Oklahoma - (Prospective) Class of 2010 part 01

[Antigunner]

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As far as the size of the laptop, I just got a nice SwissGear backpack that has the nice little slot for it. It doesn't bother me at all, although I also don't bring any books or binders to school with me, so that would probably make it a bit heavier.

 

[Amxcvbcv]

wow...thanks for all the feedback. im not really all that computer savvy so you all have been helpful. So I am guessing that OU doesnt require a processor speed (like 2 GHz) or a specific harddrive (like 60 GB)?? I know some schools get really specific on what you need...i just dont want to buy one and then find out in june when OU sends another mailer with computer specs on it that mine isnt good enough. i cant get a mac..i have one at work and it puts me in a bad mood just to use it. 🙂 but thanks again everyone.

They'll send out specs that should guarantee you have no problems running the apps you'll need to access all the online resources - mp3s from notegroups, powerpoints from lectures, Word for the occasional PCM writeup, and videos for anatomy. Really it comes down to how much speed you want or how much slowness you can tolerate.

Personally, I get antsy waiting for anything to load, so I try to keep computers I use up to date and very streamlined. 😀

 

[oudoc08]

duplicate post. What happened to the delete button in the edit menu?

 

[oudoc08]

wow...thanks for all the feedback. im not really all that computer savvy so you all have been helpful. So I am guessing that OU doesnt require a processor speed (like 2 GHz) or a specific harddrive (like 60 GB)?? I know some schools get really specific on what you need...i just dont want to buy one and then find out in june when OU sends another mailer with computer specs on it that mine isnt good enough. i cant get a mac..i have one at work and it puts me in a bad mood just to use it. 🙂 but thanks again everyone.

Regardless of any "required" specs, nobody's going to ask you to bring in your computer, or check to see if what you have is sufficient. Actually, I think you could get away without having one, though you definitely don't want to. There's just too much stuff that you'll need to access from home.

Nothing is going to require a supercomputer anyways. In fact, I'd say probably just about anything new would be above the minimum.
Even the crappiest new computer now has xp and decent video capabilities that will run the online stuff.

Might not work to well for Battlefield 2, but at least you'll be able to watch anatomy videos online.

 

[midwest77]

ok thanks. The reason i ask is because I applied to a school that requires a 2.0 GHz Pentium Processor, 1.0 GB Memory, 60 GB hard Drive, built in wireless, a 3 year warranty, windows XP, and 2003 microsoft office with Powerpoint. This is one heck of a computer so i was just making sure that OU doesnt specifically require/recommend something this high-end.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Portland's the microbrew capital of the country or something like that, so I've gotten a bit spoiled.

I think your coffee shop culture and quaint little brews being delivered by bicycle days are over. At least given your apparent interest in things crimson and cream. 😀

Not to stray to far, as a roof over my head trumps what laptop I'm gonna buy anyday, but some of the houses in the latest mailing are approaching 150K. This seems like a lot on what I've heard is available for our room and board. Or the one for rent for a 1000. A 1000 dollar mortgage will buy quite a bit of house here. Amxcvbcv said something about being above your means; this has to be getting close?!?!?

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

Not to stray to far, as a roof over my head trumps what laptop I'm gonna buy anyday, but some of the houses in the latest mailing are approaching 150K. This seems like a lot on what I've heard is available for our room and board. Or the one for rent for a 1000. A 1000 dollar mortgage will buy quite a bit of house here. Amxcvbcv said something about being above your means; this has to be getting close?!?!?

As I mentioned earlier, totally reasonable houses are definitely available for rent for $500 or less-- most of those $1000+ rental houses are in the historic district and best for roommate situations. Homes are also for sale for much less than 150k; however, the reason I didn't buy one is that I didn't want to settle for purchasing a house that I could afford on finaid-- I'm thrilled to rent this place, I would definitely be less thrilled to buy it. To get an idea of what you can get for whatever's in your budget, I'd go to newsok.com and look at the homes section of the Oklahoman.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Hey, you guys, we gotta get exlawgrrl down here. Don't tease her too much (although glp's comment about Northwestern yuppies had me rolling). I'm sure there's some nice place in Bricktown where you can at least get a good imported beer and enjoy the ambience. Me, I'm all about coffee shop culture - I hope there are at least one or two popular coffee haunts for people from OUHSC. Preferably with wireless service.

