Baylor College of Medicine Class of 2008

[ms. a]

Hello everyone!!! I just got into Baylor off the waitlist (call from Dr. Hill--I think I will save that voice mail forever)!!!!!

I was a regular on the UTSW thread, but now I will probably be changing allegiances... Got no idea where I'm gonna live, but I'm so happy! I'll just be a happy med student bum!!!

Congratulations!!! Welcome to Baylor. That phone call is the best, isn't it!!!

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[Gleevec]

Hello everyone!!! I just got into Baylor off the waitlist (call from Dr. Hill--I think I will save that voice mail forever)!!!!!

I was a regular on the UTSW thread, but now I will probably be changing allegiances... Got no idea where I'm gonna live, but I'm so happy! I'll just be a happy med student bum!!!

Congrats =)

This thread isnt as popular as the UTSW thread.... yet

 

[curlycity]

Hello everyone!!! I just got into Baylor off the waitlist (call from Dr. Hill--I think I will save that voice mail forever)!!!!!

I was a regular on the UTSW thread, but now I will probably be changing allegiances... Got no idea where I'm gonna live, but I'm so happy! I'll just be a happy med student bum!!!

Hellooooooooo!!! I just 'met' you this morning when you were nice enough to post that awesomely hilarious response to my CPR thread. I, for one, am REALLY happy you're going to be in our class Welcome! And check out http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/osa/2008/ , just to get ya started.

See you in July!

 

[HollyJ]

Hello everyone!!! I just got into Baylor off the waitlist (call from Dr. Hill--I think I will save that voice mail forever)!!!!!

I was a regular on the UTSW thread, but now I will probably be changing allegiances... Got no idea where I'm gonna live, but I'm so happy! I'll just be a happy med student bum!!!

Congratulations! See you in July!!

 

[rager1]

Hello everyone!!! I just got into Baylor off the waitlist (call from Dr. Hill--I think I will save that voice mail forever)!!!!!

I was a regular on the UTSW thread, but now I will probably be changing allegiances... Got no idea where I'm gonna live, but I'm so happy! I'll just be a happy med student bum!!!

Congrats! That's awesome!

 

[Newquagmire]

I was a regular on the UTSW thread, but now I will probably be changing allegiances...

just "don't mess with texas" and you'll be fine. traitor.

 

[No Egrets]

Thanks for all the warm welcomes! On the UTSW '08 thread I said that I'd pick southwestern hands-down if I were basing my decision on SDN alone, but now I feel warm and fuzzy here on Baylor '08!

Ms. A, yes, that voicemail stopped me dead in my tracks walking up the stairs to lab. Congrats to you too on getting in!

I am so excited to get to know everyone, so PM me and we can talk! I feel like I'm behind since I didn't get to go to the revisit weekend!

 

[spumoni620]

Hello everyone!!! I just got into Baylor off the waitlist (call from Dr. Hill--I think I will save that voice mail forever)!!!!!

I was a regular on the UTSW thread, but now I will probably be changing allegiances... Got no idea where I'm gonna live, but I'm so happy! I'll just be a happy med student bum!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! great news. glad you decided on baylor - see you soon!

 

[ridirkulous]

For those of you looking to buy--has finding a cheep condo been tough? How did you guys get all of those karma points? I wonder what my black square means? Anyway--Houston is gonna be fun!

 

[spumoni620]

For those of you looking to buy--has finding a cheep condo been tough? How did you guys get all of those karma points? I wonder what my black square means? Anyway--Houston is gonna be fun!

hey, i'm actually debating b/t the lanesborough and doing the condo thing. (right now it looks like it's gonna be the lanesborough just b/c i have no clue about houston real estate). however, from the advertisements on the official website (the one sent to us in the email from john rapp), condo prices have been anywhere from 53,500 - 157,000. of course, i'm sure this includes a large variation of quality, locations, etc. starting with a realtor would probably be your best bet. check out http://www.har.com.

black square for your karma means it's been disabled. go to your user cp on the top left corner, and enable karma - then you'll see green. and we'll all give ya some too, since you're part of the "family"

i agree, houston will be a blast!

