AECOM Class of 2011

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thanks for the reply! I'm trying only to decide between aecom or emory.. b/c these two schools are so similar in my mind.. i dunno which way to go??

- Like you said, I like AECOM's philosophy of being so community-focused..their global health initiatives sound really cool. this is something that i'm interested in.

- I like the cheap apts but I'm not a fan of their facilities. The small gym and not so nice buildings just do not appeal to me as much.

- I love all the students I met there.. so down to earth and cool

- NOT A FAN OF THE PRICE.. even though the tuition is cheaper than Emory, I think the standard of living is higher in ny (even though it is the bronx).

Hopefully I'll get fin aid soon. It'll help make my decision easier
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I am from Cali and trying to decide between AECOM and U. of Miami. Anyone who has interviewed at Miami? Any suggest or help will be appreciated. I am looking for (in order of importance): quality of program and education, location, neighhood, climate. Expenses should be about the same.
 
ahhh123 said:
thanks for the reply! I'm trying only to decide between aecom or emory.. b/c these two schools are so similar in my mind.. i dunno which way to go??

- Like you said, I like AECOM's philosophy of being so community-focused..their global health initiatives sound really cool. this is something that i'm interested in.

- I like the cheap apts but I'm not a fan of their facilities. The small gym and not so nice buildings just do not appeal to me as much.

- I love all the students I met there.. so down to earth and cool

- NOT A FAN OF THE PRICE.. even though the tuition is cheaper than Emory, I think the standard of living is higher in ny (even though it is the bronx).

Hopefully I'll get fin aid soon. It'll help make my decision easier
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i'm not a fan of the price either. i'm not sure the col would be worse for the bronx than atlanta. i'm considering that you'd have housing at less than $400 at aecom, and you could get by without a car much easier than you would in atlanta. i think housing is the big expense in nyc, and you'd be taken care of there.

agreed that the facilities aren't so nice (ugly modernist stuff), but the nearby hospital (montefiore?) seemed pretty nice to me on the inside. first-year lecture hall was nice. but i don't put too much weight on it. i'm more concerned by the lack of commercial stuff in the area.

i'd imagine emory's the place to be if you were interested in infectious disease or other epidemiological research, what with the cdc affiliation.
 
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Old ortho said:
I am from Cali and trying to decide between AECOM and U. of Miami. Anyone who has interviewed at Miami? Any suggest or help will be appreciated. I am looking for (in order of importance): quality of program and education, location, neighhood, climate. Expenses should be about the same.
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I didn't interview at Miami so I can't comment much about it.... but from what i've heard about Einstein and having a friend there.. it seems to be a great program.. if the us news mean anything they were ranked top 20 less than 10 years ago.. 1 and 2nd year education are similar in most schools.. you won't miss much going to either school.

as far as third year goes.. you'll be doing your rotations mostly at county hospitals.. meaning you'll probably have plenty of experience doing procedures than in a private hospital

if you're interested in global health and community outreach.. they basically cover a large part of these expenses and they're not as competitive compared to other schools.. they also pay for medical conferences and other med related stuff that could be seen as edifying your journey to become a doctor!

good luck in making a decision!
 
I've rotated at both hospital's, and Miami's grading system for 3rd years seems a bit strange (numerical score and assigned rank vs F/P/HP/H). I can't really knock Miami, since that's where I'm going for residency. Differences are: Miami people tend to get their own apartment, and student provided housing is similar to what you'd find at AECOM, but more expensive. It's hard to compare prestige: more AECOM students ended up at Cornell, Deaconess, etc. but that's skewed somewhat since people tend to stay close to home and that's just the hospitals in the NY/Boston area, whereas it seems like more UM people choose to stay down south. However, Miami itself kicks the Bronx's ass, hands down.

To answer another question, you can live off of 14,500 for a year pretty eaasily if your rent is $4000. That leaves to with ~800 a month to eat and play (I don't drive). During the year off, the school also pays for you to attend any conference your work is being presented at - I got a free trip to Long Beach, stayed at a Hyatt, and got to cruise around LA in a rental car for free.

The gym here kind of sucks, especially if you lift. However, there is a dolphin fitness (a real gym) right across the street. Costs $150-$200 per year. And it's not closed on Friday nights and Saturdays.
 
