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I GOT IN!!!! I heard today. Anyone else heard the good news lately?
Duke
- Thread starter trudub
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How did they contact you???
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Congratulations!!!
You must be so excited. Hopefully, there is more waitlist action to come.
You must be so excited. Hopefully, there is more waitlist action to come.
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I went to Duke undergrad and didn't even apply to the medical school. TrUST me getting in is a great accomplishment. Enjoy Durham and MARCH MADNESS in between crunching out your sciences in the first year. 🙂 Congratulations.
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Only 1 person on SDN has heard anything...not as much movement as I would have hoped. 🙁
Just gotta keep waiting
Just gotta keep waiting
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ctwickman said:
I couldn't disagree more! The triangle area is a really great place to live, but don't just take my word for it. Just look at the unbelievable rate of development around here. Everywhere you look here there are new houses and townhomes being built, and the're selling even faster than they can be constructed! This area has been known to really suck people in...many students come here for med school and end up staying for residency because they love the area and love Duke so much. I also recently learned that doctors on average are paid better in the South, plus the cost of living is lower (althoug the tax situation in NC really sucks), and the weather is better. You've got mountains one way, beaches the other, awesome college town close by (Chapel Hill), amazing shopping, great bars and restaurants, local athletic teams...what's not to like? Just stay out of downtown Durham, that's all.
Why you gotta be a hata'? 😉
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TommyGunn04 said:
Not to be a "hata," but that's exactly what I *don't* like about The Triangle! Bland, faceless, mile-after-mile-rows-of-complexes-and-strip-malls suburbia. Yes, there are mountains and beaches, but each are 3 hours in opposite directions.
It's fine for some, but I think that living here has made me realize that I love the rural wilderness of NH where I came from, and I love the big city of NY where I'm going... but suburbia is not my thing, at least right now.
Not trying to be a hata... hehe. 🙂 Allow me to explain... I went to UNC-Chapel Hill. I have loads of experience with the Triangle. The Triangle gets old in just about a year, and you'll spend the next 3-4 years trying to get out (just my experience, and I wasn't alone).
Yes, it is growing fast, but it isn't growing in the right way. I can basically sum up the entire Triangle area in a few sentences: Big-box retail. Strip malls. Suburban sprawl. No street lights on even the main roads. Tons of trees. Not near any beaches, recreation, and nothing to do unless you are into shopping in sprawl, or are into college sports. Let's face it, you can't say something is 4 hours away from the "beach" and use it as a reason a place is cool--every area of this country is 4 hours away from something cool, but that doesn't make the place any cooler to live. I think the only major sports team in the area was the Hurricanes (Hockey).
Chapel Hill is the only remotely cool part of it, but Chapel Hill is SMALL and shuts down early. The entire entertainment of Chapel Hill is about one or two blocks long, and then boom, nothing but more sprawl. I mean, on the way from Durham to Chapel Hill, or Durham to Raleigh, or anywhere in the Triangle for that matter, you will never have a single urban experience. Heck, it is the only area of the country I have ever been to where even the main six lane expressways that head right through the downtowns don't even have a single street light on it. Durham freeway has no street lights--NONE. 15-501 has none. I-40 has none--even the beltline of Raleigh has none. The entire area is pitch black at night--the experience is literally like living in the middle of the woods, but with tons of sprawl. The reason the Triangle is growing is because there is just so much empty forest land available that can be cut down for housing, so cost-of-living is WAY low (one of the few positives I found). Heck, the major place of work for the area is literally a big office park in the woods.
I don't know of a single friend that graduated at UNC with me that stayed in the area--they all moved to Charlotte, Chicago, Atlanta, or DC. Plus all those things like "amazing shopping" and "local athletic teams" and "great restaurants" and "great bars" is very relative--I came from Milwaukee, which is not a huge city by any means, and I found all of those things on a whole different level in the Triangle--I would say Milwaukee felt about literally 9 or 10 times larger than the Triangle with regard to those things. There are very few family owned places or places that have been there for 100 years and have character, for instance--I would estimate that 90% of all the restaurants in the Triangle are corporate chains like everywhere else in the outskirts of suburban America. Since 80% of the population is suburban transplants, that's the kind of development you get. As far as local athletic teams--unless you are into the college level sports or NHL Hockey, there is nothing for you. No MLB. NFL. NBA. Nothing the whole area can unite and cheer for besides hockey.
