure exactly what was going on...

My boyfriend and family live south of Worcester MA so I was happy to see St. Vincent as a rotation site for IM and Psy. I heard in an earlier post that for third year you have to pick ONE site and complete all of your rotations for the year there. Is this true?

I would like to do internal med and psych at St. V's and fp, surg Peds etc at Kent hospital in RI for example. Would something like this be possible? (this is just an example of course, who knows what will be available and what I will want over two years from now, but I'm curious about the rules and logistics of scheduling rotations.)

Also, as I understand if you want to do an international rotation you have to set it up for youself, correct? If this is the case is it possible to set up rotations in the US other than those available, and has anyone actually done this?

This might be a stupid question, but can you do rotations anywhere? I have family in Hanover, NH that I could stay with so could I do a few rotations at Dartmouth or not?

rotation sites notoriously change every year (for example, Augusta site has 8 students this year. Next year it will have 16 - and the year I did lottery we lost cooperstown which some folks were counting on). So I would be loathe to tell you how they will work in 3 years.

Interviewed today, and just now (1:00 am Central) made it back home, although I took some time to drive around the Portland area since it was my first time to Maine. I can second the previous interviewees' comments - beautiful campus, good facilities (including a couple of brand new buildings), very friendly and helpful students/faculty/staff, laid back format for interview day. Started at 8 am. Breakfast and snacks provided. Welcome presentation from deans & admissions staff until 9, then interviews started. Just one 30-40 minute interview per applicant. Some had interview first then tour (me), others had tour first, then interview. I had two DO faculty interviewers and no student, others had a student and two faculty. Open file. Very straightforward questions that everyone should expect - why medicine, why UNECOM, what do you know of osteopathy, important qualities of a physician, what did you learn in your clinical experience, etc. All interviews/tours were done by 11:30 am. Interview group was mostly (i.e. 60%) from Maine with a few from other NE states. I think I was the only one from outside of NE. But they were clear this represents the applicant pool more than geographic preference. We were told the next committee meeting will be early December.

I guess I can give some insight into the interview process as well. I am a current UNECOM student and actually a student interviewer. So I although I probably shouldnt say too much, I can give a jist of what the day is like.

First off, you meet in the Alfond Cafe area where you can get free Starbucks coffee, tea, drinks and food. Morning interviews start around 8am and afternoon around Noon. You have a group session where all interviewees gather and hear a presentation about UNECOM: demographics, classes, stats, etc. Then you play the who do you know game and say if you know people from UNECOM and how you know them. Dean Kelley usually remembers nearly every grad so its good to know someone.

Then the group splits back up and half of you all go on a campus tour while the other half interviews. You usually have a professor, a doc and a current student interview you. As others have said, its an "open file" interview and pretty much anything is game. We dont want to make you really nervous or grill you too hard, but rather find out who you are and if you are a good fit here.

Each interview lasts roughly 25-35 minutes. You all probably know the questions also, as they have been hinted at in previous posts also. The interview is the easy part. Be confident. Look us in the eyes. And tell us who you are. Piece of cake.

One thing that is kinda unique is that UNECOM doesnt give you a time for your interview I dont think, but rather that you are interviewing 1st, 2nd, 3rd w/ Dr. Koester and so on. This is to help alleviate some stress if the interview lasts longer with one person or another. If its 10:17 and your interview was scheduled for 10:15, we all know you would be freaking out. And you dont need that extra stress.

So after your interview, or before if you are in the later group, you get a campus tour. There are always current students sitting with you while you wait for your interview so you can grill them with questions. They are also told to give you any insight they may have into UNECOM. If you interview on Tuesdays, the tour guides/table greeters are Second years, and on Thursday, they are First years. But both groups can answer any questions.

So after your tour, you are done. You can leave or attend a lecture with some students if you want. Not too many people do that though. But its up to you. You are done by noon if you interview on Tuesdays and 4 if you interview on Thursdays.

Hope that this helps. Like I said, I cant go into much detail, but you can probably guess a lot of what we ask. Take care and good luck.

.

SarahJ said:

My boyfriend and family live south of Worcester MA so I was happy to see St. Vincent as a rotation site for IM and Psy. I heard in an earlier post that for third year you have to pick ONE site and complete all of your rotations for the year there. Is this true?

I would like to do internal med and psych at St. V's and fp, surg Peds etc at Kent hospital in RI for example. Would something like this be possible? (this is just an example of course, who knows what will be available and what I will want over two years from now, but I'm curious about the rules and logistics of scheduling rotations.)

