Class of 2019!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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drmak89 said:
Hey guys quick question. I am still deciding between two schools. I got a scholarship to one and I am still awaiting financial aid info from the other. Would it be cheeky to mention the fact that I have a scholarship to the other school (in hopes that they match)?

Both are good schools and I believe the both have very different strengths. However, cost is a big factor to consider. I only have 2 more days to decide...
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I'd like to know about this as well, as I'm in the same situation.
 
drmak89 said:
Hey guys quick question. I am still deciding between two schools. I got a scholarship to one and I am still awaiting financial aid info from the other. Would it be cheeky to mention the fact that I have a scholarship to the other school (in hopes that they match)?

Both are good schools and I believe the both have very different strengths. However, cost is a big factor to consider. I only have 2 more days to decide...
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At this point, I'd say it can't hurt. Has the second school given any indication of when you'll get fin aid info? Maybe you could call to see if you can get an estimate of the fin aid you can expect, and while on the phone with them mention the scholarship and ask whether that would impact the second school's offer.
 
cactus8910 said:
At this point, I'd say it can't hurt. Has the second school given any indication of when you'll get fin aid info? Maybe you could call to see if you can get an estimate of the fin aid you can expect, and while on the phone with them mention the scholarship and ask whether that would impact the second school's offer.
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No indication at all, which is annoying because I have been going back and forth with trying to get all the requirements in place to get a package (I have a deadline to make). I just sent a response email instead, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
 
Call them, tell them the other school is putting pressure on you due to the fact that you should only have one acceptance at the time. Don't mention the scholarship till you see their aid offer. You don't want them to want to give you less aid if they were going to give you more to begin with.
 
radiologyology said:
I'm trying to decide if I should go for the 13'' macbook pro or upgrade to the 15'' for $500 more. Money is just paper right?
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Money is not just paper. What comes with the upgrade? Like, what are the specs for the 13" and 15"?
 
So I just finished reading this entire 300-page thread that I started when I was accepted to my top choice in March. So when I heard there was a FaceBook group as well I thought, "Yeah, no." It's a pleasure to be a part of this class! From drawing gifs to the test-that-shall-not-be-named to meeting on the interview tail, you guys have laughed together and cried together, acting a virtual support group for literally years (in some cases). Shout-out to the OP, @ElCapone. I'm gonna take a well-deserved break though.
 
Compared to the $1399 13" Macbook Pro, the $1899 15" version has:

• More processing power (2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core I7) vs. 2.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core I5)
• More memory (16GB vs. 8GB)
• More graphics processing, I think (Intel Iris Pro vs. Intel Iris Graphics 6100)

The cheaper $1199 13" MBP has 128GB flash harddrive instead of 256GB

Are these upgrades worth it? I'm skeptical. But maybe.
 
radiologyology said:
I'm trying to decide if I should go for the 13'' macbook pro or upgrade to the 15'' for $500 more. Money is just paper right?
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Similar situation deciding between surface 3 or surface pro 3. ~$300 difference. Leaning toward spending the money since it'll be my main laptop.
 
radiologyology said:
I'm trying to decide if I should go for the 13'' macbook pro or upgrade to the 15'' for $500 more. Money is just paper right?
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I have the 13 inch Macbook Pro, I see no reason to upgrade it unless you are able to spend a few extra hundred just like that.
 
radiologyology said:
I'm trying to decide if I should go for the 13'' macbook pro or upgrade to the 15'' for $500 more. Money is just paper right?
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After having a 15 inch MBP for so long I thought I'd never upgrade to a Mac with a smaller screen size. However, I took @onceawolverine's advice (remember that classic post? :laugh:) and decided to go with the 13 inch model. And so far, I'm very pleased with my decision! But, if you feel that the 15 inch model will make you happier, then buy it!
 