 

[spumoni620]

I've got my eye on some townhomes near the Maroneal apts, but waiting for the current house to sell. I'll be making a long commute if this place doesn't sell before July. ugh.

don't worry tr - i'm sure with the gorgeous weather inspiring more would-be homeowners to come out looking, you'll get a deal before long. i heard from a student that the area around the maroneal is pretty nice, too - hope you are able to score the townhome there

 

[spumoni620]

Spumoni, I just want you to know your ice cream flavor ROCKS. Alas, as a former junk food junkie, I have to deny myself its wonderfulness or risk gaining back all that studying-for-the-MCAT weight Hooray for fitness ... I try to make that sound convincing, but I only believe it some days.

Hubby & I found an awesome apartment on Hermann and preleased...it's still under construction. Coming from Austin, if they don't get it done in time, that will be a reallllllly long commute!

i know it, ice cream is one of my (many) junk food weaknesses. at least you're a "former" junk food junkie - i still am one at the moment . you, tr and me will have to motivate those workouts somehow in the midst of the m1.

wow, for the brand new apartment, that rocks!

 

[Gleevec]

however, from the advertisements on the official website (the one sent to us in the email from john rapp), condo prices have been anywhere from 53,500 - 157,000. of course,

WOAH didnt realize they were so expensive. I know you can sell them later, but still. Wow.

 

[curlycity]

So, I know nothing about real estate. These are just my two cents I borrowed from eavesdropping on smart people's conversations.

Because real estate is such a tricky business, for people coming in from outside Houston, maybe getting an apartment for 6-12 months and checking out the area on weekends would be better than buying right away. Then you would learn more about flooding areas, crime rates, noise levels, etc. in the neighborhoods you're interested in.

If you do buy right away, do what it takes to get some really good advice, like seeing a couple different realtors or trying to chat up someone's nice realtor mom. People who know they won't be making money off you tend to be more honest.

I have a problem with condos because you get all the responsibility of ownership, make mortgage payments, but still have to pay a maintenance fee every month. One way people get around this double cost is by having a housemate and charging them rent to cover the maintenance fee.

All I guess I'm saying, in my rambly way, is to take your time, especially because this is a 'rush' time of year with many people selling and buying in June & July so you might feel pressured to do something right away.

 

[curlycity]

i know it, ice cream is one of my (many) junk food weaknesses. at least you're a "former" junk food junkie - i still am one at the moment . you, tr and me will have to motivate those workouts somehow in the midst of the m1.

wow, for the brand new apartment, that rocks!

Check it out, the apartment's gym is going to have a flat-screen attached to each cardio machine! I almost hugged the apartment lady and said you got me straight trippin boo! I just hope our lease doesn't go up...preleasing, we got a bargain, so we'll see how happy we are in 13 months I'm going to miss the lush greenbelt view here in Austin, but I won't have a lot of time for looking out the window anyway I guess. And Hermann is a nice oasis in the middle of the city.

Yeah, let's reinforce each other's fitness goals. Sometimes I feel like a recovering addict, because I seriously have to keep it out of sight to keep it out of my mouth I'm glad I never started smoking or I'd be dead already with my willpower. Forcing myself through the last three years of jumping through premed hoops has strengthened my character, tho...I just wish junk food cost more, so I would be less tempted!!! It just fits into my budget so well! he he he. But, I can't afford to buy new clothes, so I guess that is a nice constraint to keep in mind

 

[tonoplast]

Hello and congrats to everyone here. I too will be starting at Baylor this year and I'm looking forward to meeting you all.

I bought a condo in the med center for tuition purposes since I applied as an out-of-stater. In terms of complexes, I would recommend limiting your search on har.com to Cambridge Court, Montreal Place, Fontainebleu (can also be spelled Fountainbleu), and maybe Riverwalk. All of these are located within 2 miles of Baylor and the med center. Riverwalk is the closest, right behind the VA hospital. Fontainebleu is considered very safe and is a true "condo" in the fact that each unit is completely separate from the others. Fontainebleu would have been my first choice except it was a little out of my price range, so I had to "settle" on Cambridge Court (though I should emphasize that I'm completely satisfied with my purchase.) You can get a 1-bedroom 1-bath at Montreal Place starting around $60,000. I paid in the mid-70's for my 2-bedroom 1-bath, though prices are generally in the 80-90k range for those. 2-bedroom 2-bath condos are in the high 90's-120k.

