PENN state student life

[sdnstud]

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I have an interviewing coming up at Penn State. The trip will cost me twice as much as any other trips I have taken so I am leaning towards withdrawing my application from that school. Before I withdraw my application, I want to know about life at Penn State. Is the med school next to an undergraduate campus (I want to TA so this is impt for me)? Is the school close to a decent sized city? Is it in the middle of nowhere? For some odd reason, I keep thinking Penn STate is in the middle of the woods...kinda like the setting for the movie "without a paddle"

I also have interviews at NYMC, rush, med col. ohio, and albany. What do you think guys and girls? is penn state better than any of those 4 schools? better yet, does anyone want to tell me how they would rank my list of schools?

 

[liverotcod]

I have an interviewing coming up at Penn State. The trip will cost me twice as much as any other trips I have taken so I am leaning towards withdrawing my application from that school. Before I withdraw my application, I want to know about life at Penn State. Is the med school next to an undergraduate campus (I want to TA so this is impt for me)? Is the school close to a decent sized city? Is it in the middle of nowhere? For some odd reason, I keep thinking Penn STate is in the middle of the woods...kinda like the setting for the movie "without a paddle"

I also have interviews at NYMC, rush, med col. ohio, and albany. What do you think guys and girls? is penn state better than any of those 4 schools? better yet, does anyone want to tell me how they would rank my list of schools?

Penn State is in Hershey, PA, a town of ~15,000. There are corn fields on both sides of campus, and the campus features a big barn for large animals where they do research - like placing artificial hearts in calves (names Winston and Holly, I think?).

Harrisburg, the capital of PA, is about 10 miles away, but is also a pretty small city. No undergraduates nearby. If you like big city, big student population, you won't like PSU.

I loved it, though. I'm from a small town, and this felt like home to me. Plus, it has Hershey Park, a chocolate theme park. Recall that Hershey is the home of Hershey Chocolate. The facilities are great, the curriculum is progressive, and there's on-campus housing that seems like it would create a great collegiate atmosphere. I haven't been to any of the others so I can't comment.

 

[mcjay]

In my opinion, Hershey is not too bad. However, Albany really sucks the donkey. Penn State's facilities are really nice bc there is a A LOT of money coming in from the chocolate industry. In addition, the people are very nice, but there is a lot of corn! Watch out for the Amish, they like to bit. JK 👍

 

[vcatz]

The OP is right - pretty rural area, closest big city is Philly. There is a PSU satelite campus about 10 min from the med school. I am not sure if they have any TA opportunities - I would be surprised if they did.

I intervewed at a few of the schools you mentioned and I would rank PSU close to the top. I would definitely rank it higher than the two NY schools (just my personal opinion - not looking for a fight).

 

[Elphie]

I have an interviewing coming up at Penn State. The trip will cost me twice as much as any other trips I have taken so I am leaning towards withdrawing my application from that school. Before I withdraw my application, I want to know about life at Penn State. Is the med school next to an undergraduate campus (I want to TA so this is impt for me)? Is the school close to a decent sized city? Is it in the middle of nowhere? For some odd reason, I keep thinking Penn STate is in the middle of the woods...kinda like the setting for the movie "without a paddle"

I also have interviews at NYMC, rush, med col. ohio, and albany. What do you think guys and girls? is penn state better than any of those 4 schools? better yet, does anyone want to tell me how they would rank my list of schools?

I am from PA and have friends who are students at Hershey, so I think I can answer your questions and comment on PSU.

The med school is nowhere near an undergraduate campus. PSU Main Campus is about two hours northwest of Hershey. Depending on where you are from, Penn State can feel like it's in the middle-of-nowhere. Harrisburg is close by and provides most of the weekend entertainment, but it is not a big city by any means. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and NYC are all within driving distance, but as a med student, you probably won't have the time to head out of town all the time. Most of the first and second years at Hershey live on-campus so that does give a community feel although many people don't want to re-live those undergraduate "dorm" days. Hershey and the surrounding areas are beautiful, but there are definitely corn fields and cows aplenty! I think it really depends on how much of a city person you are. If you don't want too many distractions during med school, then Hershey is a good place, but if you need the hustle-and-bustle of a big city close by, then you won't be happy at Hershey. The cost of living is a definite plus and it really is a nice area with tons of friendly people. The school is very good and definitely ranks with the others you listed. I haven't been to Rush or Ohio, but I have been to Albany and NYMC. NYMC has an isolated feel like Penn State, but it is much closer to a large city. NYMC has a larger price tag and a much higher cost-of-living. Albany's facilities are not as nice as PSU, in my opinion.

If you have an acceptance in hand already or really don't see yourself going to Penn State, then definitely don't spend the large sum of money on the trip. But it is a very nice place and maybe worth a look if you think you are at all interested.

I hope this is helpful! Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions about PSU or Pennsylvania. Good luck!

