MCW Class of 2014!!!!

[CSnowFoxD]

Hey guys!
Decided to make a thread for MCW since I couldn't find one and last year's seemed really informative, so here it is... If you're planning to go to MCW this year, say something!

(and how is everyone finding some place to live? especially those from faar OOS like me :\)

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[AyCaramba]

I'm not really sure where I'm going next year, but MCW is definitely one of my top choices.

I'm also from way OOS, and from last year's thread it seems like the best thing to do to find housing is to go to the area around the school and look for places that are renting. So that's probably what I'll do. In terms of cost of living, MCW seems really reasonable. The first year budget is only 53K, whereas some of the schools in cities that I've been to are 70K+... so that's a definite plus.

 

[samenewme]

Once you accept and it gets closer to June, the school will give you the opportunity to sign up on a roommate matching list so you can maybe connect with someone who lives closer and has already found a place.

I think everyone in my duplex is moving out this summer. It's 2 miles from campus, upstairs 2 br 1 ba is I think 675/month and downstairs 2 1/2 br, 1.5 bath is 775. Contact me if you want details.

 

[Raryn]

A good number of people in my class found roommates via the MCW Class of 2013 Facebook group. Dunno if theres a 2014 one yet though.

 

[CSnowFoxD]

Hey thanks for the input guys.

I made a Facebook group, so join up if you're going to go to MCW this year! --> MCW 2014

And AyCaramba, good luck on your choices! Cost of living at MCW is definitely reasonable, at least compared to where I'm living right now, so I'm excited about having to pay back a liiittle less loans in the future.

I think I'll go over and look a little later in the summer (June/early Julyish). The problem with that is I'm not sure if I wait until the roomate list comes out and try to find a roomate, and that doesn't work out, will I still have time to find my own place after that? Or should I just go find my own place and try to find a roomate? (I hope I can share an apt with someone--lower cost + getting to know someone yay!)

 

[Delo_Ohm]

#1- Congrats on getting in!!

#2- Don't stress about finding a place to live. It is easy enough... the trick is finding a place with covered parking or heat included. I have no experience with the roomate list, but I'd guess facebook is just as good (if not better, faster, easier).

 

[45408]

Wow. It's hard to believe I won't even be an MCW student by the time you guys arrive. I thought this day would never come...

 

[Delo_Ohm]

Prowler, I forget you actual timeline... Are you still interviewing? How has it all been going? Do you have a top 3 yet?

 

[AyCaramba]

Hey thanks for the input guys.

I made a Facebook group, so join up if you're going to go to MCW this year! --> MCW 2014

And AyCaramba, good luck on your choices! Cost of living at MCW is definitely reasonable, at least compared to where I'm living right now, so I'm excited about having to pay back a liiittle less loans in the future.

I think I'll go over and look a little later in the summer (June/early Julyish). The problem with that is I'm not sure if I wait until the roomate list comes out and try to find a roomate, and that doesn't work out, will I still have time to find my own place after that? Or should I just go find my own place and try to find a roomate? (I hope I can share an apt with someone--lower cost + getting to know someone yay!)

thanks. yeah one of the great things about MCW is that it seems possible to get my own place (like a studio) for a pretty reasonable price. If I get into Georgetown off the waitlist and have to make a decision, what I can get in terms of a living situation will be something I consider heavily...

 

[AyCaramba]

Also, thanks to some of the current students for coming back to check in on us

 

[Delo_Ohm]

Also, thanks to some of the current students for coming back to check in on us

That's what we live for...

 

[45408]

Prowler, I forget you actual timeline... Are you still interviewing? How has it all been going? Do you have a top 3 yet?

Last interview was on Friday. I have more like a top 4 at this point...

 

[Delo_Ohm]

Last interview was on Friday. I have more like a top 4 at this point...

Well congrats on being done, now just enjoy the ride I guess.

 

[Ashers]

Wow. It's hard to believe I won't even be an MCW student by the time you guys arrive. I thought this day would never come...

By the time they graduate, I'll be an attending (or a fellow), but at this point, most likely an attending somewhere West and warm.

