University of Pittsburgh SOM Class of 2010

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So did everyone get the second look email? I wish they hadn't scheduled the damn thing for my birthday, but I'll be going anyways. I can't dcide whether I'll have the energy for the 5k or not. Is anyone else thinking about doing that?
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DarkFark said:
So did everyone get the second look email? I wish they hadn't scheduled the damn thing for my birthday, but I'll be going anyways. I can't dcide whether I'll have the energy for the 5k or not. Is anyone else thinking about doing that?
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I'm sure there will be ample opportunity to celebrate :D
 
DarkFark said:
So did everyone get the second look email? I wish they hadn't scheduled the damn thing for my birthday, but I'll be going anyways. I can't dcide whether I'll have the energy for the 5k or not. Is anyone else thinking about doing that?
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Hey, it will be my birthday too! We can celebrate together. What more perfect way to celebrate a birthday than with perfect strangers? :rolleyes:
 
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MissMD'10 said:
Hey, it will be my birthday too! We can celebrate together. What more perfect way to celebrate a birthday than with perfect strangers? :rolleyes:
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Sounds good to me. And as bobob subtly implied, there will be alcohol involved to boot. All the comforts of home...
 
DarkFark said:
Sounds good to me. And as bobob subtly implied, there will be alcohol involved to boot. All the comforts of home...
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Haha I wonder how many will be participating in the night out AND the 5k. On that note, you guys sign up for all of the events? Looks like a packed weekend, should be a lot of fun! Wish I didn't have to grovel for two days off of work though...
 
MissMD'10 said:
Hey, it will be my birthday too! We can celebrate together. What more perfect way to celebrate a birthday than with perfect strangers? :rolleyes:
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Its perfect to celebrate your birthday with the people that you may/will be celebrating your next 4 birthdays with :D We'll have a good time,promise....

Jim
 
You guys check out the Pitt financial aid forms? They just e-mailed me a link to the site. We have to guesstimate a "cost of attendance budget," itemizing by rent, utilities, food, books, transportation, etc... Lovely. Seems like these forms never end!
 
bobob said:
You guys check out the Pitt financial aid forms? They just e-mailed me a link to the site. We have to guesstimate a "cost of attendance budget," itemizing by rent, utilities, food, books, transportation, etc... Lovely. Seems like these forms never end!
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I have no idea why they're making us fill it all out when they already have the estimated cost of housing, transportation, books, etc. on their fin aid website. I'm just using that (and any other personal costs I can think of) to fill it all out. I'm still probably gonna be way off.
 
funshine said:
I have no idea why they're making us fill it all out when they already have the estimated cost of housing, transportation, books, etc. on their fin aid website. I'm just using that (and any other personal costs I can think of) to fill it all out. I'm still probably gonna be way off.
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My thoughts exactly.

For the "Request for Federal Stafford Loan" (Form B), are we actually supposed to fill in the amount?? I thought the individual school was supposed to determine all of this. I guess I would just put the maximum possible amount for the loan request ($40,722)...
 
JDWflash44 said:
wowzer posted UPitt's 2005 Match List in the allo forum, not sure if that means last year or this year(i'm assuming last year):

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=264735

Looks pretty sweet though :thumbup:

Jim
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So we've got two years of match lists posted here on SDN. Anyone have access to the others? I tried looking it up online, but don't have access. I can't get too much out of one or two years of a match list. I like to see 5 to get a good idea of trends.
 
Hey Q, are you going to 2nd look?

On another note, for all of us Pitt acceptees... I'm kind of agonizing about what to do and thought I'd post here instead of on pre-allo.

So... right now I'm effectively choosing between Pitt and Iowa and I have a few concerns about Pitt. Two big ones:

1) During the interview they mentioned they are moving towards using a four (or maybe it was even five) grade system (ie, honors, high pass, pass, low pass, fail) because of student input. Students were saying they didn't like working really hard and getting so close to honors without getting honors, and then having nothing but a pass to show for it. This is pretty concerning to me because, though everyone seems really nice and friendly, it seems they are focused on doing what they can to distinguish themselves from their classmates.

2) Pitt's relatively recent rise in prestige is due to large research funds. This is actually a good thing, but because of the 'relatively recent' part, I'm concerned that faculty are going to be under more than the usual pressure to bring in grants and will have less time and energy for students.