The real estate market in the med center area is pretty solid. Prices have gone up every year since I started undergrad at Rice in 1997 and will probably continue to do so. (I'm kicking myself for not buying earlier, back when 2-bedrooms were in the $30k range.) You can check hcad.org for specific sales and tax details on properties you may be interested in purchasing. (Or you can use it to stalk people you know in Harris County to see how much they paid for the house they're living in now. )

 

[Newquagmire]

yeehaw get em cowboy. anybody have suggestions for a nice condo? i'm looking forward to some posh footage^2 as a reward for the cockroach infested $200/month place i had in ugrad.

 

[TongueInCheek]

.

 

[BaylorLion]

Finally got activated - just wanted to let you know that I'm really looking forward to meeting y'all in person in July. Geez, we really lucked out, huh?

Try har.com, for those of you still looking for apartments and condos - there are a lot of great places posted on there for decent prices. No Fontainebleu. And the farther you're willing to live from TMC, the better the prices get, in general.

Now off to tell that kid who picked Rice/Baylor over Princeton that he made a good decision - provided he preferred Rice over Princeton. Honestly, don't think you could go wrong with two great schools like that. I did the Ivy thing - it's an experience - but I think you can get the academic experience and the name on your resume at pretty much any good school, with perhaps a little less of the pretension.

**********************************************************

Columbia University - Columbia College Class of 2003
Baylor College of Medicine Class of 2008 (YEEHAW!)

 

[Newquagmire]

Columbia University - Columbia College Class of 2003
Baylor College of Medicine Class of 2008 (YEEHAW!)

did you just steal my yeehaw?

 

[tonoplast]

Try har.com, for those of you still looking for apartments and condos - there are a lot of great places posted on there for decent prices. No Fontainebleu. And the farther you're willing to live from TMC, the better the prices get, in general.

Perhaps I should be glad I couldn't afford Fontainebleu. The unit I looked at was pretty nice, but I've never lived there so I won't argue with those who say otherwise.

 

[BaylorLion]

Dude - did not mean Fontainebleu was not a great place (never seen it, actually). I just meant there were no Fontainebleu units available (at least as far as I saw) on har.com.

Hey man, the yeehaw is free for all - feel free to yeehaw!

**********************************************************

Columbia University - Columbia College Class of 2003
Baylor College of Medicine Class of 2008 (YEEHAW!)

 

[spumoni620]

Hi people, nice to see some new folks on this thread congrats to everyone.

so what else? still trying to decide b/t the buy vs. lease option. problem: i don't know much about where the "good" areas are near the tmc - i.e. the places that are likely to appreciate in value over the next 4 years. thru a couple of friends in houston i've gotten a couple of options. here's what i've found so far for any of you in my similar situation:

- scotland yard apartments - ridiculously cheap considering nearby apartment prices. they're running a lot of specials right now as well. i think prices are around $550-$650 for a decently sized 1-bedroom apt. not bad! they're close by too, supposedly opposite some bus station that goes to baylor...

-condos: i heard really, really good things about cityplace and fontainebleau. got a couple of pictures emailed to me as well of this really sweet condo in some "holly hall" area. (hardwood floors, well kept, etc.). somewhat expensive though. i mean, with a price of ~ $120 - $150, is there that much room for appreciation? the financial analyst side of me worries about bubbles and such...

