University of Pittsburgh SOM Class of 2010

[pallcare]

would love to hear more from people who attended second look ( i decided to attend northwestern's cause they paid for my flight, but am strongly considering pitt as well)

some q's:

1. the fact that grading is on a curve. what did m1s say about that?
2. what was teh social scene like?
3. is there a spanish speaking community in pittsburgh? does upitt teach medical spanish?
4. i know research is big there. do students normally do it during that first summer, or also during the m1/m2 school years?
5. share anything!

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[MissMD'10]

It was awesome to meet a bunch of you at second look! What a fun weekend. Dark Fark, I was looking for you to wish you a happy bday but I never figured out who you were! Maybe next April. Hope to see all of you in August.

 

[unfrozencaveman]

would love to hear more from people who attended second look ( i decided to attend northwestern's cause they paid for my flight, but am strongly considering pitt as well)

some q's:

1. the fact that grading is on a curve. what did m1s say about that?
2. what was teh social scene like?
3. is there a spanish speaking community in pittsburgh? does upitt teach medical spanish?
4. i know research is big there. do students normally do it during that first summer, or also during the m1/m2 school years?
5. share anything!

I second this-- anyone game for a recap?

 

[QofQuimica]

Ok, so now I am confused too. If Pitt is graded H/P/F, how is there a curve? Does that mean the individual exams are curved, or does that mean the designation of H/P/F is based on a curve? (In other words, do, say 10% of people get H, 80% get P, and 10% F?)

 

[slim06]

My host explained to me that the grading is based on the mean and standard deviation. If you score better than a SD above the mean then you get honors. We didn't discuss it, but I presume that the failure thing works the same way, but in reverse.

 

[JDWflash44]

The grading is H/P/F. Honors is one standard deviation above the mean, while failing is two standard deviations below the mean. My host said averages are usually in the 70's and the failing line is normally low 60's or high 50's. In the 3rd and 4th years grading is H/HP/P/LP/F,not sure how it is done though. The students said there is a lot of cohesion among the classes, people send out study materials and it doesnt seem like too many people are worried about the grading.

The social scene was pretty good I thought. We went to a bar in shadyside on friday night and some people went off to a club in the southside afterwards. There was then a house party in squirrel hill the next night, where there were lots of MS1s and it was a good time. Oakland, Shadyside and the southside all seemed like pretty cool neighborhoods. Oakland being more of an undergrad dominated area. There will certainly be plenty to do in the city.

Dont know about the medical spanish, but I did hear that you can do your Family Medicine rotation in Hondoras, i think it was. You can also do a surgery rotation in Polermo, Sicily (I probably spelled both of those wrong) because there is a large UPMC facility there. They also mentioned that the biggest hospital in Las Vegas will soon be owned and run by UPMC, not sure if its newly built or what. So I would assume there would be opportunities to do rotations there.

As far as research, I think that most students do it during the summer between M1 and M2. But some did say that you have the time to do it during the year if you want to. There are also building a big research center in Sicily, so I would assume we may have the opportunity to do it there if you wish.

Oh and last year there was also a prematriculation program, which started 6 weeks before school started. They said you did three weeks of anatomy, two weeks of cell/tissue physiology and a week of biochem, or something like that. It is for anyone that wants to do it and you can get kind of settled in Pittsburgh before classes start and get an idea of what the classes will be like. I guess only like 10 kids did it last year though. Oh and they pay you $1000 if you want to do it and your airfare/driving expenses to get there.

Umm thats all I got right now, maybe i'll remember more later, hope this helped.

Jim

 

[mostwanted]

Ok, so now I am confused too. If Pitt is graded H/P/F, how is there a curve? Does that mean the individual exams are curved, or does that mean the designation of H/P/F is based on a curve? (In other words, do, say 10% of people get H, 80% get P, and 10% F?)

I think honors is one std dev. above avg, p is avg, and f is two std dev. below avg. so its really hard to fail or honor.

 

[Algorhythmik]

Regarding Spanish - to whoever asked - I did not go to Second Look, but I asked a similar question when I was interviewing - I was told that Pitt's largest existing communities were often Eastern European, Irish, and Italian ...

BUT, that although the Hispanic communities were smaller, they had larger growth rates than any of the others, and that a big chunk of the people immigrating into Pittsburgh Metro Area were Spanish (Central/South Am, Puerto Rican), so they were experiencing an influx of Spanish people which the city is not accustomed to, and at which point, they'll have to learn how to start dealing with.

As far as a Medical Spanish "course" being available - that I have no idea about. Good question - someone should call Med-Education or ask a Pitt med student to find out.

Let me know what you find out!