Hey Meathooks,

A few questions. First, how do i go about getting a parking space? Do I have to be on a waitlist for any spot or just an indoor spot?

Second, how generally happy do you feel AECOM students are compared to others? Do AECOM students tend to get super burnt out?

Thanks!
 
I don't think getting a spot in the garage is a problem. I don't know how much it costs (no car), but it's expensive. My knowledge of car related issues is somewhat limited. Morris park avenue is littered with the remains of busted out car windows, so I'd be careful about street parking.

Everybody here's a pretty happy bunch. There's always going to be a few neurotic overacheivers wherever you go. It's kind of pointless to kill yourself studying here, since it's a true P/F system. I got by with the two weeks off/two weeks on studying schedule (play xbox and drink for two weeks, and then beat knowledge into my brain for two weeks). Plenty of time to play in the city. There's a class trip every year to Mount Tremblant in Canada for snowboarding/skiing. Bar next door. 2 "skit nights" per year where the 1st years make fun of the 2nd years and vice versa, with beer provided by the school. Orientation week includes booze cruise around manhattan and gotham comedy club (finding a pattern here yet?). Hope that helps.
 
hi all,
looks like there are a few of us in the same boat. i'm super excited about AECOM, but still deciding whether it's worth the extra $$$.

so has anyone recieved their fin aid package yet? that 3k scholarship really doesn't seem like it'll do much.
 
Hey Everyone,

So I've finally decided on Einstein and I'm pretty excited about it. I'm not as excited about the ridiculous amount of debt I'm going to accrue, but I think I'll be happiest there. The students were all so laid back and friendly and it seems like a really great community. Oh yeah, and the Pass/Fail grading aint bad either.

Does anyone know how housing works? I don't know anyone in NY (I'm from Mich) so it's a little intimidating. How would I find a roommate? Does the housing department deal with this directly?

Dr. Detroit--are you actually from detroit?
 
I think we can all agree that we will live in a box after med school if we have to, just so we can go to Einstein, haha. Gojen, from what I know, we should be receiving housing info in the mail soon (did anyone receive anything yet, by the way?) I think its one of those things where they basically match you up with someone like Freshman year of undergrad according to what you fill out and what type of apt you want. You probably want to hear from someone who isn't hearing this second hand though! Current students...?
 
Im still waiting to hear back from AECOM.. Its been over 8 weeks :( .. I hope I get in! Im from the Bronx and wouldnt mind going back home.. Congrats to you all!
 
Yeah, I am in the same boat as LatinaDr. I interviewed 9 weeks ago. I called the office on Monday of this week, and was told that no decision has been made.

I was wondering, since people on this thread have all been accepted, how long was the wait post-interview for you guys to hear back you got in? I have already been accepted to Penn State, but I just wanna know my status at AECOM. By the way, how would you guys compare the two?

Congrats to all of you by the way! :)
 
I interviewed on Nov 30 and was in the first batch of acceptances on Jan 15.... so thats 7 weeks? I have no idea about PSU though, since I didn't apply there. Good luck to all you guys still waiting to hear!
 
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I interviewed in late October and heard in the January batch.
 
anybody know when we'll hear back about financial aid?
 
To those fortunate individuals currently at AECOM:

I've been wondering about the academic environment there. The first two years are pass/fail (right?), so I would imagine that things aren't too cut-throat. Do students study together? Share study notes? What are the study aides? (Online video/audio recordings, comprehensive syllabi, do you actually need textbooks?). How many of the students regularly go to class? What is the breakdown of large lectures and smaller groups? Are the tests staggered or in blocks? What (if any) prep does the school offer before USMLE1? What else would you comment on, good or bad?

Sorry, I know it's a lot, but whatever you can throw me would be much appreciated. Thanks!!
 
are you guys submitting the housing info even if you're not sure you're going there yet? it says on the packet that it's first come first serve so i'm not sure if i should submit that prior or after may 15th
 
Yeah! I've been waiting for that thing for months now! So wait, you got it even though you are still holding spots at other schools? I was worried that they wouldn't send it if you weren't for sure going there. Guess not. When did you get it?!?
 
