Any Tennesseans?

[Geronimo]

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Hey Geronimo, did you get the Littmann Cardiology III? If so, how much did you get it for on eBay? Thanks

I did get a Littmann Cardio III. I watched on Ebay for that for a while but it was going for $80-$110. I actually bought the Littmann Cardiology III from Allheart.com They had a special for 4 days in January where you could get it, including personalization, for $104.98. Shipping was a rip off, but it was a good sale.
I bought my otoscope/opthalmoscope off ebay. I also bought one for a friend as well. I also bought an infant BP cuff and adult BP cuff for like $18 off ebay.

 

[funkless]

Won't it be cheaper if we get this stuff during orientation? I heard that they have reps that sell this stuff at a discount. Or, do you recommend that we get this now?

There is an "instrument fair" at some point; I have no idea what (if any) discounts there are. I didn't go. I have a Littmann Cardiology III. There are a couple of people in my class who went all out for electronic stethoscopes ($$$) and ophthalmoscopes ($$$$) and tuning forks ($$) and reflex hammers ($), but most didn't. With the exception of a stethoscope, your preceptor will have everything you need.

Plus, you'll probably get amused looks from your preceptor if you walk in with a $450 pan-optic ophthalmoscope, while they still use a $99 model from 1982.

Spend your money on review books instead, or a good dissecting kit.

Congrats to all of you,

--Funkless

 

[Asclepius]

Who has an electronic stethescope? A few people have a Littman Master Cardio, but those aren't electric.

The instrument fair is just an opportunity for you to hear the reps talk about the various pieces of equipment and try them out yourselves. The UT bookstore does have a pretty substantial sale that lasts until december. You won't need any equipment at all for atleast 5 weeks (during your first DRS/PCC week - when you spend a day or two with your community preceptor).
Funkless is right though, a good dissecting kit will be worthwhile. The bookstore sells two types. They're pretty much the same except that one has better scissors. Scissors are key! It might even be worth it to order a nice pair of small point-tipped scissors for separating fine structures in dissections. The blunt-tipped scissors that some with the set are good for separating fascial planes and larger structures, but they can make fine work difficult.

About appartments - Georgian woods...hmmm. I can't remember that one off the top of my head. where is it? on union? If it's the one I'm thinking of, I'd stay away from it.

The best advice I can give you is to pick your anatomy lab partners carefully. Boy, did I screw up there...just ask Funkless.

Oh, and do your best to pick a cadaver that doesn't have a rotten abdomen and perineum.

There is an "instrument fair" at some point; I have no idea what (if any) discounts there are. I didn't go. I have a Littmann Cardiology III. There are a couple of people in my class who went all out for electronic stethoscopes ($$$) and ophthalmoscopes ($$$$) and tuning forks ($$) and reflex hammers ($), but most didn't. With the exception of a stethoscope, your preceptor will have everything you need.

Plus, you'll probably get amused looks from your preceptor if you walk in with a $450 pan-optic ophthalmoscope, while they still use a $99 model from 1982.

Spend your money on review books instead, or a good dissecting kit.

Congrats to all of you,

--Funkless

 

[funkless]

Who has an electronic stethescope? A few people have a Littman Master Cardio, but those aren't electric.

I think that Jeremiah and one or two others have the ones that have loop-record/playback function.

Funkless is right though, a good dissecting kit will be worthwhile....Scissors are key! It might even be worth it to order a nice pair of small point-tipped scissors for separating fine structures in dissections. The blunt-tipped scissors that some with the set are good for separating fascial planes and larger structures, but they can make fine work difficult.

1. Funkless is always right.
2. Sharp-toothed scissors are, indeed, key. At least, they are for key for those of you who actually *cut* in dissection lab. Bah!

The best advice I can give you is to pick your anatomy lab partners carefully. Boy, did I screw up there...just ask Funkless.

Oh, and do your best to pick a cadaver that doesn't have a rotten abdomen and perineum.

Oh, you know I made your semester worthwhile.

Rotten cadavers do suck. And stink.

Peace,

--Funkless

 

[Addicted To SDN]

Who has an electronic stethescope? A few people have a Littman Master Cardio, but those aren't electric.

The instrument fair is just an opportunity for you to hear the reps talk about the various pieces of equipment and try them out yourselves. The UT bookstore does have a pretty substantial sale that lasts until december. You won't need any equipment at all for atleast 5 weeks (during your first DRS/PCC week - when you spend a day or two with your community preceptor).
Funkless is right though, a good dissecting kit will be worthwhile. The bookstore sells two types. They're pretty much the same except that one has better scissors. Scissors are key! It might even be worth it to order a nice pair of small point-tipped scissors for separating fine structures in dissections. The blunt-tipped scissors that some with the set are good for separating fascial planes and larger structures, but they can make fine work difficult.

