Penn

[Shanomong]

Anyone have thougths on S 45th St across from Clark Park? There's a place there that sounds awesome... and I think that area's OK?

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[BigGreenVet]

Anyone have thougths on S 45th St across from Clark Park? There's a place there that sounds awesome... and I think that area's OK?

Yeah, that area is totally fine. Clark Park is amazing (and would be really great for you with your dogs). As you get further west, the area just north of Baltimore is nicer than right on Baltimore, but you'll still be very safe around 45th St.

I've been living in UC for over a year now, and just bought a house here too... so I've got a pretty good lay of the land if you have any other questions

 

[bunnity]

Shanomong, I'm two blocks east of Clark Park on 43rd and I really like it so far. I feel pretty safe walking around outside. I've seen a lot of dogs on my block so it seems to be a good area for them. It's also really close to a CVS and only a couple blocks from Walnut and 40th where there are a bunch of stores and food places.

 

[Shanomong]

Awesome, thanks so much! I'm going to do a drive-by today if I can get in touch with the landlord and get the exact address (and if she doesn't hang up on me when I tell her I have 3 dogs...)

ETA: I just spoke to the landlord, she's OK with the dogs, but it's down by the south end of the park on 45th, close to woodland. Is that still OK??

 

[Shanomong]

I did a driveby of the above place... not so promising... but we're going to see it on Tuesday.

Anybody live in the Fairfax? The ratings on Aptratings.com mostly sucked... but a doctor at my job who's only a few years out of school lived there and loved it.

 

[Shanomong]

double post...

 

[BigGreenVet]

Oh, yeah... I thought you meant on Baltimore. There are 2 gas stations and some more commercial stuff around there... so it isn't quite as nice in general.

One of the VMD/PhDs lives in the Fairfax and loves it. I've never been in there myself though.

 

[Shanomong]

Oh, yeah... I thought you meant on Baltimore. There are 2 gas stations and some more commercial stuff around there... so it isn't quite as nice in general.

One of the VMD/PhDs lives in the Fairfax and loves it. I've never been in there myself though.

Awesome, I just called and made an appointment to see apartments at the Fairfax tomorrow too, thanks!

Totally pet friendly btw for anyone else who might at some point read this... they didn't bat an eye when I mentioned 3 dogs

 

[aspiringDVM]

Hello Penn people, I'm applying this Fall and wondered if you had any thoughts on:
a) How much store do they set by the supplemental application "rank your top three veterinary interests and how many hours" question? My main interest is equine, but I only have about 400 hours vet experience (plus another 1000 equine rehab, but I'm listing it as "animal") compared to my >2500 SA. Are they going to jump me about it?
b) Will Penn look at more than three reference letters? I'm going to have two from the SA vets I've worked with extensively, a committee letter from my school, and possible a fourth from the equine vet I'm riding with this summer.
Gracias!

 

[Ben and Me]

Hello Penn people, I'm applying this Fall and wondered if you had any thoughts on:
a) How much store do they set by the supplemental application "rank your top three veterinary interests and how many hours" question? My main interest is equine, but I only have about 400 hours vet experience (plus another 1000 equine rehab, but I'm listing it as "animal") compared to my >2500 SA. Are they going to jump me about it?
b) Will Penn look at more than three reference letters? I'm going to have two from the SA vets I've worked with extensively, a committee letter from my school, and possible a fourth from the equine vet I'm riding with this summer.
Gracias!

From what I understand, they use the "Interests" section to see if you should interview out at New Bolton for either Equine or Food Animal Day. I didn't have a ton of equine vet experience, but I did have a lot of horse-related Animal Experience so I think that showed them that I was serious. I think they understand that it's tough to find paying jobs at equine clinics in some areas (which is the reason I've worked at a small animal clinic for the last year). I even told them in my interview at Equine Day that I wasn't 100% committed to doing equine and that I've really enjoyed some of the small animal stuff I've done in the last year. I'm sure they just want hours to show that you can back up your claim--otherwise, some people might claim to be interested in Food Animal just to get to interview on that day.

I think Penn looked at all 4 of my letters--if not, I'd imagine there would've been a question on the supplemental (where they would let you choose your top 3 letters) or a disclaimer on the website. I'd email Roseanne Herpen though just to be sure. She's awesome!

