Current U Pitt Students!!!

[quideam]

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Hi!!

I'm seriously considering Pitt for next year, and I was just wondering what your likes/dislikes of the school are, if you're glad you went there, etc. Any info would be appreciated!!!

Thanks everyone!

 

[MastaP]

As a soon to graduate 4th year at Pitt, I have a lot of good things to say about Pitt.

First, I have to say that the camraderie and friendships amongst the med students make 4 years at Pitt a very enjoyable experience.

The administration is extremely supportive of its students, and gladly willing to make changes to help students.

The clinical training at Pitt is outstanding. I feel very well prepared for internship. While the schedule may be a little cushier than other schools (you don't have to stay overnight very often), it's nice that you get more time to read. The attendings do a great job of teaching as well.

The basic science training at Pitt is overall good. There are some lectures by hot-shot researchers who may talk about their research, which has little application to you. But you do learn the important stuff. There's also a plan to shorten the 2nd year to start the clinical training a few months earlier. I think this is a great idea.

In applying for residencies this year, I've learned more and more of the importance of reputation. Pitt's reputation is strong and continuing to improve. The school and the medical center continue to grow. More research buildings are being built. NIH funding will continue to increase, as Pitt becomes more and more of a research powerhouse. Even the quality of the medical students seems to be getting stronger and stronger.

The big downside of Pitt would be the location. The winters are painful. The roads get torn apart. The summers are hot and muggy. Still, the city's not a bad place to live. Cost of living is reasonable, and there are pretty times of year (the 3 weeks of spring and autumn). It's a small city. If you're looking for a great night-life, Pittsburgh does not come close to big cities like NYC. But otherwise, it's very livable.

Good luck making your choice

 

[batman123]

I write this as I study for another summative exam. As a first year here, I think that the school does a very good job of listening to students: we have input on just about everything here. I don't know too much about reputation, but I think the school has a lot going for it in terms of research facilities and large hospitals (a new Children's hospital is currently under construction).

The student body is the biggest plus here, as we've developed a good sense of comraderie.

The first year block system is sort of hectic, as we learn semester-long courses in a matter of weeks. The teaching is variable in quality as well: Anatomy is an incredibly well-taught course here, but the after that, the lectures range from great to subpar. PBL is what you make of it: my first PBL group was a very tight-knit bunch, and I found that I enjoyed collaborating with them. PBLs for the later courses have not been as useful/worth my time.

Pittsburgh has horrible weather in the winter, and I've yet to experience spring (it's mid March and snowing right now). Despite it's small size, the city has an unexpectedly active fine arts/drama culture. The social scene is what you make of it, but there isn't too much to do.

Overall, I'm satisfied with my decision to come here.

 

[quideam]

Thanks guys! Bumping in hopes of more responses!

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

oh, and just to add to quid's post, would someone be able to post a full matchlist. i know it's available in paper form, but that doesn't help us non-burghians. thanks very much. Go Panthers.

btw, are you guys getting into the madness?

 

[auster]

Originally posted by Mr. Rosewater
oh, and just to add to quid's post, would someone be able to post a full matchlist. i know it's available in paper form, but that doesn't help us non-burghians. thanks very much. Go Panthers.

btw, are you guys getting into the madness?

Just call admissions - they would probably have one to mail to you. I don't really have the time (or typing ability) to type the whole thing in. Or wait a month or two for it to be in the Pittmed magazine.

 

[MastaP]

Here's Pitt's List - slightly modified from a previous thread .

General Surgery (7)
Brigham
Yale
U. Chicago
Pitt
Case Western
Maine Medical Center x2

Ortho (9)
UCLA
UNC
UC Irvine
Pitt x 3
Stonybrook
William Beaumont (MI)
U. Rochester

ENT (2)
UNC
Pitt

Plastics (2)
USC
Pitt

Urology (1)
NYU

Ophtho (3)
Pitt x2
U. Maryland

Emergency Med (17)
Mayo
Hennepin Co Med MN
Yale x2
Pitt x5
Geisinger (PA)
Orlando Regional
U. Arizona
North Western
Beth Isreal Deaconess (Boston)
Suny
Emory
Lincoln (Bronx)

GAS (7)
Pitt x3
Duke
Penn
UVA x2

Radiology (4)
Pitt x2
Yale
Rochester

RAD ONC (1)
Mt. Sinai

Derm (2)
UTSW
pitt

Neuro surg (2)
Pitt
OHSU

MEDICINE (19)
WashU
UW
Penn
U Chicago
U Mich
Stanford
Mayo
NYU
Pitt x3
U Maryland
Rochester x2
Emory
Jefferson
Virginia Mason
UT-Houston

There were also some great peds, ob/gyn, fp, and psych matches which i don't have time to post right now. Let me know if you want to see those matches.

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

udaman masta. i reallly appreciate you doing that.

 

[biogirl2003]

I'm curious to see where the Pitt Ob/Gyn applicants matched. There were so many Pitt students going into OB on the interview trail !

 

[quideam]

Wow, that's a ton of people going into EM!!

 

[choker]

here's the ob/gyns at pitt:

i counted 13:

ohio state x2
pitt x2
brown x2
northwestern
ucsd x2
penn
u florida
u rochester
abington memorial, pa

 

[Loves_Chai]

Can someone list Pitts complete matchlist? including medicine, peds, path, PMR etc?

 

[auster]

Originally posted by Loves_Chai
Can someone list Pitts complete matchlist? including medicine, peds, path, PMR etc?

If you would just read this entire thread (try the seventh post), I think you may find what you've been looking for.

