Oklahoma - (Prospective) Class of 2010 part 01

[JohnnyOU]

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There was "supposed" to be a mailing the week of June 5 - June 9 - but I haven't seen anything yet. Apparently the slow delivery of my acceptance letter wasn't just a one-time attempt to spite me. Anybody get something from school today or last week?

I haven't received anything at all since my acceptance letter, other than my fin aid award letter. I did get a welcome email from a nice guy from the 2009 class. I thought we were supposed to get some sort of additional info package after we sent in our deposit, but maybe I was mistaken?

Has anyone received anything whatsoever?

Johnny

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

They did send out an information package - a map of OKC and some realtor and apartment ads - it was a very nice gesture, but wasn't especially helpful. The important stuff all gets sent in June and July, I gather. I didn't get a welcome e-mail, though [pout]. Maybe I got one and deleted it because I didn't recognize the name. Great - haven't been in class one day yet, and I'm already blowing-off my upperclassmen.

 

[JohnnyOU]

They did send out an information package - a map of OKC and some realtor and apartment ads - it was a very nice gesture, but wasn't especially helpful. The important stuff all gets sent in June and July, I gather. I didn't get a welcome e-mail, though [pout]. Maybe I got one and deleted it because I didn't recognize the name. Great - haven't been in class one day yet, and I'm already blowing-off my upperclassmen.

I got those realtor ads etc...it came with my acceptance letter, probably because I got in off the waitlist.

Just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed anything. We just moved and there was some confusion about my address.

 

[oudoc08]

I haven't received anything at all since my acceptance letter, other than my fin aid award letter. I did get a welcome email from a nice guy from the 2009 class. I thought we were supposed to get some sort of additional info package after we sent in our deposit, but maybe I was mistaken?

Has anyone received anything whatsoever?

Johnny

Well see, OU has decided not to have a MS1 class next year, and instead of sending out notifications, they just figured it'd be easier to avoid any further contact and let things just work themselves out. Oh, well, just reapply next year, no biggie. 😀

 

[CatinaOU]

Well see, OU has decided not to have a MS1 class next year, and instead of sending out notifications, they just figured it'd be easier to avoid any further contact and let things just work themselves out. Oh, well, just reapply next year, no biggie. 😀

You know that was just about the meanest thing you could have possibly said right... haha 🙂

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Oh, oudoc08 didn't bother me. I harrassed poor Dotty until she was able to tell me that she had personally taken my deposit check down to the bursar. I may have to chain myself to one of the arches on the Stanton L. Young walk, but I'll be there next year!!!

 

[CatinaOU]

I may have to chain myself to one of the arches on the Stanton L. Young walk, but I'll be there next year!!!

hahahaha I can so see this....

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

Oh, oudoc08 didn't bother me. I harrassed poor Dotty until she was able to tell me that she had personally taken my deposit check down to the bursar. I may have to chain myself to one of the arches on the Stanton L. Young walk, but I'll be there next year!!!

It's so cute (and yet somehow tragic) that they're so excited about the sheer hell they're about to endure... I'm trying to remember how long it took us to stop being excited. I think it was about two weeks?? Right after the first minis?

 

[oudoc08]

It's so cute (and yet somehow tragic) that they're so excited about the sheer hell they're about to endure... I'm trying to remember how long it took us to stop being excited. I think it was about two weeks?? Right after the first minis?

Seriously though. My favorite part about med school is the continuum of nervous anticipation. At each phase, you get the satisfaction of being the "expert" of the year you just completed, and the absolute rookie at the next.
It's like being a new high school freshman each year, just waiting to get depantsed or handcuffed naked to the flag pole. (Well it's not exactly the same context as Non-trad's Stanton walk reference above, but mysteriously similar in practice).

The fun never, NEVER ends...

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

Seriously though. My favorite part about med school is the continuum of nervous anticipation. At each phase, you get the satisfaction of being the "expert" of the year you just completed, and the absolute rookie at the next.
It's like being a new high school freshman each year, just waiting to get depantsed or handcuffed naked to the flag pole. (Well it's not exactly the same context as Non-trad's Stanton walk reference above, but mysteriously similar in practice).

