Attention all USC class of 2006!!!

[dentaldamnedstudent]

Hey y'all!

Just thought I would give a shout out to the newest Trojans on the block... with the soon to be "whitest smiles" around, that is.

If you're a member of the tribe now, let me know... let's gab.... as I'm sure we all have some inside info on what's ahead of us in the the next 4 years.

Really looking forward to meeting you all, but obviously looking forward more to finding 300 freakin' teeth... loads of fun.

Bring on the PBL!!!

Let's talk soon!

----Keith

PS. If you're not from LA, and have questions about the area, housing, etc., please feel free to drop me a note... happy to help. Ciao.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Regina330]

Hi Keith!

I will be joining you at USC! Glad to see you chose USC too!

As you can see, I am not from the area and may have future questions. But right now, I have to focus on finals

I look forward to chatting with you some more in the near future!

 

[Happy Gingiva]

Man.........just because I sat on the UCLA side during the "UCLA vs USC" football game.....I think this is the main reason why USC put me on the waitlist ....Sigh........ <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

(I am still a proud bruin!)

 

[markymark]

hey guys, congrats on the acceptances. make sure you guys get a lot of rest before coming to 'sc. you'll surely need it the first trimester!

 

[Westside22]

Hey Folks, i am going to usc too!
yey

 

[Westside22]

Keith,
i sent u an email at your aol.com address,

 

[sarahs]

Hi All-
I just received my acceptance to USC on Wed. I really don't know what to do because I was accepted to Tufts back in Feb. and already paid $2000. Now, I have to decide between leaving my family and moving 3,000 miles away---or stay here in overcrowded L.A.?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Congratulations and good luck to you all!!!!

 

[chipmunk]

Hi Keith,

I will be going to USC, too!! I'm from San Francisco so I'm interested in learning about the housing situation in southern cal. Some students have suggested commuting to school because the school is in a bad area. What cities would you suggest? Also, about how much is rent for a 1bdr in the areas we should live?

Thanks

 

[markymark]

sarahs- it depends on where you want to practice. if you plan on moving back here to practice, it would probably be better for you to stay here so that the school can prepare you for the california boards.

chipmunk- how much of a commute is okay for you? if you really want to get to the better parts of town, the commute is going to be killer during traffic hours. as for rent, it's going to be pretty high. &lt;-maybe someone else can answer that.

 

[Regina330]

Does anyone know when the next mailing is coming with orientation and roommate info?

 

[HCLBurnzU]

Hey All,
I'll be joining you guys this fall! Go Trojans! Wut Wut!

 

[markymark]

nice name HCl.. i wish mine was more imaginative...

 

[sunwoongc]

Hey mark, I finally got my password ....for those of you who don't know mark and I are classmates at USC...class of 2005.... anyhow welcome aboard everyone.....

Oh, if you guys are interested, I can post a list of recommended text books that we got from upperclassmen so you guys can get head start in getting used books and save $$$$??? I will add additional comment on them if you want....like which books you will need first semester etc....

Steve

 

[Regina330]

Hey Steve,

I would sure love a list of those books and I'm sure everyone else would too!!

 

[Happy Gingiva]

Does anyone know how many spots left at USC?
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" />

 

[Regina330]

I am not sure as far as a number of spots open, but according to the info they sent after my interview, it seems as if they don't fill the class completely until the first week in Sept.

 

[dentaldamnedstudent]

Hey everybody! Welcome to our little site for the class of 2006!!!! (roaring applause...)

Just to keep you all updated, here's some things I have heard....

1) we won't get our orientations mailings until June.
2) we will get our financial packets at the end of the month.
3) the orientation is like mon-fri 8 - 5 for 2 weeks, but there will be a few days when we get out a bit earlier. (around 1)

I'd also like to thank Steve and Mark for climbing aboard and saying hello... I think it would be great if we could get a book list, or any advice that would make the transition easier... like should we be buying an anatomy or biochemistry book this summer and looking it over?

Also, I thought if you all have some free time in the next month or so, I would love to plan a barbecue at my place, so we could all meet! From the looks of it...we're in for a long and bumpy ride... so I say let's get through it together!!! Let me know if June or July is better for you all.