 

[Sean2tall]

Sorry if this is a bit of a thread hijacking, but do you Pitt students (or anybody else I guess) know if it is very common to get off of the waitlist? I have been trying to convince myself that I don't need to wait and I will just go to Temple, but the more I think about it, the more I wish I had gotten into Pitt. If any of you got in from the waitlist, did it help to write a letter or something? Thanks,

Sean

 

[sunflower79]

(hmm, who are you batman?...)

I'm a first year also and I love the school. Not a lot of class time, very supportive staff, lots of resources. Students are very active in organizations and generally in making things happen. Pitt is a powerhouse in many clinical and research areas, e.g. transplants, immunology, pathology (HUGE dept), surgery (top 5). And the match list this year was solid. Plus they are really encouraging students to do research so if you want to be an academic you are well on your way. I like that Pitt has lots of different areas of concentrations including geriatrics, disabilities and care for the underserved.

Curriculum could be good or bad depending on your POV: we take one basic science and clinical skills course at a time, then after 2-4 courses there is a summative (cumulative exam) which sucks a$$. Getting honors is difficult if that matters to you since you have to get 1SD above the mean in both the average of the interim exams for those courses AND >1SD in the summative. In the spring most courses are 2 weeks long and the exams-every-2-weeks thing gets quite old. On the other hand, we see patients in the 2nd half of first year (nothing big, taking histories and learning physical exam skills).

Academics aside, the city is a good place to go to school, i.e. I would never live here as a working single, but there is enough to keep you busy when you have to study most of the time. Lots of activities through student groups, intramurals, and there is actually a club scene and salsa and jazz scene. And as a student I prefer it to a big city because I get distracted easily (why I can't surf SDN too much) and I take comfort in being able to take safety more for granted (I come from a big city). If you need a big city fix there is Philly, DC, NYC and Toronto within a day's drive.

email me if you have questions, good luck in your decision 🙂

sunflower

 

[sunflower79]

re Waitlist:

I got off it in late May. I would have written a LOI but they beat me to it 🙂 so it moves pretty fast. A friend of mine got off the list in july! But I can't imagine that writing one would do anything but help you. Good luck 🙂

 

[Sean2tall]

Originally posted by sunflower79
re Waitlist:

I got off it in late May. I would have written a LOI but they beat me to it 🙂 so it moves pretty fast. A friend of mine got off the list in july! But I can't imagine that writing one would do anything but help you. Good luck 🙂

Thanks for the info. I am worried because I was one of the ones that got an interview before sending in the secondary. (letter from Dean Curtiss that said "your credentials are excellent" etc.) People said that was maybe 100 of their favorites that got the early interview? Something like that. So I am just a little worried that I did something to lose favor big time to go from the "pre-secondary interview" group down to the "on the waitlist" group. I hope I've still got a chance! 🙁

 

[Lara]

I'm not a UPitt student but will be doing my clinical rotations in the city (at West Penn Hospital in Bloomfield). I'm going to be visiting in a few weeks for apartment hunting, so if anyone has advice please let me know. 🙂

 

[Sean2tall]

Originally posted by Lara
I'm not a UPitt student but will be doing my clinical rotations in the city (at West Penn Hospital in Bloomfield). I'm going to be visiting in a few weeks for apartment hunting, so if anyone has advice please let me know. 🙂

Hey awesome! I am from Pgh, and I am probably going to Temple to do that West Penn Campus program too! I know of some cool apartments that are pretty close to the hospital (since I was hoping to go to Pitt 🙁) What kind of thing are you looking for? Maybe I will give away my favorite apartment, since I will not be around here to snatch it up 😀 😉 Anyhow . . send me a PM or instant messenger if you have it - if I can be of assistance!

 

[Sean2tall]

Well that's weird . . . I posted but but it did not bump the thread nor put my name as the most recent poster. If I can't be seen on SDN does that mean I am a vampire? Cool!😎

 

[hapkidochic]

in general, as far as apartment hunting goes, when is a good time to look? and do you think it'll be possible to find a place in one weekend? i'm from california and can't afford to make too many trips out there to find a place! thanks!

 

[Sean2tall]

Originally posted by hapkidochic
in general, as far as apartment hunting goes, when is a good time to look? and do you think it'll be possible to find a place in one weekend? i'm from california and can't afford to make too many trips out there to find a place! thanks!

I think it should be feasible to pick an apartment in a few days. Actually when I was looking the first one I saw was perfect. With the proper internet-pre-scouting and knowing what you want, I think it is doable. If you want, I like to consider myself well-versed in Pittsburghology, so you can let me know with any neighborhood questions or whatnot. But maybe you should try to add a Friday or Monday onto that weekend you come visit - in case the renters are not available to show you things on Sat/Sunday . . although they often are willing. Are you definitely coming to Pitt? Oh . . as far as what time of year to come for the apartment hunt . . perhaps not immediately - since many places will want you to be renting in june/july rather than july/august, but sometime soon will probably make it the easiest.


Sean

PS: Are you any relation to KarateGirl? Perhaps sisters or arch-nemeses? I want to change my name to KungFuGuy!

 

[tonyjerry]

if any pitt students are reading this cold you tell us if the school is going to get rid of the honors grading? ive heard the rumor a couple of times but nothing definitive. thanks

 

[auster]

if any pitt students are reading this cold you tell us if the school is going to get rid of the honors grading? ive heard the rumor a couple of times but nothing definitive. thanks

You probably aren't going to get much more than rumors from current students [either way, it won't change for us]. Just call admissions and ask.

 

[RoccoWJ]

I called the office today regarding the H/P/F and it is going to remain H/P/F. It was a "completely unfounded rumor" about the elimination of the H.


Rocco