 

[45408]

Well congrats on being done, now just enjoy the ride I guess.

I'm headed for a second look tomorrow back in the state that you did your masters...

 

[CSnowFoxD]

By the time they graduate, I'll be an attending (or a fellow), but at this point, most likely an attending somewhere West and warm.

I was reading last years MCW thread I thought Ashers was staying in WI? So do you mean you're getting tired of the cold...?

Thanks Del_Ohm! I'm waiting for when more people know for sure where they're going so I can take care of the housing thing better...guess it's more useful to just ask around about experiences with apts/places as of now.

 

[Ashers]

I was reading last years MCW thread I thought Ashers was staying in WI? So do you mean you're getting tired of the cold...?

Thanks Del_Ohm! I'm waiting for when more people know for sure where they're going so I can take care of the housing thing better...guess it's more useful to just ask around about experiences with apts/places as of now.

I'm staying in WI for residency. My goal since about Oct 2005 has been to move back to somewhere warm.

 

[Ashers]

I'm staying in WI for residency. My goal since about Oct 2005 has been to move back to somewhere warm.

Wow... didn't mean to kill the thread. I'm just cold. For those of you from warm places (and probably no one will have me beat if you're from the US) ... it's doable... I had just planned on doing it for 4 years and only 4 years.

 

[SN2ed]

Very excited about my acceptance to here. This was definitely my favorite interview experience. Plus, it's cheaper compared to other private schools. Yeah...don't have much to say, it's just that this thread is so quiet compared to last year's thread. Do any of you know how people will be selected for the new curriculum? I was thinking about emailing Michael Istwan about it since I'd be interested in it.

Also, I was wondering if the stated cost of attendance of $54k is accurate. Is around $14k really all you need to live in Wisconsin?

 

[Delo_Ohm]

Very excited about my acceptance to here. This was definitely my favorite interview experience. Plus, it's cheaper compared to other private schools. Yeah...don't have much to say, it's just that this thread is so quiet compared to last year's thread. Do any of you know how people will be selected for the new curriculum? I was thinking about emailing Michael Istwan about it since I'd be interested in it.

Also, I was wondering if the stated cost of attendance of $54k is accurate. Is around $14k really all you need to live in Wisconsin?

1- CONGRATS, and welcome

2- Things are quieter, but if you have questions, they will get answered, so don't be afraid to post something

3- Selection for the new curriculum... I am not sure exactly what you are asking, but we have had a few pilot programs run with 20 kids or so, while the rest of the class goes through the current system - it is strictly volunteer and the course director will talk about it on the first day of class or something. However, if you are real gung-ho about it, by all means start contacting people, just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. (Istwan probably isn't the guy to talk to, but he might be able to point you the right way)

4- WI does have a low cost of living, but you are still a student. On that budget it'd probably be hard to live in your own place, but housing isn't too hard to figure out.

 

[45408]

Also, I was wondering if the stated cost of attendance of $54k is accurate. Is around $14k really all you need to live in Wisconsin?

I mooch off my wife for living expenses, so I can't speak personally, but in the past, people have said the budget is pretty snug, particularly on the rent allowance. It's much more doable if you have a roommate, but plenty of people live alone.


And post any questions you want in here. I'm happy to keep posting in MCW threads

 

[SN2ed]

Thanks for the help. Maybe I'll try and get my parents to pitch in some money so I can stick to the ~54k per year. The less debt the better. The comparatively low tuition is one of the big draws to MCW for me. The other school I was accepted at costs around 69k per year.

How's the ER program at MCW? Right now I'm really interested in EM.

Is there anything you'd wished you'd know about MCW before going?

Let's keep this thread alive!

