USUHS Class of 2010

[mac61]

This thread is for the students entering the USU School of Medicine Class of 2010.

After I was accepted last year I found it frustrating trying to figure out what information was good, bad, or otherwise on the regular USUHS thread after sorting out the people that wanted to know how to get in, what to expect at interviews, why USUHS is good/bad, and whether or not military medicine is all its cracked up to be.

So...if you've been accepted into the 2010 class and have questions about what to expect your first week/month/year, hopefully this will help you filter a little information. Also, this could be a more scaled down place to connect with the people with whom you'll be spending the next year in lecture room E, the ATL, and the MDL.

With that, I respectfully ask those with questions/opinions about military medicine, the military in general, USUHS vs. HPSP vs. civilian the whole way to please avoid the temptation to post on this thread. The USUHS thread has become a haven for these topics.

Again, congratulations on choosing and being chosen to attend USUHS. Sleep now as Biochemistry with Mark Roseman begins in about four months, and so do the extra-curricular activities that relieve the stresses of Biochemistry with Mark Roseman...if you know what I mean.

Mike McCaddon
2LT, MS
USUHS 2009

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[zeppelin]

Hey mac61, thanks for starting this thread. I was accepted to USUHS (army) a couple months ago and will most likely be there in the fall. I've read most of the stickies and USUHS-related threads but I have a few questions about what the first year at USUHS is like.

1)During the summer after first year, what does the 4-week operational assignment entail?

2)Is there any patient contact during the first 2 years?

3)I learned that USUHS has intramural sports teams, is there much time for socializing, sports, at USUHS?

4)Lastly, I have no prior service and was wondering what OBC was like?

Thanks a lot.

 

[pgg]

Class of 2002 alumnus here. I don't think things have changed any, but YMMV.

1)During the summer after first year, what does the 4-week operational assignment entail?

Anything you want, provided it's non-medical in nature. The intent is to get you some exposure to the real-world military. There is (was) a huge binder full of one-page evals written by students from past years. You're responsible for dreaming something up, making contact with some unit someplace, and spending the month with them doing something. Again the only requirement is that it be non-medical. Most people try to set up something fun - it was common to try to latch on to aviation units or ships.

2)Is there any patient contact during the first 2 years?

Not a lot. It's mostly the intro to clinical med classes which teach you interview, do exams, and then do both. Some of that is with other students, some with hired actors, some at NNMC or Walter Reed. Maybe 1/2 day per week, less the 1st year.

3)I learned that USUHS has intramural sports teams, is there much time for socializing, sports, at USUHS?

Depends on you. MS1/2 years, about 2-3 days/week the formal classes were out by noon, so many of us would get together to play in the afternoon about once per week. Depending on which city league we played in, league games would be on the weekend or weekday evenings. Not many 3rd years play because of the number of away rotations and generally increased hours. About halfway through the year the MS4s show up again, unless they were stupid enough to torture themselves with extra ICU rotations in the spring.

4)Lastly, I have no prior service and was wondering what OBC was like?

Don't know, I was Navy. OIS sucked, not because it was hard, but because it was about twice as long as it needed to be and was one endless bit of pointless childishness after another ... with rare sprinklings of useful information. Some of it was needed (such as basic military courtesy, uniforms, rank structure, UCMJ info, etc) but most of it was so ridiculous that it bordered on offensive. Picture some pompous line Ensign (O-1) assigning a bunch of dental school graduates and medical school acceptees "homework reading" consisting of a whole chapter a night of "7 Habits Of Highly Successful People" ... or lecturing us on time management skills. Collateral duties were repainting the building we lived in.

The Air Force guys stayed in a hotel with maid service.

I think the Army indoc course was somewhere between Air Force & Navy on the annoyance scale.

 

[mac61]

Hey mac61, thanks for starting this thread. I was accepted to USUHS (army) a couple months ago and will most likely be there in the fall. I've read most of the stickies and USUHS-related threads but I have a few questions about what the first year at USUHS is like.

1)During the summer after first year, what does the 4-week operational assignment entail?

2)Is there any patient contact during the first 2 years?

3)I learned that USUHS has intramural sports teams, is there much time for socializing, sports, at USUHS?

4)Lastly, I have no prior service and was wondering what OBC was like?

Thanks a lot.

