2009-2010 Tulane Application Thread

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HPSP is the Health Professions Scholarship Program, offered by the Army, Navy, Air Force. Here's a link that provides general info:

www.goarmy.com/amedd/hpsp.jsp

Basically, the military pays for your tuition and housing costs in exchange for a year-by-year service commitment. There's a lot of threads on SDN discussing it (pros and cons), but I'm just trying to gauge if this is a popular option at Tulane since our tuition cost is through the roof.
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LPhiE SB said:
HPSP is the Health Professions Scholarship Program, offered by the Army, Navy, Air Force. Here's a link that provides general info:

www.goarmy.com/amedd/hpsp.jsp

Basically, the military pays for your tuition and housing costs in exchange for a year-by-year service commitment. There's a lot of threads on SDN discussing it (pros and cons), but I'm just trying to gauge if this is a popular option at Tulane since our tuition cost is through the roof.
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Yeah tuition is pretty insane...I was thinking about applying for the HRSA National Health Service Corps. Like HPSP, for every year it pays, you give one year back in an under-served area which can be postponed to after residency. The stipulation is that you need to go into a primary care speciality otherwise you pay back 3x plus interest. I was thinking about starting it 2nd year just so I can find out more and see if primary care is something I truly want to do since it is an area that interests me.
 
Cali Anteater said:
Yeah tuition is pretty insane...I was thinking about applying for the HRSA National Health Service Corps. Like HPSP, for every year it pays, you give one year back in an under-served area which can be postponed to after residency. The stipulation is that you need to go into a primary care speciality otherwise you pay back 3x plus interest. I was thinking about starting it 2nd year just so I can find out more and see if primary care is something I truly want to do since it is an area that interests me.
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With the National Health Service Corps, do you get to choose what underserved area you want to work in (at least by state or city). Or can they just place you in the middle of nowhere?
 
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Cali Anteater said:
Yeah tuition is pretty insane...I was thinking about applying for the HRSA National Health Service Corps. Like HPSP, for every year it pays, you give one year back in an under-served area which can be postponed to after residency. The stipulation is that you need to go into a primary care speciality otherwise you pay back 3x plus interest. I was thinking about starting it 2nd year just so I can find out more and see if primary care is something I truly want to do since it is an area that interests me.
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i think the minimum is 2 years.
 
alibai3ah said:
With the National Health Service Corps, do you get to choose what underserved area you want to work in (at least by state or city). Or can they just place you in the middle of nowhere?
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My understanding is that physicians have the most control over where they end up as opposed to other health professionals (e.g. nurses, pharmacists, etc.) With that said, many of the sites are either in rural areas or inner-city settings. There is a map of clinics on the National Health Service Corps website that gives more info on where you can work to pay back your tuition. According to these sites, it appears that the pay is still reasonably okay.
 
Cali Anteater said:
My understanding is that physicians have the most control over where they end up as opposed to other health professionals (e.g. nurses, pharmacists, etc.) With that said, many of the sites are either in rural areas or inner-city settings. There is a map of clinics on the National Health Service Corps website that gives more info on where you can work to pay back your tuition. According to these sites, it appears that the pay is still reasonably okay.
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My concern was never about the pay. I'm worried that by that point in my life I'll have a family. And I don't know if I necessarily want to be placed in some random town in Kansas. I want them to grow up where I'm from in Cali (even if it's an underserved area in Cali)
 
For those of you considering HPSP or NHSC, there are sub-forums on SDN for both, and they're an invaluable resource in deciding whether it's right for you. Btw, be careful with NHSC; they are bleeding funding and placements are getting worse and worse for scholars trying to pay back their commitment. Personally, I decided HPSP is too much of a commitment for me, especially because you are basically tied down to a military residency. However, National Guard offers a stipend program ~2k/mo with a 2:1 payback (2 years service for every year paid, beginning year 1 of med school). It's called the MDSSP program. It's much less of a commitment because with National Guard you're not enlisted, so you can live/work wherever you want.

Whichever programs you consider, do your research; Tulane tuition is hefty so I understand the pull of financial incentives, but consider carefully before signing your life away post-med school. I've done a lot of research on all 3 programs I mentioned, though obviously I have no direct experience with any, but I'd be happy to try to help answer any questions or direct you to a resource that can--just pm me if you're interested in talking.
 