 

[Shanomong]

Hello Penn people, I'm applying this Fall and wondered if you had any thoughts on:
a) How much store do they set by the supplemental application "rank your top three veterinary interests and how many hours" question? My main interest is equine, but I only have about 400 hours vet experience (plus another 1000 equine rehab, but I'm listing it as "animal") compared to my >2500 SA. Are they going to jump me about it?
b) Will Penn look at more than three reference letters? I'm going to have two from the SA vets I've worked with extensively, a committee letter from my school, and possible a fourth from the equine vet I'm riding with this summer.
Gracias!

I did a follow-up interview with Ms. Herpen back in May of 2008 after last years rejection, and:

1. She did give me crap for marking an interest in Aquatics with only ~50 hours to back it up... it's still something I"m genuinely potentially interested in... but they didn't like seeing it without substantial proof of interest. If, like Ben and Me said, you have a bunch of non-vet equine exp. I'd go for it, otherwise I wouldn't.

2. She also told me that they only look at 3 letters and to submit no more. If you don't narrow it down to the top 3 for them, they'll choose randomly. It's possible that's changed in the last year, so I'd also recommend checking with Ms. Herpen before deciding.



Sidenote: Anyone considering doing the joing VMD/MBA? Or any current students have thoughts on it? I think it's something I might be interested in...

ETA: Is the MBA program included in your Penn tuition, or do you pay a seperate tuition since it's through another school....?

 

[bunnity]

Shanomong I'm pretty sure you have to pay more to do the MBA.
But you could always do the certificate that they talked about at interviews... through the business club or something. I think you pay a little for that but on the level of hundreds not thousands.

 

[turnbackhelly]

2. She also told me that they only look at 3 letters and to submit no more. If you don't narrow it down to the top 3 for them, they'll choose randomly. It's possible that's changed in the last year, so I'd also recommend checking with Ms. Herpen before deciding.

I have not yet applied to Penn, but will be applying this cycle. I met with Dean Keiter this past June to go over my application materials, and he told me that they do accept and read more than 3 letters. I'm not sure if this has changed since Shanomong applied, or if there is a miscommunication somewhere within Penn...

To address the OP's other question about declaring interests, during my meeting with Dean Keiter he dissuaded me from declaring equine as an interest (though I am interested in it) because I have <100 equine vet hours. I do have literally thousands of equine ANIMAL experience hours, but of course as we all know that's a different story. It sounds like the OP has more vet experience hours in his/her area of interest, so take this information as you will. Dean Keiter put it this way: by explicitly indicating something as an interest on your application, you are opening the door for an admissions committee to say "So, tell me about your experiences doing x, y, and z with [insert name of vet in that area of interest which you have listed on your application]" during an interview. If you have enough experience hours that you would feel comfortable/have enough material to answer a question like this, I might say go for it. This is not the case for me, so I will be indicating an interest in SA medicine on my application (where I have ~2000 vet hours), though I am also very interested in SA so I don't feel fraudulent in doing so. Hope that helps!

 

[vnair2]

b) Will Penn look at more than three reference letters? I'm going to have two from the SA vets I've worked with extensively, a committee letter from my school, and possible a fourth from the equine vet I'm riding with this summer.
Gracias!

It was my understanding that the committee letter doesnt count towards your allotted 3 recommendations. I applied to Penn with 3 recommendations and a committee letter with no problems. I also went to Penn undergraduate and both Penn undergraduate career services and Penn Vet said this was fine.

 

[Shanomong]

It was my understanding that the committee letter doesnt count towards your allotted 3 recommendations. I applied to Penn with 3 recommendations and a committee letter with no problems. I also went to Penn undergraduate and both Penn undergraduate career services and Penn Vet said this was fine.

There's a lot of Penn's in that paragraph.

 

[candy16]

It's vnair's subtle way of basically saying he's baller.

 

[JulieDogLove]

Have you guys been reading the veterinary anatomy book? I never took anatomy as an undergrad so this stuff is definitely challenging! How far have you gotten? So far for me it is proving to be a VERY slow process.

 

[candy16]

Personally there will be no studying for me over the summer, only because there wasn't one current vet student (or even current vet!) who claimed it was a good idea. Every single person advised me to enjoy what freedom I still have this summer, and that is what I'm doing! I may be in the minority and all you go-getters are going and getting ahead, so perhaps others can give you their perspective.

I had anatomy in high school and enjoyed it thoroughly, though I didn't have it in undergrad. I'm sure my socks are going to be blown off when I get to Penn, but everyone eventually figures out how to learn the stuff, and I figure it'll be easier to learn in that kind of environment than here on my own anyway. Just my .02, though. Best of luck with your studies, but I really wouldn't stress too much, and know that when we all get to Penn, you'll have a lot of help with and motivation to do all that challenging stuff!

