Official MCW Class of 2009 Thread

[Code Brown]

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Well, we're off to visit Milwaukee tomorrow 👍 . Time just seems to be flying by.

 

[Code Brown]

Page 7? What the heck is going on here people?

Anyway, I'm sitting here at the Holiday Inn Express to give everyone an update.

The hotel here is in a great location. The beds are comfortable, the showers are nice, the towels are soft, blah blah blah.

The Reserve seems like a pretty decent place, worth the look. Just make sure you get a unit that's not right at the front of the complex as a train goes by there several times a day (and at night from what I gathered - please correct me on this one of you can).

A great place also seems to be the Overlook at 7349 Harwood. It's a bit cheaper than the reserve but has underground parking. Quiet building. We were going to rent here before we found the place we really liked.

There are a couple of decent places on Watertown Plank Rd, right around what would be 83rd street.

We ended up renting a 2 bdrm Duplex about 2 miles from the school (6 minute drive) for $770 per month. It's about 1300 square feet and fully furnished (although this is not normal). Quiet neigborhood, garage, W/D. Great place for get togethers.

There are a lot of postings for places just outside the Cafeteria (by the pool tables), as well as by the front door of the school.

My best suggestion would be to look around and see at least a dozen places because the price range ($700-850 for a 2 bdrm) is not that wide, but the quality of housing has a lot of variability.

 

[dbutz02]

Anyone else too excited to study for finals? and we need to bump this thread up a little bit.

 

[DoctorFunk]

Anyone else too excited to study for finals? and we need to bump this thread up a little bit.

Not only that, but our finals are next week and it looks like the first nice weather we've seen in the past 3-4 weeks will be hitting us this weekend. Never fails that the time I should be studying for finals hits on a really nice weekend.

Ack.

 

[DrOwen]

Thanks for the info Code Brown, I was wondering when does your lease start? July, 1 ? I'm also planning on going there in 2 weeks to check out some of the apartments.
The idea of public storage sounds appealing, but I will be moving from chicago so it's not too bad for me.
good luck
Owen

 

[Zman8602]

]Where in Chicago are you from Owen? I'll be moving from Arlington Heights.

On onother note... I recently talked to Mike Istwan about the student parking situation since I have been hearing lots of different rumors. The former student lot (where we parked to interview) is no longer in use. Students are supposed to use parking lot B, which is like 4.5 blocks from the education building. Apparently there is a shuttle that we can take. But, most of the walk can be made indoors through the walkways that connect all of the buildings (Which will be really nice in the winter). Thats for anyone who heard rumors about the whole parking situation. AND. Finals suck along with this whole seniorits thing.

 

[mcjay]

I am seriously considering living downtown or close to downtown Milwaukee. Does anyone have opinions on good areas or buildings to live in there? Also, how bad is the commute?

Help a MCW brotha out! 😀

 

[GATORade]

I'm planning on booking a flight for June 10th – 14th to do some apartment searching. Does it make sense for me to make a trip just to look around and collect contact info but not actually sign a lease yet? Or would you guys recommend that I take the trip and plan on signing a lease? I'm about 99% sure I'll be going to MCW in the fall but I don't want to commit myself to a lease without being absolutely certain that I'll be moving out there. Any advise?

 

[mcjay]

I'm planning on booking a flight for June 10th – 14th to do some apartment searching. Does it make sense for me to make a trip just to look around and collect contact info but not actually sign a lease yet? Or would you guys recommend that I take the trip and plan on signing a lease? I'm about 99% sure I'll be going to MCW in the fall but I don't want to commit myself to a lease without being absolutely certain that I'll be moving out there. Any advise?

It may be to early for places to know if they will have a vacancy around Aug 1st (assuming that is when you want to sign a lease).

Where are you going to look? Downtown?

 

[GATORade]

It may be to early for places to know if they will have a vacancy around Aug 1st (assuming that is when you want to sign a lease).

Where are you going to look? Downtown?

I'm thinking Tosa, or somewhere close. I'm coming from NY so I'm sure I would feel more at home living downtown. However, everything I've read so far indicates that it's significantly cheaper to live in Tosa or the other surrounding burbs.