PGG hit pretty much everything on the nose...not much has changed. The only things that I might add are these:

1) The 4 week Military Medical Field Study (MMFS) is definitely not medical, with one exception. Prior service folks get to either go to a unit of thier chosing with zero funding from USUHS, or participate in research that is usually medical in the national capital area. I'll be working with the Military Emergency Med Dept. doing blast injury studies.

The binder is still here. We have people going to Ft. Bragg, Germany (overseas choices are however unfunded as of late), Bolivia for Tropical Medicine (somehow funded), MEDEVAC units across the country, pretty much you name it outside of formal military training (i.e. airborne, dive school etc.).

4) Army OBC is somewhere in between AF and the NAV. I went to the non-USUHS AMEDD OBC in my previous life, so I'm not super-hip on what went on. Basically it's a ton of into to the Army courses, with a TON of power point, exams that are written on an 8th grade level (literally), and a few days of field training. We stay in the BOQ which is pretty nice, and on the golf course (Eat your heart out AF).

 

[pgg]

Prior service folks get to either go to a unit of thier chosing with zero funding from USUHS, or participate in research that is usually medical in the national capital area. I'll be working with the Military Emergency Med Dept. doing blast injury studies.

I'd forgotten that ... it's certainly a perk for the prior service people. The military residency application process gives quite a bit of weight to research. Even a single poster/abstract as the 83rd author gets a point. I found it hard to squeeze time to do any non-trivial research into my schedule. The MS1 summer is a good time to do it.

Army OBC is somewhere in between AF and the NAV.

Should also mention that OBC/OIS/whatever has some physical training. Very few people have trouble with it as it's tailored to the lowest common denominator (which, in my OIS class of 300+ dentists and pre-MS1s, was pretty low). But by the end of the course, you're expected to be able to pass the fitness test. For the Navy it's a 1.5 mile run and some push-ups and sit-ups; Army it's a 2 mile run and (?) probably push-ups and/or sit-ups; the Air Force does some weird thing with an exercise bike. Anyway, point being, if you're horribly out of shape or close to being out of weight standards, it wouldn't hurt to get out and run a bit before showing up.

The Navy minimums are fairly easy ... for men around 20-30 I think you've got 13 or 14 minutes to run the 1.5 miles. At USUHS you'll have to do the test twice per year. You don't have to do well - provided you pass and are within weight standards, having a "satisfactory" vs "outstanding" has exactly zero effect on anything that matters (ie, GME and promotions). Supposedly if you fail repeatedly it can hurt you, though I don't know anyone who did.


Final tip for OBC/OIS/whatever ... remember you've already been commissioned as an officer and you're not competing for anything. The whole thing is a formality. Grin and bear it. When I got to OIS they had some Marine Corporal (E4) jump on the bus and start shouting at everyone ... I don't know, trying to reenact the opening scene of Full Metal Jacket or something. It freaked a bunch of people out. Play along with the charade but don't let them intimidate you.

 

[mac61]

As I think about it, I should add a little more info:

First, I didn't offer my congratulations, I really think you'll find USUHS very rewarding. I have had nothing but extremely positive experiences at USUHS so far.

A word about extra-curricular activites. I would say our socializing skills are very practiced. Sometimes I find myself envious of the fun that the single folks have as I listen to thier tales of Halloween parties, bar runs, trips to Costa Rica and week-long cruises over spring break. There are also plenty of family-friendly events that happen...bottom line: we have as much, if not more fun than any school....probably more because many of the students make more money now than they ever have. Ahhh...to be 22 and making ~60K/year...imagine the possibilities.

As far as organized sports go....I think the biggest orgs are soccer, rugby, running, kickball (that's right...it's a civilian, very competative league), rock-paper-scissors, and our pool tourneys are down-right brutal. A lot of MS2s are competing in triathalons this year (and a few MS1s), and I'm very confident that a cycling club will start up quickly because the weather just turned nice.

And patient contact. So the class that gets you patient contact in the first year is Intro to Clinical Medicine (ICM). The first year is definitely geared toward patient interviews. We do interview paid actors and each other, however the patients that we interview are pretty spectacular. We see live patients about once a week or every other week after the Christmas break. So far the patients that I have seen have been: 7 different Amputees from OIF at WRAMC, a patient who had a radical vulvectomy the day before, an SF pilot who had several conditions, a 60y/o woman who had been inpatient for 9 months....these are the examples that stick out in my head, but there have been more.