 

[vnair2]

Agreed.


ps. Penn Penn Penn Penn Penn

 

[Ben and Me]

Have you guys been reading the veterinary anatomy book? I never took anatomy as an undergrad so this stuff is definitely challenging! How far have you gotten? So far for me it is proving to be a VERY slow process.

I was an English major in undergrad. I'm totally screwed. I don't really care--I'm burned out from school and am enjoying my last 5 months of freedom. Plus, I've heard reading that book is like watching paint dry (one of the reviews on Amazon called it a "good treatment for insomnia")...so it might not be the most exciting (or best) way to get ahead this summer.

 

[Shanomong]

I'm kind of in the middle I guess... I"ve thumbed through it and even made a few notecards... but I have yet to sit down with and review said notecards... I work with Dr. Orsini, and he did stress that at least familiarizing yourself with Chapter 1 will do you a lot of good once the semester starts (I thought it was our little secret before I received the book list lol)... so I plan to make a more concerted effort once I start my month off in August.

But that's also partially because studying will make the month more enjoyable and less stressful for me than not studying and stressing about being behind...

 

[eatpinkpenguins]

I was an English major in undergrad. I'm totally screwed. I don't really care--I'm burned out from school and am enjoying my last 5 months of freedom. Plus, I've heard reading that book is like watching paint dry (one of the reviews on Amazon called it a "good treatment for insomnia")...so it might not be the most exciting (or best) way to get ahead this summer.

hahah. I was a history major and didn't take anatomy in undergrad or high school, so I'm screwed too. And I'm not placing out of any of the other classes either. As for studying I'll look through the first chapter when I have time off in august, although to be honest, I thumbed through it and it sort of seemed all over the place. Either that, or I'll hone my dissection skills with roadkill. But I did get a PennVet sweatshirt, so now I REALLY can't fail out

 

[dgm]

But I did get a PennVet sweatshirt, so now I REALLY can't fail out

Ahahahahaha... that cracks me up.

 

[Ben and Me]

Yeah, I've totally been rocking my Penn Vet tshirt all over town...So maybe that means I already at least have the Penn "attitude"? So I should be okay, right?

On another note, I haven't even bought the book yet. I guess I should get on that...

 

[dgm]

Okay, who else read the email from President Gutmann today, about Penn and the economy? Maybe one of you can calm me down.

Perhaps I misinterpreted it, because this is what I got from it: "Blah blah blah, we don't have enough money, etc etc, PA is cutting our budget... But despite that, we will now be giving undergrads GRANTS instead of loans, and any undergrad with family income of less than 90k is getting a free ride. However, for you Penn Vet students - don't worry, we'll still be f***ing you in the a** as hard as possible."

 

[bunnity]

Um yes that's pretty much what I thought too. I hope they are just waiting to see what happens with the PA budget before they give us our free rides

 

[eatpinkpenguins]

Okay, who else read the email from President Gutmann today, about Penn and the economy? Maybe one of you can calm me down.

Perhaps I misinterpreted it, because this is what I got from it: "Blah blah blah, we don't have enough money, etc etc, PA is cutting our budget... But despite that, we will now be giving undergrads GRANTS instead of loans, and any undergrad with family income of less than 90k is getting a free ride. However, for you Penn Vet students - don't worry, we'll still be f***ing you in the a** as hard as possible."

But aren't those Wharton undergrads more deserving of financial aid than we are????? What do we need more, wall street/AIG execs or people who understand swine flu and how to keep meat and milk on the table?

On the positive side, we won't be able to read Gutmann's wise words of reassurance in a few months, as we won't be able to afford the internet

I'm currently making ikea runs to pocket those free little pencils they hand out. you just never know

 

[spikey]

Um yes that's pretty much what I thought too. I hope they are just waiting to see what happens with the PA budget before they give us our free rides

wouldn't that be nice?

 

[Shanomong]

Idk, I think he sounded pretty calm about the whole thing, and said they have plans in place that are working to make up for the shortfalls. The only thing that really bothered me was the mention of the vet school losing 24% of it's funding, and saying they have a plan in place to deal with that, but not outlining the plan... There were rumors that they were closing the emergency hospital, but I've been told that's not the case by residents in the program... also, Gutman seemed adamant that job losses would be kept to a minimum, which also makes it seem that no departments will be cut that drastically....