 

[godawgs39]

For anyone looking for housing near MCW, this is a pretty good website that I just came across.

http://www.geocities.com/jackmcwrsa/

 

[Code Brown]

Thanks for the info Code Brown, I was wondering when does your lease start? July, 1 ? I'm also planning on going there in 2 weeks to check out some of the apartments.
The idea of public storage sounds appealing, but I will be moving from chicago so it's not too bad for me.
good luck
Owen

Our lease starts June 1st (12 month). For those of you deciding on downtown vs. Tosa, the commute is about 15 minutes (it's against traffic). Rents are about 30% higher downtown but you are going to be where the action is (for Milwaukee anyway).

Since it's a renter's market (there are a lot of vacancies in the area), feel free to negotiate for the rental amount. We knocked ours down from $850 to $770.

 

[Xandie]

Hi everybody! I'm a rising M-2 at MCW.

I'm always willing to answer questions, and have talked to quite a few of you (happy you're coming here!).

Housing: I live at Mayfair Manor, 2.5 miles from school. My 2BR, 1 bath is $635 (I have cats). It's a great neighborhood and I really like the apartments. There are at least 6 M-1s that live here, aong with four or five people from each other class.

Parking: Lot B (called blot by some of us...) is 0.38 miles from campus (yes, we clocked it with a pedometer). It doesn't seem that far in theory, but when it's 10 below, it's freaking miserable. The shuttle is fabulous, as is the walk through the hospitals (Froedtert and Children's).

Downtown: I know people that live on the East Side and people that live here... I'm much happier out here in Tosa. It's far, traffic can be irritating (especially for 8 am classes, if you go to class), and living close to the "action" isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds, being that it's med school, and you don't have as much free time as you'd think.

Good luck everyone!

 

[Rebecca121480]

Hi everybody! I'm a rising M-2 at MCW.

I'm always willing to answer questions, and have talked to quite a few of you (happy you're coming here!).

Housing: I live at Mayfair Manor, 2.5 miles from school. My 2BR, 1 bath is $635 (I have cats). It's a great neighborhood and I really like the apartments. There are at least 6 M-1s that live here, aong with four or five people from each other class.

Parking: Lot B (called blot by some of us...) is 0.38 miles from campus (yes, we clocked it with a pedometer). It doesn't seem that far in theory, but when it's 10 below, it's freaking miserable. The shuttle is fabulous, as is the walk through the hospitals (Froedtert and Children's).

Downtown: I know people that live on the East Side and people that live here... I'm much happier out here in Tosa. It's far, traffic can be irritating (especially for 8 am classes, if you go to class), and living close to the "action" isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds, being that it's med school, and you don't have as much free time as you'd think.

Good luck everyone!

Hi Xandie,
I'm coming from CA for a weekend to look at places and sign a lease beginning july/august. When do you think is the best time to go? I want a place as close to campus as possible. What places should I be looking at?

Also, I have a medical condition that I take daily medication and check in with a specialist weekly for. How much does the MCW health insurance policy cover us for prescriptions and specialist visits? How do I go about finding a new specialist in the area?

Thanks for the help,
Becky

 

[ZappBrannigan]

I just wanted to thank everyone on this thread for being so helpful. I can't wait to meet you. Hopefully we don't all turn into jerks once classes start 😉

 

[Xandie]

Honestly, the best way to find good housing near campus is to drive to campus and look for "For Rent" signs. There are a million duplexes (okay, exaggeration, but whatever) and apartment complexes by campus. Let me know when you're coming in and I'll keep an eye out.

Oh, health insurance. We just had this monstrous issue where they tried to cancel our health insurance and let everyone go find their own (great for healthy single people, but not so great for married student with families or pre-existing conditions) but we had a rebellion and we voted to keep it. That was a long story with no purpose, but I had an exam today so I'm a little loopy. So our coverage is Humana, and we get to choose between HMO, PPO and the 'Coverage First' option. I'm not well versed in their ins and outs because... well, because I'm lazy. But I'm sure you could look them up!

Any other questions? I'm procrastinating studying for finals, so you all get to help me out.

Also, if people want to get together when they get here, there are a bunch of us who are doing research this summer, so we'll be around and I'm happy to organize.