So what does everyone think of these? Should we be worried? Do I have bad information?

Don't get me wrong here, I think Pitt is great, and I'm psyched about being accepted, but I'm trying to figure out what to do here.
 
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dbhvt said:
Hey Q, are you going to 2nd look?

On another note, for all of us Pitt acceptees... I'm kind of agonizing about what to do and thought I'd post here instead of on pre-allo.

So... right now I'm effectively choosing between Pitt and Iowa and I have a few concerns about Pitt. Two big ones:

1) During the interview they mentioned they are moving towards using a four (or maybe it was even five) grade system (ie, honors, high pass, pass, low pass, fail) because of student input. Students were saying they didn't like working really hard and getting so close to honors without getting honors, and then having nothing but a pass to show for it. This is pretty concerning to me because, though everyone seems really nice and friendly, it seems they are focused on doing what they can to distinguish themselves from their classmates.

2) Pitt's relatively recent rise in prestige is due to large research funds. This is actually a good thing, but because of the 'relatively recent' part, I'm concerned that faculty are going to be under more than the usual pressure to bring in grants and will have less time and energy for students.

So what does everyone think of these? Should we be worried? Do I have bad information?

Don't get me wrong here, I think Pitt is great, and I'm psyched about being accepted, but I'm trying to figure out what to do here.
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I havent heard anything about the grading system being changed during the first two years, but I did read that next year they were changing to a five-tiered grading system for 3rd and 4th years, is this what you are talking about? I specifically asked about the grading for the first two years and the dean told me they wanted it to stay H/P/F to keep the competitiveness down. I read in the last few days that 50% of Pitt students get their #1 residency and 90% get in their top 3, so you should be able to end up where you want to go if you go to Pitt.

As for #2, I think that Pitt will keep ascending up the rankings as it grows. I go to grad school at Johns Hopkins SPH and when many of my professors ask me where I will be going next year, they all have amazing things to say about Pitt, and many have said it is really one of the up-and-coming medical schools in both research and ability to train good physicians. I really wouldn't worry about the professors not having time for the students, maybe I'm being niave, I just dont see this as being a problem.

See you at 2nd look,

Jim
 
dbhvt said:
Hey Q, are you going to 2nd look?

On another note, for all of us Pitt acceptees... I'm kind of agonizing about what to do and thought I'd post here instead of on pre-allo.

So... right now I'm effectively choosing between Pitt and Iowa and I have a few concerns about Pitt. Two big ones:

1) During the interview they mentioned they are moving towards using a four (or maybe it was even five) grade system (ie, honors, high pass, pass, low pass, fail) because of student input. Students were saying they didn't like working really hard and getting so close to honors without getting honors, and then having nothing but a pass to show for it. This is pretty concerning to me because, though everyone seems really nice and friendly, it seems they are focused on doing what they can to distinguish themselves from their classmates.

2) Pitt's relatively recent rise in prestige is due to large research funds. This is actually a good thing, but because of the 'relatively recent' part, I'm concerned that faculty are going to be under more than the usual pressure to bring in grants and will have less time and energy for students.

So what does everyone think of these? Should we be worried? Do I have bad information?

Don't get me wrong here, I think Pitt is great, and I'm psyched about being accepted, but I'm trying to figure out what to do here.
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I would like to attend if I can, but early April is not the greatest timing for me. So that's a definite maybe. ;)

1) I don't remember hearing this at my interview day, but maybe I was still :sleep: . I would actually prefer to see them move in the opposite direction, which is to make the first two years P/F rather than H/P/F. Many of Pitt's peer institutions already do this, and it makes sense to me. We are all adults now, and hopefully we are motivated to learn by more than just grades and tests.

2) There will always be some faculty at every institution who don't really want to "waste their time" teaching students. If they are forced to do it, they will, but they will just do the bare minimum to get by because they'd rather be elsewhere, and it will show. On the other hand, there will be other faculty who absolutely love teaching, and who will go way beyond what's expected of them to help students. I doubt that Pitt will be any worse or better in that regard than other schools. Some instructors will be great, and some will make us wish we'd done just about anything else besides go to med school. That's been my grad school experience, at any rate. :p
 
Hey guys,
Quick question. Where do we get the Master Promissory Note for new Pitt SoM loan takers.
I thought the school sends it to us but not sure. Anyone?
 