Oh yes. Our first experience was actually in the first semester. Myself and another student went to the home of a family with children being treated for life altering conditions. My family had three children: one who was diabetic, which was discovered when he was found in ketoacidodic shock when his parents tried to wake him up one morning when he was 7 (the neurologic insults sustained were pretty significant), his brother with the same Dx, caught early, and a sibling who had congenital emphysema discovered at 9 mos. Definitely an enlightening experience.

Different but related...we did a cardiovascular lab yesterday. We used a porcine patient involving veinous cut-downs, inatrope/pressor administration, vagectomy, thoracotamy, induced atrial and ventricular fibrillations, heart massage, and observation of induced ischemia. So far the most amazing experience of medical school.

And, once again, PGG hit another excellent point. Expect to do PT just about every morning at OBC. We ran in ability groups, but just about everyone got blasted with push-ups, sit-ups, etc. Anything you can do to prep before you arrive will be beneficial. At school the only organized PT is a PT test every 6 mos, and if you fail to make 70% in every event, then PT is MWF at 0600 (for the Army).

 

[rotatores]

Ahhh...to be 22 and making ~60K/year...imagine the possibilities.

Those of us single without dep and without prior service are making 45K/yr.

rotatores
USUHS 2006

 

[zeppelin]

Thanks for your replies!

 

[RunGuns]

Hi all,

I'm real excited about going to USUHS this fall but was worried a bit about the move. I'm from southern California and will be attending COT in Montgomery, AL starting June 6. Does anyone have any advice on finding housing? I stayed in Kensington when I last visited and really liked the area. What other cities should I consider if I wanted to live within a 10 minute drive? I'm open to suggestions on living arrangements - sharing an apartment/house, my own studio/apartment, etc. What about shipping my car? I've left messages with a few people but no one has gotten back to me. Since I'll be at COT for 6 weeks, any advice on how/where I should store my belongings until I settle at USUHS in August?

Thanks!

 

[mac61]

Hi all,

I'm real excited about going to USUHS this fall but was worried a bit about the move. I'm from southern California and will be attending COT in Montgomery, AL starting June 6. Does anyone have any advice on finding housing? I stayed in Kensington when I last visited and really liked the area. What other cities should I consider if I wanted to live within a 10 minute drive? I'm open to suggestions on living arrangements - sharing an apartment/house, my own studio/apartment, etc. What about shipping my car? I've left messages with a few people but no one has gotten back to me. Since I'll be at COT for 6 weeks, any advice on how/where I should store my belongings until I settle at USUHS in August?

Thanks!

I wish I could give you good news about house hunting. It was definitely the most difficult thing that I did coming to USUHS, however I have 3 children, so I had a little more to be worried about than the single folk.

However...the one lesson that I have is that looking for housing based on what town/city (i.e. Kensington, Rockville, Wheaton) you want to live in can be tricky. The entire area is spotted with good and bad neighborhoods, mixed pretty randomly. People in our class live everywhere from Germantown/Gaithersberg (20 minute commute without traffic, 45-60 minutes with traffic) to Bethesda with a 5 minute walk. Distance, however can be deceiving. I live 6.5 miles from campus in Aspen Hill (technically Silver Spring, which is shaped very irregularly so it encomapasses a diverse area), but it takes me 20-45 minutes to drive, depending on traffic and lights. I actually ride my bike to campus most days, which takes about the same amount of time.

Another general rule of thumb (there are of course exceptions): The closer to a metro stop you live, the crumbier and more expensive rent will be. Lots of us do, however use the metro to get to school regularly. You can also get "metro checks" which are basically vouchers for about $100/month for use on busses/metros.

As far as finding housing, we used the NNMC housing referal office, which you should have the number to in your welcome packet. We told them what our price range was, and what we were looking for, and they gave us a database that we worked off of to find our place.

Many of the students in our class do have room mates, many don't. I think it's all up to the individual. I also know several ppl that have moved once already since last Aug., and several who feel trapped in bad situations.

As far as house hold goods and your car are concerned: Your house hold goods can be stored here by the gov't for up to 90 days (I believe that is the cut off before it becomes long-term storage). So when you go to the transportation office at your local base, arrange to have your stuff shipped when it's convenient for you, and it will be here waiting when you arrive. Functionally, it's the same for your car, if you decide to ship it instead of drive...again, students do both.

The first couple of weeks at USUHS are mostly inprocessing and intro to med school, etc. The schedule plans for time for you to pick up your car, have your goods delivered etc. Usually there are only minor issues with getting the time. I do recommend however, planning on getting these things done in the first 2 weeks of the schedule. After class starts, you probably don't want to miss class until you figure out what classes you really want/need to go to.