I'm sorry I don't want to plant a bad seed here. I am just one opinion--different strokes for different folks. Many people like this--my girlfriend, for instance, is someone who doesn't like cities and she loves a quiet suburban atmosphere. No hard feelings--if you are happy there that is literally ALL that matters.... 😉
And Duke is a great school and a great experience.... 😉
Yes, it is growing fast, but it isn't growing in the right way. I can basically sum up the entire Triangle area in a few sentences: Big-box retail. Strip malls. Suburban sprawl. No street lights on even the main roads. Tons of trees. Not near any beaches, recreation, and nothing to do unless you are into shopping in sprawl, or are into college sports. Let's face it, you can't say something is 4 hours away from the "beach" and use it as a reason a place is cool--every area of this country is 4 hours away from something cool, but that doesn't make the place any cooler to live. I think the only major sports team in the area was the Hurricanes (Hockey).
Chapel Hill is the only remotely cool part of it, but Chapel Hill is SMALL and shuts down early. The entire entertainment of Chapel Hill is about one or two blocks long, and then boom, nothing but more sprawl. I mean, on the way from Durham to Chapel Hill, or Durham to Raleigh, or anywhere in the Triangle for that matter, you will never have a single urban experience. Heck, it is the only area of the country I have ever been to where even the main six lane expressways that head right through the downtowns don't even have a single street light on it. Durham freeway has no street lights--NONE. 15-501 has none. I-40 has none--even the beltline of Raleigh has none. The entire area is pitch black at night--the experience is literally like living in the middle of the woods, but with tons of sprawl. The reason the Triangle is growing is because there is just so much empty forest land available that can be cut down for housing, so cost-of-living is WAY low (one of the few positives I found). Heck, the major place of work for the area is literally a big office park in the woods.
I don't know of a single friend that graduated at UNC with me that stayed in the area--they all moved to Charlotte, Chicago, Atlanta, or DC. Plus all those things like "amazing shopping" and "local athletic teams" and "great restaurants" and "great bars" is very relative--I came from Milwaukee, which is not a huge city by any means, and I found all of those things on a whole different level in the Triangle--I would say Milwaukee felt about literally 9 or 10 times larger than the Triangle with regard to those things. There are very few family owned places or places that have been there for 100 years and have character, for instance--I would estimate that 90% of all the restaurants in the Triangle are corporate chains like everywhere else in the outskirts of suburban America. Since 80% of the population is suburban transplants, that's the kind of development you get. As far as local athletic teams--unless you are into the college level sports or NHL Hockey, there is nothing for you. No MLB. NFL. NBA. Nothing the whole area can unite and cheer for besides hockey.
I'm sorry I don't want to plant a bad seed here. I am just one opinion--different strokes for different folks. Many people like this--my girlfriend, for instance, is someone who doesn't like cities and she loves a quiet suburban atmosphere. No hard feelings--if you are happy there that is literally ALL that matters.... 😉
And Duke is a great school and a great experience.... 😉
TommyGunn04 said:I couldn't disagree more! The triangle area is a really great place to live, but don't just take my word for it.
Why you gotta be a hata'? 😉
i love the small town... who needs a big city traffic and no parking place ?
what is the tax situation in NC ???? I would like to stay there perm ...
Why would any one turn down DUKE ??? i dont know? I m on wl and I dont expect I will ever get off this wl cuz I dont expect any one should turn down duke .
