Oklahoma State C/O 2015!

Yay for an Ok-State thread. I am a first year so if you have any questions let me know and I will try my best to answer them!

Woohoo for Okie-land!

I'm a born-and-bred New Yorker (just outside Manhattan), so Oklahoma was definitely a change of pace for me. For the most part, I like it out here though. There are definitely ups and downs, but its manageable.

I'm probably one of the few IS folks.

Bruin, I applied to schools in Pomona, St. Paul/Minneapolis, Columbus, etc. and I feel just as weird about moving there as you do about moving to Oklahoma. So, I guess that's just how it is.

bruin33 said:

For those of you attending OKSt., why did you decide to apply/attend?

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I applied to a ton of schools (9) and was accepted to two. Obviously one of the reasons I'm attending is because it is one of the schools where I was accepted . That said, I chose to apply here because for a number of reasons.
1) It is close-ish to home (Texas)
2) I've worked with numerous OkSU DVM alumni, both regular and specialists, and their skills speak highly of their training
3) I'd heard great things about the school itself: a down to earth atmosphere, staff and faculty who are completely approachable, very reasonable OOS tuition costs (ok so reasonable OOS tuition costs is a bit of an oxymoron but you get the idea), and a school that really wants to see their students succeed.
4) Its a region of the country where I am comfortable spending 4 years of my life

bruin33 said:

What's your favorite thing about living/going to school there? The worst?

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best: ref #3. The school feels technologically forward re: ppts, lectures, etc. I'm sure not as much as some, but sufficient for computer geeks.
worst: re: school, mostly the non-trad issues I wrote about on the other thread. I'll spare you the details and you can search it if you're interested.
re: living in Stillwater, no complaints really. I do wish there were a few more shopping choices, but if I really need options, I can drive ~45min or Amazon makes it appear on my doorstep. Overall, Stilly has everything you need.
Maybe my biggest gripe is the classroom for yr 1&2. We've got windows but the chairs are the bolt to the floor with a tiny desk kind and they really pack us in there

bruin33 said:

Are you ultimately happy there?

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Without question. I chose the right school for me and strongly encourage others to consider OkSU

bruin33 said:

What is the curriculum like? Are there biomedical research options readily available?

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go here: http://www.cvhs.okstate.edu/index.p...demic-calendar&catid=7:dvm-program&Itemid=253

bruin33 said:

Are there biomedical research options readily available?

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I'm sure there are, but not a great interest of mine so I haven't really kept my ears open for them

bruin33 said:

Good to see a few current students chime in here. OK St. is the school that I'm most hesitant about, mainly because it's the one that I know the least about. I have a long list of questions -- if you have anything to say about any of 'em, I (and I'm sure others) would appreciate the input!

For those of you attending OKSt., why did you decide to apply/attend? How's Stillwater? What's your favorite thing about living/going to school there? The worst? Are you ultimately happy there? What is the curriculum like? Are there biomedical research options readily available?

I have to run and get some work done, but I'm certain more questions will arise sooner or later. Thanks for any input!

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I'm probably not the best person to answer most of these, but here goes:
why did you decide to apply/attend? I applied everywhere. Well, not everywhere, but pretty darn close. I just wanted to get in to vet school! And i liked what I had heard about OK from other vets and applicants, and the sound of their curriculum, etc based off of their website (which took a while to get used to navigating). tuition was relatively low for OOS students, and Cost of living was also low, making it a smart choice compared to my other options.

How's Stillwater? Small college town. Ten bars, two walmarts. I think that about covers it, lol. There certainly isn't a lot to do, which was a bit of an eyeopener at first. If you like to shop, you'll be sorely disappointed. Most of the people are very friendly though, which is nice, and for the most part, the traffic isn't too terrible. I spend more time dodging pedestrians than sitting in traffic.
It was hard for me to have to adjust to doing all my shopping at Walmart. There are two groceries stores in town, but I can never find everything I need at them, and unfortunately, Walmart has the best produce. There is a farmer's market two days a week, which is nice when I just need a few little things, but it tends to be on the pricy side.