 

[dbutz02]

Are there a lot of research opportunities? I have very little experience in research but would like to get involved in med school. Do you think my lack of experience will limit my chances or is it pretty easy to get involved?

 

[Code Brown]

I talked to financial aid today. We're still scheduled to receive our financial aid award letters at the end of May/beginning of June.

Also, the financial aid lady said that admissions was going to be sending out our first batch of freshman information on May 16th so look for it that week. Yes, we get to once again stalk the mail carrier 👍

 

[Xandie]

Are there a lot of research opportunities? I have very little experience in research but would like to get involved in med school. Do you think my lack of experience will limit my chances or is it pretty easy to get involved?

Most people only do research during the summer, with it possibly extending into the second year (the people I know who do that stop by once a week or so). I don't think it matters if you've done research before. I have, but in an entirely unrelated field (my thesis was in genetics, and I'm doing research this summer into obesity and ovarian cancer).

 

[GATORade]

It may be a little premature, but is anyone looking for a roommate? I'm planning on taking a trip out there in June to do some apartment searching. Let me know if anyone's interested.

 

[Code Brown]

One week till the big move to Milwaukee. Does anyone do any windsurfing or kitesurfing out there?

 

[Code Brown]

I saw a notice on the MCW website for the following conference. Is anyone going and is it worth going to?


Bioethics conference to discuss Terri Schiavo case

May 9, 2005 World issue - The Medical College of Wisconsin is hosting a one-day conference, The Terry Schiavo Case: Medical, Legal & Ethical Perspectives, on Thursday, June 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Midwest Ethics Committee Network (MECN) and the College's Center for the Study of Bioethics and will be held in the Kerrigan Auditorium.

The conference is designed for physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, attorneys, chaplains and others with an interest in bioethics.

The keynote speaker is Ron Cranford, MD, Assistant Chief in Neurology at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Professor of Neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and Faculty Associate at the Center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota. He will give a presentation titled, Facts, Lies and Videotapes: PVS and Terri Schiavo.

Dr. Cranford has been a consultant to several national commissions on right-to-die issues, including the President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Biomedical and Behavioral Research. In 2002, he examined Terri Schiavo and testified that she was in a persistent vegetative state.

Other speakers include:

R. Alta Charo, JD, the Elizabeth S. Wilson-Bascom Professor of Law & Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Associate Dean for Research & Faculty Development at the University of Wisconsin Law School. She will give a presentation titled, Political Interplay of Ethical Issues in Schiavo.


Arthur Derse, MD, JD, Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Bioethics in the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Policy Institute and Clinical Professor of Bioethics and Emergency Medicine. He will give a presentation titled, Terri Schiavo: Medicine, Law and Ethics.


Robyn Shapiro, JD, the Ursula Von der Ruhr Professor of Bioethics and Director of the Medical College of Wisconsin Center for the Study of Bioethics. She is also partner and chair of the Healthcare Practice Group at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. She will give a presentation titled, Legal Aspects of Schiavo: What if it Happened Here?
In addition to the speakers, there will be a discussion on the Practical Aspects of Advance Care Planning and Faith/Ethnicity Perspectives on Right-to-Die Cases. Local news reporters will also conduct a discussion, Media Responsibility/Ethics in Reporting Bioethics Cases.

The registration fee is $65 for Medical College employees and MECN members and $75 for all others. Registrations are due June 1. This seminar is worth up to 6.5 CME credits.

Please call (414) 456-8498 for additional information or to register. If you would like to obtain a flyer and registration form, click here.

The conference is being supported by Aurora Health Care, Columbia St. Mary's, Community Memorial Hospital of Menomonee Falls, Covenant Healthcare, Froedtert Hospital, Meriter Hospital, ProHealth Care, Ruth Hospice and The Village at Manor Park. The Medical Society of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Healthcare Association and Wisconsin Association of Homes & Services for the Aging are Program Partners.

 

[GATORade]

One week till the big move to Milwaukee. Does anyone do any windsurfing or kitesurfing out there?

Good luck with the move and give us an update once you get there.

I noticed in one of your previous posts that your apartment was furnished. Did you come across many that were? It would definitely save me a ton of hassle to fine a place that's already furnished. If not, I guess there's always Target and Walmart – I'm a sucker for cheap $hit. 😉

 

[Gimlet]

One week till the big move to Milwaukee. Does anyone do any windsurfing or kitesurfing out there?

