Orientation: What to Expect?

[nontradappl]

---

Members do not see this ad.

With med school orientation rapidly approaching, I am left wondering what general sorts of activities take place during orientation besides facility tours, ID badge picture taking, and white coat ceremonies. Can anyone enlighten? I'm curious.

 

[thackl]

Expect to be bored unless you're lucky and have a short one. TTU is over a week. Other than being a nice time to meet your classmates, it sucked. Really made starting med school quite anti-climatic

 

[nontradappl]

Expect to be bored unless you're lucky and have a short one. TTU is over a week. Other than being a nice time to meet your classmates, it sucked. Really made starting med school quite anti-climatic

What did they have you do?

 

[GtownCobra]

oh man, you're going to be the biggest gunner ever if you're worried sick about orientation.... chill out! 🙂

 

[Wrigleyville]

Ask the school if they have an orientation day for the orientation day.

 

[rpkall]

They haven't sent out any packets yet on the orientation for the Orientation Week. I hear they should come sometime in the first week of August. 😉

p.s. What should we wear for orientation stuff? Jeans and a T-shirt? Casual? Smart casual? Dress casual? Should I just dress like one of those Dawson's Creek kids to have all the bases covered? And should I bring my leather portfolio/messenger bag and laptop with me? What about my palm pilot and my 2" binder?

Sorry! I couldn't resist! 😉 ahahah



Don't worry so much, dude. I'm sure everything will be fine. If we just read all the stuff they send us a couple times, I'm sure we'll be good to go.

I just hope no one makes fun of my third nipple!

 

[thackl]

What did they have you do?

Sit there and listen to a bunch of stuff we didn't care about. We also wrote our own class owth (kind of).

They'll send you a scedule.... quite worrying about it.

 

[calcrew14]

.............. I'm curious.

Whatever will happen, it can be boring to someone who has seen a lot but fascinating and impressive to a young and curious mind. I agree though that, eventually, medicine is going to be as boring as anything else, especially when one saves patients or executes victims every day. Adcoms probably are aware of this, it's boring to keep on admitting unique people day in and day out too, I guess...... Good luck. 😀

 

[GenSurg]

Yeah, orientation is boring and you have to fill out a bunch of paperwork.

But, take advantage of meeting new people, meeting 2nd year students. You should talk to them about what books to get, where to get copies of old exams.

Hopefully your school has a barbeque or someother low key function for you to meet people. Don't drink to much and make a fool of your self. Every class has someone that tries to throw the empty keg over something.

http://www.freeiPods.com/?r=20049323

 

[nontradappl]

oh man, you're going to be the biggest gunner ever if you're worried sick about orientation.... chill out! 🙂

Man, I surely didn't think I sounded like some desperate gunner trying to get a leg up on orientation. Then like 8 people jump all over me. Forgot I was on SDN.

Anyway, what I was really curious about is what they could possibly be filling that time with outside the obvious that i had listed. Some schools have orientation for a week. It just seems like an extended period of time for what could be a quick tour and a meet-and-greet.

 

[Gimlet]

Man, I surely didn't think I sounded like some desperate gunner trying to get a leg up on orientation. Then like 8 people jump all over me. Forgot I was on SDN.

Anyway, what I was really curious about is what they could possibly be filling that time with outside the obvious that i had listed. Some schools have orientation for a week. It just seems like an extended period of time for what could be a quick tour and a meet-and-greet.

Some stuff that might be covered in your orientation:

registration for classes
financial aid presentations/entrance interviews
presentations on how to use the library/computer systems
occupational health stuff
CPR certification
lots of boring presentations by different departments & organizations (student affairs, alumni association, different student orgs.)
pick up loan checks
immunizations
buy books and course handouts
breakout sessions with current students

Does that help? Honestly, I'm surprised your school didn't send you an itinerary or anything yet.

 

[nebrfan]

Sit there and listen to a bunch of stuff we didn't care about. We also wrote our own class owth (kind of).

