*******MCW Class of 2011*********

It was the highlight of my week last year when Martin told everyone on the phys discussion board to shut up. I loved it.

indo said:

The class of '09 didn't even have doors within which to take their parkas off!

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Well, we didn't need to take our coats off indoors since Kerrigan was kept at like -20F.

DoctorFunk said:

Back in my day, we had tests on Fridays, Mondays, and Tuesdays! That meant both weekends were ruined, and they were sure to weigh you down with 3 or 4 lectures a day after tests were done to make sure you had to do some studying in the weekend after tests too. We didn't have any of those fancy "study days" that you kids are always going on about either.

And you want to know what? We loved every minute of it.

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Just wait until the shock that is fall semester of second year.

indo said:

Why is it so windy in that room?

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That would be the warm front that comes and meets the cold air causing wind. Guess it hasn't caused a storm yet.

Or is it that the hot air comes from so many PhD's gathered in one place.

donnyfire said:

Or is it that the hot air comes from so many PhD's gathered in one place.

Click to expand...

That's a better explanation. But why doesn't that happen in the HRC during path with the MDs who like to hear themselves talk? Not enough of a temperature discrepancy?

i have returned for my jejunum......

Does anyone from the class of 2011 actually post here?

Chulito said:

Does anyone from the class of 2011 actually post here?

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occassionally. but we've either shut them out unintentionally or they aren't that excited or positive they'll be at MCW yet.

but we're sorta like a virus...a cancer of this forum. the current M2s sorta moved into the 2010 thread, and now the M1s and M2s together have descended upon 2011. You'll understand when the 2012 class starts a thread and we take that over too.

trust me, it's because we love them. If we didn't like the class of 2011 we wouldn't hijack their thread and shut out any useful discussion!

Agent Splat said:

occassionally. but we've either shut them out unintentionally or they aren't that excited or positive they'll be at MCW yet.

but we're sorta like a virus...a cancer of this forum. the current M2s sorta moved into the 2010 thread, and now the M1s and M2s together have descended upon 2011. You'll understand when the 2012 class starts a thread and we take that over too.

trust me, it's because we love them. If we didn't like the class of 2011 we wouldn't hijack their thread and shut out any useful discussion!

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I'm interviewing at MCW on February 16th. Yes, for the waitlist. Sigh. I'd like to be all excited and join in your banter, but I'd feel like a poser, so I just watch and wish. Keep having fun, though. Maybe I'll play later.

Chulito said:

I'm interviewing at MCW on February 16th. Yes, for the waitlist. Sigh. I'd like to be all excited and join in your banter, but I'd feel like a poser, so I just watch and wish. Keep having fun, though. Maybe I'll play later.

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hey, the more the merrier. feel free to post any questions here. good luck in February!!

If you thought it was cold this week, get a load of this from the NWS...

"...ARCTIC BLAST TO AFFECT SOUTHERN WISCONSIN TOMORROW INTO NEXT WEEK...
THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF STRONG COLD FRONTS WILL PUSH THROUGH
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN TOMORROW MORNING. IN THE WAKE OF THIS
FRONT...BITTERLY COLD AIR WILL BEGIN TO SURGE SOUTHWARD OVER WISCONSIN.
THIS ARCTIC AIRMASS IS THEN EXPECTED TO RESIDE OVER THE REGION
THROUGH AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THESE FRIGID CONDITIONS
WILL BE THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON...AND PERHAPS THE
COLDEST TEMPERATURES IN THE PAST DECADE.
AT THIS TIME...THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR FROM
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY...WHEN LOW TEMPERATURES MAY
PLUMMET TO 10 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO...WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES
STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF THE SINGLE DIGITS.
IN ADDITION TO THE COLD TEMPERATURES...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL READINGS
OF 25 DEGREES BELOW ZERO OR COLDER WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES.
BEFORE THIS BITTERLY COLD AIR ARRIVES TOMORROW...ANY PERSONS
OR INTERESTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES SHOULD BEGIN
PREPARING NOW. ENSURE THAT YOUR FURNACE AND VEHICLES ARE IN GOOD
WORKING CONDITION...AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS
FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THESE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS."

Edit: By the way, sorry for the all caps. I just didn't feel like retyping the whole thing.

Why couldn't UH have been a better med school? I hate cold. My mom was complaining last night that it was cold at home -- 70s.

OK, here we go. Sorry to kill the party.

1) Is the whole student body of MCW the raging party that this thread is? Y'all seem like so damn much fun. Are folks friendly, and do the classes mix much? Do people *live* as well as study?

