Alabama Schools Thread

[BooMed]

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Ha ha, don't complain. It's still hot and humid down here. 🙄

They have my LORs, photo, and secondary, but they haven't cashed my check yet. Once they do that, I will be complete. 🙂

LOL, the first part of my app. to be complete was a cashed check!

And I can't believe I am freezing in 70 degree temperatures... This would be great weather back home!

What area of Florida are you in? I've only been to Orlando and the Pan Handle. Fun state. Ever been to the Florabama?

 

[indo]

So they just sent out of state secondaries 8 days ago?

 

[QofQuimica]

So they just sent out of state secondaries 8 days ago?

No, I got mine on the 23rd of Sept. I'm out-of-state and applying straight MD.

BooMed, check your PM box.

 

[1/2asser]

1/2asser, I didn't know many straight MD students when I was there, but the first-year MD/PhD students took the Cell and Molecular Bio course sequence along with us first-year Joint Health Science grad students, so I did get to know several of them. They were pretty cool people; one of them was my study buddy our whole first year. It seems to me that UAB heavily focuses on primary care and underserved care as well as research and specialties. So I think you will get as much clinical exposure there as you care to have.

Have you heard anything from them yet, BooMed?

Thanks for the responses guys. You've put my fears to rest. I am always hearing about how happy vandy and Loyola Chicago students are so i was apprehensive about the state school atmosphere. and After talking to my friend who is an MS2 at UT san antonio and hearing about the ridiculous amount of exposure they get over there i was afriad UAB wouldn't be up to par. I am taking a year off after i graduate and decided to only apply to UAB this time around and apply to more schools next year if it doesn't work out. anyway, i think i just needed reassurance that it is really the school i want to attend. good luck to you both.

 

[colbgw02]

I have 2 quick questions for ya'll. Based on what you know/have heard, how 'happy' are UAB students when compared with other schools? and how much clinical experience do they get in 1st and 2nd year?

1) First year we're moderately happy. Second year we're mildly happy until it's time to study for boards, then we're miserable. Third year we're miserable. Fourth year we're very happy, and then once we've matched, we're ecstatic.

2) During 1st/2nd years you will take Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM), which gives you exposure to patients and doing H&Ps. It is disorganized and poorly run, but it serves its purpose. Honestly, you won't know which way is up in the hospital until about 6 months into your 3rd year.

3) Paik, what are you doing here? Looking for a date? Don't you have some cells to culture? Man, the Bravos really let us down. By the way, there are still crumbs in your car, and probably malt liquor from your fool of a roommate.

 

[BooMed]

Thanks for the responses guys. You've put my fears to rest. I am always hearing about how happy vandy and Loyola Chicago students are so i was apprehensive about the state school atmosphere. and After talking to my friend who is an MS2 at UT san antonio and hearing about the ridiculous amount of exposure they get over there i was afriad UAB wouldn't be up to par. I am taking a year off after i graduate and decided to only apply to UAB this time around and apply to more schools next year if it doesn't work out. anyway, i think i just needed reassurance that it is really the school i want to attend. good luck to you both.

Well, if there is one thing I've heard from everyone I've ever talked to about UAB, it's about the amazing practical/clinical experience. 🙂 Granted people are biased, but I've heard more than one doc say that when they went to residency, they could already perform tons of procedures, and many of their colleagues from ivy-league schools couldn't even insert an IV!

Most med schools don't have such a large hospital associated with them, whereas UAB Hospital is the premier hospital in Alabama and an amazing research institute as well. And it is constantly growing larger.

I don't mean to gush, but it really is a great place.

 

[BooMed]

No, I got mine on the 23rd of Sept. I'm out-of-state and applying straight MD.

BooMed, check your PM box.

Got it! Thanks Q.

How many med schools does Florida have? Seems like a good state to have residency in. Too f***ing humid though... 😛

 

[QofQuimica]

Got it! Thanks Q.

How many med schools does Florida have? Seems like a good state to have residency in. Too f***ing humid though... 😛

Oh, like B'ham isn't? 🙄 I'd rather be here in August than there; at least we have a breeze here, and we aren't sitting in a freaking bowl sucking up the ozone. 😛

FL has six med schools, or maybe seven depending on your definition of "in." Two are osteopathic schools. U. Miami is a private allopathic school, but they give heavy preference to in-state applicants. The other three are public allopathic schools. I said maybe seven, because technically, Mayo is also an in-state school for us. Their main campus is up in Minnesota, but they have a satellite campus in Jacksonville.