- lanesborough/greenbriar - i've heard only positives about this, although some people mentioned it's kinda pricey. other than that, don't know much.

my question: are there other areas i should be looking at, esp for condo buying? if i go farther out, would it be worth the cheaper prices? Finally: could it be at all financially worth it to do the condo thing *without* a roommate...?

all recommendations welcome

 

[spumoni620]

WOAH didnt realize they were so expensive. I know you can sell them later, but still. Wow.

yup, that's what i thought as well. however, sometimes you can even get by w/a ridiculously low down payment and monthly mortgage payments comparable to (or even cheaper than) monthly rents. a lot of times it can be worth it if 1) the appreciation trend is fairly robust/stable and enough to outweigh sellers' fees (gulp, although we all know past trends are no indicator of future performance ) 2) you have good credit --> a lower interest rate and 3) roomates can bear 1/2 of the monthly mortgage. And at least you are on your way to building equity in your investment (sort of...i know a lot of it goes toward interest...there's the problem).

p.s. gleev - you should be relatively good at this real-estate stuff, yes? at least judging from your last name

 

[No Egrets]

Hey BaylorLion, enable your PM's so I can harass you privately!

 

[rager1]

Hey You Rocking Baylor People:

Add yourselves to the official matriculation list I started if you're positively sure about where you're going. There are currently no Texas schools on there which blows!

--Rager

 

[tonoplast]

Sorry Baylorlion. Misread your post.

To find fontainebleu listings on har.com:

Go to http://www.har.com/cs_condo.htm

Search using the following:

Under MLS Areas, select 17
Under price, select $5,000 - $150,000
Under Complex, type in "fo"

 

[No Egrets]

Hey guys,

Does anyone know if some kind of e-mail list is going to be/has been created for our incoming class (to find roommates, introduce ourselves, etc)? Maybe the current students can share what was done in the past... I find it sorta strange that our "looking for roommates" thing is a PDF document on the baylor site--clearly they should set up a message board!!

 

[curlycity]

Hey guys,

Does anyone know if some kind of e-mail list is going to be/has been created for our incoming class (to find roommates, introduce ourselves, etc)? Maybe the current students can share what was done in the past... I find it sorta strange that our "looking for roommates" thing is a PDF document on the baylor site--clearly they should set up a message board!!

Hmm, they've already held a couple of revisits that you missed because you got your acceptance so late in the game. Have you heard from Melody yet? She's the hookup for new student stuff. Run your question by her...

[email protected]

and don't forget the $300 deposit is due 5/15. They send you a groovy decal for your car. Keep posting your questions - we'll look out for ya!

 

[No Egrets]

Hmm, they've already held a couple of revisits that you missed because you got your acceptance so late in the game. Have you heard from Melody yet? She's the hookup for new student stuff. Run your question by her...

[email protected]

and don't forget the $300 deposit is due 5/15. They send you a groovy decal for your car. Keep posting your questions - we'll look out for ya!

Thanks for the info! I got another call yesterday from Dr. Bradshaw... I feel so wanted, hooray!

 

[BaylorLion]

Welcome to Baylor, No Egrets - I noticed you're in Cambridge. Are you finishing up at Harvard or MIT, or are you working in the area?

 

[Gleevec]

I think all the good apartments along the light rail are around $700/month for a single.

 

[curlycity]

For that price you can buy 4 bedroom houses in Pearland which is a quick 20-25 minute commute (comparable to the busride or bike ride). This is a great option if you have a husband/wife and or children. There are about 20-25 medical students out here and there are a ton of residents out here.

Where do you park? When I came to the TMC, parking was $12/day.

 

[curlycity]

Hey crazyeyes, are there times during the 4 yrs of med school when one would be 'on call' or have to go to a hospital at odd hours? I've heard different things at different places about how much the med students do on their clinical rotations.

 

[curlycity]

Anyone else interested in the International Health track?

 

[ms. a]

Alot of people that live in pearland park in the "brown lot" or "red lot" and ride the shuttle/bus into the med center. It is about $50 per month and you get after hours and weekend parking in the major lots around the med center. Contact TMC parking for more information. Another option is to park at one of your colleague's apartment complex and ride bus/walk.
cheers.

Will we be getting all the parking info at orientation, or should we try to set that up ahead of time, on our own? I'm building a house in Pearland, so I'll definitely be doing the drive in every day and will have to park. Already I'll be paying $20 to park in the garage during our retreat.

