Official: Harvard 2005

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oh, i liked rueckner's tangents! they made the lecture less dry and put some things into a larger perspective, which i thought was nice. and i liked that he played music too!

even though his transparency about deca- and nano- conversions was super-corny, it's still nice to see someone who has a sense of humor.

i didn't see any popped collars!

at work... so tired... and still have chem tonight :)

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Morb said:
I wasnt super pleased with the phys lecture. He hardly went over anything until the end and then lost me on those graphs. Not to mention, it wasnt very comforting when he actually did some calculations and several people pointed out he could have used the other formulas, that hed already ruled out, more readily. He seemed to be struggling for the words too. But im sure the exam will be plenty rigorous. Im a little worried because I have about 35hrs studying in this week between the two classes and in both cases I hit major roadblocks in the center of chapter 2. Plus Im lucky if i got through a third of the end chapter problems. Definitely not as well prepared as I shouldve been and now Im feeling behind considering after tonight its on to the next chapters.

I hate to even think it but maybe both at once is more than I can handle. I know I have til oct 3 to drop for full refund or oct 10 for half. Would that eliminate from HCP diploma candidacy if i should drop one?

btw Im not concerned about looking foolish or who I study with. How many of you are going to what turns out to be the tutor for hire sessions sunday? However he slipped that in there it worked flawlessly, Id call it an inside job.

I thought that with reading the book I understood more than if I had just listened to the material for the first time in lecture. I too was not impressed by the lack of detail he went into in relation to what he expects us to know when doing the homework.

However, in all fairness I think you should wait until you have a chance to go to section meetings. That seems to be where most of the calculations for the problems are worked out. You're not the only one trying to get through the homework with difficulty. I think he was stressed for time so he didn't go into too much detail as he would in other lectures. Rest assure that section meetings is where you will be able to ask about homework and other questions.

As someone esle pointed out, its vital to at least read the chapters ahead of class because it only reenforces what he's saying in lecture and then you will have a better understanding when you try the homework and go to section.

I'm not bothering with the tutoring session, as we'll have section meetings before the homework is due in 2 weeks time.

If you look at the past few years exams online, the material is right out of lecture and book problems.

Hang in there.

We have a mini study group getting together. PM me if anyone is interested.
 
Hey guys,

Here's some info about some HES events this weekend that might be of interest and a good way for us to meet each other.

On an unrelated note, is anyone taking epidemiology this semester?


WELCOME BACK SOCIAL

Sponsored By: Harvard Extension Student Association

When: Friday September 30th from 7 to 9 pm
Where: Hoffa's Restaurant, 114 Mt. Auburn (across from Kinko's)
Cost: Free (free food, cash bar)

All students, old and new are invited to join us for a Welcome Back Social
at Hoffa's - a new restaurant in Harvard Square. This will be great
opportunity to meet fellow students and to try the unique cuisine provided
by Executive Chef Paul Modoono. (They have the best Chowder!)


ORIENTATION & ACTIVITIES FAIR

Sponsored by: Apple, Bank of America, Princeton Review & Spherion

Date: Saturday October 1st, 2005
When: 1pm to 4pm
Where: Emerson Hall, first floor

Please join us in Emerson Hall for the Fall Orientation and Activities
Fair.

This is a great opportunity to learn about the many resources available to
you at Harvard. In addition, Extension student clubs and societies will be
present, seeking new members and available to answer questions.

HEPPS will have our first meeting from 3-4pm. We will have a panel of
Health Career Program (HCP) alumni to talk about their experience at this
program. Some of these alumni are current medical/dental school student
or residents. This will be a great opportunity for you to ask questions
about the HCP program. Also we are looking for students who are
interested in taking on leadership roles as members of the Board for the
coming year. This will be a great opportunity for you to learn about
HEPPS.

Princeton Review will be present at the activity fair with information
about their new MCAT Prep course specially designed for students at
Harvard Extension.

Following this event, Amit Samuel ALB '05 will be giving an Unofficial
Tour
of Harvard from 4 - 6:30pm. All are welcome to take the tour which will be
followed by a casual gathering at John Harvard's Restaurant.
 
