(¯`•._.•==Texas Tech University Class of 2011==•._.•´¯)

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Thanks, is there a nice selection of furnished apts near the med school b/c I don't plan on hauling furniture all the way to lubbock.

yes, there are about 3 in that area (~1 mile) that are furnished and all bills paid

and plenty more reasonably priced unfurnished too
 
Thanks, is there a nice selection of furnished apts near the med school b/c I don't plan on hauling furniture all the way to lubbock.

Yup. It's called University Fountains. I think it costs $625/mos for 1br, utilities included.
 
Do yall recommend buying a pda or smart phone for first year or should I wait until 3rd year?
 
I don't think there is any need in PDA at this point.
 
What is this "spring training event"?

I believe Spring Training is supposed to be in April on a weekend. You have dinner on Friday night, Apartment browsing on Saturday, and lunch, games and various events sponsored by different organizations. Thats about all I know. I have not received a detailed schedule either. Also, you get to meet your classmates and get to interact with current medical school students. Hope that helps. 🙂
 
I believe Spring Training is supposed to be in April on a weekend. You have dinner on Friday night, Apartment browsing on Saturday, and lunch, games and various events sponsored by different organizations. Thats about all I know. I have not received a detailed schedule either. Also, you get to meet your classmates and get to interact with current medical school students. Hope that helps. 🙂

Thanks.
 
Spring training is conducted by the 1st years to welcome incoming students . Last year it was on March 31st - April 2, 2006. I don't know when it is this year yet, they'll send information soon? But you have the option of bringing your parents or stay with a current student.

The friday is just dinner, meet and greet.
The satursday 9:00 - 5:00 is Apartment showcase, they'll drive you around and look at apartments, then food and more socials.
The sunday is breakfast.

Hope everyone got the email to complete your Criminal History Record check.

 
Does TTUHSC-SOM have a roommate matching service?

Is any incoming students taking classes in the summer before matriculation?
 
According to the 2007 Academic Calendar posted online, it appears as if orientation starts early August and school starts August 6th, what time would you guys reccomend moving up there? If we were to make a summer out of Lubock, is there anyway to get involved with a summer research program or a clerkship at the hosptial? thanks.
 
If we were to make a summer out of Lubock, is there anyway to get involved with a summer research program or a clerkship at the hosptial? thanks.
Seriously, don't do that. Take the summer off. It's one of your last times to sit around doing nothing. You will want to be well rested before school starts. I worked up until 6 weeks before school started, went on vacation after I quit, played video games, moved, chilled, etc.
 
I don't think they have roommate matching service so spring training would be your best opportunity to find a roommate. As far as summer goes - take it off and have fun. There is absolutely nothing to do in Lubbock before you meet your classmates and you can do research some other summer. Just relax and enjoy the last free weeks of your life.
 
What to buy?
Laptop (brand doesn't matter)

I do not recommend going nuts and buying textbooks as soon as they post a list online. You can probably get them cheapest from an MSII.

If you are going to have a place with the space/can dig this lifestyle, I recommend having a washer and dryer at home and an extra freezer. (I live in a duplex, so I can get away with this.) I am very thankful that I do not have to haul my laundry anywhere to get it done. Also, my roomie and I cooked a ton of food prior to the start of school and froze individual servings. Call me crazy or call me broke. (Rosa's and cafeteria food is fun and all, but I really have a hard time justifying the amount of money I can spend eating like that with 6.25% interest on it.) Just an idea, take it or leave it.

Spring Training
RRGirl may have found it to be lame. She was already in Lubbock, and therefore not as fearful of the idea of moving to the middle of nowhere with "HUGE FRIGGIN RABBITS." I would recommend coming. I thought it was helpful, even though I didn't move into any apts that we were shown. I was happy to get to meet my classmates and talk to some of the MSIs at the time.

Books vs class notes
This all depends on the class. Which books (suggests vs Board Review Series) also depends on the class.

Profs and Classes
I would average out our contact hours/day closer to 4. Profs for the most part, I've felt pretty good about them. I really hope that the office of curriculum listens to the evals that we give them for phys. (There was massive improvement in the lecturers for biochem/genetics/histo because the current MSIIs let them know about who was worth hearing.) Many changes were made between last year and this year. It is my hope that changes will be made off of our suggestions and things will be even better for your class.