About appartments - Georgian woods...hmmm. I can't remember that one off the top of my head. where is it? on union? If it's the one I'm thinking of, I'd stay away from it.

The best advice I can give you is to pick your anatomy lab partners carefully. Boy, did I screw up there...just ask Funkless.

Oh, and do your best to pick a cadaver that doesn't have a rotten abdomen and perineum.

Oh no...I always get screwed when it comes to group work. I totally forgot, sh#t. I always get the ******s of the class. So, how do we choose our lab partners well if we don't know the other classmates' work ethic?

 

[Geronimo]

Oh no...I always get screwed when it comes to group work. I totally forgot, sh#t. I always get the ******s of the class. So, how do we choose our lab partners well if we don't know the other classmates' work ethic?

My suggestion, pray 😀 Don't worry I know I'm not super brilliant, so expecting a decent grade from anatomy isn't something I'm too concerned about. And there aren't very many "******s" that actually make it in to med school. Goof offs, yes ******s, no 😉 I have no idea about UT, but some schools just assign you.

 

[funkless]

There's a signup list during orientation. You can sign up as a group or just add yourself randomly. It's potluck. Even if you know your group going in, you really don't have any idea how the group dynamics will play out in the long run.

We were very lucky in that our group got along really well and everyone got to do more-or-less what they wanted to do. Two of my partners were very good "cutters". One was more of a personality-emollient. I was somewhere in between, I think, but ask Mr. Asclepius. (The point being, not every member has to be top dog in order to have a great group.)

--Funkless

 

[h2cooper]

Wow, I haven't posted for a REALLY long time. But a few points...

I got the notorius "We don't know what to do with you letter" in March last year. I got the you're waitlisted letter in April. I got the "You're in!!!" call in June (at the very beginning). So don't worry too much at this point. You'll drive yourself crazy.

Second...don't buy equipment yet unless you're really dying to. I only have a stethoscope. My preceptor had all the rest of the stuff to use when I go. I got my stethoscope from the instrument store on campus when they had a sale (conveniently right around the time we needed it!). You'll have warning before you need stuff. I second saving the money to but review books that you love (Mmmmm.....gridbooks.)

Thirdly, your anatomy group will be fine. You may not be best friends with all of them, and there may be one or two that you would rather study with. You might even have the misfortune of getting paired with a hyperactive student that dances around the lab like me. But at least she will keep you entertained. I personally did NOT know my lab partners and they are now good friends of mine!

 

[trinitrotoluene]

I second saving the money to [buy] review books that you love (Mmmmm.....gridbooks.)

Books that review what? Class materials? The USMLE 1? I'm confused.

 

[Addicted To SDN]

Books that review what? Class materials? The USMLE 1? I'm confused.

Yeah review books...I was told on SDN to purchase the following for review...is that what you were talking about?



The Essentials:

Anatomy--Netter's (even though some of the cartoons are incorrect)
Pathology--Robbins (the best medical textbook ever written)
Embryology--Langmann's Medical Embryology
Physiology - Costanzo (not the BRS, the big one)
Biochem - Lippincott's

 

[h2cooper]

My personal favorite are general review books that cover the material in broad terms. The ones known as "Grid Books" because they have a graph paper pattern on the cover are my favorite. They have sample questions and very, very broad coverage of material. They help me see the big picture before getting lost in the details. They are originally designed for the Step I, (I think...) but I use them in class. They come in almost every subject.

And by review books I mean reviewing for class, not necessarily to be used now in preparation. Now is for relaxing. Drink beer. Go out. Enjoy.

And by the way, Netters is an essential. I think of it as a text book, not a review book. Same for Embryology.... 😀 Hope this clarifies the matter!

 

[funkless]

The Essentials:

Anatomy--Netter's (even though some of the cartoons are incorrect)
Pathology--Robbins (the best medical textbook ever written)
Embryology--Langmann's Medical Embryology
Physiology - Costanzo (not the BRS, the big one)
Biochem - Lippincott's

-Robbins Path is a 2nd year book. You will need to get it, but I'd wait.
-Langmann's Embryo goes into FAR more detail than you need. Class notes are all you need to make an A in that portion of Gross.
-Lippincott's is good, but it's near-worthless for MBoD. I refer to mine *maybe* twice per block, so I wish I'd saved my money and just hit the library.