 

[EvoDevo]

Will we be getting all the parking info at orientation, or should we try to set that up ahead of time, on our own? I'm building a house in Pearland, so I'll definitely be doing the drive in every day and will have to park. Already I'll be paying $20 to park in the garage during our retreat.

Though not going to Baylor, I do work in the TMC. Hope this link helps.

http://www.tmc.edu/tmc-parking.html

 

[musicman1991]

$20/month for parking? you guys have no idea how cheap that is. Most med centers you pay $100/month for parking. Students are very low-priority on parking so I think that's a good deal if you desire to live out of the city.

 

[curlycity]

$20/month for parking? you guys have no idea how cheap that is. Most med centers you pay $100/month for parking. Students are very low-priority on parking so I think that's a good deal if you desire to live out of the city.

I think that was $20 for a day and a half. It's $12/day.

It's going to be wierd going from a commute to living 1 mile from school - gotta get me a cool bike helmet. I'm going to miss my sexy ride... But I guess I also need to find out if it's allowed to ride bikes to Baylor, because not every city is bike-friendly. Any thoughts? I'd be coming from Hermann Ave., through the park, to Baylor.

 

[BaylorLion]

Ms. A - you're building a house? Wow - I guess you're hoping/planning to stay at Baylor for residency? That can't be cheap. Then again, I have no idea what housing prices are like in Pearland. But custom-building's never cheap, no matter location or size. I think I'm sticking with the high-rise condo - I am a lazy, lazy man.

Re: parking - from what I know, parking's a *itch around the med ctr. You're probably better off taking the light rail or walking/biking into class. I dunno, I guess after driving an hour each way into work and back every day this year, the light rail doesn't sound so bad.

7 more days and I'm done with work! Again, yeehaw!

 

[curlycity]

to answer someone else's question, yes you will have odd hours

My next question is how safe do you think the TMC is at night/early morn? For someone riding *her* bike or walking?

 

[spumoni620]

Its safe in the med center, I have never felt threatened or at harm. Every now and then a wacko from Ben Taub roams the med center. The danger is leaving the medical center as there are a few questionable locations in proximity. If you can ride your bike quickly you should be fine. We havent had a problem her for awhile with anyone getting hurt etc. There was one student that got killed the class ahead of me, but it was outside the med center at a blockbuster in the early morning hours. If you live close to a shuttle you will be fine, the hours are usually 5:00AM-12:00PM, othewise use your car. Personall I have not worries.

strangely reassuring? j/k. thanks for the info though. i'll have to work on those biking skills, it seems.

crazyeyes, did you find yourself going to class a lot? on a typical day, did you stay up at the school or do most of your studying off campus?

thanks for the condo info too. i'm not married etc. so i don't think i want to live that far away just yet. we'll see. i'll let y'all know if i find out any more info on my side.

are people considering getting roommates? another source of worry here...ah, the joys of not knowing where you will be three months from now

 

[spumoni620]

Anyone else interested in the International Health track?

i am! it's one of the reasons why i picked baylor over other schools actually. i've heard so many great things about it. oh, check out this link:

http://public.bcm.tmc.edu/intl_students/index.html


i seriously stayed up until 2 am one night checking out the international options - they are amazing! i'm really excited

 

[spumoni620]

Though not going to Baylor, I do work in the TMC. Hope this link helps.

http://www.tmc.edu/tmc-parking.html

thanks evo very nice of ya!

 

[synapse lapse]

Its safe in the med center, I have never felt threatened or at harm. Every now and then a wacko from Ben Taub roams the med center. The danger is leaving the medical center as there are a few questionable locations in proximity. If you can ride your bike quickly you should be fine. We havent had a problem her for awhile with anyone getting hurt etc. There was one student that got killed the class ahead of me, but it was outside the med center at a blockbuster in the early morning hours. If you live close to a shuttle you will be fine, the hours are usually 5:00AM-12:00PM, othewise use your car. Personall I have not worries.