What's your favorite thing about living/going to school there? I like the school for the most part. The cost of living is much lower than i'm used to. I'm paying more in rent than most other people around here and I still feel like I'm getting an awesome deal (paying less now for a 2bdrm house than I was paying for my studio in New England!) I miss the New England fall weather, but I have to say, it's kind of nice to have it be the middle of Novemeber and there's no sign of snow or winter jackets yet. The summer was HOT, but I spent most of my time in the AC so I shouldn't complain too much about that. It would have been more bearable if there was a beach within driving distance from here!

The worst? The lack of good restaurants/grocery stores. I'm a total foodie, love to cook and eat out. The dining selections are quite limited, and I don't think there is a single "nice" restaurant in town. I've always lived within ten minutes of the ocean, so I was expecting the seafood here to be disappointing, but there just isn't much of anything.
(Oh, and for future reference...the emergency room in this town is staffed by idiots, but that's a whole 'nother story)

Are you ultimately happy there? Why yes, I think I am

What is the curriculum like? I'm not even a whole semester in, so maybe somebody who's lived in this town more than three months could tell you that. Lissarae did her undergrad here so she might have a better idea on this. I can tell that we got more hands on experience this semester than I was expecting. We were exposed to all sorts of species, how to handle/restrain/examine them, and even got to castrate a goat. We each spent a week taking care of the hospital's farm animals, doing physical exams on them daily and caring for them, which I thought was a lot of fun. Other labs included dairy, beef cattle, the animal shelter, horses, and other misc. farm animals.
As for the main classes, they are tough, not gonna lie. But I think you'll find its that way anywhere. I'm not a big fan of our histology professor and the way that class is set up. Anatomy is hard, but I think it's pretty fairly run and the professor is approachable as well. Our Ethics class is pretty boring, but it's an easy A, so can't complain too much there either.
Our anatomy lectures are videotaped and posted online to go back to later, which I wish was available for all of our classes. It would make life so much easier. I think it's a work in progress overall.
The first years all get lockers in the bathrooms, and they are in the process of installing lockers for all the second years as well.

Are there biomedical research options readily available? Umm, good question. I hear about a ton of things, but I don't really know whats readily available. Its not an interest of mine so I don't really pay too much attention there.

cowgirla said:

The worst? The lack of good restaurants/grocery stores. I'm a total foodie, love to cook and eat out. The dining selections are quite limited, and I don't think there is a single "nice" restaurant in town.

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I changed my mind. This ^^^ is my biggest dislike, although on the upside, my dining expenses these days are virtually nonexistent. Well, except for Panera. Hi, my name is Crittergal and I'm addicted to Panera. Yes, I have a problem.

crittergal said:

I changed my mind. This ^^^ is my biggest dislike, although on the upside, my dining expenses these days are virtually nonexistent. Well, except for Panera. Hi, my name is Crittergal and I'm addicted to Panera. Yes, I have a problem.

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And the Panera is pricy! Compared to everything else in town at least. I paid $8 for a bowl of mac and cheese yesterday and that "large" bowl was not that big at all.

bruin33 said:

Good to see a few current students chime in here. OK St. is the school that I'm most hesitant about, mainly because it's the one that I know the least about. I have a long list of questions -- if you have anything to say about any of 'em, I (and I'm sure others) would appreciate the input!

For those of you attending OKSt., why did you decide to apply/attend? How's Stillwater? What's your favorite thing about living/going to school there? The worst? Are you ultimately happy there? What is the curriculum like? Are there biomedical research options readily available?

I have to run and get some work done, but I'm certain more questions will arise sooner or later. Thanks for any input!

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I grew up in Oklahoma so I naturally applied here. I also applied to K-State because of its close proximity to my family/husband and because they accept a higher number of OOS. I was accepted to both and decided on OSU. I love Stillwater. I have been here through four years of undergrad. I am from a really small town so Stillwater to me has lots of options to shop and eat . I like living here because it has a small town, laid back feel. Everyone is super friendly. The worst thing I guess is not being able to see my family as much but I think that would have been the case no matter what. It is hard to go see them on weekends when I have a huge anatomy test on Monday. I love it here. I like the school and the town. The classes we are in now are tough but not unmanageable. I love all the hands on experience we have gotten. During the summer they have a summer research program and most faculty members are welcoming if you just want to come see what they are working on (at least the ones I have heard about).

