***Official UTMB-Galveston Class of 2013 Thread***

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Alright guys, who else here got some good news from UTMB?:hardy::hardy::hardy:

I won't lie- I'm not sure I'm coming here yet. However, I think it'll be helpful to all of us trying to make decisions to talk about the school, maybe get some info from any helpful current med students :)
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I'm here to help too! :)
 
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Same. Look how much support you have already from current students! :)
 
Here's a post I made concerning it awhile back...I need to add that in the first course, Anat/Rads, the pbl is lighter (1 hr vs 2 hrs per session in the other 1st year courses, and the quizzes aren't quite as challenging) probably to both get you used to it and because anat lab already takes up a lot of contact hrs. Of course, one's perception of pbl is also affected by the "facillitator" you get and your group, both of which change each course. Either way, its not a large part of your grade.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6306404&postcount=23
 
I actually hate PBL. Its ok in theory, but in practice it is a load of BS. Its basically who can out do the other students the most...and my group right now is very good and we work well together. Ive seen other groups/people that I am actually dreading having PBL with due to them radomly "having ideas on what should be done" and it turns into hours of researching on the web.

It also can be viewed as randomly guessing at what the diagnosis is until one gets enough info to prove a certain one. Yea thats what a doctor does but they also know what tests to order and everything else. People in PBL always say something dumb like "CT with contrast" to anything.

Can you tell I despise PBL? lol
 
GoSpursGo said:
Hey cool :)

Can you guys give me your perspectives on Galveston's brand of PBL?
Click to expand...

PBL is definitely a new type of learning for most people, including myself. If you watch the show House, its a lot like that, except with written up cases, not real patients. The groups are about 8 people with 1 faculty mentor.The way it works is we have 3 PBL days a week. Each week is 1 new patient. On the first day we are presented with a new patient. We learn their history of present illness and come up with things to ask, tests to run, and scans to take. There are different tasks that are written up that guide the discussion. Each step of the way you get new information about the patient, such as test results and images that we read. At the end of the day, we accumulate learning objectives to research and do at home and go back the next PBL day to discuss them. This gives you the opportunity to practice developing clinical questions and doing the research to find an answer. Normally, I don't spend more than an hour a week doing independent research, so it isn't very time intensive. My group in particular is very cohesive and the discussions flow very well, but I know some people in groups where some people try to out shine the others at the expense of the others. Each group has a different dynamic. That's okay though, cause every 8 weeks you get a new PBL group. Like myKuduSlewaZulu said, "one's perception of pbl is also affected by the "facillitator" you get and your group, both of which change each course. Either way, its not a large part of your grade."
 
Could you give me a quick run-down of what an "average" day is like for a 1st and 2nd year student?
 
kevinmw5 said:
Could you give me a quick run-down of what an "average" day is like for a 1st and 2nd year student?
Click to expand...

I can only comment on first year and the first course. I hear Gross Anatomy and Radiology (GAR), the first course, is the most time intensive. Instead of giving an average day, let me give you an "average week." Our week 3 seems like a good example.

M: 8am - 9am: Anatomy Lecture
9am - 11am: GAR Lab
11am-12pm: GAR PBL day 1
12pm-1pm: Lunch
1pm-2pm: Anatomy (or Radiology) Lecture

T: 9am-10am: Anatomy Lecture
10am-12pm: GAR Lab
12pm-1pm: Lunch
1pm-2p: Anatomy (or Radiology) Lecture

W: 8am - 9am: Anatomy Lecture
9am - 11am: GAR Lab
11am-12pm: GAR PBL day 2

Th: 9am-10am: Anatomy Lecture
10am-12pm: GAR Lab
12pm-1pm: Lunch
1pm-2p: Anatomy (or Radiology) Lecture

F: 8am-10am: PBL Final Day and Quiz
10am-10:30am: PBL Wrap up (class lecture)
10:30am-11am: Whose Anatomically Correct? (WAC) Gameshow style review

Beside GAR related classes, etc, you also have Practice of Medicine (POM) that runs for the full year. You do ONE 3 hour session in your small group once a week from 2pm-5pm between Monday and Thursday. Also, there is a PMOM lecture at 1pm on Friday.

Each course lasts 8 weeks and you take a test every 4 weeks.
 
So is Anatomy lecture the same as Anatomy lab? If not, when do y'all do the lab portion?

How do y'all like the "half days" at UTMB as opposed to going 8-5? I've thought that this may be a reason that UTMB has done well on STEP 1 recently (because it gives more time to spend studying, which I figure would be more efficient than lecture), would you agree with this assumption?

Thanks for answering all these questions, I feel that it will really help me in my decision!
 
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The "GAR lab" in the schedule above is anatomy lab. As mentioned, it makes GAR (Gross Anatomy and Radiology) the most time intensive course. 2nd year classes switch to being in the afternoon, with POM in the morning.
 