The fun never, NEVER ends...

I don't know... after last year (and knowing it was the easiest year), I'm NOT excited about next year...

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Ah the memories. I used to live at the base of Pilot Butte and my friends and I would climb up the side and hide from all the little old ladies who used to walk the road up there 🙂.

I haven't been back to Bend since 1992. I bet it's changed alot.
Maybe I'll get back there to vacation someday.

You definitely should go. I bet it's bigger and more expensive -- it's been one of the fastest growing and most overpriced cities in Oregon the last few years. The towns around it are growing a lot, too. Redmond for example is full of new subdivisions. So I take it there were lots of retirees there even back in 1992? 🙂 The thing I like about Bend is that everyone is so fit, and there are all these people who wait tables just so they can snowboard and mountain bike in their spare time. Like The Dude, they're taking it easy for the rest of us. 😎

Umm, so is anyone getting nervous about getting health insurance information? I just got my cobra rate info, and yeah, that's not going to happen.

 

[oudoc08]

I don't know... after last year (and knowing it was the easiest year), I'm NOT excited about next year...

If it makes you feel any better, I didn't think MS2 was that much worse than MS1. You've probably heard it before, but here's my take.

MS1 is more boring and the information seems at times irrelevant (though I can assure you that you'll be learning all that "irrelevant" info again about this time next year)

MS2 probably has more information total, but it's so much more interesting, and you actually feel like you're learning about medicine.

All in all, I liked this year 10X better than 1st year, but in all fairness, I think my background experience in clinical medicine gave me the time to relax alot more than some other people. Rather than having to try to learn how the didactics interrelate clinically, I was able to spend more time with the details.

Don't worry too much about next year. Most people did about the same grade-wise as MS1, it's just a different, more clinically oriented curriculum.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

You definitely should go. I bet it's bigger and more expensive -- it's been one of the fastest growing and most overpriced cities in Oregon the last few years. The towns around it are growing a lot, too. Redmond for example is full of new subdivisions. So I take it there were lots of retirees there even back in 1992? 🙂 The thing I like about Bend is that everyone is so fit, and there are all these people who wait tables just so they can snowboard and mountain bike in their spare time. Like The Dude, they're taking it easy for the rest of us. 😎

Umm, so is anyone getting nervous about getting health insurance information? I just got my cobra rate info, and yeah, that's not going to happen.

I just saw this morning that Bend's real estate market is ~75% overvalued, along with 39% of the rest of the countries 318 largest cities...

Methinks you are in for quite a culture shock! Fitness, pfft.
Insert best rendition of the redneck 10 o'clock news soundbite, complete with tanktop and #17 Matt Kenseth ballcap:
What's a bike? Is that that thing I see all them hippies ride? Pass 'dem fried taters, wouldya!?!?!

That's wrong; I shouldn't generalize...

I have a rate table for Blue Cross, although it is nothing you can't find at BCBSOK.com. But that's who administers my current plan, and likely who I'll go through when my employment stops. A 1K deduct. for 3 of us is 288 or 346 a month, depending on the plan comprehensive-ityness. My cobra would be 1200. Macori would be 715 or high 3's. Um, no.

But then again, you would be in, ahem, a different age bracket! 😉

I'll be here all week.........

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

But then again, you would be in, ahem, a different age bracket! 😉

Well, for whomever has to take Macori and feels angry about it, I can provide some small bit of comfort. That outrageous premium they're charging you is only about a third of what it actually costs to insure a 44-year-old man. I'll get 'em back for you. 😛

 

[Jwax]

For the waitlisters:

Just got news from Nancy Hall that the waitlist is moving very slowly. They have only taken 28 people off of it (compared to 26 when I called almost a month ago). So... there is your news.

 

[Smitty3L]

Okay, anyone else starting to freak out a little. I put in my application for the daycare at Easter Seals, and this is all starting to become "real", if you know what I mean. I've been sitting on my arse with nothing to do but take care of the baby since March so I'm worried getting my momentum up for the task of all that studying.

