Official: UTSW Class of 2008 Thread

[G_Eagle]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So what areas of medicine are you all interested in pursuing? As for me, I have liked all the surgeries that I have seen. My personality is also one that likes to find the problem and fix it...not wait around. Also, I shadowed an ophthalmologist this summer, and his work seemed pretty amazing. Of course, I am keeping my eyes and mind open. Whatever happens, I want to push myself to make the grades and scores necessary so that I can choose my field rather than have poor effort choose it for me.

 

[rager1]

Originally posted by Texas1111
I'm liking this class of 2004 already....


Ecoing what Soonerpillow said, it's up to the classes to make whatever environment they want, whether it be cutthroat or one with cooperation and commaraderie. Since we'll be together for 4 years (maybe more), we might as well make the best of it. I'm looking forward to meeting you guys.

For my future classmates who are living in the Dallas area, are you going to Cafe Express next Tuesday?

Did I miss something? What's going on at Cafe Express?

--Rager

 

[jdan423]

Just wanted to congratulate everyone on their acceptance. I'm a MS-1 here at UTSW, and you guys chose a great school. Congrats.


jdan423
MS-1, UTSW


👍

 

[Texas1111]

Did I miss something? What's going on at Cafe Express?

Rager1
Do you live in the Dallas area? There was an email invitation to go to Cafe Express in Dallas to meet some students and other MS0s in the area.
I think the invitation was sent out only to people who lives around here.

 

[rager1]

Yeah I live in Richardson. It's possible they think I'm still out in California or in Houston for various reasons, though my letter did come to my home here. Odd... Perhaps it's a special get together for members of a certain minority group or something?

But chances are I just got overlooked. 😕 or because I haven't sent back my acceptance form.

--Rager

P.S. When on Tuesday btw? I'm flying back from an interview Tuesday and get into DFW at about 9pm. By the time I made it to Cafe Express it would be 10 at the earliest. So unless this is a late get-together, I'm probably going to have to miss it. Maybe PM me the details?

 

[G_Eagle]

That's rather cryptic. What are you talking about? Do you go to UTSW or know someone who does?

 

[ndi_amaka]

Originally posted by jdan423
Just wanted to congratulate everyone on their acceptance. I'm a MS-1 here at UTSW, and you guys chose a great school. Congrats.


jdan423
MS-1, UTSW


👍

Hi! Can you shed some light on your experiences at UTSW??? And can you explain that cryptic message about the genetics course?

 

[Giving My .02]

I think every school has its ups and downs, however I am still going to UTSW!!! & I am happy to be going, genetics course and all.

 

[G_Eagle]

I'm thrilled to be going there, and I am not too quick to label the genetics course bad simply because one person leaves a vague message. I'm waiting for an explanation. Until then, as far as I'm concerned, Southwestern has the number one genetics course in the country! 😀

 

[G_Eagle]

That's strange. I scrolled up and noticed tomcat's post is gone. Looking through the member's list, there are two tomcats (77 and 78). Both registered today, and neither has posts. Unless this mysterious person returns, I think that genetics post is suspect.

 

[Texas1111]

Yeah I live in Richardson. It's possible they think I'm still out in California or in Houston for various reasons, though my letter did come to my home here. Odd... Perhaps it's a special get together for members of a certain minority group or something?

Rager, Do you attend college in California? If so, maybe that's why they didn't send you an email. Anyhow, it starts at 6pm. I don't know how long it will last, but since I have classes the next day, I'm not going to stay too long.

I think every school has its ups and downs, however I am still going to UTSW!!! & I am happy to be going, bad genetics course and all.

Genetics is hard, no matter where it's taught.

 

[Giving My .02]

Originally posted by G_Eagle
That's strange. I scrolled up and noticed tomcat's post is gone. Looking through the member's list, there are two tomcats (77 and 78). Both registered today, and neither has posts. Unless this mysterious person returns, I think that genetics post is suspect.