^
Have you spent much time in RDU? The thing is is that the traffic in RDU is just as bad as in the biggest cities---much worse than Milwaukee, for instance, yet Milwaukee has 500,000 more people. This isn't about "small town." RDU has 1.2 million people at last count, but they are all spread out in a suburbia and all use their cars. If you shop on the weekend in RDU, you will sit in about as many traffic snarls as up here in Chicago--I am serious. That's what sprawl development gets you (car dependency). None of the roads are on a grid system either, so you are forced onto certain roads with everybody else. This adds up to a pretty bad traffic situation. I'm not sure what you are expecting of the Triangle, but free flowing traffic should not be one of them.
As far as your questions of taxes, I believe NC is one of the highest taxed states in the union (I think it is either the 3rd or the 6th highest taxed state, one or the other, I remember learning this). Again, I'm not here to lay an egg--just want to give some facts of reality and my experience of living there. If you are enthusiastic about the place, there is also a lot to love if your personality fits it.
And quite a few people turn down Duke, just as quite a few people turn down many other schools. Duke's matriculation rate among acceptances is about average (50%)--no surprises here. The only real outsider seems to be Harvard--2 out of 3 people who are accepted to Harvard matriculate, which is way above average. BTW I turned down Duke for Northwestern, and if you had to ask me why, it would be all the reasons I've mentioned in this thread (I was more than ready to get out of the Triangle--applying to Duke/UNC was kind of a "Plan B").
Have you spent much time in RDU? The thing is is that the traffic in RDU is just as bad as in the biggest cities---much worse than Milwaukee, for instance, yet Milwaukee has 500,000 more people. This isn't about "small town." RDU has 1.2 million people at last count, but they are all spread out in a suburbia and all use their cars. If you shop on the weekend in RDU, you will sit in about as many traffic snarls as up here in Chicago--I am serious. That's what sprawl development gets you (car dependency). None of the roads are on a grid system either, so you are forced onto certain roads with everybody else. This adds up to a pretty bad traffic situation. I'm not sure what you are expecting of the Triangle, but free flowing traffic should not be one of them.
As far as your questions of taxes, I believe NC is one of the highest taxed states in the union (I think it is either the 3rd or the 6th highest taxed state, one or the other, I remember learning this). Again, I'm not here to lay an egg--just want to give some facts of reality and my experience of living there. If you are enthusiastic about the place, there is also a lot to love if your personality fits it.
And quite a few people turn down Duke, just as quite a few people turn down many other schools. Duke's matriculation rate among acceptances is about average (50%)--no surprises here. The only real outsider seems to be Harvard--2 out of 3 people who are accepted to Harvard matriculate, which is way above average. BTW I turned down Duke for Northwestern, and if you had to ask me why, it would be all the reasons I've mentioned in this thread (I was more than ready to get out of the Triangle--applying to Duke/UNC was kind of a "Plan B").
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i'm definitely more of a city girl. still, i think it's crazy to even try to compare durham to any big northeast city. for better or worse, it's a completely different place. once i began to accept durham for what it is, i fell in love with it.
sure, if you spend your entire time bouncing back and forth between frat houses at duke, bars on franklin street, and the southpoint mall, all you will see is suburban sprawl (and a lot of strip malls). but ninth street and downtown durham are very cool places, with hidden gems that most people don't take the time to notice. great restaurants, fun cafes, easily accessible outdoor activities, and an amazing video store with such an extensive library it puts any other video store i've ever been in to shame. durham is by far the coolest part of the triangle, though if it's not to your liking, chapel hill and raleigh are 20 minutes away (just try getting anywhere in new york or boston in that amount of time)
and outside of duke's gothic forest there actually is (gasp!) a real living breathing community, with people who care about things, including building strong neighborhoods and revitalizing their city. if all you drive by are the mcmansions, it's your own fault for not seeing the funky streets that are really the heart and soul of durham. if you're determined to only be satisfied with what MTV (or some other questionable arbiter of youth culture) dictates is hip and fun, you will be disappointed. with an open mind and a willingness to embrace what is, actually, a different culture, you can be very happy.
oh yeah, and who needs some lame sub-par "professional" sports team, when you have the durham bulls!!!