 

[bunnity]

For any Philadelphian pre-vets that read this thread, I was at Radnor Vet today (first time, I really liked them and they are good with exotics) and they had a sign up that they are looking for a weekend kennel assistant. Everyone there was super nice and it seemed like it would be a good place to work. Just throwing that out there in case anyone is looking for experience.

 

[spikey]

Idk, I think he sounded pretty calm about the whole thing, and said they have plans in place that are working to make up for the shortfalls. The only thing that really bothered me was the mention of the vet school losing 24% of it's funding, and saying they have a plan in place to deal with that, but not outlining the plan... There were rumors that they were closing the emergency hospital, but I've been told that's not the case by residents in the program... also, Gutman seemed adamant that job losses would be kept to a minimum, which also makes it seem that no departments will be cut that drastically....

Don't worry! Anatomy will take up your worrying quota

 

[dgm]

What I don't understand is how there's not enough money overall, so they're giving away a bunch of it to undergrads. Hey Penn, how about you throw some of that money at the vet school? Or include us vet students in your grant-instead-of-loan plan?

I guess I'm just jealous.

Idk, I think he sounded pretty calm about the whole thing, and said they have plans in place that are working to make up for the shortfalls. The only thing that really bothered me was the mention of the vet school losing 24% of it's funding, and saying they have a plan in place to deal with that, but not outlining the plan... There were rumors that they were closing the emergency hospital, but I've been told that's not the case by residents in the program... also, Gutman seemed adamant that job losses would be kept to a minimum, which also makes it seem that no departments will be cut that drastically....

 

[eatpinkpenguins]

Thoughts?

I personally hadn't been planning on bringing my laptop to class. It's got a huge screen and is pretty heavy, plus I just study better from paper notes that I can physically highlight etc. I guess I'll be shelling out more $$$ at campus copy for the notes. Does this mean that the notes for day one won't be available there?

Why do I feel like this is sort of one more way for them to make us pay for our own printing? Also, couldn't they have decided all of this, say 4 months ago, when people were buying laptops. Sigh...

I think I'm just stressed out with packing.

 

[bunnity]

One week before orientation, and you're telling me now that I need a laptop?!

 

[Shanomong]

Why do I feel like this is sort of one more way for them to make us pay for our own printing?

Because that's exactly what it is. They're saying they won't pay for printing, so if we want it, we pay for it. I like paper copies too, so I'll be shelling out the $$ at the copy center with you...

I wasn't planning on bringing my laptop to class either, but I did happen to buy a bag on sale at K-Mart the other day that has a large pocket for a laptop, cost me $12 . Maybe invest in one of those?

Bunnity... that sucks. I didn't even think about people not owning laptops... I say go cheap, you could probably find one for less than $500 if you're looking for very very basic...

Anyway, I was so worked up about them closing the Emergency Clinic, there's not too much they can throw out there that will sound worse. They're trying to make up for a huge $$ loss, I guess this isn't the worst way to go about it. Plus, it is more earth friendly

Dgm, maybe the $$ they're giving to undergrads for grants is specifically designated undergrad funding? I'm sure they have a lot of restrictions on where they can use their funding.

ETA: Here's a link for bestbuy... if you shop around, I'm sure you can find even cheaper. Ebay, Amazon, or craigslist may be worth a shot!

 

[bunnity]

Thanks Shanomong... I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. My fiance (who I live with) has a laptop that I use a lot but he's also in school and so I think it might be pushing it to be taking it to class all the time. I am annoyed that they decide just now to recommend one. I need some time to think about whether I really need one - I prefer writing notes so I'm skeptical about how much I would be at a disadvantage without an in-class computer - but I guess I'll have to think fast.

So does Penn lose money on the emergency clinic? Since private emergency clinics can operate at a profit, why would Penn's not?

 

[Shanomong]

So does Penn lose money on the emergency clinic? Since private emergency clinics can operate at a profit, why would Penn's not?

I wouldn't think so, their prices are comparable to any other emergency clinic... no idea why that was a possibility.

 

[Angelo84]

I wouldn't think so, their prices are comparable to any other emergency clinic... no idea why that was a possibility.

I don't go to penn and don't know this for sure but it is possible they lose money as you have to pay pretty well to get people to work overnight and when you have students in the mix things go a fair amount slower than they would otherwise.

 

[Ben and Me]

Not sure if everyone has set up internet/phone/cable yet, but Comcast and Verizon both have deals going on where you can bundle and get a free netbook (mini laptop) for your troubles. Might be a good way to get a cheap/light laptop just to use for class.