BTW, BooMed, I checked my UAB status page today, and I'm complete. 🙂

 

[BooMed]

Oh, like B'ham isn't? 🙄 I'd rather be here in August than there; at least we have a breeze here, and we aren't sitting in a freaking bowl sucking up the ozone. 😛

FL has six med schools, or maybe seven depending on your definition of "in." Two are osteopathic schools. U. Miami is a private allopathic school, but they give heavy preference to in-state applicants. The other three are public allopathic schools. I said maybe seven, because technically, Mayo is also an in-state school for us. Their main campus is up in Minnesota, but they have a satellite campus in Jacksonville.

BTW, BooMed, I checked my UAB status page today, and I'm complete. 🙂

Too true, B'Ham doesn't seem quite big enough to have a pollution problem. 🙄

Wow, Florida is rocking the med schools. And Maaaayyyoooo... Does it make a difference to be in-state with them/are you more likely to get in? That is one school I'm really attracted to.

So today I realized... two people in my Spanish class are already accepted matriculants to UAB! Really nice guys, both of them. Seemed very relaxed. 😛 I can't believe it took me this long to learn this.

 

[QofQuimica]

Too true, B'Ham doesn't seem quite big enough to have a pollution problem. 🙄

Wow, Florida is rocking the med schools. And Maaaayyyoooo... Does it make a difference to be in-state with them/are you more likely to get in? That is one school I'm really attracted to.

So today I realized... two people in my Spanish class are already accepted matriculants to UAB! Really nice guys, both of them. Seemed very relaxed. 😛 I can't believe it took me this long to learn this.

It's because of the mountains all around the city. The ozone can't get out so it just sits there. 😱

Yeah, FL does have a lot of schools. But I think that the best state school-wise is TX. Not only do they have a ton of schools (six public allopathic plus Baylor plus an osteopathic school), but their in-state tuition is ridiculous too: $6500 per YEAR. I wish I were a TX resident. 😛

 

[medgator]

Just out curiosity, What other DO school is in FL besides Nova?

 

[QofQuimica]

Just out curiosity, What other DO school is in FL besides Nova?

LECOM-Bradenton. It's fairly new. Here's the info from the LECOM webpage if you're interested:

Bradenton, FL Campus

LECOM Bradenton offers an innovative curriculum at its Florida branch campus. Located at Lakewood Ranch, a masterplanned community in Manatee County, Florida, LECOM Bradenton is committed to training primary care physicians to meet the medical needs of the growing and aging population in Florida and surrounding states.

Affiliation: LECOM Bradenton has affiliations with Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton and other Florida health care centers.

Founding date: 2004
Tuition: $25,100
Total Enrollment/Incoming Class Size: 300/150

Supplemental Fee: $50 (Separate from Erie Campus)

Web Site: http://www.lecom.edu/florida

Curriculum:
LECOM Bradenton provides the Problem-Based Learning Pathway (PBL) for all students in the preclinical curriculum. The small-group approach to medical education offers students the opportunity to learn basic and clinical science by following medical cases of patients.

Facilities:
The 109,000 square foot building has been constructed to accommodate a projected enrollment of 600 students for LECOM Bradenton. Classrooms provide the latest in smartlecture hall technology and wireless network technology in classrooms. The Learning Resource Center provides easy access to medical journals, texts and other library material for the PBL curriculum.

Visit our Web Site:

http://www.lecom.edu/florida

Contact the Office of Admissions:
Office of Admissions
LECOM Bradenton
5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
Bradenton, FL 34211-4909

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (941) 756-0690

 

[medgator]

Oh yea.... I had heard something about this from a DO student I met on rotations last year from LECOM in Erie, PA.... didnt realize it was up and running already. And I thought Gainesville was a small place to have a medical school 🙂

 

[QofQuimica]

Oh yea.... I had heard something about this from a DO student I met on rotations last year from LECOM in Erie, PA.... didnt realize it was up and running already. And I thought Gainesville was a small place to have a medical school 🙂

Tee hee, Bradenton *is* fairly small. I used to work in a lab up in Bradenton when I was in college. You're a fourth-year, right? So when you applied to med school, this campus wasn't even around yet. I only know about it b/c I'm applying now and some people I know applied there. Anyway, we Floridians have got to stop hijacking the AL thread. No more FL talk in here. 😛

 

[blebl34]

back to alabama...

any out of state UAB invites? just curious as i just completed my file earlier this week

(louisiana resident here)

 

[ybbil919]

I'm still waiting for my in-state invite (which will hopefully come). I've been complete since late August and I'm hoping they didn't lose my application or something. Any communication would be welcome at this point.

