Penn State class of 2010

[tigress]

Hmm, has anybody actually heard about the second look? I haven't.

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[Scalpellum]

Hmm, has anybody actually heard about the second look? I haven't.

I have not heard anything either about the second look.

 

[LT2]

Does Penn State pay for the students to come to the second look day?

my guess is no. the only reason i've heard anything is because i called and asked when second look was going to be. the man on the phone told me April 1 was going to be the day... he said info should be coming soon...

 

[jackb960]

Hello All - I am new to this forum and hoping to get rid of some anxiety. The waiting is killing me!!! I interviewed at the end of January and haven't heard a peep yet. Has anyone else heard anything? Also, do they send out rejection letters???

I hope to be joining the rest of you soon as MS1's! I think the school is great and the students even better.

Later...

 

[PhillyEaglesFan]

jack, when i interviewed in sept. they told us 8 weeks. They made me wait every minute of that 8 weeks .

 

[jackb960]

jack, when i interviewed in sept. they told us 8 weeks. They made me wait every minute of that 8 weeks .

ARGH!!! They told us six to eight weeks and I was hoping for the lesser end. It is all I can do not to call and ask them if the committe has reviewed my app yet. I know I am a strong candidate, but this time is making me doubt myself!

 

[FDoRoML]

ARGH!!! They told us six to eight weeks and I was hoping for the lesser end. It is all I can do not to call and ask them if the committe has reviewed my app yet. I know I am a strong candidate, but this time is making me doubt myself!

Maybe this time of year they say 6-8. They told me strictly 8 (but don't be upset if they miss the exact date by +/- a week). My letter/package arrived 8 weeks and 1 day from the date of my interview... they seem very prompt. So, if they told you 6-8, then hold out hope it could be 6 if you are a strong applicant (they may meet at week 6 and decide to put off average applicants until the next meeting at week 8... and so on). From everyone I've talked to, their timing is pretty precise with their word.

Good luck!

 

[tigress]

It was quite a bit more than 8 weeks for me. But I was early in the cycle.

Sorry to be a bummer.

 

[Scalpellum]

What is the best way to find a roommate for a student entering the class of 2010? Is there a board that students can post on? Does Penn State have a list of students who want roommates? etc. Also the on-campus housing is under going renovations next school year. If you choose to live on-campus you might have to move out temporarily for the renovations. I also heard that the rooms on-campus are small, you can't open up the windows, the desk is stuck to the wall, and the kitchen is small. Some off-campus housing includes: Braircrest Gardens, Hershey Heights, and Rosedale. Where do you guys plan on living?

 

[jackb960]

What is the best way to find a roommate for a student entering the class of 2010? Is there a board that students can post on? Does Penn State have a list of students who want roommates? etc. Also the on-campus housing is under going renovations next school year. If you choose to live on-campus you might have to move out temporarily for the renovations. I also heard that the rooms on-campus are small, you can't open up the windows, the desk is stuck to the wall, and the kitchen is small. Some off-campus housing includes: Braircrest Gardens, Hershey Heights, and Rosedale. Where do you guys plan on living?

Scalpellum - I was in Hershey this week so I stopped by to see the latest batch of interviewees. I noticed a few "roommates wanted" signs on the bulletin board. I am not sure if there is a centralized book of these or if there is an online bulletin board for the students. You could also try the local paper classifieds: http://www.adquest3d.com/supermain.cfm?brd=2249.

If you don't have any luck there, let me know.

 

[drmota]

boo. i got put on hold. i'll probably write a LOI either tonight or tomorrow. congrats to the rest of you.

scalpellum - did you interview 1/20? there was a kid from san diego on my day, but it sounded like his interviews didn't go very well. they said something along the lines of 'you probably won't make it this year, but maybe next year'.

-mota

 

[Scalpellum]

boo. i got put on hold. i'll probably write a LOI either tonight or tomorrow. congrats to the rest of you.

scalpellum - did you interview 1/20? there was a kid from san diego on my day, but it sounded like his interviews didn't go very well. they said something along the lines of 'you probably won't make it this year, but maybe next year'.

-mota

I interviewed on 10-12 and got accepted on 12-2.

 

[Scalpellum]

Anyone else interview on 10-12?

 

[Scalpellum]

Hmm, has anybody actually heard about the second look? I haven't.

