***Northwestern University Feinberg SOM Class of 2012***

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Thanks drMaggs!

To all those wondering about finaid packages, I also got mine last night. Even with a need-based grant, I'll still be taking out $150-175,00 in loans. Ugh. (Although I guess this is better than $250-275,00!!!)

I think it's time to start looking for creative housing options...
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does anyone know what the max they give out in need based scholarship is?
 
Speaking of housing, is anyone thinking about living with a roommate next year? Given the rent prices I've seen, splitting a 2 bedroom seems like the only way to cut rent in Streeterville down below $1000 a month.

Anyone looking for a roommate? 🙂
 
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Wow - Thanks Seville! That helps a lot!
 
Seville07 said:
I agree with what above posters have said - you don't need a car (not that having one isn't nice). I've seen a lot of peapod deliveries in the area by Feinberg, so that's definitely an option. You could also use "iGo" which is one of those car borrowing services -- I think there's Zipcar here too. Or, if you live in Streeterville (the name of the neighborhood Feinberg is in) you'll likely be within walking distance of a grocery store. And if you decided to live in a different neighborhood, it's usually easy enough to find a place near a Jewel or Dominicks.

Also like the above post says, the red line (takes you north and south) is the closest to NU. The brown line (takes you north/northwest) is 5 blocks farther west. The Chicago bus #66 is also right by the campus and goes west. The #65 Grand can take you west as well. Lots of buses on Michigan Ave and Lake Shore Drive. Here's the system map from transitchicago.com: http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/200804D.html
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The L stops nearest the school are quite a hike - no big deal on a nice spring day - but a miserable trek on a cold day with winds directly in your face from Lake Michigan...absolutely brutal.

Riding the L day in and day out is a grind - it is noisy and crowded - it eats up a lot of time - and the L has lots of ongoing work, line stoppages, etc., that can make it unpredictable at times...

Personally, I would want to live within short walking distance of the school, even at a premium rent.
 
How are we suppose to apply for the MD/MPH program if we want to do the summer classes? Is getting in difficult or is an auto accept? I think I want to do it but I don't know if I'd be able to get actual student insight and application info until second look weekend which is pretty late.
 
NUc12 said:
How are we suppose to apply for the MD/MPH program if we want to do the summer classes? Is getting in difficult or is an auto accept? I think I want to do it but I don't know if I'd be able to get actual student insight and application info until second look weekend which is pretty late.
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You can apply now. As long as you apply before May 1st and get in, you get the option to start classes in June or August.
 
Hey all,

I'm a third-year student at Northwestern/Feinberg. It's a great school and a great location too!

Deet5000: For the first 2 years (classes and exams), grading is completely pass/fail. This worked out pretty well. My classmates studied hard but were also willing to help each other out. For the last 2 years (clinical clerkships), the grading is honors/high pass/pass/fail plus a written evaluation from each clerkship. This matters less than you might think, though. Thing is, the last 2 years are competitive at almost any US medical school, pass/fail or not, because most US schools also give you the same standardized written evaluation, called a "MSPE", that compares your clinical performance against everyone else's.

In other words: say one student gets a pass in Northwestern's 3rd year surgery clerkship, while another gets honors. At a strictly pass/fail school, they'd both get a pass. But both Northwestern and the other school will also issue MSPEs that say something like "Ms. X had clinical skills that met expectations" for the first student and "Ms. Y had consistently outstanding clinical skills" for the second student. Residency program directors are well aware of this, and so students work hard no matter what, because honors or not, everyone is aiming for a great written MSPE. That said, my classmates have been pretty cool; they obviously want to do the best they can, but nobody seems to be out to get anyone else. 🙂

whoknowswhere: most students live in Streeterville, by the school. It's a neighborhood of very tall high-rises and skyscrapers, tucked between Michigan Avenue, the Chicago River (to the south), and the lake. Most of the housing stock is modern luxury apartments, and it's not uncommon to live on the 40th floor with great city and lake views. A lot of students love it, while others prefer one of Chicago's numerous other neighborhoods. I'd strongly suggest starting in Streeterville for at least your first year, though, just because living next to school is so convenient. As sleepy007 mentioned, the list of local rental apartment buildings from Linda Daniels is a good start. The very cheapest nearby housing option is probably the university-affiliated Worcester House, which is basic but passable. As Norua said, market rents in Streeterville have gone up quite a bit in the last couple years, with most studios now starting at $1000/month or more. But it's also a fun and very convenient place to live.

Anyway, I hope that was helpful. Good luck to everyone--I'm looking forward to meeting some of you next year!
 
fineburger said:
Hey all,

I'm a third-year student at Northwestern/Feinberg. It's a great school and a great location too!