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Cyberdyne 101 said:
After having a 15 inch MBP for so long I thought I'd never upgrade to a Mac with a smaller screen size. However, I took @onceawolverine's advice (remember that classic post? :laugh:) and decided to go with the 13 inch model. And so far, I'm very pleased with my decision! However, if you feel that the 15 inch model will make you happier, then buy it!
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SHHH DONT REMIND PEOPLE
 
sunflower18 said:
Hahahaha I remember reading that and just being blown away by the overt yet accidental innuendo
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Sry I'm not sry.
183468-7ceeecabde2315e013fc9335282f3469.jpg
 
Wow guys I'm using my 300 bucks cheap laptop for med school here. Anything you buy will be better than this, and I guarantee you will be happy either way.
 
Sounds like most people have laptop matters figured out, but I'll throw in my two cents re: MacBooks.

I did a lot of heavy-ish processing (i.e. working through large imaging data locally when I didn't have internet access to log into the server) on a 2012 MacBook Air (1.7Ghz dual-core processor, 4GB RAM) and for the most part, it handled it fine. Even with 3D rendering, it pulled through unless I had too many other things running. Point being, I doubt most of us will *need* the 15" MBP's specs. The 13" should be fine for the vast majority of us unless you specifically want a 15" screen. If you actually need higher specs for your work, you probably already know who you are.

Honestly, if Apple had released a retina MacBook Air (not the experimental crippled 12" they put out), I'd have bought it in a heartbeat. But that didn't happen, so I'll be going to a 13" retina.

Some notes:
1. If you're into gaming, you might want to upgrade the graphics card, but if you're the type of gamer who'd be unhappy with the MacBook's graphics, you probably wouldn't be looking into MacBooks anyways.
2. The only thing I'd recommend for most users is to upgrade to 16GB RAM since future programs/updates will suck up more and more memory and as far as I know, RAM is soldered on in MacBooks, so it's generally wise to future-proof it.
3. Oh wait, one more thing to upgrade: 128GB is tiny, guys. After you install your "essentials," you'll barely have any space left over to, you know, actually store things. Go for 256GB if not more unless you tend not to keep any music or videos on your hard drive. If you're into DIY, I've heard upgrading storage yourself isn't too difficult and is much cheaper, so that might be worth looking into.
4. Intel's next significant ("tock") upgrade is due in 2015; who knows when it'll actually be released or if it'll make it into Apple's updates this year, but it's something to keep in mind. Some people will prefer the more "stable" current processor while other will want the new and shiny "next-gen" processor.


I'm personally planning on souping out a 13" rMBP with upgraded RAM and hard drive space. My bank account will be weeping, given how long my Air has kept up, I imagine this'll last me a good 4-5 years.
 
jeghaber said:
Sounds like most people have laptop matters figured out, but I'll throw in my two cents re: MacBooks.

I did a lot of heavy-ish processing (i.e. working through large imaging data locally when I didn't have internet access to log into the server) on a 2012 MacBook Air (1.7Ghz dual-core processor, 4GB RAM) and for the most part, it handled it fine. Even with 3D rendering, it pulled through unless I had too many other things running. Point being, I doubt most of us will *need* the 15" MBP's specs. The 13" should be fine for the vast majority of us unless you specifically want a 15" screen. If you actually need higher specs for your work, you probably already know who you are.

Honestly, if Apple had released a retina MacBook Air (not the experimental crippled 12" they put out), I'd have bought it in a heartbeat. But that didn't happen, so I'll be going to a 13" retina.

Some notes:
1. If you're into gaming, you might want to upgrade the graphics card, but if you're the type of gamer who'd be unhappy with the MacBook's graphics, you probably wouldn't be looking into MacBooks anyways.
2. The only thing I'd recommend for most users is to upgrade to 16GB RAM since future programs/updates will suck up more and more memory and as far as I know, RAM is soldered on in MacBooks, so it's generally wise to future-proof it.
3. Oh wait, one more thing to upgrade: 128GB is tiny, guys. After you install your "essentials," you'll barely have any space left over to, you know, actually store things. Go for 256GB if not more unless you tend not to keep any music or videos on your hard drive. If you're into DIY, I've heard upgrading storage yourself isn't too difficult and is much cheaper, so that might be worth looking into.
4. Intel's next significant ("tock") upgrade is due in 2015; who knows when it'll actually be released or if it'll make it into Apple's updates this year, but it's something to keep in mind. Some people will prefer the more "stable" current processor while other will want the new and shiny "next-gen" processor.


