Official: Texas-TCOM Class of 2008

[jArsOfClay]

That's right everybody I just got my letter about five minutes ago. PREMATCH RESULTS!!!!!!!!

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[jArsOfClay]

What gives here? Where are all the TCOM hopefulls????

 

[STAC]

Right here man! Where do you live? So you got a letter in the mail today or what? How did you find out?

 

[jArsOfClay]

Hola STAC,

got my letter today. However I live very close to the school already.

 

[STAC]

Originally posted by jArsOfClay
Hola STAC,

jArsOfClay (formerly pboothe--recall I was freaking) got my letter today. However I live very close to the school already.

Hey Man!!! Congrats!!!! You were SO freaking out earlier, but I am SO HAPPY for you!!!! That's great!!!

Do you listen to Xristian radio?

 

[jArsOfClay]

Thanks

Sometimes I do, but my new name has nothing to do with the band; I don't really care much for them.

Anyways, GOOD LUCK, if TCOM is your top pick then I hope you get it, otherwise I hope you get your top pick.

 

[STAC]

SO FAR...ITS JUST YOU AND ME MAN!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!

 

[carcrazyguy]

I think my wife is going to be your classmate!!!! Look forward to meeting you all!!!


Congratulations to all of you!

 

[msgbueno]

i never heard of a prematch result. how does that work?

 

[jArsOfClay]

I recieved my acceptance letter yesterday afternoon about 10 hrs before the match was posted, as did many others.

 

[carcrazyguy]

I know it is not official until the letter comes in the mail. That is why I posted "I think my wife is going to be your classmate". I don't want to jinx it yet!! I bet she will get her letter sometime next week!

 

[STAC]

Well congrats carguy's wife!!! I haven't received anything in the mail either, but I am sure it will all work out!!! My wife and I are going over plans on what to do. We have a lot to figure out in the next couple of months...do we sell or lease our house, jobs, and all. I look forward to meeting my classmates! RC

 

[carcrazyguy]

We are selling our house. I don't want to have to worry about something breaking, leaking, or not working. That way I can put the money into a house there in Fort Worth. By the way, does anyone know what a "decent" house is selling for within a 5 mile radius of the school?

 

[jArsOfClay]

Well howabout that, my wife and I are also now going to be putting our house up on the market.

 

[carcrazyguy]

Don't you already live close to the school?

 

[STAC]

I called earlier today and I am "Officially" accepted!!!
They said that I should receive something in the mail today as the letters went out on Friday from their office.

Anyone know what the neighborhoods around the school are called or the zipcodes in the area?

 

[jArsOfClay]

Originally posted by carcrazyguy
Don't you already live close to the school?

I live an hour to an 1.5 hrs away.

TOO FAR to drive to and from probably. We both are ready to move anyways. And for the cost of homes question: IT REALLY REALLY depends on two factors: 1) How close do you want to be? I think you already stated earlier.
2)What kind of neigborhood you want to live in


The DFW metroplex has a very wide variety of neigborhoods to consider.

My wife and I are considering areas around Lewisville Texas, Grapevine, and such. Of course it also depends on your price range, but you will find homes available in a very wide range.

We are also considering moving to Mesquite which really wouldn't put us much closer, but her mother lives there, and we are thinking about what might happen if we have kids in the next couple of years.

Very difficult decisions.

 

[carcrazyguy]

My wife got her letter in the mail today We are planning a trip in the near future to check out some houses!!!

jarsofclay- thanks for the info!!!

 

[sophiejane]

The school's ZIP is 76106. I don't know any others except mine which is 76110 (cute older homes--many being redone--much more affordable than around TCOM and about a 10 minute drive).

The immediate area around the school is the Museum District. Arlington Heights is the neighborhood just west of TCOM on either side of Camp Bowie (nice older homes, kinda pricey). Rent gets a little lower as you go north and much higher as you go south down University towards TCU. Downtown is east--lofts and condos--again, not so cheap. I have classmates who found nice homes for much less in Aledo (15 minutes west) and Benbrook (20 minute drive). Check here for housing also:

http://students.hsc.unt.edu/housing/default.cfm

Good luck.

Originally posted by STAC

Anyone know what the neighborhoods around the school are called or the zipcodes in the area?

 

[sophiejane]

There are a few people here who commute from Dallas and Lewisville areas...it really wears you down after a while, and I know of one person who moved in the middle of the year because he couldn't stand the drive anymore. Several who come from Arlington are still commuting, but even some of them have found places closer in.

Your time will be PRECIOUS... Be sure to think about whether you are okay with spending 1-2 hours of it each day on your commute. I coudn't do it, that's for sure.