And Cowgirla and Crittergal, have you guys not heard of the Rancher's Club? It is the steakhouse in the hotel on campus. It is delicious but seriously expensive. You should try to get Kevin's little sisters to use their meal plans on you there!

I think there are plenty of places to eat in Stillwater. Well, okay, so you get tired of things, but an hour drive can get you whatever kind of food you want in whatever price range you want, so I don't think it's a huge deal. Also, I like some of the smaller and locally-owned places - Cafe Bella and Crepe Myrtle are probably my favorites. There's good frozen yogurt, ice cream, chocolate... there's an IHOP and a Texas Roadhouse... there's PetCo and Ross and Belk and Best Buy... it's not so bad. If we had a Target, I'd be perfectly content.

We have two Wal-Marts and two other grocery stores. I think Food Pyramid has most of what I want, just not things like tupperware or cat litter. But, foodwise, it's good enough for my grocery lists (and that's where I get my snobby organic things - milk, snacks, sauces, soups, tea).

Produce in Oklahoma sucks. It's not a Stillwater thing. I mean, maybe the Whole Foods in Tulsa has better produce, but I wouldn't bet money on it... we're just kinda in the middle of nowhere, so if it's not especially in season, it won't be any good.

There are at least five specialty organic/whole food type stores in town, so I would think you could find some neat stuff there that you couldn't find at the major chain stores.

Here's what I love about Stillwater. It's safe. Okay, so someone got shot in the leg last week when they interrupted a break-in of some sort, and there are certainly some creepers... but if I wanted to, I could go walk around my block with the dog at 2am, and I'm pretty sure I would be fine. Cars don't get broken into that often, rapes are rare and generally raise a big fuss, and murders are like a twice in a decade sort of thing, it seems like. I mean, compared to places where you might randomly hear gunfire at night? This is NOT like that.

Also, everyone is friendly. Places where people don't say hi or nod as they pass, and where they don't hold doors, or thank people, or say excuse me... I don't like it. Lol. We're a polite people down here.

My 3br 1 1/2 ba 2 car garage decent backyard hardwood floors house is about $830 a month mortgage.

If I had to think of something I hate about Stillwater... hmm... well, I'd like it if OKC or Tulsa were a bit closer, and the roads suck in some places... and it's terribly crowded on game days. And our Italian restaurants all suck.

I can't speak specifically about the curriculum, but there are two summer programs that I'm aware of. One is the NIH/Merial summer research program. Here's a link:

http://www.cvhs.okstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=183&Itemid=223

There is also an opportunity to be an on-call student for the diagnostics laboratory. This is a two year commitment and is pretty time consuming, but you will know how to perform all sorts of diagnostic tests and you will be able to diff blood smears and read urines with the best of them by the end of it.

Sorry for the grammar/punctuation weirdness in this post... my brain is fried from trying to figure out this lab report, which is 12 pages long and still not done.

If anyone has questions about Stillwater, I've lived here for 6 1/2 years. And I have 25 years in Oklahoma.

twelvetigers said:

If anyone has questions about Stillwater, I've lived here for 6 1/2 years. And I have 25 years in Oklahoma.

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And you'll have 4 more under your belt once you get that acceptance letter in March!

Bruin, I applied to Western in Pomona. I'm not worried about liking the school itself, but I'm *very* worried about liking the area. I can't even imagine living an hour east of L.A.! I'm assuming that it's crowded, polluted, that the people are rude or indifferent, that the traffic is terrible, that the area is unsafe, I'll be paying nearly what I am now to live in a tiny shack and park my poor car on the street, and that I'll hate it.

Then I take a deeeeeeep breath, and they myself that I'm being neurotic and I'm sure it's not that bad, and it would only be an adjustment. And I would be fine.

Perhaps you are assuming that Oklahoma is backwater and full of rednecks and racists, and that you'll be so bored that you'll die, and that a tornado will come and blow your house away while you sleep, and that your brain will fry in the summer heat, and it's flat and boring, etc etc...