Well, off to find some teeth... I tell ya, I'm about ready to tie my tooth to the doorknob!

--Keith

PS. If I can help with finding an apartment, location ideas, etc. or you want to talk USC, please feel free to page me at 818-779-6557.

 

[markymark]

hey steve. hehe. i'm glad you found your password. i was just torturing these fellow 'sc folk before you came in...

anyway, i don't think it would do much good to try to study during the summer for the upcoming semester because how are you going to know what to study? just get some good rest dentaldamnedstudent.

 

[sunwoongc]

MEDICAL DICTIONARIES: Any one will suffice. Some have pictures. Others may have a back page with lab values. I would personally recommend Stedman's medical dictionary.

LAB VALUES BOOK
1. Mosby's Lab Value Book. Easier to read. Includes tables on abnormal lab values for each test. (i have this one and it's pretty good. Should get it ASAP as it's handy and most likely you'll use it your first semester)
2. Fishbach's Lab Value Book. Good book. Not as well organized.

PATHOLOGY
1. Robbins' Pathology. Detailed, good pictures. Very comprehensive (I and most of class uses this. Good book. Get it soon as you'll use it your first sem. I recommend this one.)
2. Pathology: Rubbins: doesn't go into as much detail as Robbins, but also is very good source. Sufficient for the work needed.
3. Concise Pathology: Chandrasoma and Taylor: Includes clinical symptoms. Not as in-depth as the other two. No color photos.

PHYSIOLOGY all books come equally recommended. Some are more detailed than others. Pick a book based on your level of Physiology comprehension and training.

Physiology:
1. Marieb
2. Berne and Levy
3. Guyton (hard to read but very comprehensive. I have this one, but i would get Tortora or Fox's anatomy as it's easier to read. So I would recommend getting two diff books....my personal recommendation, #3 and #4 or Fox. Get these books for first sem.)
4. Tortora

MICROBIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY (may not need this as you can probably get it from library but not absolutely necessary for first sem in my opinion)
1. Medical Microbiology and Immunology: Jawetz and Levinson: excellent, very comprehensive, easy to read and understand. Includes a summary of all medically important pathogens in the back.
2.Immunology: Parham et al. Used by many med and dental students. Good easy to read.
3. Micro made ridiculously simple: best book in this series. Not as detailed as above. Very good to review material. Includes cartoons, and pneumonics to aid in learning.
4. Microbiology: Stuart Walker. Part of the BRS/STARS series. Easy to read. Also a good book, not as comprehensive as Medical Microbiology.

TEXTBOOKS OF MEDICINE (not really necessary to buy these books as most of the stuff is available online)
1. Harrison's Guide to Internal Medicine. The source. If it doesn't exist here, it doesn't exist. Website also exists. (it's on the web, don't buy the book)
2. Merck Manual. Simpler to read than Harrison's. Includes lots of clinical symptoms. Website also exists. (it's on teh web, don't buy the book)
3. Cecil's Textbook of Medicine. Not as much detail as Harrison's
4. Stein's and Kelly's Book of Internal Medicine. OK. Adequate resources. Not as good as any of the above.

PHARMACOLOGY
1. Lippincott's Illustrated Pharmacology Review: Mycek et al. Great book. Easy to read, comprehensive.
2. Mosby's Drug Reference Book: Gage et al. Small, convenient, great to have for clinic. Not as easy to read as Lippincott's. (i got this one on sale for $15...pretty good but you can do without it as a lot of the pharmacology stuff is online....may come in handy for first sem stuff)

ANATOMY/HISTOLOGY

Atlases:
1. Anatomy Atlas: Netters. Excellent color drawing of human body. Easier to use than a photographic atlas when starting out. (must have in my opinion...needed for first sem)
2. Anatomy Atlas: Rohen, Yokochi: Actual Photographic Depiction of Cadavers. Great to study for anatomy exams.
3. A.D.A.M.
4. Grant's Illustrated Atlas
5. Moore's anatomy: (i would strongly recommend getting this book on top of netters. this one has a lot of text explaning a lot of the stuff...netter's is pic only but the pics are very good....and alot of the test questions take pics from netters so get both if poss. need both for first sem)

Anatomy Books (includes text)
1. Anatomy: Clemente Good photos and easy to read text.
2. Anatomy: Moore. Same as above. (look above)
3. Gray's Anatomy. Very detailed. very. Website also available. (don't buy...on line)

Histology: (I use #1 and #2...need it for first sem)
1. Histology: Ross et al. Includes text to explain, drawings, and multiple histology slides.
2. Wheater's Functional Histology. Not as much text and drawings as above. Good slides.
3. Histology: Bergman Afifi, Heidgler. Part of STARS series. Lots of good text to explain. All drawings are in black, gray, and blue. NO histo slides though.

