Alabama Schools Thread

[Doctor&Geek]

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On the subject of non-admissions news:

Children's Hospital to build new replacement hospital (!)
http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2005/12/19/story1.html

On the subject of new facilities we already know about the Women and Infant's Hospital to be built next door and also the new radiation oncology facility to be built next to that. Also, the old psychiatry buildings will be torn down for a replacement facility, a new 12-story neuroscience research tower will be built next to the new Shelby building, and a biodefense safety lab will be built up the street from that.

Just about the only problem is that all of the 1st and 2nd years will lose their parking spaces close to Volker - I asked today where those folks will park, and they don't have an answer.

 

[QofQuimica]

On the subject of non-admissions news:

Children's Hospital to build new replacement hospital (!)
http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2005/12/19/story1.html

On the subject of new facilities we already know about the Women and Infant's Hospital to be built next door and also the new radiation oncology facility to be built next to that. Also, the old psychiatry buildings will be torn down for a replacement facility, a new 12-story neuroscience research tower will be built next to the new Shelby building, and a biodefense safety lab will be built up the street from that.

Just about the only problem is that all of the 1st and 2nd years will lose their parking spaces close to Volker - I asked today where those folks will park, and they don't have an answer.

Wow. School just keeps growing like a cancer. I'm still in awe from what's been done already. JPaikman, do you know when the new biomedical science research building is slated to open? No one was really sure about it.

 

[Doctor&Geek]

From the word of the Dean:

March next year.

On the subject of cancer, all these property owners around UAB want more and more money now - a lot of eminent domain issues are a lot of what's holding up more new construction.

 

[MattD]

I agree, that is probably the best book in the CS lewis series.
I am currently reading (and reccommend):
A fortunate man: the story of a country doctor, by John Berger (a Booker prize winning author) & photography by Jean Mohr. Pictures & words about the life of a doc in the English countryside. Best-written prose I've ever read about being in healthcare.
Multicultural Ettiquette by Noriene Dresser. Easy to read, lots of real (and useful) facts and examples for relating to people who are from different backgrounds. Very useful for people doing buisiness with or caring for foreigners, immigrants, etc. Definitely relevant to being a good doctor.
A game of thrones by George Martin. big, fun epic story. just 250 pages in, but am genuinely interested in the story. I really tend to prefer sci-fi and nonfiction to fantasy but this fantasy novel is really well written, has depth & surprises, and doesn't rely too heavily on previous knowledge of the fantasy genre.

I just wanna give additional support to the game of thrones series! It is an absolutely phenominal series, and only gets better the further you get into it. I'm in the middle of the third book right now, and have not had time to read in a while, but you just reminded me to catch back up. Of course, at this point there're so many story threads going on I don't know if I can just pick it back up, hopefully I won't have to start over! 🙂 Just be forewarned, the author is NOT afraid to piss you off, and you WILL get attached to characters... but that's what makes good fiction! 🙂

 

[QofQuimica]

I just wanna give additional support to the game of thrones series! It is an absolutely phenominal series, and only gets better the further you get into it. I'm in the middle of the third book right now, and have not had time to read in a while, but you just reminded me to catch back up. Of course, at this point there're so many story threads going on I don't know if I can just pick it back up, hopefully I won't have to start over! 🙂 Just be forewarned, the author is NOT afraid to piss you off, and you WILL get attached to characters... but that's what makes good fiction! 🙂

I haven't read that one; thank you guys for telling me about it.

 

[karo_glow]

Does anyone have any info on USA? How the university is, what did you think of the program, how interviews went, etc... Any input is appreciated.
Thanks and Good luck to everyone. 🙂

 

[jammin06]

Does anyone have any info on USA? How the university is, what did you think of the program, how interviews went, etc... Any input is appreciated.
Thanks and Good luck to everyone. 🙂

seeing that there are a few people on this thread who have applied to USA, I'm sure that you'll probably get a couple of responses. I suppose I'll just go first.

USA seems to be a pretty good school for state residents. I think it gets lost in the shuffle sometimes, because everyone compares it to UAB. Most people who get into both choose UAB, but there are always going to be those that pick USA over UAB. I think the avg score for acceptance is around a 29 or so. They offer a lot of interviews to in-state students throughout the year, but also have preference for regional applicantsfrom MS, GA, and FL.