 

[AyCaramba]

3- Selection for the new curriculum... I am not sure exactly what you are asking, but we have had a few pilot programs run with 20 kids or so, while the rest of the class goes through the current system - it is strictly volunteer and the course director will talk about it on the first day of class or something. However, if you are real gung-ho about it, by all means start contacting people, just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. (Istwan probably isn't the guy to talk to, but he might be able to point you the right way)

So I don't understand how 20 people can go through one curriculum and the rest go through another. I couldn't really figure this out from the presentation during my interview either. Is the "new curriculum" just an extra class or two you take along with the "old curriculum"? Because I can't imagine the actual core science courses being taught differently for just 20 people. If it's just adding more work to what everyone else is doing, is there any other incentive to volunteer for it? Also, I know that the pathways are mandatory for the class of 2014; are there any other changes that will be made permanent for us, or will most things continue on a trial basis?
thanks

Also: what do you guys think of Froedtert/CHW? Just curious about your impressions overall. I realize that most hospitals are pretty much the same deal, but I was wondering about the strengths/weaknesses of the MCW hospitals and clinical options you guys have. If you have any comments about 3rd/4th year and how much responsibility students have, preparation for internship, etc., I'd love to hear them.

 

[Ashers]

So I don't understand how 20 people can go through one curriculum and the rest go through another. I couldn't really figure this out from the presentation during my interview either. Is the "new curriculum" just an extra class or two you take along with the "old curriculum"? Because I can't imagine the actual core science courses being taught differently for just 20 people. If it's just adding more work to what everyone else is doing, is there any other incentive to volunteer for it? Also, I know that the pathways are mandatory for the class of 2014; are there any other changes that will be made permanent for us, or will most things continue on a trial basis?
thanks

Also: what do you guys think of Froedtert/CHW? Just curious about your impressions overall. I realize that most hospitals are pretty much the same deal, but I was wondering about the strengths/weaknesses of the MCW hospitals and clinical options you guys have. If you have any comments about 3rd/4th year and how much responsibility students have, preparation for internship, etc., I'd love to hear them.

I can answer the thing re: "the Dert" and "CHoW." You will work your butt off in just about any rotation at either of these hospitals and at the VA. There are a couple other hospitals through which one can rotate that are community hospitals. They tend to be more laid back especially for medicine and surg somewhat for OB/gyn... Not an option for peds.

So at the Dert and CHW you will work hard, you will see pts who will be "yours." You will do procedures and learn how to function in a hospital. The upside is that you will go into intern year more prepared than some other schools where the students tend to have 2 years of almost "observerships." The downside is that, yeah, life can suck on some rotations.

 

[45408]

Also: what do you guys think of Froedtert/CHW? Just curious about your impressions overall. I realize that most hospitals are pretty much the same deal, but I was wondering about the strengths/weaknesses of the MCW hospitals and clinical options you guys have. If you have any comments about 3rd/4th year and how much responsibility students have, preparation for internship, etc., I'd love to hear them.

Yeah, most hospitals are the same. I toured over a dozen of them on my residency trail. Most of them look alike!

I kind of made it my goal to rotate at as many different area hospitals as possible, which I'm glad I did. You get to see a very different dynamic and type of pathology from a nice suburban hospital in Waukesha to central Milwaukee (St. Joseph's).

Thanks for the help. Maybe I'll try and get my parents to pitch in some money so I can stick to the ~54k per year. The less debt the better. The comparatively low tuition is one of the big draws to MCW for me. The other school I was accepted at costs around 69k per year.

How's the ER program at MCW? Right now I'm really interested in EM.

Very good, in my opinion. If I had gone into EM (which was what I thought I was going to do), I'd probably stay at MCW. I think the trauma program at MCW (both EM and trauma surgery) is very, very solid. I feel extremely well-prepared as a student after doing those two rotations.

Is there anything you'd wished you'd know about MCW before going?

Not really. It's not perfect, but it has some very strong points. Your M1/M2 curriculum is different than what I had though, so that might have an effect on your decision. If you like/tolerate Milwaukee, and you thought MCW was a good fit, it probably will be. I don't know any classmates who disliked MCW. I only applied regionally for residency, but I had more interview offers than I knew what to do with, so I'm pretty sure that the school's reputation is solid.