 

[BooMed]

I'm still waiting for my in-state invite (which will hopefully come). I've been complete since late August and I'm hoping they didn't lose my application or something. Any communication would be welcome at this point.

Don't worry! 🙂 Does it say that you're complete on the web page? If so, you're all good. They only interview once a month and they've aready asked the canidates for October. I doubt we'll hear anything before then.

 

[ybbil919]

It does say that I am complete. I didn't realize that they interview once a month. Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better. 🙂

 

[hsvpan]

It does say that I am complete. I didn't realize that they interview once a month. Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better. 🙂

That's not entirely true. They are interviewing once a week starting on the 27th, I had a choice of three Thursdays (first two Thursdays in November also)

 

[BooMed]

That's not entirely true. They are interviewing once a week starting on the 27th, I had a choice of three Thursdays (first two Thursdays in November also)

Oops! My mistake. Actually that makes a lot more sense. Sorry guys.

Well that increases my anxiety a little bit. 🙄

 

[jammin06]

I'm still waiting for my in-state invite (which will hopefully come). I've been complete since late August and I'm hoping they didn't lose my application or something. Any communication would be welcome at this point.

Same here, i've been complete since end of August. I think they're taking people with higher numbers (than me) right now for their first few rounds of interviews. Well, at least I hope that's the case.

 

[BooMed]

Same here, i've been complete since end of August. I think they're taking people with higher numbers (than me) right now for their first few rounds of interviews. Well, at least I hope that's the case.

Ditto. 🙂

 

[gujuDoc]

To people waiting for acceptance notifications today. Hope the news was good. 😀 😀

 

[hsvpan]

I don't exactly have standout scores (31, 3.5 from top 20 school) and I turned in my secondary sometime mid-august (no idea when complete). I heard that the first three interview dates are in-state only and then the next two are out of state. UAB interviews about 300 of the 400 in state kids that apply so there isn't anything to worry about yet, they are just slow.

 

[chewbacca]

Hey there,

I am currently a 4th year student at UAB and wanted to offer to try to answer any questions that any of you might have. Just so you know, I was an EMSAP student, so I don't know anything about the application/interview process. I was a Tuscaloosa student, so if you have any questions about that branch, I can also try to answer. Good luck to all of you 🙂

 

[BooMed]

Hey there,

I am currently a 4th year student at UAB and wanted to offer to try to answer any questions that any of you might have. Just so you know, I was an EMSAP student, so I don't know anything about the application/interview process. I was a Tuscaloosa student, so if you have any questions about that branch, I can also try to answer. Good luck to all of you 🙂

Thanks Chewbacca! Well, what's it like to be a med student at UAB? Are your classmates nice/fun/competetive/supportive/? Did you go to class or study on your own? What was your schedule like?

I have a lot of questions... 🙂

 

[chewbacca]

I have really enjoyed being a student at UAB. Of course, I have nothing to compare it to, but it has been good for me. The schedule for the first two years was pretty hectic. I was a class goer, but not many of my classmates were. All of the lectures are transcribed, so the vast majority of students would just pick up their transcripts and study them without going to class. That gave them a lot more time to study, but I tend to learn better by hearing things and taking notes rather than just reading. I believe that the least attendance for any class my year was 8 students, but there are some classes/lecturers that are known for being very helpful and more students would show up. There was one student in my class that I did not meet at all until third year. The daily schedule changes from block to block, but we usually had lecture from 8 or 9 until 2 or 3 with lots of variation. The order that classes are given has changed since I started (biochem was split into 2 classes, the correlative path class was changed around a bit) but you can pretty much guess that if you decide to be a class goer, there will be classes for you during most of the day. Some classes do have labs that may or may not be mandatory (anatomy, micro-mandatory, cell-come if you wish). There are also some case based learning sessions that are mandatory. It all really depends on the whims of the course director for each class, but I will tell you that there were at least 3 people in my class who lived in Tuscaloosa for the first two years (~45 minutes away) and only came when it was absolutely necessary.