The program seems to be getting better with time. A few years back, they went to an organ based learning system, which was initially met with lower board scores, but gradually gained approval. Scores this past year seemed to be readily received and placement in residency seems to be pretty good. The biggest plus about the school is their relatively small class size (70 or so, a little less than half that of UAB). So, even though there arent't the same resources, you still get a decent amount of clinical exposure.

There's a nice new Women's and Children's hospital there, so that was where they took us during my interview. Interview day was pretty relaxed, there was only 7 of us there total, and of those 7, i know at least 3 were accepted.

Personally, I think that i fall into the category of most Alabama applicants, in that, I'll probably go to USA, unless I get into UAB. Though i've been offered some other interviews (middle-tiered schools in NE), I don't think it'd be worth spending over 50k per year to go to a school when i can get a comparable education for 10k.

Just my $.02....hope that helps 🙂

 

[odrade1]

bump....

 

[adonis]

Has anyone gotten accepted this month or know if/when the next set of acceptances will be given out?

 

[QofQuimica]

Has anyone gotten accepted this month or know if/when the next set of acceptances will be given out?

They sent some out last week and the next batch will come out in Jan. Good luck. 🙂

 

[BooMed]

I was accepted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck everyone. 👍

And Merry Christmas Eve. 🙂

 

[Em1]

Congratulations!!!!

 

[jammin06]

I was accepted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck everyone. 👍

And Merry Christmas Eve. 🙂

congrats!


still no word here....maybe next month 😳

for those that were accepted, is there any update on your status on the main website?

 

[BooMed]

Thanks Jammin. I am completely shocked to have gotten in this early, actually. I have been poking around MDapplicants.com and it seems like a lot of people have not been accepted yet, so I really do not think you should worry at all.

I think the website still has info from December 2nd, unfortunately.

For those of you who have been accepted, what campus selection did you choose? I got Birmingham.

 

[adonis]

So. Here is a question. I got accepted to USA and received some mail from them that said that I had to send in the deposit by January 6th. How am I supposed to do this when I want to wait and hear from UAB? Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[QofQuimica]

So. Here is a question. I got accepted to USA and received some mail from them that said that I had to send in the deposit by January 6th. How am I supposed to do this when I want to wait and hear from UAB? Any ideas? Thanks.

Go ahead and send it in. This will hold your place at USA. If you hear from UAB, you can then withdraw from USA. They should refund your deposit as long as you withdraw before May 15. If UAB waitlists you and you get in off the waitlist over the summer (after May 15), you can still withdraw from USA, but then they'll keep your deposit.

BooMed, I also picked B'ham. 🙂

 

[jammin06]

Go ahead and send it in. This will hold your place at USA. If you hear from UAB, you can then withdraw from USA. They should refund your deposit as long as you withdraw before May 15. If UAB waitlists you and you get in off the waitlist over the summer (after May 15), you can still withdraw from USA, but then they'll keep your deposit.

BooMed, I also picked B'ham. 🙂

yup, exactly what i did last week. Though I didn't know about the part where you received your deposit back if you withdrew before may 15.

 

[adonis]

just curious...how did you guys that got accepted a few days ago do on the mcat?

 

[QofQuimica]

just curious...how did you guys that got accepted a few days ago do on the mcat?

(groan) Dude, don't go there. Seriously, it's a horrible idea. Comparing yourself to others is just asking for unnecessary grief. Plus, you can't get a complete picture of other applicants just from their stats.

jammin, you might want to double check with USA just to make sure they're following the same guidelines. I didn't apply there, so I wouldn't be able to tell you if they do something different than other schools. But as far as I know, all allopathic schools will refund your deposit as long as you withdraw before May 15. It seems to be a general AAMC guideline, like not notifying RD acceptees before Oct. 15.

 

[MattD]

Thanks Jammin. I am completely shocked to have gotten in this early, actually. I have been poking around MDapplicants.com and it seems like a lot of people have not been accepted yet, so I really do not think you should worry at all.

I think the website still has info from December 2nd, unfortunately.

For those of you who have been accepted, what campus selection did you choose? I got Birmingham.

Congrats! I'm glad to see so many of us getting acceptances, by the time the class is filled we'll have to rent out a bar and celebrate/meet all of our crazy classmates 🙂

 

[BooMed]

Congrats! I'm glad to see so many of us getting acceptances, by the time the class is filled we'll have to rent out a bar and celebrate/meet all of our crazy classmates 🙂

Yay! I agree. I'm actually really excited for school to start. Maybe I'm crazy.