I called PSU and they told me that second look day is on 4-1 (Saturday). There is also no one there on 4-1 because its a Saturday. I am not sure what they have planned. They also do not pay for your transportation or travel expenses.

 

[LT2]

boo. i got put on hold. i'll probably write a LOI either tonight or tomorrow. congrats to the rest of you.

scalpellum - did you interview 1/20? there was a kid from san diego on my day, but it sounded like his interviews didn't go very well. they said something along the lines of 'you probably won't make it this year, but maybe next year'.

-mota

that's pooopie mota, i was hoping you'd hear some good news from PSU. best of luck with the LOI and hope you hear something better soon...

 

[jackb960]

Well, it finally came. Interviewed 1/27; acceptance letter dated 2/27. Now I can start planning! After financial aid, what do we do next???

 

[tigress]

The second look announcement came today, for Saturday, April 1st. I won't be there, though.

Congrats jackb960

 

[FDoRoML]

The second look announcement came today, for Saturday, April 1st. I won't be there, though.

Yeah, I got it, too. I was beginning to think it was a figment of everyone's imagination! I noticed it is "entriely student run" so I hope it's actually useful. My student tour guides on interview day weren't the most helpful (they were OK to talk to but didn't have much to say about the school).

And they say you can find out more about fin aid, but if it's Saturday, will anyone actually be there to represent the fin aid office? I don't want to talk to students about it... I need real answers. Anyone (those who may have already asked administration, or those who are current students) have an idea about this?

I'm still going, even if it's not useful for info. At least I'll get to meet some of my soon-to-be classmates! )

FDoRoML

 

[LT2]

Yeah, I got it, too. I was beginning to think it was a figment of everyone's imagination! I noticed it is "entriely student run" so I hope it's actually useful. My student tour guides on interview day weren't the most helpful (they were OK to talk to but didn't have much to say about the school).

And they say you can find out more about fin aid, but if it's Saturday, will anyone actually be there to represent the fin aid office? I don't want to talk to students about it... I need real answers. Anyone (those who may have already asked administration, or those who are current students) have an idea about this?

I'm still going, even if it's not useful for info. At least I'll get to meet some of my soon-to-be classmates! )

FDoRoML

i would say if you can get to hershey a day early, you'd be able to speak to the financial aid folk in case they're not there saturday. i'm also curious to see the format of the day. it's expensive to fly out from california, so i hope it's informative!! either way, i'm excited to meet some of you people! is everyone thinking casual dress or business cas?

 

[Scalpellum]

i would say if you can get to hershey a day early, you'd be able to speak to the financial aid folk in case they're not there saturday. i'm also curious to see the format of the day. it's expensive to fly out from california, so i hope it's informative!! either way, i'm excited to meet some of you people! is everyone thinking casual dress or business cas?

I am not sure if I am going to the second look day yet. I also have to fly from California. I would have to buy a plane ticket ($250) and then rent a car for two days ($100 b/c I am under 25 yrs). If I do go I will probably dress casual (no need in wearing a suit).

 

[FDoRoML]

I was worried about my 1.5 hours drive for the usefulness of the day, and here you guys are having to fly all the way from CA!! I understand what you mean.

For Scalpellum-- if you could somehow contact a student you could stay with on campus, maybe you could go without the rental car. Of course, if you planned on flying into Philly for the cheaper airfare (HBurg is pricey because it's relatively lower volume), I guess you'd need a car-- or a REALLY giving student!

I suppose being as close as I am, it'd be good to just pick any old weekday to drive up there and talk to FinAid. I get the feeling they won't have many answers this early on... I could be wrong, though. I sent them my info regarding making a financial exception (I'm obviously going to stop working to go to school but the stupid FAFSA doesn't take that into account!), and have not heard a peep. I'll probably just have to call them and try to make an appointment or something.

As for my garb-- I'll probably go business-casual. Something comfy but not crazy (I'll refrain from going to PSU in my sleepwear until those early AM classes!).. hahaha. I figure, if they want you in a suit, they must be insane. Plus, as a student-run program and on a Saturday, I'm sure you could even go totally casual... jeans or something.

