Pitt Questions???

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

Anyone have any specific Pitt Med questions? I need a break from studying immuno, and would be happy to help. Post-away, and I'll check the thread periodically over the next few hours.

Peace,
Lion

PittMed Class of 2008

favorite · Feb 3, 2005

LionInTheDark said:
Anyone have any specific Pitt Med questions? I need a break from studying immuno, and would be happy to help. Post-away, and I'll check the thread periodically over the next few hours.

Peace,
Lion

PittMed Class of 2008

Does Pitt do a 2nd look weekend?

SanDiegoSOD · Feb 3, 2005

How do you like Pittsburgh? Would you consider living there in the future, or will you move on after medical school?

brucecat · Feb 3, 2005

i have a question, why did pitt reject me?? i thought pitt would be a good match....

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

favorite said:
Does Pitt do a 2nd look weekend?

We're doing a 2nd look- I think it's around April 9th. Last year it was a Thurs, Fri, Sat and alot of fun.

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

SanDiegoSOD said:
How do you like Pittsburgh? Would you consider living there in the future, or will you move on after medical school?

i like Pittsburgh. i was in philly for awhile, and wanted a porch and a yard outside my door instead of a concrete sidewalk. there's alot to do, although your options are greater if you or your sober friends have a car since cabs won't cross the river to the south side (where all the hip music joints, lounges, etc. are).

i was thinking someplace warmer for residency, like san diego, but then again i'm interested in transplant surgery, and pitt might be #1 in the world for that. we'll see...

any specific concerns about the city? or were you just looking for general impressions?

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

brucecat said:
i have a question, why did pitt reject me?? i thought pitt would be a good match....

good question... i think there was some discussion on pitt rejections and what to learn from it on another recent thread by jrmgarbage and roccowj.

if you really clicked with the students you met/ school atmosphere than i'm sorry you were rejected, esp. coming from philly (go eagles!). if it makes you feel better, i think most schools have to choose maybe 250 acceptees out of maybe 1000 well qualified, well matched applicants. i've interviewed a number of people, but i'm not on the admissions committee, so i haven't seen what goes into making the final decision. just make sure when you interview to take the opportunity to express the depth of your character and personality in addition to convincing your interviewer that you've tested your decision to pursue medicine.

best of luck in your other applications!

lion

brucecat · Feb 3, 2005

LionInTheDark said:
good question... i think there was some discussion on pitt rejections and what to learn from it on another recent thread by jrmgarbage and roccowj.

if you really clicked with the students you met/ school atmosphere than i'm sorry you were rejected, esp. coming from philly (go eagles!). if it makes you feel better, i think most schools have to choose maybe 250 acceptees out of maybe 1000 well qualified, well matched applicants. i've interviewed a number of people, but i'm not on the admissions committee, so i haven't seen what goes into making the final decision. just make sure when you interview to take the opportunity to express the depth of your character and personality in addition to convincing your interviewer that you've tested your decision to pursue medicine.

best of luck in your other applications!

lion

yeah, can't wait til sunday.. this town is going to explode if they win... :laugh:

as for pitt, i didn't even get an interview so i'm a little sour at this point. 👎 this process is very random.

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

brucecat said:
yeah, can't wait til sunday.. this town is going to explode if they win... as for pitt, i didn't even get an interview so i'm a little sour at this point. 👎 this process is very random.

yeah i remember how nuts philly went after the sixers won just one nba championship game (before losing the rest to the lakers). i predict crime in the city will decrease due to good cheer by about 20% if they pull off a superbowl win.

i think the trick to the admissions process is getting the interviews. its hard and can be indecipherable. once you get them though, if you have the personality and can speak intellegently on the things you've done than you're a shoe-in and can beat the system.

liverotcod · Feb 3, 2005

1. Did you interview me?
2. Why does Pitt have non-rolling admissions? I think that weakens what is otherwise a very strong marketing package.
3. Should I bother answering the broadcast email about the scholarship for academic medicine even though I'm not interested in bench research? I am interested in teaching.

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

liverotcod said:
1. Did you interview me?
2. Why does Pitt have non-rolling admissions? I think that weakens what is otherwise a very strong marketing package.
3. Should I bother answering the broadcast email about the scholarship for academic medicine even though I'm not interested in bench research? I am interested in teaching.