Ok, I have to stop delaying studying for respiratory. Keep asking questions. I'll be back after I kill on my respiratory exam. Eat my dust TexPre-Med. (We all know your getting a masters in atheletic training, not an MD.)
 
Llama, I did not call spring training lame. I said it was fun but I don't think it is worth the trip from 500 miles away and all the money spent on the hotel room. Most of the people met each other during orientation week and I don't think people who did not come to the spring training ended up homeless. And you found your roomie back in Dallas, not during spring training....
 
I am also going to be starting at Tech in the Fall! 😀

Anyone know if there's dorms there or just apartments nearby?
 
I guess you could always petition to live in the undergrad dorms. Wouldn't recommend it though.

Apartments/houses/living anywhere is cheap in Lubbock. No worries.
 
nice dust storm we're having right now

I don't think I've ever seen it snow mud before 😱
 
Tumbleweeds to the roof. That's Lubbock for you. The windy city.
 
it's ridiculous I tell you

Yeah, we drove down to the basketball game yesterday and as someone who has driven that stretch far more than most I will say it was the worst I have ever seen/driven in. The farmers can use sand fighters to some effect when the wind is below 40 mph but above that they're just pissing in the wind. In Abernathy a semi was blown over.....something else.

'Rambler
 
well if it gets too windy you can always take shelter behind THOSE GIGANTIC RABBITS!!!!!!!

haha I've been trying to exterminate those things every time my family has a vacation in Las Cruces, NM.

Bunny Blasting is definitely a west texas sport.
 
Just grab a bunny and glide on their gigantic ears. Windsurfing west Texas style 😀
 
Congrats to all of you about to start at Tech. I'm a 3rd year at our El paso campus & I figured I'd hand out some completely unrequested advice.

1. You will have to pick out the campus you will be spending your 3rd & 4th year at in 2 months or so: Lubbock, Amarillo, or El Paso. If you aren't married, you have almost no shot at Lubbock, so begin thinking about which you'd prefer among the other 2. Both have advanages/disadvantages.

2. Don't do something ridiculous like study this summer. It's almost your last summer ever. Make it count. Cram as much fun as possible into 2.5 months.

3. Don't buy a bunch of junk over the summer for med school. I bought a laptop & then never used it. I bought a lot of textbooks & many of them are still covered in plastic. You will study from: 1. Review books (like Checkerboard) 2. Class notes/Scribe notes Textbooks are an almost complete waste of time/money, so wait until you get to Lubbock, then ask some of the 2nd years what they used to study.

4. Get used to the idea of studying on your own. The lecturers are often mediocre at best (FYI: this is almost every med school in the country, not just tech). The problem is you have PhDs (who hate medical students) teaching medical courses. They will focus on the minutia of their own research while largely ignoring things you need to know for Step 1. Use your review books to get the basics down, then the week before exams, go back to their notes & start memorizing which band of the p arm this disorder is located on.

5. Give up on research - anything meaningful is just not gonna happen over your 1st 2 years. (You may get to do a small project between 1st & 2nd year however). If you're really that motivated - use that time to study for Step 1. If you get a 260 on your board, I promise you that no one will care whether or not you made 5th author on an article in the Southern Medical journal or not.

6. Above all: remember that there's more to life than medical school. Med school can be as great or as awful as you make it for yourself. You can either stress yourself out & become a hermit that the rest of your classmates whisper about (& wish hateful things on) or you can be a real live person that studies hard when they need to, but is the 1st person at the bar after exams are over. Trust me, residents seem to like the real human beings better over your 3rd & 4th years - so grades will even out.

Hopefully I covered all the highlights - if anyone has anything else you're dying to know about, post it or pm me. Good luck!
 
I agree with all of the above with the exception of research. Scoring a 260 is easier said than done. But please, don't let me stop you.

Secondly, research is a requirement for many residency programs.
I think it was the El Paso Anesthesia program that was shut down recently. One problem was a lack of research. Not positive on that, but I think that was the one.