Exlawgrrl, if you make down here and nothing else works, I'll buy ya some hops and yeast. And a great big plastic trash can. Look at the success of "Airborne" - they advertise "CREATED BY A SCHOOLTEACHER!!" Well, for yours, it'll be "Brewed by a Medical Student." You'll clean up. We won't say anything about the lawyer part. Hehehehehehe......

 

[Mr. Freeze]

I'm sure there's some nice place in Bricktown where you can at least get a good imported beer and enjoy the ambience... Exlawgrrl, if you make down here and nothing else works, I'll buy ya some hops and yeast. And a great big plastic trash can. Look at the success of "Airborne" - they advertise "CREATED BY A SCHOOLTEACHER!!" Well, for yours, it'll be "Brewed by a Medical Student." You'll clean up. We won't say anything about the lawyer part. Hehehehehehe......

=Tapwerks (works?) probably. I'll qualify that by saying it has been a few years since I've been there, and I was "diminished". I do remember a slew of Anchor brews...

When I lived in the barracks there was a guy a few rooms down that was covertly trying to brew his own beer. He had managed to evade the ever-present health and welfare inspections until his operation built up enough pressure inside the glass carboy to detonate it, showering his entire room with a slurry of half-fermented ale and glass shrapnel...my attempt at brewing was less dynamic, but still tasted like ass. Or so I thought, until I developed more of a palate (=had enough $$ to buy non-PBR). Now I just shed a tear when I think about how much beer I fertilized my lawn with...

 

[glp]

=Tapwerks (works?) probably. I'll qualify that by saying it has been a few years since I've been there, and I was "diminished". I do remember a slew of Anchor brews...

i forgot about tapwerks. they have a slew of brews from all over on tap.

http://www.tapwerks.com/images/beer.pdf

 

[Mr. Freeze]

i forgot about tapwerks.

😱 Blasphemy!?!?

And exlawgrrl, I'm sure you can find the places you seek, but they may be lacking the religious devotion to the bean so prevalent in the Columbia River basin. There is no more room for religion in Oklahoma. I know you've been out of the fold for awhile, but don't worry, it'll all come back to ya! 😀

 

[oudoc08]

There is no more room for religion in Oklahoma.

It'd probably be easier to open your own oil company than to start another religion here 🙂

There's a starbucks on every other corner and a bunch of java daves around the metr, but microbreweries are far and few between. I do like tapwerks though.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

I know you've been out of the fold for awhile, but don't worry, it'll all come back to ya! 😀

They've GOT to put us 2010 sdn'ers in the same mod - it'd be a tragedy if they don't. Wonder who I need to call about that.

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

I think I was the only big SDNer that got put in a mod w/out any other SDNers! It's all good though... you will grow to know and love all your modmates, even if they don't SDN! 🙂

 

[Smitty3L]

Okay, so I lurk around SDN a lot and I figure it's time for me to introduce myself to my fellow classmates! If any of you had a December 1 interview I was the really pregnant girl that you were probably feeling sorry for as I was trekking around campus in heels.

Anyway, really looking forward to school starting (I think).

 

[want2beadoc]

You were my hero that day 🙂 You probably don't remember me but I was the short guy that asked how far along you were after the interviews. How is your baby?

 

[Smitty3L]

She's great, born on Christmas. I was so worried about what the interviewers would say about going through school with a child. Everything I heard was about how conservative the medical profession is, especially here in Oklahoma, but they were so supportive, and obviously thought that I could do it! I would have liked to have waited until after I was finished with school, but this was one of life's fun little surprises.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Congratulations, Smitty! What a cool Christmas... a new baby and a medical school acceptance - doesn't get much better than that. Glad you're in the Class of 2010. Anybody up for a picture thread sometime before school starts, or should we just plan on a SDN huddle at some point during orientation? I certainly would like to be able to recognize my fellow SDN'ers.