chill out in durham, live well for cheap, save tons of money, then go visit your friends in the city any time you want. 😉
sure, if you spend your entire time bouncing back and forth between frat houses at duke, bars on franklin street, and the southpoint mall, all you will see is suburban sprawl (and a lot of strip malls). but ninth street and downtown durham are very cool places, with hidden gems that most people don't take the time to notice. great restaurants, fun cafes, easily accessible outdoor activities, and an amazing video store with such an extensive library it puts any other video store i've ever been in to shame. durham is by far the coolest part of the triangle, though if it's not to your liking, chapel hill and raleigh are 20 minutes away (just try getting anywhere in new york or boston in that amount of time)
and outside of duke's gothic forest there actually is (gasp!) a real living breathing community, with people who care about things, including building strong neighborhoods and revitalizing their city. if all you drive by are the mcmansions, it's your own fault for not seeing the funky streets that are really the heart and soul of durham. if you're determined to only be satisfied with what MTV (or some other questionable arbiter of youth culture) dictates is hip and fun, you will be disappointed. with an open mind and a willingness to embrace what is, actually, a different culture, you can be very happy.
oh yeah, and who needs some lame sub-par "professional" sports team, when you have the durham bulls!!!
chill out in durham, live well for cheap, save tons of money, then go visit your friends in the city any time you want. 😉
"As far as your questions of taxes, I believe NC is one of the highest taxed states in the union " ok thank you ..
I checked it out North Carolina 8.25%... yes that is very high.
Oh and thank you for the info on NC. Good info.... One needs to collect all the info but not a factor. thx again.
I checked it out North Carolina 8.25%... yes that is very high.
Oh and thank you for the info on NC. Good info.... One needs to collect all the info but not a factor. thx again.
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I got a message on my voicemail at 11:30 AM today to call Duke. When I called I found out that I was accepted off the alternate list. I am so excited right now! I was shaking when I called Duke back. Also, for others still waiting, I actually sent Duke an update letter on Monday, so I wonder if that had any influence on my getting accepted. Good luck to everyone else.
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That is awesome! I am very happy for you....although I do wish I received the voicemail message! It does mean that things are still moving at Duke (albeit slowly!) I take it from your tone that you are going to go to Duke? Have an awesome rest of your day! What school are you now declining?
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ctwickman said:
Just to provide everyone with a differing opinion, I'd like to point out that I've lived in Durham since July of 2002 and can literally count the number of traffic jams I've been stuck in on ONE HAND! And I actually live quite a bit farther from Duke than most med students do...I commute on the highway a good 8-10 miles each way, and have only been stuck in 2 or 3 morning jams in the time I've been here, all of which were due to breakdowns/accidents/"rubbernecking."
I'll admit however that highway 40 can be nasty during rush hour, but I don't know of anyone who lives far enough away such that they'd need to drive that way at 5pm on a weekday anyway. 40 is the highway that one would likely take if traveling from Durham to Raleigh (which Duke Med students would never have to do for the purposes of a rotation, etc.), and there are easily accessable alternate routes. The main reason it's so bad though is the construction, which looks to be nearing completion and will significantly widen the highway such that traffic there will be less of a problem. I haven't come across anyone here who thinks it's an issue.
I don't know where this idea came from, but in my experience the traffic down here really isn't bad at all! (of course, this is coming from a Northerner who grew up dealing with Boston and Providence traffic, so maybe my view is a bit skewed)
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Duke undergrad and medschool are completely different. But its a great school either way. I just don't think I'd like the curriculum and I've had a few interesting experiences with some med students there. SO not a match for me but for you its probably perfect! Enjoy and good luck.jasmina said:
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I agree I would love to move back to the Triangle. I almost went to UNC med but didn't want to wait on the waitlist. However, if given the chance to study there for residency that would be perfect. Great place to live and raise children. I love the south much better than the north by far even though I was born and raised in NJ.
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Congratulations to all y'all. I'm a first year at Duke, and I couldn't be happier with either the school or with Durham. I grew up in a big city and went to school in DC, but I haven't had any difficulty finding fun things to do here. The only major complaint that I have is that you can't walk to the bars like you can in DC. You have to drive which means finding a designated driver.