CELL BIO/BIOCHEM
CELL BIOLOGY:
1. Cell Biology: Alberts. Good text, great figures. Easy to understand.
2. Molecular and Cell Biology: Lodish. More detailed than Alberts. Maybe a bit too much at times.

BIOCHEMISTRY: (don't really need it for first sem...but can only help. If you have a biochem book from your undergrad, that should work too)
1. Biochemistry: Stryer. Everything you need is in here.
2. Lippincott's Biochemistry Review. Not as detailed as Stryer. Good figures.

DENTAL SCIENCES:

RADIOLOGY (very helpful...try to get one, but can get it at library...)
1. Principles of Oral Radiology: White. Very good. Includes all aspects of Oral Radiology
2. Principles of Oral Radiology 2nd ed. Goaz and White. Not sold anymore. Can probably buy this book or previous edition used. Dr. Goaz has since passed away. Pretty much the same as above.

ORAL PATHOLOGY/ORAL MEDICINE
ORAL PATHOLOGY:
1. Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology: Neville, Dam, et al. Great source. Good pictures. Newer book than Regezi. (A must have...get this)
2. Oral Pathology: Regezi et al. Same as above. Not as comprehensive. Very good though, either will do.
3. Oral Pathology: Shafer et al. Too verbose

ORAL MEDICINE:
1. Principles of Oral Medicine: Sonis. Excellent book. Includes many aspects of dentistry not covered in oral pathology.

DENTAL ANATOMY:
1. Oral-facial Structures: Brand. Includes craniofacial structures as well as dental anatomy. Easier to read. (A MUST HAVE...GET THIS ONE FOR SURE...VERY USEFUL ADN WILL BE NEEDING IT FOR FIRST SEM)
2. Wheeler's Dental Anatomy: more detailed and comprehensive in dental anatomy than above. Doesn't include any craniofacial anatomy or development.

PERIODONTOLOGY
1. Periodontology: Carranza et al. Very good. Comprehensive. (A MUST HAVE...GET THIS ONE FOR SURE...VERY USEFUL ADN WILL BE NEEDING IT FOR FIRST SEM)
2. Periodontology: Lindhe et al. Not as focussed on the dental aspect as above. Includes more biochemistry than above.
3. Periodontology: Glickman et al.

CARIOLOGY
1. Operative Dentistry: Sturdevant. (A MUST HAVE...GET THIS ONE FOR SURE...VERY USEFFUL)

OTHER
1. Periodontal Instrumentation: Pattsion (GET THIS...USEFUL BUT MOSTLY THIRD SEM)

WHERE TO GET BOOKS: <a href="http://www.walmart.com" target="_blank">www.walmart.com</a> They sell most of the books mentioned above for 30% off...if they don't have it try in a few days, they'll have it. The cheapest source to buy books...I honestly wouldn't get it anywhere else.

Steve

Mark...feel free to add to it if you want....but i think it's pretty complete no???

 

[sunwoongc]

oh and on top of the book list....

mark is absolutely right....don't waste your time studying...it's useless. enjoy your time off.

and about collecting teeth, how many did they tell you to collect? They tole our class 300 but they never told us to bring it in?? Well they did and i never turned in any cuz i didn't have any....and they really didn't care too much. I wouldn't lose sleep over how many teeth you collected....but do get some just in case.
Steve

 

[markymark]

i say try your best to get the teeth because you never know if you'll need them later on to practice endo or restorative (or whatever requires the use of real teeth).

as for the list of books, steve's got them all covered. i have a few physio books that i bought but didn't really get around to using so choose carefully and if anyone is interested, let me know. oh, and buy the radiology book (don't check out from library). it will be a good reference later on. besides, chances are that it won't be there when you need it most.

