Michigan State University CHM Class of 2013

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UKFrog

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For all of us that are choosing to come to East Lansing I thought it would be appropriate to start a place to share ideas about Housing, Banking, etc. The more information we can share, the better off we will all start our first year!

Happy Holidays and tidings of cheer! See you in Lansing

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As a current undergrad at MSU and an accepted CHM applicant I would have to say that the best place to bank in East Lansing is MSUFCU.
 
Class thread!! Yaaay! I was hoping someone would start one. I'm so psyched to be MSU-CHM c/o 2013!! Congrats to all for being accepted :hardy:

Does anyone know if there is a facebook group yet?

PS: UKFrog, I saw you had MD/PhD in your name... what discipline is your PhD? I applied MD/PhD as well, but I'm still waiting to hear back from the PhD part.
 
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Class thread!! Yaaay! I was hoping someone would start one. I'm so psyched to be MSU-CHM c/o 2013!! Congrats to all for being accepted :hardy:

Does anyone know if there is a facebook group yet?

PS: UKFrog, I saw you had MD/PhD in your name... what discipline is your PhD? I applied MD/PhD as well, but I'm still waiting to hear back from the PhD part.

Pharmacology...When did you submit your application?? Have you been in touch with Dr Crockett?

As far as banking goes, you can apply to MSUFCU online. It's easy! They may want you to send a copy of your acceptance letter by email if you aren't in the MSU student directory.
 
As a current undergrad at MSU and an accepted CHM applicant I would have to say that the best place to bank in East Lansing is MSUFCU.


Hey Obee,
What are some areas to avoid in terms of housing? My wife and I are looking to buy a home.We don't know the neighborhoods.

We found some great houses an area being reidentified call Baker Donora. I know it used to be rough but I am wondering if it has made any progress towards being more safe. Can you give me some help?
 
You guys may have already checked you application status lately, but I just got my PID and PAN today. I am sure we have to use these number for something later on!
 
Hey Obee,
What are some areas to avoid in terms of housing? My wife and I are looking to buy a home.We don't know the neighborhoods.

We found some great houses an area being reidentified call Baker Donora. I know it used to be rough but I am wondering if it has made any progress towards being more safe. Can you give me some help?

UKFrog...and anyone else for that matter. I went to undergrad at MSU as well...feel free to ask me any questions you may have about the city or the school. I will try to check this thread regularly but you are more than welcome to PM me as well.

As far as housing is concerned...it really depends...certain parts of downtown Lansing are not the best but it is also significantly cheaper to live there. Housing near the campus are mainly for students but in the area on the North of Grand River on the East side of campus there are some adults/families scattered in the student housing. It is also more expensive here. Figure out how far from the med school you are willing to live and then you can ask some more specific questions. Also, keep in mind you may only be in Lansing for 2 years...or 1 if you go to Grand Rapids...

Congrats! :thumbup:
 
Pharmacology...When did you submit your application?? Have you been in touch with Dr Crockett?

I submitted the PhD supplement right around the deadline (11/15 ish)- after I got my interview invite. The process wasn't totally clear to me when I was submitting my secondary in August. Anyway, I'm kind of a special case because my PhD would be in Linguistics. They've never had anybody do an MD/PhD outside of the hard sciences. Dr. Crockett is working with me to push the idea through the administration. I should know in a month-ish, when the Linguistic Dept considers my application. Are you officially accepted as MD/PhD at this point? When were you complete? From what the current MD/PhDs said, we'll be seeing a lot of each other if I get accepted to the PhD segment :D

Re housing, I'm OOS but my bf is a current first year. He lives in Spartan Village. The apartments are nice and close to campus. I'm not sure about cost- but I assume they're reasonable. If anyone has questions that you'd like forwarded to him, please let me know, he'd be happy to help.
 
I submitted the PhD supplement right around the deadline (11/15 ish)- after I got my interview invite. The process wasn't totally clear to me when I was submitting my secondary in August. Anyway, I'm kind of a special case because my PhD would be in Linguistics. They've never had anybody do an MD/PhD outside of the hard sciences. Dr. Crockett is working with me to push the idea through the administration. I should know in a month-ish, when the Linguistic Dept considers my application. Are you officially accepted as MD/PhD at this point? When were you complete? From what the current MD/PhDs said, we'll be seeing a lot of each other if I get accepted to the PhD segment :D

Re housing, I'm OOS but my bf is a current first year. He lives in Spartan Village. The apartments are nice and close to campus. I'm not sure about cost- but I assume they're reasonable. If anyone has questions that you'd like forwarded to him, please let me know, he'd be happy to help.

