Official UNECOM class of 2008

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Okay,

For those of you in Maine right now: How cold does it really feel?

I was watching CNN last night and their post from New Hampshire was that it is -44F in the mountains with a wind chill of -99F.

Is that typical of New England weather?
 
Oh GEEZ NO!!! that was on Mt Washington and that is the coldest weather pretty much anywhere. Supposedly on the top of MT washington is the worst weather in the world!

It's cold but not really that bad.
 
Thanks Jmarra!!

My husband is from Norway, so we are used to the cold, but he gave me a squinty-sideways glance this morning when he found out HOW cold the cold is 😉
 
On the top of Mount Washington, I've been watching that they're getting close to their record low (not counting windchill)... they're saying on the news here in Boston that it's the coldest weather in over 20 years... we're setting all kinds of records here. It's REALLY cold. Don't worry, it's very rarely this cold though... stay warm everyone! (especially you kmwmorris down in sunny Florida!)
 
that bitter cold weather should be scaring the death out of me, especially since it was 57 degrees and sunny here in the bay area today. but for some reason, i'm strangely excited and i can't wait to get out to maine 🙂 i guess that's a good thing, right?

so are there rental listings for places that aren't even available for another couple of months? i won't be moving out there and needing a place until july, but it looks like everyone's already finding housing ... also, is anyone looking for a roommate?

joanie
 
Hi Sweet J

I would look on UNE's website for off campus housing and contact the poeple who have properites up there that you are interested in. Most of the realtors will know if they will be full in July or not. All the people I have called checked with all the UNECOMer's who were renting and got answers for me if they didnt' know already.

Good luck!

Janelle
 
Well Sweet J, I'm glad you asked that question. I just received my acceptance and I'm trying to decide and was going to ask the same thing. Is anybody looking for a roomate??? It's nice to be considering these things rather than whether or not I've gotten in!!!


Josh
 
NO WAY the weather here right now is not typical. It's never been this cold in maine since I've lived here. Usually the weather around here is nice, especially since Biddo is on the coast it's warmer than inland, and therefore there usually isn't as much snow down here. As for housing, you don't need to worry about looking until at least march, unless you want to move right now, and in that case one PM me because a classmate of mine knows someone who is looking to rent an apt to med students...it's available in febuary or something.

Enjoy your free time before you get here, don't worry too much, and stay excited. See you guys in July...
 
Thanks Oceandoc!

Is it so cold that you have a hard time getting around i.e. vehicle?

By the way, do you know how the fresh tissue 'lab' is set up for students and at what point it is made available?
 
Hi
I know a couple of people were looking for roomates and while I was playing with the pipeline campus email service I discovered that there is a board for those who are looking for off campus roomates. It is under UNE bulletein boards under groups. Also I heard that the deparment of res life does a list for those who are looking for off campus roomates. Good luck!
 
Hi everyone,

What are the going rental rates for a two BR apartment in and around Biddo.?
 
My one BR that I've got for next year is 600 just out pool st. While looking around I saw some 2br's in biddo for 650-700 and up. I didn't see much of anything below 600 though. Hope this helps.
 
Just Curious, Class of 2008:

What kind of extracurriculars do you all participate in or avocations do you have??
 
Hi all
IO also just went up and set up my housing for next year and I was finding one br's running between 500-600 and 2 br running between 700-800 most around the 800 range. I looked at some nice places off the website if anyone is interested in some possibilities.
All the people I talked to said to get on housing now because year round housing is very hard to find and runs out quickly. Most of the people I spoke with that were property owners were great.

Good Luck!

Janelle
 
hey everyone...

Any new acceptances recently? If you are, congrates!
 
So, will it be hard to look for housing if the northeast will be experiencing record cold temperatures in the coming weeks???
 
It's not going to be hard if you have a nice warm winter jacket and a good pair of gloves. (you're going to need one next year anyway)... Stop into LL Bean in Freeport while you're up! (you can even go at 3:00am, they never close). They'll get you all set. Good luck everyone with the housing search.
 
Hi everyone,
Just responding to the question posted about hobbies and avocations. Right now I'm working EMS. When I am not I enjoy reading watching ER, Crossing Jordan, CSI, 24 and Angel. I row crew when the weather is warm enough( definitly not right now!). I love watching sports and always cheer for my New England teams ( GO PATS!) I hope to have some fun travelling a little bit before I head off to medical school( I recently did Las Vegas and San DIego California and I hope to do Europe soon). I am a lover of New England and pretty much all things in it as I have grown up here and hope to practice here.