FDoMoRL

 

[Scalpellum]

I suppose being as close as I am, it'd be good to just pick any old weekday to drive up there and talk to FinAid. I get the feeling they won't have many answers this early on... I could be wrong, though. I sent them my info regarding making a financial exception (I'm obviously going to stop working to go to school but the stupid FAFSA doesn't take that into account!), and have not heard a peep. I'll probably just have to call them and try to make an appointment or something.

As for my garb-- I'll probably go business-casual. Something comfy but not crazy (I'll refrain from going to PSU in my sleepwear until those early AM classes!).. hahaha. I figure, if they want you in a suit, they must be insane. Plus, as a student-run program and on a Saturday, I'm sure you could even go totally casual... jeans or something.

FDoMoRL

Go to this website and look under the "Special Circumstance Evaluation Form." You can fill this out if you are leaving a job to enter medical school, etc.

http://www.hmc.psu.edu/md/financialaid/forms.html

 

[LT2]

I am not sure if I am going to the second look day yet. I also have to fly from California. I would have to buy a plane ticket ($250) and then rent a car for two days ($100 b/c I am under 25 yrs). If I do go I will probably dress casual (no need in wearing a suit).

hey buddy-

just thought i'd send you an FYI: Southwest airlines flies into baltimore (BWI) for $89 each way from San Diego. There is an amtrak station at BWI airport that will take you to Harrisburg (i don't know the price on this though). you can probably get through this without having to rent a car and maybe save yourself a bit of cash if you don't mind a bit of inconvenience. how did you do everything for your interview? anyway, if you need a ride somewhere, i'll have a car, we can probably work something out... keep me posted...

LT

anyone know of a decent place to grab a drink and a bite to eat the afternoon/evening before?

 

[Scalpellum]

hey buddy-

just thought i'd send you an FYI: Southwest airlines flies into baltimore (BWI) for $89 each way from San Diego. There is an amtrak station at BWI airport that will take you to Harrisburg (i don't know the price on this though). you can probably get through this without having to rent a car and maybe save yourself a bit of cash if you don't mind a bit of inconvenience. how did you do everything for your interview? anyway, if you need a ride somewhere, i'll have a car, we can probably work something out... keep me posted...

LT

anyone know of a decent place to grab a drink and a bite to eat the afternoon/evening before?

For my interview I flew into MDT and then rented a car for two days. I will look into flying to BWI from SAN. I will let you know hopefully sometime soon if I will be going to the second look day. Thanks for the INFO!

 

[bluenebula83]

hey guys, just wondering on when most of you will be coming in to hershey? some people are coming in a day before the second look and others are staying a day after so they can go out drinking or something on the nite of april 1st. do we hav a consensus on what most are doin?

 

[LT2]

hey guys, just wondering on when most of you will be coming in to hershey? some people are coming in a day before the second look and others are staying a day after so they can go out drinking or something on the nite of april 1st. do we hav a consensus on what most are doin?

i'm up for the night before- i'll be around. i leave hershey after the day is over (april 1)....

 

[Highclimber]

I just sent in my RSVP... you guys requesting to be with students?... I'll bne there the night before, not sure about the night of april 1st because not sure about the schedule... Anyway I requested to be with a current student but who knows...

 

[FDoRoML]

hey guys, just wondering on when most of you will be coming in to hershey? some people are coming in a day before the second look and others are staying a day after so they can go out drinking or something on the nite of april 1st. do we hav a consensus on what most are doin?

I'll probably be my usual lightweight self and just drive to and from that day. It's only about 80 miles one way, and it beats paying for another hotel (I'm still paying of credit cards after the interview season!!!).

Did everyone email the RSVP form back or snailmail it? Did you get a response? I emailed mine but haven't heard a confirmation from them yet.

 

[ewells]

...As for my garb-- I'll probably go business-casual. Something comfy but not crazy (I'll refrain from going to PSU in my sleepwear until those early AM classes!).. hahaha. I figure, if they want you in a suit, they must be insane. Plus, as a student-run program and on a Saturday, I'm sure you could even go totally casual... jeans or something.

FDoMoRL

Wear what you want. Nothing that you do will affect your admission status good or bad, so be comfortable, don't worry about impressing anybody, and ask lots of questions.