MsTaco said:
with National Guard you're not enlisted
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you're not enlisted with HPSP either. You're an officer in both paths. I think what you're trying to say is with the National Guard you're not on active duty. That's not to say you won't get activated while in the Guard. In fact I'd think it pretty unlikely you wouldn't be activated to support something somewhere over the course of 8 years (2 for 1 payback of a 4 year scholarship). But the rumor currently is as a Guard Doc, you won't be in country for longer than 90 days plus whatever required training before and debriefing after you get back. I've never seen this written, so who knows how true it is. With HPSP you are not required to do a military residency if you elect to serve your time as a GMO or you're one of the few luckies who gets selected for FTOS (full time out service) a civilian residency, but these seem to be rare lately, so it's most likely you will do a military residency.
 
Speaking of finances...I hear that if you do the Baton Rouge rotation 3rd year that you get a $10,000 tuition credit. Any confirmation to this or am I just hearing faulty rumors?
 
Cali Anteater said:
Speaking of finances...I hear that if you do the Baton Rouge rotation 3rd year that you get a $10,000 tuition credit. Any confirmation to this or am I just hearing faulty rumors?
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During my interview our tour guides said the Baton Rouge rotation is very popular because of a financial incentive (they didn't say how much) and that you would get two Dean's LORs for your residency apps.
 
As a potential MPH candidate, I love the Baton Rouge opportunity, with or without a financial incentive. Granted, if they're giving it out, I'll gladly accept :)
 
LPhiE SB said:
Hey everyone,

Congrats to all those who've been accepted, looking forward to meeting you all. I'm considering the HPSP scholarship, and am wondering if anyone else in the c/o 2014 is thinking the same thing. Are there any current HPSP students that can comment about their experiences, size of the HPSP crowd at Tulane, etc.?

Best of luck to those still waiting!
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Here's a great pros and cons post of Navy HPSP:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9250620&postcount=264
 
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ftrflyr29 said:
During my interview our tour guides said the Baton Rouge rotation is very popular because of a financial incentive (they didn't say how much) and that you would get two Dean's LORs for your residency apps.
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Hey guys,

T1 here. I'm pretty sure that those incentives only apply to the current T1s and T2s who weren't aware of the Baton Rouge program when they enrolled at Tulane, and are being offered as a way to sway us into being Baton Rouge guinea pigs.
Nonetheless, it sounds like a pretty incredible program!

If any of y'all have questions about Tulane, feel free to PM me :)

Carlin
 
has anyone been rejected/heard of anyone being rejected post-interview yet? i interviewed at the very beginning of february, and know that people from my interview day have gotten acceptances, but i haven't heard anything at all, which worries me. i was just wondering if that is a good thing or probably means i am rejected or if it's just impossible to tell...?
 
does anyone know if Tulane has a second look weekend, and if so, when it is?
 
koko_eats said:
MD/MPH applicants, the summer supplemental for financial aid isn't available yet, right?

Also, I stumbled upon a PubMed article from 2002 (I think) that said Tulane's MD/MPH students had their MPH tuition covered by scholarships. That's not true any more, is it?
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I've heard that those who apply for the early deadline (3/15) have a very high probability of getting merit scholarships for the MPH program.
 
Hi guys,

I've been following this thread for a while and I thought I'd finally post something. Got an acceptance email yesterday :) Interviewed 2/22. Absolutely loved the school, so I'm pretty sure this is where I'll be. Looking forward to getting to know everyone!
 
jpenney34 said:
Hi guys,

I've been following this thread for a while and I thought I'd finally post something. Got an acceptance email yesterday :) Interviewed 2/22. Absolutely loved the school, so I'm pretty sure this is where I'll be. Looking forward to getting to know everyone!
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Congratulations! There is a facebook group for the class of 2014.
 
Have any of ya'll gotten any follow-up emails/letters/packets from Tulane besides the acceptance letter? I was hoping they'd send us something about financial aid by now..? Or like a calendar..? something?
 
LeavingThisLab said:
Have any of ya'll gotten any follow-up emails/letters/packets from Tulane besides the acceptance letter? I was hoping they'd send us something about financial aid by now..? Or like a calendar..? something?
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nothing beyond a couple of emails about applying MD/MPH. the supplemental financial aid form is now available on the website, though:
http://www.finaidhsc.tulane.edu/som_faq_how_to_apply.htm
(scroll to the bottom; there is a link to a pdf of the addendum)
 
Hi all...i know this may seem like a random question, but what is it about Tulane that people like so much? I've been accepted here but know I wasn't the biggest fan when I interviewed. Most of my reasons are outside of the actual program, like the fact that I'm a health nut and all the food there is fried, city still seems rundown etc. Not tryin to be close-minded, just my first impression on it. Maybe I'm wrong?
 
Calicaliboy said:
Hi all...i know this may seem like a random question, but what is it about Tulane that people like so much? I've been accepted here but know I wasn't the biggest fan when I interviewed. Most of my reasons are outside of the actual program, like the fact that I'm a health nut and all the food there is fried, city still seems rundown etc. Not tryin to be close-minded, just my first impression on it. Maybe I'm wrong?
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Well part of Tulane/New Orlean's appeal is that everyone is so involved with the rebuilding efforts. If community service and doing this kind of stuff isn't your thing, then I wouldn't go here.

I loved New Orleans! And I'm a Californian too. But New Orleans is by far the most unique and cultured city I have been to within the US. However, I wouldn't come here expecting Beverly Hills
 
Calicaliboy said:
Hi all...i know this may seem like a random question, but what is it about Tulane that people like so much? I've been accepted here but know I wasn't the biggest fan when I interviewed. Most of my reasons are outside of the actual program, like the fact that I'm a health nut and all the food there is fried, city still seems rundown etc. Not tryin to be close-minded, just my first impression on it. Maybe I'm wrong?
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Based on my experience with the current students, I doubt you would be alone in being a health nut. And it's not like you have to eat gumbo every night. I was attracted to the culture of both the city and the students--I loved that the admin was very open about preferring kids who were well-rounded/active (not just physically) and interested in more than just libraries. Although, if you're accepted elsewhere that you like better, I wouldn't force the issue. Odds are that if somewhere else left you with a better first impression, you would like them better in the long-run.
 
IMO, Louisiana has a culture you will either love or hate. It's definitely a little weird in some ways. The food is amazing even if it is unhealthy, but it's not like all we eat in Cajun food. Salads do exist here too. Yes, the city has it's issues. It always has and always will, but there are very nice parts of NOLA too. I think the nice thing is how the New Orleans community came together to rebuild. Everyone there is proud to call it their home and is working hard to make it better.

But like someone said, if you didn't like it while you were there, it's probably not the place for you.
 
I've lived in several different parts of the country (including a few months in NOLA) and I have never, ever, met people who love their city as much as New Orleanians do. I believe it is the most interesting and unique city in the US. I have done a lot of traveling around the world and when people ask me where they should go when they visit the US, my first answer always is New Orleans. the way it has come back (and still is coming back) since the devastation of Katrina is evidence of the resilience of the people who live there. I don't think of it as a "dirty" city, I think of it as a real city. the city where I live now has, honestly, few to no "bad" or rough parts. it's a major American city, but I swear we live in a bubble here. it is a beautiful bubble, and it would be really easy to stay here because life is pretty easy, but I am excited to get to NOLA and become part of the community there. the thing that most impressed me about Tulane is that it seems that everyone at the med school, from the top on down, is invested in and involved in the community and is working very hard to make things better for the people of NOLA (ex., the community health clinics that have opened to take the place of Charity Hospital).

and the food is amazing! it's not like everyone is eating po' boys and bbq shrimp every night. but when you do want to go out, there are amazing places to go. you can be as healthy as you want to be, wherever you are.

sure, NOLA is not for everyone, and if you have big reservations about it, then maybe go somewhere else and leave your spot to someone who can appreciate the city for what it is. or, go with an open mind...you might be surprised at how much you grow to like it there.
 
NOLA is an amazing city, and I honestly don't think it's that run down. It is somewhat, but I haven't seen anything that is too terribly different from other big cities or downtown areas. IF your used to the clean-cut suburbs, you're going to have to adjust a little bit. I agree with you about the food- it can be terribly unhealthy, but I think that trying things down there (because alot of it is stuff you've not eaten or even seen before) will just help you out with healthy eating because it will give you new ideas about stuff you can make for yourself. (I would also like to point out that gumbo is not fried, and doesn't even have to be unhealthy). As far as fried food goes- that's not really specific to New orleans- thats a southern thing in general. I'm from Oklahoma, and the fried food is just as bad there. You name it I've eaten the fried version- meats, vegetables (fried pickles are suprisingly good), fruits, even a twinkie (that was disgusting). Anyways, you might want to go visit again is you're unsure because like some of the other people said- you either love it or hate it and it would suck to go to school in a place that you hate. Personally I love it. Oh..