Hope to learn more about everyone else!
 
Thanks Jonb...🙂

Looking forward to meeting you Jmarra! Your job must be a great prep. for med school! I have a pretty eclectic background: art, music, and clinical research - and have spent considerable time overseas. New England is beautiful!

Classes start July 26, 2004 ---Can't wait
:clap:
 
Hey gioia, where did you see that our stuff starts the 26th of July? That's great though that we have that info so we can start planning ahead. (anyone receive any info from UNE recently)

Also, I've got to agree with Jmarra, GO PATS!!! (who'd think that the local team would be in the big game twice while I was in boston! cool huh)
 
Hey Jonb...

I called the school this morning and asked. I was told that they wait until the entering class is complete, sometime in February, before we start receiving more information.

So, July it is, unless the schedule changes. They also mentioned that classes end in late May.

ciao!
 
Hello all. After much frustration with this website I am now able to post messages... yay me!:clap:

I have been attending UNE as an undergrad (and thus living in Biddeford Pool) for the past 3.5 years (currently finnishing my last semester). I also have many friends who are currently in UNECOM. So if anyone has any questions about the school or the area I can help you out.

I have been living in off-campus housing for the past 2 years, so I can answer questions on that god-awful situation as well.
 
Hi Shoddy8!!

Welcome. To add to your frustration, I pm'd you😉
Check your private messages🙂
 
Gioia, I havent gotten your PM. Im still new to this site so maybe im not doing it right, but it said I had no private messages...
 
Hey Shod,

Welcome! I had many frustrations getting on board SDN
too. Tell us what it's like being a UNE undergrad! What's
the student body like? do most live on campus,
Traditional/non, are most from maine, does it have a liberal
arts feel, etc...

Allison
 
Gosh, Shoddy18....

I caught it. The SDN delirium.

I accidentally pm'd myself🙄

ooopppsss...

Check your pm now!


You are now entering the twighlight zone:scared:
 
Im really tired right now, so forgive me if I babble...

My past 4 years here have been great. Of all the schools I have visited, I have never met nicer people than I have at UNE. I have heard many others say the same. Everyone is so friendly. Not just students, but faculty and staff as well. I mean even the custodians and cafeteria staff know be by my first name. I have many friends who are currently in the medical school; MSI's, II's, III's and IV's, and every class I have seen has been very tight-knit. There are lots of parties and social events for the whole class.

I doubled majored in Medical Biology and Medical Lab Science (Mostly analytical chem). Many parts of the medical school buildings are shared with the undergrads, so I have spent a lot of time in the facilities. In my opinion, compared to many other schools, the facilities here are top notch. Undergrads at UNE have the opportunity to take Gross Anatomy in the cadaver lab, and also to use the cadavers at different times for other classes (e.g. Cardio, Neuro, etc). The Gross lab is very spacious, clean, WELL VENTILATED, and you have 24 hour access. The OMM lab is spectacular. All of the lecture halls are spacious and have the latest technology. Every seat has individual Ethernet ports and power outlets for laptops, which are now outdated because all of the buildings have wireless internet routers. You have access to all buildings 24 hours a day (Except the Library which closes at midnight).

Contrary to what many people think, property values in southern Maine are extremely high. Since the area is a very popular destination in the summer all property is very expensive and out of reach for most people. (This has been a major issue in the local news lately as high property values are driving many people away). So I would think twice before buying property.

The housing situation out here in Biddeford Pool is unique. The area is very touristy in the summer because it is right on the ocean. Thus most of the beautiful beachfront homes are seasonal rentals, and are rented out for big bucks on a weekly basis in the summer. This has an upside and a downside. The upside is that you can rent a very beautiful house, right on the water, a half-mile from school, very cheaply. The downside: the rental period is from Sept 1st through may 15th, which makes it hard for med students who start in the end of July and finish in the end of May. There are some year round rental in close proximity to the school, but these are few and far between.

There is a 2 year on campus housing requirement. Since it is cheaper to rent a beach house with friends than pay room and board to the school, most juniors and seniors live off campus. However, the vast majority of these students live less than a mile from campus in the seasonal rentals. Most of these houses were rented by students. All of my neighbors were other students.

If you live in Biddeford (5 miles from school) you can get a year round rental (house or apartment) relatively cheaply, but parts of this area are not the greatest. In fact some areas are very scummy. So do some research before you sign a lease. I would personally recommend living in Saco. Immediately north of Biddeford, Saco is about 10 minutes from campus, and 15-20 minutes from Portland. If you have kids, the school system in Saco is excellent.

