MCW Class of 2010, Part 3

[samenewme]

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Samenewme,

What type of place are you looking for? Single-unit, duplex, apt. building? Between all of us I'm sure we can come up with some good ideas for you. I remember being REALLY frustrated by Wauwatosa's streets when I came down to look for places. So much so, that I pretty much just took the 1st place that we saw that wasn't a dump, 'cause I was sick of trying to find my way around. We lucked out that it turned out to be a great apartment, I guess.

You get used to the crazy streets after about a week of driving around them...I'm still discovering new ways to get places, though.

I'm thinking duplex. I'd like to get out of the world of wall-to-wall carpet and have a floor I can dust-mop and forget. I've been in a townhouse the last 10 years and I'm not sure I'd like the rabbit warren effect of an apartment building.

 

[scalpel179]

Greetings Gang!

It's been awhile since I last posted. I wish I could say that I just returned from a grand adventure or report on the conditions of some third world country, but I have been roughing it here between snowstorms and rain. The weather in Idaho is never anything to brag about. I have been trying to get my house ready to sell and had no sooner finished planting spring flowers when winter decided to return. Thankfully, most survived last weeks six inches of white stuff.

I have also been adjusting to having a new baby. My wife and I just had our second kid. I cannot believe it. But things are going well and last night he slept for six consecutive hours. A new PR! The small joys in life.

Sorry to ramble on. I am planning on coming to Milwaukee in early June or late May (depending on how soon we sell the house). We have been looking at the housing market from a distance via the Internet, but I wondered of any of you could shed some info. We know the places right around the school are more expensive, but where are some other close places with safe neighborhoods and reasonably priced homes. I am looking for something under 100,000 with at least three bedrooms. Is this an unrealistic dream or is it possible.

Thanks again for all the info.

PS if anyone also has any info regarding a three bedroom rental unit I would also be interested/ PM me with any questions.

 

[jmtanes]

My wife and I are about to close on a house in West Allis. The lots are bigger (typically) in Wauwatosa than in West Allis, but we found a pretty good deal there. It may be possible to find a 3br for <100k, but I think they are typically in not-so-safe neighborhoods in Milwaukee. I think if you find a good realtor, they may be able to find you something in a safe neighborhood (especially for the kids) that is a 3br for maybe $150k. Then again, I'm no expert, I'm just going on what I know from when I was house hunting. Hope this helps - email/PM me if I can help more.

-Jeff

 

[opmed]

We have been looking at the housing market from a distance via the Internet, but I wondered of any of you could shed some info. We know the places right around the school are more expensive, but where are some other close places with safe neighborhoods and reasonably priced homes. I am looking for something under 100,000 with at least three bedrooms. Is this an unrealistic dream or is it possible.

Thanks again for all the info.

PS if anyone also has any info regarding a three bedroom rental unit I would also be interested/ PM me with any questions.

It's going to be pretty hard to find a 3 br for under $100k around the school. Anything that is priced that low would probably need a significant amount of work done to it. Houses in Wauwatosa are priced fairly high (I guess you pay for the neighborhood). Houses in West Allis and the western portion of Milwaukee/Washington Heights area are priced lower than Tosa, so you might want to start there. These neighborhoods are still pretty close to school and are safe areas, although you may have to use more caution for west Milwaukee. If you don't mind a little longer of a drive, properties in Menomonee Falls and Germantown are also priced lower than Tosa. The commute is longer (~20-30 minutes), but these are both nice areas. As for rentals, I have seen a few flyers on the bulletin boards at the college for rental houses in Wauwatosa that are as large as 4br, so if you don't mind renting, there are places available in Tosa.

 

[akpete]

I know of some people who live in Brookefield and Oak Creek. In fact, Andy, didn't you purchase your home in the OC? These are both a bit farther of a drive, esp OC cuz it's on the south side of Milwaukee. I also know of someone who purchased a condo in Menomonee Falls.

