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... I need another car bomb...
What does that mean?
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Alabama Schools Thread Part 2!!
Started by DoctorPardi
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What does that mean?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbomb_(beer_mix)
A delicious drink that enjoyed numerous times yesterday.
A delicious drink that enjoyed numerous times yesterday.
Oooooh...I am so glad to hear that! I didn't want to go to school with the unibomber...not that I've been accepted anywhere🙂 yet
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I didn't know what it was either.
I guess when used out of context, "needing a car bomb" is a little suspect.
St. Paddy's is just about the only time they're affordable...only 5 bucks apiece at J. Clyde last night.
Ah. I went to the J. Clyde with my brother once last summer. They have good hummus.
...and possibly the best beer selection in all of Birmingham.
Unquestionably.
Far out. Is it within walking distance for you? I live 2 blocks directly south of the place, which is convenient when I need to stumble home.
The legislative session last year was a painful experience; whatever faith I had left in democratic processes completely vanished. Regardless, FtH can still have my money.
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I'm a dork, and that's fine, but I always worry about how much pre-meds and doctors drink (or smoke, or do drugs). It just seems odd that the guy that might operate on my heart one day was out the night before getting trashed. I mean, shouldn't they be better than that?
Not as a reflection of all pre-meds or med students but: I don't do drugs, I drink but only when I feel like it and I don't usually do it to "get trashed." I don't smoke.
With that being said, I'll be a good doctor and responsible, because I choose to be not because I've been told to.
There is no and won't ever be a way to instill morals in med students (i.e. the responsibility to not 'get trashed' before surgery) but to say that you worry about the whole lot of us reflects a pessimism about the populace that I'm surprised by. It's not that your doctor drinks that you should be worried about....it's that he's drinking before your surgery. And I doubt that the great majority of surgeons are doing that.
In terms of 'being better than that' you can't control people's personal lives, the only bearing his/her drinking(/smoking/any other 'vice' or other thing that you deem 'sinful'/wrong/whatevr) has on your care is if he/she chooses to get trashed/smoke/have sex on the OR table in a way that affects your medical care and outcome.
You shouldn't be judging them for their choices outside of those that affect their ability to practice medicine. I'd also say that it's likely a smaller minority of med students who drink to excess, use drugs, etc. than the populace at large - but perhaps I'm just idealistic.
And also to reference back to my original freethehops comment...Free The Hops is not about allowing people to get beer for getting trashed, it's to allow beer connoisseurs to enjoy high quality (Duvel, Chimay, etc.) beer that isn't available in AL b/c of asinine regulation. I guarantee that this will not change drunk driving, drunk operating whatever...given that the beers that would be being brought in are like $14 bottles and not your frat-boy Natty Light (which is available by the case already for like $2).
/rant
I didn't meant to imply anything about Free The Hops; I'm aware of what it is and have no problem with it.
I'll agree that I'm "glass half empty" about most things, but I don't think my concern over what doctors, nurses, and the like do on their own time is unwarranted. But that's just my experience where I live. I do find it amusing when people who study like crazy for exams and have really high ambitions unwind by getting drunk. It just seems wrong to me. But to each his own I guess. And, I do drink, just not often/much. More of a glass of wine at Macaroni Grill type I guess.
I'll agree that I'm "glass half empty" about most things, but I don't think my concern over what doctors, nurses, and the like do on their own time is unwarranted. But that's just my experience where I live. I do find it amusing when people who study like crazy for exams and have really high ambitions unwind by getting drunk. It just seems wrong to me. But to each his own I guess. And, I do drink, just not often/much. More of a glass of wine at Macaroni Grill type I guess.
The phrase "do drugs" is a little early 90's, isn't it?
Anyway, thanks for worrying. I was just about to down a fifth of Jack at my desk, but I remembered that I have to perform brain surgery on an infant at 4:30.
Hilarious.
Whatever.
So you aren't anti-tv like Steph?
Hello Everyone!
I guess you could say I'm new to this thread even though I've been stalking it (and the other UASOM thread) since late November. This, however, is my first post. First, I'll say that following the discussions on this thread have been bittersweet: bitter in the sense that they've made more neurotic than I've ever been in my whole life and led me down a sad path of unstoppable self-destruction, and sweet in the sense that it's good to know that many of you are in the same boat as me. With that said, I recently decided to create a SDN account to perhaps vent some of my frustration that I'm sure we all have about this gruelling application process to UAB.