 

[bkflaneur]

The grading is H/P/F. Honors is one standard deviation above the mean, while failing is two standard deviations below the mean. My host said averages are usually in the 70's and the failing line is normally low 60's or high 50's. In the 3rd and 4th years grading is H/HP/P/LP/F,not sure how it is done though.

I asked some 3rd years about grading during the clinical years. We were short for time, and I didn't get the complete rundown. But it sounds like they set a percentage for honors, high pass, etc. So it's not like only 10% of people on a given rotation can get honors and you have to try and make your classmates look stupid during rounds. In theory, everyone who meets the numbers could get it.

I also asked a 1st year about Spanish speaking communities in Pittsburgh. He said there weren't as many opportunities to speak Spanish as in some other big cities - not like New York or DC. But he did volunteer at a clinic where students worked as translators for Spanish speaking patients. Not sure about classes for medical Spanish.

 

[DNM503]

I asked some 3rd years about grading during the clinical years. We were short for time, and I didn't get the complete rundown. But it sounds like they set a percentage for honors, high pass, etc. So it's not like only 10% of people on a given rotation can get honors and you have to try and make your classmates look stupid during rounds. In theory, everyone who meets the numbers could get it.

I also asked a 1st year about Spanish speaking communities in Pittsburgh. He said there weren't as many opportunities to speak Spanish as in some other big cities - not like New York or DC. But he did volunteer at a clinic where students worked as translators for Spanish speaking patients. Not sure about classes for medical Spanish.

I am from Pittsburgh, and there is like ZERO hispanic population. Pittsburgh is not all that diverse...at least not in terms of culture/ethnicity. I'm sure there would be some small opportunities to use your Spanish, but I doubt it would be on a daily basis.

 

[QofQuimica]

The grading is H/P/F. Honors is one standard deviation above the mean, while failing is two standard deviations below the mean. My host said averages are usually in the 70's and the failing line is normally low 60's or high 50's. In the 3rd and 4th years grading is H/HP/P/LP/F,not sure how it is done though. The students said there is a lot of cohesion among the classes, people send out study materials and it doesnt seem like too many people are worried about the grading.

The social scene was pretty good I thought. We went to a bar in shadyside on friday night and some people went off to a club in the southside afterwards. There was then a house party in squirrel hill the next night, where there were lots of MS1s and it was a good time. Oakland, Shadyside and the southside all seemed like pretty cool neighborhoods. Oakland being more of an undergrad dominated area. There will certainly be plenty to do in the city.

Dont know about the medical spanish, but I did hear that you can do your Family Medicine rotation in Hondoras, i think it was. You can also do a surgery rotation in Polermo, Sicily (I probably spelled both of those wrong) because there is a large UPMC facility there. They also mentioned that the biggest hospital in Las Vegas will soon be owned and run by UPMC, not sure if its newly built or what. So I would assume there would be opportunities to do rotations there.

As far as research, I think that most students do it during the summer between M1 and M2. But some did say that you have the time to do it during the year if you want to. There are also building a big research center in Sicily, so I would assume we may have the opportunity to do it there if you wish.

Oh and last year there was also a prematriculation program, which started 6 weeks before school started. They said you did three weeks of anatomy, two weeks of cell/tissue physiology and a week of biochem, or something like that. It is for anyone that wants to do it and you can get kind of settled in Pittsburgh before classes start and get an idea of what the classes will be like. I guess only like 10 kids did it last year though. Oh and they pay you $1000 if you want to do it and your airfare/driving expenses to get there.

Umm thats all I got right now, maybe i'll remember more later, hope this helped.

Jim

Thanks Jim. I must have slept through that part of the presentation.

 

[DarkFark]

It was awesome to meet a bunch of you at second look! What a fun weekend. Dark Fark, I was looking for you to wish you a happy bday but I never figured out who you were! Maybe next April. Hope to see all of you in August.

Ah, I was the tall guy who wore a Yankee hat on Friday. At dinner they got me a brownie sunday and sang happy birthyday, it was nice. I noticed they celebrated your birthday at the party.

I had a great time, I cant wait till August.

 

[MissMD'10]

Ah, I was the tall guy who wore a Yankee hat on Friday. At dinner they got me a brownie sunday and sang happy birthyday, it was nice. I noticed they celebrated your birthday at the party.

I had a great time, I cant wait till August.

Hey, after thinking about it I think we did meet at the party Sat. For some reason it didnt click at the time. Good stuff. See you in the fall!

 

[DarkFark]

Hey, after thinking about it I think we did meet at the party Sat. For some reason it didnt click at the time. Good stuff. See you in the fall!