I'm sure people windsurf on Lake Michigan in the summer. I have seen people kitesurfing in Madison before...it looks awesome! There should be plenty of stuff to do in Milwaukee to keep you occupied until school starts. Check out this website if you haven't yet:

http://www.discovermilwaukee.com/index.html

 

[Code Brown]

Good luck with the move and give us an update once you get there.

I noticed in one of your previous posts that your apartment was furnished. Did you come across many that were? It would definitely save me a ton of hassle to fine a place that's already furnished. If not, I guess there's always Target and Walmart – I'm a sucker for cheap $hit. 😉

Unfortunately, it was the only one with furniture. As for cheap furniture itself, there was a ton of it advertised on the MCW bulletin boards outside the cafeteria. The stuff I saw on craigslist (www.craigslist.org) was pretty decent as well. That's usually where we search for stuff we need if we don't need it to be brand new.

 

[Code Brown]

Who do the majority of people bank with in Milwaukee (or MCW)? I don't really like small credit unions because they don't have enough ATMs.

 

[LabMonster]

Who do the majority of people bank with in Milwaukee (or MCW)? I don't really like small credit unions because they don't have enough ATMs.

There is Milwaukee Metro Credit Union, Landmark Credit Union, I use Aurora Credit Union (because I used to work there.)

There is also the teacher's credit union (also healthcare workers etc).

I think the majority of people here are still old-school using the big banks. The Credit Unions are getting bigger though.

I do not recommend Landmark Credit Union - too much BS and customer-no-service.

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

Who do the majority of people bank with in Milwaukee (or MCW)? I don't really like small credit unions because they don't have enough ATMs.

USBank is based in Milwaukee, so they're everywhere--there's even a branch in Froedtert. Wells Fargo is also pretty prominent. Also, M&I bank is more of a local bank (I think they own the ATM at MCW, but there are no charges unless it's from your bank) . Those are the three that come to mind. The first two are nice because they're national so it's a bit more convenient when traveling.

 

[ZappBrannigan]

USBank is based in Milwaukee, so they're everywhere--there's even a branch in Froedtert. Wells Fargo is also pretty prominent. Also, M&I bank is more of a local bank (I think they own the ATM at MCW, but there are no charges unless it's from your bank) . Those are the three that come to mind. The first two are nice because they're national so it's a bit more convenient when traveling.

I was thinking of going with US Bank because my fiance will be feeding me money from Seattle and it would be easier just having a joint account accessible from both locations rather than sending checks through the mail, etc. How are they as a Stafford loan lender? I saw them on the MCW website.

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

I was thinking of going with US Bank because my fiance will be feeding me money from Seattle and it would be easier just having a joint account accessible from both locations rather than sending checks through the mail, etc. How are they as a Stafford loan lender? I saw them on the MCW website.

I went with THE, which I think is somehow connected/affiliated with USBank. They're all pretty similar, but their promotions will cause you to save money at different phases of the loan process. I took THE because, at the time, their deal made it cheapest over the life of the loan. Things may be different now--I've gotten to depressed about loan stuff to pay much attention 🙁

 

[Code Brown]

Crap. The place we were going to move into isn't going to work out so we're back to square one. Apparently, a lot of the homes in Wauwatosa contain lead paint and still have lead plumbing. This one happened to be one of those lucky winners! While we don't plan on licking too many walls, we plan on having children while I'm in medical school and lead pipes/walls are something that may affect them. I don't plan on taking the chance.

If anyone is looking for a fully furnished place who isn't planning on having kids and won't be licking the walls and therefore won't be affected by it, PM me. The place is located 5-6 minutes away from MCW (by car) and the address is 2434 N 65th Street, Wauwatosa, WI. We were going to pay $770 per month for a 2 bedroom/1bath with about 1300 square feet of living space. Washer/dryer included. Heck, with a room mate, that would be only $385 a month.

 

[GATORade]

Crap. The place we were going to move into isn't going to work out so we're back to square one. Apparently, a lot of the homes in Wauwatosa contain lead paint and still have lead plumbing. This one happened to be one of those lucky winners! While we don't plan on licking too many walls, we plan on having children while I'm in medical school and lead pipes/walls are something that may affect them. I don't plan on taking the chance.