 

[Delo_Ohm]

So, the "new curriculum" is something that no one understands real well. The big picture is that MCW will end up with a 6 stage curriculum which begins with a white coat ceremony and some basic intro stuff, moved on to some basic sciences, and concludes with the clinical things. There is a patient panel that you will follow for 4 years, which, along with pathways, will fully integrate 1st through 4th year students. There is a really strong push towards integrating everything. With respect to the basic science things, it is moving towards a case based approach/PBL (I think) and away from straight lecture style. The 20 student pilot programs are with small aspects of a given course - such as the cv portion of physiology, so the dual curriculum model is only running briefly with a few students. It would be impossible to sustain that with any success, so things that pilot one year will be fully integrated the next. My understanding is that the class of 2015 will be the first to go through the real deal, new curriculum. I'll try to figure our more, so keep the questions coming if you have them - you should know what type of education you are committing to. Does that make sense?

 

[AyCaramba]

I can answer the thing re: "the Dert" and "CHoW." You will work your butt off in just about any rotation at either of these hospitals and at the VA. There are a couple other hospitals through which one can rotate that are community hospitals. They tend to be more laid back especially for medicine and surg somewhat for OB/gyn... Not an option for peds.

So at the Dert and CHW you will work hard, you will see pts who will be "yours." You will do procedures and learn how to function in a hospital. The upside is that you will go into intern year more prepared than some other schools where the students tend to have 2 years of almost "observerships." The downside is that, yeah, life can suck on some rotations.

That's great insight, thank you. Of course, being a masochistic premed, I like the idea of the more intense rotations at "the Dert" and "CHoW" and I'm glad that's an option (though I might eat my words in a couple years).

Yeah, most hospitals are the same. I toured over a dozen of them on my residency trail. Most of them look alike!

I kind of made it my goal to rotate at as many different area hospitals as possible, which I'm glad I did. You get to see a very different dynamic and type of pathology from a nice suburban hospital in Waukesha to central Milwaukee (St. Joseph's).

Not sure if you're mocking me with that first paragraph. But thanks for the response. That's interesting that you have the opportunity to choose among different types of clinical sites. I know other schools offer different types of sites, obviously, but the other schools I visited didn't make it seem like a "choice," more like, you're assigned to a certain place for a certain rotation, and that's that.

So, the "new curriculum" is something that no one understands real well. The big picture is that MCW will end up with a 6 stage curriculum which begins with a white coat ceremony and some basic intro stuff, moved on to some basic sciences, and concludes with the clinical things. There is a patient panel that you will follow for 4 years, which, along with pathways, will fully integrate 1st through 4th year students. There is a really strong push towards integrating everything. With respect to the basic science things, it is moving towards a case based approach/PBL (I think) and away from straight lecture style. The 20 student pilot programs are with small aspects of a given course - such as the cv portion of physiology, so the dual curriculum model is only running briefly with a few students. It would be impossible to sustain that with any success, so things that pilot one year will be fully integrated the next. My understanding is that the class of 2015 will be the first to go through the real deal, new curriculum. I'll try to figure our more, so keep the questions coming if you have them - you should know what type of education you are committing to. Does that make sense?

Sounds confusing, but I appreciate your explanation. It's good to know that the "real deal" won't start until the class of 2015, which is unfortunate (or fortunate, I suppose). So is it possible to volunteer for one or two parts of the "new curriculum" or do you have to do all or none of the parts? And do you know anyone who has opted in for any of the new programs and what their impressions are?

Thanks you guys. I think MCW definitely has the most responsive students on SDN

 

[CAPiTAtwo]

I don't know anything about what they have been saying about the new curriculum, but I can tell you what they have been doing for us (current M1s).

The CV portion of physiology involves the entire class. There was a small pilot program last year, but they extended it to the entire class for this year. I do expect them to make some changes for next year - they seem to be aiming for more of a discussion-based (as opposed to standard PPT lecture) style, but that has not proven to be effective with a lecture hall full of 200+ students at 8am.