As far as classmates, its always a big crapshoot. Like any group of people, there are good people and not so good people. There will be gunners in your class (those whose ultimate goal is to be in the top of the class and anyone who stands in their way be damned), but there will also be people who will be friends. This was lucky for me because without those friends, I would have gone completely crazy. My friends and I used to compare med school to middle/high school. People will gossip, talk behind each others backs, hook up, break up, make jokes about bodily functions and anything else you can think of. In general, I would say that UAB does not have the same competitive atmosphere that you may see at some other schools.

I would add that the faculty is one of the best parts of being at UAB. Everone is very supportive and wants to see you succeed. I had a lot of trouble with the coursework the first year and had some fairly serious depression. Administrators helped me find the help that I needed, both academically and personally. I have found some amazing mentors that will influence the way that I practice medicine for the rest of my life. Again, you will run into some faculty that sucks and will not give you the time of day, but they are few and far between. Most of them recognize that 99% of the students who start medical school will become doctors and they want to see everyone become the best doctor that they can be.

I hope this is helpful in some way. Let me know if anyone has any other questions.

 

[Doctor&Geek]

"There was one student in my class that I did not meet at all until third year."

Who the heck is that? 😀

Hi there!

 

[BooMed]

I hope this is helpful in some way. Let me know if anyone has any other questions.

Very helpful, thank you for taking the time! I don't know how it'll be in med school, but I've always been a pretty adament classgoer. It's just easier for me to have a set time of when I have to do something. I'm afraid if I were to sit around with a whole bunch of transcripts... well I might not be the best at actually studying them! 😛

Do med school classes have any kind of homework, or just tests? Like do you have to turn in anything for labs, or are you just there to learn?

 

[chewbacca]

Again, it depends on the class. Some of the case-based learning sessions would require that you answer some questions before you came to the session, but no one would pick it up to make sure that you had done it. There were a few classes (ethics, history of medicine) that required you to write a short paper. For the most part, however, you just study for tests and quizzes.

And JPaikman, it was Neil. I knew that he was still in the class and had not dropped out, but I just never saw him.

 

[BooMed]

Yay, I found this thread!

Anyone have any status updates? I know some of you have interviews next week...

 

[hsvpan]

Yay, I found this thread!

Anyone have any status updates? I know some of you have interviews next week...

UAB interview next week, South the following week

 

[QofQuimica]

UAB interview next week, South the following week

Good luck!

 

[BooMed]

UAB interview next week, South the following week

Have you already visited both schools before? I'm curious to hear about USA.

 

[hsvpan]

Have you already visited both schools before? I'm curious to hear about USA.

Haven't been to either, I'll update after each interview.

 

[BooMed]

If anyone is coming from out of town for an interview, bring a coat!

Q, everything okay in your part of Florida?

 

[QofQuimica]

If anyone is coming from out of town for an interview, bring a coat!

Q, everything okay in your part of Florida?

Hanging in. It's pretty bad in S. Florida though; lots of people have no power. I'm lucky to have mine.

No word about an interview for me yet, but I was checking my bank statement and they did cash the check. 😉

 

[BooMed]

Hanging in. It's pretty bad in S. Florida though; lots of people have no power. I'm lucky to have mine.

No word about an interview for me yet, but I was checking my bank statement and they did cash the check. 😉

Score!

You never realize how wonderful electricity is until you no longer have it. I heard today that some people in Florida won't have power for a full month! 😱 Do you think all these hurricanes will make people reconsider living in at least some regions of the state? I get sick of hurricanes up here, and all it ever does is rain a lot.

 

[gujuDoc]

I'm from west central Florida, and we were on the very outskirts of the hurricane and felt only a very cold winter like windy chill.

There was not much rain or anything. Nor did I see too many damaged trees or anything.

I heard places like Orlando had some fallen trees and stuff because they took a slightly bigger hit then west central florida.

South Florida, on the other hand, is another story. There was quite a bit of damage there, but nothing in comparison to that of the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.

Although, they called Wilma the deadliest hurricane to hit the atlantic basin, I think it is only powerful in the sense that it went back into open waters a couple of times. However, it could have been worse in that it could have been category 4 or 5 and been much more catastrophic then it ended up being. In my opinion, the deadliest hurricane we had this year, causing the most destruction, etc. was hurricane Katrina.

 

[BooMed]

In my opinion, the deadliest hurricane we had this year, causing the most destruction, etc. was hurricane Katrina.

Did you all think that Katrina was going to be that bad? The day it hit the coast, up we were all making fun of the hype, including my friends from New Orleans. Now we all feel stupid.

 

[QofQuimica]

Score!