I got a lot out of:
Rohen's Photo Dissection Atlas
Anatomy Grid Book (BRS)
Physiology Grid Book (BRS)
Physiology "Blue Book" (DEFINITELY)

These books are good for both USMLE and class review. They say not to separate the two concepts (i.e., study for class as though you were studying for boards--think long-term-retention and understanding.)

 

[Addicted To SDN]

Hey funkless, thanks for your reply to my UT-Memphi thread. I was dead set on going to Memphis, but people interfered with my decision. Back on track!

So who makes the BRS books and Blue Blooks? Can I get them off amazon or does UT sell them? WHo is the author? Thanks!

Also is the Rohen book called: Color Atlas of Anatomy - Rohen, Johannes W./ Yoko?

 

[funkless]

So who makes the BRS books and Blue Blooks? Can I get them off amazon or does UT sell them? WHo is the author? Thanks!

BRS (aka "grid book") = Board Review Series, by Lippincott, inc. UT Bookstore sells them, as does the Used Med Textbook store on Madison. Amazon works, too.

"Blue Book" = "Review of Medical Physiology," by Schneider and Bealer. Dr. Schneider is the course director for Phys, and draws heavily from this resource when writing exams HINT HINT HINT. Bookstore sells. Amazon might.

Also is the Rohen book called: Color Atlas of Anatomy - Rohen, Johannes W./ Yoko?

Yes.

 

[TN Aaron]

When should I expect to have information about how much financial aid I am going to receive? I filled out my FAFSA way before the "priority funding" cutoff date. It would be nice to know how much cash I'm going to have so I can make a budget.

Also, is it unheard of to ask for private funding if the gov't loans aren't adequate?

 

[Future MD]

Fellow Tennesseeans! With a few exceptions!
I take the April MCAT and also consider Quillen as a top choice 👍 . Great program for all the reasons above. Especially for TN residents 😀

 

[funkless]

Also, is it unheard of to ask for private funding if the gov't loans aren't adequate?

Going off this past year's numbers:

I believe that the most you can get, federally (tax-free-interest), is $8500. You can take out up to $30,000 in private loans, unless you have horrible credit for some reason. Many people take out the full amount, others have non-federal scholarships, and others have rich parents.

There are plenty of people who would be willing to speak to you about this (and with a great deal more authority), but I think it's safe to say that you can take out pretty much as much as you want, up to 38500.

--Funkless

 

[trinitrotoluene]

New students admitted before May get aid letters between May 1 and 15. New students admitted off the waitlist in the summer get aid letters with their acceptance letters.

 

[Geronimo]

Fellow Tennesseeans! With a few exceptions!
I take the April MCAT and also consider Quillen as a top choice 👍 . Great program for all the reasons above. Especially for TN residents 😀

Welcome to the party, Doc!

 

[Asclepius]

Re: books

It's hard to recommend books to another person because everyone studies differently, and you'll find that some classes require more supplementation than others. e.g. Dr. Miller's handouts for Immunology are better than the recommended textbook, in my opinion. I like texts alot, so I have quite a few.

You may not know, but you're almost always given print-outs of the powerpoint presentations used by the lecturers. Some people use these and the class notes almost exclusively, others rely on textbooks more than lectures and notes. You should also know that UT does not "teach for the boards"...which I think is stupid because the boards are supposed to be a test of your preparedness to enter the wards. So, there are lecture components, embryology is a very good example, where UT students generally do very poorly on the boards. You won't need the texts to do well in embryo at UT, but you might need one to do well on the boards.

The recommended Biochem book, Baynes and Dominiczak, sucks big time. Lecturers point out mistakes in it all the time. The only advantage to having it is that the images from it are usually what lecturers use in their powerpoint presentations. I would recommend getting a Biochem text, though. I have Stryer and Garret&Grisham. Stryer take more of a molecular/genetic approach while Lehninger, also highly recommended, take more of a medical approach. Any of these should serve the purpose, though. I had the G&G and picked up the Stryer because it was $10 at a booksale.

Molecular Biology of the Cell is a awesome text, but it's massive and really expensive...it's more suitable for grad students than med students, perhaps.

Books are key for Anatomy - there are 3 types: texts, atlases, and review books. The main atlases used are probably Netter and Rohen. Netter has cartoons and is a necessity; you will cultivate a mild worshipfulness toward Dr. Netter. Rohen, as funkless said, is a photographic atlas. It's great for reviewing for your laboratory practicals...it's much better than Netter for somethings, especially the skull. I'd really recommend getting both. Texts are, guess what, primarily text; Moore is the recommended one. Many students don't touch Moore, but I referred to it a good bit. Review books, as h2Cooper mentioned, cull the mass of info down to a manageable size; they contain a number of questions for testing yourself.