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serpico said:
Hey guys,


WELCOME BACK SOCIAL

Sponsored By: Harvard Extension Student Association

When: Friday September 30th from 7 to 9 pm
Where: Hoffa's Restaurant, 114 Mt. Auburn (across from Kinko's)
Cost: Free (free food, cash bar)

All students, old and new are invited to join us for a Welcome Back Social
at Hoffa's - a new restaurant in Harvard Square. This will be great
opportunity to meet fellow students and to try the unique cuisine provided
by Executive Chef Paul Modoono. (They have the best Chowder!)

i havent gotten my id card yet, is that a requirement to attend? and are we permitted to bring our significant other?
 
I'll be there -- hope to meet some more of you SDNers :cool:

serpico said:
Hey guys,

Here's some info about some HES events this weekend that might be of interest and a good way for us to meet each other.
 
Morb said:
i havent gotten my id card yet, is that a requirement to attend? and are we permitted to bring our significant other?



I'm not actually involved in organizing these things at all, but you can try emailing the Harvard Extension Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Society at [email protected]. They have the event posted on their website so they should know more.
 
Hi Everyone,

For all you HES people out there, does anyone have any suggestions on where to work (ideally in the medical/research field) until my classes start next summer? I'm currently living in Colorado and would like to have a job before I make the big move, but the only healthcare experience I have is through volunteering. Let me know what you think---if I should just move and hope for the best or if it's really possible for a business major working in Colorado to find medical field employment in Boston. Thanks! :)
 
Take an EMT-B class now and once completed (about 3 months) take and pass the national certification. EMT-B training is great learning experience and allows you to get some great patient experience.

When you move to Boston apply to all the local hospitals as a tech in the ED or a other clinic, or apply to an EMS service (there are 4-5 in BOston)...you'll probably get something.

You'll make about $10-15 while getting great exposure and experience. The best way for someone with no previous healthcare experience to open a huge door is to become a licensed EMT-- great on the medschool app and great for your own knowledge and experience.

Ock
 
ockhamsRzr said:
Take an EMT-B class now and once completed (about 3 months) take and pass the national certification. EMT-B training is great learning experience and allows you to get some great patient experience.

When you move to Boston apply to all the local hospitals as a tech in the ED or a other clinic, or apply to an EMS service (there are 4-5 in BOston)...you'll probably get something.

You'll make about $10-15 while getting great exposure and experience. The best way for someone with no previous healthcare experience to open a huge door is to become a licensed EMT-- great on the medschool app and great for your own knowledge and experience.

Ock

I personally would not spend $ to become an EMT or take EMT training just to get experience. If I wanted to be an EMT and then decided to go to medical school that would be one thing. I've heard conflicting reports as to how favorably schools look on those who have switched jobs from other medical professions (nusring, EMT, etc.). Does not seem like a reasonable option from my view especially since many hospitals offer volunteer opportunities (especialy in the Boston area specially designed for pre-meds). Although they don't pay, they give you relavant experience clinical/volunteer exposure and don't cost an arm and a leg to complete.
 
I do disagree on this Sun.

I think you're working in healthcare, I am too; perhaps we take our positions for granted. Basically, unless you know someone or have pertinent skills, NO hospital or lab is going to hire you into a position where you can see/do anything of interest or value. In such a situation, voluteering is about the best you can do.

However apply to the same ED tech gig with an EMT-B license and they'll give you a shot. You'll watch foley's, connect (and learn to interpret) EKGs, and be "in the middle" of a docs world pretty much constantly. I am not an ED tech (but am an EMT-B), but a reasearch assistant and have scrubbed in on 6 surgeries, attended grand rounds, and been invited to shadow by just about every doc I've met.

By comparison, at my hospital, the volunteers stand at the top of the main stairs in a T-shirt, direct people and hand out stickers to kids...not exactly like holding a kids head while a lacrimo-nasal stent is removed (did this two days ago working with the chief of Opthal). There is definitely a line between what you can be a part of as employee versus a volunteer.

The first two weeks of a real job will pay for your EMT training and just think, if the guy in the elevator standing next to you collapses you might actually know how to do something.