I'm personally planning on souping out a 13" rMBP with upgraded RAM and hard drive space. My bank account will be weeping, given how long my Air has kept up, I imagine this'll last me a good 4-5 years.
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My MBP only has 8 GB of RAM. Isn't that enough for most tasks?
 
8 GB is fine (esp if 1600 MHz or greater). If you're buying a new laptop though they aren't really upgradeable post-purchase anymore and the 8-->16GB RAM upgrade will probably give you the most bang for your buck in terms of improved performance.
 
Temerit said:
8 GB is fine (esp if 1600 MHz or greater). If you're buying a new laptop though they aren't really upgradeable post-purchase anymore and the 8-->16GB RAM upgrade will probably give you the most bang for your buck in terms of improved performance.
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Will I notice the upgrade from 8GB to 16GB Ram? Likewise, if I went from 2.7 GHz => 2.9 GHz on the MacBook Pro's CPU? In theory I know those upgrades will make the computer more "future-proof" but in practice I wonder if it's worth the ~$250. I'm hoping you, or someone, knows more than I do about this.
 
@Bovary, I guess it depends on what you're looking for. My standards for computer power aren't very high. I don't use my laptop for gaming or anything that requires high end specs. That's why I kept it at 8 GB. :shrug:
 
Bovary said:
Will I notice the upgrade from 8GB to 16GB Ram? Likewise, if I went from 2.7 GHz => 2.9 GHz on the MacBook Pro's CPU? In theory I know those upgrades will make the computer more "future-proof" but in practice I wonder if it's worth the ~$250. I'm hoping you, or someone, knows more than I do about this.
Click to expand...

Neither of those upgrades are really "necessary" unless you are trying to game or do serious video/photo editing. Of the two upgrades I think the RAM will net you more of a performance boost.
 
8gb is fine unless you're editing a lot of HD video or running virtual machines. I expect that isn't particularly likely. OS X does a good job of compressing memory too so your RAM goes farther than on windows.

I would say in 6 years your laptop would be like laptops today with 4gb ram. Still perfectly serviceable but not 100% optimal.

Same for processors. Outside of edge cases like the 12" MacBook which is super low power and doesn't even use a fan most laptop processors will be suitable.

If you really need to crunch numbers you'll need a desktop no matter what. The power load of a desktop CPU is often ~6x as much. Only people doing MRI research really need more than a desktop, and chances are you'll have time on the computer cluster if that's the case.

If you want to game I would recommend something like http://slickdeals.net/f/7859143-ali...roller-329-99-after-rebate-with-free-shipping or a console which should be more power than an upgraded laptop for less money.

I also second the recommendation of 256gb SSDs over 128 as the latter just isn't enough.
 
Re: 8GB vs 16GB of RAM, for now, 8GB should be more than enough. But updates to programs generally have them sucking up more and more RAM, so a few years down the road, you might be wanting that 16GB. As @resiroth mentioned, in a few years, that 8GB will feel like the 4GB setups of today. Edit: so I guess if you're fine with 4GB now, buying 8GB might be okay as well?

As a general rule, if you're going to make one upgrade to a struggling laptop, adding more RAM can often give it new life. Given that MacBooks don't have upgradable RAM, it's better to go as high as you can when you buy in the first place (hence the term "future-proof"). Paying to upgrade now can give your $$$ purchase an extra year or two of life. Well worth it, IMO.
 
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I have a 3 year old lenovo tank. It's an awesome laptop, but it's more of a desktop replacement, so not all that mobile....

I have an external screen and I'm planning on buying a surface or ipad for portability and for taking things to class, note taking, etc.

Currently trying to figure out housing stuff and I also have to buy a car. Both incredibly frustrating...
 
ridethecliche said:
I have a 3 year old lenovo tank. It's an awesome laptop, but it's more of a desktop replacement, so not all that mobile....

