Drexel University Class Of 2008

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You definitely will need a physical. I can't remember if we had specific forms or not. However, if you want to get a physical now, and then take the form in and have doc sign it, most primary care docs do that.

But I would suggest to take some time to get your bloodwork done. Get all of your titers done for your vaccinations (from childhood) and then get your hep B (if you haven't had one, otherwise, your titer), and your TB test. These you definitely have to do. You need a note saying your TB was negative (mine was just written on a script pad and signed by my doc), and a copy of your titers works well (keep one for yourself).

And on the downside, the occupational health here at drexel is really poor. I had all of my titers done and turned in, and they have contacted me like 5 times telling me that I don't have this or that done. Now, they are all stapled together and the titers are circled, so someone doesn't know how to look at a chart or read. So just so you know, don't get phased by that. It's happened to a bunch of students other than myself.

Hurrah! Getting close to school!
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PIL people...

Are you going to the orientation thing on July 27th, 28th and 29th? I called and said I would be, but I was wondering if most people who are going to do PIL are going to be there. Does anyone know what we do during those 3 days?


thanks!
 
MErc44 said:
I live in California so I won't be making many trips out to Philadelphia. I probably won't look for a place until july sometime but I am apprehensive to sign a lease when there is a possibility I may get off the waitlist at Tulane. I am hoping to hear from them shortly so i won't have to deal with this crap but I'm not sure it will happen. It's a pretty difficult situation with no real solution in sight at least from my end. Besides I will be in school until mid june so i don't really have time to do search for housing with finals coming up.
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Hey Merc44,

I'm in your exact situation: from the West Coast, considering Drexel, and on the "competitive range" list at Tulane. I'm not sure how much hope I have in getting into Tulane--I have been on the waiting list since October and when I called the admissions dept., they told me that out of the 400 people on the waitlist, only 30-50 will get in. Not to say you won't get in, but those numbers don't sound too promising. Good luck.
 
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musicdr said:
PIL people...

Are you going to the orientation thing on July 27th, 28th and 29th? I called and said I would be, but I was wondering if most people who are going to do PIL are going to be there. Does anyone know what we do during those 3 days?


thanks!
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Do we have to call and tell them that we are going to be there or can we just kind of show up?
 
musicdr said:
PIL people...

Are you going to the orientation thing on July 27th, 28th and 29th? I called and said I would be, but I was wondering if most people who are going to do PIL are going to be there. Does anyone know what we do during those 3 days?


thanks!
Click to expand...



what the hell is this? I thought orientation started on the august 2nd.
 
balaA7180 said:
Hey Merc44,

I'm in your exact situation: from the West Coast, considering Drexel, and on the "competitive range" list at Tulane. I'm not sure how much hope I have in getting into Tulane--I have been on the waiting list since October and when I called the admissions dept., they told me that out of the 400 people on the waitlist, only 30-50 will get in. Not to say you won't get in, but those numbers don't sound too promising. Good luck.
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thats ridiculous. They have 400 people on the waiting list. They only interview 900 people and I assume they accept about 300. Sounds like they are pretty indecisive and that they pretty much know who they will eventually take off the wl. I guess it's time to start calling them in addition to my emails and letters.
 
ForensicPath said:
Do we have to call and tell them that we are going to be there or can we just kind of show up?
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The letter that you got that says you are in the PIL program says you should call and 'confirm' your attendance on those dates. I think the number was the PIL office number. When I called I tried to ask what we would be doing for those 3 days, but the lady on the phone really had no idea.

If you're not in PIL, orientation starts on the 2nd...


Any current PIL people know what we're going to be doing during those 3 days?
 
musicdr said:
The letter that you got that says you are in the PIL program says you should call and 'confirm' your attendance on those dates. I think the number was the PIL office number. When I called I tried to ask what we would be doing for those 3 days, but the lady on the phone really had no idea.

If you're not in PIL, orientation starts on the 2nd...


Any current PIL people know what we're going to be doing during those 3 days?
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You get a case and go through the process of identifying relevant material. It's worth it--a few people decided not to do PIL after the orientation session based on their experiences. It's a pain because it's an extra couple of days, but if you're unsure about which curriculum, it's definitely worth it. There are also other orientation-type things that are worthwhile--Q & A sessions and stuff. Plus, you get the advantage of getting to know some people before the other 180-200 IFMers show up.
 
musicdr said:
The letter that you got that says you are in the PIL program says you should call and 'confirm' your attendance on those dates. I think the number was the PIL office number. When I called I tried to ask what we would be doing for those 3 days, but the lady on the phone really had no idea.

If you're not in PIL, orientation starts on the 2nd...


Any current PIL people know what we're going to be doing during those 3 days?
Click to expand...

I am in PIL, so I guess I will be there.
 