Glad to have you in our class. I realized it was gone to. It might be ploy to free up spots on the waitlist. Maybe not, but I think if it is deleted, the person was shaky on their position.

 

[jdan423]

somebody asked me to shed some light on my southwestern experience. i would say it's been great so far. i just got married in december, so maybe that's why it's been great. the classes have been tough, especially this semester. genetics is no fun, but it is only 1/2 to 1 credit, nobody seems to know for sure. i would say that's the worst class so far. i've probably learned more here than in four years at A & M. i'm not trying to put down A & M, but man they fly through the material here. that was tough to adjust to at first, but you get used to it.

the people have been pretty cool. as to this competitive reputation that utsw has obtained in the past, i'm not sure. everyone is very helpful. nobody wants others to do poorly, it's just that everyone here seems to do very well. in that sense, it is competitive, but it's definitely not cutthroat. i'm a liberal arts major who was out of school for a year, and i've done well. all in all, i'm very happy with my decision, and so are all of my friends. i'm also into playing sports, so the rec center is great for that. i think all of you who will be joining us here will be very pleased.

anyway, sorry to bore everybody. if you have some specific questions, i'll be happy to answer them sometime. hope you guys have a great experience here.

jdan423

 

[G_Eagle]

Thanks for the post. That certainly helped me. Where do you find that most people study? What have you done to stay up with the material? Do you study right after class? All night? What are activities that you recommend we take advantage of 1st year (academic and nonacademic)?

 

[ndi_amaka]

Thanks for the insight. Does one have to attend lecture to do well or is all the information in the syllabus they give out?

 

[jdan423]

G_eagle :
Most people study at home, I think. I study at home and at the library. I would say few people study in the carrels. To stay up with the material just requires reading before class and studying for a couple of hours each evening, at least for me. I don't study right after class. Weekends are when I catch up, but a good friend of mine studies like a fiend during the week so he's free on weekends. It sounds kinda generic, but you've just gotta find where you're comfortable. I never, ever study all night. The latest I've studied since I've been here would probably be 1 am. I get between six and nine hours of sleep/night, probably between 7 and 8 most nights. i know people who get much, much less, but i can't do it that way. activities-wise, i would recommend intramural sports. there are tons of organizations and stuff, they will send you emails telling you when they meet, what they're about, etc. a veritable ton of emails. i'm somewhat interested in emergency medicine, so a couple of nights i've gone to the er with a buddy, and we've shadowed the residents around. that was cool. the class also does a lot of stuff together, like planned nights out at various bars/clubs. i'm not too into that scene, but it's there if you are.

ndi_amaka :
I would say the vast majority of the information is in the syllabus. i just got done with a neuroscience test about an hour ago, and i think three out of 80 questions were strictly from lecture. of course, i missed two of those, but if you read the scribes from each lecture, you shouldn't miss any of those questions. i have gone to almost all classes to this point (except those blasted neuro lectures), but i've kinda decided to stop going for a little while and see how that goes. it frees up a lot of time to study during the day instead of going to class. especially if you just come to sleep, like a large number of my class does.

hope that helps.

jdan423

 

[G_Eagle]

Thanks for the words of wisdom!

 

[Bad Mojo]

I noticed that a couple of people are not going to be able to attend the second day of the MS0 weekend. I have to be down in Waco that Saturday, so I'm in the same boat. I was going to try to see if I could get the financial aid information that they're going over on Saturday through some other means. If there are other people interested, we should see if they could go over some of it Friday, perhaps during the afternoon when they have the different seminars. Let me know if anyone is interested, and I'll look into it.

 

[vivekap2007]

Originally posted by ndi_amaka
Question!!! How have you felt about your 1st semester at UTSW?? What have u enjoyed and what do you dislike??? Any adviceor warnings?

Sorry for not replying earlier; I haven't checked sdn in some time. I enjoyed my first semester and I actually liked genetics. It was my favorite class 1st semester. I hated anatomy but we had really good profs and swanky facilities (if an anatomy lab can be called swanky) I just did not enjoy the course. The tank camaraderie was the highlight of my anatomy time.

