is mare island that scary?

[dollarbincommon]

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I just wanted to get some more information on some of the schools that I'm interested in.

I looked up that the soil in Mare Island was contaminated with lead. (?) Is this a wide occurence throughout Mare Island or just a small section of it?

Is Mare Island very safe? Say, if I take my little cousins to Mare Island and they play in the soil/grass, will they get poisoned? (trees can grow in the soil right?) I saw some pictures from their website, and the ariel view of the campus looks very nice. It's nearness to the water is nice too.

As you can see I'm pretty ignorant about Mare Island. If anyone can shed some light, I would appreciate it very much. Thanks in advance. 🙂

 

[Monkeyguts]

You really have to see it in person to believe it.

 

[Baditude]

I am heading to Mare Island for an interview next week I will be glad to drop a note on my impressions then.

 

[jhug]

yes..no...those are REALLY OLD pictures

 

[dollarbincommon]

Originally posted by Baditude
I am heading to Mare Island for an interview next week I will be glad to drop a note on my impressions then.

I will appreciate it if you do. 🙂

Thanks in advance.

 

[moniagrl]

i interviewed there and i know someone will shoot me 4 saying this....BUT...

mare island is a DUMP...at least TUCOM is, compared to other schools

the buildings look old dn some of the student housing is in barrack(yea, this used to be an old millitary base)

part of the island looks like a salvage yard for scrap metal

defintely not state of the art, though they have one of best ventillated anatomy labs

that is my honest opinion so please don't b!tch at me 4 it

 

[wamedic]

I spent some time at Mare Island both before the Navy gave up the land and after (for TUCOM interview). The majority of the island is a ghost town now. Buildings are empty and grass grows between the cracks in the asphalt parking lots. There is a lot of history there.

Most of the sights that people post about on this website are of the shipyard and old naval shopping areas. I agree that these areas are not pretty to look at, but the TUCOM campus is well past a lot of this stuff and is very nice. There is plenty of vegetation surrounding the campus with a view of the water. There is a clean-up project going on there, so don't eat the paint chips! However, TUCOM buildings are mostly redone on the inside and are very clean.

TUCOM gets a bad wrap on SDN, but you have to remember that a lot of the people that post on the interview feedback site are twenty-year olds whose idea of what a medical school should be like is from their limited experience at undergrad university and what they see on T.V.

Overall, I think the TUCOM Mare Island campus is nicer than some other schools I've interviewed at (e.g. GWU, U of Washington). I'm sure you will hear many other thoughts about Mare Island, but take them (and mine) with a grain of salt and take a roadtrip to see the place for yourself!

Hope this helps some. Best of luck!

 

[zreagle]

Hey WAMEDIC,

Excellent report on the TUCOM Mare Island campus.

Let's not forget folks that a number of very well educated scientist (medical school faculty) work on Mare Island and they are spending more time there than the students do (we are only there for two years of work, they are there for many years as faculty) so if there was some sort of health risk based on lead or radiation don't you think that the scientists who educate medical students would, oh I don't kow, NOT EXPOSE themselves to this supposed risk.

Really people if you want to be the future of the medical profession start using your minds!


Yes Mare Island used to be a Navy base and the Navy is not known for it's visually stimulating architecture. Just like I am not choosing my medical school by attending interviews and then saying to myself, "Gee what a pretty landscape, clearly I can learn medicine here!"

Go to Mare Island and go inside the buildings. The lecture halls are redone on the inside and are very nice. The anatomy lab is state of the art and very respectful of those who have donated their phyisical beings so that we may learn how to care for the generations that follow.

If you do not like TUCOM, fine with me, chances are I may not like your school. However, if you do not like it based on some rediculous myth about health risks, that is just silly! Go see the campus for yourself.

But more importantly pick your school based on how they educate, what opportunities are available for students and how you learn best. Not what the buildings look like.

-my 2 cents.
Zach

PS: WAMEDIC are you a WA Medic? and if so where?

 

[wamedic]

Zach,

I'm a paramedic in XXXXXX, but live in XXXXX

 

[Baditude]

Hey there! I just got home from my interview on Mare Island. I did not find the island "scary" at all. I actually found the island attractive and "a tropical feel" in the area of the school. Yes there were some areas on the island that are currently undergoing lead removal but those areas are the old shipyard where they painted boats before the whole lead paint thing became mainstream. The area of the school was clean and very pleasant! I was amazed at the anatomy lab it was spotlessly clean and had NO smell what so ever and the cadavers were on tables in the lab. I would not hesiatate to attend this school and I am hoping for that opportunity! With that said keep in mind if I attend TUCOM I will be bringing my two children and husband along and I would never bring my family somewhere unsafe! I hope this helps in your decision!
Feel free to email me anytime at [email protected]

 

[dollarbincommon]

Originally posted by Baditude
Hey there! I just got home from my interview on Mare Island. I did not find the island "scary" at all. I actually found the island attractive and "a tropical feel" in the area of the school. Yes there were some areas on the island that are currently undergoing lead removal but those areas are the old shipyard where they painted boats before the whole lead paint thing became mainstream. The area of the school was clean and very pleasant! I was amazed at the anatomy lab it was spotlessly clean and had NO smell what so ever and the cadavers were on tables in the lab. I would not hesiatate to attend this school and I am hoping for that opportunity! With that said keep in mind if I attend TUCOM I will be bringing my two children and husband along and I would never bring my family somewhere unsafe! I hope this helps in your decision!
Feel free to email me anytime at [email protected]

Thanks Baditude. I guess TUCOM is definitely back on the list.

I love SDN more each day. 🙂 😍

 

[svalenzuela02p]

It is that bad. I personally did not like it. I am from cali and I am willing to move just to go to a good school. Listen to what the majority of people have to say about the place and go from there. If it is your last resort then by all means take it. I am sure tucom produces many fine doctors. But why settle for less when you can go to a better DO school. I did not like either of cali's schools.

 

[dollarbincommon]

Originally posted by svalenzuela02p
It is that bad. I personally did not like it. I am from cali and I am willing to move just to go to a good school. Listen to what the majority of people have to say about the place and go from there. If it is your last resort then by all means take it. I am sure tucom produces many fine doctors. But why settle for less when you can go to a better DO school. I did not like either of cali's schools.

svalenzuela02p,

I guess I have to see the place in person.

In your opinion, what DO schools are better than TUCOM? Feel free to PM me. I like to get as much info as I can. Thanks in advance. 🙂

 

[Baditude]

Hey Dollar
Don't let people scare you away from TUCOM I liked it better than MSUCOM and many others that people swear are so much better. Just remember that you should take everything all positive and everything all negative with a grain of salt. I was considering cancelling my interview at TUCOM after reading all the negative stuff eveyone here was saying and now I am so glad I didn't. It really wasn't bad the interior of all the building have been redone and are very nice, the grounds are being replanted and beautified. Now after visiting I would be happy to attend there and I know I would get a good education after talking to teaching staff and reviewing their history and teaching philosophy. I also spent part of an evening talking to some first year students and a second year student and their only complaint for the whole school was that it doesn't have wireless service yet for the computers.
If you get a chance to interview don't pass it up.

 

[dollarbincommon]

Baditude,

Would you mind giving your opinion on why you think TUCOM is better than MSUCOM?

I'm just trying to get as much information as I can. If you have time, can you reply to me? Thanks in advance. 🙂