 

[omarsaleh66]

yo my ex-gf is a first year at tcom, we are arch-enemies now but I heard that she loves it. So i bet u guys are gonna have a great first year. congratulations!!!



peace

Omar

 

[sophiejane]

Originally posted by jArsOfClay

We are also considering moving to Mesquite which really wouldn't put us much closer, but her mother lives there, and we are thinking about what might happen if we have kids in the next couple of years.

Very difficult decisions.

A number of TCOM first and second year students have become parents this year. It's hard, but it can be done. You should also know that there is a very strong support system here among students, especially those with families. One of my classmate's wife takes care of several students' kids at her home during the day.

Best of luck with your decsion-making.

 

[jArsOfClay]

I Know. However I seriously doubt there will be any possibility of me getting any closer than twenty to thirty minutes away.


Like I said, if we choose Mesquite, that puts me about 45 minutes to one hour a way. But keep in mind that I am already used to it. Throughout undergrad, I drove an hour both ways to SMU everyday, worked twenty to thirty hours every week and volunteered at Parkland.

I realize that medical school will be much tougher, but I also won't be working so hopefully this will alleviate the driving aspect.

 

[sophiejane]

Whatever works for you.

You've been given fair warning, however. Just thought I'd let you know what I've observed/heard from the students who commute. The days tend to be long and very full here, unlike some other schools that give you a lot of study time during the day.

Good luck.

 

[STAC]

Originally posted by sophiejane
The school's ZIP is 76106. I don't know any others except mine which is 76110 (cute older homes--many being redone--much more affordable than around TCOM and about a 10 minute drive).

The immediate area around the school is the Museum District. Arlington Heights is the neighborhood just west of TCOM on either side of Camp Bowie (nice older homes, kinda pricey). Rent gets a little lower as you go north and much higher as you go south down University towards TCU. Downtown is east--lofts and condos--again, not so cheap. I have classmates who found nice homes for much less in Aledo (15 minutes west) and Benbrook (20 minute drive). Check here for housing also:

http://students.hsc.unt.edu/housing/default.cfm

Good luck.

Thanks for the info!!! I sent an email to Carrie in the admissions office to let me know if anyone knows of any condos for sale. I like the idea of the older cute homes...I have one here in SA and would like to find something similiar up there.

 

[STAC]

Originally posted by carcrazyguy
My wife got her letter in the mail today We are planning a trip in the near future to check out some houses!!!

jarsofclay- thanks for the info!!!

I got mine yesterday!!! I'll probably be up there on the 16th since I have the day off for Presidents Day...anyone want to meet for lunch? PM me.

 

[sophiejane]

Can you tell I am procrastinating?

STAC, I PMed you about a house.

 

[STAC]

Originally posted by sophiejane
Can you tell I am procrastinating?

STAC, I PMed you about a house.

Sorry...I just now cleaned up my pm messages, it was full. I went to the website you mentioned and posted my info. THANKS so much for the info....PM me again!!!

 

[jArsOfClay]

Hey guys the following info was obtained from Donna in the TCOM Financial Aid office. I would have attached the worksheet that she emailed me, but I didn't want to hassle with changing the file size and format to appease the SDN system.

This is last year's worksheet for MS1s. She said that they won't start processing financial aid until April first and the new system they have may cause these numbers to deviate slightly. If I am reading this correctly a typical student (TYPICAL) will recieve per month during the first 12 months:

Room and Board: $918
Transportation: $202
Personal: $246

This does not include the money you will recieve for Tuition fees and books, and of course this does not take into consideration any private loans you might obtain:

So basically you get 1366 a month for the general cases. I am sure that other students recieve more if there is a greater need.

Just thought you all might like to know this. I know I did.

 

[jArsOfClay]

Just to clarify:

I am talking about money obtained from stafford loans only.

Perkins etc. is not included here.

 

[STAC]

Originally posted by jArsOfClay
Just to clarify:

I am talking about money obtained from stafford loans only.

Perkins etc. is not included here.

Thanks for the info!!! RC

 

[STAC]

Originally posted by jArsOfClay
If I am reading this correctly a typical student (TYPICAL) will recieve per month during the first 12 months:

Room and Board: $918
Transportation: $202
Personal: $246

This does not include the money you will recieve for Tuition fees and books, and of course this does not take into consideration any private loans you might obtain:

So basically you get 1366 a month for the general cases. I am sure that other students recieve more if there is a greater need.

What is the TYPICAL debt this person has when graduating?
Is it true that tuition and fees are going up this year?