The recommended physiology text was written by a professor. I didn't get it because it doesn't have as many figures, tables, etc...it's primarily text. I have Boron and Boulpaep, and I've been really happy with it. I hear great things about the Costanzo text, though. It might be worth checking out both of them. The "blue book" everyone recommends is a must. It was written by the professor and is just a bunch of questions. Many of these questions will appear on your test word-for-word. It's available in the bookstore. There are many used copies available too.

Don't buy any books now, unless you find some amazing deal. You will be assigned a big sib who may or may not give you many of his/her old texts. Also, the student council holds a book sale where you can buy books from previous students for cheap.

There are two bookstores, one is part of UT, the other is private and just across the street. Your first week will be just orientation...get the essentials then. As a matter of fact, ASAP - and I mean ASAP - get down to the SASS (you'll learn about this place - because they have many of these books (especially review books) that you can check out for the semester. If you're into highlighting and marking in books, you should probably buy your own review books so that you'll have all your comments, etc for board review the following year.

-Asc

 

[funkless]

You should also know that UT does not "teach for the boards"...which I think is stupid because the boards are supposed to be a test of your preparedness to enter the wards.

AMEN. A-FLIPPIN'-MEN. Aaaaaaa-men.

The recommended Biochem book, Baynes and Dominiczak, sucks big time. Lecturers point out mistakes in it all the time.

Preach it, brother, preach it!

Molecular Biology of the Cell is a awesome text, but it's massive and really expensive...it's more suitable for grad students than med students, perhaps.

Free online version exists.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Books

I'd really recommend getting both[Netters and Rohen]. Texts are, guess what, primarily text; Moore is the recommended one. Many students don't touch Moore, but I referred to it a good bit. Review books, as h2Cooper mentioned, cull the mass of info down to a manageable size; they contain a number of questions for testing yourself.

I lived on Moore. I *think* you guys are using a different recommended text than us, though, so don't rush out and buy Moore. (But don't worry if you already have.) For the record, I have Rohen, Netter, Moore, and the Grid. I checked out Dr. Wilson's book and a Q & A book from the SASS library.

The recommended physiology text was written by a professor. I didn't get it because it doesn't have as many figures, tables, etc...it's primarily text.

Me neither, but given my current grade in the class, I should STFU on this one...

Peace,

--Funkless

 

[Future MD]

Welcome to the party, Doc!

Glad to be here

 

[futrorthodr]

The new stats are up for this round of the ETSU admissions cycle and I believe this was last Adcom meeting!
They have accepted an additional 14 instate students and had only 16 interviews since last time so that means they either loved everyone of those interviewees or they pulled some people from the hold file. I tend to think that they most likely pulled from those put on hold in the previous cycles. 😕

Does anybody know if they will give info out over the phone as to whether you have been accepted or your place on the waitlist?
The waiting is driving me nuts but its late and I just got off work so its time to catch some 😴 .

 

[trinitrotoluene]

Does anybody know if they will give info out over the phone as to whether you have been accepted or your place on the waitlist?

NO. They won't even tell you if they sent you a letter (if you are on the waitlist).

 

[Geronimo]

The new stats are up for this round of the ETSU admissions cycle and I believe this was last Adcom meeting!
They have accepted an additional 14 instate students and had only 16 interviews since last time so that means they either loved everyone of those interviewees or they pulled some people from the hold file. I tend to think that they most likely pulled from those put on hold in the previous cycles. 😕

Does anybody know if they will give info out over the phone as to whether you have been accepted or your place on the waitlist?
The waiting is driving me nuts but its late and I just got off work so its time to catch some 😴 .

You must have found out some way other than the website. The web doesn't look updated as of this morning. Or did they just update the application status and not the GPA/MCAT portion?

 

[futrorthodr]

Geronimo,

They updated the application status page, but not the gpa/ mcat page. It has changed from the numbers that I listed in the beginning of Feb., that are on page 14 or 15 of this thread.

 

[Geronimo]

Geronimo,

They updated the application status page, but not the gpa/ mcat page. It has changed from the numbers that I listed in the beginning of Feb., that are on page 14 or 15 of this thread.

Yeah, I checked that a while ago. I see what you are saying. I guess they'll update the GPA/MCAT section later.