I have an external screen and I'm planning on buying a surface or ipad for portability and for taking things to class, note taking, etc.

Currently trying to figure out housing stuff and I also have to buy a car. Both incredibly frustrating...
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realizing I spent way too much for my cancun trip considering how much stuff I need to buy. feeling the financial heat for sure
 
jeghaber said:
Re: 8GB vs 16GB of RAM, for now, 8GB should be more than enough. But updates to programs generally have them sucking up more and more RAM, so a few years down the road, you might be wanting that 16GB. As @resiroth mentioned, in a few years, that 8GB will feel like the 4GB setups of today. Edit: so I guess if you're fine with 4GB now, buying 8GB might be okay as well?

As a general rule, if you're going to make one upgrade to a struggling laptop, adding more RAM can often give it new life. Given that MacBooks don't have upgradable RAM, it's better to go as high as you can when you buy in the first place (hence the term "future-proof"). Paying to upgrade now can give your $$$ purchase an extra year or two of life. Well worth it, IMO.
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Well, I agree sort of. The thing is that laptops only last so long. I have a 2011 macbook with 256gb SSD + 4gb ram which is pretty nice...but the screen is far outclassed by screens of today. It doesn't have a low power bluetooth chip so I can't sync everything with my iPhone (the whole continue apps thing). It's battery is far inferior to the latest models, and has degraded over the last 4 years... It doesn't have the "force touch" feature, or usb 3 (let alone USB 3 reversible ones or whatever).

I guess what I'm saying is that, yeah, maybe memory would help...but in my case it's not the 4gb that is limiting, it's a combination of everything that came out in the last 4 years that isn't in my laptop. I'm guessing in 4-5 years you'll be eyeing new laptops regardless of whether you had 8 or 16...but just my thoughts!
 
Cyberdyne 101 said:
Lol at @ridethecliche's tank. :laugh:

HW, internet browsing, music, and Netflix pretty much comprise my laptop usage. I think I'll be fine with 8GB of RAM for the foreseeable future.
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I play SC2, LoL, etc every now and then. I have a PS3 for games though, so it's really not all that much when it comes to usage. This laptop as a desktop plus a tablet should be good for me through med school.

I really don't play games all that often, but it's a good study break every now and then.
 
As the owner of a 2011 17" Dell XPS L702X which still holds its weight as a daily driver in 2015 - and its actual weight (seriously, it's like 10lbs if not more) - I'm spoiled and want to upgrade. I can't even describe to you how much a large monitor has facilitated my productivity over the last 4 years, but I'm tired of the workout of picking up my computer. It's also taken too many falls and its time has come. After a lot of consideration of just getting a solid ultrabook + docking station, I've decided to go with a dedicated desktop + lightweight portable solution.

For the desktop, I'm building my own. Pretty overkill for anything I'll be doing in school, but should last me at least 5+ years unless Intel decides to up and break Moore's law (which they may have to do if they approach the limitations of silicon, though this almost certainly won't happen during the lifetime of this desktop). As for whomever mentioned the next "tock" to skylake within the year: I figure we'll be well into 2016 before Skylake, Windows 10, mobo manufacturers, and DirectX 12 are all finally on the same page. Plus I'm hoping the overkill system should help with some "future-proofing" like an unlocked skew for OCing. And if skylake follows the trend since 2nd generation we'll only see a marginal increase in processing capabilities with unfathomable reductions in power usage. Honestly, it seems crazy to think how much it's dropped over the years. I imagine I'll upgrade in like 6 years at which point I'll probably just scrap most of the desktop and jump into whatever generation of products we're in at that point. As for my lightweight solution,I'm looking at something like this acer (though it seems too good to actually sell at that price point, which may explain why the "Buy now" button doesn't exist) or something else that's lightweight with a strong battery life around ~$500. Then I'll either run it strictly as remote desktop, pending wireless connectivity at school, or just set up a LAN at my apartment and have it automatically back-up everything to my desktop nightly so the transition between systems is relatively seamless.

Edit: Didn't realize the acer I linked was 15.6"/5.5 lbs, I'll probably find something lighter. If only the XPS13 wasn't so expensive.
 