About our rank list last year, we had some pretty impressive placements. One woman went to Harvard for Ortho; another graduate matched at Yale for Radiology. These may be outliers, but we had plenty of people match in competitive fields/programs (Derm,Optho, ENT etc). In a fact as noted above, WW has already matched this year in in Optho. I applied in EM (and am waiting until next Thursday to find out where I am going), so I remember the Emergency programs where we had people match the best. We had two grads go to Christiana in DE (a great program), one went to Stanford, another to UCLA (two CA programs, obviously). Another EM grad is at Arizona, a pretty desirable place to be. Almost all of them got their first choice. And there is the matter of personal choice as well; one grad who was a great EM candidate and probalby could have gone wherever he wanted choose to go to a fantastic, but less well-known program because it was a great fit for him. Regarding surgery since someone mentioned it, the trend for my class this year seems to be that we do not have that many General Surgery candidates, but when you include all the Surgical Specialty residencies you can apply for directly (ENT, plastics, Ortho, Neurosurg and Urology) it turns out that we have quite a few future surgeons (and those students participating in the Early or Military Match in those fields all got spots). This may have been the case with last year's class as well; I do not remember.

Hopefully I have not sounded too defensive here. I don't feel like it is my job to sell you the school, and really next Thursday's list is probably a little more relevent for you than last year's anyway. You should go where you fit in; there is no reason to be miserable in med school. I have enjoyed my time here and would choose it again, but I can see why other might not.

 

[ewells]

...And if anyone needs a place to stay, send me a PM. If you don't mind crying babies you can sleep on my couch. If you don't like kids, I can probably find someone for you to stay with.

 

[LT2]

thanks for the info ewells!

what's everyone planning on doing for living situations next year? it's hard trying to look at/find things online.

if there's anyone who currently attends PSU and could mention places people tend to live, i'd appreciate it!! (i'd like to check some of these places out during second look...) thanks.

 

[Highclimber]

If i go i was thinki of briarcrest... I want a dog... and they allow pets... plus seems like a couple minute bike from the hospital...

 

[FDoRoML]

I am thinking that if all other factors work out, we will buy a house somewhere in the area... I'm torn between the dowtown life in HBurg (the more "nice" area near the gov't buildings-- cap heights, etc) or the semi-rural life in surrounding areas like Linglestown, E-town, Hershey, etc. They both have their merits and I've lived in both situations before. It will probably end up being whichever is the best house on the market at the time we look-- wherever it happens to be, great!

Anyone from the greater Hburg area able to offer some insight into the morning/afternoon commute traffic between Hershey and Dowtown? Also, I know it's hell getting over the bridge from Mechanicsburg, but what about points North and East? (Of course, it may all be relative-- I commute 30 miles to work now and it takes me 40 min to 1.5 hours on a regular basis. I guess anything less would be a huge improvement! )

 

[PhillyEaglesFan]

I live about 25 minutes away from Hershey, close to Mechanicsburg. I'm probably going to move to Hershey, though. I'd prefer to be on-campus, but Briarcrest seems like a decent option. Also, there might be things available in Hummelstown, a pretty short drive from Hershey Med.

Regarding morning/afternoon commute, rush hour seems to be from 7:30-9 am, and 4-6 pm. It can get busy on I-83 (the major highway between Harrisburg and Hershey) during those times. Otherwise, traffic is clear and easy to navigate. From downtown Hbg to Hershey if it's clear is 15-20 minutes.

Fdoromol, do you have kids? If so, you may want to consider the school district in where you settle. If you live in downtown Hbg, you would be within the Harrisburg School District, which has had its struggles (I am a Harrisburg SD alum). In the outlying areas (Linglestown, Hummelstown, etc.), the school districts are pretty good.

 

[FDoRoML]

Fdoromol, do you have kids? If so, you may want to consider the school district in where you settle. If you live in downtown Hbg, you would be within the Harrisburg School District, which has had its struggles (I am a Harrisburg SD alum). In the outlying areas (Linglestown, Hummelstown, etc.), the school districts are pretty good.

Hey PhillyEaglesFan,
Thanks for the heads-up about the commute. No, we don't have kids (nor plans to), so the school district only matters because of the goofy PA taxes. But I do notice that the nicer neighborhoods pay more in school tax! <G>

We're far from the downtown party crowd type but we also like the convenience. I grew up 1/2 on a farm and 1/2 in the city (Baltimore), so I can appreciate both lifestyles (plus the wonderful suburban thing where you have just a little of both).