 

[jArsOfClay]

I don't know. sorry

 

[sophiejane]

I think tuition is going up a couple grand next year. Not sure--call Margaret in Fin. Aid. She's the bomb.

I think the average debt is right around $100K

Yikes. That makes me want to do radiology...

 

[carcrazyguy]

Does anyone know if the student services will help the incoming students find a good "affordable" health insurance provider? Right now we are paying nearly $200 a month for my wife alone. And the coverage is very minimal.

 

[jArsOfClay]

AVATAR TEST

 

[carcrazyguy]

I just got off the phone with a realtor from Ft. Worth. She said if we where looking for a house in the $80k range, we are pretty much out of luck. She said most of the 2 bedroom 1 bath houses within 5 miles of the school where selling for over $125k. And most houses that sell for $80k, the buyers where bulldozing them to build a newer house. So it looks like we are going to making a trip down to Fort Worth to just see how far away we are going to have to commute in order to afford to make the payments!!!

 

[sophiejane]

Originally posted by carcrazyguy
Does anyone know if the student services will help the incoming students find a good "affordable" health insurance provider? Right now we are paying nearly $200 a month for my wife alone. And the coverage is very minimal.

A lot of us have student insurance from SOMA (Student Osteopathic Med Assoc). I pay around $75 a month. Coverage is decent. It's all on their website--don't know the address but you can Google it, I'm sure.

 

[carcrazyguy]

Originally posted by sophiejane
A lot of us have student insurance from SOMA (Student Osteopathic Med Assoc). I pay around $75 a month. Coverage is decent. It's all on their website--don't know the address but you can Google it, I'm sure.

Thank you!!! That is about the only good news I have heard today. Why couldn't the realtor have had good news?

 

[sophiejane]

STAC asked me to post something about what classes you will have your first year, so here it is

Semester I:
Cell Science (a review of cell bio and biochem) 6 weeks
Musculoskeletal I (this is where you start gross anatomy) 5 weeks
Nervous Symtem I--6 weeks
Endocrine I--2 weeks
OMM I (all semester, once a week)
Clinical Medicine (all semester, once a week)
Ethics (only a few meetings here and there)

Semester II:
Cardiovascular/Pulmonary I--6 weeks
Gastro-intestinal I--4 weeks
Renal I--4 weeks
Reproductive I--4 weeks
Mechanisms of Disease---8 weeks
OMM
Clinical Medicine
Ethics

The only thing I'd think you might want to brush up on if you haven't already had it is biochemistry, since it is the first thing you'll have. Other than that, chill out and enjoy life between now and August.

 

[dollarbincommon]

Hi guys,

A few weeks or months ago (I don't exactly remember) I saw a link on the TCOM website that was directed towards a student from India (?). I believe he/she will be attending TCOM this coming fall. The link basically provided information on how to prepare to move from India to Texas (I may be wrong).

Did any of you guys see this?

I just wanted to ask, since I'm interested in TCOM and I wondering if I should consider TCOM as a out-of state.

If anyone can elaborate on this, I will really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

 

[sophiejane]

We get a lot of graduate students in the Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences at the UNT Health Science Center from India and China--I think that is why the link is there. There are no foreign students in my class at TCOM. I think by state law they have to take something like 98% of the class from the pool of applicants who are Texas residents. It's tough to get into TCOM if you don't have Texas residency, in other words.

But on the other hand, since we have 7 state medical schools with the same 98 % requirement, there are people who come here and establish residency so they can increase their chances of getting a seat in one of the schools.

 

[jArsOfClay]

Originally posted by sophiejane


The only thing I'd think you might want to brush up on if you haven't already had it is biochemistry, since it is the first thing you'll have. Other than that, chill out and enjoy life between now and August.

I didn't take biochem in undergrad, but I was wondering if you could suggest a book to use for getting a start. What book did you all use?

 

[STAC]

Originally posted by dollarbincommon
Hi guys,

A few weeks or months ago (I don't exactly remember) I saw a link on the TCOM website that was directed towards a student from India (?). I believe he/she will be attending TCOM this coming fall. The link basically provided information on how to prepare to move from India to Texas (I may be wrong).

Did any of you guys see this?

I just wanted to ask, since I'm interested in TCOM and I wondering if I should consider TCOM as a out-of state.

If anyone can elaborate on this, I will really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

http://www.hsc.unt.edu/documents/TipsfromIndia.pdf

Here is the link!!! Good luck!!

 

[sophiejane]

Try the Board Review Series book for biochemistry. It will be a useful book for board study as well.