 

[Regina330]

Steve,

Thanks for the list of books! That is VERY helpful! I'm glad I read it before I go to sell my books back tomorrow b/c I have Ross's Histology, and I'm glad to know I can sell back Roitt's Immunology.....I've been waiting all semester to do that!!

Keith,

Thanks for the update on the mailings! One more question, I was just reading over my acceptance letter today and it said we would get immunization info inmid-April?? Did you by chance get that? I didn't get mine yet, but I better make an appointment now b/c it is practically impossible to get an appointment at my doc's office!

 

[sunwoongc]

glad you enjoyed the list....

don't forget to have ALL your immunization and immunization records and Hep Ab titer! You can't get into clinic without these....and you go into clinic first semester!!

 

[markymark]

regina, hold onto your immunology book. just because a book is not listed on the list does not mean that it is necessarily good or bad. your book may have all the required information in it.

 

[Regina330]

I find Roitt's rhetoric difficult to understand. And I had a hell of a time getting through the class this semester! That's the only reason why I was planning on getting rid of the book.

 

[Westside22]

i haven't received any info regarding immunization either, I hope they send it soon.

 

[Westside22]

Hey Mark,
thanks for your response to my pm.
Vince

 

[dentaldamnedstudent]

Hey gang! I heard from Admissions that they didn't send out the immunization in mid-April like they said they would and it would be included in the orientation June mailing... so no worries.

Steve and Mark, thanks for that unbelievable list! I never thought I'd say, "Wallmart here I come." Yeah, supposedly we need to have 300 teeth ready by the first semester which I am finding almost impossible... I might get around 30 teeth if I'm lucky. I got labs that will give me porcelain teeth, but they say it's very hard to get real ones... and from the response I've been getting from dentists, I would agree.

Does anybody see a reason to go in on some books together? Is it worth waiting until we know what groups we're in before buying them all? I mean I don't mind a little weekend custody with a few books.

Go trojans...

-Keith

 

[sunwoongc]

personally i don't see any problems of getting the books ahead of time....you'll be that much more prepared and less stressed instead of finding out the week of the cases...'oh damn, i need such and such book'....'instead you'll be saying damn i already have this book....too cool' with a big eviel grin on your face like this <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

seriously tho, certain books that i mentioned on teh list as being necessary in parenthessis, I am almost positive all your classmates will get the same books....they are just too perfect in getting thru your cases.....for eg, carranza, brand & isselhart, robbin's pathology etc

oh yeah....if orientation is going to be anything like what they made us do last year....have fun. it's 2 wks of going thru nitty gritty details..i and many others thought it could have been done in one week. But on the plus side, you get to meet a lot of your classmates...

steve

 

[markymark]

steve you are too funny. btw, i changed my username...

 

[markymark]

hey dds (keith),
you certainly can share books but i opted to purchase my own copies. i would rather not have to deal with sharing a book, come test time. another great thing about having all these books is that you can start a nice library in your future office.


now i've really got to finish my homework and stop browsing this forum!

 

[baracuda]

Steve and Mark,

Thanks for all the good info you're providing for us. It really helps. I was curious to know how you study for your midterms at SC. Since you do all the research on the cases yourself, how do you know what topics and to what level of detail you are responsible for the midterms/finals.

Thanks

 

[markymark]

baracuda,
here is my method:
i personally like to list all the different topics covered during the cases and read through all my textbooks (usually i procrastinate so i just read the "main" topics). then i'll peruse the "major" learning needs and try to get to the "minor" ones if i have time. honestly though, you'll have to get a feel for what is right for you because my method may not work for you...

trying to get a feel for how you should study for the exams is why first trimester tends to be hard for most of the freshmen. but the key is to not get discouraged. when you see others around you thinking about quitting, try encouraging them because once first tri is done, you'll wonder why you stressed about everything so much.

 

[sunwoongc]

Here is how I study....probably not as systematic or timely as Marks, but works for me.