Keep trying to get in touch with the transportation office in your area. If you have orders, it's never too early to start planning the date for the military to ship your goods.

Hope this helps.

 

[RunGuns]

thanks mac61! Hope to see you around in the fall...

 

[Ruby5]

Hi! I've been recently accepted to USUHS. My commissioning date is coming up soon and I'm torn between another school and USUHS. What are USUHS most attractive qualities, would you say?

 

[jkmasterson]

Hi! I've been recently accepted to USUHS. My commissioning date is coming up soon and I'm torn between another school and USUHS. What are USUHS most attractive qualities, would you say?

1. LOCATION Washington DC has a pretty decent climate with four seasons. Plus you are near a big city with the clubs, restaurants, museums, and history.

2. PAY Just starting with no dependents and no prior experience, you'll make about 45k before taxes.

3. JOIN THE CLUB. USUHS is taking over the military. It's a good feeling to go to your next military assignment and automatically know a handful of people there before you even start.

4. JOB. Make sure you want to join the military. If you are just looking for a free education and hoping to skip out on deployments and military relevant issues such as treating only a military population, go somewhere else. Everybody at USUHS wants to be in the military.

Hope this helps! USUHS 2008

 

[mac61]

Hi! I've been recently accepted to USUHS. My commissioning date is coming up soon and I'm torn between another school and USUHS. What are USUHS most attractive qualities, would you say?

I'm responding, but PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS INTO A "WHY USUHS/HPSP/MILITARY MEDICINE IS HORRIBLE" THREAD!!! If any well meaning current/former military doc wants to refute anyone's pros about USUHS, please continue these comments in the threads that have already been overcome by these topics. I have included a plug for these threads in my response in order to keep the reader informed, I hope this is enough.

I've tried to also direct my response to the experience of an MS1 at USUHS in keeping with this thread.

On to business.

I think the thing that stands out in my mind the most is the camaraderie. We all (MSI-IV) have something in common: the military will be our patient base. I don't know how other medical schools are, but I hear pretty competative. I can however say with complete confidence that USUHS is the exact opposite of competative. Everyone helps everyone, with very rare exception. We make up for advancement through competativeness with advancement through teamwork. We're dangerously close to losing two students to academics, and no one I know is happy about it.

Similarly, I would argue that our relatively large class (~167) is very close knit. Everyone either knows everyone personally, or knows a little something about everyone.

Again, I don't know much about the civilian schools, but I hear another thing we have going is continuity of instruction. The primary instructors for each class are usually about 5-10 instructors per course (for the core courses biochem, A&P, Neuro), with the occasional guest speaker. The smaller courses have even better ratios, and the vast majority of course intructors have been VERY available for contact.

Ah, the last thing I can think of. We have ~400 hours of extra course load over most schools. This course load is mostly field medicine, and military medicine. I read somewhere that the average USUHS intern has the EM education of a 1st/2nd year EM resident in a civilian program (NOT VERIFIED FACT). For example, just in my first year, I've done sutures, intubation, and most of ACLS. Ah, and done simulator labs with anesthesia. Combined with the relatively advanced first aid training in the first year, I would say it's probably one of the most clinically oriented first years in the country. Can't wait to see what follows. This information is not a fair assesment, and I wish to apologize for the uneducated opinion. Thanks pgg/rotatores.

This being said, there is plenty of USUHS bashing out there, not all of it without merit. The commitment is long. I think the jury is still out about whether or not getting paid in school and having no debt with a 7-12 year commitment is financially smarter than taking on the loans. For me, its a no brainer, I've been in the Army so long it doesn't make sense not to take the commitment. Also, I personally really like the military, so all of the bad that comes with it, I am willing to take with the good. (See about every other thread here for the subjective bad of the military and military medicine.)

I think the best thing to think about however is: do you want to be a military physician, or a physician in the military, or a civilian doc with a need to pay for school. There is a pretty significant difference. USUHS trains people to become military physicians. If you're looking to become a physician in the military, ready to get into civilian practice after 4 years, consider HPSP or civilian school. If you tryly want to serve in the military and for the military community, then USUHS is probably a good choice.

Good Luck. Hope to see you in the fall.