You met me at the party? Uh oh... you might have met a different side of me than normal. I get silly at parties... sometimes a bit too much fun.

I swear, I was fine until the MS1s made me do that keg stand!

 

[MissMD'10]

You met me at the party? Uh oh... you might have met a different side of me than normal. I get silly at parties... sometimes a bit too much fun.

I swear, I was fine until the MS1s made me do that keg stand!

yeah I think that party was fun for everyone.

 

[abeanatrice]

So, it seems that a lot of people are talking about opportunities to speak Spanish...Pittsburgh definitely doesn't have the largest Hispanic population (coming from New Mexico and Texas, it's definitely different), but Pitt does have a great opportunity. There is a free clinic on the Southside called Birmingham Clinic. They have 2 students go there a few days a week, but on Saturday, there is a special program called "SALUD" where only those with Spanish speaking skills go and translate for the physicians. Other duties will be taking histories, vitals and assisting the physician with a physical exam. I personally haven't gone, but I have not heard anything but great things about it, and the schedule usually books up pretty quickly. And it's also great, because you can get credit if you go 4 times and get out of your "CE3" and have an extra afternoon off a week for a month during the second semester.

There is also some medical spanish "club." They don't meet that regularly, but it's there. Usually they just get together at lunch every so often and pick a topic and go over the medical terminology.

Also, people asking about grading. The first two years are H/P/F. Someone said it, but I'd like to clarify, H is more than 1 std-dev above the mean. F is more than 2 std-dev below the mean. While some people will tell you that this means that statistically, 2 people have to fail, for those of you adept with your stats, you'll realize that this would only be true if it was normally distributed. So, technically, no one has to fail, but usually 1 or 2 people do. But really, it's not that difficult to pass, it's only somewhat tough to get honors. No one here really worries about it once anatomy is over and nerves calm down a bit.

About research: it seems that some people do it during the summer between M1 and M2. However, people do a lot of different things during that summer. I don't really know many people that do research during the school year, but if you're really into it, there are plenty of opportunities. The nice thing about doing research during the summer is that you can get the work for your scholarly project out of the way. I personally don't know that much about that requirement, but basically you have to have a project and write up a paper, I think (fortunately, since I'm spending 4 extra years to get a PhD, they don't make me do that).

And the social scene: it's about whatever you want it to be. I must say my class is big on the bar scene, but it seems like the 2nd year class is a little bit more tame. People generally go out or hang out with their groups and then there is probably an all-class event organized by our VP every other week. Usually just casual things like going out to a club or bar, but he's organized lots of events with the other professional schools, which has been a lot of fun. So, for those of you that are coming next year, find a good VP.

Well, I think that covers most of the questions I saw. Hope this was helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions.

And if no other schools "make" you do a keg stand, you choice should be easy, right?

 

[Algorhythmik]

Like Homer (Simpson) would concur, all important life decisions should be swayed by their ability to accurately render beer content.

Thus - we should follow the aforementioned MS-1's critical insight as the great factor in deciding what medical school to attend ...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. If thou art hitherto forced to stand upon the steely keg = Vote

2. If thou art never brought to the Great Temple of Hops = Vote
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

And with that, as Confucius say, goeth the Gong, "DONG".

 

[mostwanted]

Algorhythmik, did u get ur decision yet? gl

 

[VFTW]

I am from Pittsburgh, and there is like ZERO hispanic population. Pittsburgh is not all that diverse...at least not in terms of culture/ethnicity. I'm sure there would be some small opportunities to use your Spanish, but I doubt it would be on a daily basis.

It's a myth that there is no hispanic community here in Pittsburgh. There is a large one, albeit many people don't realize this. SALUD is a free clinic where you can speak Spanish. Of course you're not going to be speaking Spanish every day, but there are opportunities to learn Spanish and to use it.

 

[Algorhythmik]

Yes, mostwanted ---> I got High WLed

(I'll be waiting a little longer and hoping for good news sooner rather than much later - we'll see how that goes)

 

[mostwanted]

Yes, mostwanted ---> I got High WLed

(I'll be waiting a little longer and hoping for good news sooner rather than much later - we'll see how that goes)

i wish u best of luck, btw when did u recieve ur decision letter, they told me i should be receiving mine by next week. (just a lil impatient )

 

[gcomplex7]

Hey Q,
Did you go to Upitt's revisit too. Ha! I guess i was never meant to figure out who you really are.
gl

 

[Algorhythmik]

Hey Most-Wanted:

I got the letter in the mail this past Friday.

I had called the Thursday of the week just before, and was told it was in the mail, so expect a good 5-7 days for it to arrive. It's ok to call the Office and ask them the status of your decision. They're pretty professional and courteous about it. I think they understand how nerve-wracking it can be.