Unfortunately, Verizon internet is not authorized in my building (not sure why?) so I missed out on the free netbook (and I didn't want to get cable, which is required for the netbook with Comcast), but just thought I'd point that out if anyone else is still setting up utilities.

Can't wait to meet everyone in a few weeks! Is anyone else doing the food animal thing?

 

[vnair2]

Not sure if everyone has set up internet/phone/cable yet, but Comcast and Verizon both have deals going on where you can bundle and get a free netbook (mini laptop) for your troubles. Might be a good way to get a cheap/light laptop just to use for class.

It should be noted for anyone who read this and got all excited about a free Netbook that for Comcast you have to get their tripple play which includes home phone (totally unnecessary for me) and sign a two years commitment.

With the money I would be wasting on home phone over two years I could probably buy a few netbooks.

 

[eatpinkpenguins]

I'm doing the Food Animal thing!! It sounds awesome

I haven't quite decided what to wear though...

 

[bunnity]

I think the paper with the info about the session said what you were supposed to wear... I know it involved boots.

 

[Ben and Me]

Eatpink--

Did you get the email that he sent out re: what to wear? If not, I can email it to you! I didn't get it initially (got my email wrong) so that might've happened with you too! I don't think my coveralls are going to arrive on time (ugh) so I'm just planning on wearing jeans, an old polo shirt and LL Bean boots.

 

[Shanomong]

I don't go to penn and don't know this for sure but it is possible they lose money as you have to pay pretty well to get people to work overnight and when you have students in the mix things go a fair amount slower than they would otherwise.

All emergency clinics pay for overnight staff (well, some are only overnight but Penn charges the same as my clinic which is 24hrs), and student's pay to be there so I don't think that's it... but maybe something along the teaching lines? More staff to teach the students? And top-notch equipment for the students to learn with?

 

[Angelo84]

All emergency clinics pay for overnight staff (well, some are only overnight but Penn charges the same as my clinic which is 24hrs), and student's pay to be there so I don't think that's it... but maybe something along the teaching lines? More staff to teach the students? And top-notch equipment for the students to learn with?

Sorry I wasn't clear. What I was trying to get at is that the overhead at any 24 hour clinic is high and the caseload at Penn would be lower and slower than if the same place was a private practice. So the fact that it is a teaching hospital means it will make less money because it can't see as many cases. And yes they have all the "toys" which are expensive.

 

[bunnity]

So I'm still trying to buy a laptop, and I'd like to get a Mac. Does anyone know if the Learn.vet and all these files we're downloading will work on Mac's? I asked student affairs but they haven't written back... not sure they realize I can't drop $1500 on a computer if it's not going to work.

 

[Ben and Me]

I only have a mac, so I'm hoping it will work....if not, I'll be seriously pissed since they haven't included anything about laptops in all of the 100s of pages they've sent us. I have all the Microsoft Office programs on here though (powerpoint, word, excel, etc) and I've never had a problem opening up school-related stuff in the past, so I'm feeling optimistic. If you do decide to get a mac, they're really easy to set up so even if you have to get one at the last minute, it shouldn't be an issue. And, I think you can get a discount on them if you're a student, so that's another bonus.

 

[vnair2]

So I'm still trying to buy a laptop, and I'd like to get a Mac. Does anyone know if the Learn.vet and all these files we're downloading will work on Mac's? I asked student affairs but they haven't written back... not sure they realize I can't drop $1500 on a computer if it's not going to work.

If you dont mind paying the slightly higher mac prices, then definitely go ahead and get the mac. It will almost certainly work with school stuff, and if worse comes to worse and it doesnt, you can install windows on your mac as a back up. I currently have windows/os x dual booted on my mac and it works great.

I might even have a spare windows install disk you could borrow.

 

[Ben and Me]

I was able to download all the Microsoft programs I needed for free through my undergrad's IT website...I wonder if Penn offers the same?

 

[nonvideas]

Yes, all the school resources will work just fine on a Mac. The only time you'll ever have a problem is if you have to make a powerpoint presentation, and present it on one of the school's PCs....the pictures and videos never convert, and it's always a disaster. But there are ways around that.

My question is...why would you want to drop $1500 on a computer when you can get one that will have everything you need for the next four years of vet school for $600, or less. Macs are fun to use, I admit, but if you're paying $1500, it kind of seems like a lot of that will be paying for the brand name.