gcomplex7 said:
Hey guys,
Quick question. Where do we get the Master Promissory Note for new Pitt SoM loan takers.
I thought the school sends it to us but not sure. Anyone?
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Hmm, this is my first time applying for Stafford loans, so I'm not sure either. I thought you had to go to your selected lender to get the MPN. I think each bank has their own MPN, but I'm not sure. If someone has done this before, please advise! I did a google search, but just found a bunch of partial answers to what I'm looking for :p
 
If I remember correctly (I did this for post-bac, only three years ago, where's my brain?!?) the school sends the MPN to you after you choose a lender off of a list of recommended lenders (like Bank of America, etc.) It's a scary moment, when you sign your name on one of those things!
 
So are any of you concerned about the weather? While I've heard from a few Pitt students that the weather doesnt seem to affect them much at all, I've also heard from others (particularly those raised in warm, sunny locations) that the long, gray winters make school even more depressing and stressful. One went so far as to say he wouldn't make the same choice again. What do you all think?

And the idea of Pitt going to a 5-tiered grading system is frightening. I'll take straight P/F any day.
 
This is what admin has posted for current students re: grading:

3rd and 4th year grades are based more on personal performance rather than a straight curve, so I don't anticipate that it will affect competitiveness at that point....

"Effective for the AY 2005-2006, the third and fourth year courses will be a five-level grading on the official university transcript. H/HS/S/LS/U = honor/high satisfactory/satisfactory/low satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

The first and second year grading will continue to be three-level. H/S/U = honor/satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

You may review your University transcript on the Web at https://my.pitt.edu then select > My Communities > Student Services > Student Info"
 
Question: Has anyone been awarded merit $$ from Pitt NOT specifically for one of the "...TP" programs (MSTP, CSTP, BSTP...)??
 
MrBurns10 said:
So are any of you concerned about the weather? While I've heard from a few Pitt students that the weather doesnt seem to affect them much at all, I've also heard from others (particularly those raised in warm, sunny locations) that the long, gray winters make school even more depressing and stressful. One went so far as to say he wouldn't make the same choice again. What do you all think?

And the idea of Pitt going to a 5-tiered grading system is frightening. I'll take straight P/F any day.
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I moved from a pretty warm, sunny location of the US to the northeast for hs and college, so I can kinda relate to your concerns. Honestly, aside from my frequent complaints about the weather--which really stemmed from being homesick more than anything else--I was totally fine. Yeah, it's not going to be blue skies and sunshine every day, but cloudy days aren't too bad either. It just becomes part of the scenery, and you may be surprised at how bright it is outside even when it's cloudy. An extra perk is that you start to really really appreciate sunny days, and each sunny day feels like a blessing from above. In college, there was an almost celebratory feeling in the air when the weather was sunny. The libraries would empty out and everyone would get ice cream and beach towels and find any spare patch of grass to study on. Somehow, I don't think we would've been as excited if every day were sunny.

Anyway, like I said, weather just becomes part of the scenery, and whether it's constant sunshine in California or constant cloudiness in upstate NY, once you get used to it, you barely notice it. When I really think about all the times I complained about weather, I was really just complaining about life in general, about adjusting to a new environment. If I'm in a good mood or it's been a good day, then I could care less about the weather.

Having said all that, I'm still semi-concerned about weather in general, and I'm seriously considering another school because I like its weather and campus better. I'm immune to cloudiness by now, but I love big sprawling campuses with big green lawns, and Pittsburgh just seems like a really dense, cramped city. Haha, so much for my post being "convincing." Go to second look though. Hopefully it'll be raining miserably and you can judge for yourself whether it gets your spirits down ;)
 
MrBurns10 said:
So are any of you concerned about the weather? While I've heard from a few Pitt students that the weather doesnt seem to affect them much at all, I've also heard from others (particularly those raised in warm, sunny locations) that the long, gray winters make school even more depressing and stressful. One went so far as to say he wouldn't make the same choice again. What do you all think?
Click to expand...

I'm not too concerned, but maybe I should be. I'll be moving to Pittsburgh from Hawaii. I was just planning to buy a really warm coat.

How long are the winters in Pittsburgh?
 
HSteacher said:
I'm not too concerned, but maybe I should be. I'll be moving to Pittsburgh from Hawaii. I was just planning to buy a really warm coat.