I was thinking that the Rennaiscance might be hitting downtown HBurg and we might luck into "lightning in a bottle" when it comes time to sell. Similar things have happened in all major US cities trying to make downtown less ghetto and more yuppie (Baltimore sold houses for $5 about fifteen years ago that are now going for $400k, and that's on the cheap side compared to some cities). Certainly, downtown houses in the areas that are currently being fixed up seem to be reasonably priced by our standards (for their size). I do hear from some that there are semi-regular acts of vandalism and car-breakins in these areas, but I wonder if that's not blown out of proportion. I mean, if it happens once or twice, it feels like it's all the time when you're the victim.

Hershey is a bit pricey, so we were looking at Linglestown, E-town, and Hummelstown to name a few. What do you think of Marysville (northwest side)? It's nice to have people already in the area to get feedback!

Thanks,
FDoRoML

 

[wtwei02]

In terms of living, I'd stay away from Briarcrest, especially the townhouses. I lived there for a year. The townhouses are poorly built, and we had numerous issues with stuff breaking down during the year. The rent isn't bad, but in winter and summer months, our utilities would be way over 200 a month because the places were so poorly insulated. Hershey Heights is a nicer complex in Hummelstown but slightly more expensive. During second look, keep an eye out for rental postings on the bulletin boards around school. Oh, Eric, thanks for the plug, and best of luck to you next week, I'm sure you'll match really well for EM. I'll see you on match day and hopefully the parties on thursday...friday...and sat night

 

[drmota]

has anyone here (besides tigress) gotten in off the hold list? anybody know how much of the eventual class actually comess off the hold list? thanks in advance.
-mota

 

[Apparition]

has anyone here (besides tigress) gotten in off the hold list? anybody know how much of the eventual class actually comess off the hold list? thanks in advance.
-mota

There was one other person on SDN who got in from hold. No clue how many people actually get in, doesn't look like too many from last year's posts and md applicants. Would appreciate more info, however.

 

[LT2]

i got my second look confirmation today, looks like the day will go from 8:30 to 4...

 

[jackb960]

I haven't had anatomy in a loooong time and never have had human anatomy. Is there anyone thinking of getting a head start this summer? If so, what books are you going to use? Any MS1's reading this... give us some hints!

Thanks!

 

[FDoRoML]

Hey everyone,

This may seem kind of random... but now that I've been thinking about positioning myself for residency (yep, obsessive planner!), I noticed that some say AOA is a good thing for competetive residency admission. So, PSU doesn't have an AOA chapter, unless they coop with Jefferson for that, too (like their Bach-to-MD program).

Not that I necessarily believe I will be good enough inthe first two years to get into AOA (miracles happen sometimes, though!!-- heck, I got into med school!!), but is it just me that thinks it'd be a great benefit to the PSU students? And to PSU in general (if they can claim competetive residency slots were filled by their graduates, then they up their status among other med schools)?

So, does anyone out there know how difficult it'd be to get a chapter started at PSU? I read through the AOA page about starting a chapter and it's kind of vague, saying something about needing an AOA sponsor on the faculty, etc. Would anyone else have an interest in starting one, or does anyone know how the COM feels about one being started (like, has someone mentioned it in the past and they shot you down for some reason)??

Wow, so that was random, I know. But with 2nd look coming up and nobody feeling talkative... I had to come up with something to BUMP us!!


FDoRoML

 

[wtwei02]

Hershey has AOA, it's run by one of the surgeons here. Don't study Anatomy until you have to. Have fun while you can, and save it for when the poop hits the fan.

 

[FDoRoML]

Hershey has AOA, it's run by one of the surgeons here. Don't study Anatomy until you have to. Have fun while you can, and save it for when the poop hits the fan.

Cool, thanks. Weird that it's not listed on the AOA website (not that bad web publishing surprises me!).

And, I agree! Dudes and dudettes, you will all have more than enough anatomy once we start classes. And if you have no prior anatomy experience, reading and studying books will be more work than it's worth. There is nothing like actual anatomy lab to really take home how things are organized in the human body! Take a break and do something fun. It may be your last chance for quite a number of years!!!

 

[jackb960]

OK, I have stopped myself from buying anatomy books... for now.