So, like my list, a few of these things may be somewhat correct (it *is* pretty flat) but none of them are as bad as you think they'll be (I still like the landscape, rolling wheat fields are pretty).

In other words, I'm sure you will like it here. You might not want to live here forever, but you will be just fine for four years I think.

TT you're list about LA is pretty much dead on from my point of view! But I think you're right in that it won't be as bad as you think. I'm from NorCal, so the thought of Pomona scares me a little bit too.

Bruin, I'm also from CA and understand your hesitation about transitioning to midwest living. But TT makes good points about it being safe and the people being friendly and welcoming. The biggest obstacle for me would be the lack of food choices, I think. And as far as there not being so much to do, we're going to be so busy with school that I'm sure it won't be such a big catastrophe. Plus, it's only four years. It will go by so quickly.

Seriously, what do you guys eat that we don't have here? Lots of tropical fruit? I mean, Trader Joe's sounds *awesome*, don't get me wrong, but I don't know what I wouldn't be able to live without it...

I'm just curious what we're missing, lol.

You don't have trader joe's?! Oh no... I don't know how I'd live without their frozen mac n cheese. I am used to a good amount of restaurants (japanese, italian, thai, deli's, mexican, in'n'out). And at the grocery store I can always get a variety of fruits and veggies. And fish.

BTW: I'm not really sure if Stillwater is lacking in these things. I'm basing my comments on what I've heard

goldielocks137 said:

You don't have trader joe's?! Oh no... I don't know how I'd live without their frozen mac n cheese. I am used to a good amount of restaurants (japanese, italian, thai, deli's, mexican, in'n'out). And at the grocery store I can always get a variety of fruits and veggies. And fish.

BTW: I'm not really sure if Stillwater is lacking in these things. I'm basing my comments on what I've heard

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We have at least one of all of those food options, though the Italian is admittedly crap. We also have Indian, and some damn good steak. Maybe the mac and cheese at Louie's can make up for the lack of the frozen sort.

There's not a Trader Joe's in the entire state. Nor is there a Costco. Not sure what to say about that.

The fish here isn't like fish on the coast, but understandably. What we lack in seafood, we make up for in BEEF. Is that fair?

twelvetigers said:

We have at least one of all of those food options, though the Italian is admittedly crap. We also have Indian, and some damn good steak. Maybe the mac and cheese at Louie's can make up for the lack of the frozen sort.

There's not a Trader Joe's in the entire state. Nor is there a Costco. Not sure what to say about that.

The fish here isn't like fish on the coast, but understandably. What we lack in seafood, we make up for in BEEF. Is that fair?

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Except I can't find good beef either! I want to buy fresh out of the field beef, lol. If I could find a good price on a 1/4 cow I'd invest in a deep freezer. I can't find a source of buffalo either, any options? Or fresh bacon/ham/pork. I don't like when my meat has been frozen three times and shrink wrapped twice and shipped from who knows where.

There's definitely no seafood, not even in the frozen departments of the stores, that I would trust. Even the fish sticks are some wierd brand that I've never heard of. If you like catfish, there seems to be a lot of that, but I'm not a big fan. I would kill for some lobster mac and cheese right now, actually.

I miss Trader Joe/Whole Foods type veggie burgers and a few other random things. Especially fresh foods/deli type items, they just don't seem to be as big of an attraction around here. Chicken cordon bleu, ready to cook? Can't find it fresh. All sorts of other chicken and beef dishes that usually I'd just buy and throw in the oven, nada.

There are also LOT of brand names that I know and love that apparently can't be found in this state (Purdue chicken, anyone? I love their seasoned cooked chicken strips and can't find them anywhere)

And the liquor stores? Close early, not open Sundays, and don't carry Redhook beer. It's enough to make a girl cry! They don't carry any of my other favorite microbreweries either.

Aha. Oklahoma beer sucks too. I guess that doesn't bother me much. Also, no wine in grocery stores. Again, not a big deal for me.

I bet there are brands here I'll miss - it's just whatever you've gotten used to, you know?

You know you can buy beef from OSU right? I have no idea about buffalo, lol. But there is a Buffalo ranch in Pawnee so you know it's around!