1) i don't want to create any conflict of interest here, but based on your public profile and propensity for evil medicine, i don't think i interviewed you.
2) i'm not sure why we have non-rolling admissions, but i can theorize. i'd say that pitt interviews some strong applicants late in the application process (including people working abroad for part of the year). rather than front-load the class with people who apply early, they want to see the diversity of applicants that they interview, then create a class of students who will complement each other well. i don't think it should really hurt things for you- if you are accepted elsewhere, hold onto the acceptance that you want and use their financial aid office to help you with the fafsa etc. then if you get into pitt and prefer it, give up the other acceptance and come here. march acceptance was plenty of time to get everything in, and i didn't house-hunt till june, and there was plenty of great housing available. i might also theorize that pitt's main competition is penn, and penn releases decisions same week as pitt.
3) academic medicine does not = bench research (think also clinical, translational, education, public health). do you feel like writing another essay? 101 people applied last year for i think about 10 scholarships. most of them went to people doing the cstp. i had impressive research credentials (not benchwork) and couldn't get myself one. other than the cstp, i'd guess they are used to woo top candidates who got into higher ranked schools.

whew! (i've actually almost finished a chapter of immuno while doing all this, so keep them coming)

-lion

liverotcod · Feb 3, 2005

Hmmm... Maybe you could hook me up with my student interviewer if I come for second look weekend. She was super cute. Oh wait, I'm happily married. Well, maybe we could just have coffee.

Thanks for your responses, though. 👍

annh31 · Feb 3, 2005

what does pitt REALLY look for when they review applications?? do you have any idea?? it seems like everyone in their viewbook is a trapeze artist or something - how realistic is that?

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

liverotcod said:
Hmmm... Maybe you could hook me up with my student interviewer if I come for second look weekend. She was super cute. Oh wait, I'm happily married. Well, maybe we could just have coffee.

Thanks for your responses, though. 👍

indeed. maybe i'll just keep her for myself!

LionKing · Feb 3, 2005

First, thanks for the Q&A from one Lion to another.

1) Does Pitt know what it is doing when it comes to a website? - a few months ago it got several applicants hopes up after accidentally posting information (names and addresses) on student hosts to everyone who logged on to their application.

2) Does your admissions Dean know how to read?
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=165068&highlight=UPitt+post+rejection+letter

Good luck on Immuno.

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

annh31 said:
what does pitt REALLY look for when they review applications?? do you have any idea?? it seems like everyone in their viewbook is a trapeze artist or something - how realistic is that?

our class is pretty impressive! i haven't seen the trapeze artist viewbook, but we have a very athletic and artistic class. i'd guess about 10% have run marathons, and at least three times that run or bike regularly. some good soccor players too, and one triathlete. we have a former phd in codebreaking, a number of stellar vocalists and musicians (the talent show was a surprise), and a number of people who are good at the visual and literary arts. several peace corps or other foreign aid workers too.

i'd guess pitt REALLY looks for:
1) that you've tested your desire to pursue medicine
2) that you are well-rounded and have major interests and pursuits outside of medicine
3) that you would fit in well with our small group based curriculum and be able to handle the new accelerated curriculum
4) that you get along well with others and will function well as part of a health care team
5) that you have good taste in music
6) that you stand out in some way from the other 5000 people applying (well, i'm not sure how much #5 comes into play, but the director of admissions had good taste in music, so it might help...)
7) i think for the interview, high mcat, good lor's and a personal statement that catches your reviewers attention is probably important.
8) that you will add something substantial to our community during your time here, and complement the other members of your class

just my best guess. maybe jrmgarbage and rocco will appear with more insight.

Electrophys · Feb 3, 2005

Hey Lion,

Thanks for all the great info...I have a question...I'm interviewing at Pitt on Feb 21 (unfortunately, i had to push my interview back)...am I interviewing for a spot on the waitlist and do you think I'll hear the same time as the rest of the applicant pool?

Good luck on your exam 👍

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

LionKing said:
First, thanks for the Q&A from one Lion to another.

1) Does Pitt know what it is doing when it comes to a website? - a few months ago it got several applicants hopes up after accidentally posting information (names and addresses) on student hosts to everyone who logged on to their application.