 

[futrorthodr]

I was hoping to at least find out from ETSU my relative position on the hold list and how many people were placed on it, but I guess you cant have both. UT memphis will tell you that information, but they wont post the information about the number accepted like ETSU does. 😛

 

[Geronimo]

I was hoping to at least find out from ETSU my relative position on the hold list and how many people were placed on it, but I guess you cant have both. UT memphis will tell you that information, but they wont post the information about the number accepted like ETSU does. 😛

Come on now futrorthodr, you know you can't have everything! 😀 Who do you think you are, any way? 😉 It is kind of like I heard during several of my interviews, there is no such thing as a perfect school (perfect for you maybe, but never perfect for everyone in every way). 😀

 

[futrorthodr]

Come on now futrorthodr, you know you can't have everything! 😀 Who do you think you are, any way? 😉 It is kind of like I heard during several of my interviews, there is no such thing as a perfect school (perfect for you maybe, but never perfect for everyone in every way). 😀

A man can hope and pray can't he? 😀

 

[Geronimo]

A man can hope and pray can't he? 😀

Indeed you can, ha, ha, ha. I'll say a prayer for you too. All things are possible with some faith and prayer. 👍 (Sounds like an intro to a sermon ). Hold in there! This is a tough process and I hope everyone in this thread has a happy ending to their journey.

 

[dancindr]

Thirdly, your anatomy group will be fine. You may not be best friends with all of them, and there may be one or two that you would rather study with. You might even have the misfortune of getting paired with a hyperactive student that dances around the lab like me. But at least she will keep you entertained. I personally did NOT know my lab partners and they are now good friends of mine!

HaHa, she really did dance around the lab and i'm pretty sure scared some of her partners on a daily basis! Seriously, though, some people do end up with "bad" lab partners (or cadavers!), but it won't ruin it for you. I had a lab partner that drove the rest of us crazy sometimes (most of the time...) but I didn't have to study with that person outside of normal lab times and i guess it helped me work on my tolerance level for annoying people!

 

[trinitrotoluene]

I was hoping to at least find out from ETSU my relative position on the hold list and how many people were placed on it, but I guess you cant have both. UT memphis will tell you that information, but they wont post the information about the number accepted like ETSU does. 😛

Oh really...well la de da!

(Annie Hall, of course)

 

[Asclepius]

Seriously, though, some people do end up with "bad" lab partners (or cadavers!), but it won't ruin it for you.

au contaire! a bad cadaver played a significant role in ruining a whole block of Anatomy for me.

 

[ravaha08]

I don't think anyone is really rejected either. You get a no decision letter and then waitlisted. Then you are either accepted or not off the waitlist. Very few people are rejected after interview. This has been implied by Nelson Strother before. If you get an interview, you have a shot.

trinitrotoluene,

I dont think that the no decision letter could mean that you are about to get accepted if spots open up in May, because it said in the letter that they would let us know of a decision by April 1st. Also of the three people on this board who I have seen get this letter all three were put on the waitlist April 1st and two of them were pulled off later on.

I am really curious to find out whether or not anyone has been waitlisted yet??

 

[ravaha08]

au contaire! a bad cadaver played a significant role in ruining a whole block of Anatomy for me.

Well at least you didn't have the cadaver with the megacolon that literally smelled like ****. It was the next table over from me.

 

[Asclepius]

Ravaha, come on, was this supposed to be encouraging? you would have the waitlisted people feel no better than rejected and the rejected people feel like utter douchebags.

I don't think anyone is really rejected either. You get a no decision letter and then waitlisted. Then you are either accepted or not off the waitlist. Very few people are rejected after interview. This has been implied by Nelson Strother before. If you get an interview, you have a shot.

 

[trinitrotoluene]

Very few people are rejected after interview.

375 interviews

180 admitted directly (48%)
130 waitlisted (35%)
65 rejected directly (17%)

245 ultimately admitted (65%)
130 ultimately rejected (35%)

Based on stats from UTM and ravaha08

 

[ravaha08]

Ravaha, come on, was this supposed to be encouraging? you would have the waitlisted people feel no better than rejected and the rejected people feel like utter douchebags.

I didn't mean for it to sound that way. I am saying that if you are waitlisted you still have a very good shot of getting in. I was trying to say that if you are interviewed that you are good enough for UT. There just may not be a spot for you. Although we don't have to worry about that since we are currently in the class, do we? I know I felt like horrible about being waitlisted, and now I am in the class. I would have felt a lot worse if I had been rejected. And by the way, I am sure close to 70 people in our class are from the waitlist.

 

[eiiza6eth]

Would someone who goes to UT now please describe what a typical day is like, especially for first year? Do you have class from 8-5, is it recommended to go to class, do you study much once you get home? Do you have time for other activities? Are classes just like college classes? Are there quizzes or pop quizzes even? What about lunch?

Thank you!!