Unfortunately I don't know any prices for you. Try Shorewest Realtors (www.shorewest.com) or HomeSale Realty (www.homesalerealty.com). I see commercials for those 2 companies all the time. 🙂

 

[drwannabe44]

I know of some people who live in Brookefield and Oak Creek. In fact, Andy, didn't you purchase your home in the OC? These are both a bit farther of a drive, esp OC cuz it's on the south side of Milwaukee. I also know of someone who purchased a condo in Menomonee Falls.

Unfortunately I don't know any prices for you. Try Shorewest Realtors (www.shorewest.com) or HomeSale Realty (www.homesalerealty.com). I see commercials for those 2 companies all the time. 🙂

Ok so may 15 th is on its way and im on the wlist ...I just wanted to know how many of you guys got into medcow by being on the wlist...and what your stats were???? gpa mcat extracurriculars etc... thanks

 

[indo]

I'm thinking duplex. I'd like to get out of the world of wall-to-wall carpet and have a floor I can dust-mop and forget. I've been in a townhouse the last 10 years and I'm not sure I'd like the rabbit warren effect of an apartment building.

You don't even have to mop it if you wear socks with no shoes around the house.

 

[Ashers]

Ok so may 15 th is on its way and im on the wlist ...I just wanted to know how many of you guys got into medcow by being on the wlist...and what your stats were???? gpa mcat extracurriculars etc... thanks

I get the impression that the numbers on your application don't matter so much once you get an interview. I got in off the waitlist in mid-July last year. They like it if you show interest in the school.

 

[drwannabe44]

I get the impression that the numbers on your application don't matter so much once you get an interview. I got in off the waitlist in mid-July last year. They like it if you show interest in the school.

did you send in a loi

 

[Gimlet]

I know of some people who live in Brookefield and Oak Creek. In fact, Andy, didn't you purchase your home in the OC? These are both a bit farther of a drive, esp OC cuz it's on the south side of Milwaukee. I also know of someone who purchased a condo in Menomonee Falls.

We're closing on our house in Oak Creek in 2 days! I can't decide if I like "The OC" nickname, or if it disgusts me.

Scalpel, I'm going to be honest and say that I don't think you'll find what you're looking for for less than 100,00 or even 150,000, unless it's a dump or in the middle of a bad area of town. (Milwaukee is one of the most economically and racially segregated cities in the nation, and although overall it's very safe and peaceful, the bad areas are bad. Pretty much anything west or south of school you don't have to worry about the neighborhood. East is questionable and varies widely.) We spent considerably more on our house, although my fiance and I have pretty high standards and were looking for something that didn't need any work put into it. Compared to the rest of the nation, Milwaukee has a very reasonable housing market and cost of living, but coming from Idaho you are probably going to be spoiled in that respect.

I would get in contact with a realtor ASAP if you're looking to buy before school. If you have specific requirements for your house the search can take a while. We used one from Shorewest, and she was great. I would call the office and have them recommend someone who specializes in the area you're interested in. Make sure you sign a buyer's agency agreement with your realtor once you know that you like them, because until then "your" realtor is still technically working for the sellers.

What I would really recommend is renting out here for a year. That way you can get to know the city and see which areas you would like to live in. That's pretty much what we did, and I'm glad, because even though Wauwatosa is a great town, I've realized that it's not a great fit for me personally (I like a little bit more of a country-feel) and I would not want to be stuck in a house that I own here.

Congrats on the new baby, btw!

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

did you send in a loi

you can certainly do this, though i'm skeptical as to how much it would help. conversely, i sincerely doubt that it would hurt either. only write a letter of intent if you will absolutely attend a school if accepted. submitting a letter, being accepted and subsequently attending elsewhere--while perfectly "legal"--is poor form.

additionally, i think MCW is your only active app, correct? if this is the case, the adm office knows that you don't have active apps at other schools. this would likely detract from the intended effect of the LOI--telling them you'll go there when they know it's your only option is a bit disingenuous in my opinion.