Also, (okay here's a warning: womanly talk ahead that may make some of you macho guys, or gals I suppose, a little uncomfortable...proceed with caution) I plan on continuing to breastfeed for the first semester at least. The frequency of which will decrease as I introduce more solids, but I'm thinking there may the occasional need to pump while at school (hey, you were warned). So I'm going to be the weird breastpumping girl. Not to mention I'm going to be in that slim 30% liberal category (according to oudoc), that status of which will probably be heightened by aforementioned breastfeeding. So I guess what I'm getting at with all this random rambling is that I'm worried about striking that balance, good mom, good wife, good student. I'm thinking you can't be all three, and I'm probably right. Not to mention, good modmate, I'm thinking the breastpumping, hippie, mommy, half-ass student, not going to be too popular.

Is that a violin I hear in the background? Yes, I think that signals that the time for my whining is over. Please proceed to either a)poke fun, b) tell me to suck it up, or c) be the touchy feely type to say "awww, it will all be okay, you can do it all!", in which case I smell a fellow bleeding-heart liberal, yeah!

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Okay, anyone else starting to freak out a little. I put in my application for the daycare at Easter Seals, and this is all starting to become "real", if you know what I mean. I've been sitting on my arse with nothing to do but take care of the baby since March so I'm worried getting my momentum up for the task of all that studying.

Also, (okay here's a warning: womanly talk ahead that may make some of you macho guys, or gals I suppose, a little uncomfortable...proceed with caution) I plan on continuing to breastfeed for the first semester at least. The frequency of which will decrease as I introduce more solids, but I'm thinking there may the occasional need to pump while at school (hey, you were warned). So I'm going to be the weird breastpumping girl. Not to mention I'm going to be in that slim 30% liberal category (according to oudoc), that status of which will probably be heightened by aforementioned breastfeeding. So I guess what I'm getting at with all this random rambling is that I'm worried about striking that balance, good mom, good wife, good student. I'm thinking you can't be all three, and I'm probably right. Not to mention, good modmate, I'm thinking the breastpumping, hippie, mommy, half-ass student, not going to be too popular.

Is that a violin I hear in the background? Yes, I think that signals that the time for my whining is over. Please proceed to either a)poke fun, b) tell me to suck it up, or c) be the touchy feely type to say "awww, it will all be okay, you can do it all!", in which case I smell a fellow bleeding-heart liberal, yeah!

Lol, I love your self description. Good for you, though, for keeping up the breast-feeding, and I'm glad to here there's another liberal hippie type. 🙂 I'm going go for the touchy-feeling here and say that if you do your best, it'll work out. Sure, your house might be messy, and you might wind up eating out or living on frozen food, but the big things will fall into place.

 

[Smitty3L]

Sure, your house might be messy, and you might wind up eating out or living on frozen food, but the big things will fall into place.

Oh wait, my house is already messy and live on frozen food. Ummm, so I guess the next step down is living in a pigsty and munching on uncooked ramen.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

...good mom, good wife, good student. I'm thinking you can't be all three, and I'm probably right.

Just take of things in that order. No matter what. And if you think you're right, you probably are. What do they say, whether you think you can or can't, you're right.

But I don't envy you. I'm on the other side of that situation, so my position is a little different. But I'm still scared to death...

Does OU have childcare on campus somewhere besides the gym?

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

I plan on continuing to breastfeed for the first semester at least. The frequency of which will decrease as I introduce more solids, but I'm thinking there may the occasional need to pump while at school (hey, you were warned). So I'm going to be the weird breastpumping girl. Not to mention I'm going to be in that slim 30% liberal category (according to oudoc), that status of which will probably be heightened by aforementioned breastfeeding. So I guess what I'm getting at with all this random rambling is that I'm worried about striking that balance, good mom, good wife, good student. I'm thinking you can't be all three, and I'm probably right. Not to mention, good modmate, I'm thinking the breastpumping, hippie, mommy, half-ass student, not going to be too popular.