If anyone is looking for a fully furnished place who isn't planning on having kids and won't be licking the walls and therefore won't be affected by it, PM me. The place is located 5-6 minutes away from MCW (by car) and the address is 2434 N 65th Street, Wauwatosa, WI. We were going to pay $770 per month for a 2 bedroom/1bath with about 1300 square feet of living space. Washer/dryer included. Heck, with a room mate, that would be only $385 a month.

I'd love to take you up on the offer. However, I've recently developed a habit of licking wall paint so obviously this place wouldn't work out for me either. JK. How did you find this info out? Did you already sign a lease?

 

[DoctorFunk]

Apparently, a lot of the homes in Wauwatosa contain lead paint and still have lead plumbing.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Hopefully you'll be able to find another (better) option soon!

As for myself, my fiance and I just got back from spending the weekend in Milwaukee looking for apartments. We were lucky enough to find one that we will be going with (application pending of course!) that is only 2 miles from the school. It's a new apartment building called the Underwood Station (www.underwoodstation.com). The rent isn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but the neighborhood seemed really nice and I decided that to me it was worth spending more of my financial aid money on an apartment than having spare money at the end of every month for "play money".

Anyways, I would highly suggest it for anyone else looking for 2 BR apartments in the $900-1100 range.

 

[Code Brown]

I'd love to take you up on the offer. However, I've recently developed a habit of licking wall paint so obviously this place wouldn't work out for me either. JK. How did you find this info out? Did you already sign a lease?

I was actually reading JAMA and there was an article about lead poisoning in it and how it's really prevalent in old homes, especially in the Midwest. I did some internet searching and ran across the actual City of Wauwatosa website and right there, was the following:


"The majority of Wauwatosa homes contain lead paint. Remodeling may pose a hazard to young children if specific precautions are not observed. Certified lead risk assessors are on the health department staff to answer your questions regarding lead hazards, safe remodeling practices, and children's health issues related to lead. The health department also has free publications and literature about remodeling and the hazards of lead. For more information, contact the Wauwatosa Health Department at (414) 479-8939.

Did you know...
Federal and state law requires that individuals receive certain information before renting, buying or renovating pre-1978 housing.

Landlords have to disclose known information on lead-based paint hazards before leases take effect. Leases will include a federal form about lead-based paint.

Sellers have to disclose known information on lead-based paint hazards before selling a house. Sales contracts will include a federal form about lead-based paint in the building. Buyers have up to 10 days to check for lead hazards.

Renovators have to disclose known information on lead-based paint hazards if any painted surface is disturbed on the exterior or interior of the house."



Anyway, we contacted the owner and apparently, the house does contain lead paint. They also said that the plumbing has lead pipes.

Apparently, they don't think its a big deal to have lead pipes and lead paint and that as far as they know, their kids (who used to live in this same house) seem to have turned out OK. It was really quite reassuring 👎 .

We hadn't signed a lease yet but did put down a deposit. However, since they did not disclose this information to us like they were supposed to, the law states that they were not acting in good faith and can't keep the deposit.

Pain in the rear end.

 

[Code Brown]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Hopefully you'll be able to find another (better) option soon!

As for myself, my fiance and I just got back from spending the weekend in Milwaukee looking for apartments. We were lucky enough to find one that we will be going with (application pending of course!) that is only 2 miles from the school. It's a new apartment building called the Underwood Station (www.underwoodstation.com). The rent isn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but the neighborhood seemed really nice and I decided that to me it was worth spending more of my financial aid money on an apartment than having spare money at the end of every month for "play money".

Anyways, I would highly suggest it for anyone else looking for 2 BR apartments in the $900-1100 range.

Thanks. Btw, the place you found seemed pretty nice (we went by there as well). Being right off of Watertown Plank will make the 3-4 minute drive to school really smooth. And guess what, no lead pipes 😀 .

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

Funkman--that's right in my neighborhood (just a few blocks away, in fact). Isn't that the place that's right next to the RR tracks? My buddy and I saw noticed it the other day and thought it was an interesting location--sandwiched between RR tracks and a day care...you're never gonna sleep 🙄

Other than that, though, it is a great location in terms of accessibility and neighborhood. The place looks pretty sweet, too. Congrats on finishing one of the most frustrating parts of the starting med school experience!