A little about where I stand: I interviewed at UAB in late October and I've been (patiently) waiting to hear some (good or bad) news from them since then. I'm from Huntsville, so UAB is my top choice as far as cost/location/quality of academics are concerned. I've also interviewed at South (in early December) but I didn't like it as much. Something about Mark Scott seems fishy about to me... Nonetheless, I haven't heard anything from either school.
Anyway, carry on with your bickering about drinking/drugs in medicine/med school I'll continue to stalk and perhaps throw in my 2 cents from time to time.
I guess you could say I'm new to this thread even though I've been stalking it (and the other UASOM thread) since late November. This, however, is my first post. First, I'll say that following the discussions on this thread have been bittersweet: bitter in the sense that they've made more neurotic than I've ever been in my whole life and led me down a sad path of unstoppable self-destruction, and sweet in the sense that it's good to know that many of you are in the same boat as me. With that said, I recently decided to create a SDN account to perhaps vent some of my frustration that I'm sure we all have about this gruelling application process to UAB.
A little about where I stand: I interviewed at UAB in late October and I've been (patiently) waiting to hear some (good or bad) news from them since then. I'm from Huntsville, so UAB is my top choice as far as cost/location/quality of academics are concerned. I've also interviewed at South (in early December) but I didn't like it as much. Something about Mark Scott seems fishy about to me... Nonetheless, I haven't heard anything from either school.
Anyway, carry on with your bickering about drinking/drugs in medicine/med school I'll continue to stalk and perhaps throw in my 2 cents from time to time.
Nah, not really. We don't pay for cable, and instead save that money and use it to buy seasons of shows we like on DVD. We don't have a lot of time for watching stuff, so 'Lost' and 'Burn Notice' have kept us pretty busy. Steph and I are exact diametrical opposites in many ways.
Looks like today will not be our day. Maybe we'll see some movement tomorrow. 🙂
That's weird Thacked, we were there on the same day and mine never said 3/12/09. Maybe they made a note on your file that day about your poor car being robbed.
Welcome, Hsv. SarahLiz and I are both HSV people, and I'm sure there are others here somewhere.
Yes, except perhaps when it comes to your love of big words. 🙂
We do have cable, but largely because we're Food Network/TLC/Discovery fans. Once Friends was cancelled I ran out of TV shows to follow... I like Law and Order, CSI, etc. but they also creep me out.
We do have cable, but largely because we're Food Network/TLC/Discovery fans. Once Friends was cancelled I ran out of TV shows to follow... I like Law and Order, CSI, etc. but they also creep me out.
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😱 Did you mean late March/early April? I hope so, because I'll likely not have any internet access for the first half of May. That would not be fun, waiting and having no way to check.
This is something that's been on my mind as well. Based on my friends' experiences who applied to UAB in years past, this week (spring break/residency matching week) is when UAB sends out rejection letters and after this week, slowly but surely, people start to hear about wait-list placements. Again, this is merely hearsay, as I'm sure each application cycle is unique. Although, and I know asking this question is sort of sadistic at this point as I'm sure it will lead to self-destructive over-analysis on my part, I was wondering if anyone knows of people who were accepted mid-to-late March from previous years?
Haha I sure hope that's the case,because if not that would mean no news for late April or early May🙂
Here's my best OCD attempt at an answer. I scanned this thread from around 3/15 to around 4/15 in 2007 and 2008 to see what sort of movement there was. Keep in mind the application process changes from year to year.
2007
Acceptances:
3-19-2007 http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=362315&page=4
3-28-2007 http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=362315&page=6
Rejection:
4-6-2007 http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=362315&page=7
2008
Waitlists:
3-27-2008 http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=362315&page=14
Rejections:
3-24-2008 & 3-25-2008 http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=362315&page=14
http://medicine.uab.edu/education/prospective/49492/
don't know how many of you ever check that but I check it like once a week...
don't know how many of you ever check that but I check it like once a week...
Keep in mind that not everyone that is applying is on SDN. Think about it,are you more likely to post on here if you just got waitlisted,or if you got accepted?
My point is that even though it may seem that last year there were only waitlist spots left,these numbers may be skewed. At my interview Dr. Smith said that there were some spots left,and to my knowledge(correct me if I'm wrong) nobody has been accepted as of 3/12. Once again,though,this may be a result of accepted people not paying too much attention to SDN.