Is that a violin I hear in the background? Yes, I think that signals that the time for my whining is over. Please proceed to either a)poke fun, b) tell me to suck it up, or c) be the touchy feely type to say "awww, it will all be okay, you can do it all!", in which case I smell a fellow bleeding-heart liberal, yeah!

You cannot be a perfect mom, wife, and student all of the time. You're going to have to juggle them, and occasionally (think finals week), your least important role is going to take most of your time. Just remember, as the previous poster said, the order. During my summer class, I received some very valuable advice from a fantastic OU physician: Consider your life as a stratified pyramid. The base (biggest) layer of the pyramid is your role as a parent. Immediately above that, your role as a wife. Above that is your role as a friend, and only above THAT is your role as a physician/med student. Remember that although there are hundreds of other physicians in Oklahoma, and your friends have dozens of other friends, your baby only has one momma, and your husband only has one wife. So keep those at the forefront (as often as possible) and you'll be fine. And I hope you're not gunning for a derm/ortho residency 😉 So you CAN (kinda) do it all. Just not at the same time. And lest you think you're the only liberal... I went to SMITH. I think that says it all 😉

One more thing, as far as the breastfeeding goes-- there is NO good place that I can think of on campus to pump. Seriously. Our bathrooms are TINY, and there aren't really any private rooms that I'm aware of. There's always your mod, but there are always people running in and out of it, so you don't really have the privacy that you probably desire. So I would really advise pumping immediately before/after class when possible, and probably homeschooling as much as you can until she's on solids. You have to remember that the med school was built YEARS ago, and hasn't been updated to reflect touchy-feely attitudes towards women in general or breastfeeding in particular.

As you might imagine, women in medicine in Oklahoma have a slightly harder time than they do in more... errmm... progressive locations. Our boy/girl ratio is more off-balance than you typically see in this day and age, and there's still a lot of $hit that you have to take from the older male docs, as well as dealing with the general public assuming that when you say "I'm in medical school" you mean that you're going to be a nurse. 🙄 Not that this doesn't happen everywhere, but it is decidedly WORSE here. Anyway, just want to give you the heads up.

Man this turned out to be a long post!!

 

[Reddink]

Oh wait, my house is already messy and live on frozen food. Ummm, so I guess the next step down is living in a pigsty and munching on uncooked ramen.

Hey now, don't be ragging on uncooked ramen. I love that stuff. Mmmm, sodium!

On a more serious note, any of you guys have a suggestion on stethoscopes? Is there a particular brand OU requires or do I even need to get one during MS1?

 

[Smitty3L]

Does OU have childcare on campus somewhere besides the gym?

There is a daycare at Easter Seals that is located on campus. They give discounts to students and employees of OUHSC.

www.eastersealsoklahoma.org Click on Child Development

 

[Antigunner]

Hey now, don't be ragging on uncooked ramen. I love that stuff. Mmmm, sodium!

On a more serious note, any of you guys have a suggestion on stethoscopes? Is there a particular brand OU requires or do I even need to get one during MS1?

Last year we all got a Littmann Classic II S.E. as a gift from the alumni - don't know if they'll do the same thing for you guys, but I would hold off for now just in case they do. You'll barely use it during first year anyway.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Last year we all got a Littmann Classic II S.E. as a gift from the alumni - don't know if they'll do the same thing for you guys, but I would hold off for now just in case they do. You'll barely use it during first year anyway.

Too late - I've already got my Cardiology III ready-to-go. Some of my premed buddies and I bought ours early as an inspiration. I used to put it around my neck once in a while when studying for finals. Silly, but it helped. I've noticed that most of the docs around my hospital have switched to the Master Cardiology, but I've read that they want you to have a classic bell for training, so I bought the III. Good choice? (I also think the Master Cardiology's large head is probably not well-suited for infants, but what do I know?)

Hey, is there any place on campus where you can sit down to eat if you bring your own lunch? Here at the hospital we have a bunch of microwaves and employees are welcome to eat their own food in the cafeteria.