Ockham


Sundarban1 said:
I personally would not spend $ to become an EMT or take EMT training just to get experience. If I wanted to be an EMT and then decided to go to medical school that would be one thing. I've heard conflicting reports as to how favorably schools look on those who have switched jobs from other medical professions (nusring, EMT, etc.). Does not seem like a reasonable option from my view especially since many hospitals offer volunteer opportunities (especialy in the Boston area specially designed for pre-meds). Although they don't pay, they give you relavant experience clinical/volunteer exposure and don't cost an arm and a leg to complete.
 
For all of you in physics...

Who's been able to do the lunar measurement portion of that first lab? It's a new moon the next couple days and a sliver only visible during the daytime after that until thursday. :confused:
 
Hey guys,
Has anyone heard about the lab schedules yet? It looks like there's a schedule of meeting times on the website, but I haven't received an email letting me know which I'm in. Just want to make sure I'm still in the loop... Thanks
 
ha...sorry, i'm talking about physics here. forgot you guys aren't psychic

bg2104 said:
Hey guys,
Has anyone heard about the lab schedules yet? It looks like there's a schedule of meeting times on the website, but I haven't received an email letting me know which I'm in. Just want to make sure I'm still in the loop... Thanks
 
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bg2104 said:
ha...sorry, i'm talking about physics here. forgot you guys aren't psychic

I got the e-mail from the head TF today...

Any luck?
 
yup, I think it came through as I posted my question. Thanks though

prav said:
I got the e-mail from the head TF today...

Any luck?
 
yup, I think it came through as I posted my question. Thanks though

prav said:
I got the e-mail from the head TF today...

Any luck?
 
yup, I think it came through as I posted my question. Thanks though

prav said:
I got the e-mail from the head TF today...

Any luck?
 
About the lab:

On the discussion forum, Prof. Ruekner said he would give an alt experiment on Tuesday involving measuring the sun for those of us that couldn't do the moon (even if we spent 4 hours trying *cough*).
 
In orgo that man makes everything harder than it is and does not explain well. Then he rushes just to finish up the slides for the test.. :mad:

On that note,anyone here taking orgo I or biochem? Love to form some study groups..1st test next thursday.
 
Hey I could really use some study groups for phsyics and/or chemistry- i have tried meeting with people but nothing stable or consistent has worked out so far. I generally get all the concepts, just would like the extra support!! if there are any out there... let me know...thanks!
 
Alibi said:
Hey I could really use some study groups for phsyics and/or chemistry- i have tried meeting with people but nothing stable or consistent has worked out so far. I generally get all the concepts, just would like the extra support!! if there are any out there... let me know...thanks!

Have you been going to the help rooms for physics? Wednesday nights are good becuause you meet new people and get to perhaps join new study groups. :luck:
 
It's my first day posting, and I've kind of been monopolizing the SDN, but one more quick question for HES students: Is it pretty common for students in the postbac program to be admitted to Harvard Medical School?
 
NatalieMN said:
It's my first day posting, and I've kind of been monopolizing the SDN, but one more quick question for HES students: Is it pretty common for students in the postbac program to be admitted to Harvard Medical School?

"Pretty common"? Your naivete is both refreshing and disturbing. Mostly disturbing. Don't make the mistake just because there is the word "Harvard" in front of the two names that there is a transition or bridge between the two programs. Don't forget HMS gets the pick of the litter every year from the traditional pre-med applicant pool as well as the non-traditonal applicant pool from not just the United States, but also the entire frickin world. Matriculating students come in on average with 3.9 GPAs and 35 MCATs with awesome ECs and research exp. Absolutely the cream of the crop. So the right question would be: Have there ever been any HES students who have been admitted to HMS? I would guess there have been some (and I would love to hear about those cases), but they are certainly the exception and not the rule.
 
I think someone forgot to take their lithium in the morning, sheesh
:rolleyes:

To answer your question NatalieMN, I'm not too sure specifically about HMS, but I've heard of successful applicants getting into their top choice schools. A while back ago HEPPS (the pre-medical society over here at the extension school) did a session pannel and there was a commedian-turned-anesthesiologist -- he went through the HES program and applied to the top ivies.

If theres a will, theres a way...
 