Yes, I have been accepted to the program. I applied quite early and interviewed in October.

Best of Luck with the Linguistic proposal.
 
Congrats to all!

Can you please offer me some advice re accomplishing a successful MSU CHM interview? Any must-know information or school-specific preparation?

(Or perhaps refer me to another thread specific to MSU CHM?)

I'd rather receive advice from successful applicants :laugh:

Thanks!
 
Congrats to all!

Can you please offer me some advice re accomplishing a successful MSU CHM interview? Any must-know information or school-specific preparation?

(Or perhaps refer me to another thread specific to MSU CHM?)

I'd rather receive advice from successful applicants :laugh:

Thanks for hijacking this thread. Seriously this portion of the thread doesn't exist for questions like this. Interviews are incredibly simple: be yourself and be honest. Why does everyone treat the interview like an insincere sales pitch?

Sorry to rant but this drives me nuts.
 
if anyone needs good realtor check out laurie Koelling with the Tomie Raines company in Okemos. If you need her number let me know.
 
Congrats to all!

Can you please offer me some advice re accomplishing a successful MSU CHM interview? Any must-know information or school-specific preparation?

(Or perhaps refer me to another thread specific to MSU CHM?)

I'd rather receive advice from successful applicants :laugh:

Thanks for hijacking this thread. Seriously this portion of the thread doesn't exist for questions like this. Interviews are incredibly simple: be yourself and be honest. Why does everyone treat the interview like an insincere sales pitch?

Sorry to rant but this drives me nuts.

_____________________________

It's interesting you took the time to post the above comments, while contributing nothing to a constructive discourse. In actuality, most threads of this nature on SDN are intended for both (a) accepted and (b) PROSPECTIVE students of a particular school. (You fail to understand that you and I actually may be classmates in the fall.) But should we meet, I'll likely identify you immediately as an arrogant ass, so we need not interact further. Is this sincere enough for you?
 
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_____________________________

It's interesting you took the time to post the above comments, while contributing nothing to a constructive discourse. In actuality, most threads of this nature on SDN are intended for both (a) accepted and (b) PROSPECTIVE students of a particular school. (You fail to understand that you and I actually may be classmates in the fall.) But should we meet, I'll likely identify you immediately as an arrogant ass, so we need not interact further. Is this sincere enough for you?

Interesting you took the time to come down from your high horse and conduct a discourse with such an arrogant ass. Perhaps before you mount your steed you should consider two points:
1.) If SDN threads were intended to both accepted and prospective students, why would the site go to such length to separate into various categories? Pre Allopathic categories obviously exist for those still seeking advice on interviews, apps, etc. Allopathic Class Threads are the place to post info about housing, banking, class information, books, etc.

2.) If you were so oblivious to point one, why did you write "Sorry to Intrude..." on your title? You did understand the need to separate Class Threads from Pre Allopathic matters. This thread is obviously intended for specific issues as is the other where you could have directed your question. In fact, some accepted applicants bounce between the two to share information pertaining exclusively to each thread.

You and I may in fact be classmates in the fall. I am not naive enough to think otherwise. I will, however, suggest that you may need to leave your aforementioned horse in Visitor Parking Lot 100 on the day of your interview. The folks at MSU don't have the room to accomodate equestrian platforms of piety, and you may want to hide the fact your think yourself to be so blameless.

See you in the fall?
 
Any other out of state students get accepted? I'm a California resident, and I was accepted on 12/16.

If so, other than Federal and private bank loans, how are you guys intending to pay for school? I really loved the school when I came to interview and I am really excited to attend... but the price is steep for out of state students.
 
To Postbaccguy: The MSU interview is very casual. Just try to relax and enjoy the conversation... The only suggestion I might make is to read up on ethics. I reviewed an ethics primer en route to my interview (hadn't taken medical ethics since high school) and it served me very well. Best of luck!!