I think the bottom line is that there's not much you can do now but wait. It sucks, but it's best to just put your energy into other things and perhaps make a contingency plan for what you'll do should you not be accepted. There's still a lot of time left, and getting all worked up now won't help in the long run. Take some time to relax, reflect (postively), and have fun. Good luck.

 

[Ashers]

did you send in a loi

Thanks, Hawkeye Kid, for saying what an LOI is. 😛

I did not send one, but I did call the office every day during the summer to see where I was on the waitlist.

 

[trapperjohn]

I heard from my interview guide that there are a lot of married people at mcw (more so than the average med school). is this true, and if so does it kind of take away from getting to know a lot of med school classmates. Also i was wondering why there seems to be a large number of people from utah in mcw (like 15 people or more that interviewed with me were from utah). any specific reasons?

 

[scalpel179]

Thanks for all the information. The search continues and I appreaciate all of your comments. Hopefully we can find the perfect place before school starts. Keep me posted.

Scalpel179

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

I heard from my interview guide that there are a lot of married people at mcw (more so than the average med school). is this true, and if so does it kind of take away from getting to know a lot of med school classmates. Also i was wondering why there seems to be a large number of people from utah in mcw (like 15 people or more that interviewed with me were from utah). any specific reasons?

i'd say we have a fair number of married students, which obviously increases as your class progresses. given the number of people in the class, however, i don't think i was ever at loss for people to meet and get to know. married people socialize, just not at the same rate as single people (as a rule--there are certainly exceptions).

as to the utah-mcw pipeline, i'm sure that there are several factors--only one med school in utah, lots of qualified applicants, mcw having a rep for taking lots of OOSers and utah having a rep for producing quality medical students. i'd guess that representation by state is WI>CA>UT>everywhere else.

 

[Gimlet]

I heard from my interview guide that there are a lot of married people at mcw (more so than the average med school). is this true, and if so does it kind of take away from getting to know a lot of med school classmates. Also i was wondering why there seems to be a large number of people from utah in mcw (like 15 people or more that interviewed with me were from utah). any specific reasons?

The are quite a few people from Utah at MCW. Utah'ns (Utah-ites??) have the 2nd or 3rd highest representation in the class behind WI and maybe CA. Most of them are Mormon...I think there's only 1 or 2 non-LDS Utah people. Here's why I think there's a high representation from Utah (Hope this doesn't come off as prejudiced or anything...most of this info was told to me by Mormon students):

1) MCW is a relatively friendly school to out-of-staters.

2) Mormon families value education very highly in general, so there is a high drive in the community to become doctors, lawyers, business owners, etc.

3) When they are about 18 or 19 most Mormon men (and some women, if they choose) do a 2 year mission someplace far off. One of my anatomy lab partners did his mission in Brazil...another buddy of mine did his in China, you get the point. The admissions committee essentially sees this as two YEARS of community service, which paints these students in a very favorable light.

Thus, LDS students are very good candidates for med school, and MCW is one of the few schools that accepts a high percentage of out-of-staters, so those spots get filled by LDS applicants.

The married thing: I guess there are a lot of married students at school, but it doesn't affect the social scene at all (at least not negatively). This might partly be due to the Mormon students, a lot of whom are married and starting their families already in their early-to-mid twenties. But there are plenty of non-Mormon students that are married...Doctor Funk got married the weekend before classes started last year. Bottom line: It doesn't matter, and the vast majority are unmarried anyway.

 

[Gimlet]

Damn, Hawkeye beat me to it. I gotta learn how to write faster!

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

Damn, Hawkeye beat me to it. I gotta learn how to write faster!

or, you could be at the end of a month off, with all of your friends working, avoiding filling out residency paperwork, etc.

if nothing else, i appreciate the corroboration. 😀

 

[Agent Splat]

And in the areas around Milwaukee, you'll soon find that if you wish to see them, you needn't travel far to find cows!!!!!