Good Luck to you. And don't lose hope if you get WLed!!!! Stay positive! I would also recommend, IF that does happen, to immediately send a LOI saying you'd like to go there, etc (IFFFFF they're your first choice).

My student interviewer told me about 1/3 of his 4th year class came from the Wait-List that year. I can only imagine that will be more so true, since this year is now their first using Rolling-Admissions.

 

[QofQuimica]

Hey Q,
Did you go to Upitt's revisit too. Ha! I guess i was never meant to figure out who you really are.
gl

No, I couldn't attend, unfortunately. I already answered your PM before I saw this message. But don't worry, I'll be easy to pick out. I'm the OLD one.

 

[mostwanted]

Hey A, thank you for the encouraging words. Pitt is one of my top choices. My final decision is going to come down b/n my state school (rwj) and pitt.

 

[Algorhythmik]

Here are some books, most of which I've read, but plenty of others I've heard down the grape-vine as good to look into reading

::MED-SCHOOL READING::
==========================================================

* Letters to a Young Doctor - Richard Selzer

* On Doctoring: Collected Stories, Poems, and Essays - Richard Reynolds and John Stone (see 3rd Edition)

* The Blank Slate: the Modern Denial of Human Nature - Steven Pinker (this is more of a human psyche exploration that can help docs)

* Doctoring: the Nature of Primary Care Medicine - Eric Cassell

* The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Anne Fadiman (an Anthro-based study like Mel Konner's)

* The Silent World of Doctor and Patient - Jay Katz

* On Call: a Doctor's Day and Nights in Residency - Emily Transue

* Bedside Manners: One Doctor's Reflections on the Oddly Intimate Encounters between Patient and Healer - David Watts

* Complications: A Young Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science - Atul Gawande

* Hot Lights, Cold Steel: Life, Death and Sleepless Nights in a Surgeon's First Years - Michael Collins

* Doctor Stories - William Carlos Williams

* Waking Up in America: How One Doctor Brings Hope to Those Who Need It Most - Pedro Jose Greer and Liz Balmaseda

* A Dream Surpassing Every Impasse: Becoming a Doctor Against All Odds - Hans Herlinger

* Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery - Richard Selzer

* The House of God - Samuel Shem

* The Intern Blues - Robert Marion

* First Do No Harm - Lisa Belkin

* Learning to Play God - Robert Marion

* Becoming a Doctor: A Journey of Initiation in Medical School - Melvin Konner

* Bodies and Souls - Maxence van der Meersch

* Doctors: A Biography of Medicine - Sherwin Nuland (a history of medicine)

==========================================================

Hope some of you find this a cool source of excitement, and moreover, a big reminder of why we're all here in the 1st place

 

[wowzer]

I swear, I was fine until the MS1s made me do that keg stand!

i can attest to that

 

[DarkFark]

i can attest to that

And I can attest to the fact that you only got to *six* when it was your turn. Lightweight!


Don't worry, that just means there's plenty of room for improvement.

 

[prana_md]

strong work, y'all. I had to leave early and I missed the keg stand party, Promise we'll have them next year? I've never actually done one ... I'll be working on my yoga headstands to get ready.

 

[prana_md]

On a more serious note ...
To the waitlisters: Best of luck! Definitely write those LOIs ... I felt like Pitt really respected my instinct (which I conveyed in a letter of interest in December, before my admission) that Pitt was the *right* place for me. If you got that feeling too, then I think Pitt is really open to hearing about it.
Again, good luck everyone!

 

[MissMD'10]

strong work, y'all. I had to leave early and I missed the keg stand party, Promise we'll have them next year? I've never actually done one ... I'll be working on my yoga headstands to get ready.

Ha Ha me neither...I was proud of everyone who got up there though. And sort of amazed it was happening. I'm definitely a lightweight so I didnt even try, but next year maybe. And I have been working on my headstands. who knew medschool was so much fun? btw prana, I like your screenname. definitely happy to have other yogis in the class.

 

[prana_md]

Ha Ha me neither...I was proud of everyone who got up there though. And sort of amazed it was happening. I'm definitely a lightweight so I didnt even try, but next year maybe. And I have been working on my headstands. who knew medschool was so much fun? btw prana, I like your screenname. definitely happy to have other yogis in the class.

I went to some great yoga classes on both my trips to Pittsburgh at Schoolhouse Yoga. They have a studio in Lawrenceville, and just opened up another one in Squirrel Hill. I've been lagging a bit on getting to class, but I've got to get a yoga habit going again before MS1 hits.

