2012-2013 Vanderbilt University Application Thread

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Nymphicus said:
Just a general note--please bring all these questions and concerns to second look and make sure they are answered to your satisfaction. You want to feel comfortable that you are making the right decision so you don't have regrets afterwards.

Also, second look will be a blast, so be prepared to have fun!
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Yup, I'll be sure to ask about these questions during Second Look! Can't wait -- I've only heard awesome things about it!!
 
Ichiban88 said:
Nymphicus,

I've heard Nashville being the music city but is it predominantly country. Is there EDM?
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yes you definitely can find EDM. kaskade was in Nashville last semester and pretty lights has come at least two years in a row. while Nashville is the country capital of the world, there is every type of music here
 
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I'm currently a medical student at Vanderbilt and I would be happy to answer any questions you guys have about the school, the atmosphere, and the new curriculum.
 
Nymphicus said:
Mildly interesting but not super relevant:

(UNDERGRAD ADMISSIONS)

Vanderbilt University Admitted Freshman Class of 2017 Profile
Admit rate: 10.84%
Average rank in class: 3.39%*
Percent of students in the top ten percent of their graduating class: 95.26%*
Middle 50% SAT (Verbal): 740 – 800
Middle 50% SAT (Math): 750 – 800
Middle 50% ACT: 33 – 35

http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/vandybloggers/2013/03/class-of-2017-regular-decisions-mailed-today/
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not a surprise, great shcool. wish i had gone here for undergrad. glad im getting the chance to come back for med school
 
super excited for second look next weekend! also, just for curiosity's sake, what is the diversity at this school?
 
nazz said:
super excited for second look next weekend! also, just for curiosity's sake, what is the diversity at this school?
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I'm not really sure what you are asking.

Maybe this link well help answer some of your questions?
https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/diversity/
This article also has some good information:
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbiltmedicine/index.html?article=9115

I do know that Dr. Andre Churchwell is pretty awesome. You will probably meet him at second look.
 
Nymphicus said:
For total medical school enrollment as of 2012:

Minority students 41.9%
Underrepresented minority students 13.3%
International students 6.5%
Non-traditional students 47.0%
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is there a website for this? also thank you again for the information.
 
Ichiban88 said:
Nymphicus,

I've heard Nashville being the music city but is it predominantly country. Is there EDM?
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Definitely less than other "big" cities. Rusko is headlining Rites of Spring in a few weeks (Vandy's Big Music Festival) and everybody is pouting 😎
 
Current students, what are your recommendations for housing? What are some of the apartment complexes that med students live in?
 
MonsieurF said:
Current students, what are your recommendations for housing? What are some of the apartment complexes that med students live in?
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Most commonly south of medical center, near 21st Ave S (fairfax, ackland, 24th, etc). Some on West End Ave or Vanderbilt place. A few right across street from medical campus at Village at Vanderbilt. Because of their proximity to the medical center, rents are usually high in these places. I know there are classmates living on 18th ave, 32nd ave, Love circle, 15th ave, and farther out in the suburbs. My roommate and I are currently looking for a 3rd person(male) for our house. Message me if anyone is interested.
 
Nymphicus said:
Yes, it should be emailed to you. You can contact the admissions office if you have more questions and they should be glad to help.
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Pretty sure I didn't get it. Was it in the email that asks you to fill out that survey on surveymonkey?
 
tungsten184 said:
Pretty sure I didn't get it. Was it in the email that asks you to fill out that survey on surveymonkey?
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==================
Friday - April 5th
==================
Check into Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University beginning at 3:30 pm

Activities & Organizations Fair at 5:30PM in Light Hall Medical Student Lounge

Anatomy Lab Tours beginning at 5:30PM

Dinner at 7 pm North Lobby Light Hall followed by student entertainment

====================
Saturday - April 6th
====================
Greeting from the Deans

Small group pathology organ recitals

Hands-on experience at CELA

Medical Student Shade Tree Clinic presentation

Lunch breakout sessions on global health, MPH, MD/MBA, research at VUSM, Medical Scholars Program

Curriculum 2.0 Question and Answer Session

Tours of Vanderbilt's clinical facilities led by our renowned physicians

Dinner at 6:30 pm with faculty and student entertainment at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University

==================
Sunday - April 7th
==================
Check-out time at Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University is noon.