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I like the half days alot...except I spend most of the day playing video games or drinking. I actually just opened scribes for the first time last night and we have a final fri. I dont really beefit from the half days I guess in that Ive skipped every lecture that wasnt required since the first week. If you can make yourself study, youll be golden here at UTMB. I really like it here

Lots to do this week though...
 
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Would it be possible for me to go to UTMB during Christmas break and talk to someone in admissions (or somewhere else) about the present and future of UTMB?
 
Well would there be anyone I could go and talk to? I'm really interested in UTMB, the only thing I'm not certain of is the whole Ike situation...
 
Is there any idea when John Sealy Hospital will be back to pre-Ike capacity and operation?
 
DrSno said:
Is there any idea when John Sealy Hospital will be back to pre-Ike capacity and operation?
Click to expand...

Also if it is not at pre-Ike capacity and operation will it truly negatively effect the medical student's education?
 
No one you could possibly talk to could give you an answer that will really satisfy you:). No one in admissions knows, etc. The answers you seek are honestly not known. Remember, FEMA completes its survey in Dec, and the Tx legislature opens in Jan. We'll know a lot more about funding, etc. then. I read the papers around here to keep an ear to the ground as much as possible. Locally there has been a lot of outcry to bring UTMB back asap, and calls for localities in the area to step up and offer a more structured way to support UTMB financially. Lots of politics involved here...where it ends nobody knows. Hospitals from here to Houston have seen a substantial rise in admissions since UTMB's closure.

Let me refer you back to another thread that you've probably read, but I promise the two posts I made are probably just about as up-to-date and accurate a response as you're going to get...one of them quotes the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs....it doesn't get much higher than that frankly. My pbl facillitator is also a dean of education...we grilled him as well and his answers coincide with what has already been posted. I promise we'll keep you updated as best we can.

Keep in mind that you guys won't hit the clinical years for a long time, so who knows what things will be like then. I will say that the buildings from the outside really don't look damaged, its the guts on the first floors that are being ripped out and replaced. Quite a lot of work is being done at the moment.

I realize its hard for me to say this with any gravitas, but I don't think our/your clinical education will be materially affected whether or not John Sealy comes back at its old capacity (though I hope it does). The school is not going to short-change our education...it might look a little different in the places involved, but they have options, and time to get them in place. Having said that, like I mentioned in that other thread, UTMB takes a lot of patients nobody else really wants, and they're now showing up at other hospitals. 160 out of 254 counties send patients here, and 68 actually have contracts with UTMB. Add in ~180k inmates they're in charge of, and maybe that will pressure politicians, maybe it won't.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=574058&highlight=utmb
 
Thanks Kudu for that answer. One more Ike question: As of now the anatomy lab on the top floor of Old Red is closed right? Any idea whether it will be open anytime soon?
 
DrSno said:
Thanks Kudu for that answer. One more Ike question: As of now the anatomy lab on the top floor of Old Red is closed right? Any idea whether it will be open anytime soon?
Click to expand...

IIRC, I think I heard it could take up to a year for them to repair Old Red. But I have no idea if that's accurate or if they just pulled it from you-know-where...I suspect the latter. Hard for me to believe they wouldn't have that back up and running before school starts in late Aug. Admissions, Enrollment Servies, Academic Services...lots of stuff was homed there, and of course they need the lab. Can't really replace that elsewhere..especially with all the old jarred specimens and such, can't miss out on that hehe.
 
How is life on the Island post-Ike with respect to student living and apartments, restaurants, etc.? Is it starting to return back to normal (relatively) or is it still deep in the recovery process? Are a lot of people moving back or are most of the residential areas devastated?


Thank you!!
 
The lab Im going to say will be ready for yalls class. Just a guess though.

Life post-Ike...restaurants not on the seawall, and even still most of them, close very early. Chilis is closed by 6. Apartments im not sure about. I believe a few of my friends and classmates have just signed leases so they are prolly ok as well.

It is slowly returning back to normal but im not sure when it will be back to pre-Ike conditions. It will def take while for that.
 
DrSno said:
Thanks Kudu for that answer. One more Ike question: As of now the anatomy lab on the top floor of Old Red is closed right? Any idea whether it will be open anytime soon?
Click to expand...

There is no timeline for renovating Old Red yet. The anatomy lab will have to be moved to some other location, but they do not know yet where. The latest I heard from Dr. Miller (one of the anatomy directors) is that they are going to clear some clinical space somewhere. I asked him about the specimens and he said that they are leaving them in Old Red at the moment still hoping they'll give it clearance for a lab again, but will move them if the lab does indeed move.

As far as island life goes. I suspect that by mid-Spring most of the restaurants will be back to normal, as will the apartment complexes needing to do some rennovations.
 