2) Does your admissions Dean know how to read?
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=165068&highlight=UPitt+post+rejection+letter

Good luck on Immuno.

1) i've seen evidence both ways. our tech reps this year are great though and have helped fix things as much as possible. i'm not sure that access to the hosting list=interview invite, but i remember how primed my senses were for any hint last year. the admissions process is something else, you'll be a new man when you get through it!

2) he's a doctor and so certainly knows how to read. maybe he just read too much into your letter and tried to respond to what he thought the intent was rather than what you actually wrote.

good luck!

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

Electrophys said:
Hey Lion,

Thanks for all the great info...I have a question...I'm interviewing at Pitt on Feb 21 (unfortunately, i had to push my interview back)...am I interviewing for a spot on the waitlist and do you think I'll hear the same time as the rest of the applicant pool?

Good luck on your exam 👍

just a note on exams- with the (accelerated) block basic science curriculum its about 1 exam / 2 weeks.

i think you might miss the cut-off to hear during the first round of admits in the 2nd week of march, but i'd certainly expect that you're interviewing for a place in the class. a few people at 2nd look last year had just interviewed the previous week (end of march i think and were already accepted). alot of the brightest people in our very bright class came off the waitlist too, and there is traditionally a decent amount of waitlist movement.

Shorty43 · Feb 3, 2005

Thanks to Lion for fielding all the questions.

I really liked Pitt and everything it had to offer, but I didn't get a good sense of how well the students meshed at Pitt. Does Pitt try to create a very unified class or do most people do what they please on their free time? I'm comparing Pitt to Vanderbilt (only the student bodies) and it seems like M2s at Vandy helped M1s cultivate a very united freshman class with class mixers, school events, etc. Anything of that nature at pitt?

Disclaimer: I know I'm not going to a cheerleading camp... so those of you that are gonna jump on me for asking such a question, chill out... I'm just trying to get a better sense of what the Pitt student body is like (as a whole, not individually).

uptoolate · Feb 3, 2005

FYI- During my interview with Dean Curtiss, he said they have non-rolling admissions to give a fair shot to the August MCAT-ers.

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

Shorty43 said:
Thanks to Lion for fielding all the questions.

I really liked Pitt and everything it had to offer, but I didn't get a good sense of how well the students meshed at Pitt. Does Pitt try to create a very unified class or do most people do what they please on their free time? I'm comparing Pitt to Vanderbilt (only the student bodies) and it seems like M2s at Vandy helped M1s cultivate a very united freshman class with class mixers, school events, etc. Anything of that nature at pitt?

Disclaimer: I know I'm not going to a cheerleading camp... so those of you that are gonna jump on me for asking such a question, chill out... I'm just trying to get a better sense of what the Pitt student body is like (as a whole, not individually).

i think that this is a good question, shorty. i would just ignore people who would jump on you for asking something like that...

i moved here a little early last year, and so organized some events for everyone who was around pre-orientation. we actually got a party together for the friday before orientation, so that about 25% of our class knew each other going in. i'd say orientation was well organized, and just about everyone came out to events. a few of us threw another party at the end of that week, invited the entirety of both the ms-1 and ms-2 class, and prob had about 200 people show up. turn-out at parties and class events has certainly diminished since then, esp. as different people need diff amounts of time to learn material (see ref to frequent tests above), but for big occassions like halloween, the talent show, and our class trip to see the symphony perform beattles songs, turnout was great.

as the year progresses, the class has segmented somewhat into cliques, but that's really just based on similar interests etc. everyone has their core group of friends, but the cliques mix and crossover alot. i'd say the majority of us are friendly with the majority of the class. and we respect the people who have to take care of their newborns/young'uns on saturday nights.

i'm friends with a bunch of the second years too, but that might be an exception. i'll note that we have the FAST program (faculty and students together). we just elected the coordinators for next year's class-they should do a good job. it's one faculty to help you shadow/advise/pay for dinner, 2 2nd years to plot events, take care of you after exams, and 5 first years. they really do their best to acclimate you, and i think your interaction with the class will be what you want it to be. i tend to like everyone, so i see alot of people frequently. others might like a smaller circle of friends.