I'm not an idiot- I went to Columbia undergrad. I know full well that Harvard Extension school is not at all the same thing as Harvard College. You disturb easily. I was trying to find out if Harvard basically looks down on the Extension school and therefore it would be more unlikely to be admitted to the medical school having gone through their program.


shkmiami said:
"Pretty common"? Your naivete is both refreshing and disturbing. Mostly disturbing. Don't make the mistake just because there is the word "Harvard" in front of the two names that there is a transition or bridge between the two programs. Don't forget HMS gets the pick of the litter every year from the traditional pre-med applicant pool as well as the non-traditonal applicant pool from not just the United States, but also the entire frickin world. Matriculating students come in on average with 3.9 GPAs and 35 MCATs with awesome ECs and research exp. Absolutely the cream of the crop. So the right question would be: Have there ever been any HES students who have been admitted to HMS? I would guess there have been some (and I would love to hear about those cases), but they are certainly the exception and not the rule.
 
Thanks so much for your kind and helpful response. (Unlike some other people we know :)


omniatlas said:
I think someone forgot to take their lithium in the morning, sheesh
:rolleyes:

To answer your question NatalieMN, I'm not too sure specifically about HMS, but I've heard of successful applicants getting into their top choice schools. A while back ago HEPPS (the pre-medical society over here at the extension school) did a session pannel and there was a commedian-turned-anesthesiologist -- he went through the HES program and applied to the top ivies.

If theres a will, theres a way...
 
Well NatalieMN, I'm sorry if I offended you at all, but the question of it being pretty common for students in the postbac program to be admitted to Harvard Medical School is significantly different than the question of whether Harvard's med school looking down on Harvard extension school will affect a HCP-sponsored student's chances of admission to HMS.
My humble opinion of your original intended question is that:
1) it is highly questionable that HMS would even look down on Harvard Extension School and the students who go there. Harvard administrators created the Extension school and its programs in the first place. Harvard professors from HMS and HSPH teach in the Extension school so they are sure of the academic quality and rigor ( no grade inflation whatsoever) is up to the highest standards.
2) Even in the case that HMS admissions committee would have a low opinion of the Extension school and its students, that would probably be one of the least important criterion when they examine your application. It would stand considerably in the back of the pack, behind GPA, MCAT, LORs, personal essay, research exp, ECs, etc. I mean if you got a 4.0 during your time at Harvard Ext School and a 35 MCAT, do you really think they will kvetch that you got your A's at Harvard's version of Continuing Education?

Anyway hope no hard feelings. Whew, that lithium helped.
 
Man, tonight's chem exam kind of bit..

:scared:
 
Hi Shkmiami,
Sorry I was a little snippy as well. I wrote my initial question right before running out the door to work. Now that I look back on it, the way I originally worded the question certainly does sound the way you interpreted it.
Thanks for the response, Natalie

shkmiami said:
Well NatalieMN, I'm sorry if I offended you at all, but the question of it being pretty common for students in the postbac program to be admitted to Harvard Medical School is significantly different than the question of whether Harvard's med school looking down on Harvard extension school will affect a HCP-sponsored student's chances of admission to HMS.
My humble opinion of your original intended question is that:
1) it is highly questionable that HMS would even look down on Harvard Extension School and the students who go there. Harvard administrators created the Extension school and its programs in the first place. Harvard professors from HMS and HSPH teach in the Extension school so they are sure of the academic quality and rigor ( no grade inflation whatsoever) is up to the highest standards.
2) Even in the case that HMS admissions committee would have a low opinion of the Extension school and its students, that would probably be one of the least important criterion when they examine your application. It would stand considerably in the back of the pack, behind GPA, MCAT, LORs, personal essay, research exp, ECs, etc. I mean if you got a 4.0 during your time at Harvard Ext School and a 35 MCAT, do you really think they will kvetch that you got your A's at Harvard's version of Continuing Education?

Anyway hope no hard feelings. Whew, that lithium helped.
 
bg2104 said:
agreed. that was no fun.