I'm glad you had a good interview experience, Smitty. Mine was fantastic - I was very worried about being (potentially - still haven't heard yet) the oldest member of the Class of 2010. My interviewers were very non-trad positive and very supportive - I felt that they wanted me to do well, which made the interview a surprisingly pleasant experience (although I know not everybody was quite as lucky as I was on that score). It was a real pleasure to fill out the admissions survey that came by e-mail yesterday - OU's application and interview process is superb.

 

[RachelD]

Okay, so I lurk around SDN a lot and I figure it's time for me to introduce myself to my fellow classmates! If any of you had a December 1 interview I was the really pregnant girl that you were probably feeling sorry for as I was trekking around campus in heels.

Anyway, really looking forward to school starting (I think).

Congrats Smitty, on the acceptance and the baby!

 

[Amxcvbcv]

Better now than later, I would think. 😛 A girl in my dissection group found out she was pregnant a week before classes started and delivered the first weekend of Spring Break. 😉

Congratulations!

 

[mshheaddoc]

duplicate post. What happened to the delete button in the edit menu?

Only donor's have that option now.


As for exlawgrrl .... here's a link for you. Not sure if it will be the same (I know you pain, philly had some great local microbrews!) and I haven't made it out of Tulsa yet but if you check any out, let me know!

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Thanks for the info, guys! I think we'll survive, especially since we can rent a house for $450 a month. We can use the money we save to buy our own restaurant-style espresso maker (not really). 🙂

Congrats, Smitty, on school and baby!

 

[Smitty3L]

To non-trad, rachel, amx, and exlaw thank you!

Last year was so great, I got pregnant, graduated college, got my first real job (or should I say first job that paid substantially over minimum wage), got into medical school, had a baby, quit first real job...whew! Now I'm just chilling at home. I am pretty sure that I will be one of the worst slacker med school students. I tend to lean in the slacker direction anyhow, plus having all this time off before school starts I'm starting to get laaaazy. Maybe I will be in a mod full people gunning for derm and surgery resendicies that make me feel really nervous and force me to put in a little more effort than I would on my own.

 

[Smitty3L]

Better now than later, I would think. 😛 A girl in my dissection group found out she was pregnant a week before classes started and delivered the first weekend of Spring Break. 😉

Congratulations!

Is this the girl that was back in class after one week? That is just crazy!

 

[Amxcvbcv]

Is this the girl that was back in class after one week? That is just crazy!

She was back for the required classes, but I think she homeschools mostly now. 😉

 

[want2beadoc]

I made a rent vs. own calculator in MS Excel specifically for medical school. If any one is interested in using it PM me. I would attach it here, but it isn't an allowed attachment (it is an .xls extension).

 

[glp]

I made a rent vs. own calculator in MS Excel specifically for medical school. If any one is interested in using it PM me. I would attach it here, but it isn't an allowed attachment (it is an .xls extension).

ive been debating the rent vs buy decision. the conclusion i came to was that it all depends on what i assume the appreciation on the okc housing market will be over the next 4 years and whether or not i stay in okc for residency. since i dont know the answer to either of these questions, i am in the exact same place i started.

 

[want2beadoc]

Yeah, I made the same conclusion for myself... I think the hassle of owning might not be worth it for the marginal amount of money it will save me over the four years. If I was sure I was going to stay for residency my mind would be made up to buy, though.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Yeah, I made the same conclusion for myself... I think the hassle of owning might not be worth it for the marginal amount of money it will save me over the four years. If I was sure I was going to stay for residency my mind would be made up to buy, though.

Everyone says you'll change your mind, but my preliminary thought is to go EM, which means another move. That said, I'll still buy a house this summer. I might be blind, but wrapping my mind around the concept that paying someone else's mortgage for them is somehow beneficial is difficult. Granted it is a different market in Stillwater (~75-80% rental property...supposedly) and a slightly different future in store, but I made 20% on my first house after 23 months and another 10 or so on my second after 15. If I can rent/own for the same price, I'd much rather line my savings accounts than someone else's.