Did you mean oath? (Sorry - couldn't resist)

 

[nontradappl]

Some stuff that might be covered in your orientation:

registration for classes
financial aid presentations/entrance interviews
presentations on how to use the library/computer systems
occupational health stuff
CPR certification
lots of boring presentations by different departments & organizations (student affairs, alumni association, different student orgs.)
pick up loan checks
immunizations
buy books and course handouts
breakout sessions with current students

Does that help? Honestly, I'm surprised your school didn't send you an itinerary or anything yet.

Thanks for answering my question! My orientation isn't for another month or so. Maybe I'll be receiving something soon.

 

[dopaminophile]

Yeah... there's a lot of getting talked at from every department in the hospital and med school. It's amazing how long people can talk about things they don't even really care about.

 

[chicadehuskers]

With med school orientation rapidly approaching, I am left wondering what general sorts of activities take place during orientation besides facility tours, ID badge picture taking, and white coat ceremonies. Can anyone enlighten? I'm curious.

I hear that we get to practice doing some PBL activities/research at our orientation...in addition to some of the other things mentioned above.

 

[Rogue_Leader]

Hmmm, it seems so long ago. I don't know what it is about med school orientation that makes it relatively forgetable. I remember more about my undergrad orientation than med school. Lemme see what I can remember - Welcome speeches from about 8 different deans and professors, a lecture on financial aid, one on osha safety and emergency procedures for fires and stuff, a discussion on life and death to help us for dissection, CPR training, PPD testing and immunizations, white coat measurements, setting up library and university computer accounts, getting ID, Q&A with second years. Hmmmm, I guess that's why I didn't remember so much about it, it wasn't very fun. 😛

 

[dancindr]

Our 2nd years plan some kind of party for pretty much every night of orientation. Even if you aren't a big partier, its a great way to really get to know people.
Also, our school has orientation schedule posted online, maybe you could look there?

 

[njbmd]

With med school orientation rapidly approaching, I am left wondering what general sorts of activities take place during orientation besides facility tours, ID badge picture taking, and white coat ceremonies. Can anyone enlighten? I'm curious.

Hi there,
You can be doing things like: picking up course syllabi, obtaining a microscope, getting books, getting shots (hepatitis), getting computers and getting your financial aid straight for some folks. You also do things that help you get to know your upperclassmen which becomes invaluable for navigating the curriculum. You should attend the social stuff even if you think you are above it. Medical school is about being efficient in getting your stuff mastered. If you start off by snubbing your classmates, it is going to be a very long four years.

njbmd 🙂

 

[VincentAdultman]

The only thing I remember really about orientation is going out every night of the week after the speeches. The most important thing about the week IMHO is getting to know your classmates.

 

[Medikit]

Expect boredom and free food. I just finished mine on Friday. Also prepare yourself to meet a lot of new people and get in the mindset to learn their names but don't be afraid to ask for it as many times as you need.

 

[Snelgrave]

Some stuff that might be covered in your orientation:

breakout sessions with current students

Does that help? Honestly, I'm surprised your school didn't send you an itinerary or anything yet.

Maybe "breakout" is a regional expression I have never heard of. Did you mean "makeout"? Because I have not received the itinerary for that.

 

[heldicus]

Well if your upperclassmen are worth anything, they should be orientating you to all the bars in your fair city...that's what we'll be doing with our first years.

 

[gwang]

Boring? No way! I'm totally looking forward to the camping trip. I see a lot of "chill time" and "movies" on the agenda!

 

[trunksvegeta]

well...how is orientation going so far with you guys?? 🙂

 

[Gimlet]

Maybe "breakout" is a regional expression I have never heard of. Did you mean "makeout"? Because I have not received the itinerary for that.

My fiance would not appreciate seeing "makeout" sessions on the itinerary! As near as I can tell, breakout sessions are where we form small groups to discuss various aspects of school life with the students who have been living it for a couple of years already.

 

[Topaz]

At our orientation we have break out sessions with MS II students. Perhaps they will turn into make out sessions.