 

[Geronimo]

2005 Entering Class Average MCAT and GPA
Application Status Through 3/9/2005
Incoming Class Average GPA

BCPM 3.64
All Other 3.72
Total 3.68

Incoming Class Average MCAT
Verbal Reasoning 9.8
Physical Sciences 9.5
Biological Sciences 9.8
Writing Sample O

 

[Cerberus]

Going off this past year's numbers:

I believe that the most you can get, federally (tax-free-interest), is $8500. You can take out up to $30,000 in private loans, unless you have horrible credit for some reason. Many people take out the full amount, others have non-federal scholarships, and others have rich parents.

There are plenty of people who would be willing to speak to you about this (and with a great deal more authority), but I think it's safe to say that you can take out pretty much as much as you want, up to 38500.

--Funkless

You can get up to 8500 a year in Subsidized Stafford Loans (no interest) and then up to 38,500$ in Unsubsidized Stafford Loans (still government). You may also be eligible for up to 6000$ a month in Perkins Loans.

http://www.utmem.edu/finaid/Loans.php


Of course, you can only take up to the amount of money you are budgeted by the school.

http://www.utmem.edu/finaid/Medicine.php

 

[BOHICA-FIGMO]

How's this for F--d up: On Friday, 11 March, I get a large envelope for UT post marked 28 Feb. Inside the envelope was a very gracious invation to interview...on 9 March First clue that something is messed up: the letter inside the envelope is dated 23 Feb while the envelope is post-marked 28 Feb. It took them 5 *&^%$# days to mail a *&*^(@! letter !?!?!?!?!

Now, I am in the military living in Tucson AZ. The geniuses on the admissions staff must have known this since they managed to print the address label correctly. Now think about it, how reasonable is it to assume that Snail mail from Memphis will travel the 2000 miles to Tucson in less than 7 days? Possible but highly unlikely. Even if it had arrived by 7 March, I would have had to pay $$$$$$$$$$$$$ to hop on a plane to fly to Memphis. Not to mention trying to get out of work on such short notice.

Did they send me a email? No! 😡 Did they call me on the telephone? No! 😡 If a school can't even get the basics right, it calls into question the entire program. Compared to every other school who has invited me for an interview (all 11 of them), this is the most disrespectful treatment I have received. All the negative things people say about UT now have much more credibility to me now.

 

[freaker]

How's this for F--d up: On Friday, 11 March, I get a large envelope for UT post marked 28 Feb. Inside the envelope was a very gracious invation to interview...on 9 March First clue that something is messed up: the letter inside the envelope is dated 23 Feb while the envelope is post-marked 28 Feb. It took them 5 *&^%$# days to mail a *&*^(@! letter !?!?!?!?!

Now, I am in the military living in Tucson AZ. The geniuses on the admissions staff must have known this since they managed to print the address label correctly. Now think about it, how reasonable is it to assume that Snail mail from Memphis will travel the 2000 miles to Tucson in less than 7 days? Possible but highly unlikely. Even if it had arrived by 7 March, I would have had to pay $$$$$$$$$$$$$ to hop on a plane to fly to Memphis. Not to mention trying to get out of work on such short notice.

Did they send me a email? No! 😡 Did they call me on the telephone? No! 😡 If this is the kind of incompetent staff that UT-Memphis has running their school, I don't want to go there anyway!

That mail actually should have made it to you in 7 days. I routinely get mail from Orange County, California, that shows up in east Tennessee in 3 days. Sounds like the USPS flubbed things a bit.

Not to let Memphis completely off the hook. That's a very narrow timeframe to work with, and you would expect the invite to have gone out promptly. Sorry dude.

Have you called them at Memphis to see if you can reschedule? Neither Dianna Harris nor Nelson Struther seemed at all inflexible when I've dealt with them. Wouldn't hurt to ask, I guess.

 

[trinitrotoluene]

BOHICA-FIGMO:

1) Get a handle on your anger! Go take a walk. Breathe in and out. Watch one (or more) episodes of Futurama or the the Simpsons. Calm down!

2) Get some perspective! You said that you already have an acceptance at ETSU. That's more than what many others can say. Some don't have any. Neither the world nor your medical career will end if you don't get into UTM.

3) Your additude only hurts your chances of getting into UTM or any other school. If I were an adcom person and saw your post, I would try to match your information to your name and automatically reject you from further consideration--now and perminately. If this is how you react to a minor, correctable setback, how are you going to react to your first serious setback in med school. In my opinion, the people of the great state of Tennessee could do without shelling out thousands of dollars for another doctor like you.

4) Call the school and ask to reschedule. Certainly, USPS messed up the handling of your letter. However, that is not UTM's fault. If they want to give you an interview, they will most likely do what they can to make sure you get one.

BTW If we both go to UTM, you are NOT going to be my lab partner. I just don't want to fool around with people who blow up like you do. It's not good for my constitution.