I can see the pros and cons except for the fiscal aspect.

I'll PM you about the calculator, but I'm kinda hard-headed... 😀

 

[Reddink]

To change the subject a little bit, can somebody from the previous classes tell us what immunizations OU requires? Is it just the regular "cocktail" or is it something different?

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Yeah, I made the same conclusion for myself... I think the hassle of owning might not be worth it for the marginal amount of money it will save me over the four years. If I was sure I was going to stay for residency my mind would be made up to buy, though.

Well, I'm keeping my house in Tulsa so buying in OKC isn't an option - but, since I'm an old accountant, here's a couple of things I've thought about:

1. The interest and tax deductions from owning are worth absolutely nothing to you as a medical student. You don't have any material income to deduct them from.

2. Real estate in Oklahoma has never had huge leaps and bounds - unless you make a really smart investment like Freeze, it's been putting along at 1% - 2% appreciation per year for a long time - it's been a little better lately - maybe 3% - 4% this year. Higher mortgage rates, however, may tend to suppress appreciation - even in Oklahoma.

3. If you're in OKC for two years as I plan to be, a 5-6% sales commission after two years would pretty must offset any gains in value. If you're going to finish at OKC and especially if you hope to do your residency at OUHSC, buying may make a lot more sense. If you leave, you may not be able to sell as quickly as you want to, and being an out-of-state owner is a nightmare.

Plus, OKC is absolutely dirt-cheap as a rental market.

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

To change the subject a little bit, can somebody from the previous classes tell us what immunizations OU requires? Is it just the regular "cocktail" or is it something different?

As far as I can remember, it's just the usual stuff. The only "new" thing I needed that I didn't need for undergrad was a varicella titer... unfortunately, starting with our year, saying "I've had the chickenpox before" isn't good enough. You have to pay a decent amount (between $20-40, I believe) for them to prove that you're immune. If not, you have to pay another $75 to get the vaccine. It's not too bad though; I had a really wimpy case when I was younger and ended up being several times over the "limit" of immunity.

They'll give you the option of having it done at the family medicine clinic or elsewhere. I recommend getting it done at Southwest Medical Center, because it's less $$$ and you'll get your vaccine within 5 minutes of your appointment, as opposed to waiting an hour or more to be seen at the FMC. Since I worked in a hospital the summer before I applied to med school, I had already had my MMR titer, so that may have been a requirement that I didn't have to redo (I don't remember). Anyway, hope that helps!

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Well, I'm keeping my house in Tulsa so buying in OKC isn't an option - but, since I'm an old accountant, here's a couple of things I've thought about:

1. The interest and tax deductions from owning are worth absolutely nothing to you as a medical student. You don't have any material income to deduct them from.

2. Real estate in Oklahoma has never had huge leaps and bounds - unless you make a really smart investment like Freeze, it's been putting along at 1% - 2% appreciation per year for a long time - it's been a little better lately - maybe 3% - 4% this year. Higher mortgage rates, however, may tend to suppress appreciation - even in Oklahoma.

3. If you're in OKC for two years as I plan to be, a 5-6% sales commission after two years would pretty must offset any gains in value. If you're going to finish at OKC and especially if you hope to do your residency at OUHSC, buying may make a lot more sense. If you leave, you may not be able to sell as quickly as you want to, and being an out-of-state owner is a nightmare.

Plus, OKC is absolutely dirt-cheap as a rental market.

All good points. I was really tempted by this house buying thing because houses are so freaking cheap compared with houses out here in Portland, but then, you're right, they don't appreciate rapidly. In Portland, your house could go up $50k to $100k in a year, and the town is full of house rehabbers. I need to adjust my thinking to get back to the Oklahoma mindset. Also, I probably want to go to Tulsa, too, depending on DH job issues, so buying might not make sense.

I think we will look into renting a house, though, because the space would be nice.