Mac61

 

[rotatores]

Ah, the last thing I can think of. We have ~400 hours of extra course load over most schools. This course load is mostly field medicine, and military medicine. I read somewhere that the average USUHS intern has the EM education of a 1st/2nd year EM resident in a civilian program (NOT VERIFIED FACT). For example, just in my first year, I've done sutures, intubation, and most of ACLS. Ah, and done simulator labs with anesthesia. Combined with the relatively advanced first aid training in the first year, I would say it's probably one of the most clinically oriented first years in the country. Can't wait to see what follows

Before anyone starts to lash out...I just thought i'd go ahead and tell ya that this is totally not true. I fell for the same line when I was applying to USUHS. In fact, I would say that my knowledge of EM is much less than many civilian schools. My 4th yr EM rotation was at NMCP and I basically did sick call for a month. Suturing, simulator labs, and ACLS etc are not specific to USUHS...this is more like the norm at a good/average school.

Rotatores
USUHS 2006

 

[pgg]

Everybody at USUHS wants to be in the military.

If only. I'd rephrase that to say that almost all of the happy students at USUHS want to be in the military. There were some unhappy misfits in my class (2002) who were there solely because of the $ or because USUHS was their only med school acceptance.

I basically agree with everything else you say though. USUHS was a fantastic school to go to. Whatever else may be wrong with military medicine, USUHS isn't part of the problem.

I'm finishing up a 3 year GMO tour after USUHS, bound for a military residency, and I'm as happy now as I was as a student. Taking care of the active duty population is worth a lot to me. That said, I haven't had the spirit-crushing experiences with beaurocracy, systemic incompetence, and other military med problems that other posters here have. They assure me it's coming, but I'm (perhaps naively) hopeful.

I read somewhere that the average USUHS intern has the EM education of a 1st/2nd year EM resident in a civilian program (NOT VERIFIED FACT).

No way. You really can't compare a couple of extra classes and animal labs to actual GME time. We did ATLS as MS4s, but that's what, a two day class? There's Bushmaster, but there's precious little actual medical training in that. When I was there, OEMS was an optional MS1 summer class open only to prior service students (the rest of us had our military experience to do). There's surely a greater emphasis on triage/mass-casualty stuff. I can't remember anything else that's likely to be significantly better than what a civilian school would offer.

 

[pgg]

My 4th yr EM rotation was at NMCP and I basically did sick call for a month.

I believe that. Every MTF I've worked in would have been lousy places to do ER rotations. Makes me wonder how any military EM residency can stay accredited - lots of out rotations?

I did my MS4 EM time at Baltimore Memorial. As an NNMC intern, they sent me to Inova Fairfax. Both were pretty good experiences, though neither got much trauma.

 

[mac61]

Before anyone starts to lash out...I just thought i'd go ahead and tell ya that this is totally not true. I fell for the same line when I was applying to USUHS. In fact, I would say that my knowledge of EM is much less than many civilian schools. My 4th yr EM rotation was at NMCP and I basically did sick call for a month. Suturing, simulator labs, and ACLS etc are not specific to USUHS...this is more like the norm at a good/average school.

Rotatores
USUHS 2006

Thanks for keeping me in check everyone. I respectfully retract my (not JKMasterson's) comment regarding the extra course load relating to GME. Thanks for the input.

Mac61

 

[Ruby5]

Mac61, Jkmasterson,
Thanks a lot for the feedback. I'm happy to have gotten some info from those with experience..most helpful.

 

[USUfirstyear]

Hey guys and gals I'm a first year student at USUHS so if anyone has questions about classes or where to live let me know, a lot of current first year students are actually looking for roomates.

 

[Turkeyman]

Thanks to all those who have contributed to this thread thus far, it is much appreciated! :good:

I'll be attending USUHS in the fall, and had a couple of questions regarding OBC(coming up June 11th, less than 40 days). I don't have any prior service, and haven't yet thoroughly studied the welcome packet so these questions may seem a bit dumb. Anyways!

1) I haven't received my orders yet, but was wondering exactly how I am to report to OBC. Do I simply fly there myself and be present on base June 11th?

2) Will we be purchasing our uniforms and gear in the beginning of OBC, or are we expected to have them beforehand?

3) Do they weigh you at the beginning or at the end of OBC(I'm guessing you also take the fitness test at the end)? I'm right by the weight limit for my height, and tend to fluctuate 2-3 pounds around that limit every month or so. I know at OBC I won't be fluctuating like that because we'll be doing PT everyday, so if we were to be weighed at the beginning of OBC I should probably just lose five pounds now to ensure that I'm not "overweight."