 

[vcatz]

I have to disagree with the above statement that there are no undergraduates near PSUCOM. Penn State Harrisburg is about a 10 minute drive from the medical campus. This campus offers a number of undergraduate science degrees and there may be opportunities to TA there. Elizabethtown College and Messiah Colege are both a bit futher - maybe 20 minutes - from PSUCOM. Both are primarily undergraduate institutions that may also have TA opportunities.

 

[liverotcod]

I have to disagree with the OP's clain that there are no undergraduates near PSUCOM.

That's good to know.

FYI vcatz, OP means "original poster" -- the person who originated the thread.

 

[vcatz]

Sorry about that - not totally in sync with the SDN abbreviations.

 

[supersnuffles]

I just got back from Penn State, and yes, it is sort of in the middle of nowhere. The population can be pretty homogenous, with a growing Asian community (according to the faculty guy). But coming from Baltimore, I loved it. People were incredibly friendly and helpful. They don't bark at you, and they seem to genuinely enjoy being there, including the students. Everyone is so happy, almost in an eerie way that EVERYONE can be so happy (hopefully they aren't lying) , but they do say that there is basically no nightlife, but there are some bars in Harrisburg. The hospital is amazing, and the faculty seems wonderful. The gas is SO cheap, there's guaranteed housing, and everywhere is so clean. I think I'm just amazed by the stark contrast between crap Baltimore and Hershey.

P.S. According to another student, he said it was cheaper to fly into Philadelphia or BWI and just rent a car than to fly straight into Harrisburg.

 

[Nittany Lion]

I'm currently an undergrad at Penn State main campus (you probably could have figured that one out from the user name 😉 ). Like others have said, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine is about an hour away from Penn State main campus (University Park-State College, PA). I'm not sure about TA opportunities as a medical student, but there are other, smaller undergraduate institutions closer to Hershey, so it might be worth looking into.

Generally speaking, living in State College for four years has given me a pretty good idea about what living in central PA is like. I am originally from the western part of Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, but I have been extremely happy living in this area. It's beautiful, safe, and living expenses are greatly minimized in an area like this, as opposed to a bustling urban area.

I interviewed at Penn State Hershey a few months ago, and I loved it ... people were friendly, facilities were amazing, curriculum seems to be progressive, housing is available and affordable, and all in all, living in Hershey would be much more of an inexpensive and no-stress environment than other areas. Of course there are drawbacks, as with any living situation. Although Harrisburg is close by, there is like no night life whatsoever in Hershey (like other posters have mentioned). But who knows, that could be a good thing, right? Not many distractions, I guess. Also, the social climate in central PA is pretty conservative and not as umm... progressive...as other areas. It's pretty much full of white, WASP-y, straight people, and there's not a whole lot of culture (except for the Amish culture, which is not something you'll get to see in other areas!).

With respect to clinical experience, PSU makes sure their students get a lot of it, which is obviously a plus. Hershey Medical Center and the other hospitals with which it's affiliated treat a huge geographical area (most of central PA), and there's a really big focus on treating pediactric cancer patients. However, don't count seeing very many AIDS cases or gunshot wounds in a place like Hershey. Students do get to see some weird genetic disorders that many in the Amish community are exposed to, and the occasional horse-and-buggy accident or farming equipment tragedy 😛

Sorry this post is so long, I guess I just have a lot to say about Hershey! For me, I am currently holding two acceptances: Penn State and Temple. Penn State feels really "homey" to me because it's my undergrad institution (what can I say, I'm burstin with PSU pride, haha). But part of me really yearns for a taste of that city life.... 😕 I still am waiting to hear from some other schools, and I know it's not really fair to hang on to multiple acceptances for too long..... I'd love to hear any of your opinions!

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

I have an interview there on the 13th, does it really take 8 weeks to find out? Man, that is gonna KILL me.

 

[tinkerbelle]

I have an interview there on the 13th, does it really take 8 weeks to find out? Man, that is gonna KILL me.

I interviewed the first week of october and received my acceptance last week or something. Sooooo.... you'll be waiting awhile 🙂

 

[tinkerbelle]

Sorry this post is so long, I guess I just have a lot to say about Hershey! For me, I am currently holding two acceptances: Penn State and Temple. Penn State feels really "homey" to me because it's my undergrad institution (what can I say, I'm burstin with PSU pride, haha). But part of me really yearns for a taste of that city life.... 😕 I still am waiting to hear from some other schools, and I know it's not really fair to hang on to multiple acceptances for too long..... I'd love to hear any of your opinions!

I would pick Penn State over Temple. It's an awesome school, and I personally think it's better than Temple (although both are great schools). But then again, after living in Baltimore for 5 years, I want a med school that is actually *pretty*. Why not wait until you receive your financial aid packages from both schools? One might be a lot cheaper than the other.

 

[supersnuffles]

I would pick Penn State over Temple. It's an awesome school, and I personally think it's better than Temple (although both are great schools). But then again, after living in Baltimore for 5 years, I want a med school that is actually *pretty*. Why not wait until you receive your financial aid packages from both schools? One might be a lot cheaper than the other.