 

[edinOH]

Just stumbled upon this thread...

All I have to add is good luck to everyone and Boomer Sooner!

College of Medicine, Class of 2003


If I can help anyone with anything or answer any questions, please PM.

I'll be an attending doc at (the old) Presby starting this July.

 

[putzeled]

I'll be an attending doc at (the old) Presby starting this July.

You get to enjoy the nice new ER they just built. Maybe you can help out the future EM docs at OU and start pushing for the residency program to get restarted.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

You get to enjoy the nice new ER they just built. Maybe you can help out the future EM docs at OU and start pushing for the residency program to get restarted.

👍

 

[Mr. Freeze]

All good points. I was really tempted by this house buying thing because houses are so freaking cheap compared with houses out here in Portland, but then, you're right, they don't appreciate rapidly. In Portland, your house could go up $50k to $100k in a year, and the town is full of house rehabbers. I need to adjust my thinking to get back to the Oklahoma mindset. Also, I probably want to go to Tulsa, too, depending on DH job issues, so buying might not make sense.

I think we will look into renting a house, though, because the space would be nice.

Doesn't Portland have a legal boundary beyond which no new construction can be built? I could see how that would affect the number of people willing to "fix up" rather than buy new but have to commute, and boost the price of existing homes...

Here we just slice up as many sections as we can into 1/8th acre lots, sprawl be damned. At least the land that isn't being turned into strip malls and wal marts.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Doesn't Portland have a legal boundary beyond which no new construction can be built? I could see how that would affect the number of people willing to "fix up" rather than buy new but have to commute, and boost the price of existing homes...

Here we just slice up as many sections as we can into 1/8th acre lots, sprawl be damned. At least the land that isn't being turned into strip malls and wal marts.

Yeah, we have an urban growth boundary, which does drive up the prices of houses in Portland itself. We also have tons of Californians moving here from super-high real estate markets, which also increases prices. Consequently, houses in the suburbs aren't exactly cheap, either. It can't be sustainable because our economy isn't growing, and wages aren't increasing, but I don't know when it will stop.

The rehabing thing is pretty interesting -- my sister's house was rehabbed from a 2-bedroom, 1-bath to 4-bedroom, 2-bath. This group of people bought the house and lived in it for a year while doing the work and did make a big profit. She lives in an older close-in neighborhood, and every third house has a big dumpster in front indicating that work is being done on the house.

 

[oudoc08]

Yeah, we have an urban growth boundary, which does drive up the prices of houses in Portland itself. We also have tons of Californians moving here from super-high real estate markets, which also increases prices. Consequently, houses in the suburbs aren't exactly cheap, either. It can't be sustainable because our economy isn't growing, and wages aren't increasing, but I don't know when it will stop.

Wow. That's still going on? We moved from Bend, Oregon to the midwest in 1990, and that was going on then as well.

We bought a 3bdrm apx. 1200 sf. house in 1983 for around 40k, and sold it in 1990 for around 140k. I shudder to think what it would go for now.

Bend is really nice though. If I didn't have to make 500k a year to live in a 2 room shack, I'd consider moving back someday. 🙂

 

[Smitty3L]

Okay, so I probably don't understand how this works, but if one was interested in EM I've heard it said they couldn't stay on Okla. I know that OU doesn't have a residency prog. for EM, but OSU does. Isn't it possible for DO students to get into allopathic residencies? Why not the other way around?

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Okay, so I probably don't understand how this works, but if one was interested in EM I've heard it said they couldn't stay on Okla. I know that OU doesn't have a residency prog. for EM, but OSU does. Isn't it possible for DO students to get into allopathic residencies? Why not the other way around?

Yes. Discrimination.

 

[putzeled]

Okay, so I probably don't understand how this works, but if one was interested in EM I've heard it said they couldn't stay on Okla. I know that OU doesn't have a residency prog. for EM, but OSU does. Isn't it possible for DO students to get into allopathic residencies? Why not the other way around?