 

[bkflaneur]

I went to some great yoga classes on both my trips to Pittsburgh at Schoolhouse Yoga. They have a studio in Lawrenceville, and just opened up another one in Squirrel Hill. I've been lagging a bit on getting to class, but I've got to get a yoga habit going again before MS1 hits.

prana, were you at 2nd look? it will be good to have some non-traditionals around.

 

[mdphd2b]

I am from Pittsburgh, and there is like ZERO hispanic population. Pittsburgh is not all that diverse...at least not in terms of culture/ethnicity. I'm sure there would be some small opportunities to use your Spanish, but I doubt it would be on a daily basis.

Yeah, that's the one thing I noticed when I moved here in 2000. Once you're outside of Oakland/Shadyside/other academic neighborhoods, the cultural diversity and attractions seem to disappear.

 

[CuddlyKumquat]

Aww mannn....I wish i wasnt WL and had the chance to meet some fellow classmates at the 2nd Look.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Aww mannn....I wish i wasnt WL and had the chance to meet some fellow classmates at the 2nd Look.

Ya seriously... sounds like second look was a hell of a time. Probably misled future students about how much fun med school is

 

[Algorhythmik]

I agree with you guys ... from what I heard about 2nd look, it sounds like the info-mercial should read:

"Me Chief Pitt Doc ... I pass the pipe of peace to my wife, Stands on a Keg ... together, we lead great native tribe of our ppl through gallons of glory. Please - pass the pipe. Thank you."

 

[bkflaneur]

I agree with you guys ... from what I heard about 2nd look, it sounds like the info-mercial should read:

"Me Chief Pitt Doc ... I pass the pipe of peace to my wife, Stands on a Keg ... together, we lead great native tribe of our ppl through gallons of glory. Please - pass the pipe. Thank you."

yeah, it wasn't really like that. if that were the info-mercial, i'd run the other way fast. seriously.

 

[Algorhythmik]

BKF:
ummmm ... so --> --> -->

I was actually being <GASP!> sarcastic. I thought the Chief Sitting Bull thing kinda made it painfully obvious; I guess not. I was just trying to imply that for those of us on WL, it sounds like it was fun, in addition to the normal 2nd look stuff involved.

I'm not stupid enough to choose a school by keg-stand or no keg-stand. I would hope no one posting on here is that dumb. Or naive.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

What's the living situation for most Pitt Med students? If I end up going, I think I'd go for a one bedroom or studio apartment in Oakland... Thoughts?

 

[Economist]

What are your reasons for living in Oakland as opposed to Shadyside or Squirrel Hill?

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

What are your reasons for living in Oakland as opposed to Shadyside or Squirrel Hill?

It's not something I've looked at much, I just mentioned Oakland because (I believe) its the closest neighborhood to the school. I'm open to living elsewhere as well, my main interest is getting my own place.

 

[Economist]

Yeah, the school is in Oakland, but that's not a great reason to live there (at least for the first 2 years). A good number of people do live in Oakland, mostly in Ruskin Hall, but in my opinion that's no bargain. Be aware that most of the student apartments in Oakland are undergrad.

I'd look into Shadyside or Squirrel Hill. I have my own place in Shadyside and I wouldn't live anywhere else. It's a great neighborhood. Plus, when the class goes out, it tends to be in Shadyside more often than not, so it's good to be able to walk home. Squirrel Hill tends to be a bit cheaper than Shadyside, and it's a beautiful neighborhood, too. But Squirrel Hill is a bit more family-oriented, whereas Shadyside has a lot of grad students.

 

[midwest_turtle]

what do you think about south side? it seemed like a nice area when i was there.

 

[Economist]

South side is pretty cool. It's wild on the weekends, which can be good and bad. The main street has tons of traffic. Only 2 people in our class live there, but it's definitely doable. There's only one bus that goes there, which could make your wait a bit longer. My only concern would be that you'd be somewhat isolated, given that very few people in each class live there.

 

[SungHyun7]

does anyone know a good place to look for housing in pittsburgh?

 

[QofQuimica]

Did any of you guys listen to that PalPITTtations CD they sent in the mail? I have to tell you that it's totally awesome. Are there any current students who are members? How talented do you actually have to be to join???

 

[JDWflash44]

Just noticed on a thread in pre-allo that the average USMLE STEP 1 at Pitt is 227

Just thought people on here would be interested,

Jim

 

[SungHyun7]

the average USMLE STEP 1 at Pitt is 227

what's the national average?

 

[wowzer]

I'm not stupid enough to choose a school by keg-stand or no keg-stand. I would hope no one posting on here is that dumb. Or naive.