Of course there's lots of catfish. And, incidentally, any other fish that lives in lakes in temperate regions...

twelvetigers said:

You know you can buy beef from OSU right?

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PM/FB/Text/Call with details, please. Because I did not know that, and obviously, I rely on you to tell me these important things

twelvetigers said:

Seriously, what do you guys eat that we don't have here? Lots of tropical fruit? I mean, Trader Joe's sounds *awesome*, don't get me wrong, but I don't know what I wouldn't be able to live without it...

I'm just curious what we're missing, lol.

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Food things that I would really, really miss if I left CA now:

• The CSA service that delivers fresh local seasonal organic produce to my door once every 3 weeks. It's a ridiculous variety.
• In N' Out for when I want artery clogging fast food
• The Davis Farmer's Market

And I know you said you guys have all of the types of restaurants listed, but that doesn't mean they're any good! There's so many different types of food here, it's ridiculous. And there are options for the types, like multiple Japanese, Thai, Indian, whatever...restaurants. When I went to my interview at ISU some grad students took me to a Thai place for dinner. It was...well...what I'd expect from Thai food in Iowa.

And yes, Trader Joe's is a godsend for college students. We actually just got one here in Davis. It's pretty sweet.

nyanko said:

And I know you said you guys have all of those types of restaurants, but that doesn't mean they're any good!

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Exactly!

Maybe I just need more exposure, but I do like some of them at least. Lol.

If I moved, my head would probably explode with all the options.

At any rate, I don't think it's bad enough that it should keep anyone who thinks they have a good chance here from applying.

I applied, and just took the Biology GRE a few weeks ago...or whenever that last date was you could take it. Interesting thing is that I won't even find out the scores until after some of the other school's have gotten back to me. I have a friend that goes to OK and she LOVES it.

Glad to hear such positive things about OSU! I applied OOS.

I missed a call and got a voicemail from them the other day. I nearly had a heart attack when I heard who it was from! Luckily, all they wanted to know was if I took the Bio GRE (which I did on 11/13). WHEW! haha

Boilercowgrl said:

I applied, and just took the Biology GRE a few weeks ago...or whenever that last date was you could take it. Interesting thing is that I won't even find out the scores until after some of the other school's have gotten back to me. I have a friend that goes to OK and she LOVES it.

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I honestly do not think I know anyone here who is miserable. Most of us are quite happy to be here!

And if anyone is planning on coming to visit, and wants a place to stay, I have a spare bedroom. You just need to deal with my 2 dogs and the possibility of a messy house depending on my exam schedule. I'm not =that= weird either-- just ask TT, or my classmates! (Then again, if you are anything like me, you'll choose to stay at a hotel that has a pool/hot tub...it was soooo nice to be soaking in a pool after leaving my freezing cold home when I visited!)

Haha. Everyone hears in mid-March. IS kids will have interviews in late February. OOS kids just get to sit and wait.

Don't forget to send spring transcripts by January 15, and hopefully everyone who applied took the bio GRE in October or November.

bruin33 said:

I plan on doing a DVM and Ph.D at whatever school I end up at, so it's probably more of a 7-8 year commitment to wherever I go.

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You know OKstate has a dual DVM/PHD program

"DVM-PhD Degree. Applicants desiring to pursue graduate degree studies in combination with studies for the DVM degree can do so by first applying for admission to the DVM program. Once admitted to the DVM program, students can apply for admission to the VBSC graduate program. Typically, the DVM studies are completed first, while graduate studies courses and research can be taken during summer semesters and as electives during DVM studies. Matriculation of graduate studies typically requires one to three years post-DVM."

It's an option that may lower your total time in school (and possibly even loan burden?)

There is at least one of my classmates in that program. I don't know a lot about the specifics but, he seems to be doing fine.