Exlawgrrl and Smitty, I think we're going to have a very fun class. I'm in the 30%, too. (Hippie type: maybe, now that I won't be in boardroom meetings. Long hair: not with my hairline, it wouldn't be attractive at all) I started out as a conservative when Reagan was first elected, but somehow in the course of 20 years in hospitals my views have evolved a lot. No matter, I like oudoc08 and Freeze and I never personalize an interesting discussion.

Lastly, is Amxcvbcv okay? He hasn't posted in ages.

 

[JohnnyOU]

Hey, is there any place on campus where you can sit down to eat if you bring your own lunch? Here at the hospital we have a bunch of microwaves and employees are welcome to eat their own food in the cafeteria.
.

You can eat at the student union I'm sure. They have a whole section with dining tables on the 1st floor I believe. I just got back from a tour of the campus with my kids, wife, mother, and aunt. I wanted them to see where we'll be for the next two years.

We also went back and got on the waitlist for University Village for next May. There's 25 people already on the waitlist. Popular place ?

Then we stopped by Radcliffs and bought some medschool stickers for the car, license plate, and a shirt. I've got the "new med student" dorkitus. 🙂

Johnny

 

[Antigunner]

You can eat at the student union I'm sure. They have a whole section with dining tables on the 1st floor I believe. I just got back from a tour of the campus with my kids, wife, mother, and aunt. I wanted them to see where we'll be for the next two years.

We also went back and got on the waitlist for University Village for next May. There's 25 people already on the waitlist. Popular place ?

Then we stopped by Radcliffs and bought some medschool stickers for the car, license plate, and a shirt. I've got the "new med student" dorkitus. 🙂

Johnny

At least in our mod, most of the people that brought their own lunch just ate in the mod, although there are plenty of other places you can go - union, lounge, patio by the big round fountain...

I think University Village is so popular just because it's so ridiculously close. The convenience of being able to walk to class every day is too nice to pass up for a lot of people.

 

[Jwax]

I think University Village is so popular just because it's so ridiculously close. The convenience of being able to walk to class every day is too nice to pass up for a lot of people.

Plus the place has very pretty lawn care. The bedrooms are pretty tiny though.

"Lastly, is Amxcvbcv okay? He hasn't posted in ages."

I bet he is just enjoying the thrill of not having to study. Maybe at the beach. That's where I would be if had gotten accepted instead of waitlisted... I'd be enjoying my last summer of freedom.... instead of working full time and re-studying for the MCAT. 👎

 

[oudoc08]

Boards are over. It doesn't even feel real yet.

Where's my beer...

 

[DMBFan61]

Boards are over. It doesn't even feel real yet.

Where's my beer...

bigtime congrats man!

enjoy your free time before july 1 and have a blast on the wards!

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Boards are over. It doesn't even feel real yet.

Hey, congrats, oudoc! That's cool... Enjoy your time off, but I'll be interested to hear what your third-year experiences are like.

Still got fingers crossed for you, Jwax. Hopefully there will still be a little movement on the waitlist after today. Some people may be holding multiple acceptances despite the May 15 deadline.

I looked at University Village, but the dog was a deal-breaker, of course. I just don't know how I'd feel about living under a roof that the University owns (a little paranoia, perhaps?). The long list of regulations left me a little cold - my rebellious side wants to hang pictures with nails rather than adhesive hangers. I think I'll be looking forward to going home to my little house at the end of the day, and I think I'll be happy that the Oklahoma Health Center is not in sight. Yard work is a hassle, but it's good therapy to get outside and away from the books for an hour or so (I'll just be glad when I actually do live there - I have to drive down Saturday to mow the lawn - I could hire someone, but I want to keep an eye on the house).

 

[Doctor Bagel]

But then again, you would be in, ahem, a different age bracket! 😉

I'll be here all week.........

My brother told me I should wear my hair in a bun and keep a pencil behind my ear to show off my true old person status. 🙂

So Blue Cross/Blue Shield seems to have affordable dental for those of you who want to avoid those dreaded dental students.

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

Boards are over. It doesn't even feel real yet.

Where's my beer...