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ShyRem said:

rotation sites notoriously change every year (for example, Augusta site has 8 students this year. Next year it will have 16 - and the year I did lottery we lost cooperstown which some folks were counting on). So I would be loathe to tell you how they will work in 3 years.

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Shy: But wouldn't it be fairly accurate to say that one should plan that the above scenario (splitting rotations from two different core sites) is 99% unlikely to happen for 3rd yr rotations. I don't recall anyone in my class who was able to do that. I would have been very happy to have had multiple rotations outside of the core RI sites (Psych being the worst. I loved peds, but wished it had an inpatient component. And is surg still happening at RWMC? Many found fault in that rotation). Or has there been a change in policy? I graduated in 2005 so I may not be up to date.

redwings54 said:

First off, you meet in the Alfond Cafe area where you can get free Starbucks coffee, tea, drinks and food. Morning interviews start around 8am and afternoon around Noon. You have a group session where all interviewees gather and hear a presentation about UNECOM: demographics, classes, stats, etc. Then you play the who do you know game and say if you know people from UNECOM and how you know them. Dean Kelley usually remembers nearly every grad so its good to know someone.
Just say you know me, you're sure to get in
One thing that is kinda unique is that UNECOM doesnt give you a time for your interview I dont think, but rather that you are interviewing 1st, 2nd, 3rd w/ Dr. Koester and so on. This is to help alleviate some stress if the interview lasts longer with one person or another. If its 10:17 and your interview was scheduled for 10:15, we all know you would be freaking out. And you dont need that extra stress.
Koester rocks

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.

Yes, it would be unusual to split your third year between two sites.

Here are UNECOM's match lists from 2001-2008, minus 2005. Enjoy!

.

How long does it take to hear about an interview?

They said around a month when I interviewed. I think now that they have the system working a little better everything will be quicker. Good luck!

I interviewed 11/13. All went well...felt good, better than last year's interview. So how long is the wait for the committee to meet? When did they meet most recently? I hope to hear before Christmas! Oh what a wonderful gift that would be!

Its almost decision time, and I am pretty sure UNECOM is the right school for me, but I have some questions that I could use some help with;

One concern I have about UNECOM deals with their emphasis on primary care. I know that Osteopathic medicine focuses on primary care, and that it's very core is teaching the students to be primary care physicians first, but what I am concerned about is the ability to get residencies in a specialty if I should choose so. Does UNECOM discourage its students from specialties and are there a lack of opportunities for a residency in say anesthesia ??

Another questions is best addressed to current students, how do you like living in Biddeford/Saco/Portland area. Are most students outgoing about socializing together, the few times that they get to socialize ?? And what are most of the students like, I saw on US News and World Report, that UNECOM categorizes 70% of their students non-traditional, does that mean that most are married with families ??

I don't expect anyone to say yes to this question, but I thought I'd ask it anyways, Do any current students regret choosing UNECOM over another school ?? And if so, why ??

Just a few simple questions that I thought could be quickly answered on SDN.

Hey Petey,
I'm an undergrad at UNE but I don't live on campus so I can address that question. I don't think too highly of biddeford, it's a pretty dingy place IMO. Luckily, UNE is 6 miles away from the actual city itself so you're secluded from the weirdness that is Biddeford (the local bar named Homer's was open at 9am this morning). My girlfriend is an education major and spent a semester in Biddeford's high school. She told me they have a high drop out rate and not many kids go to college. When I was looking for houses last year, the ones I found in Biddeford were not very nice and were more expensive then I had liked. If you want to be close to school, there are some newly renovated old factory buildings that are now apartments that you could live in and would probably be a 6-10 min commute to school. Then there's hills beach, fortunes rocks and the surrounding beach areas. Usually you can find someone to rent you their house in the winter because they really only want it during the summer when the beaches are nice. While this is great because you get awesome views, you're very close to school (bike riding distance) and if you move up in sept when the semester starts it will still be warm enough to swim it's not all good. Some students have had to evacuate their houses when a hurricane makes it's way up the coast and if you have to go shopping or get gas you need to drive the 6 miles back into town to get ANYTHING.

Saco is much nicer then biddeford. As soon as you cross over the river you'll know you're in Saco. The town is much nicer looking, the houses are better kept and it's overall a much nicer place to live. I know a med student who lives right in Saco (off rt. 9) and she said she loves it. I wouldn't have any issues living in Saco. Saco would probably make your commute a little bit longer; maybe 10-15 minutes depending on how far into Saco you go.