I've applied to OkState and I live in Norman - I think I can make it to Stillwater in an hour and five minutes if I drive fast. I think the biggest transition I may have going from OU to OSU (local terminology - sorry Ohio) is that Norman is a big blue dot in the middle of a very red state. For some reason I don't think Stillwater is as much of a blue dot.
Norman has several great local food stores (Dodson's and Native Roots both sell local beef, chicken, lamb, buffalo, and pork). Forward foods (in Oklahoma City and Norman) has a cheese selection that will make you cry tears of joy, well, if you love cheese... For you stranded foodies - you should come down to Norman sometime and shop the foodie stores, it'd be fun, and then we could all go to abner's and have a pint....mmmmm

Cowgirla - I'm sorry we don't have your fave microbrewery here, have you given CHOC a try? It's a small brewery in Krebs, OK - and they make a good beer. Being from TX, I can totally commiserate on the whole "real beer at the liquor store, closes at 9pm", stupid alcohol laws. I go visit my parents and go to the grocery store and catch myself saying "What is this utopia with wine at the grocery store?! Why did I leave?" And then I remember - I didn't want to move to Austin...

Stillwater is probably a little more red than Norman but there are quite a few of us blue people in the class of 2014 For the school's Halloween party I went as Mary Fallin and my husband went as the highway patrolman she cheated on her first husband with LOL. There is a guy from Arkansas in our class who calls himself a libertarian. We get into fun political debates every once in awhile. Everyone is pretty accepting of each other and we all get along pretty well. Also, there are quite a few OU alums in our class so don't worry about being completely alone in the sea of orange.

Lissarae06 said:

For the school's Halloween party I went as Mary Fallin and my husband went as the highway patrolman she cheated on her first husband with

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I still can't believe you forgot the sign on your back!

But yeah, for the most part, people are either pretty understanding of other view points, or at least good about not voicing their hatred of us too loudly. Speaking as an east coaster, I'm defintely more on the liberal side than a lot of people, but like Lissa said, we all tend to get along.

oh - p.s. You should totally make a trip to OKC to go to McNellie's - They might not have exactly what you're looking for, but they do have 350 beers on their beer menu.

Hey yall! I haven't heard anything back from OSU yet regarding an interview or a rejection...just wanted to make sure that I wasn't alone! Does anyone know when we should start hearing notifications??

As a rough guess, I'd say IS applicants will start getting their interview letters end of next week, possibly into the week after that.

OOS will hear about acceptions/rejections sometime in March. I think it was the second week last year.

Yeah, everyone hears about acceptances and rejections around spring break. If you're out of state, that will be the first you hear from them.

I think I got my interview letter the last week of January with my interview being in late February. Every time I walk past the admissions office I try to see if they are stuffing envelopes or not lol.

The wait for OK is killer! I'm happy that I dont have to organize a trip down for an interview since im OOS, but its still agonizing having to wait for the big yes or no.

SouthJerseyBell said:

The wait for OK is killer! I'm happy that I dont have to organize a trip down for an interview since im OOS, but its still agonizing having to wait for the big yes or no.

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Agreed. Plus, mid-MARCH?! Yikes. I thought it was mid-February! That's a whole extra month of waiting. Ow.

Lissarae06 said:

Stillwater is probably a little more red than Norman but there are quite a few of us blue people in the class of 2014 For the school's Halloween party I went as Mary Fallin and my husband went as the highway patrolman she cheated on her first husband with LOL. There is a guy from Arkansas in our class who calls himself a libertarian. We get into fun political debates every once in awhile. Everyone is pretty accepting of each other and we all get along pretty well. Also, there are quite a few OU alums in our class so don't worry about being completely alone in the sea of orange.

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Yeah the OU alums are pretty cool and wearing crimson is one of my favorite hobbies!

that70sfan11 said:

Yeah the OU alums are pretty cool and wearing crimson is one of my favorite hobbies!

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you would say that wearing crimson is one of your favorite hobbies lol.

Lissarae06 said:

you would say that wearing crimson is one of your favorite hobbies lol.

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Of course, none of you will ever be as awesome as the OOSers

Just wanted to let you know about a chat that I had this afternoon.

Me: Hey, have the interview letters gone out yet?
Admissions office: I'm actually working on them right now.

While it doesn't give you a time frame for mailing, you know it's in the works!

Crittergal! I don't think I ever learned who you were!! or if I did I forgot...

Lol. She's 'CW' from Texas, married, kind of a smartass. That's all I got.

Oh! And recently got a new family member. The four-legged sort.