does that answer your question? i do have a tendency to ramble and go on tangents.

lion

Shorty43 · Feb 3, 2005

LionInTheDark said:
i think that this is a good question, shorty. i would just ignore people who would jump on you for asking something like that...

i moved here a little early last year, and so organized some events for everyone who was around pre-orientation. we actually got a party together for the friday before orientation, so that about 25% of our class knew each other going in. i'd say orientation was well organized, and just about everyone came out to events. a few of us threw another party at the end of that week, invited the entirety of both the ms-1 and ms-2 class, and prob had about 200 people show up. turn-out at parties and class events has certainly diminished since then, esp. as different people need diff amounts of time to learn material (see ref to frequent tests above), but for big occassions like halloween, the talent show, and our class trip to see the symphony perform beattles songs, turnout was great.

as the year progresses, the class has segmented somewhat into cliques, but that's really just based on similar interests etc. everyone has their core group of friends, but the cliques mix and crossover alot. i'd say the majority of us are friendly with the majority of the class. and we respect the people who have to take care of their newborns/young'uns on saturday nights.

i'm friends with a bunch of the second years too, but that might be an exception. i'll note that we have the FAST program (faculty and students together). we just elected the coordinators for next year's class-they should do a good job. it's one faculty to help you shadow/advise/pay for dinner, 2 2nd years to plot events, take care of you after exams, and 5 first years. they really do their best to acclimate you, and i think your interaction with the class will be what you want it to be. i tend to like everyone, so i see alot of people frequently. others might like a smaller circle of friends.

does that answer your question? i do have a tendency to ramble and go on tangents.

lion

Yeah it totally does answer my question. Thanks for the extrended reply. Sometimes, rambles give more perspective then concise replies.

So one other question. I'm also trying to figure out what type of curriculum would be best for me. Would you mind shedding some more light on your experiences with the Pitt curriculum? I know all the details about PBL, class time, etc having already interviewed, so need to rehash the basics... I was just hoping for a more personal take on it. Thanks in advance!

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

Shorty43 said:
Yeah it totally does answer my question. Thanks for the extrended reply. Sometimes, rambles give more perspective then concise replies.

So one other question. I'm also trying to figure out what type of curriculum would be best for me. Would you mind shedding some more light on your experiences with the Pitt curriculum? I know all the details about PBL, class time, etc having already interviewed, so need to rehash the basics... I was just hoping for a more personal take on it. Thanks in advance!

the new curriculum, huh? the first thing i have to say is that it will be different for you than for us. this is the first year we are using this curriculum, and it seems to be evolving a little as it is given to us. my classmates and i are the guinnea pigs for this, and a lot of imput from us is being sought (we have four curriculum committee reps, and have had 2 or 3 town hall style meetings with the head of the cur. committee). for Co2009, they'll have revamped some things based on our comments, so things should go more smoothly. some people complain about aspects of the curric. more than others, but i think its the same at most other schools. i'm interested in educational methods/policy, so for me it's a cool experiment.

as to the acceleration- they combined some classes, and just compressed others. we did anatomy in 2 weeks less than the ms2's. alot of material comes fast, and you have to be responsible to keep up. at the same time it is HARD to fail a class (we are H, P, F for basic science/organ systems). also, we start organ sys in march, MS2's started in august 2nd year. i like the fact that we are starting all of our clinical courses much earlier too. we did patient interviewing and physical exams on standardized patients last semester, and i head out to see my first patient on the wards next tuesday. i'm in a peds office come april.

pbl is in two sessions. i like the first one alot because it integrates things we've learned (as do the workshops, tutorials, and other small group work we do). follow-up session where students present isn't as interesting, but it allows you to develop your skills combing through the literature and teaching other students. note that we are much more than pbl in our small group curr.

teaching quality- anatomy and i think genetics were tought very well. cell phys was hit and miss, as was fuel metabolism. this is in terms of basic lectures. all these clinical correlation lectures they do where they bring in patients were top notch, and i have yet to have a non-stellar small group facilitator. i have found a few people who i'd look to as possible mentors just from random allocation of facilitators among groups, so from that sampling, at least 90% of them must be great (p value=0.023). we had a biostat course too.