Pathways are still sort of in development - we have all chosen our pathways at this point, and it is slowly picking up speed. It is nice because it frees up your entire Friday, so there is a TON of time to hang out with clinical mentors, see stuff in the hospitals, or go to Grand Rounds, M&Ms, etc. There are once-monthly pathway sessions that are the 'core' hours. Presentations, case reviews, M&Ms, things like that.

Other than that, things seem fairly static. First semester is a well-oiled machine, so I don't expect them to make many changes there...

 

[45408]

Not sure if you're mocking me with that first paragraph. But thanks for the response. That's interesting that you have the opportunity to choose among different types of clinical sites. I know other schools offer different types of sites, obviously, but the other schools I visited didn't make it seem like a "choice," more like, you're assigned to a certain place for a certain rotation, and that's that.

Nah, wasn't mocking. Just reinforcing that after going to a dozen hospitals on my recent interview trail, they do almost all look alike. The Cleveland Clinic gets its own category though, and my friends who went to Mayo said the same thing.

You have a fair amount of choice, but some people get stuck at places they didn't like. I can't complain - I got my first choice track for M3, and I got all the sites and all the electives I wanted. I was very happy with my M3 schedule. Well, one of my peds rotations kind of sucked, but it was the one I asked for! My mistake...

 

[AyCaramba]

Nah, wasn't mocking. Just reinforcing that after going to a dozen hospitals on my recent interview trail, they do almost all look alike. The Cleveland Clinic gets its own category though, and my friends who went to Mayo said the same thing.

You have a fair amount of choice, but some people get stuck at places they didn't like. I can't complain - I got my first choice track for M3, and I got all the sites and all the electives I wanted. I was very happy with my M3 schedule. Well, one of my peds rotations kind of sucked, but it was the one I asked for! My mistake...

Yeah, as med school applicants, we don't always get a lot of exposure to the hospitals during the interviews, probably because it doesn't matter as much for us as for residents. And they probably wouldn't know what exactly to show us, given that we're not looking to join a specific department. To some extent, most any academic hospital will do to teach med students the basics. But I was a bit disappointed that we weren't able to see Froedtert or any other clinical facilities during the MCW interview. It's mostly just a curiosity issue. I was lucky enough to interview at Mayo, and I can confirm what your friends said; it really does deserve its own category. And that must be really cool for the med students there, but at the same time, I feel like a lot of the things that distinguish certain hospitals might be of more importance for residency/fellowship/beyond than for med school.

 

[45408]

Yeah, as med school applicants, we don't always get a lot of exposure to the hospitals during the interviews, probably because it doesn't matter as much for us as for residents. And they probably wouldn't know what exactly to show us, given that we're not looking to join a specific department. To some extent, most any academic hospital will do to teach med students the basics. But I was a bit disappointed that we weren't able to see Froedtert or any other clinical facilities during the MCW interview. It's mostly just a curiosity issue. I was lucky enough to interview at Mayo, and I can confirm what your friends said; it really does deserve its own category. And that must be really cool for the med students there, but at the same time, I feel like a lot of the things that distinguish certain hospitals might be of more importance for residency/fellowship/beyond than for med school.

FYI, the reason that you guys don't get a tour is that Froedtert apparently won't allow the tours. MCW has a relationship with Froedtert, but they don't own it or control it.

Overall, it's one of the nicer hospitals in Milwaukee, and an average hospital compared to the other academic centers I've been to.

 

[AyCaramba]

FYI, the reason that you guys don't get a tour is that Froedtert apparently won't allow the tours. MCW has a relationship with Froedtert, but they don't own it or control it.

Overall, it's one of the nicer hospitals in Milwaukee, and an average hospital compared to the other academic centers I've been to.

Oh yes, now that you mention it, I think I remember Mike Istwan saying something like that about Froedtert. At least they're still physically connected... Wisconsin is cold in the winter...

 

[medking]

Oh yes, now that you mention it, I think I remember Mike Istwan saying something like that about Froedtert. At least they're still physically connected... Wisconsin is cold in the winter...

True, it's a maze at first but you'll get used to it.