Right now the only EM residency is at Southwest Med Center in OKC. It is a DO program, but it is possible for an MD to enter the program. I was talking to the residency director there last year and he said that there are actually 2 MD's in the program now. I forget the specifics of how MD's can get into the program, but you basically have to jump through some extra hoops. There is also talk of an MD program getting started in Tulsa in the next couple of years.

 

[glp]

so when and why was the em residency discontinued? im guessing it was a money issue, but i was wondering if someone else could shed some light on the subject. from looking at the program list, it seems em is the only big residency ou doesnt have.

 

[Amxcvbcv]

so when and why was the em residency discontinued? im guessing it was a money issue, but i was wondering if someone else could shed some light on the subject. from looking at the program list, it seems em is the only big residency ou doesnt have.

Just thought I'd throw this out there for conversations sake. OU doesn't currently have a Radiation Oncology residency either, but at our recent Dean's lunch he said they have hired a person to explore getting one restarted (I can't remember when they last had one, but there has been one here before). There is a chance they could have it ready to accept applicants in 2009. 😀

I can't recall right now why the OU EM residency was shut down, but paraphrasing what Dean Andrews told us, don't expect to see one anytime soon.

I'm sure oudoc08 can elaborate more on this.

 

[want2beadoc]

http://www.poncacitynews.com/NewsAr...400.html#OU Closes Emergency Medicine Program

This is what I found on it.

NORMAN (AP) — University of Oklahoma officials voted Wednesday to shut down their Department of Emergency Medicine at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Joseph Ferretti, the senior vice president and provost of the center, said the program has had marginal success since it was established in 1981 as the Emergency Medicine Residency Program.

But Dr. Dave McCarty, who taught emergency medicine at OU, said Ferretti and Dr. Jerry Vannatta, the dean of the OU College of Medicine, had no confidence in emergency medicine and did not fund the program properly.

Sounds like there was some institutional conflict / money problems. There is more of the article in the link above. It is possible to get into the OSU program even with a MD.

 

[speedo542]

Dr. Andrews (the Dean) gave a long lecture of the reason OU's ER residency was stopped. Basically, for a lot of reasons. When it first started in the 80's, it didn't have much support, funding wise, and it may have been a little shaky on the plans for the program. Kind of started half ass, so it didn't have a lot going for it then foundation wise, making it difficult to build upon and get things back on the right track. Also, the amount of traffic that comes through OU ER was a problem, and the fact that it was a trauma center. Good way to get trained, you say? The program just didn't have the right footing to be able to work well around those problems. Eventually, the problems just got so big that the program had to be ended. Certifications were becoming a problem, but not because OU as a whole sucks and doesn't know how to work things out or be up to speed, but because, again, money, education plans, and major changes the government required to stay certified. Since the program was already having troubles, it couldn't keep up sufficiently. I think at that point it was easier to just end the program.

Dr. Andrews did say that they are trying to bring another ER program back, but now, money really is involved (it will cost A LOT), along with OU hospital dragging its feet about taking on the program, again, because of the expense that it will entail. The OK legislature is involved somewhere here too. The admistration is testing the waters about maybe having a program in Tulsa. It seems more like a sure thing than one being in OKC, or the way he made it sound.

 

[speedo542]

Oh, and I don't believe the crap about Dr. Vannatta being against ER medicine and saying it was worthless. Since Vannatta is smarter and a better doc than that dude, it probably pissed him off (plus he was losing his job and Vannatta was the dean...). Wait till you meet Vannatta, he's a bad ass.

 

[Amxcvbcv]

I really love storm season in Oklahoma...

 

[JohnnyOU]

I really love storm season in Oklahoma...

No kidding.

blah

 

[oudoc08]

I really love storm season in Oklahoma...

Oh, the airplanes... The airplanes... 🙁

Not near as much damage as there should have been, watching the tornado go perfectly over the top of those hangers.

I can't count how many times I've landed at that airport, and it killed me to see a tornado rip through it.

I can't imagine being the people who owned the planes though seeing them scattered for the first time from the News 4 helicopters vantage.

ouch...