i like block curriculum, let's you focus, although you have three concurrent non-basic science courses going on. we had ethics, law and professionalism (one course)- the law lecturer, meisel, was amazing to listen to. biostatistics was well-taught too, although some people skipped because it was pretty basic and they had it before.

i'm still mulling over the scholarly project. i have alot of research xp, and so initially asked why it was necessary for me, but they're pitching it now as more of a continuing education thing to span your 4 yrs in one way or another. you can do cool stuff outside of research too- one guy is doing a documentary in india or thereabouts this summer.

oh, and access to mentors/faculty/labs is easy as anything. they all seem to want to work with you!

ask again if you need other specifics. there'll be a brand new children's hospital for you too if it finishes on schedule. and don't base your decision on the sim lab- its cool but we hardly use it as far as i can tell. i think its for trauma elective.

lion

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

i think i have to leave scaife around 7pm, so get in what you can before then, but if people post ?'s overnight, i'll try to answer them (more concisely) tomorrow.

Shorty43 · Feb 3, 2005

LionInTheDark said:
i think i have to leave scaife around 7pm, so get in what you can before then, but if people post ?'s overnight, i'll try to answer them (more concisely) tomorrow.

Awesome. Thanks Lion. Now would you mind getting me in? <Last question for today 😉 >

Best of luck.

~Shorty

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

Shorty43 said:
Awesome. Thanks Lion. Now would you mind getting me in? <Last question for today 😉 >

Best of luck.

~Shorty

i wish i knew how to get people in- i've hosted and interviewed some great people! all i can do is whisper sweetly about some candidates to linda and hope that my opinion carries some weight.

i'll tell you, though, i had a pretty good feeling about things when i left my interview day at pitt. i hope you felt just as good- impressions are often right.

best of luck to you,
lion

jrmgarbage · Feb 3, 2005

lion,
i had a quick question....

i am trying to decide whether to go to pitt or some other top 10. i am kind of worried about 2 things: the reputation and the wrestling. does pitt stack up to some of the big name schools in the top 10? and, assuming it does, can i wrestle classmates while beligerantly drunk there? this is a big concern of mine, obviously, because i have come from a background of drunk wrestling....it is hard to let that kind of peer bonding go. also, as an added bonus, does your class ever do any ultimate fighting? it would be great if people had a background in that.

thanks for your help clearing these questions up.

-ultimate steve

LionInTheDark · Feb 3, 2005

jrmgarbage said:
lion,
i had a quick question....

i am trying to decide whether to go to pitt or some other top 10. i am kind of worried about 2 things: the reputation and the wrestling. does pitt stack up to some of the big name schools in the top 10? and, assuming it does, can i wrestle classmates while beligerantly drunk there? this is a big concern of mine, obviously, because i have come from a background of drunk wrestling....it is hard to let that kind of peer bonding go. also, as an added bonus, does your class ever do any ultimate fighting? it would be great if people had a background in that.

thanks for your help clearing these questions up.

-ultimate steve

well, ultimate steve, that's a pretty good question too.

actually, two members of our class trained with famed ultimate fighter henzo gracy! i know a few of my classmates like to express their angst by wrestling when blitzed, and at ray ray's bday party, in fact, one of these guys actually beat you at drunk wrestling by doling out a proper choking. as far as i recall, drunken wrestling has only occured at two parties, but if that's your cup of tea, i'm sure you can find a few guys to wrestle here.

now all this was contingent on pitt stacking up to other top 10 schools. now while we're no lehigh (esp. in terms of wrestling), i think pitt's on its way up. people choose pitt over top 5 even, because they feel it best matches them. i think the clinical education has to be comparable or better, esp. with the early and extensive training and attention from the faculty, and pitt's administration seems to be on a mission to make us the best. we (with case) had one of the two perfect accredidation scores of all american med schools last year. of course, if there had been a golden microwave on pitt's driveway when the licensing committee made their visit, things might have been different.

did you wrestle our hosts last weekend? or was it just henzo's smaller pupil and ray ray fighting the angst-wridden one?

lion

ps don't mean to confuse the rest of you, but there's alot of inside jokage in this post. jrmgarbage is one of our slacker geniuses. 😀

als12179 · Feb 3, 2005

One of the students told me that Pittsburgh was one of the cloudiest cities he had ever been in. Since I'm from the sunny south I think I may get a little depressed (and turn cracker white) if it is as cloudy and dreary as he implied. So, what is the weather like there throughout the year?