Advice, don't live too far away or you won't wanna ever come to school. Don't be too serious and make adequate use of all the whiteboard space around the carrels to make fun of your classmates, profs, and those pesky grad students 😀


I've got lots to say but i'll save it for ms0 day, which i'll be at for sure (and not just for the food).

 

[Texas1111]

For current UTSW students,
Do you think a laptop is necessary for school? I'm thinking about buying one, but don't know if it's worth it.

 

[G_Eagle]

So tomcat reappears in the form of a private message, advising me that the best way to handle UTSW genetics is to get my hands on an old test and study that. Anyone else gotten such great advice (sarcasm)? Tomcat is a shady individual...

 

[No Egrets]

i love genetics! it's my favorite subject of all time. so if i end up going to UTSW, i will definitely help everyone out. 🙂

 

[Giving My .02]

Originally posted by G_Eagle
So tomcat reappears in the form of a private message, advising me that the best way to handle UTSW genetics is to get my hands on an old test and study that. Anyone else gotten such great advice (sarcasm)? Tomcat is a shady individual...

If you are able to get your hands on an old test, let me in! Also, I could use the genetics help, because all I have taken is Molecular Genetics.

 

[G_Eagle]

Ha ha....I'm sure I will be asking for help on genetics, but I am not going to pilfer old tests for an upper edge (unless the whole class is given them). Actually, what will be the greatest academic shock for me is biochem. I did not like organic at all and refused to take biochem in college. I expect this to be one of the subjects that forces me to work hardest. Molecules don't bring me happiness. At least, studying them doesn't....

 

[Giving My .02]

Originally posted by G_Eagle
Ha ha....I'm sure I will be asking for help on genetics, but I am not going to pilfer old tests for an upper edge (unless the whole class is given them). Actually, what will be the greatest academic shock for me is biochem. I did not like organic at all and refused to take biochem in college. I expect this to be one of the subjects that forces me to work hardest. Molecules don't bring me happiness. At least, studying them doesn't....

Where I go to school, the professors leave their old test in the library and you can check them out for like two hours. I honestly don't believe it helped me because I did that for a cell midterm, and made a C on it, but when I studied for the final just on my own, I had to make at least a 96 to make an A in the class, and I pulled that off. I guess I do better anyways, by just understanding. Biochem honestly isn't too bad. The trouble you might get in is them going over stuff really fast, because there is a lot of structures that you might be forced on you. However, I doubt that, and only the needed stuff is, so it should be okay. You are just the opposite to me. I hated General Chem and loved Organic. Anyways, off to studying, I have been putting it off to long.

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by Giving My .02
Biochem honestly isn't too bad. I hated General Chem and loved Organic.

I feel exactly the same way! Gen. Chem is evil! Organic was cooler, and Biochem was even way cooler than that. Biochem was also a lot easier for me than Organic.

So don't worry G. Eagle!

 

[G_Eagle]

This is awesome! I already have a support group. General chemistry does not make me very excited either. My favorite classes so far in undergrad have been Human Physiology, Immunology, Clinical Disease, and Histology. Economics of Healthcare has been interesting too. Well, I'll be sure to seek help from you guys when I have questions. Have we worked out a meeting place for MS0? PM me if you want to do so.

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by G_Eagle
Have we worked out a meeting place for MS0? PM me if you want to do so.

are you talking about Thursday night or at the MS0 day morning?
I'll be there Thursday night if you guys want to get together or something.

 

[G_Eagle]

I am not sure when I'll be getting into town on Thursday night. Getting together Friday after the party in the student life building would be fun. I'm not a morning person, though, so I would rather not stay up late on Friday night. Otherwise, waking up on Saturday will not happen, or I will fall asleep during the morning seminars.

 

[ndi_amaka]

Do any of you know anything about scholarships that UTSW hands out. Alot of the UTMB people got scholarship offers with their letters.