Yeah its bike friendly curlycity, no problem there. Like he said pretty safe, though a few years back there was a medical student shot and killed whle on his way to a Blockbuster, and there have been 3 shootings in the Rice Village in the last 2 months (an upscale shopping area 2 blocks away from Rice) . They caught the first perp, but I'm not sure about this new one. Anyhow, Houston is a dangerous city so just use commen sense. I go off campus sometimes, I even walk to Baylor sometimes or the water wall at 3 a.m. by myself, never had a problem, just be wary. Stay away from Hermann Park at night, not a good place to be, and Ben Taub is pretty bad too. Just 3 months ago found a guy in a truck dead in the Ben Taub parking lot, been sitting there 3 days, didnt sy how he died though. Anyhow, I'm sure you'll love it here, I know I will if I'm lucky enough to get in one day as well

 

[Newquagmire]

and there have been 3 shootings in the Rice Village in the last 2 months (an upscale shopping area 2 blocks away from Rice)

oooo, that's right. that happened like the weekends right before my revisit. something about broad daylight on saturday targeting single females for no apparent reason

 

[musicman1991]

You could get killed easily at most academic medical centers if you are an idiot. They don't usually build academic medical centers in nice neighborhoods because they service indigent populations. Use common sense. Houston is dangerous in certain parts but not any different than Chicago, LA, NYC, Boston, DC, Baltimore, etc. If you want a safe place I'd recommend Wake Forest although it's a bit boring there.

 

[Newquagmire]

Use common sense.

there's not much common sense in walking around on saturday afternoon in rice village as a lone female

 

[HollyJ]

They did catch the Rice Village shooter a few weeks ago, so no worries there. The village is actually one of the nicer and safer parts of Houston, which is why the village shooter got everyone so up in arms.

I went to Rice and I work in the med center, and I don't ever really feel unsafe -- and I'm a huge baby. As other people have said, you need to take the same precautions you would in any other big city, but the med center is really a pretty nice area. Hermann Park does get pretty shady at night. It's perfectly safe during the day, but I wouldn't walk (or ride my bike) through it at night.

Houston is a little unusual in that it doesn't have any zoning restrictions. That's part of what makes Houston a really vibrant city, but it also means that neighborhoods can go from good to very bad within a pretty short distance. The med center itself is fine, but if you go too far in any direction, it gets "ropey" again.

Let me know if you need information about any specific areas. Also, I'm heading to the medcenter with my digital camera either on Friday or Monday, so anyone would like some pictures of any apartments/condos/townhomes, let me know.

 

[synapse lapse]

They did catch the Rice Village shooter a few weeks ago, so no worries there. The village is actually one of the nicer and safer parts of Houston, which is why the village shooter got everyone so up in arms.

I went to Rice and I work in the med center, and I don't ever really feel unsafe -- and I'm a huge baby. As other people have said, you need to take the same precautions you would in any other big city, but the med center is really a pretty nice area. Hermann Park does get pretty shady at night. It's perfectly safe during the day, but I wouldn't walk (or ride my bike) through it at night.

Houston is a little unusual in that it doesn't have any zoning restrictions. That's part of what makes Houston a really vibrant city, but it also means that neighborhoods can go from good to very bad within a pretty short distance. The med center itself is fine, but if you go too far in any direction, it gets "ropey" again.

Let me know if you need information about any specific areas. Also, I'm heading to the medcenter with my digital camera either on Friday or Monday, so anyone would like some pictures of any apartments/condos/townhomes, let me know.

Yeah , I agree. There was actually another shooting in the village yesterday, which is why I mentioned it again, since they caught the first guy. This is very unusuall however, as the village is really a nice upscale trendy area. DOn't ride a bike or walk through Hermann park at night, you willget killed, but daytime is nice. Only thing I would do at night in Hermann Park is go to the outdoor theatre. Yeah, neighborhoods here are so wacky, one block has 2 million dollar houses and the next has crack houses. Just watch out you'll be ok, it's not so bad that you feel like you're in the ghetto or anything. Oh, and while your Ben Taub rotations are pretty run down, Methodist Hospital is very nice, more like a hotel than a hopital really. Sometimes last summer after surgery i would go eat at the lobby cafeteria and forget I was in a hospital at all! Congrats on all of you for your acceptances.