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I'm still using the laptop I bought in mid 2009 for when I started undergrad. I'm definitely looking forward to the upgrade... but I still have a bit of nostalgia for this machine.
 
radiologyology said:
I'm still using the laptop I bought in mid 2009 for when I started undergrad. I'm definitely looking forward to the upgrade... but I still have a bit of nostalgia for this machine.
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Lol I feel that. I bought my Dell Studio in like '08 and honestly it still gets the job done for what I need haha. just ready for an upgrade!
 
nOchemallday said:
As the owner of a 2011 17" Dell XPS L702X which still holds its weight as a daily driver in 2015 - and its actual weight (seriously, it's like 10lbs if not more) - I'm spoiled and want to upgrade. I can't even describe to you how much a large monitor has facilitated my productivity over the last 4 years, but I'm tired of the workout of picking up my computer. It's also taken too many falls and its time has come. After a lot of consideration of just getting a solid ultrabook + docking station, I've decided to go with a dedicated desktop + lightweight portable solution.

For the desktop, I'm building my own. Pretty overkill for anything I'll be doing in school, but should last me at least 5+ years unless Intel decides to up and break Moore's law (which they may have to do if they approach the limitations of silicon, though this almost certainly won't happen during the lifetime of this desktop). As for whomever mentioned the next "tock" to skylake within the year: I figure we'll be well into 2016 before Skylake, Windows 10, mobo manufacturers, and DirectX 12 are all finally on the same page. Plus I'm hoping the overkill system should help with some "future-proofing" like an unlocked skew for OCing. And if skylake follows the trend since 2nd generation we'll only see a marginal increase in processing capabilities with unfathomable reductions in power usage. Honestly, it seems crazy to think how much it's dropped over the years. I imagine I'll upgrade in like 6 years at which point I'll probably just scrap most of the desktop and jump into whatever generation of products we're in at that point. As for my lightweight solution,I'm looking at something like this acer (though it seems too good to actually sell at that price point, which may explain why the "Buy now" button doesn't exist) or something else that's lightweight with a strong battery life around ~$500. Then I'll either run it strictly as remote desktop, pending wireless connectivity at school, or just set up a LAN at my apartment and have it automatically back-up everything to my desktop nightly so the transition between systems is relatively seamless.

Edit: Didn't realize the acer I linked was 15.6"/5.5 lbs, I'll probably find something lighter. If only the XPS13 wasn't so expensive.
Click to expand...
I just got the XPS 13 and it's amaaazing! You can get a 10% educational discount on the Microsoft website, plus it doesn't come with all the bloatware. Kind of expensive, yeah, but I think its worth it. (I didn't get the most expensive option) And maybe there will be sales this weekend?
 
nOchemallday said:
As the owner of a 2011 17" Dell XPS L702X which still holds its weight as a daily driver in 2015 - and its actual weight (seriously, it's like 10lbs if not more) - I'm spoiled and want to upgrade. I can't even describe to you how much a large monitor has facilitated my productivity over the last 4 years, but I'm tired of the workout of picking up my computer. It's also taken too many falls and its time has come. After a lot of consideration of just getting a solid ultrabook + docking station, I've decided to go with a dedicated desktop + lightweight portable solution.

For the desktop, I'm building my own. Pretty overkill for anything I'll be doing in school, but should last me at least 5+ years unless Intel decides to up and break Moore's law (which they may have to do if they approach the limitations of silicon, though this almost certainly won't happen during the lifetime of this desktop). As for whomever mentioned the next "tock" to skylake within the year: I figure we'll be well into 2016 before Skylake, Windows 10, mobo manufacturers, and DirectX 12 are all finally on the same page. Plus I'm hoping the overkill system should help with some "future-proofing" like an unlocked skew for OCing. And if skylake follows the trend since 2nd generation we'll only see a marginal increase in processing capabilities with unfathomable reductions in power usage. Honestly, it seems crazy to think how much it's dropped over the years. I imagine I'll upgrade in like 6 years at which point I'll probably just scrap most of the desktop and jump into whatever generation of products we're in at that point. As for my lightweight solution,I'm looking at something like this acer (though it seems too good to actually sell at that price point, which may explain why the "Buy now" button doesn't exist) or something else that's lightweight with a strong battery life around ~$500. Then I'll either run it strictly as remote desktop, pending wireless connectivity at school, or just set up a LAN at my apartment and have it automatically back-up everything to my desktop nightly so the transition between systems is relatively seamless.