 

[soonerpillow]

Originally posted by ndi_amaka
Do any of you know anything about scholarships that UTSW hands out. Alot of the UTMB people got scholarship offers with their letters.

I think all the Out of State people get a $1000 scholarship so that they qualify to pay In State tuition. I don't know about any other scholarships, though.

 

[ndi_amaka]

I called Med Park Apts this morning about apartment rates. Prices range from 700 to 1080 a month. The 2 1-1's are 700 and 735. One of the 2-2s are 1050, the biggest is 1080.


Anyone know info about other apts around the area?? I'm dedicating today to find apartment rates.

 

[G_Eagle]

I don't know of anyone who is in state who has received a scholarship. I wonder if they will offer some later, or if they feel that they can help us better by paying for loan interests. Frankly, I have no clue. Good luck in finding apartments!

 

[Bad Mojo]

In the Southwestern catalog that we got at interviews has a listing of all the scholarships, grants, and loans that they give out. It doesn't say much as far as numbers or dollar amounts go, though. I'm out of state and got the 1000 dollar one, which they said they'd give us at interviews. The pink sheet that came in the acceptance package says that in early May, financial aids packages will be sent to students, including scholarship/grant information. So, if you're hoping for more free money (aren't we all?), there is a little more waiting time...

As far as classes go, I was a genetics major and did a lot of biochem for it, so I'm not too worried about that. I'm all for helping though.

 

[vivekap2007]

they give out the in state scholarships in may with the fin aid letters. Also, fill out your fafsa NOW to be sure and get as much of the free grant money as possible. As for apartments, I think the med park apts are overpriced. The rental market in dallas is pretty depressed so y'all should get good deals. Don't be afraid to look in Highland Park or other ritzy areas 'cause a lot of places are offering deals and it's cheaper than med park. Lastly, as students we're poor. So ask the complexes if they have affordable housing programs and you may get the gov't to pick up part of your rent.

I think having a laptop is a good idea because I use mine alot and keep it at school most of the time, but a lot of people don't have computers and they're just fine too. Just depends on how much you use computers now.

 

[G_Eagle]

So I called up the admissions office on Friday to see if they had received my acceptance reply form, and they said no. This was perplexing because I sent it last Monday, and it should have arrived in a day or so. Luckily, I had made a photocopy of the form before I sent it, and I faxed it to them today. I called and confirmed that they had received the fax and noticed a change online. On the website where you RSVP for MS0, there is a section that says "Application Profile/Status." Mine changed from "Accepted and Matched" on Friday to "Accepted and Deposited" today. I believe that also means that they received my form. Why am I telling you all this? I am letting you know so you can check the website to see what your profile status to check on your form.

 

[No Egrets]

thanks for the tips, dudes. i'm gonna get on that FAFSA shiznit. now i'm dreaming of a gorgeous highland park apartment with hardwood floors...

 

[ndi_amaka]

Originally posted by vivekap2007
So ask the complexes if they have affordable housing programs and you may get the gov't to pick up part of your rent.

How does one go about doing this???

 

[ndi_amaka]

When looking for apartments online (I'm not in Dallas right now so I can't physically go out and do the footwork) what do I select?? North Dallas, East Dallas, downtown, oak lawn, turtle creek, etc??? I don't know how far away these areas are from the med school and I don't want to end up having to drive more than 15 minutes or I'll just never come to class.

 

[G_Eagle]

Ok, here is how it works. First, the Southwestern apartments do provide quick shuttle service to the school and a gated community with other students like yourself. Don't rule it out of the picture yet. As for the areas of Dallas, you will find that the closer to downtown, they are more expensive. Southwestern is in a relatively unsafe area so you might find some inexpensive ones there due to crime.
Turtle Creek and Oak Lawn are nice areas that are predominantly homosexual. So if you are a heterosexual looking into a local dating seen, this might stunt your opportunities in the complex. The Village is a yuppie, safe area near Greenville. Uptown apartment complexes off of McKinney are another option. Of course, there is Highland Park.
Unfortunately, the safer and better the complex, the expenses sky rocket. If you are on the opposite side of 75 (Central highway) as Southwestern, then this will add time to the drive due to heavy traffic. Don't get outside of LBJ (635) unless you want to leave for class very early and for class very late.
Good luck comparing the complexes. I would recommend your driving around Dallas and comparing the areas to see realistic drive times and safety of the neighborhoods. Please ask if you have anymore questions.