How long are the winters in Pittsburgh?
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I live near Pittsburgh, and I'd say we have cold weather from December to early March. By cold, I don't necessarily mean winterish and freezing...just windy and 40 or below. Personally, I love crisp 40 degree weather :). It's spotty though, like we'll have a week of warm weather in March then it rains and we have a week of much cooler weather. Definitely buy a good coat--don't buy it from Hawaii though! I've bought coats from warm-weather locations and find that they just don't make coats the same way!
 
MrBurns10 said:
So are any of you concerned about the weather? While I've heard from a few Pitt students that the weather doesnt seem to affect them much at all, I've also heard from others (particularly those raised in warm, sunny locations) that the long, gray winters make school even more depressing and stressful. One went so far as to say he wouldn't make the same choice again. What do you all think?

And the idea of Pitt going to a 5-tiered grading system is frightening. I'll take straight P/F any day.
Click to expand...
Anywhere you go is going to have its downsides. Here in FL, we are gearing up for yet another fun-filled and exciting hurricane season. (The good times start again on June 1.) People die here every summer from heatstroke, being struck by lightning, getting attacked by alligators, or being attacked by stinging insects. But boy, it sure couldn't be any more gorgeous of a day here today. :D Pittsburgh, in contrast, sure will be nicer than FL come August when FL is dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Zebulon. :rolleyes:
 
Hey Q, you are everywhere. Are you going to the revisit here too. I am too lazy to check.
 
gcomplex7 said:
Hey Q, you are everywhere. Are you going to the revisit here too. I am too lazy to check.
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:laugh: I was just thinking the same thing about you. I saw you had posted in the Case thread. Guess you and I are destined to be classmates for sure. ;)

Not sure yet, but I'm going to try. You?
 
QofQuimica said:
:laugh: I was just thinking the same thing about you. I saw you had posted in the Case thread. Guess you and I are destined to be classmates for sure. ;)

Not sure yet, but I'm going to try. You?
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I think I will.
 
December to March doesn't sound too bad. I, too, enjoy 40 degree weather. I hope it doesn't get too windy. I hate strong wind in the winter! I plan on getting a coat when I go up there in August. I'm hoping to find a store like LL Bean or a good outlet store.

funshine said:
I live near Pittsburgh, and I'd say we have cold weather from December to early March. By cold, I don't necessarily mean winterish and freezing...just windy and 40 or below. Personally, I love crisp 40 degree weather :). It's spotty though, like we'll have a week of warm weather in March then it rains and we have a week of much cooler weather. Definitely buy a good coat--don't buy it from Hawaii though! I've bought coats from warm-weather locations and find that they just don't make coats the same way!
Click to expand...
 
Has anyone else been looking into housing? According to the Pittsburgh housing office and my student interviewer, Ruskin Hall is already filled. They said that the deadline for applying for on-campus housing was back in January. According to the student affairs office, they'll be sending us housing information in May or June. It seems odd that they would send us housing info so far after the deadline for applying to on-campus housing. On the other hand, my student interviewer said that some 1st year students were able to get on-campus housing, although she wasn't able to.

So, I've been looking into possible neighborhoods to live in: Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Bloomfield, Friendship, Greenfield, Highland Park, Churchill.

Any thoughts? Is anyone familiar with the Pittsburgh area and able to give advice?

Here are some resources that I've found on the web so far:
http://www.fcas.pitt.edu/gradguide/before_you_arrive/housing/neighborhoods.htm
http://www.medschool.pitt.edu/studentaffairs/neighborhood.html
 
I did a little looking a few weeks ago and found this place about 1/2 of a mile from scaife hall. The one and two bedrooms are a little expensive, but the 3br is about 1500 with heat, water, gas, and trash included, so you only pay electricity and cable/internet. The floor plan makes it seem really big, 1570 square feet with 3BR, living room, dining room, 2 baths. And it would be a relatively short walk to class. See everyone at 2nd look....

website: http://www.sherwoodtowers.com/index.htm

Jim
 
I wish I could make the second look weekend, but I already have plans for going to Mexico on spring break. I hope all of you who attend will post some stories here to let those of us who couldn't make it know if it was a good time ;)
 
Anybody have the 2006 Match list for Pitt?
 
I don't think it was posted yet, I might be missing something. If anyone has this available, it would be much appreciated.
 