Kazema · Feb 3, 2005

I think Pittsburgh gets more cloudy days than Seattle.

On the bright side, it is a truly glorious day when the sun is out!

Some days will start out cloudy and rainy and about 40 degrees, become clear and sunny and 70 or so around noon, and then it will be raining and sunny out simultaneously in the afternoon. That's Pittsburgh weather for ya.

But at least it's not 0 degrees in the morning, 15 degrees at noon, and -5 at night and snowing all day like in Rochester.

tonyjerry · Feb 3, 2005

hey lion, i interviewed at pitt early and loved it and hope to get in. ive also got acceptances from a couple top 10 schools right now so its making it really hard to figure out where i want to go because im thinking of writing a letter of intent to dean curtiss. i did read that pitt has man wrestling which is something im really looking into. is it organized or funded through the school in any way? i think that would really make or break my decision to attend pitt. and are most of the man wrestlers straight out of training or have they taken some time off to pursue other interests? i really appreciate youre taking the time to answer our questions. peace out.

Without Wax · Feb 3, 2005

LionInTheDark said:
i was thinking someplace warmer for residency, like san diego, but then again i'm interested in transplant surgery, and pitt might be #1 in the world for that. we'll see...

You are right about pitt being #1 in transplant surgery, first medical school to do liver transplant, I think.

During the interview, however, when I mentioned this, the dean told me that UPitt is losing some some ground because all the new transplant surgeons training at UPitt are leaving for other cities.

jrmgarbage · Feb 4, 2005

Without Wax said:
You are right about pitt being #1 in transplant surgery, first medical school to do liver transplant, I think.

During the interview, however, when I mentioned this, the dean told me that UPitt is losing some some ground because all the new transplant surgeons training at UPitt are leaving for other cities.

you are half right.

Starzl actually did the first successful liver transplant at University of Colorado. He then came to to pitt and developed FK and some other immunosuppressants. He stayed at pitt though (excluding a hiatus to michigan) and built the transplant program here. Some of the doctors that came here to train under him have now become leaders in the field and are offered positions elsewhere to start their own programs. The Starzl Institute is, by in large, still the same people (but also growing) and the quality is going to be there for the forseeable future.

davedavedave · Feb 4, 2005

To be honest, the major drawback I see in Upitt is being a single in that city... it's been ranked that worst city for singles for a number of years running. and the school makes the effort to get nontrads (ie. older people, eww). I know it's a lame drawback, but it's definately a factor in my choosing a school... so hows the life of a single at pitt?

uptoolate · Feb 4, 2005

Alternatively, I am an older non-trad with a two year old child and spouse. The biggest drawback to me is the full day scheduling. Lame, I know. Are there many students with children? How well do they balance regular life and school? Are there any on-line resources for reviewing coursework or similarly typed resources?

Thanks!

raincrew · Feb 4, 2005

davedavedave said:
To be honest, the major drawback I see in Upitt is being a single in that city... it's been ranked that worst city for singles for a number of years running. and the school makes the effort to get nontrads (ie. older people, eww). I know it's a lame drawback, but it's definately a factor in my choosing a school... so hows the life of a single at pitt?

i too am considering pitt over a slew of top ten schools. lion, any comments on the ladies here? i have heard good things about duquesne pharm chicks and of course, cmu material science grad students.

Pontifex Maximus · Feb 4, 2005

This thread has taken an entertaining turn 🙂

jrmgarbage · Feb 5, 2005

raincrew said:
i too am considering pitt over a slew of top ten schools. lion, any comments on the ladies here? i have heard good things about duquesne pharm chicks and of course, cmu material science grad students.

raincrew, which slew of top 10 schools did you get into? i already got the nod from the dean at hopkins, and an unoficial acceptance from the director of hst at harvard. i already withdrew from the tri-I prog at cornell and stanford. did we meet at penn on november 2nd? you were the guy from baltimore, right?

how bout some man wresting at 2nd look?

jrm

vanelo · Feb 5, 2005

LionInTheDark said:
Anyone have any specific Pitt Med questions? I need a break from studying immuno, and would be happy to help. Post-away, and I'll check the thread periodically over the next few hours.