Woohoo!!! CONGRATULATIONS!! 🙂

 

[JohnnyOU]

Edited because I've relaxed now 🙂

 

[JohnnyOU]

Excuse the vent & whine session.

 

[RachelD]

Excuse the vent & whine session.

Can I make it worse? Just got a packet of info today from OU. I hope you can ambush your postman to get it! 🙂

 

[Antigunner]

Ok, my turn to whine... my stupid air conditioning apparently broke sometime yesterday, so my house is now 89 degrees. I'm not supposed to sweat indoors... Plus, they can't make it out today, so I have to wait until Monday, because I'm going to be out of town over the weekend. Blah! 😡

 

[JohnnyOU]

Can I make it worse? Just got a packet of info today from OU. I hope you can ambush your postman to get it! 🙂

Got mine too! I ambushed him 😉

 

[Jwax]

Hmmm can ya'll guess what I'd whine about?

I won't though. Really, I can't complain too badly. It could always be worse, right? Besides, I've got a decent shot for next year if this one doesn't come through. The pre-medical committee evaluation went really well (they thought I was funny & ought to get in the second time around). So, life is more or less good.

Of course, it would be a heck of a lot more fun to be an MS-I next year than a 6th year senior!

 

[Smitty3L]

Hang in there Jwax, I was a reapplicant this time around. I know that if this year doesn't work out for you, next year will.

Antigunner - 10$ box fan in the window, underwear in the freezer.

 

[JohnnyOU]

 

[Mr. Freeze]

The packet does say "...if you survive day one..." 😀 😀

 

[Mr. Freeze]

After picking a lender, which I've done, what do we have to do as far as money goes? Do we apply like it was private loan, or just tell OU we want Lender X and then go on about our bidness?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

After picking a lender, which I've done, what do we have to do as far as money goes? Do we apply like it was private loan, or just tell OU we want Lender X and then go on about our bidness?

For Staffords and GradPlus loans, they're supposed to mail you a promissory note. However, you might want to create an account online with your lender to see if you can sign the mpn online. I created an account at T.H.E. and found that my Staffords had already been processed and approved -- I signed the mpn online, and they're done.

Other than that, you have to do the entrance counseling thing online at ouhsc's finaid website, and somehow fill out a direct deposit form (haven't tried to figure out how to do that one yet).

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Righteous...

That's all I have to do then, other than turn in my hard copy direct deposit form.

 

[RachelD]

Anyone planning on doing the BLS offered at the HSC? If so, what day did you (will you) sign up for?

 

[JohnnyOU]

Anyone planning on doing the BLS offered at the HSC? If so, what day did you (will you) sign up for?

I signed up via email today and put Thursday, July 27th as my first pick.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

So was the BLS information in the latest packet? Mine hasn't showed up yet -- I guess it should show up today.

 

[JohnnyOU]

So was the BLS information in the latest packet? Mine hasn't showed up yet -- I guess it should show up today.

Yes maam, it was in their last mailout. I got mine on Friday so yours outta be there anytime.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Yes maam, it was in their last mailout. I got mine on Friday so yours outta be there anytime.

Mine showed up today. 🙂 I am very happy to find out that we get discounts for internet service -- I've been trying to put together a budget, and that was one of the pricier things.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

I stopped by HSC today, while my wife and I were killing time in between blooddraws for prego stuff, and talked with IT and financial aid:

IT said that someone had called just before I got there (surely one of you guys 🙂 ) asking about macs also. They said the spec sheet says they aren't supported because they can't guarantee Hippocrates stuff will run flawlessly on OS X (like the videos and stuff...) But she also said hippocrates doesn't always perform flawlessly off-campus anyhow. And I guess dent is recommending this year that DSI's buy PC's.

At financial aid I found out that the award letter I HAND-DELIVERED got lost...so I'm really, really glad I went there. I'm probably the exception...

I don't know how I missed this, but

I used to put it around my neck once in a while when studying for finals. Silly, but it helped.

You weren't the only one!! Of course, I wear my dogtags to tests, like I'm going to battle... :****ooforcocoapuffs: