2009-2010 University of Pittsburgh Application Thread

BU Medical Sciences
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Does anyone know if we need to buy our own stethoscopes/oto/opthalmoscopes or if they're provided by the school?
 
I can't seem to find information on Pitt's website about what the day of a typical Pitt Med student is like. The fact book says 1/3 lecture, 1/3 PBL, and 1/3 other activities, but when does class start and end each day? I remember asking this on my interview day, but I guess I neglected to write it down. Could someone help me out? Thanks!
 
Gila, someone asked the same question in this thread not too long ago. A current 1st year described his week in some detail. I suggest a search.

Oh, and Doctwob, I'm pretty sure we buy our own stethoscopes and other equipment eventually, but we might not need them for the 1st 2 years...
 
gila said:
I can't seem to find information on Pitt's website about what the day of a typical Pitt Med student is like. The fact book says 1/3 lecture, 1/3 PBL, and 1/3 other activities, but when does class start and end each day? I remember asking this on my interview day, but I guess I neglected to write it down. Could someone help me out? Thanks!
Click to expand...

One very informative thing that I've read is the Pitt med student survival guide. Take it with a grain of salt, as it appears to be a bit out of date (just as they transitioned to new curriculum and digital histo etc.), but very helpful nonetheless. It also has helpful tips about the neighborhoods, where to shop/eat/go out, etc.

http://zone.medschool.pitt.edu/Student Life/Student Survival Guide/Pages/default.aspx
 
d1ony5u5 said:
Gila, someone asked the same question in this thread not too long ago. A current 1st year described his week in some detail. I suggest a search.

Oh, and Doctwob, I'm pretty sure we buy our own stethoscopes and other equipment eventually, but we might not need them for the 1st 2 years...
Click to expand...

Sorry - I thought I checked this thread pretty regularly, but I guess I missed it. My search function was all messed up so I thought I'd just ask. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
 
gila said:
Sorry - I thought I checked this thread pretty regularly, but I guess I missed it. My search function was all messed up so I thought I'd just ask. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
Click to expand...

In case you were still looking.

"I'm wrapping up my first year at Pitt. Assuming you prefer attending classes to recorded lectures online, you can plan on starting with full days (starts around 9 and ends between 2 and 4) 3 days of the week and half days the other ones in the beginning when you take anatomy. There's typically 1 pbl (1 - 2 hours) session a week or week and a half with a follow up 4-5 days after it. Once you get to second semester we get to go into the clinics one half day a week so three days become half days and two of them are open. If you don't go to classes (I don't), you can watch lectures at double speed, go to the required pbls once in a while, and study at your own discretion and do just fine.

While to my knowledge nothing is officially changing for next semester, there is a PittMed wide interest in shifting to P/F and possibly using shelf exams. In a school wide questionnaire, the vast majority of students wanted to make the change and the administration is very receptive, so I wouldn't be surprised if things change at some point.

Speaking to the idea of the school being competitive, I would make the argument that our classes are motivated, not competitive. Before you laugh at my lame sounding clarification, the first year class has been very supportive. We have groups who make study guides for each course and email it out. Another group makes online flashcards that everyone uses. I've received summary tables, helpful mnemonics, and useful sheets for completing history/physicals. This has been consistent throughout my first year and the amount of tips and study sheets the second years send us makes me believe it carries through the rest of our PittMed education.

Because I wasn't even at the school, I can't speak to things happening before me, but I can say that the culture of PittMed does not encourage cheating and I have never seen or heard of any cheating in my class. If you're strongly considering PittMed, come out to second look and meet us and your future potential classmates. You'll meet a lot of great people you'd enjoy spending the next four years with at a school with the resources to support any of your interests. That's my sales pitch"
 
Thanks, Doctwobe. I'm a relative latecomer to this thread, and your posts have been super helpful!
 
gila said:
Sorry - I thought I checked this thread pretty regularly, but I guess I missed it. My search function was all messed up so I thought I'd just ask. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
Click to expand...

No worries, I just remembered reading it, but didn't have the time to do the search. My intention was just to point you in the right direction so you could find the info you were looking for.
 
Hey, I'm matriculating to Pitt this fall and was wondering if there are any current students here who can answer some questions. I'm thinking about buying a new laptop and a new phone before school this fall and was wondering:

1. Are students supplied with any sort of PDA/smartphone in the clinical years? Are we required to purchase one?
2. Do students have access to any free apps (epocrates, etc.)?
3. Are we eligible for any phone plan discounts through a particular provider?
4. Are there outlets for laptops in the lecture halls? Do most students bring laptops to class? What sort of battery life do you need?
5. Do we have access to any free software?
 
I just got my financial aid package for Pitt, and it turns out that Pitt will cost me exactly the same as my May 15th school. Since I like both schools, I was hoping to have the decision made easier through disparate financial aid packages, but this isn't the case. Can anyone answer some quick questions about Pitt, or at least direct me to a helpful previous post? 🙂

1. Can a current student comment on the recently-instituted curriculum change - starting clinical rotations three months earlier in the second year - and how this has impacted step 1 scores? Moreover, how much time is allowed for step 1 preparation?
2. Are all of the clinical sites within easy walking/public transit distance of the medical school? I will most likely NOT have a car, and I would like to know if I'll be at a serious disadvantage because of this.
3. Is good funding available for medical opportunities abroad? Ie, would I likely be able to get funding to go overseas during the summer after my first year?
4. What's the age breakdown, typically (if this can be generalized across years). I am a couple years older than the average student, I think (26), and I would prefer to be in a class that doesn't skew totally young. It seems like some schools have more diversity in terms of age and/or life experience than other schools, and I am wondering where Pitt falls on the spectrum.
5. How is the anatomy lab, ie, how many students per cadaver, how long is the anatomy block, is it discrete or spread out over multiple units, etc. On the basis of my friends' experiences, I am not totally looking forward to anatomy, so I am hoping that somebody can comment on this.

Thanks!
 
taciturngirl said:
I just got my financial aid package for Pitt, and it turns out that Pitt will cost me exactly the same as my May 15th school. Since I like both schools, I was hoping to have the decision made easier through disparate financial aid packages, but this isn't the case. Can anyone answer some quick questions about Pitt, or at least direct me to a helpful previous post? 🙂

1. Can a current student comment on the recently-instituted curriculum change - starting clinical rotations three months earlier in the second year - and how this has impacted step 1 scores? Moreover, how much time is allowed for step 1 preparation?
2. Are all of the clinical sites within easy walking/public transit distance of the medical school? I will most likely NOT have a car, and I would like to know if I'll be at a serious disadvantage because of this.
3. Is good funding available for medical opportunities abroad? Ie, would I likely be able to get funding to go overseas during the summer after my first year?
4. What's the age breakdown, typically (if this can be generalized across years). I am a couple years older than the average student, I think (26), and I would prefer to be in a class that doesn't skew totally young. It seems like some schools have more diversity in terms of age and/or life experience than other schools, and I am wondering where Pitt falls on the spectrum.
5. How is the anatomy lab, ie, how many students per cadaver, how long is the anatomy block, is it discrete or spread out over multiple units, etc. On the basis of my friends' experiences, I am not totally looking forward to anatomy, so I am hoping that somebody can comment on this.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I am also making a decision between Pitt and another school, and I would appreciate it if someone could either answer this on the forum or CC me on the PM to taciturn.

Also, can someone comment on the grading situation (how does the H/P/F affect students?)

Thanks,
-Dr. P.
 
To all the other students who are sure they will be attending Pitt this fall:
Has anyone gotten an email account yet? The admissions packet said they would give it to us at some point in May. Seeing as the month is almost gone, I'm wondering if it's just me who didn't get it...

By the way, I'm not crazy neurotic, just that I'm quitting my job at the university today, and they will delete my account in a week or two, and was hoping to just make the simple olduni.edu--->pitt.edu transition instead of olduni.edu--->gmail.com--->pitt.edu.

Regarding taciturngirl's post:
1. DK
2. From what hosts for interview and 2nd look mentioned, it seems that most are pretty easily accessible. However, there are some that require a car to get to, but I think they are assigned on the basis of car ownership (as in people who report don't having a car don't get picked for those clinical sites). I think nothing is extremely far, though.
3. DK
4. My 2nd look host said that it was about evenly split between people who come straight out of college (assume 21-22 years of age), and people who have been out for 2 or more years (23-24 up to who knows).
5. The anatomy lab looked very well maintained and recently remodeled. Every dissection table has 6 students assigned to it. They are very up to date in that they are all wired. There is a camera on top of each table along with a large screen tv, so that interesting specimens from one table can be broadcasted to the rest. There's also a speaker system for the instructor to use that lets everyone hear clearly what is being presented. Dr. Schumann (The anatomy course director. Correct spelling?) mentioned that they are getting new flat panel tvs for each dissection table. It was one of the nicest anatomy labs I saw throughout my interviews.

taciturngirl said:
I just got my financial aid package for Pitt, and it turns out that Pitt will cost me exactly the same as my May 15th school. Since I like both schools, I was hoping to have the decision made easier through disparate financial aid packages, but this isn't the case. Can anyone answer some quick questions about Pitt, or at least direct me to a helpful previous post? 🙂

1. Can a current student comment on the recently-instituted curriculum change - starting clinical rotations three months earlier in the second year - and how this has impacted step 1 scores? Moreover, how much time is allowed for step 1 preparation?
2. Are all of the clinical sites within easy walking/public transit distance of the medical school? I will most likely NOT have a car, and I would like to know if I'll be at a serious disadvantage because of this.
3. Is good funding available for medical opportunities abroad? Ie, would I likely be able to get funding to go overseas during the summer after my first year?
4. What's the age breakdown, typically (if this can be generalized across years). I am a couple years older than the average student, I think (26), and I would prefer to be in a class that doesn't skew totally young. It seems like some schools have more diversity in terms of age and/or life experience than other schools, and I am wondering where Pitt falls on the spectrum.
5. How is the anatomy lab, ie, how many students per cadaver, how long is the anatomy block, is it discrete or spread out over multiple units, etc. On the basis of my friends' experiences, I am not totally looking forward to anatomy, so I am hoping that somebody can comment on this.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
i talked to the registrar lady yesterday, and you guys should be getting the first e-mail containing information about med school e-mail accounts either next week or the week after.

in response to taciturngirl's question about funding, i know a few first years who are doing research abroad. you gotta apply for it and have a legitimate project, but i think faculty and staff will usually help you out with that
 
any first years here for the summer? (mstp/pstp, or premat?) pm me, we should hang out
 
For the software.... I recommend looking at the posts directly above you since they have a pretty lengthy list of the free software 🙂
 
Hi there. I'm a first year at Pitt and I'll try to answer your questions:

1. Can a current student comment on the recently-instituted curriculum change - starting clinical rotations three months earlier in the second year - and how this has impacted step 1 scores? Moreover, how much time is allowed for step 1 preparation?

I can't comment on the impact of the earlier clinical rotations on step 1 scores, but I do know that PittMed students tend to score well on the boards. Classes end in late February and in March you take a class called "Integrated Cases" which is supposed to help you prepare for the boards. The quality/usefulness of this class for step 1, I don't know...ask me in a year 😛. After Integrated Cases, most people take their boards in late April/early May then start rotations in May or June.

2. Are all of the clinical sites within easy walking/public transit distance of the medical school? I will most likely NOT have a car, and I would like to know if I'll be at a serious disadvantage because of this.

When you sign up for clinical sites in first and second year, they do ask if you have a car or not. If you don't they either make sure that you're at a local site or arrange a carpool with a fellow student going to the same site. Also, a lot of the hospitals have shuttles that run between them or have convenient public bus lines which run close by. I personally like having a car in Pittsburgh but I know a lot of people that get by fine without one.

3. Is good funding available for medical opportunities abroad? Ie, would I likely be able to get funding to go overseas during the summer after my first year?

Yes there is a lot of funding available. I know about 20 people going abroad this summer either for free or at a really low rate.

4. What's the age breakdown, typically (if this can be generalized across years). I am a couple years older than the average student, I think (26), and I would prefer to be in a class that doesn't skew totally young. It seems like some schools have more diversity in terms of age and/or life experience than other schools, and I am wondering where Pitt falls on the spectrum.

The age breakdown is half straight out of college and half non-trad. Of the non-trads, most are 23-25 but there is also a large number in their late twenties and a few in their thirties.

5. How is the anatomy lab, ie, how many students per cadaver, how long is the anatomy block, is it discrete or spread out over multiple units, etc. On the basis of my friends' experiences, I am not totally looking forward to anatomy, so I am hoping that somebody can comment on this.

The best teacher I've ever had was the anatomy professor here at Pitt (Dr. Schumann). The course is super organized and straightforward and you get lots of supervision and help in the lab. There are 6 people to a table but often groups split up the work leaving about 3 per table per session. For me, I decided to do most of my lab work after hours, so it was great for me that the Pitt anatomy lab is open 24/7. As a disclaimer though: don't worry too much about anatomy. At Pitt, it lasts for 9 weeks then its over. After going through everything since anatomy, its just a little part of your med school experience.

Hope that answers your questions. If you think of anything else, feel free to PM me.

Btw, for those of you wondering about the daily schedule of a PittMed student, check out these daily calendars from the Pitt site. This is exactly what our schedule looks like:

http://www.omed.pitt.edu/current-students/calendars.php
 
leothelion said:
i talked to the registrar lady yesterday, and you guys should be getting the first e-mail containing information about med school e-mail accounts either next week or the week after.
Click to expand...

thats good to hear...i was getting worried because i haven't heard anything from pitt for a few weeks now....
 
creamsicle said:
Hi there. I'm a first year at Pitt and I'll try to answer your questions:

1. Can a current student comment on the recently-instituted curriculum change - starting clinical rotations three months earlier in the second year - and how this has impacted step 1 scores? Moreover, how much time is allowed for step 1 preparation?

I can't comment on the impact of the earlier clinical rotations on step 1 scores, but I do know that PittMed students tend to score well on the boards. Classes end in late February and in March you take a class called "Integrated Cases" which is supposed to help you prepare for the boards. The quality/usefulness of this class for step 1, I don't know...ask me in a year 😛. After Integrated Cases, most people take their boards in late April/early May then start rotations in May or June.

2. Are all of the clinical sites within easy walking/public transit distance of the medical school? I will most likely NOT have a car, and I would like to know if I'll be at a serious disadvantage because of this.

When you sign up for clinical sites in first and second year, they do ask if you have a car or not. If you don't they either make sure that you're at a local site or arrange a carpool with a fellow student going to the same site. Also, a lot of the hospitals have shuttles that run between them or have convenient public bus lines which run close by. I personally like having a car in Pittsburgh but I know a lot of people that get by fine without one.

3. Is good funding available for medical opportunities abroad? Ie, would I likely be able to get funding to go overseas during the summer after my first year?

Yes there is a lot of funding available. I know about 20 people going abroad this summer either for free or at a really low rate.

4. What's the age breakdown, typically (if this can be generalized across years). I am a couple years older than the average student, I think (26), and I would prefer to be in a class that doesn't skew totally young. It seems like some schools have more diversity in terms of age and/or life experience than other schools, and I am wondering where Pitt falls on the spectrum.

The age breakdown is half straight out of college and half non-trad. Of the non-trads, most are 23-25 but there is also a large number in their late twenties and a few in their thirties.

5. How is the anatomy lab, ie, how many students per cadaver, how long is the anatomy block, is it discrete or spread out over multiple units, etc. On the basis of my friends' experiences, I am not totally looking forward to anatomy, so I am hoping that somebody can comment on this.

The best teacher I've ever had was the anatomy professor here at Pitt (Dr. Schumann). The course is super organized and straightforward and you get lots of supervision and help in the lab. There are 6 people to a table but often groups split up the work leaving about 3 per table per session. For me, I decided to do most of my lab work after hours, so it was great for me that the Pitt anatomy lab is open 24/7. As a disclaimer though: don't worry too much about anatomy. At Pitt, it lasts for 9 weeks then its over. After going through everything since anatomy, its just a little part of your med school experience.

Hope that answers your questions. If you think of anything else, feel free to PM me.

Btw, for those of you wondering about the daily schedule of a PittMed student, check out these daily calendars from the Pitt site. This is exactly what our schedule looks like:

http://www.omed.pitt.edu/current-students/calendars.php
Click to expand...

Little correction: anatomy was 7 weeks. 🙂
 
creamsicle said:
Hi there. I'm a first year at Pitt and I'll try to answer your questions:

1. Can a current student comment on the recently-instituted curriculum change - starting clinical rotations three months earlier in the second year - and how this has impacted step 1 scores? Moreover, how much time is allowed for step 1 preparation?

I can't comment on the impact of the earlier clinical rotations on step 1 scores, but I do know that PittMed students tend to score well on the boards. Classes end in late February and in March you take a class called "Integrated Cases" which is supposed to help you prepare for the boards. The quality/usefulness of this class for step 1, I don't know...ask me in a year 😛. After Integrated Cases, most people take their boards in late April/early May then start rotations in May or June.

2. Are all of the clinical sites within easy walking/public transit distance of the medical school? I will most likely NOT have a car, and I would like to know if I'll be at a serious disadvantage because of this.

When you sign up for clinical sites in first and second year, they do ask if you have a car or not. If you don't they either make sure that you're at a local site or arrange a carpool with a fellow student going to the same site. Also, a lot of the hospitals have shuttles that run between them or have convenient public bus lines which run close by. I personally like having a car in Pittsburgh but I know a lot of people that get by fine without one.

3. Is good funding available for medical opportunities abroad? Ie, would I likely be able to get funding to go overseas during the summer after my first year?

Yes there is a lot of funding available. I know about 20 people going abroad this summer either for free or at a really low rate.

4. What's the age breakdown, typically (if this can be generalized across years). I am a couple years older than the average student, I think (26), and I would prefer to be in a class that doesn't skew totally young. It seems like some schools have more diversity in terms of age and/or life experience than other schools, and I am wondering where Pitt falls on the spectrum.

The age breakdown is half straight out of college and half non-trad. Of the non-trads, most are 23-25 but there is also a large number in their late twenties and a few in their thirties.

5. How is the anatomy lab, ie, how many students per cadaver, how long is the anatomy block, is it discrete or spread out over multiple units, etc. On the basis of my friends' experiences, I am not totally looking forward to anatomy, so I am hoping that somebody can comment on this.

The best teacher I've ever had was the anatomy professor here at Pitt (Dr. Schumann). The course is super organized and straightforward and you get lots of supervision and help in the lab. There are 6 people to a table but often groups split up the work leaving about 3 per table per session. For me, I decided to do most of my lab work after hours, so it was great for me that the Pitt anatomy lab is open 24/7. As a disclaimer though: don't worry too much about anatomy. At Pitt, it lasts for 9 weeks then its over. After going through everything since anatomy, its just a little part of your med school experience.

Hope that answers your questions. If you think of anything else, feel free to PM me.

Btw, for those of you wondering about the daily schedule of a PittMed student, check out these daily calendars from the Pitt site. This is exactly what our schedule looks like:

http://www.omed.pitt.edu/current-students/calendars.php
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info!
 
That was really helpful. Thanks!

Along similar lines, do we follow text books or compiled notes as MS1's? Does anyone know which textbooks if any?
 
Pitt2014 said:
That was really helpful. Thanks!

Along similar lines, do we follow text books or compiled notes as MS1's? Does anyone know which textbooks if any?
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At Second Look, many of the students said that they primarily used the syllabus and that books are largely unnecessary for most subjects. I got the impression that the syllabi are comprehensive to the point that you don't need (or won't have time to read) textbooks. I'm assuming we'll still need to purchase Step 1 review books however.
 
After an agonizing decision, I am matriculating here. Woot class of 2014.
 
fisticuffs said:
At Second Look, many of the students said that they primarily used the syllabus and that books are largely unnecessary for most subjects. I got the impression that the syllabi are comprehensive to the point that you don't need (or won't have time to read) textbooks. I'm assuming we'll still need to purchase Step 1 review books however.
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Exactly! The syllabus is more than enough for most classes. The only books I used are:

Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy
Grants Dissector (only need a couple per lab table to share and there might be "dirty" copies available in the lab)
Abbas Basic Immunology
Bates' Guide for Physical Exam/History Taking
Haines Neuroanatomy Atlas
Rational Medical Decision Making

I wouldn't recommend buying anything else. There might be a required book for genetics that you will need to buy. We had a required book but the professor ended up copying the required chapters for us so we didn't really need to get the book.
 
fisticuffs said:
Hey, I'm matriculating to Pitt this fall and was wondering if there are any current students here who can answer some questions. I'm thinking about buying a new laptop and a new phone before school this fall and was wondering:

1. Are students supplied with any sort of PDA/smartphone in the clinical years? Are we required to purchase one?
2. Do students have access to any free apps (epocrates, etc.)?
3. Are we eligible for any phone plan discounts through a particular provider?
4. Are there outlets for laptops in the lecture halls? Do most students bring laptops to class? What sort of battery life do you need?
5. Do we have access to any free software?
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Hi. I just graduated from Pitt a week ago, and am killing time before residency starts. To answer your questions:

1. You are not supplied with PDA/smart phones, nor are you required to purchase one. There are computers with internet access everywhere in the hospitals. Maybe in some of the less-equipped clinics, a PDA/smart phone could be useful, but certainly not necessary.

2. Epocrates is free for students. The hospital also has free Up-To-Date which you can access at any UPMC computer or through remote access at home.

3. Not that I know of.

4. There are outlets in the lecture halls, but they are not pervasive. You do not need to bring laptops to lectures, and most students do not. Every course has a syllabus that contains the majority of lecture material, and most students take notes in that syllabus. Remember nearly all lectures are recorded and available online to view at anytime.

5. As a Pitt student, you have access to all software that any typical university student would. This means you can get Windows, Office, Adobe Photoshop, etc., for free or extremely discounted rates. I think I got Office for free and Photoshop for $5.
 
taciturngirl said:
I just got my financial aid package for Pitt, and it turns out that Pitt will cost me exactly the same as my May 15th school. Since I like both schools, I was hoping to have the decision made easier through disparate financial aid packages, but this isn't the case. Can anyone answer some quick questions about Pitt, or at least direct me to a helpful previous post? 🙂

1. Can a current student comment on the recently-instituted curriculum change - starting clinical rotations three months earlier in the second year - and how this has impacted step 1 scores? Moreover, how much time is allowed for step 1 preparation?
2. Are all of the clinical sites within easy walking/public transit distance of the medical school? I will most likely NOT have a car, and I would like to know if I'll be at a serious disadvantage because of this.
3. Is good funding available for medical opportunities abroad? Ie, would I likely be able to get funding to go overseas during the summer after my first year?
4. What's the age breakdown, typically (if this can be generalized across years). I am a couple years older than the average student, I think (26), and I would prefer to be in a class that doesn't skew totally young. It seems like some schools have more diversity in terms of age and/or life experience than other schools, and I am wondering where Pitt falls on the spectrum.
5. How is the anatomy lab, ie, how many students per cadaver, how long is the anatomy block, is it discrete or spread out over multiple units, etc. On the basis of my friends' experiences, I am not totally looking forward to anatomy, so I am hoping that somebody can comment on this.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

1. MS2 ends at the end of February. MS3 begins the first week of May. You have all the time inbetween to study for Step 1. One caveat is that for 3 weeks, there is a mandatory class called Integrated Case Studies which is basically 1-2 hours of PBL every weekday, but this is a minor time commitment. 8 weeks is more than enough to study for Step 1.

2. The vast majority of clinical sites are within walking/public transit distances, but not all. For example, for family medicine, you may be assigned to Altoona, PA or Washington, PA, which are 1-2 hours from Oakland. For peds or adult clinics, you may have to go to Turtle Creek or McKeesport, both ~30 minutes from Oakland. I strongly recommend having a car at least for MS3 and MS4 as it will make life a lot easier.

3. I believe so. There is a global health interest group that does a lot of this work. I am not personally familiar with their work, but have heard of many students who had little to no trouble setting up international work.

4. I believe the average age of my class at the start of first year was 24. I've heard Pitt is very friendly to non-traditionals.

5. Anatomy is 8 weeks long. Each of Pitt's classes are in blocks, meaning you take only one class of that nature (e.g., basic science) at a time. Each cadaver has approximately 6 students assigned to it. Anatomy is the first class you will take at Pitt and it will be overwhelming. However, I advise you not to pick your school based on the subjective experiences of one basic science class that is universally difficult.

Happy to answer or elaborate on any more questions.
 
pittgrad10 said:
4. I believe the average age of my class at the start of first year was 24. I've heard Pitt is very friendly to non-traditionals.
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My first year host told me his class was much younger than the other Pitt classes, saying he thought it was a strategic move on the administration's part. Nothing official obviously, so take it for what it's worth.
 
Steeler7588 said:
My first year host told me his class was much younger than the other Pitt classes, saying he thought it was a strategic move on the administration's part. Nothing official obviously, so take it for what it's worth.
Click to expand...

I have difficulty believing it's a strategic move because it just doesn't make any obvious sense...but I guess we'll see in the fall!
 
taciturngirl said:
I have difficulty believing it's a strategic move because it just doesn't make any obvious sense...but I guess we'll see in the fall!
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I think his reasoning was Pitt wanted to make a push for the top 10 in the US News rankings, and was partly doing that by favoring GPA / MCAT more in admissions (as those stats are weighted in the rankings), which I guess tend to be a little higher among traditional students than non-trads? He said second and third year students had told them they were much more competitive than the older classes.
 
Steeler7588 said:
I think his reasoning was Pitt wanted to make a push for the top 10 in the US News rankings, and was partly doing that by favoring GPA / MCAT more in admissions (as those stats are weighted in the rankings), which I guess tend to be a little higher among traditional students than non-trads? He said second and third year students had told them they were much more competitive than the older classes.
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This seems to go along with their stupid acceptance policies (and lame way of accepting people off the waitlist by sending an 'interest' email first)
 
Steeler7588 said:
I think his reasoning was Pitt wanted to make a push for the top 10 in the US News rankings, and was partly doing that by favoring GPA / MCAT more in admissions (as those stats are weighted in the rankings), which I guess tend to be a little higher among traditional students than non-trads? He said second and third year students had told them they were much more competitive than the older classes.
Click to expand...

This could have some truth to it. Our class wasn't admitted by the current dean of admissions, who took over for the class of 2011 and after. So the criteria for acceptance may have changed.
 
MCsoundt said:
This seems to go along with their stupid acceptance policies (and lame way of accepting people off the waitlist by sending an 'interest' email first)
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While I agree their "interest" approach reeks of yield protection, I think their general admissions strategy (accept a lower initial amount, waitlist many, start movement early) isn't inappropriate when you consider they were burned by over-enrollment (an expensive problem to fix) only two years ago. UVa over-enrolled this year, and I imagine they'll play it very cautious next year as well.
 
Steeler7588 said:
I think his reasoning was Pitt wanted to make a push for the top 10 in the US News rankings, and was partly doing that by favoring GPA / MCAT more in admissions (as those stats are weighted in the rankings), which I guess tend to be a little higher among traditional students than non-trads? He said second and third year students had told them they were much more competitive than the older classes.
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Is this true? I mean, I can see re-applicants being a different ballgame, but it seems like it shouldn't be different between people who just took a year or two off vs. people straight out of college.
 
pittgrad10 said:
1. MS2 ends at the end of February. MS3 begins the first week of May. You have all the time inbetween to study for Step 1. One caveat is that for 3 weeks, there is a mandatory class called Integrated Case Studies which is basically 1-2 hours of PBL every weekday, but this is a minor time commitment. 8 weeks is more than enough to study for Step 1.

2. The vast majority of clinical sites are within walking/public transit distances, but not all. For example, for family medicine, you may be assigned to Altoona, PA or Washington, PA, which are 1-2 hours from Oakland. For peds or adult clinics, you may have to go to Turtle Creek or McKeesport, both ~30 minutes from Oakland. I strongly recommend having a car at least for MS3 and MS4 as it will make life a lot easier.

3. I believe so. There is a global health interest group that does a lot of this work. I am not personally familiar with their work, but have heard of many students who had little to no trouble setting up international work.

4. I believe the average age of my class at the start of first year was 24. I've heard Pitt is very friendly to non-traditionals.

5. Anatomy is 8 weeks long. Each of Pitt's classes are in blocks, meaning you take only one class of that nature (e.g., basic science) at a time. Each cadaver has approximately 6 students assigned to it. Anatomy is the first class you will take at Pitt and it will be overwhelming. However, I advise you not to pick your school based on the subjective experiences of one basic science class that is universally difficult.

Happy to answer or elaborate on any more questions.
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Thank you! This was so very helpful.
 
fisticuffs said:
:soexcited:

Super psyched! Pitt has been my #1 for years. Can't believe I'm going there!
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While I had no idea whatsoever that I would attend Pitt when I started this process,
😍:soexcited::wow::woot::lock::biglove: :banana:

about sums up how I feel now. Can't wait to get started.
 
Has there been any more wait list movement here recently?
 
I just withdrew from Pitt last week--got a call from another school out of the blue--so hopefully that clears another spot for someone on the waitlist. Good luck! Pitt is an awesome place.
 
taciturngirl said:
Did you receive any correspondence re: setting up email accounts? Nothing here.
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Nothing here. I assume we get all the info on sending in transcripts, shots/titers, etc. after the e-mail account goes live? Or am I totally behind the times?
 
GoodmanBrown said:
Nothing here. I assume we get all the info on sending in transcripts, shots/titers, etc. after the e-mail account goes live? Or am I totally behind the times?
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I haven't been sent any emails/communications from the admissions office since may 18th-ish. 😕

i had to call to make sure they got the deposit
 
JokerMD said:
same here! although i dont think our user names are activated yet (mine doesn't seem to be....)
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Really? I was able to set up my email immediately. Spent about an hour and a half scouring the Zone. Has anybody been able to figure out what their Pitt ID is? There's a link on the MyZone page that says "My Student ID and Pitt ID" but I get an error when I click on it.
 
fisticuffs said:
Really? I was able to set up my email immediately. Spent about an hour and a half scouring the Zone. Has anybody been able to figure out what their Pitt ID is? There's a link on the MyZone page that says "My Student ID and Pitt ID" but I get an error when I click on it.
Click to expand...

yea, i didn't read the password instructions clearly....

when i click that My student ID and Pitt ID link, i have a popup that tells my my student ID but not my Pitt ID.....
 
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