I live in Old Orchard Beach. It's a bit farther away from school but I absolutely love where I live. It's only 9 miles from UNE but it takes about 18-22 min to get to school, especially with all the old people driving around in the morning and the string of stop lights along rt. 1 and rt. 9. If you can get used to that and a top speed limit of 35 then I'd say OOB is the best place to be. I live right on the beach in a condo that my girlfriend, two other girls and I rent for $2k a month w/everything except $45 of internet included. Sounds like a lot, but we split it evenly so each of us only pay $500. I tried hard to find a better deal and it was impossible. I've met other med students in the condo building and they also seem to love it here. The worst things about living here are the longer commute to school and that OOB shuts down completely after columbus day. The only thing that stays open are a few restaurants and by that I mean a pizza place and a bar.

Portland is by far one of the nicest cities I've been in. I'm originally from NY and it's very refreshing to walk around in a clean, pretty city with an enormous amount of great restaurants. I love going to Portland to walk around or to find a new restaurant to go to. Whole foods is my favorite place to be, I could spend days and thousands of dollars in there. It would be a significantly longer commute if you lived in Portland and you would end up spending $1.20 everyday in tolls from using i95. It would probably take 40 min or so to get from portland to UNE I think, but I haven't actually tried driving from portland to UNE. Since Portland is a larger city it may be more expensive to live there but you're certainly close to everything except UNE.

I can't say whether I regret choosing UNECOM because I'm still undergrad (though I will be applying to UNECOM) but I certainly do not regret choosing UNE. Professors are extremely intelligent, class sizes are small, the campus is beautiful (except when someone uses bleach haha) and the school is constantly improving itself. A new biomedical research building was completed last year, an addition to the library with conference rooms and a cafe was completed in october and a new building with classrooms and labs will be completed before next semester. Alfond, where the majority of the med school stuff happens (I think) is a great building. It's about 12 years old now but you'd never know. I'd have to say Alfond is definitely the highlight of the campus. Like I said, I'm just an undergrad so I can't comment on the actual med school but as far as the campus is concerned there's nothing I dislike that you would actually have to deal with. Decary is a horrible building and should be burned to the ground but I don't think any med students ever venture into there, except for the ones who actually eat the cafeteria food.

Just mailed my deposit. Maine here I come!

Geliebt said:

Can somone explain the year 3 & 4 timeline. I am trying to wrap my head around the practicality of living away and then moving back or possibly moving somewhere else... family factors also apply.

Would it be possible to move to a 3rd year rotation site and continue there through completion of the 4th year? How often/long would I have to return to the UNE campus?

Thanks!

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As a first year with kids, I can speak to your concern about the 3rd and 4th years here at UNECOM. The fact is, however, that unless you're at a state school with its own hospital and/or hospital network, you're going to travel (sometimes some distance) to do your third year rotations. That said, the school does it's best to get you to your site of choice. They say that on average 90% of students here at UNECOM get placed in their first choice. Which means, of course, that 10% end up somewhere they don't want or would prefer not to be. Maybe not ideal, but I personally can see how I can make it work. For example, if I'm hoping to get a spot in southern Maine in the rotations lottery (because of kids in school, spouse's job, spouse's school, etc.) and don't get it, I feel pretty hopeful that I could then get a spot in Augusta, which is about an hour-and-a-half from Biddeford. We would have to relocate halfway between Augusta and Portland (making for a thirty minute trip either way), but that's not the end of the world. Just trying to give you a scenario for the third year to help you see some light. I can't speak too much to the fourth year, but I imagine you could make it work to do a lot of it at the same site. This might, in turn, however make you a little less competitive at other sites in the residency match process.

My two cents. Feel free to PM me. Regarding the school, I love it here. Great atmosphere.

Tuckermans said:

Just mailed my deposit. Maine here I come!

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sent in my deposit today as well..really excited and such a relief. i loved the school during my visit and have a friend that is a 1st year who can't say enough good things about the school. good luck to everyone else applying/interviewing.

I'm a third year at UNECOM. But I'm on rotations right now and have just been skimming this thread, but I think there are a couple questions at hand that I'll try to help y'all out with.