4) Is there a good amount of free time during OBC?

5) How do people get around during OBC...do they rent cars or use public transportation near the base?

Thanks again!

 

[grumbo]

Thanks to all those who have contributed to this thread thus far, it is much appreciated! :good:

I'll be attending USUHS in the fall, and had a couple of questions regarding OBC(coming up June 11th, less than 40 days). I don't have any prior service, and haven't yet thoroughly studied the welcome packet so these questions may seem a bit dumb. Anyways!

1) I haven't received my orders yet, but was wondering exactly how I am to report to OBC. Do I simply fly there myself and be present on base June 11th?

2) Will we be purchasing our uniforms and gear in the beginning of OBC, or are we expected to have them beforehand?

3) Do they weigh you at the beginning or at the end of OBC(I'm guessing you also take the fitness test at the end)? I'm right by the weight limit for my height, and tend to fluctuate 2-3 pounds around that limit every month or so. I know at OBC I won't be fluctuating like that because we'll be doing PT everyday, so if we were to be weighed at the beginning of OBC I should probably just lose five pounds now to ensure that I'm not "overweight."

4) Is there a good amount of free time during OBC?

5) How do people get around during OBC...do they rent cars or use public transportation near the base?

Thanks again!

Congrats on getting in. You'll like it here and it will be over before you know it. I went through in '04 so hopefully things haven't changed much. Speaking of haven't changed much, I feel like this has been answered before (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=183889).


1) I'm not sure about this since my orders arrived on time. Call around and see who you need to push for your orders.
2) You can get all of you uniforms there and you are not expected to bring anything not on the packing list. See referenced thread.
3) You'll be weighed in and have a PT test in the first week to see where you are. If you run that test slowly, you'll be put in the slow PT group. If you run like a stud in the first test, you'll be put in the stud PT group. Realize that slow PT groups do less than stud PT groups and plan your first run accordingly. The only negative consequence of not passing the initial test is that you won't be eligible for any awards/recongnition at the end. You'll have another PT test at the end of OBC to prove you've made progress.
4) Other than the first week and the week in the field, you'll have plenty of free time. You should be done with classes by anywhere from 2-4:30 depending on your instructor.
5) Bring a car if you can or get to know people who have cars if you can't. Otherwise, you have your feet or a cab to choose from.

 

[Turkeyman]

Awesome, thanks for your help grumbo. After reading that thread, I'll probably be trying to get my uniforms and military ID ahead of time. I'll have three weeks after graduation to get things sorted out, so it shouldn't be a problem making it to a nearby army base. I e-mailed today and it seems my orders are just about ready. Hopefully I'll get them in the next two weeks.

 

[phil413ru]

I concur w/ OBC info in grumbos thread. I had a different experience on some aspects (different year group)--item 1 and 3.
When I went to OBC, it took FOREVER for me to get my orders. I was ROTC, and had been given ed delay and unconditional acceptance by April, but by commissioning/grad time, still had no orders. My ROTC officer took in "on faith" that I would recieve orders and had me comission as Medical service officer instead ed delay/signal as assigned.
Our report date in 2003 was June 15. I called or emailed often in May/early June as was told they were "coming". They finally faxed me the orders June 11--so I could leave to make the drive the next day. Moral of the story is--even if you get them late, it can still work--it did for me!

As far as weigh in, my OBC class (03) weighed in the same day we reported. As far as PT--unless you are in stud group, don't count on having PT help you lose weight/stay in shape--at least if you are runner/athlete before going. There are plenty of places to run on the course--and close off base.



Best luck!

 

[Turkeyman]

Ahh sounds good, thanks for your account as well. Another question -- should we get a military haircut beforehand, or will that be a part of inprocessing? My hair is the longest it's ever been at this point and I won't be cutting it until the last possible moment =D.

 

[Pemberley]

Ahh sounds good, thanks for your account as well. Another question -- should we get a military haircut beforehand, or will that be a part of inprocessing? My hair is the longest it's ever been at this point and I won't be cutting it until the last possible moment =D.

Assuming you're male, get it cut beforehand. Even if the doctors' indoctrinations is as much more laid-back than everybody else's as they say it is, you will still be drawing unmeasurable amounts of c**p down onto your noggin if you don't.

If you're female, figure out beforehand how to put it up so that it's entirely above the bottom edge of your collar and will not come down no matter how much jogging, how many jumping-jacks, and what sort of whacky obstacle courses you run. Also that it can fit under a helmet and all your uniform headgear. Your hairdo can actually change your hat size if it's too high on your head. Oh, and make it something that you can accomplish in about 30 sec.

Hope this helps.

-Pemberley

Edit: That advice for the females was good for the Air Force. I have no idea about the other services.

 

[Nylesor]

I'm there.

 

[Nylesor]

Anyone know good places to live near the school?

 

[Croooz]

Search in Bethesda. Pricey but you can walk to school. I would suggest staying within the beltway, south of I-495. Chevy Chase, Bethesda, parts of Silver Spring. Rockville is okay but is a nightmare during the weekends...too much traffic. There's DC but I would stick to Bethesda.

 

[phil413ru]

Bethesda is priced outrageously. If looking for an apartment, I would try something in SS. If you don't have roommates, for the 1st two years, it is okay to live in Gaithersburg/Germantown--as long as you are on the road early, and MUCH cheaper apartments and then you can move closer when you find roomate/s.
If you want to be w/in the beltway, you can find a place close to school. I would try something near SS (20910 zip), wheaton or kensington--prices are much better. Some places in Bethesda you will be paying around $1500 for 600 sq feet.
Also--check out www.apartmentratings.com
Feel free to PM me or email (better) if you want to know where to live. Decide what is important (some real bad neighbors--in Rockville, SS, Gaithersburg, Bethesda, etc)
Best luck and welcome to USUHS!

 

[mtnrescueman]

Hey all,
I was accepted in the middle of may to USUHS, and just got back from Maryland and have an apartment. I am now looking for a roomate. The website below is the same one from the housing suggestions thread if you look at that one too, but it seemed like more people visit this thread.
The site is:
http://www.snowedunder.com/USUHShousing/
Please don't hesitate to call or e-mail if you are interested.
I look forward to meeting all of you later this summer.
-Mike

 

[jdiffen]

I am an active duty MSC Army CPT that just found out I've been accepted. During interview day at USUHS, several students told me they had trouble/issues with pay when transitioning to USUHS as a 2LT. If anyone here has any advice on how to avoid these obstacles for a smooth transition it would be MOST appreciated. I currently work at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research so I'm in the area. Thanks.

 

[mac61]

I am an active duty MSC Army CPT that just found out I've been accepted. During interview day at USUHS, several students told me they had trouble/issues with pay when transitioning to USUHS as a 2LT. If anyone here has any advice on how to avoid these obstacles for a smooth transition it would be MOST appreciated. I currently work at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research so I'm in the area. Thanks.

Congrats on the move to USUHS.

The best advice I can give is to start getting your DD1506 done as quickly as possible. Work with the OPM office at WRAMC to make sure that your packet is as complete as possible before submitting to DFAS, make finance double check all of your documents because if anything is missing, DFAS Belvoir will use the 60 day rule to thier advantage. It might even be worth getting in contact with either SSG Web in the PAC at USUHS or CPT Glenn the Army CO CDR(though she's on her way out, so not sure how much help she'll be). WRAMC is probably your best bet though, if you can get in over there, get it done as soon as possible.

Also, don't submit your packet with the rest of the class during the first week of class. Make sure it is in a separate pile. No matter how thick your packet is, they will treat you like every other student regardless of your commission date and individual circumstances if it gets lumped in. They didn't even look at my commission date, and arrived me a month after I reported. I'm told that CPT Glenn cut orders for all priors to report a week early to get things done before the majority of the class arrives, but that G2 is a month old.

Make sure that your unit departs you in SIDPERS the day you leave. My unit waited 30 days, so USUHS couldn't arrive me, thus finance couldn't pay me, adding to my problems.

Don't sell leave back when you separate. You aren't really authorized, and they'll give your days back after you arrive at USUHS and take back whatever you were paid.

Last. If they keep paying you O-3 pay, let them know ASAP. A couple of students got drilled a year in because they decided not to let DFAS know what was up. The pay problems escalated from there.

I think those are my words of wisdom. FYI: I've been fighting for a year. Took them 7 months to pay me for my first 2 months at USUHS, and they still say I owe them $12,000 but I can't seem to get anyone to sit down with me to audit the debt. You do the math...they didn't pay me, and I owe them...my LES is an OPD waiting to happen.

Good luck, school is much better than dealing with DFAS....except biochem...I wouldn't do that again if you paid me what I used to make.

Mike