ForensicPath said:
I am in PIL, so I guess I will be there.
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have you given up on getting off the waitlist at Jefferson?
 
MErc44 said:
have you given up on getting off the waitlist at Jefferson?
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Not yet, but I've decided not to think about it unless it happens. I'm just going to assume that I will be going to Drexel for now.
 
You guys should definitely go to orientation unless there is some major hindrance (i.e. you are getting married that weekend or something)

These 3 days give you the opportunity to experience PIL. You get a case, and then you have mock lectures, and be prepared to do work. Even if you are deadset on being in PIL, you should attend. It really isn't "optional". You also get to do all the "busy work" of orientation before all the IFMers get there (i.e. IDs and such).
 
For those of you interesting in housing--Drexel is building a new housing complex in center city (I'm sure a lot of you know about this). The building is brand new with all utilities, internet, and cable included. The whole building is wireless, there's a laundry unit on each floor, and several lounge areas. A shuttle runs every 15 minutes to transport med students to campus.

I know a lot of you are looking into finding housing--quite a few med students will be living here so it's also a good way to meet people. There are still numerous vacancies so you have plenty of time to apply. When assigning roommates, med students get grouped with other med students . Here's a link to the site if you want to find out more....

http://www.drexel.edu/cchc/studentlife/dept/reslife.html
 
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Hey classmates, just wanted to pass on the news for those that havent heard that announced on monday, Drexel has a new hospital affiliation with St. Peter's Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. Its a great big hospital that i know personally since I went to school there at Rutgers. It said 60 3rd, 4th and residents will be employed there.

Good news for Drexel. It starts up july 2005.

ru2003
 
I just got off the phone with the financial aid office and I am a little frustrated. I told them that I want to go with T.H.E. rather than Medloans, and wanted to know if I should fill out an online application or a paper application (and send it to Drexel). The woman on the phone tried arguing with me about why I should go with Medloans (details of which I can go into if anyone wants to know). Is anyone else using a program aside from Medloans, and if so did they give you flak about it?
 
myID said:
I just got off the phone with the financial aid office and I am a little frustrated. I told them that I want to go with T.H.E. rather than Medloans, and wanted to know if I should fill out an online application or a paper application (and send it to Drexel). The woman on the phone tried arguing with me about why I should go with Medloans (details of which I can go into if anyone wants to know). Is anyone else using a program aside from Medloans, and if so did they give you flak about it?
Click to expand...

I did this exact same thing and they gave me some flak as well. I think T.H.E. is a much better deal, so I told 'em to switch me over regardless. After talking with them on the phone, I formally sent them an email about it (they need the request in writing), and I haven't heard that there have been any problems with the switch since. I need to call and follow up though...I'd hate to find out at the last minute that they screwed up somehow.
 
myID said:
I just got off the phone with the financial aid office and I am a little frustrated. I told them that I want to go with T.H.E. rather than Medloans, and wanted to know if I should fill out an online application or a paper application (and send it to Drexel). The woman on the phone tried arguing with me about why I should go with Medloans (details of which I can go into if anyone wants to know). Is anyone else using a program aside from Medloans, and if so did they give you flak about it?
Click to expand...

I was thinking about exploring alternatives to Medloans, but do not know too much yet. I am stuck in the house this weekend and was going to use that time to do a little research. I will update if I find any information. If you could share the info the financial aid woman gave about Medloans, that would be great.

Also, I was going to look into other options for health insurance because the one that Drexel uses seems a bit expensive. http://www.chickering.com/stu_conn/student_connection.aspx?group_number=812834
I haven't gone through the brochure yet or looked for other options, but that is on my list of things to do.

I figure anytime I can save a few extra bucks, it's worth the hassle of doing a little extra digging.
 
snapdad said:
I did this exact same thing and they gave me some flak as well. I think T.H.E. is a much better deal, so I told 'em to switch me over regardless.
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That's funny, the woman I spoke with said that she had never heard of T.H.E.
 
where is new brunswick? is it driving distance? Also does anyone know if you can waive the student health insurance if you have a preexisting plan? I think I have until I am 25 on my family's plan and don't really see the need to opt out of it.
 
The student health insurance is waivable if you are covered. Just provide ID during orientation that you have insurance. The chickering plan isn't that great... (at least not what I need it for mostly-- meds and appts.) $15 copay for PCP, $25 for specialists, $10 for generic, $30 for brand name. I have heard that State farm is more reasonable.

New Brunswick isn't far from QL at all (45 minutes to an hour).
 
I agree T.H.E. is a much better lender, no fees and good repayment bonus. Medloans for what a lot of us need to take out will be almost 2000 in fees, and for what. I switched to T.H.E. and my brother used them and said they are great.

I used www.ehealthinsurance.com and found rates from all companies for health insurance. If you can prove residency of PA, the rates are really cheap for decent plans. Check out that site.