What is everyone planning on doing for fun this summer then? I could use some ideas for that too! I am sure I will do some travelling and was thinking of taking a class for purely selfish reasons. Might even hire a personal trainer for a couple months.

What about you?

 

[FDoRoML]

What is everyone planning on doing for fun this summer then? <snip>What about you?

Well, let's see.... work, work, work (neeeeed money!!! gonna not have money for a long time soon!!! argh!), publish those last two papers (nerd!), go to Vegas (maybe the last time for at least 4 years), uuuhm, maybe go to San Diego (shut up all you San Diegans!! I have sunshine envy!) and L.A. (visit family, hit Six Flags Magic Mountain-- anyone been on X??).... not sure what else. Oh yeah, find time to procure a house up in HBurg and move (yuck!).

Some fun, some not so fun. But I guess some fun is better than none, right? Right? (anyone?)

What about everyone else?

EDIT: My bad. I just re-read this post and realized what it sounded like for those who have not been to that theme park!! I meant "X" the roller coaster at Magic Mountain, not X the street name for a drug.

 

[jackb960]

FDoRoML, what kind of research are you doing? Are you at NIH? I am sure it will be nice to get a couple of papers out this summer. How long have you been there?

 

[FDoRoML]

FDoRoML, what kind of research are you doing? Are you at NIH? I am sure it will be nice to get a couple of papers out this summer. How long have you been there?

I'm at Hopkins... been here since '98. Yes, that would be in the 1900s. Argh, makes me feel old!!

I've been doing auditory neuroscience research the whole time... have 1.5 papers (.5 = accepted, but pending minor revisions)... and two more that I'd like to get submitted. Yes, for myself (although I'm not going into neurology), but more for my lab and PI... he's been awesome and deserves to have more papers to support his grants. Such a rat race: papers = grants, grants = funding to do research for the papers (kinda twisted like the whole chicken and egg thing?).

Sadly, even if I submitted one next month, depending on the journal, I might not even get notice for revisions until late summer (and if it requires more data collection, well, that isn't going to happen b/c I'll be busy at PSU!!). Hoping to submit some groundbreaking and solid stuff that nobody can fault... sure, ask me to make revisions to "how" I tell the story, but puhlease don't ask me to do more experiments!!

 

[jackb960]

I'm at Hopkins... been here since '98. Yes, that would be in the 1900s. Argh, makes me feel old!!

ARGH! You feel old? I was at Hopkins in 1994 doing research!!! I guess we will be the elders of the class???

I totally understand the publish/grant cycle and the insanity. It is ridiculous and I am sure you will leave the lab well positioned with your research even if you aren't there to do the follow up and answer the reviewer's questions.

 

[FDoRoML]

ARGH! You feel old? I was at Hopkins in 1994 doing research!!! I guess we will be the elders of the class???

Aha, but I didn't mention that I spent a few years pre-Hopkins doing research for the DoD. I'd tell you about it, but I'd have to kill you.

Sometimes being an elder is good... provided I can retrain the hippocampus. It hasn't been required to store massive amounts of info for years.

I think there will be an outflux of students from my lab-- ever since I told them I am leaving, they have been in a panic to finish up. The 1-2 papers I want to get out for review soon are, unfortunately, not something anyone else can talk about-- my projects have been through collaboration with another lab... and something nobody else is doing anything like it (although I did train a post-doc on some of the techniques for part of his work). I'm aiming high, journal-wise... shorter paper with fewer figures to make (and faster track through the review to publication proocess if they like it). My current one that's the "0.5" I mentioned has 16 figures and 3 tables (kill me!!). Actually, the reviewers probably DO want to kill me. <g>

What'd you do at Hopkins? What are you doing now?

 

[jackb960]

What'd you do at Hopkins? What are you doing now?

I was with the Department of Comparative Medicine doing retrovirus work. It was a great experience. Then, I went on to do another eight years of research (Case Western, Cleveland Clinic, National Cancer Institute) then I jumped ship and went on to do something totally new. I have spent the last few years doing management stuff for software development companies. It has been a fun ride, but medical school is where I have always wanted to be, just never could get my life to line up for it. (I am sure you can understand that...)

So, did you work at Ft. Detrick? (I won't tell anyone )