 

[Ashers]

And in the areas around Milwaukee, you'll soon find that if you wish to see them, you needn't travel far to find cows!!!!!

I didn't see any cows in Wisconsin until this semester. I think when I went up to Alpine Valley. That was like a few days after I said I didn't believe WI had any cows, and WI imports its cheese from CA. 😀

 

[Agent Splat]

I didn't see any cows in Wisconsin until this semester. I think when I went up to Alpine Valley. That was like a few days after I said I didn't believe WI had any cows, and WI imports its cheese from CA. 😀

California Schmalifornia. Our cheese is made in Kaukauna, which is why it smells so bad when you drive through there.

 

[akpete]

I didn't see any cows in Wisconsin until this semester. I think when I went up to Alpine Valley. That was like a few days after I said I didn't believe WI had any cows, and WI imports its cheese from CA. 😀

Whoa, those are fightin' words. My grandparents on both sides of the family are dairy farmers. Frankly, I find the CA cheese commercials rather insulting. They shouldn't be aired in WI.

 

[Ashers]

Whoa, those are fightin' words. My grandparents on both sides of the family are dairy farmers. Frankly, I find the CA cheese commercials rather insulting. They shouldn't be aired in WI.

Notice the use of the past tense. 😉 I actually buy wisconsin cheese at Sam's club. =) mmmm.... cheese. In my mind, cheese and custard are 2 of the best things about WI (haven't developed a taste for beer yet -- much to the dismay of some of my friends). =)

 

[Agent Splat]

In my mind, cheese and custard are 2 of the best things about WI (haven't developed a taste for beer yet -- much to the dismay of some of my friends). =)

Ahem....you forgot the OTHER best thing about Wisconsin........

 

[Ashers]

Ahem....you forgot the OTHER best thing about Wisconsin........

The other best thing? Ummm... MCoWs pretty cool, I guess. The students are cool. Then there's this weird dude, Marc... though I guess he's semi-awesome because I'm semi-famous already in his book. I assume you mean, Marc?

 

[indo]

Cheese? Aww crap. I'm lactose intollerant.

 

[Agent Splat]

Cheese? Aww crap. I'm lactose intollerant.

Poor guy. Wisconsin's gonna kill you. the Partial pressure of lactose gas in atmospheric air is like 300mmHg.

 

[pratik7]

Cheese? Aww crap. I'm lactose intollerant.

I am a vegetarian and i think it is much tougher than i thought it would be. But not eating dairy ...thats just crazy man ( FYI...i bought milk for $1.99)

 

[akpete]

I am a vegetarian and i think it is much tougher than i thought it would be. But not eating dairy ...thats just crazy man ( FYI...i bought milk for $1.99)

I hope you're talking about a 1/2 gallon, cuz otherwise I just got ripped off at Pick 'N Save.

 

[samenewme]

Cheese? Aww crap. I'm lactose intollerant.

Me, too! Just order your portion of the group pizza without cheese. The good news is, nobody steals your share of the pie!

 

[indo]

Me, too! Just order your portion of the group pizza without cheese. The good news is, nobody steals your share of the pie!

I had a good cheeseless pizza the other day. Lots of meat.


Lactaid milk is around 3.50 for a half gallon. Is there room in the MCW student budget for that?

 

[akpete]

I had a good cheeseless pizza the other day. Lots of meat.


Lactaid milk is around 3.50 for a half gallon. Is there room in the MCW student budget for that?

Just buy Milwaukee's Best instead of Miller Lite and you're all set. 👍

 

[Tiger26]

Hamm's lite all the way. . . only $8.94/case makes beer pong and flip cup possible

 

[indo]

Just buy Milwaukee's Best instead of Miller Lite and you're all set. 👍

the BEAST!!!