1. housing. Housing in Biddeford is expensive. I have a family so we bought a house in a VERY nice subdivision but it was admittedly a little more than we wanted to spend. We do ZERO shopping in Biddeford except for a shopping center by the interstate with a Lowe's, Target, Panera, etc. Most shopping other than food and house fixing stuff is done in Portland, which is a mere 17 miles away. There are plenty of apartments to be had in Saco (the ones I have seen in Biddeford are.. well.. I wouldn't live there). But there are some very nice ones in Saco and on the beach (downside here: you generally won't move in to a beach house until September 1, which means you have to find a couch to crash on for a month until your place opens up). There were also more than a few folks who got apartments in Portland and they seemed very very happy with that.

2. rotations. Southern Maine is a VERY desirable spot to be for rotations for almost everyone. During my lottery, there was a BEST a 52% chance I'd end up in southern Maine, so I chose Augusta. My children and husband have stayed in Biddeford. Augusta provides us housing (for FREE - utilities paid for too) but only for the med student (we are put in a really nice house four students per house). For all but IM rotation you can go home almost every weekend. IM is a little different, but you get home about every other weekend. Its working out well. I get more study time up here so when I go home on the weekend I get to be HOME, not studying, not lugging books. Yes, it sucks to be away from my children and husband during the week, but it's totally doable. And if I get really lonely, it's only 80 miles home. There are people who commute from Portland to Augusta (and I think they're nuts - some rotations start at 6:30 am and you don't get out until 8pm or the next day on IM if you're on call), I find it easier to stay here during the week in the free provided housing and go home on the weekends. Yes, I took my entire COA loan money for the year too -- I have to pay for my children's housing and make up for the huge pay cut my husband had to take when we came to Maine.

3. buildings at UNE. I have a slight idea where Decary is. I have no clue where the dorms are, the art building, etc., and there are buildings i have never even heard of to which people have asked me for directions. As a med student you basically live at Alfond. Everything you do is at Alfond except eat in the cafeteria (which I didn't). If you bring your lunch, there is a fridge and microwave in Alfond. OMM is in Alfond. Anatomy lab in Alfond. Small groups in Alfond. Lecture halls in Alfond. The only other place I went was the Petts Center for my simulated patient contacts and my practical exams in second year.

4. Primary care. For the love of pete, do a search. This particular topic has been done to death. ALL MEDICAL SCHOOLS PREPARE YOU FOR PRIMARY CARE BECAUSE IT'S THE MOST GENERAL OF SPECIALTIES. You will NEVER find a school that specializes in preparing its students for surgery or anesthesia or oncology or anything else other than primary care. Now, what you do with your education is TOTALLY up to you. The staff will NEVER tell you to do primary care (but like most med schools at this point they would love it if you would because there's a horrible shortage of primary care docs). There are clubs on campus for radiology, surgery (they run the anatomy reviews), OB, etc. What people CHOOSE to do as a residency is ENTIRELY UP TO THEM. The administration has ZERO input as to what residency you can apply for. I think I've yelled enough on this topic. Do a search.

ok. have i missed anything? (probably). I'm on internal med rotations right now, but I'll try and check back every couple of days if there are more questions.

I noticed no one answered the question about the student pop, meaning family obligations and desire to "socialize when possible" I really have no idea about the general pop, but I can say that I plan on going to unecom, I'm 23 and not married, and my friends who are currently going to unecom are in the same boat as me. AND pretty much everyone I interviewed with seemed like they were about my age. I'm thinking its going to be a mix- and if the med students aren't sociable enough you can always get involved in the undergrad clubs and activities - I'm sure some of them will go out

I'm editing this bc I thought its possible I could offend someone. I have several friends with families who are extremely outgoing and fun so in no way do I mean people married with families = lame. I just mean that if you have little to no free time AND a family, you might be less likely to socialize rather than being home with your spouse and children.

ANYWAY...
unecom students- how did you find roomates if you were relocating to maine? Can you find an apt that you CAN move into in august?

SarahJ, sorry I didn't get to your question.

There were a few married folks in med school (and a few of those broke up), but for the most part the single folks went out fairly frequently and the married folks generally stayed home and did.. well.. married things. Or children things. (or married things that get you into children things). There was plenty of socializing going on, I just wasn't part of it (I'm in the boat of married with children). There were a couple of bars that people really loved. And at the beginning of the year there is the harbor boat tour which I hear was great fun. There's a lot going on that isn't med school, you just have to want to take the time to do it.

There are apartments you can move into in August, just none on the beach. Saco or the Mills would be your best bet there. As for finding roommates, once you decide UNECOM is the one for you, get into the UNECOM class of 2013 thread and ask around.