We are thrilled to provide hotel accommodations at Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University (2555 West End Avenue).
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bnaav-nashville-marriott-at-vanderbilt-university/
Check-in time begins at 3:30 PM Friday, April 5, 2013. Check-out time is noon Sunday, April 7, 2013. You will be assigned to rooms randomly two per room. Meals for the Friday and Saturday events will be provided by Vanderbilt. You are only responsible for financing your transportation to and from Nashville.
If you fly, upon arrival at BNA, please go to Level 2 to retrieve checked luggage. Then proceed to Ground Transportation, Level 1. Ground transportation options include taxi (about $27 one way) and the Grayline Shuttle $14 one way, $25 round trip (http://graylinetn.com/services/airport-express1)
If you are driving to Nashville, you will park at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University. The Office of Medical School Admissions will cover the cost of parking for those who SELF PARK at the hotel IF you mention that you are SELF PARKING WHEN you check into the hotel.
Dress for the weekend is business casual. You may be in the hospital on Saturday, so please dress in professional attire. For Friday evening casual dress is fine. For Saturday evening, gentlemen generally wear a sports coat or blazer. For Friday and Saturday after hour activities, please feel free to bring comfortable clothing.
 
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ok can someone help define business casual...type that into google and you get everything from hobos to tuxedos
 
Well they said Friday night "casual" is fine - I just plan on wearing a button down and some casual pants, nothing fancy. Saturday....I know it says business casual but then it says to dress in professional attire. Does this mean a tie? I know Saturday night we have to wear a sports coat...hmmmm
 
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If anyone needs a place to stay either before or after Second Look please send me a pm, and hopefully I can host you.

Myself and another first year are also looking for an additional roommate for our house for this upcoming year. The house was recently constructed with wood floors throughout. Large naturally lighted furnished great-room connected to kitchen, half bath and master suite downstairs. Upstairs are two bedrooms and full bath. House has washer and dryer, along with central AC/Heat. Driveway with 3 parking spots behind unit. Kitchen is fully furnished with appliances. Approximately 12 minute walk to Vanderbilt Medical Center.
Rent is $600/month plus utilities which are usually below $50/month.

PM me for more information, or if you'd like to see the place this weekend.
 
hi blood press said:
ok can someone help define business casual...type that into google and you get everything from hobos to tuxedos
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Tots said:
Well they said Friday night "casual" is fine - I just plan on wearing a button down and some casual pants, nothing fancy. Saturday....I know it says business casual but then it says to dress in professional attire. Does this mean a tie? I know Saturday night we have to wear a sports coat...hmmmm
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As you can see, people interpret this in a variety of ways.

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6774544540_ed42207b6a_z.jpg


Don't stress too much.
 
Are we required to sent our taxes to the Financial aid office in order to qualify for need based help? I didn't see it on the need access email.
 
OMG, these gunner games and Cadaver ball videos are hilarious!
 
From the NYT Think Like a Doctor: The Baby Who Won't Eat Solved!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/think-like-a-doctor-the-baby-who-wont-eat-solved/

"The first person with the correct answer was Michael Pelster, who solved the mystery with the help of his girlfriend, Meredith Sellers. Both are graduating from Vanderbilt Medical School this May, then heading to Northwestern in Chicago to do their residencies in dermatology (Mr. Pelster) and internal medicine (Ms. Sellers)..."
 
Tots said:
Man Vanderbilt, Why so awesome?
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Anyone who was at second look, please elaborate on why it was awesome! Regrettably, I had to miss all the second looks because I was busy this weekend 🙁
 
Could those of you who attended the second look comment about what you learned about the curriculum and other important aspects? It would really help those of us who were not able to attend. Thanks!
 
According to MSAR, over 35% of vandy students receive merit scholarships of at least 75%. Have these been given out? Was this discussed at all during second look?
 
triagemed said:
Could those of you who attended the second look comment about what you learned about the curriculum and other important aspects? It would really help those of us who were not able to attend. Thanks!
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You've probably heard that the preclinical time has been shortened to one year. I felt that the most important take home message about the curriculum is that they aren't de-emphasizing science. Rather, the focus of the first year is on mastering the big picture ideas while the details are emphasized during the clinical years.

Personally, this makes a lot more sense than the traditional 2X2 curriculum. A lot of stuff you memorize out of a book feels arbitrary and forgettable- it could easily be one way or another. But when you apply that information in a real-life scenario, it becomes much harder to forget.
 
papichulo23 said:
According to MSAR, over 35% of vandy students receive merit scholarships of at least 75%. Have these been given out? Was this discussed at all during second look?
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They didn't talk specifically about financial aid at second look, but I know that many students have already heard about the 75% scholarships (I am one of the lucky ones!). I would imagine that if any of these students choose to attend another school, their scholarship may be passed onto the next applicant in line according to the scholarship committee.
 
MonsieurF said:
You've probably heard that the preclinical time has been shortened to one year. I felt that the most important take home message about the curriculum is that they aren't de-emphasizing science. Rather, the focus of the first year is on mastering the big picture ideas while the details are emphasized during the clinical years.