I hope this answered some of your questions.
 
thanks for all the info shodddy ... its always good to have an insider opinion. even if the property prices are going up, i'm still absolutely overjoyed about what the rental prices look like near UNE. i guess its because i'm used to unbelievable LA and bay area rents (try 2300 a month for a small 2 bedroom apartment with no parking).

best of luck to all you patriots fans out there on super bowl sunday! my beloved 49ers weren't contenders this season, but since they won't be making it out to houston, i'm at least glad the pats will be there to take care of business.

you guys all sound awesome and i can't wait to meet up with you in july. i was reading some of the postings on a thread for another school i was considering, and they all just sounded like a bunch of whiners and weirdos ... yeah, i know that's not very nice, but it makes me feel so much better about my decision to join y'all at une

as for activities and interests : skiing, football, hiking, the occasional pub-crawl, and i have been known to get hooked on awful tv shows from time to time (newlyweds, survivor, the real world and road rules challenges, etc.) i'm currently working as a medical assistant in a pediatrics practice but am leaving for europe in may (!!!) to have some real fun before school starts

hope you're all having great days and enjoying every minute of freedom before school starts 🙂
 
Thanks Shoddy! Your information was really helpful!
:clap:

Allison
 
Hi,
While I was there for my interview I heard that you can stay on
campus in a dorm thru August and then move into your place on
Sept. 1st. Is this correct and something that can be counted on?

Also, I was just reading the "to late to get into PCOM" (or something
like that) thread. It's really touching...I recommend reading thru
it.

Allison
 
I do know that a bunch of med students lived in the dorms until Sept 1st last year, but im not sure if that will be possible this year. The school used to have housing that was only for med students, but they got rid of it last year to make space for growing undergrad classes. Those med students last year may have only been provided with campus housing for a few months because the year round campus housing they were expecting was yanked out from underneath them. Again, im not sure if they will allow it this summer, but I definately would not count on it.
 
Hey, anyone know who provides local phone service to the biddeford/saco area? How bout dial up internet or even cheap broadband? Just trying to get price ideas. Thanks!
 
Thanks Breezy!!

Jonb.. I know AT&T cellular is popular up there (and the cell phone plans are basically the same as anywhere) but the GSN network has not made it to Maine, so one can keep their digital plans.

I didn't think to ask about the prices for internet/cable etc.. But I was told that Maine is very well connected and that service is good.

I was also told that heat runs around 90$ and if renting or buying, beware of electric heat. It is MUCH more costly.
 
I believe most of the internet is roadrunner and is done by the cable company up there.
 
Also check if you are renting about heat. Pretty much everyone I went to look at apts with included it.
 
We have been here a month and this is what we pay:
Local Phone Service (verizon) with high speed DSL: about $50.00 a month, which is much cheaper than the cable high speed internet.
Cable: $58.00 a month including digital cable and HBO (got to have my Sopranos)
Cell Phone: about $30.00 a month with ATT. The service is great around UNE!
Electric: So far not bad since we have oil heat, so about $20.00 a month.
OIL: THE BIGGEST EXPENSE in the Winter, especially this year with the bitter cold temps. The oil company says to expect to use 5 gallons a day. We turn down the heat when we are not at home and at night, and so far we are using about 3 gallons a day. We are also in a very small, well insulated house. Oil prices are very high this year, and we are paying about $1.41 a gallon. We use Bickford oil who always seem to be a few cents less per gallon then the other companies...every penny counts!
Hope this helps everyone. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Adam
UNECOM Class of 2008
 
I have land line phone service through verizon.

You can get service for any cell phone company that I know of.

The best cable internet is road runner through Time warner cable of maine...$45/month. They sent me an advertisement for a plan that includes Road Runner, Digital Cable, and a cable based phone service with unlimited long distance for like $110/month.

Heat can be expensive. Make sure you ask about it and get a strait answer while looking for a place. I got stuck w/ a crappy house last year. It was so drafty and cost $300 a month to heat w/ oil. That was split 3 ways, but was still expensive.

-Scott
 
try to get a house with heat included. I pay $450/month for 2 miles from school, all utilities except for phone and cable, 4br/2bath, completely furnished, dining room, big living room, porch, kitchen with dishwasher and garbage disposal, and ocean views. The landlords also take out our trash...and live next door.

oh yeah and we cancelled our land line phone because we all have cell phones and weren't ever using our $20/month local calls only phone. we pay about $80/month for basic cable and roadrunner.

also, buy rohen, not netter; if you can afford it, buy both.
 
oceandoc,

do you split rent with anyone and share that 4/2 house?
 
right, I have 3 roomates (all of them are also UNECOM MS1s) and we each pay $450/month. Sorry for the late night post that didn't make much sense.
 