BadgerMD said:
Yeah! I've been waiting for that thing for months now! So wait, you got it even though you are still holding spots at other schools? I was worried that they wouldn't send it if you weren't for sure going there. Guess not. When did you get it?!?
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i got it yesterday.. i guess you guys should receive it pretty soon?
 
meathooks said:
I don't think getting a spot in the garage is a problem. I don't know how much it costs (no car), but it's expensive. My knowledge of car related issues is somewhat limited. Morris park avenue is littered with the remains of busted out car windows, so I'd be careful about street parking.
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Just to clarify... there is a waiting list for the garage that is usually a few months long-- so get on it now if you want to be sure you have a spot by August. It's ~$65/month for the underground lot and ~$35/month for the outdoor lot. If you can help it, don't go for the outdoor lot-- I know of people who had their cars broken into in the outdoor lot, it's unpaved, and when it rains hard, the entrance floods and you can't get your car out.

Dolphin (the gym across the street and down the road from campus) is pretty decent and cheap, but it closes on Friday and Saturday nights. it's 24 hrs the rest of the week, which is pretty sweet for us night owls.

I have some negative things to say about Einstein; but I won't go into it here. There's a thread over in pre-allo, or you can PM me if you want details.
 
so who is choosing AECOM over their (cheaper) state-school? am I crazy for doing this? as amabbi pointed out, AECOM does have its flaws, yet I really feel like i would enjoy it there.
 
blantant said:
so who is choosing AECOM over their (cheaper) state-school? am I crazy for doing this? as amabbi pointed out, AECOM does have its flaws, yet I really feel like i would enjoy it there.
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i'm weighing aecom against a school that is cheaper and usnews likes better. i don't think wanting to be happier for four years is crazy, but the question in these matters is always how much it is worth.
 
Doctor~Detroit said:
...how much it is worth.
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agreed, it's hard to put a price tag on it. my thought process as of now is that i am young, i only live once, and i concede that i will be a**poor during residency and will probably need to ask for some extra help then.

maybe we get a good feeling about aecom because there is a self-selection of students who were willing to take a similar gamble.

btw, has anyone gotten a finaid package?
 
DblHelix said:
Hey Meathooks,

A few questions. First, how do i go about getting a parking space? Do I have to be on a waitlist for any spot or just an indoor spot?


Thanks!
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Hey, my wife called the parking office yesterday and they told her that you have to be there IN PERSON to get your name on the waiting list (tough since we're in Texas, hmm) and that the waiting list is about a year long?! My wife even asked if the year wait was only for indoor spots, but the lady said it was for any spot. Has anyone else tried calling yet? The lady we talked to did say she was new there, so maybe she's mistaken...I hope...? We've thought about not bringing a car, but with my wife and our baby boy, it would be nice to have for groceries and getting out of town once in a while. Any thoughts?
 
maybe someone who's set on aecom should start a c/o 2011 facebook group.
 
Hey, I'm dbb38's wife...just thought I'd put this out there for any other married couples/married with kids who are AECOM bound this fall!

Anyone...anyone?

We have a 5-month-old baby boy, and I'll admit...I'm already thinking about play dates and couples' nights. We're totally jazzed about heading up there. I'm anxious to find out a few more details (housing, move-in dates, family insurance, financial aid, girls to hang out with while my man is studying his brains out, yadda yadda)

I'd love to hear from anyone in the same boat!
 
BadgerMD said:
Do you just want to check us all out before you decide?? ;)
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tee hee. i'm the "good" type of stalker, i promise.

. . . it's bound to happen sooner or later, anyway. the c/o 2010 has one.
 
Nice facebook group. I'd join if I wasn't on 4 waitlists and entirely uncertain if I'll get off of one of them.
 
hey guys i just called the fin aid dept today and they gave me an estimation of my financial award for next year.. if you're also wondering about it i would suggest calling them too! ok good luck with your decision this week!
 
Megaman 11 said:
hey guys i just called the fin aid dept today and they gave me an estimation of my financial award for next year.. if you're also wondering about it i would suggest calling them too! ok good luck with your decision this week!
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did they tell you when the awards are being sent out?
 
I think they're waiting for someone to sign off the tuition for next year before sending the award letters off. I wouldn't bank on them sending it out this week before our decisions.
 
Megaman 11 said:
I think they're waiting for someone to sign off the tuition for next year before sending the award letters off. I wouldn't bank on them sending it out this week before our decisions.
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oh. guess i better call then. thanks.
 
bummmmmmp.