 

[Code Brown]

We have a place. It's at the Overlook Apartments. Not the cheapest place around but the heated underground parking will be nice. Well, only 2 more days before we head off to Wisconsin. It's going to be a fun 2200 mile trip from out here in San Diego. And best of all, we get to do it with our cat! He's going to love it 😀 Being that close to the litter box will be exciting too! 👍

 

[Rebecca121480]

Crap. The place we were going to move into isn't going to work out so we're back to square one. Apparently, a lot of the homes in Wauwatosa contain lead paint and still have lead plumbing. This one happened to be one of those lucky winners! While we don't plan on licking too many walls, we plan on having children while I'm in medical school and lead pipes/walls are something that may affect them. I don't plan on taking the chance.

If anyone is looking for a fully furnished place who isn't planning on having kids and won't be licking the walls and therefore won't be affected by it, PM me. The place is located 5-6 minutes away from MCW (by car) and the address is 2434 N 65th Street, Wauwatosa, WI. We were going to pay $770 per month for a 2 bedroom/1bath with about 1300 square feet of living space. Washer/dryer included. Heck, with a room mate, that would be only $385 a month.

Hi CodeBrown. I'm coming from los angeles memorial day weekend to check places out, and i wouldn't mind taking a look at that place if its that close to school. what does it mean to PM you (i'm a bit new to the student doc network thing) ? I'd like to get a phone number for the place if you've got one.
- Becky

 

[DoctorFunk]

Funkman--that's right in my neighborhood (just a few blocks away, in fact). Isn't that the place that's right next to the RR tracks? My buddy and I saw noticed it the other day and thought it was an interesting location--sandwiched between RR tracks and a day care...you're never gonna sleep 🙄

Other than that, though, it is a great location in terms of accessibility and neighborhood. The place looks pretty sweet, too. Congrats on finishing one of the most frustrating parts of the starting med school experience!

Heh...thanks. Yeah, I hadn't noticed the daycare, but I am definitely hoping for the best when it comes to the railroad track. During the tour they made a huge point of talking about the "sound-proof" soundboard in the walls, and claimed that you couldn't even hear the trains when they come past. I don't quite buy that, but my fiance and I are both really sound sleepers, so as long as the sound is dampened just a little, things should be fine.

The neighborhood was really nice though. We were driving around and couldn't believe that a suburban neighborhood that nice was so (relatively) close to the downtown area. In Minneapolis it seems like you have to go much farther out from downtown to find comparable neighborhoods.

Very excited for the move. Now I just wish I could quit my job right now and hang around those railroad tracks for the next couple of months. 😀

 

[DoctorFunk]

We have a place. It's at the Overlook Apartments. Not the cheapest place around but the heated underground parking will be nice. Well, only 2 more days before we head off to Wisconsin. It's going to be a fun 2200 mile trip from out here in San Diego. And best of all, we get to do it with our cat! He's going to love it 😀 Being that close to the litter box will be exciting too! 👍

Congrats on finding new digs! Good luck traveling with the cat--we travel all the time and drag out cat all over Wisconsin/Minnesota. It's gotten to the point where if we aren't hearing a meowing cat in the backseat driving just feels weird. As far as the litter box goes, I hope you have a bulk supply of Febreeze!

 

[GATORade]

How many days did you guys take to scope out the living situation? I'm flying out there on June 10th and will be returning to NY on the 13th. That'll give me all of Saturday and Sunday to go apartment searching. That should be enough time right? Furthermore, has anyone seen the roommate-matching book yet? I vaguely recall them saying that it would be available in early June, but I'm not certain. Also, will they be mailing us roommate-matching info, or is the info only going to be available on campus? Thanks in advance guys.

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

How many days did you guys take to scope out the living situation? I'm flying out there on June 10th and will be returning to NY on the 13th. That'll give me all of Saturday and Sunday to go apartment searching. That should be enough time right? Furthermore, has anyone seen the roommate-matching book yet? I vaguely recall them saying that it would be available in early June, but I'm not certain. Also, will they be mailing us roommate-matching info, or is the info only going to be available on campus? Thanks in advance guys.