To GTLubinsky: Congrats on the acceptance! I'm OOS as well (NY). Fed and Private loans seem to be our main option. I'm also looking into grants but I can't do much on the financial end until my MD/PhD status is decided. If you have any other ideas please let me know. Otherwise I'll be investing in a lot of Ramen Noodles and Easy Mac...
 
To Postbaccguy: The MSU interview is very casual. Just try to relax and enjoy the conversation... The only suggestion I might make is to read up on ethics. I reviewed an ethics primer en route to my interview (hadn't taken medical ethics since high school) and it served me very well. Best of luck!!

To GTLubinsky: Congrats on the acceptance! I'm OOS as well (NY). Fed and Private loans seem to be our main option. I'm also looking into grants but I can't do much on the financial end until my MD/PhD status is decided. If you have any other ideas please let me know. Otherwise I'll be investing in a lot of Ramen Noodles and Easy Mac...

Hey Hoya,

What's the hold up on your MD/PhD news? Have they started to consider it?
 
Hey Hoya,

What's the hold up on your MD/PhD news? Have they started to consider it?

Hey UKFrog!

Yes, they've started to consider it but it's complicated by the fact that they've never had an MD/PhD outside of the pure sciences. My Linguistics PhD application got forwarded to the review committee yesterday. I'll probably have to wait for a final word on that before Dr. Crockett officially brings me up at an MD/PhD meeting. I know that I've been unofficially discussed, but everything is hypothetical until I hear back from the Linguistics Dept. I think the major concern, should I get accepted to both programs, would be funding. They also need to decide whether or not to set a precedent for such a non-traditional program. In summary, it'll be up in the air for at least a little while longer. Thanks for your interest though :D . I'll be sure to post an update soon.

On a more general note:

I've started looking at apartments. Does anyone have thoughts on Spartan Village vs Dover's Crossing (essentially comparing the on-campus and off-campus offerings)?
 
Hey guys! I didn't know these threads existed until about now. I'm quite fond of MSU...with them being my first acceptance and all. I feel like I would be a great fit there with the curriculum and learning environment.

However, I'm not sold on the city of Lansing...maybe I didn't get to explore it much but my two and a half days there there were rather miserable. Anyone care to tell me about some of the nice things about the area? That would be greatly appreciated :)

Also, the splitting of the class into different communities was kind of strange to me. I would hate to build up relationships with classmates for the first two years only to never see them again the next two.

Lastly, the OOS tuition is ridiculous. I don't know if I could justify going there...which is too bad because I really feel like I would love it.
 
I made us a facebook group called "MSU-CHM c/o 2013". I thought it would be a fun way to get to know our future classmates. Feel free to join.

Also, re CRB, I've never lived in Lansing, but my bf has had only good things to say about the area. It's obviously more of a small town feel than DC (where we went to ugrad) and he's found that aspect refreshing. The CHM class is pretty close and they go to small bars in Lansing a lot. He said they have cute, interesting places like dueling piano bars. He's a fan of the restaurant fare too, even after having been spoiled by 4 yrs in DC. The university also seems to supplement the city's cultural offerings with professional theater tours and a student movie theater. I don't know what you're interested in, but if you have specific questions I can pass them along.
 
Hey there Class of 2013. I was just wondering if there were any other people who are coming into CHM after deferring last year. I deferred to TRY to establish in-state residency so that tuition would just be expensive instead of ridiculously expensive. To those who did defer, have you heard anything from CHM? Oh, and I'm another Berrytree resident come June. Can't wait to get started in August.
 
Congrats everyone,

I'm a CHM 2nd year in the Grand Rapids program, so if anyone is considering heading out to GR, or has any general questions let me know.
 
Hey, I know it is a little late...but I just got in!! (a couple of hours ago to be exact)

I'm from Utah and real excited to come to east lansing. I still have one more interview scheduled, but I think I have already decided....go green and white!!
 
Hey, I know it is a little late...but I just got in!! (a couple of hours ago to be exact)

I'm from Utah and real excited to come to east lansing. I still have one more interview scheduled, but I think I have already decided....go green and white!!