So while research is not a requirement, residencies will see it as a plus that you do some research. You don't have to publish or be spectacular, but merely show an interest. That way residency programs know that you are familiar with the aspect of research and that you may help them do some research/write case studies. I'd do a few weeks of research during your summer b/w 1st and 2nd year or do a little during your pre-clinical years. There is always extra time.

Have a fun and relaxing summer. Travel!!!!!!!
 
Did any of yall do or would any of u recommend research the summer before ur first year.
 
Does anyone use the hazelwood act for tuition? I am trying to get all my paperwork in but have a few questions. The hazelwood coordinator in the financial aid office has not returned my calls.
 
Hazelwood will pay all of your tuition and most of the fees up to 150 hours I believe. You just need to submit your DD214 and some other documents. I also believe that you have to prove that you had ran out of your GI Bill money. I can check on more information later today and PM you with details.
 
Did any of yall do or would any of u recommend research the summer before ur first year.

I wouldn't. You don't have any connections at the school yet (assuming), and you should really spend most of your summer relaxing. First year (especially at the beginning) will be a shocker.

Tech will probably send out info. about a Diabetes Camp this summer. I would recommend doing that, shadowing different docs (if you don't know what specialty you want to go into, and relaxing.

At least in my opinion, med school does not force you into seeing how many specialties work before you choose a field. You do the PC rotations 3rd year, and then you are expected to pick your specialty towards the beginning of 4th year (way before all of your electives). So during 1st and 2nd year you can ask physicians to shadow and hunt down different specialists in the hospital. You just have to find time to do this around school work and time to relax. Any time you get a chance to observe a new field, I'd take it.
 
I wouldn't. You don't have any connections at the school yet (assuming), and you should really spend most of your summer relaxing. First year (especially at the beginning) will be a shocker.

Tech will probably send out info. about a Diabetes Camp this summer. I would recommend doing that, shadowing different docs (if you don't know what specialty you want to go into, and relaxing.

At least in my opinion, med school does not force you into seeing how many specialties work before you choose a field. You do the PC rotations 3rd year, and then you are expected to pick your specialty towards the beginning of 4th year (way before all of your electives). So during 1st and 2nd year you can ask physicians to shadow and hunt down different specialists in the hospital. You just have to find time to do this around school work and time to relax. Any time you get a chance to observe a new field, I'd take it.


Thanks for the answer, I was just wondering b/c I am considering ortho and derm right now and I have spent some time shadowing an ortho and will do more this summer and also shadow a derm this summer, but i heard u need research for the competitive specialties.
 
Hey guys! You all should definitely come to spring training. I thought it was a lot of fun. I stayed with a first year at the time and it was wonderful. She made me feel really welcome. Heck I even had a coffee pot in my room if I wanted to use it.

If you guys are thinking about finding a roommate, try meeting some of your classmates in the same city as you are right now. We organized a few things last year for the Dallas gang. It was nice to have some names with faces before orientation when you have to learn 150 of them.

Take the summer off. Take a trip somewhere fun. It is nice to get photos developed and relive the trip while you're spending most of your day in anatomy lab.

I've heard mixed info on doing research. Some of the super competitive specialties would like you to have some (like derm), but I'm not sure how mandatory it is.
Here's the link to the new calendar for next year: http://www.ttuhsc.edu/som/curriculum/

A note on the profs. There are some that everyone loves. There’s a few that everyone hates. And most are in between where depending on your learning style some will like and other will not. You just have to have the mindset to do what is right for you. If you're not learning from the professor that's teaching, go study by yourself, form study groups, or go find a different professor that also knows the material...just try to be respectful about it.

Text books: wait until you get here. A couple of the books you’ll get from joining clubs. Some of the other ones you’ll be able to buy or borrow from second years. If you can’t find them then, start looking online or run by the book store here.

Okay time to study. See you guys at spring training and please keep asking questions🙂
 
Nice post smiles...so which profs do u like/dislike?
 
hmm...to research or not to research. anyone else want to weigh-in?