I would think that the percentage of SDN'ers that get accepted is higher than the rest of the applicant pool, but maybe not. Everyone that I know who has been accepted (albeit all of these people are on SDN) had either a steller GPA and MCAT, a great MCAT but average GPA, or a great GPA with an average MCAT. Correct me if I'm wrong but I haven't seen many (or any) 3.6/30's get accepted, let alone people with below average stats. I know that UAB's average is around a 3.65/30 so for every stellar applicant, there is someone with below average numbers getting accepted as well. Maybe I am just being optimistic, but I feel there still has to be a fair number of spots left for us average folks to bring UAB's average down to what is usually is. Or maybe their average is brought down after waitlisters are picked up.
I think you're right that UAB hasn't let in very many people with "average" stats, but where it gets tricky is that there a lot more people with 3.6/30's than there are people with high GPA's/MCAT scores, so my feeling is that it just comes down to luck for someone with average scores to get an acceptance. Most people would disagree, and point to ones extra-currics and interview as the determinant for acceptance if you have average stats, but those things are very subjective and in the end I feel that luck is just something that you have or you don't. (Trust me, this isn't very soothing for me to think about either.)
What do you guys think? If UAB has accepted mostly those with high scores up until now, how do they determine who from the average candidate pool gets accepted?
Just to add to your post, it does kind of seem arbitrary for those with average stats. Looking through this thread from this time last year, there seemed to be little rhyme or reason for those people who didn't find out until March/April. Someone with below average scores (I mean like a 28 and 3.5) might be accepted while someone with a 31 and 3.6 was a middle third waitlister, so I don't know. I agree with you that a certain amount of luck is involved for anyone without stellar stats.
All I know is that only half of your "ranking" at UAB comes from your MCAT and GPA. (It's out of 10 there.) The other half comes from everything including life experiences, unusual contributions, activites, awards, etc. So, it does balance out somewhat for people who have below average scores but awesome other stuff. And of course, if your an under represented minority, I think that helps too, but I'm not sure. I'll just say that I've had genius friends not get in and friends with 24's get in and do well. I have a middle of the road GPA and a (way) less than 30 MCAT. We'll see. I never felt like I was being judged on my numbers by the people that were interviewing me.
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I will say that I am currently studying for the MCAT (kidneys, whoo-hoo!) because I know better than to reapply with the score that I have.
You call a 3.96 a "middle of the road" GPA? If that was your MDApps you posted a few pages ago, a 3.9 and a 28 is definitely in the acceptable range. A 28 is probably more than fine for UAB and South with a 3.9 GPA.
Edit: Oops, nevermind. I don't think that was your MDApps. Sorry to call you out, haha
Yeah, that wasn't me. No worries. I have a 3.52, 25Q.
http://main.uab.edu/uasom/2/show.asp?durki=3614
Last year they oversubscribed by 80... other years ~50. People will drop (mostly stellar applicants) and the "lower tier" people will get in. Dean Smith once explained it to me like this.http://www.uasom.uab.edu/PublicDocuments/Admissions/Assessment.pdf
That link shows you what they look at. The objective is 50% and the subjective is 50%. Those questions on the left side pretty much sum up how they evaluate people. Objectively, who can be a physician? Subjectively, who will be the best?
Last year they oversubscribed by 80... other years ~50. People will drop (mostly stellar applicants) and the "lower tier" people will get in. Dean Smith once explained it to me like this.http://www.uasom.uab.edu/PublicDocuments/Admissions/Assessment.pdf
That link shows you what they look at. The objective is 50% and the subjective is 50%. Those questions on the left side pretty much sum up how they evaluate people. Objectively, who can be a physician? Subjectively, who will be the best?
Would anyone object to the introduction of a more pleasant conversation topic? I figure it will be a nice diversion from the usual obsessing over secondary app changes and bickering about alcohol; it will at least give us something to do while we continue our obsession.
I'm interested in knowing what, if any, specialties we're all considering when we get into medical school.
My personal and research interests have always been infectious disease epidemiology, disaster medicine & public health preparedness, and microscopy. Acknowledging that my interests could change significantly over the next several years, I see myself going into emergency medicine, pathology, or an IM sub-specialty in infectious diseases.
How about you guys?
I'm interested in knowing what, if any, specialties we're all considering when we get into medical school.
My personal and research interests have always been infectious disease epidemiology, disaster medicine & public health preparedness, and microscopy. Acknowledging that my interests could change significantly over the next several years, I see myself going into emergency medicine, pathology, or an IM sub-specialty in infectious diseases.
How about you guys?