 

[Asclepius]

I didn't mean for it to sound that way. I am saying that if you are waitlisted you still have a very good shot of getting in. I was trying to say that if you are interviewed that you are good enough for UT. There just may not be a spot for you. Although we don't have to worry about that since we are currently in the class, do we? I know I felt like horrible about being waitlisted, and now I am in the class. I would have felt a lot worse if I had been rejected. And by the way, I am sure close to 70 people in our class are from the waitlist.

😉

Oh, I knew what you meant, and I think you said it very well just now. 😛

 

[Asclepius]

Did they send me a email? No! 😡 Did they call me on the telephone? No! 😡 If this is the kind of incompetent staff that UT-Memphis has running their school, I don't want to go there anyway!

Sorry to hear about that...

Keep in mind that there is anly one or two more weeks of interview left; that's not a lot of spots for a few good but late submission applicants and a plethora of border-line applicants who were passed over earlier in the cycle. If you're one of the former, well, you share some of the blame, and if you're the latter, consider yourself fortunate that they tried to work you in. Now that I've talked down to you , I gotta say, yeah, a phone call or e-mail would have been nice. I would be upset too.


Everyone, NB: - Members of the admissions committee do visit these boards, particularly the interview feedback section...I've talked to a few of them about it. They say that they try not to guess who's who, but it's blatantly obvious who some people are (how many applicants scheduled to interview on the 9th are in the military and live in Tucson?)
They understand, though, that this forum exists for the commiseratation of applicants, so it's probably okay to vent, compare schools, and discuss; just don't be immature. Those I've spoken to aren't as interested in spying on individuals as they are in keeping tabs on general perceptions about the school and getting feedback regarding interviews.
You know, though, that, despite the effort of an adcom member who sees this stuff, these impressions can have some subconscious effect when decision time comes.

 

[ravaha08]

😉

Oh, I knew what you meant, and I think you said it very well just now. 😛

😛 back

 

[Asclepius]

Would someone who goes to UT now please describe what a typical day is like, especially for first year? Do you have class from 8-5...

Yes...sometimes.

I'll "teach you how to fish"... The UT website has a wealth of information, but it can take an etherial bloodhound to find it. Here are some pointers so you can teach yourself as much as any M1 knows:

For starters, in answer to your specific question - class schedule:
M1 class calendar

Username = M1
Password = M1

You can get to this page by going to www.utmem.edu, choosing "Medicine" --> "Academic and Faculty Affairs" --> "Links for Students" --> "Academic Calendars"

From the "Links for Students" page, you'll find the student handbook, the Centersope (something we all should read but probably don't), a table displaying the entire four-year curriculum, the instrument list (see previous posts on the subject), etc.

...is it recommended to go to class...?

According to the "Links for Students" page, class attendance is "expected." But, two mitigating factors:

First, the expectation that you do well enough to pass exams and boards and remain sane all the while trumps the class attendance expectation.

Second, the AAMC is pushing "self study"...UT is beginning to undergo reaccredidation, so it looks good for us to play in with these national initiatives.

So, while they'd like for faculty to feel appreciated with full lecture halls, in light of their overall objectives, they can't complain if you're doing well on your own. The current M1's have good average attendance - I'd say 10-20% of the class is there all the time, and slightly fewer are never there. Most people attend most of the lectures and skip those either where the lecturer is subpar or the auxillary information (your text, review book, etc.) is good enough that it is easier to teach the topic to yourself. You'll find your preference on the continuum between lecture and self-study, and this will depend in large part to whether you are an auditory learner or a better reader.

Are there quizzes or pop quizzes even?

Yes, there are quizzes. This year, all but a few were for bonus credit:

Anatomy doesn't have quizzes...the grades depends almost entirely on your practical and exam grades.
Molecular Basis of Disease has bonus quizzes and minitests. Neither of them is administered in class; you take them on-line at your convenience. Bonus quizzes are optional; they cover a single lecture, usually a special topic or 'Clinical Correlation' taught by a guest lecturer. You have to have attended the lecture to take the bonus quiz.
Minitests usually cover a week or two's worth of lectures and comprise a significant percentage of your average for the block. You don't have to go to class to take them.