I had trouble with the last question! Two bases!
 
yeah, that one really threw me off too. i was expecting it to be tough, but I wasn't expecting surprises like that (which i guess goes without saying). how'd you wind up solving it? for the molarity part of it i tried a few things and then treated it like a mixture problem. i don't think that's right, but i was relieved to at least have numbers to put in those answer boxes.

prav said:
I had trouble with the last question! Two bases!
 
bg2104 said:
yeah, that one really threw me off too. i was expecting it to be tough, but I wasn't expecting surprises like that (which i guess goes without saying). how'd you wind up solving it? for the molarity part of it i tried a few things and then treated it like a mixture problem. i don't think that's right, but i was relieved to at least have numbers to put in those answer boxes.

I too was a little thrown off, but after thinking it through I realized that the amounts of Ba(OH)2 and Ca(OH)2 respectively didn't matter. It was that both had two hydroxyls (I just thought x(OH)2). Thus it would take 2x HCl to neutralize and solved from there.

I'm going by memory here, so if I'm off, let me know.

My real tough one was the BAC concentration....so what did you get? Drunk or Sober? :confused:

---On a completely unrelated note directed to Sundarban, my Chem TF came into section the other day with a popped collar...
 
booradley5 said:
---On a completely unrelated note directed to Sundarban, my Chem TF came into section the other day with a popped collar...

Get out, I knew it was a good idea to get out while I had the chance! Sorry I can't share the sorrow of question 6 with everyone, but I'm sure we'll have much to discuss after Tuesday night :smuggrin:

Anyone up for a drink afterwards?
 
If my calculations were right the guy in question was hammered. I think I wound up with a BAC of .2, which I believe is indicated by slurred speech, poor dancing, and more often than not, eventual pantlessness. what did you get?


booradley5 said:
I too was a little thrown off, but after thinking it through I realized that the amounts of Ba(OH)2 and Ca(OH)2 respectively didn't matter. It was that both had two hydroxyls (I just thought x(OH)2). Thus it would take 2x HCl to neutralize and solved from there.

I'm going by memory here, so if I'm off, let me know.

My real tough one was the BAC concentration....so what did you get? Drunk or Sober? :confused:

---On a completely unrelated note directed to Sundarban, my Chem TF came into section the other day with a popped collar...
 
bg2104 said:
If my calculations were right the guy in question was hammered. I think I wound up with a BAC of .2, which I believe is indicated by slurred speech, poor dancing, and more often than not, eventual pantlessness. what did you get?

Well, I got that he was almost sober, something like .002. It seemed wrong the way it worked out, but I checked over it again and came up with the same conclusion. I so wanted the guy to be drunk, but went with what my calculations told me. I hope one of us was right.

Speaking of grades, I just e-mailed my popped collar TF to see what my grade is. :fingerscrossed: The e-mail also said that the median was 74--half the class (maybe myself included) lower than that. Ouch.
 
I was afraid I'd get something that like .5 and up...he's not drunk, he's not sober, he's just dead. anyway, maybe more people will post and we can get a better feeling for which (if either) of us got it right

I saw that email too... 74 median is pretty painful. doing well in this class is going to be tough.

booradley5 said:
Well, I got that he was almost sober, something like .002. It seemed wrong the way it worked out, but I checked over it again and came up with the same conclusion. I so wanted the guy to be drunk, but went with what my calculations told me. I hope one of us was right.

Speaking of grades, I just e-mailed my popped collar TF to see what my grade is. :fingerscrossed: The e-mail also said that the median was 74--half the class (maybe myself included) lower than that. Ouch.
 
booradley5 said:
Speaking of grades, I just e-mailed my popped collar TF to see what my grade is. :fingerscrossed: The e-mail also said that the median was 74--half the class (maybe myself included) lower than that. Ouch.

Wow. 74 is rough for sure. It is a big class though, I'm sure SDN represented in the >74 area. :thumbup:
 
I found that he was drunk too. I wanted to write a comment about how I wear lampshades on my head when I'm drunk, but didn't have time. Then when I got the last question, I secretly wished I was drunk.
 
im glad im not the only one who died a little that day

i worked on the bac and the last page but really couldnt come up with anything close, so i think my biggest error was not putting an answer in any of those boxes, i dont know if you get partial if you dont fill in the box or not, ill find out tonight in section

i got a 78 but i no **** spent 300 hrs studying chem only for that exam, i cant imagine anyone else studied that long, and im feeling pretty lost on this gas stuff, and the next midterm is fast approaching

what worries me most is the 75% of the test i got right were basically problems they had given us in the practice exam, logan notes, prob sets, that i went through so many times i had every number at every stage of the calculation memorized, god i miss san diego, far far from the cares of the workaday world, im really questioning if this is for me and close to dropping out, id love to be a psychiatrist but 1200 hours projected to get through each class is not a pleasant prospect for the next 4 years, which is looking like the schedule, if i can even continue passing, true my homework/lab score is perfect

but im barely swimming now and orgo will no doubt blow me out of the water, anybody think med school will be easier than this? i feel like that guy from paperchase who could memorize all the facts but couldnt deduce problems, i totally owned the text, even the ****ing activity series, you name a table in there i have it memorized, it just doesnt seem to come together for the problems, hopefully ive at least made some of you feel better
 
hang in there Morb,
hopefully things will start to come together a little for all of us before the next exam. I don't know about you, but I've been away from the sciences for a pretty long time & realize that it's going to take a little while to get the hang of it, even with long hours of work. i'm hoping that by the time the next exam rolls around, my brain will be a little more used to thinking in terms of chem stuff. anyway, the whole class got punched in the neck on this one, so maybe the next one will be a little less brutal.

Morb said:
im glad im not the only one who died a little that day

i worked on the bac and the last page but really couldnt come up with anything close, so i think my biggest error was not putting an answer in any of those boxes, i dont know if you get partial if you dont fill in the box or not, ill find out tonight in section

i got a 78 but i no **** spent 300 hrs studying chem only for that exam, i cant imagine anyone else studied that long, and im feeling pretty lost on this gas stuff, and the next midterm is fast approaching

what worries me most is the 75% of the test i got right were basically problems they had given us in the practice exam, logan notes, prob sets, that i went through so many times i had every number at every stage of the calculation memorized, god i miss san diego, far far from the cares of the workaday world, im really questioning if this is for me and close to dropping out, id love to be a psychiatrist but 1200 hours projected to get through each class is not a pleasant prospect for the next 4 years, which is looking like the schedule, if i can even continue passing, true my homework/lab score is perfect

but im barely swimming now and orgo will no doubt blow me out of the water, anybody think med school will be easier than this? i feel like that guy from paperchase who could memorize all the facts but couldnt deduce problems, i totally owned the text, even the ****ing activity series, you name a table in there i have it memorized, it just doesnt seem to come together for the problems, hopefully ive at least made some of you feel better
 
The answer key to the physics exam #1 is posted on the physics homepage incase anyone wanted to look.
 
Morb said:
i got a 78 but i no **** spent 300 hrs studying chem only for that exam

Don't despair, Morb, it's just the first exam. Plus, isn't 78 a B anyway?
 
Is it just me, or did attendance at the Chem lecture on Thursday look pretty thin? I wonder if a fair amount of people dropped after the exam.
 
booradley5 said:
Is it just me, or did attendance at the Chem lecture on Thursday look pretty thin? I wonder if a fair amount of people dropped after the exam.

Wonder what physics lecutre holds in store :smuggrin:
 
booradley5 said:
Is it just me, or did attendance at the Chem lecture on Thursday look pretty thin? I wonder if a fair amount of people dropped after the exam.

it cant be that that large group is flying so high they dont need lecture

the question is how will that "WD" affect diploma standing?

at least you cant take anything in the spring to make up for it, its another year
 
Sundarban1 said:
Wonder what physics lecutre holds in store :smuggrin:


anybody have an idea of what the median score was for the physics exam? i didn't think it seemed as horrible as the chem exam.
 
bg2104 said:
anybody have an idea of what the median score was for the physics exam? i didn't think it seemed as horrible as the chem exam.

Mean was 74
Median 85

Got our exams back yesterday :thumbup:

Anyone take the bio exam last night?
 
thanks. those numbers sound pretty reasonable

Sundarban1 said:
Mean was 74
Median 85

Got our exams back yesterday :thumbup:

Anyone take the bio exam last night?
 
Just curious, what's the total cost of attending HES for 2 years (tuition/fees)? I'm sure this has been addressed before, but I'm too lazy to do a search :p
 
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