Deet5000: For the first 2 years (classes and exams), grading is completely pass/fail. This worked out pretty well. My classmates studied hard but were also willing to help each other out. For the last 2 years (clinical clerkships), the grading is honors/high pass/pass/fail plus a written evaluation from each clerkship. This matters less than you might think, though. Thing is, the last 2 years are competitive at almost any US medical school, pass/fail or not, because most US schools also give you the same standardized written evaluation, called a "MSPE", that compares your clinical performance against everyone else's.

In other words: say one student gets a pass in Northwestern's 3rd year surgery clerkship, while another gets honors. At a strictly pass/fail school, they'd both get a pass. But both Northwestern and the other school will also issue MSPEs that say something like "Ms. X had clinical skills that met expectations" for the first student and "Ms. Y had consistently outstanding clinical skills" for the second student. Residency program directors are well aware of this, and so students work hard no matter what, because honors or not, everyone is aiming for a great written MSPE. That said, my classmates have been pretty cool; they obviously want to do the best they can, but nobody seems to be out to get anyone else. 🙂

whoknowswhere: most students live in Streeterville, by the school. It's a neighborhood of very tall high-rises and skyscrapers, tucked between Michigan Avenue, the Chicago River (to the south), and the lake. Most of the housing stock is modern luxury apartments, and it's not uncommon to live on the 40th floor with great city and lake views. A lot of students love it, while others prefer one of Chicago's numerous other neighborhoods. I'd strongly suggest starting in Streeterville for at least your first year, though, just because living next to school is so convenient. As sleepy007 mentioned, the list of local rental apartment buildings from Linda Daniels is a good start. The very cheapest nearby housing option is probably the university-affiliated Worcester House, which is basic but passable. As Norua said, market rents in Streeterville have gone up quite a bit in the last couple years, with most studios now starting at $1000/month or more. But it's also a fun and very convenient place to live.

Anyway, I hope that was helpful. Good luck to everyone--I'm looking forward to meeting some of you next year!
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What is the daily schedule would one expect during 1st year and how much free time do most people expect to have per week for other activities?
 
How much does rent go for in the areas right by the school? I was hoping to not have to take out massive amounts loans, but I'm guessing I will probably have to take the max out.
 
NUc12 said:
What is the daily schedule would one expect during 1st year and how much free time do most people expect to have per week for other activities?
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Compared with other schools, Northwestern has relatively fewer hours for large-group lectures and more hours for small group sessions and independent study. (I'm speaking from my experience two years ago, but I don't think the basic format has changed much.)

First-year classes are held Monday through Friday and start at 8 AM with two hour-long science lectures. At 10 AM, depending on the day, you're either done, or you have two more hours of either anatomy lab, histology lab, or small group problem-based learning.

There's also a humanities class (which covers ethics, the role of medicine in society, cultural aspects of medicine, and so on) and a clinical skills/physical exam skills class. Both are held one afternoon a week for about two hours. The other three afternoons are free.

So all in all, during first year, you probably average about four hours of class per day. That leaves a lot of free hours, so the big question is how much to study. It's hard to estimate that because it really depends on you. My classmates ranged from "always in the library" to "mastered everything in two hours and partied every night", but most people found a happy balance somewhere in between.
 
It's great to have people who know from firsthand experience tell us what the deal is with housing and classes. Thanks fineburger!

Goldtop, I've been checking rates and if you're planning to live in a studio, avg rent is more than $1000 (closer to $1100 actually). Can go as cheap as $850, but by then you're farther away (about a mile) from campus and the building itself is old and not a high-rise. If you're willing to split the rent, 2 bedrooms in Streeterville average about $1800, so you're not saving that much, but think about it; you're paying less to get a bedroom and a living room.

I'm totally up for finding a Feinberg roommate. PM me if you're looking too, maybe we can get a list going. 🙂

Fineburger, you're much more knowledgeable about this than we are, but what parts of the COA budget are overestimates? I'm asking this question for the (likely) many of us who have to take out loans and are trying to keep the loan amount as low as possible. For instance, are books for the first year really going to cost 3 grand? Thanks for your advice!
 
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Norua said:
Fineburger, you're much more knowledgeable about this than we are, but what parts of the COA budget are overestimates? I'm asking this question for the (likely) many of us who have to take out loans and are trying to keep the loan amount as low as possible. For instance, are books for the first year really going to cost 3 grand? Thanks for your advice!
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Hey Norua -- you're right, $3,000 for first-year books is definitely an overestimate! There's no need to spend anywhere near that much, unless you like collecting unread books. 😀 I'd say that $1,500 or so should be enough for most people, and much less if you buy used.