 

[QofQuimica]

Yay! I agree. I'm actually really excited for school to start. Maybe I'm crazy.

No, I feel that way too. I don't know where I'll be yet, but I'm eager to get there. There used to be a bar called the Mill in Five Points. Is it still there?

 

[MattD]

Yay! I agree. I'm actually really excited for school to start. Maybe I'm crazy.

Me too, I'm EXTREMELY ready to finish up this spring and move on. Not that I don't like my undergrad program, because I do, I'm just impatient to get on with things 🙂

 

[adonis]

The Mill does not exist anymore, but it is now The Grill. I think it is basically the same place, though. How convenient that the new name rhymes with the old.

 

[BooMed]

I think it's strange to think about all of the applicants who don't ever go on SDN. There could be all kinds of random people accepted that we don't even know!

 

[QofQuimica]

I think it's strange to think about all of the applicants who don't ever go on SDN. There could be all kinds of random people accepted that we don't even know!

lmao, that's totally true. Amazing, in this day and age, that some people don't read SDN. 😱

 

[odrade1]

I was accepted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck everyone. 👍

And Merry Christmas Eve. 🙂

Congratulations!
Sorry the congrats are late, but I've been out of town for the holidays.
Probably one of the best Christmas presents ever, I bet....

 

[BooMed]

Congratulations!
Sorry the congrats are late, but I've been out of town for the holidays.
Probably one of the best Christmas presents ever, I bet....

Yay. 🙂

Question... have you all contacted the financial aid guy/thought about filling at the FAFSA? What's up with that?

 

[QofQuimica]

Yay. 🙂

Question... have you all contacted the financial aid guy/thought about filling at the FAFSA? What's up with that?

I am waiting to fill out FAFSA until I get my tax return done next month. But you should do it within the next month or two.

 

[BooMed]

I am waiting to fill out FAFSA until I get my tax return done next month. But you should do it within the next month or two.

Oh my god, you do your taxes in January? I am so behind in this world... Usually my mom helps me and now I live so far from home... I can't wait till my fiance takes tax law and ends my misery...

 

[QofQuimica]

Oh my god, you do your taxes in January? I am so behind in this world... Usually my mom helps me and now I live so far from home... I can't wait till my fiance takes tax law and ends my misery...

Well, I don't normally do it that early, but I have to this year b/c of FAFSA. Anyway, my taxes are pretty simple, and I only have to do federal (FL doesn't have a state income tax, let alone city and county income taxes, like B'ham does.) Plus, I want to file FAFSA ASAP, so the sooner I get my taxes done, the sooner I can file. I'm hoping to submit it by Feb. 1. If you know that you and your parents are going to be late filing your taxes, you may want to estimate your income and their income just so that you can submit FAFSA in Jan. or Feb. and get an idea of what your financial aid will be.

 

[odrade1]

I am waiting to fill out FAFSA until I get my tax return done next month. But you should do it within the next month or two.

Is it really due that soon? I figured that I could wait till April or May to file the FAFSA. I guess that's what I get for skipping the financial aid meeting at interview/orientation.

 

[onemorename]

Well, I don't normally do it that early, but I have to this year b/c of FAFSA. Anyway, my taxes are pretty simple, and I only have to do federal (FL doesn't have a state income tax, let alone city and county income taxes, like B'ham does.) Plus, I want to file FAFSA ASAP, so the sooner I get my taxes done, the sooner I can file. I'm hoping to submit it by Feb. 1. If you know that you and your parents are going to be late filing your taxes, you may want to estimate your income and their income just so that you can submit FAFSA in Jan. or Feb. and get an idea of what your financial aid will be.

A nice site about student loan is this one : www.consolidatedloan.info 🙂

i advise u to check it out ...

 

[QofQuimica]

A nice site about student loan is this one : www.consolidatedloan.info 🙂

i advise u to check it out ...

That isn't a real link. Maybe you meant http://www.loanconsolidation.ed.gov/ ? Anyway, it's a bit early for me to be worrying about consolidating loans; I haven't even taken them out yet. 😉

 

[BooMed]

Umm, I think that was some kind of advertisment. I get mail about loan consolidation every freaking day.

 

[penguinophile]

Umm, I think that was some kind of advertisment. I get mail about loan consolidation every freaking day.