My style of studying has been brought down from my ancestors eons ago and perfected by me from years of practice....the anecestors being monks who used to live in the mountains deep in the woods in the land of the mornig calm (korea). Such a style is called CRAMMING. OK OK...seriouly, I cram. Usually we cover about 3 or 4 cases b4 the midterm and the final (which isn't cumulative), I give my self 1 day per case and study all day and night. I do not recommend this to anyone, but honestly it works very well for me. I cannot study without pressure. But I study by identifying the major topics covered in the case, (these major and minor topics are usually typed up and posted on line by one of our classmates) and reading textbooks on these topics. Then when there is time, I'll try to hit the learning needs that my group has generated to fill in the gaps. Because I am cramming, obviously somethings gotta give, and the things that are giving are that I am not really covering all the minor learning needs. But as all of you will soon see, the difference in grades between studying adn not studying isn't that great. It's more of how much of a good solid understanding you have on teh subject as a lot of the problems you see on teh tests, when you see them, you're eyes will get real big and wide as you'll be saying to yourself...'what the hell is that question?' The exam is that hard...that's why 75% and above is considered an A. So in conclusion....cramming not a good idea...but works well for me

so just out of curiosity, why did you guys all choose USC? except for you mark...oh and I will see you tomorrow..

Steve

 

[chipmunk]

Thanks Steve and Mark...you guys are great!! All of your comments are really helping out. I chose USC because out of all the schools that I got accepted to, I felt that I would benefit most by going to USC. The program seemed the strongest to me. I've also heard a lot about PBL from my friends in Med school and they have nothing but good things to say about that type of curriculum.
Out of curiosity, why did you guys choose USC?

 

[markymark]

steve,

they are actually going to change the grading scale to make it harder for us to get "A"s. i heard from some people in student council that it will be raised to 80% and above for A, while 65% to 79% will be the "B" range.

 

[markymark]

chipmunk,
you're welcome. i'm glad that we can help.

as for your question, i feel almost embarassed to say, but usc was the only school i was accepted into. that is why i cannot stress it enough to all the predents to APPLY EARLY. i think my application would've been competitive had i submitted it early. anyway, i feel that not getting accepted to the other schools was a blessing in disguise. i am truly enjoying my experience at usc. i also feel that academically, pbl is a great program because of the fact that in order to understand what is going on in the cases, you must be able to critically think about all the sciences as a whole, in order to tie everything together (the different symptoms and why they occur, why you prescribe certain drugs, etc). pbl is certainly a great program for the critical thinker.

 

[sunwoongc]

hey mark...i've been hearing so many rumors and heresy about the whole grading scale, i've given up. It's very clear that people in academic affairs don't know what the hell they are doing when it comes to this whole grading scale. One thing I will agree with you is that it has been too damn easy to get A's so far. But 80%? That seems kind of extreme. That means that in our cases, getting 3 above expected out of 4 isn't even an A anymore. That leaves no room for error. Think about that for a second. To get an A, you're gonna basically have to get all above expected in ALL the cases and STILL get A on the test. That seems unreasonable and if that was the case, NO ONE will be getting A's.
steve

 

[markymark]

steve, actually did you know that even one above expected is an "A?" Weird huh? check this out:

the total possible points is 3*4=12 right?
(above expected = 3 and 4 total categories)

let's say that you get one above and three expecteds (expected = 2):

3 + 3(2)= 9

9/12 = 75%

so basically with the new grade scale, we need to get at least 2 aboves for each session to qualify for an "A" for a particular week:

2(3) + 2(2)= 10
10/12 = 83%

 

[markymark]

sorry folks about that last post... but soon enough, you will have to deal with it (in order to try to calculate the LEAST amount of questions you NEED to get right on the exams to get an "A").

anyway, please enjoy your summers and feel free to waste every single minute you have before starting dental school.

 

[sunwoongc]

how stupid of me...i forgot to do the caculation. I knew that at least 1 above is an A as 9/12 = 75%...but i guess from now on, it'll have to be 10/12 for an A. That's still reasonably doable. But that SIGNIFICANTLY lessens the A with the cushion effect that we had previously. Damn!!

So that basically means if you want to get A's by getting B's on the exams, you should be getting 3 aboves and 1 expected to be on teh safe side. Hmmm...

steve

 

[baracuda]

Steve and Mark, Thanks again for the info. Could you guys give us a feeling of what your daily schedule is during the first couple of trimesters. And also is your grade in any way dependent on the performance of other people in your group?