SarahJ said:

I noticed no one answered the question about the student pop, meaning family obligations and desire to "socialize when possible" I really have no idea about the general pop, but I can say that I plan on going to unecom, I'm 23 and not married, and my friends who are currently going to unecom are in the same boat as me. AND pretty much everyone I interviewed with seemed like they were about my age. I'm thinking its going to be a mix- and if the med students aren't sociable enough you can always get involved in the undergrad clubs and activities - I'm sure some of them will go out

I'm editing this bc I thought its possible I could offend someone. I have several friends with families who are extremely outgoing and fun so in no way do I mean people married with families = lame. I just mean that if you have little to no free time AND a family, you might be less likely to socialize rather than being home with your spouse and children.

ANYWAY...
unecom students- how did you find roomates if you were relocating to maine? Can you find an apt that you CAN move into in august?

Click to expand...

It's quite alright, family does in many ways = lame.

I remember a roommate survey form that UNECOM provided in one of the million pre-orientation packets you receive over the summer, so I think they help in that regard.

luv2rad8 said:

I interviewed 11/13. All went well...felt good, better than last year's interview. So how long is the wait for the committee to meet? When did they meet most recently? I hope to hear before Christmas! Oh what a wonderful gift that would be!

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I was there a week after you and they said next meeting was early December, which I took to be sometime this week. Letters could be in the mail as we speak....

ShyRem said:

SarahJ, sorry I didn't get to your question.

There were a few married folks in med school (and a few of those broke up), but for the most part the single folks went out fairly frequently and the married folks generally stayed home and did.. well.. married things. Or children things. (or married things that get you into children things). There was plenty of socializing going on, I just wasn't part of it (I'm in the boat of married with children). There were a couple of bars that people really loved. And at the beginning of the year there is the harbor boat tour which I hear was great fun. There's a lot going on that isn't med school, you just have to want to take the time to do it.

There are apartments you can move into in August, just none on the beach. Saco or the Mills would be your best bet there. As for finding roommates, once you decide UNECOM is the one for you, get into the UNECOM class of 2013 thread and ask around.

Click to expand...

Thanks shyrem! I was actually trying to answer one of Petey's many questions from above by guessing so I was happy to see your post which is based on actual experience. I wonder if the unecom class of 2013 thread isn't up yet... Is this something that gets created closer to the start of the school year?

Thanks again to everyone who shares info on this site.

redwings54 said:

I guess I can give some insight into the interview process as well. I am a current UNECOM student and actually a student interviewer. So I although I probably shouldnt say too much, I can give a jist of what the day is like.

First off, you meet in the Alfond...

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Redwings, I am interviewing next week (1216) and I wanted to know if I could use your name as someone i know at UNECOM sicen you've been scu a big help with advice. PM me it you can.

I just checked. There isn't a UNECOM Class of 2013. So go start one!!!!!!!!!!!

matlabsux said:

Redwings, I am interviewing next week (1216) and I wanted to know if I could use your name as someone i know at UNECOM sicen you've been scu a big help with advice. PM me it you can.

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If you use me, it pretty much will be a joke, especially if I am the one who ends up interviewing you. Your best best will be to contact admissions/RSAS and ask to be contacted by a UNECOM student. That way you will have some actual conversations, albeit via email, with a current med student rather than on here. Dean Kelley plays the UNECOM name game and asks who you know and where you know them from. So if you say that you know me from here, thats not as good as making the effort to contact the school and have them set you up with someone.

That being said, I made my first UNECOM contacts on here, well, after I visited the school. Some of the first people I met on here are still people I am close with; ie. fozziwan, jmarra, etc.

So, you can say you know me, I think you might have tried IMing me when I wasnt around the other day, but your best bet is to contact the school. Especially since the 2nd years just had 2 tests on thursday, have another friday, then 2 the next week. And the first years have their block exam in two weeks as well as a week full of practicals. Best of luck.
-Rob

I didn't have any contact with anyone at the school when I applied. I knew someone who was a couple years ahead of me but hadn't spoken to her since she was accepted. I still got in.

They really don't care if you know someone or not. But they would like to know what they're up against in terms of what you've been hearing. Plenty of applicants have said they've had anonymous contacts with members of various classes through SDN (and the adcom knows who/what SDN is all about).

I haven't heard back. I told them about the lobster. Should I call and say I'm hungry?