Thing is, there are so many books out there, you have to be strategic about which ones to buy. When you start first year, you'll get a long "recommended" book list, with several possible books for each subject. Fortunately, you'll also get a great survey that tells you which of those books the previous M1 classes actually found helpful. A few books are truly mandatory, like a histology book (Ross et al), an anatomy book (Moore & Agur), a good anatomy atlas like Netter's and/or Rohen's, and Grant's Dissector, and you'll probably also want a book or two on biochemistry (Marks), embryology, physiology (Boron & Boulpaep), neuroscience, and anything I'm forgetting. Those should cost at most $800 new, and together with lecture notes, they'll give you a pretty good knowledge base. Beyond that, you're best off buying additional books only as needed when there's a subject where you want additional explanation.

The other thing is, you can buy the books used, especially because you're unlikely to need most of the M1 books after M2 year. We have an AMSA book sale at the beginning of the year where upperclassmen sell their books at a steep discount. Other students buy used books on amazon.com and half.com.

As for the rest of the budget--$3,000 for a computer is kind of a lot. 🙂 $1,449 for transportation depends on you. You're not required to go anywhere M1 year except to and from school, so you could save a few bucks if you walk to school and take public transportation ($2) when going out.

Anyway, hope that helps!
 
Thanks a bunch Fineburger, that should really cut down the budget for all of us. 3 grand is a heck of a lot to spend on a computer unless you're buying both a desktop and laptop...and I think the $1449 in transportation covers going home for break, etc, which would be around $250-300 a trip unless you live nearby.

Cab you waive hospitalization insurance if you're already covered? What is hospitalization insurance for that matter?
 
Do any of your med students know anything about the M.D./M.A. program in medical humanities & bioethics? Is it difficult to get into once you are in the school? Does it take up very much time? Financial assistance for the program? thanks a bunch in advance!
 
First of all congrats to all of you! Feinberg is a phenomenal school.

Man I am a big Northwestern Medical School Junkie(2 of my cousins go there)

Can you guys offer any additional advice about applying to Northwestern, I heard some mixed reviews about their application process being unfair.

I am currently in third year undergrad with the MCAT coming up :scared:
 
fineburger said:
A few books are truly mandatory, like a histology book (Ross et al), an anatomy book (Moore & Agur), a good anatomy atlas like Netter's and/or Rohen's, and Grant's Dissector, and you'll probably also want a book or two on biochemistry (Marks), embryology, physiology (Boron & Boulpaep), neuroscience, and anything I'm forgetting.
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Good advice overall fineberger. Just felt like I should add my 2 cents. Boron is a terrible physiology book IMO (I know many of my classmates feel the same). Get Guyton if you want a phys text; although many people get by without cracking a phys text. I also never used the Mark's biochem, the embryo book or Clincal Anatomy (Moore) (I actually sold them online back in October when I realized I would not be using them). My advice would be to wait on those three and do not buy Boron, then buy them from an M4 unloading books on the list serv if you decide you want it. Between the course notes (syllabus) and the lecture powerpoints you can learn everything you need (and everything that is tested).

Summary:
Buy: Netter or Rohen, Grant's Dissector, Histology (Ross).
Do NOT Buy: Boron
Possibly buy: Mark, Embryo, Moore, Guyton
 
ofoshoukno said:
Can you guys offer any additional advice about applying to Northwestern, I heard some mixed reviews about their application process being unfair.
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Really? I didn't find anything about the process to be unusual at all...if anything, they go all out to get to know you in the super-fun (kinda sarcastic here 🙄) panel interview. Otherwise, I found the application process to be fair/normal in terms of the application process - the usual need to get good recs, write strong essays, etc.
 
hey guys,

i was wondering how 2nd look weekend is structured. I saw the agenda they posted on the status page, and it looked pretty short and kinda dry. do the m1 or other students take us out at night or anything? what informal activties are there that they didn't put on the agenda? thanks!
 
whoknowswhere said:
hey guys,

i was wondering how 2nd look weekend is structured. I saw the agenda they posted on the status page, and it looked pretty short and kinda dry. do the m1 or other students take us out at night or anything? what informal activties are there that they didn't put on the agenda? thanks!
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ya i'm kinda wondering the same thing. i'm debating whether i should have my flight home leave in the early evening on friday or whether i should stay until saturday. it doesn't look like the school has much scheduled for us during the night and i'm just wondering if there are going to be people around to hang out with.
 
An email was sent out recently listing a bunch of activities that student organizations have planned for Saturday. They ranged from various food outings (brunch, dim sum, picnic) and touristy trips (John Hancock bldg) to active stuff (bowling, frisbee) and an info session on what to look for in a med school from the 1st yrs' perspective.
 