If you think you want to do one of the really competitive specialties like Derm, Plastics, Neurosurg, etc. then research/publication is essential and the summer before starting is an excellent time to get started on this (IMHO). I was just discussing this today with other 1st years about how if you talk to physicians in these specialties they tell you it's mandatory to match well while the administration and a lot of others tell you to relax and enjoy your last (or second to last) summer off. I did some research the summer before because I was already involved and enjoyed it. That was time off for me. I didn't publish but called on my PI later for help me with a LOR for a scholarship application and to get into another lab the summer following MS1. So, bottom line, if you are shooting for a competitive specialty or just enjoy research, by all means do it. Even if it doesn't get you published, it will likely help you indirectly in other ways.
On the other hand, while this might put you ahead in a small part of the game, if you choose not to it will by no means put you behind. Also, all the research in the world isn't gonna do much good if you're burnt out your first two years, don't learn the material, and score poorly on your boards. So, as with all things, balance these choices with your life and sanity.
 
If you think you want to do one of the really competitive specialties like Derm, Plastics, Neurosurg, etc. then research/publication is essential and the summer before starting is an excellent time to get started on this (IMHO). I was just discussing this today with other 1st years about how if you talk to physicians in these specialties they tell you it's mandatory to match well while the administration and a lot of others tell you to relax and enjoy your last (or second to last) summer off. I did some research the summer before because I was already involved and enjoyed it. That was time off for me. I didn't publish but called on my PI later for help me with a LOR for a scholarship application and to get into another lab the summer following MS1. So, bottom line, if you are shooting for a competitive specialty or just enjoy research, by all means do it. Even if it doesn't get you published, it will likely help you indirectly in other ways.
On the other hand, while this might put you ahead in a small part of the game, if you choose not to it will by no means put you behind. Also, all the research in the world isn't gonna do much good if you're burnt out your first two years, don't learn the material, and score poorly on your boards. So, as with all things, balance these choices with your life and sanity.


excellent advice. sumer between Ms1 and MS2 is best for this.
 
Hey ya'll, I thought I would post this here in addition to classifieds. I'll be a 2nd year (female) at TTUHSC next year, and my roommate is moving closer to campus, but I would like to stay in our current apartment at The Wyndham and find a new roommate to live with me and a dog and cat. Any future 1st years out there looking for an apt that has all living room/kitchen furnished, so you would only need your bed/bath furniture?
2 bed/2 bath/study on 2nd floor with great view of sunset. I have been using the study and I use the master bed/bath, (but I provided all the living room furniture), so I pay $50 more rent each month. Your share would be $400/month plus 1/2 bills. Our lease is up in May and I'm trying to get a roommate secured so I can keep the apartment through the summer (storage fee is 1/2 rent), and I will pay the storage fee if things are arranged by then.
We should be getting free internet service by next year, so bills will be electric/gas+water/trash. Very reasonable for such a nice apt.

If interested, you're welcome to visit any time.
 
If I could ask you all one favor:
I'm writing/compiling a FAQ thread for TMDSAS. I thought linking each school name to the SDN Wiki entry would be a good idea. I've started editing UT-H's wiki entry (because I know the most about it) but if you guys could enter in the information for Tech, that would REALLY help me out 🙂

Texas Tech
 
I haven't received any info on Spring Training, whats going on?

However, criminal background checks are done.

Note to self:
1. schedule appt to have serological titers done soon.

Nevermind, I got info on Spring Training today when I checked the mail.
 
I haven't received any info on Spring Training, whats going on?

However, criminal background checks are done.

Note to self:
1. schedule appt to have serological titers done soon.

Nevermind, I got info on Spring Training today when I checked the mail.

Criminal background check is done and got the Spring Training info in the mail today as well.🙂
 
I am disappointed at this year's Spring Training. Last year's Friday dinner was at Caprock Winery, you get to taste all kinds of great wine, sounds more fun than just Cagles. Also last year's saturday activity was from 8-5 pm, this year is only from 11:30 - 4:30 pm, we are missing out.
 
Don't be disappointed, Cagles is a good restaurant http://www.caglesteaks.com/
As far as Saturday goes - there were just apartment tours and UAU party afterwards. If you want to have more fun you can always go out after the scheduled activities. That's what we did last year....
 
So, since today is the match day.....is the match list available for Tech? Anyone know, how were the matches this year? 🙂
 
I haven't been able to find the match list, what percentage of match does TT usually have.
 
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