Personally, this makes a lot more sense than the traditional 2X2 curriculum. A lot of stuff you memorize out of a book feels arbitrary and forgettable- it could easily be one way or another. But when you apply that information in a real-life scenario, it becomes much harder to forget.
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How would the details be taught during clinical years though? And how do they expect this change to affect STEP 1 prep/performance?
 
triagemed said:
How would the details be taught during clinical years though? And how do they expect this change to affect STEP 1 prep/performance?
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During the 3rd and 4th year you would have immersion courses which have more basic science than your traditional clinical elective. One of the examples was a cardiovascular immersion course where some students would be on interventional cards, some of CT surgery, etc but they would come together to learn about cardiovascular diseases. They provided a few other examples and sample schedules depending on interests. They said they would put these on the website so I imagine they will show up eventually.

They seemed confident that the curriculum will not adversely affect step 1 scores. Students will still have the same amount of time to prep and can actually take Step 1 any time during their 3rd year depending on whatever else they have going on.
 
Tots said:
During the 3rd and 4th year you would have immersion courses which have more basic science than your traditional clinical elective. One of the examples was a cardiovascular immersion course where some students would be on interventional cards, some of CT surgery, etc but they would come together to learn about cardiovascular diseases. They provided a few other examples and sample schedules depending on interests. They said they would put these on the website so I imagine they will show up eventually.

They seemed confident that the curriculum will not adversely affect step 1 scores. Students will still have the same amount of time to prep and can actually take Step 1 any time during their 3rd year depending on whatever else they have going on.
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Wow, we can take step 1 anytime 3rd year, even after having almost 3 months off to prep? That seems insane.
 
triagemed said:
Wow, we can take step 1 anytime 3rd year, even after having almost 3 months off to prep? That seems insane.
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Unless I am mistaken yes? Though I think you only have 6 weeks, not 3 months.(It sounded like you could arrange your vacation as you see fit though, so you might be able to use that for more time).
 
Tots said:
Unless I am mistaken yes? Though I think you only have 6 weeks, not 3 months.(It sounded like you could arrange your vacation as you see fit though, so you might be able to use that for more time).
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https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/ume/curriculum-2-schematic

Right, the schematic given is just an example. Third and fourth year are very customizable. You can take your "summer" vacation early, combine it with winter break, etc. You can take step 1 early and get it over with or you can take it later.

Just wanted to add:
The impression I got about the new curriculum in regard to step 1 preparation is that you will have all the science you need before you start third year. They aren't making you learn 2 years worth of "science" in one year. They also aren't cutting out basic science and stuffing them back in later with the immersions.

The immersions are not science courses that you would originally learn in the preclinical years. Instead, they are opportunities to focus in specific areas of medicine that interest you.
 
MonsieurF said:
They also aren't cutting out basic science and stuffing them back in later with the immersions.
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Agree with what you said except for maybe this. They said they're not cramming 2 years into 1 year. Instead, they are reducing the "depth" and cutting some "details" out of the curriculum. I'm not sure of that depth/detail is necessary for Step 1, but some basic science is cut from the pre-clinical curriculum.
 
riddler said:
Agree with what you said except for maybe this. They said they're not cramming 2 years into 1 year. Instead, they are reducing the "depth" and cutting some "details" out of the curriculum. I'm not sure of that depth/detail is necessary for Step 1, but some basic science is cut from the pre-clinical curriculum.
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Yes they are definitely taking details out of the preclinical curriculum. What I meant was that the immersions do not represent the missing details. We will still be learning the details we need for Step 1 except that much of the learning will happen in the clinic.
 
If we aren't learning all the info we need to know for step 1 during year 1, I don't understand how the details are going to be taught during year 2. Are we taking classes alongside rotations?
 
triagemed said:
If we aren't learning all the info we need to know for step 1 during year 1, I don't understand how the details are going to be taught during year 2. Are we taking classes alongside rotations?
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Also my question. Would we not have to just grind through material the same way you would normally in 2nd year, except with the added burden of a surgery rotation?
 
for those that attended second look, did they indicate when and how often quizzes/exams would be during first year? I know one of the thing current duke students complain about is having weekly monday morning exams during their 1 year preclinical curriculum, leaving them with little time to relax/recharge over the weekend.
 
samuelj said:
for those that attended second look, did they indicate when and how often quizzes/exams would be during first year? I know one of the thing current duke students complain about is having weekly monday morning exams during their 1 year preclinical curriculum, leaving them with little time to relax/recharge over the weekend.
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I heard that there will be exams every 6 weeks. Dunno about quizzes
 
sorry if this has been asked before, but when does financial aid information come out for this school? the last piece of information i need to make decisions. Thank you!
 
samuelj said:
for those that attended second look, did they indicate when and how often quizzes/exams would be during first year? I know one of the thing current duke students complain about is having weekly monday morning exams during their 1 year preclinical curriculum, leaving them with little time to relax/recharge over the weekend.
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- Very few to no Monday exams.
- Quizzes will be for "self-monitoring" and as such will either be for very low percentage grade point, no points, or extra credit.
 
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