Hey everyone,

I am also looking for a roommate to live with near campus (streeterville, within 5-6 blocks). I would prefer a female who is also FSOM class of 2012. Email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

For everyone else, I look forward to meeting you at second look weekend! I will be staying through the weekend so I'm hoping others do as well. I know we have a sort of mixer - perhaps we can organize a group of people to go out after and sat night as well? Some of my family now lives near campus so I do know the area a bit with some fun places to go out.
 
Does Northwestern have work study and does anyone do it? It seems like there's enough time first year to do it.
 
Has anyone figured out what is the best Lender for loans? They have different "incentives" and different fees, but their webpages are pretty general at first look. Does anyone have more experience with this?

Thanks a lot!!
 
I'll be at Second Look all weekend too. I'm pretty sure the med students are gonna plan something Saturday night, but if not we should get a group together and get out into the city. I hear there are a bunch of good clubs and bars in Streeterville.

Goldtop, the average rent for a studio around Streeterville is about $1000-$1100.

I'm looking for a roommate too to share a 2 bedroom apartment in Streeterville. Anyone planning to move in early or doing the MD/MPH program in June?
 
Has anybody gotten an email telling them who their host is for 2nd look? I havn't gotten anything, but I wanted to know if anyone else heard back...?
 
Does anyone know what the COA for NU is? I'm pretty sure my financial aid package exceeds the COA, unless it went up a significant amount from last year.
 
whoknowswhere said:
Has anybody gotten an email telling them who their host is for 2nd look? I havn't gotten anything, but I wanted to know if anyone else heard back...?
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I haven't heard back about my host either...and weren't they supposed to send that out a couple of weeks ago?
 
Hey Goldtop, I just calculated the COA from the financial aid website and it is roughly $272k. Also, M1 and M2 room and board costs only cover 9 months. How do students pay for their apartments during the summer? Do most receive research or project stipends to cover this?
 
272K? that sounds pretty high (68,000/yr). If that's true, I think my decision will be much easier to make.
 
Just wondering, how does COA at NU compare to COA at other private schools? I had the idea in my mind that most schools were in the ballpark in terms of their COA, but am I seriously mistaken?
 
Does anyone know the max that NU gives out in need-based grants? I am looking at the threads for some other schools, and they are giving out need-based grants upwards of 50k a year. Does it really vary that much by school?
 
I am very pumped for Northwestern, the school and Chicago are going to be great. I was wondering if anybody was trying to plan any visits to apartment buildings during second look. Also, I am looking for a roommate that would be interested in getting a bigger two-bedroom place to hopefully save some money and have some more room. Looking forward to meeting you all during second look weekend for some fun times!
 
On the subject of housing, what do you think the Apartment Open House during 2nd Look weekend will be like? Just having reps available, or an actual chance to tour places during the planned activities for Thurs/Fri or maybe even over the weekend? Cuz if it's the latter, then I might seriously give thought to changing the travel plans to stay later...

I'm also going to chime in and see if anyone else is looking for roommates. I'm a girl, so preferably another female classmate.
 
I'm planning some apartment visits during second look weekend too. I'll pipe in and say I'm looking for a roommate to split a 2 bedroom apartment too. At this rate it shouldn't be too hard to find roommates soon! 🙂
 
hey guys, i'm looking for a roommate as well cuz rent is ridiculous in chicago, and i'm a guy. PM me if interested...
 
yeah, I want to be at most within a mile of campus...there are lots of apartments in the area and all of the ones on the list of "popular streeterville apartments" are within half a mile I think.

Too bad NU doesn't subsidize housing in the area like Weill does. Wouldn't that be sweet? =P
 
Norua said:
yeah, I want to be at most within a mile of campus...there are lots of apartments in the area and all of the ones on the list of "popular streeterville apartments" are within half a mile I think.

Too bad NU doesn't subsidize housing in the area like Weill does. Wouldn't that be sweet? =P
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where is this list of the streeterville apartments....did i miss it?
 
I really wish they would subsidize housing like Weill. Those kids are paying dirt cheap prices to live in the most expensive per capita area in the US!
 
According to Linda Daniels the apartment open house is sometime during Second Look but so far no details on when or where. I'm staying the weekend to see if I can knock out all of my apartment hunting in one trip and not have to come for a second visit before I move in.

I wonder why Feinberg doesn't subsidize...I guess they just don't have the funds allocated like Weill does? If I remember correctly I thought Weill's housing was subsidized because of a big private donation specifically for that purpose...
 
Some of the suggested apartments sound really nice.

Does anyone know if Feinberg has paid research positions open to medical students for summers?
 
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