Thanks

 

[chipmunk]

Hi Steve and Mark,

So in terms of living situations, do you guys live close to school? I have "heard" that USC is in a bad area, so do you guys commute? What are good cities to live in? Also, about how much is rent for a one bedroom?

 

[mdaishik]

Hey guys,

Im gonna be starting at USC this fall and was wondering if any of you know about housing options there. I currently live in southern california but havent been doing much apartment searching. I was thinking about living in santa monica or west los angeles. If anyone is interested in moving there or finding a roomate let me know. my email is [email protected]. looking forward to meeting all of you this summer.

 

[Regina330]

Continuing with the apartment search..everything is so expensive!! Anyway, when I was out there, I saw nice places at fairly low prices in Manhattan Beach. How far is that from the school? Too far? I love Santa Monica, but the places I found there were way too expensive, and I don't really know what other sections are good/decent to live in...Any suggestions? Oh yeah, I am still looking to see if I can find anyone familiar with Figueroa Terrace...kind of by Dodger's Stadium to see what that is like. Any info would really help! Thanks guys!

 

[gradM.S.]

As a genuine local allow me to give you my 411 on places to live. If you don't mind a 15-20 min commute my suggestions would most definitely be west LA and Santa Monica. The problem with Santa Monica though is that it is really pricey (no longer under rent control). However it is very do able if you have a couple of roomates. You should also consider the Venice and Marina Del Ray locations ( your commute is now about close to 30 minutes). For a forty minute commute try sherman oaks or pasadena. I personally think that your best bet would most definitely be west LA particularly the area in between century city and westwood. Your still in a descent part of town, close to the freeways, and descent rent (as long as you have a roommate). I hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[sunwoongc]

Your first two trimesters will be pretty kick back in terms of amount of time spent at school. If you are in teh morning session, you will be expected to be in school 8-11am MWF...in addition wednesdays you will have sim labs. Every other tuesdays will be clinical time spent in clinic...8 to noon. So amount of time spent at school is minimal. Once you get used to doing your learnng needs and studying, you will find yourself with a lot of free time. Oh by the way, you swictch off being morning session and afternoon session every semester. So if you are in morning session groups in first semester, you will be afternoon session (1-4pm) the next semester.

About the grades...your grades are not directly affected by your group members. You get graded on how YOU perform in each of the cases in addition to your exam grades. Indirectly however, you are affected in that there's bound to be one or two members of the group who don't pull their weight...(ie: inferior leanrning needs). If this happens there's more studying for you to do on your own. Some of us in class of 2005 have solved this problem by sharing learning needs in between other groups....this is legal...in fact sharing between gruops of info is encouraged as long as you don't take credit for someone else's work. This way you can compare and identify some of the major and minor learning issues that other groups have come up with your group.

Hope that answers some of your questions
Steve

 

[markymark]

as for the living conditions, let me provide some insight. before you commit to getting a pad in west la or culver city or whatever, think about the traffic you will be facing at one time or another. yes, it may be a nicer place to live but 15-20 minutes commutes are not the ordinary. during traffic hours, you will be stuck for at least 40 minutes, maybe more. if you are a patient person, it is a perfect option for a living area (unfortunately for me, i can't stand traffic). and yes, the area surrounding usc isn't the greatest in the world (you do not want to walk around at night) but in certain areas where many students live, they tend to be safer (ellendale is a good example of that). just remember that wherever you live, you will not be totally safe from crime.

 

[Westside22]

Hey Steve and Mark,

What is the parking situation at USC?
As commuters, what do you recommend we should do?
I was told about a lot away from campus where there is a shuttle that drives students to campus.
What's the details on that? how late does the shuttle run? and is that lot in a decent area so that say if some of us leave campus after dark, is it safe in that lot, etc? Cuz everyone seems to stress that one should not walk around USC afterdark, it's sounds a bit scary but also funny.
I was told that dental students aren't guaranteed parking right? That really sucks!
Thanks guys,
Vince

 

[chipmunk]

Does anyone know if we will be getting something from Admissions regarding students looking for people to share places with them? For example a roomate list? I guess it will be hard since orientation starts the last two weeks in August so that means we have to find a place before we actually meet everyone and of course, it would be nice to meet your potential roomate before hand.