 

[CSnowFoxD]

The CV portion of physiology involves the entire class. There was a small pilot program last year, but they extended it to the entire class for this year. I do expect them to make some changes for next year - they seem to be aiming for more of a discussion-based (as opposed to standard PPT lecture) style, but that has not proven to be effective with a lecture hall full of 200+ students at 8am.

Pathways are still sort of in development - we have all chosen our pathways at this point, and it is slowly picking up speed. It is nice because it frees up your entire Friday, so there is a TON of time to hang out with clinical mentors, see stuff in the hospitals, or go to Grand Rounds, M&Ms, etc. There are once-monthly pathway sessions that are the 'core' hours. Presentations, case reviews, M&Ms, things like that.

What do you guys mean by CV? I think I'm having a brain fart moment here, all I can think of is cardiovascular=cv...

I'm curious about the curriculum for c/o 2014 too, especially because I interviewed with the c/o 2013 and they seem to have told the 2014 people different things about the curriculum. Is there anything else/more specific that MCW told those of you who interviewed this application year besides the fact that we will have some kind of new curriculum?

I also don't remember much about what pathways were...you get to pick your own? I remembered looking at the class schedule online or somewhere and there was class everyday, including Fridays. So that's different now? Or am I just confused again, which seems to be the general feel of this whole post. :x

Oh, and do any of you do any research or know of anyone that do? I had some information about that from the school, but it would be awesome to hear about any experiences, like how easy/hard it was to find research/publish something, how much you regret/was glad you did something over your last "summer" etc etc.

By the way, Ashers, I know what you mean (in the sense that I really want to move back to somewhere warm in 4 years, as excited I am about going to MCW )

 

[CAPiTAtwo]

^Right, it's the cardiovascular portion of the physiology course.

You're right though, 1st semester we did have anatomy on Fridays as well, but this semester we have Fridays set aside for Pathways stuff.

You get to pick a pathway out of: Master Clinician, Urban & Community Health, Global Health, Clinician Educator, and Physician Scientist. So you pick one and work towards accomplishing a learning plan/portfolio that will, in theory, give tons of experience and help better prepare you for a residency in that direction.

...or at least that's how I am looking at it. At this point, I think I want to go into Internal Med., so I chose master clinician and will hopefully use pathways time to get as much primary care patient contact as I can get my hands on.

 

[AyCaramba]

So I was wondering about living downtown. I didn't stay with a host during my interview, so I didn't get to talk to a student about the whole living situation in detail. I actually did read the entire MCW c/o 2013 thread, and housing did come up, and it seems like there are a number of good options. It was mentioned that a subset of students live closer to downtown Milwaukee. I was wondering if there are any substantial benefits to doing this, especially once people become really busy with classes, and also what neighborhoods people tend to live in. I know that Milwaukee is a legit city, but it's also no NYC or Chicago. I also realize that it ultimately comes down to your personal needs, but I was wondering if people who live more downtown tend to like it or think it's a waste after a year. I've never been to Milwaukee proper so I don't know what it's like. I think I would choose to maybe find a small place to myself near the school rather than try to figure something out near the city, but I was curious as to current/former students' opinions...

Any thoughts on this rambling mess of a question are appreciated.

 

[AyCaramba]

^Right, it's the cardiovascular portion of the physiology course.

Is there something special/new about the cv part? just curious

 

[Delo_Ohm]

See above about the cv portion of phys.

Regarding the best location to live - downtown in doable, but I personally don't see the advantage. It is a great area and lots of fun, but it is nice to have a short drive downtown (from a place closer to school) when you need to get out once in a while than a drive to and from school everyday. In my opinion, commuting gets old real quick and it will cost more to live downtown. I advise finding the closest place with a roommate or 2. That said, for several reasons I live about 20 min away (on a good day) and it works.

 

[SN2ed]

On a housing related note, I was looking at the cost of attendance and noticed that the budget is only for 10 months. What do students do about rent for the months not covered by the cost of attendance? Do you get a part-time job for the months not covered or ask for more loan money?

 

[AyCaramba]

See above about the cv portion of phys.