Also, has anyone received/tried to send out a group email using that email address Dean Kerrigan sent out? I tried to send something out, but it didnt work cuz I got a message back saying that it failed. Unless, of course it worked and I'm just stupid. In which case, you will be receiving two emails from me! :)
 
BadgerMD said:
bummmmmmp.

Also, has anyone received/tried to send out a group email using that email address Dean Kerrigan sent out? I tried to send something out, but it didnt work cuz I got a message back saying that it failed. Unless, of course it worked and I'm just stupid. In which case, you will be receiving two emails from me! :)
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Didn't get anything here.
 
blantant said:
so who is choosing AECOM over their (cheaper) state-school? am I crazy for doing this? as amabbi pointed out, AECOM does have its flaws, yet I really feel like i would enjoy it there.
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I'm doing it. I passed up on LSU-S and LSU-N0 (both around 12,000 in tuition a year compared to the 41,000 we'll be forking out) for the once-in-a-lifetime-I-hope-I-don't-regret-this-later opportunity to experience a different part of the country.
 
Just wanted to drop a quick hello. I made my final decision today after obsessing over it for a few days. The debt is going to suck but we're in it together right? See you guys in the fall! :)
 
So happy this thread was brought back from the back pages! I'm so excited!

And yes.... I think we're all a bit crazy for going into this much debt. But we were already crazy enough to decide to devote the rest of our lives to studying/no sleep/no life..... we won't have enough time to enjoy money anyways, so who cares if we don't have it! Who's with me?!?
 
Hey everyone,

I am wondering if someone could provide me with some details on the prep program. I'm at school awaiting graduation and all the letters from Einstein are being sent to my house, so i haven't had access to any of the more recent mailings. What is the prep program? When is the deadline to sign up? And when does it begin? If someone could either post this information here or pm it to me, I'd really appreciate it!! Thanks and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone soon!
 
Mortal_Lessons said:
Hey everyone,

I am wondering if someone could provide me with some details on the prep program. I'm at school awaiting graduation and all the letters from Einstein are being sent to my house, so i haven't had access to any of the more recent mailings. What is the prep program? When is the deadline to sign up? And when does it begin? If someone could either post this information here or pm it to me, I'd really appreciate it!! Thanks and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone soon!
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I am actually hoping to learn more about this prep program too but I've found this on the website for now

http://www.aecom.yu.edu/ooe/mdprogram/student_affairs.htm#Summer

How did you guys even find out about this program? I've recieved no notice at all. Is it by special invitation only?
 
I remember hearing about it, but (like that link said) I thought it was only for certain students that they feel would probably benefit from it if they've been out of school for a while or havent taken those courses or something. But now by the sound of it, looks like all the cool kids are doing it so they can move in earlier! Where are these cool kids, you might ask? HERE: http://wisc.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2336030619 Haha.... no peer pressure or anything, but you know you want to be part of the cool kids. :)
 
bump.

I got nothin.... just dont think our school's second page material! We should be right at the top! :)
 
hey guys. maybe nobody here will know this, but do you get a confirmation email if you withdrew? i withdrew for financial reasons, but received no confirmation. and now today i got something from the listserve. getting worried...
 
i also withdrew and did not receive a confirmation e-mail. in fact, i e-mailed them twice and received nothing both times. i withdrew before the may 15th deadline and was hoping to get my deposit back. i also received a listserve e-mail today.
 
Congradulations to all those accepted into the Class of 2011!!! Did anyone hear about any wait list movement? I've been on the wait list since march and I have not heard anything. I really loved the school and want acceptance here so badly. I did write a LOI because AECOM is my number one choice. I hope I am accepted. :(
 
hi guys,

i was recently accepted into aecom (thursday off hold). had a question for any of you familiar with the NYC area. i know there are a variety of clerkship sites- jacobi, wieler, montefiore, bronx lebanon, etc...some at the einstein medical center in the bronx some elsewhere....

where exactly is elsewhere? and what kind of neighborhoods are they? do third years relocate to elsewhere? or do they commute?

any insight would be greatly appreciated, sorry if this is a stupid question, i'm just not quite sure how this works...

thanks...
 
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