Congrats yoyostring!!! Go OOSers, go, go, go, OOSers ;) Feel free to join our "MSU-CHM c/o 2013" facebook group... we're having discussions about housing and such. Welcome to the class!!
 
Hey everybody. I just heard yesterday that I got in as well... congrats! I'm so excited!

I am also OOS, moving from Arizona. Yikes, what a drive! I cannot even fathom all the work that will be involved with the move, but it's okay, because bottom line, we're in med school!

The apartments that are on-campus, is that through campus housing? Do you get stuck with a lot of undergrads?
 
thanks for the nice words hoya...

when did you interview keisler?? Im with you though....its gonna be one heck of a move. I think my brother and I will drive and let my wife and son fly. (then my little bro can unpack and fly home..gotta love family!!)

Im wondering about housing as well. from the looks of whats online...on-campus looks nice. MSU has a great campus, so hopefully we wont get that 'never-leave-school' feeling.
 
Congrats and welcome keisler :hardy:

My fiance lives in Spartan Village (on campus). According to him, there aren't many undergrads there. It's mostly grad students and faculty. They get preference over the undergrads. It's a nice place to live... the only negative aspect is the laundry situation. He says it's a pain in the butt to drive over to a centralized laundry room. We've been apt searching for me and we've found some interesting places, but the reasonable price and all-inclusiveness of Spartan Village are hard to beat. Unfortunately there are no 2 bedroom units currently available... that might change though. If you have questions about Spartan Village feel free to let me know..

And once more, congrats to you both!! :D
 
Bummer...I really liked what I saw online (spartan village). for two adults plus one toddler...one bedroom wont cut it. guess i'll be looking somewhere else in east lansing.
 
You might want to try calling Spartan Village periodically if you're really interested. One important point that I forgot to mention is the lack of yearly lease contract... People just have to give a few weeks notice before leaving. Spots may open up. Best of luck :luck:
 
Hi yoyo and hoya, and thanks! Nice to meet you, kinda.

I interviewed Jan 27. Very surprised to hear so soon after my interview.

My husband is working on his PhD (should finish May 2010). He's out of town right now, so we haven't even been able to talk about whether he's going to be able to move too.

Yeah, I don't think Spartan Village is for me. We just moved into a place with our own washer and dryer, and I don't want to give that up!

Do you guys know if MSU has a second look day? I'm sure they say something about it in the package I'm going to get in the mail, but I don't want to wait!
 
Bummer...I really liked what I saw online (spartan village). for two adults plus one toddler...one bedroom wont cut it. guess i'll be looking somewhere else in east lansing.

Try the north end of E Lansing, Okemos, or Haslett. The closer to campus the more expensive AND the more undergraduate noise you will find. Be weary, the undergraduate noise in E Lansing can be quite a burden!
 
Is anyone thinking about getting a roommate?

I'm married, but my husband is finishing his PhD in Arizona, and we are 95% sure he won't be able to move. I'm a bit worried about being able to afford an apartment. If you're interested, let me know!

I really liked Central Park apartments, but they are expensive! I think it could also be nice to live at Berrytree, since it's so darn close, but I really don't know.
 
Does anyone know the dates of orientation/ class start? Aug 28 stands out in my mind but I can't for the life of me find anything online!
 
Where to live, where to live?!

Started looking online.
I really like The Beaumont, in East Lansing
or outside of EL in Okemos-- Central Park Apts
or Club Meridian
 
Hi All!

I'll be a fellow student, class of 2013, I'm an undergrad here at state, so it won't be too much of a move - but I'm super excited to start med school!

I joined the facebook group a while ago, but I wasn't sure if there were more people on here. So just wanted to say hi!
 
Hey! I'm another in-state student who will most likely be joining you all in August! btw, multiplicity324, I'm Pooja from Huron! Dude, I totally forgot that we'd be in the same med school class. Looking forward to seeing you in the fall! Do you have any tips for those of us who don't know the area well?

To repeat an earlier question, does anyone know when orientation starts? And when do we find out which campus we will go to?
 
Hi everybody!!