New Brunswick is about an hour and 15 minutes from queen lane, depending on traffic. I used to make the trip alot using the turnpike, but it all depends on how fast u drive, u can make it in an hour i guess if you really speed.
 
ForensicPath said:
I was thinking about exploring alternatives to Medloans, but do not know too much yet. I am stuck in the house this weekend and was going to use that time to do a little research. I will update if I find any information. If you could share the info the financial aid woman gave about Medloans, that would be great.
Click to expand...

The financial aid office didn't give out much info about MedLoans...really all I have is what was in that financial aid packet they sent out a while ago. The main issue I have with MedLoans is the origination fee, which I believe is 3%. This comes to about $1152 (if you go for the maximum Stafford loan), which is money I could use for other things, like rent and food. T.H.E. doesn't have this origination fee.

By "flak," I mean that the lady in the financial aid office tried to talk me out of switching from MedLoans to T.H.E. by saying first that she'd never heard of them and couldn't recommend them, said it would be a lot of work to change over (even though she'd previously said they hadn't certified my MedLoans Staffords yet) and then when I mentioned the origination fee issue, she said that they probably charged the fees as a lump sum at repayment time. I checked with T.H.E. and this isn't the case, so I went ahead and switched anyway.


RU2003 said:
I used www.ehealthinsurance.com and found rates from all companies for health insurance. If you can prove residency of PA, the rates are really cheap for decent plans. Check out that site.
Click to expand...

I went with these guys too, and I'll save ~$25/month over the Drexel plan for the exact same insurance through the same provider (Aetna). The only difference is that the Drexel plan has a $1,000,000 lifetime aggregate limit, while the ehealthinsurance.com plan has unlimited lifetime coverage.
 
snapdad said:
By "flak," I mean that the lady in the financial aid office tried to talk me out of switching from MedLoans to T.H.E. by saying first that she'd never heard of them and couldn't recommend them....... and then when I mentioned the origination fee issue, she said that they probably charged the fees as a lump sum at repayment time. I checked with T.H.E. and this isn't the case, so I went ahead and switched anyway.
Click to expand...

This is the exact same conversation I had with her. If she already had this conversation with at least one other person, then how could she have never heard of T.H.E? I also was concerned that if I lose that $1,200/year from Federal loans then I would have to take out that much extra in private loans. So that is about $4,800 that I would need and that is not including interest. Drexel must have some deal with Medloans. BTW, I am not down on the school, just the financial aid office.
 
RU2003 said:
I used www.ehealthinsurance.com and found rates from all companies for health insurance. If you can prove residency of PA, the rates are really cheap for decent plans. Check out that site.
Click to expand...

I did a search here under the student health plans and the only results I get are 4 idemnity plans through Fortis. Should I be searching under the regular medical insurance instead of student to get HMO and PPO results?
 
ForensicPath said:
I did a search here under the student health plans and the only results I get are 4 idemnity plans through Fortis. Should I be searching under the regular medical insurance instead of student to get HMO and PPO results?
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Yeah, that's what I did. I looked at the student plans and I wasn't all that impressed, but the regular plans had a lot more variety.
 
i am definitely going to do T.H.E. loans. do i just apply online like the site says and then call drexel to let them know to expect the paperwork etc?


Thanks for the heads up on the insurance..i was definitely not feeling drexel's plan. The only plus is that it goes to the student account but even then it's not worth it if you can find something cheaper.
 
So I'm guessing others are starting to get the pre-orientation packets that Drexel sent out on the 5th. I got accepted to Drexel back in February, but am also on the waitlist at 2 other schools which, if accepted to, would attend. Is anyone else on waitlists wondering if we should fully complete the packet (i.e. set up computer acct., complete background check, get HIPPA requirement, etc) now or until we make a firm decision? Does completing the packet tie me to Drexel and preclude another school to offer me a seat? Help is much appreciated.
 
bullhorn said:
i am definitely going to do T.H.E. loans. do i just apply online like the site says and then call drexel to let them know to expect the paperwork etc?
Click to expand...

That's what I did. A few days after completing the online application, T.H.E. sent me a confirmation letter stating that my application had been sent to the school for certification, and that I should let the school know. Pretty painless.
 
snapdad said:
That's what I did. A few days after completing the online application, T.H.E. sent me a confirmation letter stating that my application had been sent to the school for certification, and that I should let the school know. Pretty painless.
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I already sent them my MPN for MedLoans back when they sent the financial paperwork out to us. T.H.E. is definitely the best deal out there, at least for the Staffords with the no processing fee thing. Am I going to have problems switching from MedLoans to T.H.E. being that I already sent them my MPN?