 

[Texas1111]

I live in Garland, which is sort of north of Dallas. My mom has a couple of rooms for rent in our neighboorhood. Price range from 275 to 330 a month. The way it works if you get a bedroom, and share all the public facilities (kitchen, living room, bathroom, washer/dryer, etc)
Pm me if you're interested.

 

[ndi_amaka]

Thanks guys! Your information is really helpful. One other question, is the SMU area also considered Highland Park???

 

[G_Eagle]

Around SMU is actually University Park. This is adjacent to Highland Park. Together, they make the Park Cities. Because it is pointless to separate them in daily conversation, people refer to them together as Highland Park.

 

[ndi_amaka]

Okay, i see...and they are both 15 mintes from campus?

 

[G_Eagle]

15-20 minutes...you can take Inwood road south, straight to Southwestern...it is a great, but expensive, location...

 

[G_Eagle]

Southwestern apartments are even closer...they are about 5 minutes from the medical campus...

 

[ndi_amaka]

Originally posted by G_Eagle
Southwestern apartments are even closer...they are about 5 minutes from the medical campus...

I would really like to live at Medpark.....do i really want to put up with 700 a month for rent??? Are there any other apartments neighboring medpark??

 

[G_Eagle]

Now that I do not know. You are going to have to look for yourself. That is getting into a more dangerous area of town, though, with hit and miss apartments around Love Field airport.

 

[NitoVerde]

For MS-O, I'm staying with a friend from college who is now an MS-1. He lives at Inwood-on the Park Apartmetns. I think they might even be closer than the Med School apartments, but I'll give you all an update once I go. Based on where these apartments are, you can find a few more if you go to one of the apartment search sites (apartments.com apartmentguide.com) and type in the zip code "75235". Inwood seems to be more expensive than Med Apts, but on the search results of the zip code, you can get some variety in price. I vaguely remember a student talking about some cheap (and shady) close-to-campus apartments she lived in during interview day, but I guess we'll get to ask all these questions again (and this time actually pay attention to the response) during MS-0. Does anyone know if the med apartments fill to capacity, thus prompting us to make a deposit early? On their website it says a new phase will open up in June, does anyone know if this time schedule is still correct?

Thanks everyone! 😀 From your posts, I'm confident we'll have an awesome class! By the way, anyone from San Antonio or El Paso? I'm originaly from EP, but am finishing up college at Trinity in SA right now.

 

[ndi_amaka]

Originally posted by NitoVerde
For MS-O, I'm staying with a friend from college who is now an MS-1. He lives at Inwood-on the Park Apartmetns. I think they might even be closer than the Med School apartments, but I'll give you all an update once I go. Based on where these apartments are, you can find a few more if you go to one of the apartment search sites (apartments.com apartmentguide.com) and type in the zip code "75235". Inwood seems to be more expensive than Med Apts, but on the search results of the zip code, you can get some variety in price. I vaguely remember a student talking about some cheap (and shady) close-to-campus apartments she lived in during interview day, but I guess we'll get to ask all these questions again (and this time actually pay attention to the response) during MS-0. Does anyone know if the med apartments fill to capacity, thus prompting us to make a deposit early? On their website it says a new phase will open up in June, does anyone know if this time schedule is still correct?

Thanks everyone! 😀 From your posts, I'm confident we'll have an awesome class! By the way, anyone from San Antonio or El Paso? I'm originaly from EP, but am finishing up college at Trinity in SA right now.

Hi! I have a friend here at UT-Aistin that is originally from El Paso...so you definitely won't be the only one.