Can you put Milwaukee's Best in Honey Bunches of Oats?

 

[samenewme]

the BEAST!!!

Can you put Milwaukee's Best in Honey Bunches of Oats?

Novel solution to the lactost intolerance thing. Probably a lot cheaper than soy yogurt.

 

[pratik7]

I hope you're talking about a 1/2 gallon, cuz otherwise I just got ripped off at Pick 'N Save.

nope the full gallon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Agent Splat]

I wonder if soon we will see more folks piling in here.

That would be super!!!

 

[Ashers]

I wonder if soon we will see more folks piling in here.

That would be super!!!

Does your new icon reflect your currect emotions? Or is it just your average rage response?

 

[samenewme]

I wonder if soon we will see more folks piling in here.

That would be super!!!

I'm picturing a clown car now. Don't know why. I think my week of apartment hunting has made me a crazy woman.

 

[Tiger26]

Two absolutely useless, non-academic questions:
1) Is MCW on Facebook

2) Do you guys call it "MCW" or "MCoW"

 

[akpete]

Two absolutely useless, non-academic questions:
1) Is MCW on Facebook

2) Do you guys call it "MCW" or "MCoW"

I hate MCoW. Please don't ever call it that. MCW please.

As for facebook, I have no idea. Isn't that more an undergrad thing. I dunno, I don't use that stuff.

 

[Gimlet]

I hate MCoW. Please don't ever call it that. MCW please.

As for facebook, I have no idea. Isn't that more an undergrad thing. I dunno, I don't use that stuff.

Yeah, pretty much everyone says MCW. I don't like MCoW either, really. When they changed the name from the "Marquette School of Medicine" in 1970, the students at the school at the time were vehemently opposed to naming it the Medical College of WI, and they drew a logo for the school with two cows holding up a banner to mock the new name.

What's really a tragedy is that everyone calls the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin just "Children's" instead of "CHoW."

 

[Agent Splat]

I personally prefer M-COW. But that's just me.

at any rate, M-Cow JUST got put onto facebook like yesterday.

So yes, it is on facebook.

 

[samenewme]

After taking a week of vacation from work and looking at eleventy kabillion places with closets smaller than my refrigerator, I now have a very spacious apartment about 3 miles from school. All I need is a roommate, and I'm set! Oh, and I have to move all my crap. Poop!

Yay! Apartment! Yay!

 

[Agent Splat]

You guys should start letting us know when you're moving into town. I'm sure if over the summer we are gonna hang out we'd let you know!

 

[jjzechlinski]

I'm moving in early August. My friend Scott and I found a nice place at the Overlook; we'll be signing the paperwork next week.

And yes cheese is one of the best things about Wisconsin. As the facebook group implies, "Dairy is my drug of choice"

 

[samenewme]

You guys should start letting us know when you're moving into town. I'm sure if over the summer we are gonna hang out we'd let you know!

Okay. I'm here now (working at UW-Milwaukee). I'm moving to a double near 62nd and Bluemound around the end of June.

 

[munadel10]

Hey everyone , just moved to Greenfield on the 1st from New Jersey before the start of my summer research at MCW. What a wonderful place to live , its near everything and you get a break from school and one month free rent+ free high speed internet.Hope to meet all soon.

 

[opmed]

I'm living in Wauwatosa right now and thanks to MCW's $500/month room budget, I will be moving into a much cheaper and smaller place in Tosa at the end of May. On the bright side, it is within walking distance of school.

 

[dsherida]

Hey everyone , just moved to Greenfield on the 1st from New Jersey before the start of my summer research at MCW. What a wonderful place to live , its near everything and you get a break from school and one month free rent+ free high speed internet.Hope to meet all soon.

Did you apply Early Decision? Only reason I ask is that I did and at my interview one of the guys I had lunch with and was in my tour group was from New Jersey that went to Rutgers. If so, congratulation on getting accepted! I was the guy from Oregon.