Edit: Didn't realize the acer I linked was 15.6"/5.5 lbs, I'll probably find something lighter. If only the XPS13 wasn't so expensive.
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I like the build you've come up with a lot. Liquid cooling may be overkill but in an ATX it can be needed. Are you going to boot your OS from the solid state?
 
NervousNerd said:
I like the build you've come up with a lot. Liquid cooling may be overkill but in an ATX it can be needed. Are you going to boot your OS from the solid state?
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Yea I originally planned it with an the ATX form factor, but I'm really not gonna need any additional PCI slots for a 2nd graphic card or a sound card and I won't need a network card with it built in to the mobo. Plus I'm already planning 16GBs of memory, so I don't really need additional DIMM slots. The m-ITX boards are usually a bit cheaper and they still overclock like champs. Plus I like the idea of using a smaller case (which can also be a bit cheaper than mid-towers). I agree the liquid cooling is overkill and I could easily save $60-120 getting an air-cooling solution like a Hyper EVO 212 or a Noctua NH air cooler, but I'm already paying a pretty penny and figured might as well 🙂.

Yea I'm definitely booting from the SSD and was able to redirect some of that saved money from the mITX board to more SSD storage. I've heard there's an "interactive"/3D model version of Netters or something for anatomy and that'll probably go on there as well. Otherwise 256GB is plenty of space for my frequent programs.
 
I don't work here.

ImageUploadedBySDN Mobile1432268145.792032.jpg
 
On a completely different note I just attended the last of the Marquam Hill free lectures at OHSU and it was fantastic (as usual). This one was on Melanoma and was in one of the two lecture rooms used by 1st and 2nd year students in the new building. I got there early knowing that I would be a little over enthusiastic and might need a minute to compose myself. This was my first time on campus since getting my acceptance, and I can't wait for 2nd look day tomorrow. It is starting to become real. We are no longer "in the process of applying to medical school." We are really going to do this. More than that, we are going to ROCK THIS! I met the speaker and she is one of the heads of Derm at the SOM. She said she would look for me, which I am both ecstatic and concerned about... So many feels right now, and tomorrow will be so much more!
 
italiancowgirl said:
On a completely different note I just attended the last of the Marquam Hill free lectures at OHSU and it was fantastic (as usual). This one was on Melanoma and was in one of the two lecture rooms used by 1st and 2nd year students in the new building. I got there early knowing that I would be a little over enthusiastic and might need a minute to compose myself. This was my first time on campus since getting my acceptance, and I can't wait for 2nd look day tomorrow. It is starting to become real. We are no longer "in the process of applying to medical school." We are really going to do this. More than that, we are going to ROCK THIS! I met the speaker and she is one of the heads of Derm at the SOM. She said she would look for me, which I am both ecstatic and concerned about... So many feels right now, and tomorrow will be so much more!
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Love this!!!! So excited for you 🙂
 
reapplicanthelpme2014 said:
Is anyone like...super nervous to start? I start in 2 months and I'm beginning to freak out! Like...THIS. IS. IT. LORDAMERCCCCYYYY.

k done hyperventilating lol
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I feel this. in the back of my mind I'm going in with something to prove, so I'm just gonna put my head down and work until I die from burn out hahaha LETS GOOOO
 
reapplicanthelpme2014 said:
Is anyone like...super nervous to start? I start in 2 months and I'm beginning to freak out! Like...THIS. IS. IT. LORDAMERCCCCYYYY.

k done hyperventilating lol
Click to expand...

Ahh super nervous as well! Afraid I won't make any friends and will fail like all the classes. AHHH. But also very excited!
 
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