You never realize how wonderful electricity is until you no longer have it. I heard today that some people in Florida won't have power for a full month! 😱 Do you think all these hurricanes will make people reconsider living in at least some regions of the state? I get sick of hurricanes up here, and all it ever does is rain a lot.

No. It's too nice here when it's not hurricane season. 😉 At least it's cool and bearable to be without power right now. The worst is when one of these hurricanes comes in August and it's just hot and humid beyond all belief. I don't know how people settled FL before the advent of air conditioning. I went to St. Augustine (first city in N. America, built by the Spaniards) and saw the fort there. It was August when I went, and I just don't know how they did it. 😛

 

[gujuDoc]

Did you all think that Katrina was going to be that bad? The day it hit the coast, up we were all making fun of the hype, including my friends from New Orleans. Now we all feel stupid.

Well I didn't really start to pay attention to Katrina until it passed through Florida and was deemed a category 4 or 5. That's when I knew a lot of $hit was gonna hit the fan in NOLA. However, I did not foresee an entire city being turned into a ghost town almost over night in the manner in which it did.

I remember when hurricane andrew hit in 1992, that was like 13 years ago when I was in elementary school.

But even with a category 5 hurricane hitting Miami, the damage pales in comparison to the entire city of NOLA going underwater. And until hurricane Katrina, I never realized that NOLA was a poorly built city that was built below sea level. So it came as a huge shock to see the news when the hurricane hit NOLA.

I think Miami is a bit more prepared for hurricanes and the city is not built as poorly, which is why we have not seen something as catastrophic as what happened in NOLA this year.

 

[aumed22]

Anybody interviewing at UAB tomorrow? Also, I just want to give up some serious props for keeping this tread going for so long

 

[hsvpan]

Anybody interviewing at UAB tomorrow? Also, I just want to give up some serious props for keeping this tread going for so long

I interviewed this week and overall things went pretty well. None of the interviews were too stressful although the first lady I interviewed with asked a few strange questions. According to the fourth year student who gave the tour, the first three interview weeks (UAB interviews once a week on Thursdays) are for in state kids that are placed in a "Pool A" based on MCAT, GPA, and quality of undergrad school. He also said that as long as we don't totally blow the interviews, applicants for the first three groups will get in pretty easily. He said he thinks after the initial 3 weeks, the best out of state applicants will be interviewed but he wasn't positive about that. After that, the next "pool" of applicants will be selected for interviews and so on. Once a month the ADCOM meets and accepts people (I think the med student said it was the second or third monday of each month or something like that)

 

[BooMed]

I interviewed this week and overall things went pretty well. None of the interviews were too stressful although the first lady I interviewed with asked a few strange questions. According to the fourth year student who gave the tour, the first three interview weeks (UAB interviews once a week on Thursdays) are for in state kids that are placed in a "Pool A" based on MCAT, GPA, and quality of undergrad school. He also said that as long as we don't totally blow the interviews, applicants for the first three groups will get in pretty easily. He said he thinks after the initial 3 weeks, the best out of state applicants will be interviewed but he wasn't positive about that. After that, the next "pool" of applicants will be selected for interviews and so on. Once a month the ADCOM meets and accepts people (I think the med student said it was the second or third monday of each month or something like that)

Hey "pool A", what kind of questions did they ask? 😛

 

[MattD]

On a separate note, do any current students know anything about the whispers I've heard that UAB will be doing away with cadaveric anatomy lab? If this is true, when does this policy take effect?

 

[BooMed]

On a separate note, do any current students know anything about the whispers I've heard that UAB will be doing away with cadaveric anatomy lab? If this is true, when does this policy take effect?

How strange. Forgive my ignorance, but what type of anatomy would they have instead?

 

[jammin06]

I just got my invitation to interview at UAB!!!! Interview set for 11/10!

Sweet home alabama....Lord I'm coming home to you!!!

 

[QofQuimica]

I just got my invitation to interview at UAB!!!! Interview set for 11/10!

Sweet home alabama....Lord I'm coming home to you!!!

Wow, congrats! Let us know how it goes. 😀

 

[MattD]

How strange. Forgive my ignorance, but what type of anatomy would they have instead?

Apparently a number of schools have moved away from cadaver dissection for anatomy lab, and started using things like mounted prosections and computer images. Supposedly dissection is inefficient. I don't have a clue what's better, I just thought it was interesting. Again, don't even know if it's true, just something I saw might be happening recently.