Friggin loans and credit cards. BOO!!! I wish I had a nickel for every Capitol One envelope I've shredded. I swear, credit card companies much have stock in shedders.

 

[BooMed]

Hey guys! I posted a link to my MySpace page as my signature. If you want you can go to it and click on the "Europe Pics" blog entry up at the right to see pictures from my trip. You don't have to be a member. 🙂

 

[odrade1]

Is it too soon to think about a Birmingham SDN beer/dinner nite for newly accepted UASOM & USA people? Especially if these are the schools you are committed to. Maybe current applicants would also like to come? If we did it on a Thursday that some of the out of towners were interviewing on, they might be able to make it...

 

[BooMed]

Is it too soon to think about a Birmingham SDN beer/dinner nite for newly accepted UASOM & USA people? Especially if these are the schools you are committed to. Maybe current applicants would also like to come? If we did it on a Thursday that some of the out of towners were interviewing on, they might be able to make it...

I live in B'ham so I can come 🙂 Is anyone interviewing this week? (I don't know if it is still a "holiday" week or not.)

 

[odrade1]

I live in B'ham so I can come 🙂 Is anyone interviewing this week? (I don't know if it is still a "holiday" week or not.)

Jan 5 is one of the Thursdays that there will be no interviews. So is the 26th.
The 12th and the 19th will be interview days.

BooMed, what part of town do you live in? There are several places to go in the Highland/Forest Park area that are affordable places to get a bite to eat &/or a drink. If affordability isn't an issue, I can also reccomend some truly lovely places to go for a celebratory drink.

 

[MattD]

Is it too soon to think about a Birmingham SDN beer/dinner nite for newly accepted UASOM & USA people? Especially if these are the schools you are committed to. Maybe current applicants would also like to come? If we did it on a Thursday that some of the out of towners were interviewing on, they might be able to make it...

Sounds like fun, I'm in Tuscaloosa so it wouldn't be too much of a trip. I'd just hafta check and make sure there was no mcat class that night.

 

[BooMed]

Jan 5 is one of the Thursdays that there will be no interviews. So is the 26th.
The 12th and the 19th will be interview days.

BooMed, what part of town do you live in? There are several places to go in the Highland/Forest Park area that are affordable places to get a bite to eat &/or a drink. If affordability isn't an issue, I can also reccomend some truly lovely places to go for a celebratory drink.

Ha ha, I keep telling myself that affordability isn't an issue because I just got into med school and need to celebrate, dammit.

I live downtown, but I love the Forest Park area, it's so cute. There are so many good restuarants here, what are your favorites? I love Ocean, Bottega Cafe, Surin West, and Taj India (if that's what it's called). But there are lots I haven't been to yet, like Los Angelos, the Fish Market and the Hot and Hot Fish Club. Waiting for the inlaws to come up to take us out some more. 😉

As far as bars go, I still haven't been to the Garage, but the MBM is near is and is sort of divey/smokey fun and they have great sandwiches. The U is right near us too and is more hip/posh but a lot of times the music is so loud you have to scream to be heard, which kind of sucks. What other bars are cool here?

Next week (or weekend) would be better for me since we have company in town.

 

[odrade1]

BooMed mentioned many of the places I enjoy eating at.

The Hot & Hot is one of my favorite places, but dinner there will run you 40-50 per person (even if you don't drink). When I go there and have a few glasses of wine, dinner for 2 costs 125-140 bucks.

Bottega cafe is nice, a little cheaper than the Hot & Hot, and you can get drinks and/or wine there.

Surin if good, but once we are in school at UAB we will inevitably end up eating lots of lunches there (I swear you can't escape med students or hospitalists if you go there at lunch).

V Richards cafe (in Forest Park) is cool because you can get food from their deli, a bottle of wine or a case of beer from their grocery, then sit on their patio and enjoy yourself without paying restaurant markup prices on wine/beer, or having to tip 20% to a waiter/bartender.

I like Taj India, it is affordable and tasty, and they do have a good selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Las Angeles is good, but I am a fan of Sol y Luna (same owner, different concept). Sol y Luna is tapas cuisine with a HUGE tequila selection and a decent wine menu. Beer also available, of course.

La Reunion is a coffee house with a few sandwiches, beer, wine & coffee-liquor drinks.

I like the Garage best when the weather is good; it's not so great inside (now that I am a non-smoker), but the patio is one of the coolest ones in town.