I'm a 3rd year here at UNECOM, and I absolutely love it here, however I felt a "big-sisterly" bring up some of the ugly involved in choosing UNE and moving to southern ME:

To those considering buying houses:
I'll echo a previous poster: property in Southern Maine is very expensive. Biddeford is not considered a "fashionable" place to live, and you may have a hard time reselling if you are sent out of state for rotations.

Rotations:
Most people get their first choice site. Every year, about 10 don't. Those with children, spouses, and houses historically have not been given any kind of priority in the lottery, so be careful if you are buying a house.


For those who like to wear clothes:
There is one mall here in South Portland, and two outlet store areas (Kittery and Freeport). That's it. There are some ecclectic, very expensive shops in the Old Port, but other than that, if you want to buy something to wear, those are your choices. I often find myself settling on something that I don't hate that much, or doesn't look quite right, because I need something to wear and I don't have time to drive to Boston. You might want to make sure you are stocked before moving up here!

For those who like Taco Bell:
There is one in the Maine Mall food court. I think the next nearest one is in Windham!

Road Warriors:
I lived in Portland and Yarmouth during my first two years, and had no trouble driving 35-40 minutes home everyday, even late at night (or early am). Just know what kind of driver you are when deciding this. If you are the type that dips alot when tired, reconsider the Portland thing.

Merging and Highway Etiquette:
I'm sorry to all the native Mainers, but people up here don't know how to merge onto the turnpike. It is a very strange phenomenon. They actually stop at the top of the ramp, quite frequently, and at times this will cause a traffic jam for the rest of the highway. I don't know what it is, but people just get really confused, and don't know how to judge the other cars and slide into place. So if you are merging onto the pike, and you are behind a Mainer, pay attention because they may make you stop, even at 9pm when there is nobody else on the road. I've seen people rear-ended 4 or 5 times because of this since I have lived here!

Fresh Tissue Lab:
I posted regarding this in another thread. I did this all the time during 1st and 2nd years, and believe me, it is gross and smelly and I don't miss it! You'll use them in the SOSA suture workshop, the EM club intubation workshop, and I'm not sure about the EM club IV workshop, you may use eachother in that 🙂

Believe it or not, I still loved it here, and felt prepared out on rotations. I know, most of the 2nd years probably don't feel like you'll be prepared, but trust me you know more than you think, and those preceptorships and nights at the Beach St. Center will pay off!

If anyone has any questions about the clinical years or whatever, feel free to PM me. You might want to talk to a current 1st or 2nd year about the beginning half, because I don't know if things have changed with how 1st year is set up, and I think some requirements are different from when I was at that point (biochem was not required for my class but now it is for incoming classes, things like that)

Good luck to you all, and I hope you have as good a time here at UNE as I did/am!

- Doc Oc
UNECOM Class of 2005
 
There is a Taco Bell in Sanford, but trust me that's not a good enough reason to be in Maine with that cold.
 
Hey, anyone going to the Maine Osteopathic Association mid-winter conference in Portland next weekend. It runs friday 2/6 to sunday 2/8 at the Portland Marriott (I think). It's free for students, but you don't get the meals included (so you'll have to run to mcdonalds)... check out URL=www.mainedo.org]www.mainedo.org[/URL] for all the info. Let me know if anyone is going.

Jon
 
The Convention sounds cool. Maybe I will head up for it. Where are you staying for it?
 
HI All. KWM and I just met up in Maine this past weekend and had a great time out there. We were hoping that there would be some way for some of us in the entering class to have a get together sometime before classes start. What do you all think?
 
jmarra,

That sounds like a great idea!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

wysdoc
Official 2025 Osteopathic Match Lists
2
Replies
71
Views
88K
flextape
flextape
D
Official 2024 Osteopathic Match Thread
2 3
Replies
101
Views
83K
wysdoc
wysdoc
B
Calling all people who were in the inaugural class of a DO school!
Replies
2
Views
2K
bored_suitcase
B
S
Class Rank Importance?
Replies
15
Views
6K
Dr. Anonymouss
Dr. Anonymouss
Rogue42
Official 2023 Osteopathic Match Thread
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
250
Views
96K
wellbutrin.girlfriend
W
Top