Hey! I'm new to SDN but recently pre-matched to UTMB, so I decided to come check out potential new classmates. It feels weird to have worked so hard for so long for an e-mail, but it has all paid off! Congrats to all!

Is anyone planning on visiting Galveston before match day?

As a side note-it's nice to see so many current students here to answer questions. I'm sure I will have plenty in the coming weeks, so thank you in advance for being so available!
 
Hey guys, I'm a 4th year at UTMB. If you are worried about clinical opportunities being messed up due to Ike, two things:

One, it's really early. The storm just happened a little more than 2 months ago. Since then, first and second year classes resumed on Oct 20, and the third and fourth years have ALL been relocated to other medical schools to continue clinical rotations. That's no small feat. That's almost 400 ppl to place. I think the admins did a great job of getting folks back on track, and we will all graduate in time. The students will begin coming back to the "greater Galveston metropolitan area" beginning in Jan, and John Sealy will be back open very soon (it was supposed to open last Monday, but there were glitches that held things up). UTMB is on track to be almost back to normal in maybe a year or two. Which leads me to my second point...

B, you are over two years until you start your clinical rotations. By that time, you won't even remember your first/second year classes, step 1 will be behind you, and you will be plunged into a whole new world, that is clinical rotations. UTMB is working to form new contracts with hospitals in the Clear Lake area to allow students to complete rotations, they are working to build a new children's hospital there too (the Children's Hospital at UTMB will be shut down after they build the new one, the timeline on that is unknown). The TDCJ hospital will be open. You will be FINE. You will complete all your rotations at a UTMB affiliated hospital, under the direction of UTMB faculty, and you will do rotations at John Sealy and TDCJ too. Other med schools have rotations at many hospitals too, VA hospitals and assorted private hospitals. Look at it positively, you will get used to more than one place. How very cosmopolitan.

UTMB has been dealt a severe blow, with damaged facilities and layoffs, but it will come back. It may look different, but it will still be a great school, with great students who will match well into residencies. The ppl at Tulane were gone for a year or more after Katrina, but it has only been 2 months and look how much has been accomplished.
 
I just received an e-mail about a reception for those accepted and I RSVPd. Anyone else planning on going to this and can anyone give us any insight as to what to expect?
 
Wow... I just pre-matched to UTMB and I must agree with an earlier post about how awesome it is that all these current students are doing their best to answer our questions. Really helps me get a better feel for the type of students that UTMB prefers.
 
kevinmw5 said:
I just received an e-mail about a reception for those accepted and I RSVPd. Anyone else planning on going to this and can anyone give us any insight as to what to expect?
Click to expand...

I plan on attending the reception in Austin... how about yourself?
 
Bryan/College Station

Anyone else going to that one?
 
I'm thinking I'll probably go to the Austin one also.
 
kevinmw5 said:
I just received an e-mail about a reception for those accepted and I RSVPd. Anyone else planning on going to this and can anyone give us any insight as to what to expect?
Click to expand...


I went to the one in College Station last year, and it was basically just a fancy mix and mingle kinda thing. Faculty and staff from student life were on hand as well as UTMB Alumni from the area and were more than happy to answer questions/tell their favorite UTMB stories. It was also a good opportunity to talk to other students who pre-matched. I would suggest going. :thumbup:
 
How formal should we dress for this thing?
 
I'll be at the Austin reception :thumbup:
 
Anybody know if UTMB is offering a second look on the main campus?
 
Wear a collared shirt and tie. Maybe a nice polo. I went last year to dallas and didnt really gain much from it. If you know you want UTMB, then dont waste your time. If you want to know more about UTMB, then it is very helpful.
 
Hi everyone! I got pre-matched from UTMB and live in Austin, TX. I'm just excited to meet everyone soon, and see the campus!
:hardy:
 
I assume everyone got the email about having a chance to go visit the main campus by request? Anyone maybe want to get a group together to go visit sometime over winter break?
 
GoSpursGo said:
I assume everyone got the email about having a chance to go visit the main campus by request? Anyone maybe want to get a group together to go visit sometime over winter break?
Click to expand...

I'm planning on going sometime during the break...Let me know more info when you decide to go.
 
yeah - i plan on visiting soon as well, winter break sounds great. If we want to go when the students are there, after January 5th would be great for me. I'll be at the austin, tx reception - hope to meet some of y'all soon!
- abbi
 
Anyone going to be at the College Station reception on 12/2?
 
Just to let you SDN people know, I will be at the rest of the interview date student panels. I will look at my schedule and see about maybe having an unofficial campus tour date as well sometime in December. I will keep you posted. Again, if you have any questions feel free to ask. I definitely will be happy to answer anything after Friday morning cause I'll be done with GAR!
 
where is the best place to start looking for housing?
I am interested in houses too - what areas are the best?
 
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