MrBurns10 said:
So are any of you concerned about the weather? While I've heard from a few Pitt students that the weather doesnt seem to affect them much at all, I've also heard from others (particularly those raised in warm, sunny locations) that the long, gray winters make school even more depressing and stressful. One went so far as to say he wouldn't make the same choice again. What do you all think?
Click to expand...

I am actually very afraid of winter. I have lived in Cali my whole life and this 40 degree and windy winter thing makes me a little nervous. :oops: I was actually warned during my interview that I would probably hate the weather. I am gonna have to be brave. It is about 35 degrees there right now...mid March. Will probably be cold for the second look weekend.
 
QofQuimica said:
Geezus, dude, the 2006 match just took place exactly three days ago. I doubt any schools have published them yet.
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Uh, I was just asking about the 2006 Match list because I saw others posting lists from other schools. No need to make a big deal about it. :confused:
 
I think a few schools have posted their matchlist, by few i mean Cornell, to my knowledge but Pitt isn't one of them.
 
dbhvt said:
Hey Q, are you going to 2nd look?

On another note, for all of us Pitt acceptees... I'm kind of agonizing about what to do and thought I'd post here instead of on pre-allo.

So... right now I'm effectively choosing between Pitt and Iowa and I have a few concerns about Pitt. Two big ones:

1) During the interview they mentioned they are moving towards using a four (or maybe it was even five) grade system (ie, honors, high pass, pass, low pass, fail) because of student input. Students were saying they didn't like working really hard and getting so close to honors without getting honors, and then having nothing but a pass to show for it. This is pretty concerning to me because, though everyone seems really nice and friendly, it seems they are focused on doing what they can to distinguish themselves from their classmates.
Click to expand...

We're not competitive with each other. But you've got to understand that for people who get 85 when honors is 86, it hurts to get so close to honors with nothing to show for it, and to be given the same grade as people who scrape by with a 64. It's not about being competitive, but it is about getting credit where credit is due. I think either a five-level system OR straight P/F would be better than H/P/F, but generally we don't stress each other out over this stuff here.

2) Pitt's relatively recent rise in prestige is due to large research funds. This is actually a good thing, but because of the 'relatively recent' part, I'm concerned that faculty are going to be under more than the usual pressure to bring in grants and will have less time and energy for students.
Click to expand...

Not a concern at all - the faculty here bend over backwards for us.
 
VFTW said:
We're not competitive with each other. But you've got to understand that for people who get 85 when honors is 86, it hurts to get so close to honors with nothing to show for it, and to be given the same grade as people who scrape by with a 64. It's not about being competitive, but it is about getting credit where credit is due. I think either a five-level system OR straight P/F would be better than H/P/F, but generally we don't stress each other out over this stuff here.



Not a concern at all - the faculty here bend over backwards for us.
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Thanks, vftw. What year are you?

d
 
ahh should we be looking into housing now? I still haven't made my final decision yet. Will we be screwed for housing if we look later, like in June? See you guys at second look :)
 
waterlily said:
ahh should we be looking into housing now? I still haven't made my final decision yet. Will we be screwed for housing if we look later, like in June? See you guys at second look :)
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I plan on flying to Pittsburgh in June to look for housing. I think we'll be okay. My student interviewer said that she went there in July and was able to find housing for August.
 
HSteacher said:
I plan on flying to Pittsburgh in June to look for housing. I think we'll be okay. My student interviewer said that she went there in July and was able to find housing for August.
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I grew up around Pittsburgh and will be starting at the med school this fall. In terms of housing, you have to remember that Pittsburgh lost some astronomical portion of its population after the steel mills closed. Consequently, there is a lot of excess housing stock. Finding something pretty nice shouldn't be that hard. If you're coming from anywhere even marginally expensive--I've been in New York for the past five years--you're probably in for a nice surprise. I think June should be fine for an August 1 lease. I found a nice place off of craigslist without much trouble and I've never heard of any of my friends from Pittsburgh having trouble finding housing either.
 
hey all,
I was wondering if anyone knew what a acceptable reason to defer acceptance was.... Thanks
 
SanDiegoSOD said:
Hey everyone, recent Pitt interviewee here. I don't know if I'll get accepted, but I just wanted to say hello to everyone and say that I loved Pitt. I don't know too much about the city, but I think I'd be quite happy as a student. Go Pitt! :D
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Good luck, SOD! :)
 
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