Physiology has conferences with quizzes and also bonus quizzes. Occasionally, you will be given a small assignment and you will meet in small groups to "discuss" the assignment with a member of the Physiology faculty...it usually ends up being another lecture. These are mandatory, and there is often a quiz given at the end of the conference...they're usually not too difficult.
Bonus quizzes are administered at the end of lecture. The are given randomly, usually several times per block. Unlike the MBOD bonus quizzes, Physiology quizzes will add a point to the denominator of your total score and, if you get it right, a point to the numerator. You can either opt-in or opt-out of the quiz system; it's all-or-nothing...if you opt-in you better take every quiz and get them all right...missing quizzes when you've opted in, from what I understand, can even bring your grade down. Getting a few quizzes wrong won't help you (Dr. Schneider says, "now, the quizzes can't hurt you"...if you take them), but it will dedicate you to coming to class,

Are classes just like college classes?

I'm not sure what you mean here... I had all different kinds of classes...from 1 on 1 with a professor to 300 nameless people in a lecture auditorium, none of them just alike. You should have sat in on an M1 or M2 lecture during your interview...but yeah, there are about 50-120 in the room listening to someone talk. Questions are welcome.

As far as content goes - Speaking generally, you have two types of college classes: intro, "survey" classes that have broad coverage and orient you to a field; you basically memorize a bunch of stuff that you can never actually go in-depth enough to "get your mind around it" or feel proficient in the topic, and you spend a great deal of thinking up situations where an ability to differentiate and name the classes of ferns will pay in spades. Also, there are advanced classes like "Molecular Genetics" or "Human Embryology," which, though they are still a step or two off from being graduate level, contain an amount of detail that will escape you as soon as the scantron is bubbled-in.

Well, if you were to combine these two types of courses to produce a class that covers multiple disciplines within a broad field in upper level detail, you'd have a 1st year medical class...we'll call it "The Science of Everything Involving Cells," and it will cover Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, some Cellular Embryology, and Molecular Genetics. While you may not go as far in depth learning things like orbital interactions and mechanisms of reactions, you will learn a great deal more details about what happens when these reactions go haywire.

do you study much once you get home?

uh...let's not talk about me... but, hell yes! The firehose is on and pointed at your face from 8:00 AM until 2:00 - 5:00 PM. The only way to take it all in is to go home and make time to sip from the puddle left at your feet.

Again, the stuff's not difficult, it just takes a lot of time to digest it. Be as disciplined as you can there... I don't feel like I'm keeping up unless I spend several hours per day...4-6, and as exams approach I'll jack it up even more. But then again, I'm kinda gunnerish in that I want to understand everything completely...not to say that I often do - get that much studying done or understand everything completely.

Do you have time for other activities?

Yes, but many of us have become lazy and uninteresting in our medschool myopia. We do have people running the Nashville marathon this Spring, intramural teams, one guy's getting his pilot's license, I've become adept at assessing produce, oddly. Funkless spends a great deal of time defending his title of "King of the Monkeybars" at Southwood elementary and his lawnmower should be ready for time trials at MidSouth Motorsports park by memorial day. So yeah, we do stuff.

What about lunch?

Sure, if you're buying.

(12:00-1:00 everyday...there's a food court with Subway, a Mexican place, and a burger/Fries/Fired catfish kinda place. There's an area with microwaves and a machine that dispenses pizza pockets and snickers ice cream bars using a vacuum cleaner tube...a machine so wickedly seductive and curiously inventive that it was no doubt forged in the fires of hell by satan himself; I have it on good authority that its prototype vended apples in the Garden of Eden.

 

[BOHICA-FIGMO]

Sorry to hear about that...

Everyone, NB: - Members of the admissions committee do visit these boards, particularly the interview feedback section...I've talked to a few of them about it. They say that they try not to guess who's who, but it's blatantly obvious who some people are (how many applicants scheduled to interview on the 9th are in the military and live in Tucson?)
They understand, though, that this forum exists for the commiseratation of applicants, so it's probably okay to vent, compare schools, and discuss; just don't be immature. Those I've spoken to aren't as interested in spying on individuals as they are in keeping tabs on general perceptions about the school and getting feedback regarding interviews.
You know, though, that, despite the effort of an adcom member who sees this stuff, these impressions can have some subconscious effect when decision time comes.

True, my post was a bit unprofessional and immature, but I do hope that the UT admissions folks read it. They need to know that what they did is a MAJOR foul that shouldn't be tolerated by any professional organization. If I had pulled something like that in my military unit I would be severely reprimanded. I also posted for other applicants, particularly for the 2006 class, so that they may know the kinds of traps and general BS they have to look out for. If a school can't even get the basics right, it calls into question the entire program. Compared to every other school who has invited me for an interview (all 11 of them), this is the most disrespectful treatment I have received. All the negative things people say about UT now have much more credibility to me now.

If I didn't already have several acceptances, both out of state and in state 😉 , I probably wouldn't have shared as much info. As it is, it is not critical that UT accept me (which they probably won't at this point anyway 🙄 )