Originally posted by jArsOfClay
I didn't take biochem in undergrad, but I was wondering if you could suggest a book to use for getting a start. What book did you all use?

 

[STAC]

Originally posted by sophiejane
STAC asked me to post something about what classes you will have your first year, so here it is

Semester I:
Cell Science (a review of cell bio and biochem) 6 weeks
Musculoskeletal I (this is where you start gross anatomy) 5 weeks
Nervous Symtem I--6 weeks
Endocrine I--2 weeks
OMM I (all semester, once a week)
Clinical Medicine (all semester, once a week)
Ethics (only a few meetings here and there)

Semester II:
Cardiovascular/Pulmonary I--6 weeks
Gastro-intestinal I--4 weeks
Renal I--4 weeks
Reproductive I--4 weeks
Mechanisms of Disease---8 weeks
OMM
Clinical Medicine
Ethics

The only thing I'd think you might want to brush up on if you haven't already had it is biochemistry, since it is the first thing you'll have. Other than that, chill out and enjoy life between now and August.

Is this the order in which you will take the classes? Meaning we'll have cell then mskeletal then neuro then endo along with omm, clincal med, and ethics all semester along with each science class?

 

[jArsOfClay]

Originally posted by sophiejane
Try the Board Review Series book for biochemistry. It will be a useful book for board study as well.

Is there a particular publisher name that I could look for?

 

[PACtoDOC]

You guys are replying so frequently my head is spinning. First and foremost....RELAX. You have made it past the hardest part of medical school, which is getting in. You will never have to take physics, organic, or literature again. Now your full load will all be relevant courses!! Someone asked about biochem books.......*laughing my ass off*....don't even worry about it. I never took biochem a day in my life other than the crap you get in a genetics, an AnP course, or bioII. And I have never made anything but an A in any course. These courses are not hard; they are just long and arduous. What kills people is the magnitude of the material (in kilograms!!), not the depth of it. There is literally about a 2 week period in biochem during the first semester, but after that, you get small pieces of it in all your courses in first year. If you are actually anal enough that you cannot fathom NOT preparing before you get here, then get a leg up by being prepared for one of the most boring and difficult courses, the first course called Cell Science. It is 9 weeks of Blitz Kreig basic crap that is so boring. You could prepare well for it by purchasing a copy of any upper level cellular science and molecular bio book. And I stress a REVIEW BOOK. You can make it all the way through Cell Science and the entire first 2 years pretty much without ever using a book. If you read the powerpoints and go look up what you don't understand, you won't have a problem. But for now, enjoy knowing we are all envious of you guys who are yet to start and still have time to relax. Once you are here, then you get to be envious of us who have conquered the suck you are about to go through. Time flies, and before you know it you will be graduating. Think of medical school as 2 separate two year schools. That way when you make it past the first 2 years, you feel you have really made it. Then the last 2 years is cake comparatively speaking. This will be one of the most fun times in your life, so enjoy it and let it last. Don't be in such a hurry to get through this because when this is all over, we are all stuck in the rut of real life of working hard!

As for housing, you can absolutely still find a decent house in Arlington Heights, the closest neighborhood to the school, for upper 80's and up. I live .75 miles from the school, have a 3/2 house, 1100 sqft, and paid 79K. if I sold it today I would get 90-95 I assume. You can never go wrong with living close because you will make back every dollar you put into the house and more!! Traffic, and even 15 minute commutes are way overrated. Live within biking or walking distance and you will love yourself always for doing it. Okay, guys, I will sign out so you can continue your conversation!

 

[STAC]

You are AWESOME!!! Thanks for all of the advice!!! I am so excited to be back in school...I finished in May '02! So, yeah I will start being a total DORKASAURUS and start looking at notes from the first semester...I just can't wait to be in school!!!! Uh yeah I am a dweeb! My wife thinks so at least!!!

We are looking for a house close to the school and I know it will all work out great! I really appreciate you guys coming and giving us a heads up about school...I am so excited and so thankful that I'll be up there in Fort Worth!!!

Thanks again!!! RC

 

[PACtoDOC]

Oh yeh, one last thing. Don't bother looking on realtor.com or even fiding a realtor to help you. Just comb the streets around the school on the south side mostly of Camp Bowie, between school and I30. You will find a zillion sale-by owner houses, which is what most people do around here. The market is such a sellers market that by the time realtor.com gets it listed it is already gone! So if there isn't a sign in the yard, just forget it. Your best bet is to take 2-3 weekend trips up here between now and June, and prioritize. If any of you tell me when you are coming I can take you for a neighborhood tour! Later.