Is it an example of the deemphasized lecture, increased PBL/cases, etc structure that you mentioned? wasn't sure

Regarding the best location to live - downtown in doable, but I personally don't see the advantage. It is a great area and lots of fun, but it is nice to have a short drive downtown (from a place closer to school) when you need to get out once in a while than a drive to and from school everyday. In my opinion, commuting gets old real quick and it will cost more to live downtown. I advise finding the closest place with a roommate or 2. That said, for several reasons I live about 20 min away (on a good day) and it works.

Yeah, good points, thanks

 

[Delo_Ohm]

On a housing related note, I was looking at the cost of attendance and noticed that the budget is only for 10 months. What do students do about rent for the months not covered by the cost of attendance? Do you get a part-time job for the months not covered or ask for more loan money?

The budget is for 10 months - many students work the summer after M1 year, do summer research, or find an externship, etc which will all pay a little. However, others take the summer off and do almost nothing. It all depends who you are and what your $$ situation is. If you need to make some cash, you will be able to.

 

[Delo_Ohm]

Is it an example of the deemphasized lecture, increased PBL/cases, etc structure that you mentioned? wasn't sure

Yeah, good points, thanks

Yes, the CV portion of phys is something they are piloting with our whole class before transitioning the entire curriculum for phys to something similar to what CV is now.

They are trying to make it more interactive, specifically emphasizing the student's responsibility for their learning. Ultimately, our class (current M1's) will very enthusiastically review and critique the cv phys portion which will ideally go towards refining the whole effort and increasing the effectivness of the teaching.

At the end of the day there are still tutors

 

[AyCaramba]

Ultimately, our class (current M1's) will very enthusiastically review and critique the cv phys portion which will ideally go towards refining the whole effort and increasing the effectivness of the teaching.

At the end of the day there are still tutors

lol is this a euphemistic way of saying that it's been an unpopular change?

 

[Delo_Ohm]

lol is this a euphemistic way of saying that it's been an unpopular change?

Well I was trying not to give that impression, but rather to ensure you that while there is a lot of change, everyone is contributing to the common goal of an improved educational experience. (Better?)

 

[medking]

So I was wondering about living downtown. I didn't stay with a host during my interview, so I didn't get to talk to a student about the whole living situation in detail. I actually did read the entire MCW c/o 2013 thread, and housing did come up, and it seems like there are a number of good options. It was mentioned that a subset of students live closer to downtown Milwaukee. I was wondering if there are any substantial benefits to doing this, especially once people become really busy with classes, and also what neighborhoods people tend to live in. I know that Milwaukee is a legit city, but it's also no NYC or Chicago. I also realize that it ultimately comes down to your personal needs, but I was wondering if people who live more downtown tend to like it or think it's a waste after a year. I've never been to Milwaukee proper so I don't know what it's like. I think I would choose to maybe find a small place to myself near the school rather than try to figure something out near the city, but I was curious as to current/former students' opinions...

Any thoughts on this rambling mess of a question are appreciated.

Live as close to school as possible. You will have one less thing to worry about.

 

[45408]

So I was wondering about living downtown. I didn't stay with a host during my interview, so I didn't get to talk to a student about the whole living situation in detail. I actually did read the entire MCW c/o 2013 thread, and housing did come up, and it seems like there are a number of good options. It was mentioned that a subset of students live closer to downtown Milwaukee. I was wondering if there are any substantial benefits to doing this, especially once people become really busy with classes, and also what neighborhoods people tend to live in. I know that Milwaukee is a legit city, but it's also no NYC or Chicago. I also realize that it ultimately comes down to your personal needs, but I was wondering if people who live more downtown tend to like it or think it's a waste after a year. I've never been to Milwaukee proper so I don't know what it's like. I think I would choose to maybe find a small place to myself near the school rather than try to figure something out near the city, but I was curious as to current/former students' opinions...

Any thoughts on this rambling mess of a question are appreciated.