As far as bars go, I almost never go out anymore, so lots of the places I once loved are now closed! I like the U because I can go there and don't smell like smoke when I come home. The Barking Kudu looks conducive for conversation, but it is really a meat market a lot of the time.

Rojo is fun, food is available, they have a full bar, smoking is not allowed inside, and the bar becomes lively after 8pm.

For those of you new to Birmingham, it might be fun to make a tour of some of the bars around:
We could park near the Garage, walk to taj or Bottega for a light dinner, walk 1 block to the Garage for drinks, move 1 block to the Highland coffee company for dessert & drinks, walk (or drive, if we have a DD) through the park to Rojo for snacks & drinks. Anyone at that point who still felt able could head to one of the many other bars in town, such as the U.

An alternative tour could focus on lakeview and downtown. (Dinner at los angeles or sol y luna, drinks at the canteen, OT's, the barking kudu, etc...)

The cheapest tour would be to go to V Richards, any other places in Forest park people want to see, then to Rojo to see the 8-12pm bar crowd there.

If my house is clean & my partner would agree to it, we could even have a round of drinks/snacks at my house before heading to these areas.

 

[BooMed]

Odrade, you have excellent taste in food. 😀

I haven't been to Sol y Luna but I'm definitely putting it on the list. Have you been to Chez Fonfon? I love their hamburgers, of all things. It's too big for me to eat so I make my fiance get it and then I steal half and most of his fries.

I do love the U and Rojo for their non-smoking-ness, thank goodness there are some bars here that don't leave one stinky.

What area of town do you live in? We literally live half a block from the U.

 

[Doctor&Geek]

How can you guys afford to go to Hot and Hot, Chez Fonfon, and the Highlands? I can only go there on an expense account 😀.

 

[odrade1]

Odrade, you have excellent taste in food. 😀

I haven't been to Sol y Luna but I'm definitely putting it on the list. Have you been to Chez Fonfon? I love their hamburgers, of all things. It's too big for me to eat so I make my fiance get it and then I steal half and most of his fries.

I do love the U and Rojo for their non-smoking-ness, thank goodness there are some bars here that don't leave one stinky.

What area of town do you live in? We literally live half a block from the U.

I lived across the street from the U (in Liberty house lofts) until this last April, when I bought a ranch house in Forest Park. I'm about 4 blocks from Silvertron/V Richard's/La Reunion, just off of Clairmont Ave.

I love Chez fon fon, though I only eat there about twice a year.
If you have sophisticated food tastes, you should try chef Anthony Marini. His old restaurant (AMBA) was great, and I had what was probably my best Birmingham dining experience at his place. AMBA was in a cruddy location, so he opened a new restaurant in Vestavia: the Local. I will be making a reservation there as soon as I catch my financial breath after the holidays.

 

[MattD]

How can you guys afford to go to Hot and Hot, Chez Fonfon, and the Highlands? I can only go there on an expense account 😀.

Hah, I was wondering if anybody else was thinking that 🙂 I consider it a special occasion to go to olive garden! LOL

 

[odrade1]

How can you guys afford to go to Hot and Hot, Chez Fonfon, and the Highlands? I can only go there on an expense account 😀.

My partner is a dentist.

Even so, we don't get to go all that often.

In truth, a meal at Hot and Hot is only marginally more expensive than a comprable meal at the Cheezecake factory. (If you drink water instead of wine.) Also, if you park down the street and walk to the restaurant, you can save the $5 valet tip.

 

[odrade1]

JPaikman,

where is your avatar from. It seems vaguely familiar. I am reminded of ghost in the shell, but I don't think that is it...

 

[BooMed]

I have a pretty good job and don't pay rent. 😛 Really though, we just love to go out and have a good meal with friends and we'll sacrifice other luxuries to do that. For example, my fiance and I share a car which saves us a lot of money on gas and insurance. Also, I pack a lunch to bring to work each day and rarely go out for coffee or drinks.

At restuarants, I generally order an apetizer and a salad as my meal and will get just one drink. Minus alcohol, you can go out to the nicest restuarants in B'Ham for the same price as a huge meal at cheaper places, and the food is a lot better.

Plus my parents-in-law come to visit a lot and that is when we go to the really nice places and have a full meal. It's kind of one of the ways they've bribed us to stay in Alabama. 😉

We have been going out to dinner one or two nights a week, but it's our New Years resolution to cut down on that, since eating at home is so much cheaper and healthier. 🙂