I got my acceptance e-mail today!!! I am so excited-see you guys there in the fall!!! (Interview 2/26)
 
I really appreciate everyone's feedback on this. I guess just being a Californian my whole life made my experience down there a bit strange. It also doesn't help that tuition is so high and they don't really have any scholarships to offer. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get grants/scholarships from any other sources? Also what do most first years do for housing? The biggest thing for me (and im sure many people) is being in a social environment and meeting as many people as possible.
 
Calicaliboy said:
I really appreciate everyone's feedback on this. I guess just being a Californian my whole life made my experience down there a bit strange. It also doesn't help that tuition is so high and they don't really have any scholarships to offer. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get grants/scholarships from any other sources? Also what do most first years do for housing? The biggest thing for me (and im sure many people) is being in a social environment and meeting as many people as possible.
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As far as I remember-everyone is considered for merit scholarships. I work with a resident that went to Tulane for Med school and he says that Uptown is the place to live. I think it is relatively the same price range as other places but it is close to where all the fun stuff happens and is not in the bad part of town.
 
hello fellow tulane som class of 2014-ers!

has anyone received any welcome information packet through the mail yet??
 
Wow they are having a second look day this year....
 
Yeah! I guess they got enough requests that they decided to do one.
 
Hi Everyone!

I was just wondering, for those who sent in their Addendum, did you receive any kind of confirmation of its receipt by the Office of Financial Aid? I tried calling them to make sure they received it and that everything is in order, but the person who answered the phone said he couldn't check...
 
koko_eats said:
Any guesses as to why Tulane's match list is so LA-centric? Nearly every specialty has someone matching into a LA hospital, and that's a little disconcerting at first glance, considering that the OOS matriculants outnumber the IS matriculants 4-to-1.
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http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/nearly_60_percent_of_the_medic.html

In the article and according to our dean, 31% of our seniors matched into Louisiana hospitals. That doesn't seem to high to me. I think part of the reason it is higher then the OOS matriculates is that when you live somewhere for 4 years, you may start to like the place more. You may have family that move here, friends, a house, etc that makes your drive to stay greater. I had never been to Louisiana before my interview day, but after living here for nearly a year I am really enjoying the place. I wouldn't have considered living here before I came to school, but now I would. The other thing is Lousiana has a massive shortage of doctors. I think some people are propelled to stay here to help alleviate the shortage a little. Tulane is a service oriented med school so it's not too surprising people would take that into account when matching.
 
desertulip9 said:
Hi Everyone!

I was just wondering, for those who sent in their Addendum, did you receive any kind of confirmation of its receipt by the Office of Financial Aid? I tried calling them to make sure they received it and that everything is in order, but the person who answered the phone said he couldn't check...
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No confirmation email or anything but when I called they checked for me. Weird.

Who is going to the revisit and when?
 
koko_eats said:
I got neither confirmation of the financial aid nor of my MPH app.

I assume they fall into the giant abyss known as Tulane admissions.
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Yes on the confirmation of MPH, no on the financial aid. I also called and they couldn't tell me anything. Might try again.

I'm also quite eager to get schedule stuff from them- anyone have any idea about orientation/white coat stuff like that? I see last year's date was July 31 or something, so I'm assuming it will be around the same time, but it would be nice to know for sure.

Hope I start getting stuff from them soon! I'm excited :)
 
does anyone have any idea when we should hear from financial aid, if all of our stuff was submitted by the march 15 "suggested" deadline?

just curious.....
 
ksmi117 said:
YAY!!!!!!! See you there Taty!
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Aww man, I wish I could go, but I'll still be out of the country. Can you guys report back on any interesting details you hear while you're there?? Anyone looking at apartments and stuff?
 
Has anyone placed in the "acceptance range" been accepted yet? Just curious.
 
Has anyone who has sent in their 500 dollar acceptance deposit received any kind of acknowledgment from Tulane?
 
dukejen04 said:
Yes on the confirmation of MPH, no on the financial aid. I also called and they couldn't tell me anything. Might try again.

I'm also quite eager to get schedule stuff from them- anyone have any idea about orientation/white coat stuff like that? I see last year's date was July 31 or something, so I'm assuming it will be around the same time, but it would be nice to know for sure.

Hope I start getting stuff from them soon! I'm excited :)
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I called the admissions office and got these dates:

Friday July 30th - Student Orientation (all day)
Saturday July 31st - Parent Orientation (all day)
Sunday August 1st - Family BBQ/Activities
Monday August 2st - White Coat Ceremony (done after free luncheon)

Hope that helps!

Also, anyone received any official acceptance packet/info in the mail following payment of the $500 deposit yet??
 
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