I guess I have to make a few phone calls today.
 
mullnk23 said:
So I'm guessing others are starting to get the pre-orientation packets that Drexel sent out on the 5th. I got accepted to Drexel back in February, but am also on the waitlist at 2 other schools which, if accepted to, would attend. Is anyone else on waitlists wondering if we should fully complete the packet (i.e. set up computer acct., complete background check, get HIPPA requirement, etc) now or until we make a firm decision? Does completing the packet tie me to Drexel and preclude another school to offer me a seat? Help is much appreciated.
Click to expand...

I'm on one other waitlist. I'm going to wait until mid-July to do all that stuff. I see no reason to rush it right now. The only thing I am doing now is getting my physical and immunizations because that will probably be the same for all schools.
 
ForensicPath said:
Am I going to have problems switching from MedLoans to T.H.E. being that I already sent them my MPN?
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That's the same situation I was in. All I had to do (after talking with them on the phone) was formally send them an email indicating my desire to switch. I followed up with them today and everything seems to be fine. The only area where I could see things getting bumpy would be if they've already certified your MedLoans application. Mine hadn't been certified yet when I made the switch.
 
did anyone get the prematriculation and orientation packet? On the website it says they mailed it on friday june 5th which isn't right because the 5th was saturday. I don't think my dad has got it yet.
 
MErc44 said:
did anyone get the prematriculation and orientation packet? On the website it says they mailed it on friday june 5th which isn't right because the 5th was saturday. I don't think my dad has got it yet.
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Yeah, I got it last week. It arrived on Wednesday or Thursday, I think.
 
I got it wednesday. The only thing really useful in it was the health forms for the physical. The rest is just info that can be found on the website.
 
everything from the info pack was in the website, even the health forms. it's a pdf file link. let me know if ya need the link.

take care
 
You can get the forms for the physical (and most of the other stuff) from the website, but the packet did include the form for the criminal background check and the "Big Brother" form. I don't think those are on the website.
 
The latest dean's message to the students affirmed that Drexel is completing an affilitation agreement with Abington Hospital. So while we are losing MCP, we are gaining both St. Peter's and Abington as main clinical education sites.

Just wanted to pass along...

EDIT: Agreement with Abington is complete. :)
 
sounds good, I'm starting to get excited now that I've already had commencement at UCSB.
 
Ms.Doctor said:
The latest dean's message to the students affirmed that Drexel is completing an affilitation agreement with Abington Hospital. So while we are losing MCP, we are gaining both St. Peter's and Abington as main clinical education sites.

Just wanted to pass along...
Click to expand...

:thumbup: :thumbup:
 
Random Question...

Does anyone know if there is a Wachovia close to campus? I'm looking to open a new bank account, but I'd like to open one which I can access while I both at home and at school. I saw the list on the website of banks, but I didn't see Wachovia listed and I was just curious if there was one close!

Thanks :)
 
musicdr said:
Random Question...

Does anyone know if there is a Wachovia close to campus? I'm looking to open a new bank account, but I'd like to open one which I can access while I both at home and at school. I saw the list on the website of banks, but I didn't see Wachovia listed and I was just curious if there was one close!

Thanks :)
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I'm not sure what the specific address is off the top of my head, but here is the link to the wachovia branch locator:
http://wachovia.via.infonow.net/locator/branch/index.jsp

You can also locate where specific ATMs are on the site.

I have my account at Wachovia and I am going to keep it that way.
 
Sorry to be redundant Forensic Path-- I think we were posting at the same time. :)
 
is bank of america nonexistent in philadelphia?? Also, does anyone have a link ot the medical school bookstore? I want to get a sweatshirt because it's cold in marin county in july.
 
MErc44 said:
is bank of america nonexistent in philadelphia?? Also, does anyone have a link ot the medical school bookstore? I want to get a sweatshirt because it's cold in marin county in july.
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Bank of America-- not sure. Link to the bookstore? HA. There isn't one at all... check out the drexel website for the drexel bookstore, but nothing with be emblazoned with "med" on it...
 
Ms.Doctor said:
Bank of America-- not sure. Link to the bookstore? HA. There isn't one at all... check out the drexel website for the drexel bookstore, but nothing with be emblazoned with "med" on it...
Click to expand...


damn, there goes my idea
 
I found this webiste for the drexel med bookstore but Im not sure if anything says drexel med on it. You might want to call the bookstore if the website is not helpful.

phone #- 1215-991-8110

website - http://drexel-med.bkstore.com/?s=623398154662|495&m=0101
 
its ok, im stuck on the waitlist too! sigh....
 
MErc44 said:
damn, there goes my idea
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You might try calling 'em and seeing if they'll take a credit card and send stuff to ya. I know there's a bunch of stuff in that Queen Lane bookstore that says Drexel Med on it. I would've gotten a sweatshirt when I was there last, except they were a little pricey for my trip budget.
 
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