That should be plenty of time--a friend of mine flew in last Friday, looked at places Saturday, signed a lease on Sunday without problems. As for the roommie list, it will basically tell you name, home state, email, ? phone, smoking and pet status...unless things have changed in the past few years. I think the expanded version (ie. the questionare that you filled out) is only available at school. There was talk at one time of making it available on a secure website, but I have no idea what came of that. Hope this helps. T

 

[Code Brown]

Hi CodeBrown. I'm coming from los angeles memorial day weekend to check places out, and i wouldn't mind taking a look at that place if its that close to school. what does it mean to PM you (i'm a bit new to the student doc network thing) ? I'd like to get a phone number for the place if you've got one.
- Becky

To PM someone just click on their name on the left side and send a Private Message (PM). I just sent you one btw.

 

[stcathm]

Does anyone know what parking at MCW is like? Are there bike lockers available?

When I interviewed there my host said parking is 7 blockas away, but free and they have a shuttle that will pick you up by your car and drop you off at the front door. Also we get two lockers. One for books and a microscope and one big one for coats and boots.

 

[Gimlet]

Did everyone get the mailing from the school this week? Hopefully you people out on the west coast aren't still waiting for it! Overall, nothing too exciting inside, but I thought it was interesting that the heads of the biochem department suggested we review biochemistry this summer. 🙁

 

[DoctorFunk]

Overall, nothing too exciting inside, but I thought it was interesting that the heads of the biochem department suggested we review biochemistry this summer. 🙁

The race begins, I guess. I was just starting to relax, thinking that I would only have to worry about my upcoming wedding, moving, and starting school this summer. Guess that will all have to take a back seat to reviewing Biochemistry because they would rather not spend a week going over the basics. 🙄

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

Unless you don't have a strong science background, DO NOT SPEND YOUR SUMMER STUDYING BIOCHEM!!! As long as you start studying right away (ie. first or second day of class) reading Lippincott Biochem is absolutely not necessary. If you WANT to do something, Lippincott is as much as I would recommend (that's what most people use as their text anyway) and you should read for familiarity, not mastery. That's if you REALLY REALLY WANT to do it. Otherwise, enjoy your summer. You won't be behind at all (how many people that get that letter actually read more than 5 or 6 pages before giving up?). Anyway, I hope you believe me and have fun this summer. Take care. T

 

[Xandie]

Unless you don't have a strong science background, DO NOT SPEND YOUR SUMMER STUDYING BIOCHEM!!! As long as you start studying right away (ie. first or second day of class) reading Lippincott Biochem is absolutely not necessary. If you WANT to do something, Lippincott is as much as I would recommend (that's what most people use as their text anyway) and you should read for familiarity, not mastery. That's if you REALLY REALLY WANT to do it. Otherwise, enjoy your summer. You won't be behind at all (how many people that get that letter actually read more than 5 or 6 pages before giving up?). Anyway, I hope you believe me and have fun this summer. Take care. T

So true. I took biochem the spring before I started, so I didn't review, but enjoy your summer! I promise, you'll have plenty of time to study once you get here. Lord knows, with six days left until the end of the year, I would give my left leg to have time to not study. Enjoy!

 

[Rebecca121480]

When looking for housing, how necessary is it to call in advance to set up an appointment with the manager of the place for them to show you the apartment/condo? Is a day or two of advance notice enough or should i be thinking of more like a week? Thanks for the help!

Btw, one of my mentors is the derm for jennifor anniston and he says he if he could do it over again, he'd spend the summer before med school cramming anatomy so he wouldn't fail his first anatomy test they way he did. guess it all depends on the person. he had spent the summer windsurfing. his story freaked me out a little so i'm looking over lippincott's, but i'm OCD like that.


Sincerely,
Becky

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

So...he failed his first anatomy exam, matched in derm, and is now the dermatologist for a beautiful actress. Aside from eliminating a little anxiety/worry/etc, exactly how would spending the summer cramming anatomy have made his life any better? He spent the summer having fun and still ended up with, presumably, the job he wanted. That should serve as proof that you don't have to study this summer. Besides, can you really cram something BEFORE you're supposed to have learned it? Just thinkin out loud...