Until now that is... The financial aid package is so good here and the cost of living so cheap, that I just purchased a small house in an historic neighborhood of Durham with oak tree lined streets and even, gasp, street lights! It's also only half a mile from Ninth street and about a mile to Duke, which means walking distance to the bars and restaurants and easy biking distance to campus.
I think Durham is a great place with history and culture if you look in the right parts, and how many locations have such a low cost of living where even the humble MS1 can become a homeowner!
It sucks that we are still in class for another 3 weeks while most med schools are out, but I can't tell you how excited I am to be moving onto the wards in August, never to set foot in a lecture hall again!
Congratulations again.
J 😀
Until now that is... The financial aid package is so good here and the cost of living so cheap, that I just purchased a small house in an historic neighborhood of Durham with oak tree lined streets and even, gasp, street lights! It's also only half a mile from Ninth street and about a mile to Duke, which means walking distance to the bars and restaurants and easy biking distance to campus.
I think Durham is a great place with history and culture if you look in the right parts, and how many locations have such a low cost of living where even the humble MS1 can become a homeowner!
It sucks that we are still in class for another 3 weeks while most med schools are out, but I can't tell you how excited I am to be moving onto the wards in August, never to set foot in a lecture hall again!
Congratulations again.
J 😀
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johnny12johnny said:
Yeah, being on the wards 2nd year instead of rotting away in class makes it completely worth not having much of a summer, at least in my mind. In fact, I think it'd be going nuts if I had to go through another year of lectures, labs, and PBL! It's just so hard to retain all of that information when you're not actively doing much with it, at least nothing other than spitting it back on an exam (and by the way, most of the stuff you learn during the first year you really do NOT need to know on the wards). Thinking back on things as my clinical year comes to a close, I shudder to think about how much less we'd all know if we had spent this year in class...our "on the job training" is so much more productive! You can learn about neuroanatomy, microbiology, pharmacology, etc. until you're blue in the face, but until you really see it in action you're not going to remember most of it (at least I don't anyway)
It's really funny reading this board sometimes, because the two complaints/concerns I consistently hear are about "squishing 2 years of basic science into one," which is a really inaccurate characterization and turns out to be a minor concern compared to what people think, and that "Durham sucks," which I have also found to be completely the opposite. Yaaaaaaaay for Duke!!!!! I love Duke!!!!! 😍 I might just try to stay here for residency now too!!! 🙂
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ok, well im debating on whether or not there is a point in applying to duke. I have a 31 and a 3.67, a moderate amount of volunteer, and a good bit of leadership stuff. Im also just a white guy, so do i have a chance? Opinions please.
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TommyGunn04 said:I couldn't disagree more! The triangle area is a really great place to live, but don't just take my word for it. Just look at the unbelievable rate of development around here. Everywhere you look here there are new houses and townhomes being built, and the're selling even faster than they can be constructed! This area has been known to really suck people in...many students come here for med school and end up staying for residency because they love the area and love Duke so much. I also recently learned that doctors on average are paid better in the South, plus the cost of living is lower (althoug the tax situation in NC really sucks), and the weather is better. You've got mountains one way, beaches the other, awesome college town close by (Chapel Hill), amazing shopping, great bars and restaurants, local athletic teams...what's not to like? Just stay out of downtown Durham, that's all.
Why you gotta be a hata'? 😉
What is up with NC taxes? Are they very high?
JH
*EDIT*
Nevermind, crap ... Va has 2-5.75% MTR and NC is 6-8%. Sales tax is much higher in NC as well. No caps on malpractice insurance either ... doesn't seem like a very physician-friendly state ... 🙁
for those going to duke this fall - have you found places to live?? does duke provide any pointers or suggestions on housing? i just sent in my acceptance of their admission offer, so haven't got any such info from them yet.
also, is there a class of 2008 web page - like there was for the class of 2007?
thanks...
also, is there a class of 2008 web page - like there was for the class of 2007?
thanks...