I live downtown (I'd call it lower east side, but it's pretty much the same thing), and I like it. I don't really do a whole lot down here, but I still like living in a denser area. It is a bit pricier, but I got pretty bored in Tosa after two years, haha.

 

[CSnowFoxD]

I'm wondering...how'd you guys find roomates? Or did most of you guys with roomates get to know people and then get a roomie 2nd year?

You get to pick a pathway out of: Master Clinician, Urban & Community Health, Global Health, Clinician Educator, and Physician Scientist. So you pick one and work towards accomplishing a learning plan/portfolio that will, in theory, give tons of experience and help better prepare you for a residency in that direction.

...or at least that's how I am looking at it. At this point, I think I want to go into Internal Med., so I chose master clinician and will hopefully use pathways time to get as much primary care patient contact as I can get my hands on.

Ah, thanks for the clarification! So once you pick one, you have to stay with it? Are there people who change their minds...?

 

[Raryn]

Basically, the administration is very gung-ho about changing the curriculum to a more modern one. Our class (the current M1s) are the first to have to do pathways and the new cardiovascular block (which just ended today).

Neither of these changes was as well planned as they could have been, leading to some resentment on the part of the M1s. Specifically, the whole pathway curriculum wasn't fleshed out (or even totally approved) before the end of our "introduction" when we had to pick a pathway, so we were going into it fairly blind. Not going to be an issue next year though, just a problem for people in the first year they do it.

The problem with the CV block was a little bit more annoying. Last year they had a pilot program with 15-20 students who volunteered to do a discussion-based approach instead of the rest of the classes lecture-based one, and it worked extremely well. So they decide to scale it up. The issue being, that they scaled it up to all 200+ of us in the same room, with fairly minimal external guidance. They also instituted mandatory quizzes at the beginning of every class, on *that days* material. Lets just say that we did not take it very well.

Ended up being that the quizzes were made extra credit and that, since they didn't have the faculty to make it all small groups at this point, they just changed our "discussions" to pretty much lectures. So yes, they listen to our feedback. The major difference now being that we didn't have lecture note packets to assist us in studying. And to rub salt in the wound, the specific professor who was writing cardiovascular questions for our exam had a tendency to word them ambiguously. But he heard a lot of our feedback there too, and we got credit for multiple answers on several of those questions (not all the disputed ones unfortunately, but a goodly amount.)

Now, don't get me wrong. The curriculum here is mostly great, and a lot of the professors are the nicest people you will ever find. The major issue with the cv block was in the implementation of just scaling up the pilot program, and next year's class will not have the same issues. The only warning I can give is that yes, bits of our curriculum are in flux, but coming to MCW, you *will* get a good education.

As for the question on how any pilot programs might work, I can only say about the one I've seen signups for. They're doing a pilot program for the respiratory block of physiology in a few months, and they basically asked for volunteers then assigned 20 of them by lottery. Not sure the specifics of how its going to work, but its likely going to be various small group discussions/clinical experiences in lieu of attending lectures.

 

[Raryn]

I'm wondering...how'd you guys find roomates? Or did most of you guys with roomates get to know people and then get a roomie 2nd year?



Ah, thanks for the clarification! So once you pick one, you have to stay with it? Are there people who change their minds...?

You'll be able to find roommates through the Facebook group, the orientation forum, or the orientation mailing list.

And they tell us that we'll be able to change our pathways at the end of the year if we decide to change our minds. Not 100% sure on that yet, since this is the first year they're doing it, but that sounds pretty reasonable to me.

 

[Justforkicks4]

Oh, and do any of you do any research or know of anyone that do? I had some information about that from the school, but it would be awesome to hear about any experiences, like how easy/hard it was to find research/publish something, how much you regret/was glad you did something over your last "summer" etc etc.

Hey all, I was kind of wondering this same thing as well. At the interview they mentioned that about half of the M1 class will participate in the summer research program. For current students, have any of you participated in this program and if so, was it easy to find projects that interested you or was it pretty competitive and you kind of take what you can get? Also, are any of you graduating with the "distinction in research?"

Thanks so much for your help; I really loved MCW.