GO to PENNSTATE tinkerbelle. Baltimore is poo. Stay out of the poo.

 

[tinkerbelle]

GO to PENNSTATE tinkerbelle.

Only if you promise to come with me 🙂

Baltimore is poo. Stay out of the poo.

I actually miss Baltimore. Isn't that pathetic?

 

[supersnuffles]

I WOULD if I COULD. We shall see. I loved it there. I told kfcly to go too, he'd like the cows. 😍

 

[LionKing]

I'm not sure about TA opportunities as a medical student, but there are other, smaller undergraduate institutions closer to Hershey, so it might be worth looking into.

Although Harrisburg is close by, there is like no night life whatsoever in Hershey (like other posters have mentioned). But who knows, that could be a good thing, right? Not many distractions, I guess. Also, the social climate in central PA is pretty conservative and not as umm... progressive...as other areas. It's pretty much full of white, WASP-y, straight people, and there's not a whole lot of culture (except for the Amish culture, which is not something you'll get to see in other areas!).

With respect to clinical experience, PSU makes sure their students get a lot of it, which is obviously a plus. Hershey Medical Center and the other hospitals with which it's affiliated treat a huge geographical area (most of central PA), and there's a really big focus on treating pediactric cancer patients. However, don't count seeing very many AIDS cases or gunshot wounds in a place like Hershey. Students do get to see some weird genetic disorders that many in the Amish community are exposed to, and the occasional horse-and-buggy accident or farming equipment tragedy 😛

I wouldn't say there is no night life- there are several bars in the immediate vicinity, and then clubs a half hour away in downtown harrisburg. As for TA opportunities, there isn't much. Clinical experiences- If gore is your thing, they get some really bad highway accidents in and around Hershey (the highways here suck and are snarled with traffic) (As a side note: Thats also a funny part about the interview- I've heard so many say "Oh its in the middle of nowhere, it'll be easy to get to."- You'd be surprised at the number of times they hear "I woulda been here on time but I was stuck in traffic on I-81.") You'll see a lot more of those than buggy accidents.

 

[Nittany Lion]

I wouldn't say there is no night life- there are several bars in the immediate vicinity, and then clubs a half hour away in downtown harrisburg. As for TA opportunities, there isn't much. Clinical experiences- If gore is your thing, they get some really bad highway accidents in and around Hershey (the highways here suck and are snarled with traffic) (As a side note: Thats also a funny part about the interview- I've heard so many say "Oh its in the middle of nowhere, it'll be easy to get to."- You'd be surprised at the number of times they hear "I woulda been here on time but I was stuck in traffic on I-81.") You'll see a lot more of those than buggy accidents.

Haha... I was sort of joking about the whole buggy accident thing before... but anyways....

 

[LionKing]

Haha... I was sort of joking about the whole buggy accident thing before... but anyways....

Well... there's also the occasional drowning by falling in a vat of chocolate- Then there's those accidents every once in a while at a nearby unnamed amusement park. 😛

Another side note: there is a bar in Hershey that is a true biker bar- Occasionally there are 10-15 hogs parked outside.... Rough but neat if you've never been

 

[Nittany Lion]

Well... there's also the occasional drowning by falling in a vat of chocolate- Then there's those accidents every once in a while at a nearby unnamed amusement park. 😛

 

[Damnit Jim!]

Another Baltimorean here. LOL at Baltimore getting shat on over and over in this thread. I lived in Berkeley for undergrad . Driving to Hershey was pretty pleasant as I got to see all the fall colors of the surrounding trees and fields.

I was really impressed by Penn State Hershey. As many people have mentioned, their progressive curriculum is very cool. They have a humanities requirement and they offered some really cool courses like medicine in film, folklore medicine, etc. I also really liked their "patient project", a program where you visit patients in their home and spend time with them. They don't disclose the disease- you just hang out with them and see what it's like as a patient. Very cool.

I also liked the MSR requirement. Kind of a scaled down version of research requirements offered at schools like Duke and Cleveland Clinic, etc.

Very impressed by the hospital. The patient simulator was cool. The patient makes noises, vomits, and does a lot of other stuff. They even had a simulator that was basically a plastic/rubber butt that you could practice colonoscopies on.

Saw a lot of Amish and Mennonites around the hospital. My interviewer also said that there was a growing Indian and Vietnamese community around there. I didn't see many though.

I had extra time so I went to the gym and had them give me a tour of the place. The gym facilities are quite good.

Everything about the place was laid back. Don't get the same sense of urgency or intensity that you feel at some of the elite bigger city hospitals, but that can be a good thing. Most of the medical students and interviewees were all very laid back and down to earth. Only had one intense interviewee in our group. I was very surprised by how low stress the interview experience at Penn State was. Seems like a very low stress environment. It is a referral center for central PA, so I think you still get to see some interesting cases though.

The only thing I didn't like about the school was that the financial aid person said it was practically impossible to get in-state classification as an out of stater, which makes it a very expensive place for me. I would go there in a heartbeat though.