2) What is life in Milwaukee like, especially near the campus, as I don't plan to have a car? Is there a good variety of coffee shops near campus for studying and socializing? Is there Wi-Fi everywhere? Is there good beer in Milwaukee (variety, internationals, quality, etc.) and fun pubs?

3) I'm a cyclist, both commuter and recreational. Is Milwaukee friendly to my kind? What is the surrounding countryside like?

4) Is there a good gym and a swimming pool at the college (or at least near by)?

5) What is the schedule and ratio of lectures and PBL during the first two years? Is PBL well facilitated and guided by experts in the pertinent material, or are they just chaperones who make sure that you don't talk about beer and girls in wet t-shirts instead of studying? Is PBL well coordinated with lectures?

6) Are there lots of opportunities to work in community clinics, especially ones that have a large Hispanic population? I'm a primary-care (or possibly EM) guy with a particular interest in Hispanic patients, so I'd like to plug into a clinic or ambulatory-care setting right from the beginning and stay involved there at least throughout the first two years, probably all four. It doesn't have to be a formal part or program of the university, mind you, but it can't be an hour away by car either.

7) How much freedom do you have to choose between sites for third- and fourth-year rotations? Do you have enough options to be able to choose an OB/GYN site where you will actually get to deliver babies instead of sweep floors, for example? Do you ever get to be on call, or are there only day shifts? And how are the evaluations structured in third year?

Whew. I have more where that came from, but enough for now. I'd love to hear from multiple people about this stuff. You can PM me if you'd rather not gum up this thread, of course. Thanks in advance for anything you have to say.

Chulito said:

OK, here we go. Sorry to kill the party.

1) Is the whole student body of MCW the raging party that this thread is? Y'all seem like so damn much fun. Are folks friendly, and do the classes mix much? Do people *live* as well as study?

Click to expand...

I think you'll find a variety. If you wanna party, there are definitely people to party with. If not, you'll find your own mix of people too. I think everyone's friendly for the most part, and the classes mix as much as you want them to. I definitely try to *live.* That's probably the same no matter where you go to school. It's all up to you how you balance (or not balance) your life.

Chulito said:

2) What is life in Milwaukee like, especially near the campus, as I don't plan to have a car? Is there a good variety of coffee shops near campus for studying and socializing? Is there Wi-Fi everywhere? Is there good beer in Milwaukee (variety, internationals, quality, etc.) and fun pubs?

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I think life is a bit more difficult without a car in Milwaukee, but it's doable, as there are a few people in our class that manage it. There are many places to live within walking distance of school. There's an area of Tosa not too far from school with a Starbucks, a nice little cafe with bottomless coffee and good breakfast, some restaurants and bars. And Milwaukee's economy is based on beer. As far as variety and internationals though, it totally depends on the bar and area of Milwaukee. There is not Wi-Fi everywhere, but I know it's something the city of Milwaukee is working on, not sure about Tosa. But the school has Wi-Fi, and that cafe I mentioned has Wi-Fi as well. And Panera at the mall (driving or biking distance).

Chulito said:

3) I'm a cyclist, both commuter and recreational. Is Milwaukee friendly to my kind? What is the surrounding countryside like?

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I think so, but since my bike is not here, I can't really comment well on this. The surrounding countryside is, well, country.

Chulito said:

4) Is there a good gym and a swimming pool at the college (or at least near by)?

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There is a mini-gym at school that a lot of students use. The WI Athletic Club (WAC) is across the street. It's ~$50/month, and I'm not sure if there's a pool since I've never been inside. The YMCA has a pool, and charges only like ~$25 if you're living off the financial aid, but it would be driving distance from school.

Chulito said:

5) What is the schedule and ratio of lectures and PBL during the first two years? Is PBL well facilitated and guided by experts in the pertinent material, or are they just chaperones who make sure that you don't talk about beer and girls in wet t-shirts instead of studying? Is PBL well coordinated with lectures?

Click to expand...

We have a pretty traditional, lecture-based curriculum. Some PBL's here and there, but not much. All PBL's are led by a MD or PhD.

Chulito said:

6) Are there lots of opportunities to work in community clinics, especially ones that have a large Hispanic population? I'm a primary-care (or possibly EM) guy with a particular interest in Hispanic patients, so I'd like to plug into a clinic or ambulatory-care setting right from the beginning and stay involved there at least throughout the first two years, probably all four. It doesn't have to be a formal part or program of the university, mind you, but it can't be an hour away by car either.

Click to expand...

There is a student-based free clinic every Saturday morning. But you'd need a car(it's a good 20 minutes or so from school), a ride, or plenty of time on the bus to get there. The school is in a suburb, and the free clinic is obviously not in a suburb. There's another free clinic that students help out at, but I haven't been involved in it at all, so I can't tell you much about it. There is a Hispanic population in Milwaukee, but the Saturday clinic isn't really in that area of the city. Maybe someone else could comment more on that.

Chulito said:

7) How much freedom do you have to choose between sites for third- and fourth-year rotations? Do you have enough options to be able to choose an OB/GYN site where you will actually get to deliver babies instead of sweep floors, for example? Do you ever get to be on call, or are there only day shifts? And how are the evaluations structured in third year?

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Xandie, Don...help me out. I guess the high teenage pregnancy rate in Milwaukee is a plus. And you don't get to be on call, you have to be on call. I believe all med schools have students on call during the big rotations.

Chulito said:

Whew. I have more where that came from, but enough for now. I'd love to hear from multiple people about this stuff. You can PM me if you'd rather not gum up this thread, of course. Thanks in advance for anything you have to say.

Click to expand...

Well, I tried to tackle your questions at least.

Good luck!!

donnyfire said:

If you thought it was cold this week, get a load of this from the NWS...

"...ARCTIC BLAST TO AFFECT SOUTHERN WISCONSIN TOMORROW INTO NEXT WEEK...
THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF STRONG COLD FRONTS WILL PUSH THROUGH
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN TOMORROW MORNING. IN THE WAKE OF THIS
FRONT...BITTERLY COLD AIR WILL BEGIN TO SURGE SOUTHWARD OVER WISCONSIN.
THIS ARCTIC AIRMASS IS THEN EXPECTED TO RESIDE OVER THE REGION
THROUGH AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THESE FRIGID CONDITIONS
WILL BE THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON...AND PERHAPS THE
COLDEST TEMPERATURES IN THE PAST DECADE.
AT THIS TIME...THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR FROM
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY...WHEN LOW TEMPERATURES MAY
PLUMMET TO 10 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO...WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES
STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF THE SINGLE DIGITS.
IN ADDITION TO THE COLD TEMPERATURES...DANGEROUS WIND CHILL READINGS
OF 25 DEGREES BELOW ZERO OR COLDER WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES.
BEFORE THIS BITTERLY COLD AIR ARRIVES TOMORROW...ANY PERSONS
OR INTERESTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES SHOULD BEGIN
PREPARING NOW. ENSURE THAT YOUR FURNACE AND VEHICLES ARE IN GOOD
WORKING CONDITION...AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS
FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THESE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS."

Edit: By the way, sorry for the all caps. I just didn't feel like retyping the whole thing.

Click to expand...

Ah, this weather reminds me of the winters when I was a kid. Good times.

Chulito said:

OK, here we go. Sorry to kill the party.

1) Is the whole student body of MCW the raging party that this thread is? Y'all seem like so damn much fun. Are folks friendly, and do the classes mix much? Do people *live* as well as study?

Click to expand...

We have fun, but we also study. The forums tend to be REALLY active around exams. I've been on here a lot because I haven't been studying (I think I have a cold, and I've been sleeping a lot).

As for class mixing, last year, I knew a whole bunch more M2s than I know M1s now. I don't know how the M2s were able to hang out with us so much because I've become very antisocial. I don't see that many M3s too often, but when I do, I enjoy seeing them (Hi Don and Xandie!). I know some M4s, and they're basically slackers right now.

2) What is life in Milwaukee like, especially near the campus, as I don't plan to have a car? Is there a good variety of coffee shops near campus for studying and socializing? Is there Wi-Fi everywhere? Is there good beer in Milwaukee (variety, internationals, quality, etc.) and fun pubs?

Click to expand...

You'll probably want a car, at least before 3rd year. I like to study at the library, but occasionally, I go to random bookstores or coffee shops (24 hour starbucks). Some places have wifi. The school does, which is nice (and distracting).

3) I'm a cyclist, both commuter and recreational. Is Milwaukee friendly to my kind? What is the surrounding countryside like?

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Milwaukee has a lot of trails for recreational. I think you should ask Doctor Funk about commuting (or search the old 2010 thread). I may start riding my bike to school when I don't have a 150lb backpack, and I don't plan on staying there after dark -- I also have to get over a fear of cars.

4) Is there a good gym and a swimming pool at the college (or at least near by)?

Click to expand...

No swimming pool at school. :'( There's a gym, but there's the WI Athletic Club across the street from school with a gym and pool.

5) What is the schedule and ratio of lectures and PBL during the first two years? Is PBL well facilitated and guided by experts in the pertinent material, or are they just chaperones who make sure that you don't talk about beer and girls in wet t-shirts instead of studying? Is PBL well coordinated with lectures?

Click to expand...

There aren't that many PBLs (but still too many if you ask me -- they have so much potential, but they waste them on psych and a twisted version in biochem 1st year. Then the TBL -- team based learning -- in path -- total waste of time). I prefer lecture though. The psych PBL have nothing to do with lecture because there is no lecture at the time. I tried to cover topics that weren't psych related (protective clothing for riding motorcycles, how to take a family history -- anything I could get away with to not do psych).

Biochem's Case Based Discussions, I think, coordinated with stuff we were learning. Path (so much potential to be good and helpful), turned into a free for all with 200 bitter students put into a big room where we couldn't hear the people "lecturing." It would've been better to have had it in smaller groups.

6) Are there lots of opportunities to work in community clinics, especially ones that have a large Hispanic population? I'm a primary-care (or possibly EM) guy with a particular interest in Hispanic patients, so I'd like to plug into a clinic or ambulatory-care setting right from the beginning and stay involved there at least throughout the first two years, probably all four. It doesn't have to be a formal part or program of the university, mind you, but it can't be an hour away by car either.

Click to expand...

Pienso que si. My Spanish is getting very crappy (and I don't even know medical Spanish), but even in random free clinics, there is a large Hispanic population, and I've been able to speak (or attempt to speak) anytime I've been to a free clinic. I know someone who did research with Hispanic populations this summer in the Med Student Summer Research Program.

7) How much freedom do you have to choose between sites for third- and fourth-year rotations? Do you have enough options to be able to choose an OB/GYN site where you will actually get to deliver babies instead of sweep floors, for example? Do you ever get to be on call, or are there only day shifts? And how are the evaluations structured in third year?

Click to expand...

I'm not the best source on this, but from what I've heard from my M4 friends, you rank which hospitals you want to go to for rotations. I also plan on doing away rotations 4th year. Hopefully somewhere warmer than here. You're also on call -- a lot, from what I've gathered.

Whew. I have more where that came from, but enough for now. I'd love to hear from multiple people about this stuff. You can PM me if you'd rather not gum up this thread, of course. Thanks in advance for anything you have to say.

Click to expand...

Gum up the thread? This is the sort of thing why the thread exists. We keep the threads alive with our inane prattle.

akpete said:

Ah, this weather reminds me of the winters when I was a kid. Good times.

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So it's supposed to feel like 1° tomorrow morning at 7, and 0 at 8am. So when I get to school at like 7:30, it'll probably feel like 0.5. I think I may need to get my ski goggles out to walk from the Clot.

Thanks, Ashers and Akpete. Other opinions are still welcome, of course. Any third years or fourth years with the low down about rotations?

Also, has anyone here been involved with the getting-to-know-you outing the night before interviews? I assume I should just dress casually, as if I were going out with friends, true?

Chulito said:

Thanks, Ashers and Akpete. Other opinions are still welcome, of course. Any third years or fourth years with the low down about rotations?

Also, has anyone here been involved with the getting-to-know-you outing the night before interviews? I assume I should just dress casually, as if I were going out with friends, true?

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Casual is fine. I used to host but stopped this year. It's not associated with admissions other than you get to meet med students and maybe go out to a bar or whatever people are doing.

Chulito said:

OK, here we go. Sorry to kill the party.

1) Is the whole student body of MCW the raging party that this thread is? Y'all seem like so damn much fun. Are folks friendly, and do the classes mix much? Do people *live* as well as study?

Click to expand...

Yes. Especially me. I'm a blast.
Seriously though, you'll find people you like and want to spend time with. You will also find some people extremely annoying.

Chulito said:

2) What is life in Milwaukee like, especially near the campus, as I don't plan to have a car? Is there a good variety of coffee shops near campus for studying and socializing? Is there Wi-Fi everywhere? Is there good beer in Milwaukee (variety, internationals, quality, etc.) and fun pubs?

Click to expand...

Beer...yes. This is Milwaukee, and our baseball team is named the Brewers.
Otherwise, I live about 45 minutes from campus and can't comment.
Third year you will need a car. I don't think you could do this without one.

Chulito said:

3) I'm a cyclist, both commuter and recreational. Is Milwaukee friendly to my kind? What is the surrounding countryside like?

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Can't comment on cycling.

Chulito said:

4) Is there a good gym and a swimming pool at the college (or at least near by)?

Click to expand...

As per Akpete.

Chulito said:

5) What is the schedule and ratio of lectures and PBL during the first two years? Is PBL well facilitated and guided by experts in the pertinent material, or are they just chaperones who make sure that you don't talk about beer and girls in wet t-shirts instead of studying? Is PBL well coordinated with lectures?

Click to expand...

I'm jaded, so I'll be nice. First two years mostly lecture, with a smattering of PBL thrown in. I'd love to talk about wet t-shirts, though.

Chulito said:

6) Are there lots of opportunities to work in community clinics, especially ones that have a large Hispanic population? I'm a primary-care (or possibly EM) guy with a particular interest in Hispanic patients, so I'd like to plug into a clinic or ambulatory-care setting right from the beginning and stay involved there at least throughout the first two years, probably all four. It doesn't have to be a formal part or program of the university, mind you, but it can't be an hour away by car either.

Click to expand...

Again, as per Akpete.

Chulito said:

7) How much freedom do you have to choose between sites for third- and fourth-year rotations? Do you have enough options to be able to choose an OB/GYN site where you will actually get to deliver babies instead of sweep floors, for example? Do you ever get to be on call, or are there only day shifts? And how are the evaluations structured in third year?

Click to expand...

Third year, essentially none. You have one month to take as a vacation, or as an elective. I can't comment on OB, as I don't have it until last, but a friend of mine delivered four babies in one night.
Call is dependent on the rotation. Certain services, like trauma surgery, make you stay. Same with OB. Other surgical services have home call.
In Medicine and Peds you leave around 10pm.

Fourth year, you have to meet certain requirements, such as a medically oriented Sub-Internship, and a Surgically oriented Sub-I. But within those rules, you have a TON of freedom, including the option of doing away rotations.
(And three months of vacation if you do an elective third year.)

Chulito said:

OK, here we go. Sorry to kill the party.

1) Is the whole student body of MCW the raging party that this thread is? Y'all seem like so damn much fun. Are folks friendly, and do the classes mix much? Do people *live* as well as study?

Click to expand...

People vary. I've found people in my class are pretty friendly, though we tend to socialize in small groups like high-school clicques. Since I'm an older student, this is hilarious to me. I'm in the clicque of people who sit in the front but think we're not gunners and if we are gunner's, we're really NICE gunners, not like those other people in the OTHER part of the front row.

I do Scottish Country Dancing once a week (except in exam blocks) and usually see friends on the weekends. Most people manage to have at least one regular social outlet. I don't see the M2's very often, so most of my interaction with them is on this thread.

2) What is life in Milwaukee like, especially near the campus, as I don't plan to have a car? Is there a good variety of coffee shops near campus for studying and socializing? Is there Wi-Fi everywhere? Is there good beer in Milwaukee (variety, internationals, quality, etc.) and fun pubs?

Click to expand...

Near campus you can probably get to the mall on the bus (cycling would be difficult on Highway 100, where the mall is). You can live in walking or biking distance the first two years, especially if you don't have a lot of stuff and don't need closet space. (For some reason closets were very out of vogue when the apartments and duplexes nearest campus were built). There are a few opportunities (shadowing your mentor, volunteering at the free clinic, etc.) for which it would be helpful to have a car. You might want to live south of campus near the big 84th St. Pic-n-Save, as that would give you both proximity to campus AND a grocery store. There are many other options.

3) I'm a cyclist, both commuter and recreational. Is Milwaukee friendly to my kind? What is the surrounding countryside like?

Click to expand...

I have done winter bicycle commuting in Milwaukee. I'm not doing it right now because my hands can't take the cold anymore, but it's doable almost every day. You may want snow tires for your bike if you're not used to winter biking. It does help. The bike racks at school are not covered in any way. There are a few days when snow is heavy and streets haven't been plowed yet that you'd be crazy to bike. If you end up living east of campus I'll explain my route to you, which keeps you off the craziness of 87th street.

The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin has some info on biking in the area, and you can get a printed map of bike trails and bike-friendly routes at any area bike store. I recommend Johnson cyclery on North Avenue in Wauwatosa. This is not the bike lane capitol of the world the way Madison is, but you can get around by bike most of the time and I've found drivers to be pretty considerate.

There are recreational bike trails in the area, both paved and not, and bike routes, some that have bike paths or lanes, some that are just streets connecting parts of the bike trail together.

4) Is there a good gym and a swimming pool at the college (or at least near by)?

Click to expand...

5) What is the schedule and ratio of lectures and PBL during the first two years? Is PBL well facilitated and guided by experts in the pertinent material, or are they just chaperones who make sure that you don't talk about beer and girls in wet t-shirts instead of studying? Is PBL well coordinated with lectures?

Click to expand...

The PBL associated with Biochem is a few case-based discussions in small groups. Facilitators know their stuff but some are more interested in lecturing you than facilitating discussion. Some are excellent.

6) Are there lots of opportunities to work in community clinics, especially ones that have a large Hispanic population? I'm a primary-care (or possibly EM) guy with a particular interest in Hispanic patients, so I'd like to plug into a clinic or ambulatory-care setting right from the beginning and stay involved there at least throughout the first two years, probably all four. It doesn't have to be a formal part or program of the university, mind you, but it can't be an hour away by car either.

Click to expand...

You can get to the Saturday clinic on the #10 bus from campus to Humboldt, and then walk half a block to North Avenue. It's not a short bus ride, as you're basically going from one end of the route about 80% of the way to the other end. But volunteering is limited there, and my experience was that the population was more African-American than Hispanic.

I concur with all of the above despite not reading it.


The guy living below me is still hacking up lungs and sneezing like his head explodes, as he has since I moved here in August '05.

Any recommendations on what I can do to "remove" the problem are greatly appreciated!

Agent Splat said:

I concur with all of the above despite not reading it.


The guy living below me is still hacking up lungs and sneezing like his head explodes, as he has since I moved here in August '05.

Any recommendations on what I can do to "remove" the problem are greatly appreciated!

Click to expand...

How far are you wanting to go to "remove" the problem? Parathion might make him stop coughing...

There's an episode of CSI where a guy drills a hole through the wall and fans CO2 from a big block of dry ice into the room next to him until the people inside become asphyxiated. That would be my M.O.

with all this talk of bitter cold...i think my testicles are now permanently an intra-abdominal organ.

TheProwler said:

bah. I feel like crap. someone cheer me up.

Click to expand...

It'll be days and days and days before we have that Bolender lecture.

TheProwler said:

bah. I feel like crap. someone cheer me up.

Click to expand...

you could be where i am.

So I just tried to make myself feel better by looking up Barrow, AK on weather.com because it's usually colder than anywhere else in the US. It's 14 and feels like -3. HOW is it warmer than here? Did they send us all their cold air?

Then I looked up International Falls, MN: -19, feels like -41.

I still don't like the cold. =(

TheProwler said:

bah. I feel like crap. someone cheer me up.

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I have Raynaud's and I'm about to go out in that cold. My life sucks more than yours!

samenewme said:

I have Raynaud's and I'm about to go out in that cold. My life sucks more than yours!

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you people seriously need to start a support group at school.

samenewme said:

I have Raynaud's and I'm about to go out in that cold. My life sucks more than yours!

Click to expand...

I have it and I'm staying inside all weekend. A support group sounds like a good idea, Splat. We can constantly walk around with nice hot mugs of stuff like tea or hot chocolate, maybe even cookies to keep our fingers warm. mmmm.

Though don't know something special to do for toes yet.

There is an M2 student from Utah that looks like Agent Splat's avatar.

Ashers said:

So I just tried to make myself feel better by looking up Barrow, AK on weather.com because it's usually colder than anywhere else in the US. It's 14 and feels like -3. HOW is it warmer than here? Did they send us all their cold air?

Then I looked up International Falls, MN: -19, feels like -41.

I still don't like the cold. =(

Click to expand...

I always just have to remind myself that my hometown is colder.

I think Embarrass, MN is supposedly the coldest place in the US besides Alaska. That's what they'd always say on the news at home anyway. My mom told me that a bunch of stuff has been cancelled at home. St. Paul has winter carnival, and if it was a below a certain temperature today, they were gonna cancel the parade. I've mearched in that parade when it was ~5 degrees. It was hell. One girl got a nosebleed from the cold.

Ah, it's just a few days though. Although it's been a struggle to get my dog to poop outside. I don't really blame her though.

Ashers said:

I have it and I'm staying inside all weekend. A support group sounds like a good idea, Splat. We can constantly walk around with nice hot mugs of stuff like tea or hot chocolate, maybe even cookies to keep our fingers warm. mmmm.

Though don't know something special to do for toes yet.

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I'm about to try something really geeky for my Raynaud's, since it seems to have gotten worse (a year ago I could still bicycle commute in winter if I wore kick-butt mittens). I'm going to try classical conditioning: make heated mitts for my hands (using small cotton bags of cracked corn heated in the microwave) and go outside with not enough clothes but with my hot mitts for ten minutes three times a day, three days a week for six weeks. It's based on an admittedly weak study in which classical conditioning went toe to toe with biofeedback and won, offering improvement that was still significant a year later. And a bag of seed corn costs 1/100 as much as the cheapest home biofeedback unit.

I'm probably not going to start this until temps get a little higher above zero.

It's going to be dorky and embarrassing, but I tried to check my tire pressure today with my super-mittens on and my hands got so bad I had to climb back in the car twice and hold my hands in front of the hot air vents, whimpering like a puppy. Changing my wiper blades yesterday with gloves on sucked rocks, too.

Clearly the support group needs to buy a spa paraffin heater for our secret club room where we can all go to dip our feet.

samenewme said:

Clearly the support group needs to buy a spa paraffin heater for our secret club room where we can all go to dip our feet.

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your new support group needs a fun name.

Agent Splat said:

your new support group needs a fun name.

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The Icy Fingers of Dooooooooom!

woohoo!!! -12 degrees with a windchill of -31 in Laona!!!

cold weather rules.

samenewme said:

I'm about to try something really geeky for my Raynaud's, since it seems to have gotten worse (a year ago I could still bicycle commute in winter if I wore kick-butt mittens). I'm going to try classical conditioning: make heated mitts for my hands (using small cotton bags of cracked corn heated in the microwave) and go outside with not enough clothes but with my hot mitts for ten minutes three times a day, three days a week for six weeks. It's based on an admittedly weak study in which classical conditioning went toe to toe with biofeedback and won, offering improvement that was still significant a year later. And a bag of seed corn costs 1/100 as much as the cheapest home biofeedback unit.

I'm probably not going to start this until temps get a little higher above zero.

It's going to be dorky and embarrassing, but I tried to check my tire pressure today with my super-mittens on and my hands got so bad I had to climb back in the car twice and hold my hands in front of the hot air vents, whimpering like a puppy. Changing my wiper blades yesterday with gloves on sucked rocks, too.

Clearly the support group needs to buy a spa paraffin heater for our secret club room where we can all go to dip our feet.

Click to expand...

I have raynauds too. Warming packs do help but only temporarily. I've tried calcium channel blockers with some success. My raynauds is secondary to a connective tissue disease. The worst is being in bed with really really cold feet. I feel bad for my patients when I do EKGS... putting on the stickers with my icy icy icy hands. I'm not officially part of the MCW crowd but I could be. I'm decideding between MCW and NYMC. It's great to read all of your conversations. It's too bad that MCW can't have a hot tub for all the raynaud's suffers . Do your hands just do the white color change? I get the very dark purple color change. Another random question... anyone have livedo reticularis with it? Is it also just a natural response to cold? Have they talked about any of this in any of the pathology classes?

From the looks of it, I might be going to MCW! And I'm a Cali girl that has been in the OC (literally) bubble for the last 21 years. (Don't hold it against me.) So my two simple questions to you upperclassmen who have taken over this thread are: 1) What are the pros/cons of Milwaukee? and 2) For those of you living in apartments surrounding campus, can you desribe the perks of your particular complex? I'm thinking of going apt. hunting over my spring break, b/c none of the places have websites online.

Thanks so much for all your help!

Got a third interview... what does it mean? a little bit screwed or extremely screwed?

arsenewenger said:

Got a third interview... what does it mean? a little bit screwed or extremely screwed?

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It means they still care and didn't quite understand something from your first two, so they wanted to clear up whatever it was. So whether you're screwed or not depends on how well you answered whatever new questions you got. If you were already screwed they wouldn't have bothered to interview you.

arsenewenger said:

Got a third interview... what does it mean? a little bit screwed or extremely screwed?

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No you arent. Dont read too much into it If you think the first 2 went ok..trust yourself. They were prob just looking for more information that they forgot to ask you. Think about it this way, if you really sucked, they wouldnt have bothered with a third interview.

RhythmMD said:

From the looks of it, I might be going to MCW! And I'm a Cali girl that has been in the OC (literally) bubble for the last 21 years. (Don't hold it against me.) So my two simple questions to you upperclassmen who have taken over this thread are: 1) What are the pros/cons of Milwaukee? and 2) For those of you living in apartments surrounding campus, can you desribe the perks of your particular complex? I'm thinking of going apt. hunting over my spring break, b/c none of the places have websites online.

Thanks so much for all your help!

Click to expand...

Milwaukee is cold and dark in the winter and it's hard to find an apartment with covered parking for two cars. Traffic is shockingly light. People are very nice here. Housing prices are much lower than you're used to. Summers can be beautiful (or they can be beastly hot; no telling, really). There's plenty to do here, so if you want to pick one social activity completely outside of school, you can find something.

A lot of the housing around school is in small 4-unit buildings or duplexes. In those places, amenities are few, but full-sized washer/dryer hookups are quite common. I'm in a large duplex with hardwood floors, central air/heat, a full basement shared with the upstairs unit, a nice yard, and a big driveway that we have to shovel when it snows. But that's good exercise, anyway, so I just subtract it from my Stairmaster time and call it good.

The school is within a very short driving distance of a nice-sized mall, a gym (there's also a small, free gym in the school), coffee places, several different supermarket chains and a very nice health food co-op, and of course, bars. Gotta have bars near a med school. It is feasible to live within walking/biking distance of school.

Probably the best time to do serious apartment-hunting is in April or May as the vacancies come up, but if you want to start earlier, PM me. My landlady's brother has something like 18 rental units in the area and I gather he'll be happy to talk about them anytime. There are probably a couple of people on this forum who live at larger complexes like The Reserve and Normandy Village, so I'll leave the descriptions of those places to them.

Good luck!

RhythmMD said:

From the looks of it, I might be going to MCW! And I'm a Cali girl that has been in the OC (literally) bubble for the last 21 years. (Don't hold it against me.) So my two simple questions to you upperclassmen who have taken over this thread are: 1) What are the pros/cons of Milwaukee? and 2) For those of you living in apartments surrounding campus, can you desribe the perks of your particular complex? I'm thinking of going apt. hunting over my spring break, b/c none of the places have websites online.

Thanks so much for all your help!

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Ok, so I understand where you're coming from (I'm originally from Orange, moved to Hawaii, U of AZ for college), and I'll give you the biggest con of all about Milwaukee. So this is from my thermometer clock in my bedroom with a transponder thingy outside the window (which happens to be covered in ice on the inside)


People are saying this is the coldest it's been in 10 years.

Pros: Everyone is really nice in MKE. Aside from the weather in the winter, it's nice (especially fall and spring). Even I didn't really have allergies here, and I was allergic to Arizona (where most people go to get away from allergies). Also, if you want to, you can drive down to Chicago because it's close. I did it a lot more M1 year. Haven't really had time this year, but it's fine.

Apt: I live at the Reserve with a whole bunch of other med students at the same complex. It's a gated complex about 2 miles from school. I like it, although my room is 10 degrees cooler than what the temp at which the thermostat is set. I live by myself which is expensive, but I like it.

I have raynauds too. Warming packs do help but only temporarily. I've tried calcium channel blockers with some success. My raynauds is secondary to a connective tissue disease. The worst is being in bed with really really cold feet. I feel bad for my patients when I do EKGS... putting on the stickers with my icy icy icy hands. I'm not officially part of the MCW crowd but I could be. I'm decideding between MCW and NYMC. It's great to read all of your conversations. It's too bad that MCW can't have a hot tub for all the raynaud's suffers . Do your hands just do the white color change? I get the very dark purple color change. Another random question... anyone have livedo reticularis with it? Is it also just a natural response to cold? Have they talked about any of this in any of the pathology classes?

Click to expand...

My toes actually turn white and numb before my fingers, but my fingers hurt while holding a cold soda (or any cold drink). If I go outside for any extended period of time, more than just walking to and from the car to indoors, I use foot warmers (under my toes, and those help). I use hand warmers occasionally, but the only time I ever leave my gloves on long enough for them to be useful is when I'm snowboarding.

If path went over the livedo reticularis, I don't remember it, I just googled it, so I don't have it.

I don't know anything about NYMC, but good luck choosing. MCW is cool. =)

pros of Milwaukee: the areas you'll be living in and going to school are pretty safe. there is fun nearby in the form of museums, bad sports teams, and there's almost always some cultural festival going on when the weather is nice. the regional medical center has great facilities to learn at. People seem to think having Chicago nearby is the coolest thing in the world. I've never seen any evidence of this.

cons: the cold and snowy crap-weather obviously. parking is a bit of a bummer at MCW also, so buy yourself a nice scarf, hat, mittens, or go the ninja route like I did and buy a ski-mask balaclava thing for the walk from the lot. i also heard it has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation, but if you're out of your teen years I guess you're safe.

as for living arrangements, I love at the Normandy Village about 10 minutes west of campus. it's right near a grocery store, YMCA, and a Kohls (clothing, home-wares, jewelry, perfumes, picture frames). Has it's own miniature 24 hour workout center. Also an outdoor pool. I pay 740 a month to live alone. has a dishwasher in the kitchen. sadly, the washing machines are a dollar per load, but they're at least easily accessible. The other con is that not many MCW students live there so you feel kind of isolated if you like to hang out without going very far in the evenings. my big regret is not living somewhere I can walk/bike to school. Because I don't have Raynaud's.

my other note: first year classes are awesome and very well organized (neuro is the slight exception). Second year classes are horrible and poorly organized with the exception of microbiology and to a smaller extent, pharmacology.

So a couple of you have mentioned living alone and liking it. Is it difficult to socialize and make friends in your class if you do?