Congrats to everyone accepted!! I just got my acceptance phone call last week to MSU CHM c/o 2013. Was sooo excited!! :D
 
Hey does anyone know when its a good time to start looking for a place in East Lansing? Is it at the end of the academic year when people are moving out or just any time? I was planning on getting a place in July so I can get settled in since CHM starts at the beginning of August. I dont know if thats right but that's what I thought. Anyway, if I can get a better place by I shopping earlier I guess I'll fly over and sign up for a place before then and just not move-in till July. Please let me know. Thanks.
 
I called the MSU today and checked on the start dates for our class. Our orientation starts on August 22nd and classes start on August 31st.
 
Has anyone started looking at Housing yet?

Don't know know the what/where/when/and how of all of that.
I did look up the places that were mentioned in the previous class threads...nerd.

[edit]
sorry, didn't see shwaycool's post.
 
So I emailed my student interviewer and asked him about where to live and stuff and he said that the apartments close to campus and to the north are usually pretty full with undergrads. Med students tend to live on the southeast side further away from campus. He suggested the same apartments as people on the thread have, such as Club Meridian and Central Park Apartments. He said Berrytree and Glenwood tend to fill up in the Spring so if that's your flavor then try to get those early. Otherwise Club and Central and the other apartments about 10-15 mins from campus will always have space no matter when you start looking. Hope that helps. See y'all on the East Side. Brrr.....
 
I'm IN! WOO.

Got the call yesterday and seeing as it was April fools day I was a little spooked but the site confirms it :)

~Dahc
 
Thanks. Sorry to break the flow of the conversation I was just really happy to finally be able to post in this thread :) As for housing if you don't mind the travel to and from campus I would say live further off if you can. It'll be cheaper and quieter. Just make sure your driving cause if you bike to campus in the winter that gets rough. Berrytree is a good complex though and isn't too far.

If your really adventurous you could do a graduate coop.

~Chad
 
If your really adventurous you could do a graduate coop.

Chad, could you tell us about the coop? Is this through MSU-SHC or is it independant? I had lived in cooperatives at UM, and while I enjoyed it as a undergrad, I don't think that I would want the same experience while in med school... however, an all graduate student coop might be worth looking into.
 
Can you explain to us westcoasters what the heck is a coop? Is that just assigned roommates from school?
 
Can you explain to us westcoasters what the heck is a coop?
There are housing cooperatives on the west coast, too.

The easiest way to describe a student housing cooperative is to think of a fraternity or sorority... and then replace all the people with hippies, artists, musicians, vegetarians, and sociology/anthropology majors. :) That description is not fair to the greek system or the cooperative system, but that is the only one that people seem to understand when I try to explain it.

Every house has their own personality (party house, very clean houses, hippy to the extreme, etc). It is very inexpensive because you are pooling your money with the other students for rent, utilities, food, and you share maintenance/chores.

I was not a hippy, artist, or sociology major, but I enjoyed surrounding myself with free-spirited people, and it was really inexpensive. However, looking back on it... my level of cleanliness is too high for any large group living situation. I change my mind about wanting to look into graduate coops :) I think I'll just sign for a single at Berrytree :)
 
So ZigPig hit it. A good friend of mine is at MSU-Law school and he chose to live in a coop this year most of his roomies (all 12) are in grad school. This is one of the smaller coops on campus with some of the others pushing 30.

His is also one of the cleanest co-ops I've seen on campus, but it also depends on your definition of clean. I'm not OCD or anything but I wouldn't walk around out side his room without shoes. But I also feel safe about using the bathrooms, some of the others not so much.

He loves it though because I believe it's something like 460 per month for everything. This includes all expenses and dinner Sunday-Thursday.

The catch to is you have to do some sorta chore. Like cleaning/cooking/yard work whatever. There are weekly meetings. The site is

http://msu.coop .. yes that's it no .com or anything. Just paste that in it'll work.

~Chad
 
Hi CHM Class of 2013!

I am a graduating 4th year from the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. I will be renting my east lansing condo for the next few years and was hoping another med student might live there. It has 2BR, and is about 10 min drive from campus. If anyone is interested you can send me a private message and I can get you more information. If you have any questions about the area I am happy to help; I have been in EL for about 8 years now. Congratulations on getting accepted to CHM and good luck!
 
Hey guys. This question is for those who know actual OOS MSU CHM students: Do they like MSU CHM? Was it the right choice for them? Are they happy? Thanks.
 
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