I don't know about Pitt Med, but wouldnt mind knowing Brad Pitt 😍

paroquet · Feb 5, 2005

LionInTheDark said:
Anyone have any specific Pitt Med questions? I need a break from studying immuno, and would be happy to help. Post-away, and I'll check the thread periodically over the next few hours.

Peace,
Lion

PittMed Class of 2008

Exactly how much longer will it take you to pay back your debt, compared to someone who pays 4 times less per year at a western or southern school?

Haybrant · Feb 5, 2005

im having trouble believing that if we interview in late feb (mine is 22) that we wont have a shot for the march acceptance. I applied in late nov and the earliest date i could schedule as of late dec. was feb 22. Seems like they would miss out on alot of apps, exactly the reason they dont do rolling, if they wouldnt look at us before the march deadline if we are interviewing in late feb.

GreekPre-Med · Feb 5, 2005

As a student interesting in attending Pittsburgh, I wanted to know the average MCAT acceptance for Out of State Students. I would be applying from Michigan. My GPA and EC are competitive, I haven't yet taken the MCAT. Please let me know if you have any info about this- as there wasn't any average MCAT on their site.

thanks

Economist · Feb 5, 2005

According to the USNews Best Grad Schools guide, their avg MCAT is 10.9, so 32.7. I doubt you'd be able to find breakdown of in-state/out-of-state though.

Kazema · Feb 5, 2005

Although Pitt does get some state money, the med school can more or less be considered a private school I think. So being out of state shouldn't really help or hurt you.

LionInTheDark · Feb 5, 2005

als12179 said:
One of the students told me that Pittsburgh was one of the cloudiest cities he had ever been in. Since I'm from the sunny south I think I may get a little depressed (and turn cracker white) if it is as cloudy and dreary as he implied. So, what is the weather like there throughout the year?

i can only speak for this year- it was beautiful till thanksgiving, then it started snowing alot. there've been a few warm spells, and today must be almost 60 without a cloud in the sky. i went running then just chilled on my porch for awhile.

LionInTheDark · Feb 5, 2005

uptoolate said:
Alternatively, I am an older non-trad with a two year old child and spouse. The biggest drawback to me is the full day scheduling. Lame, I know. Are there many students with children? How well do they balance regular life and school? Are there any on-line resources for reviewing coursework or similarly typed resources?

Thanks!

i can think of four married students with children in the class. most are newborns, but there are a few older children too. they seem to balance things pretty well, and one of the kids sat (well, crawled around) in on one of our pbl sessions since dad was in my group. nice people one and all. at least one of the couples still manages to come out to parties (i think they have a parent in the area). as far as i can tell, they are some of the best students here, prob because they have such an entrenched support network. remember- we do get two afternoons off a week, and lectures aren't required unless you need them (i learn better by reading and discussing).

they are integrating the web into alot of our courses. ppt's of almost every lecture are online, as were kodachromes from our histo lab, which was very nice because you could just download them to your computer and look at your leisure.

i think a couple of the parents in our class host interviewees, maybe you could ask the admissions office to pair you up if you haven't interviewed yet.

lion

LionInTheDark · Feb 5, 2005

paroquet said:
Exactly how much longer will it take you to pay back your debt, compared to someone who pays 4 times less per year at a western or southern school?

wow, a math question, huh?

depends on your specialty, depends on your length of residency, depends on what happens with federal subsidies for funding grad education and interest rates. conditions for loans are very good right now, so its almost like free money until you are able to pay it back. unfortunately, if you don't get any financial aid, there is about a $10,000 to $14,000 gap (depending on res status) in how much you can borrow from the gov't and how much Pitt's budget is set to. you'd need private loans or outside funding to cover that, although alot of people live about $10,000 under budget without sacrificing quality of life (rent is CHEAP here for what you get). on the other hand, others like to spend the difference living extravagantly.

it's tough for me to answer- they came through with good aid for me. i've heard in other cases though, aid wasn't so good. friends of mine turned down pitt for much cheaper cali schools, although i think they sometimes wonder what might have been. i don't think pitt places too many people into southern residencies, so that might be a factor, although that might just be because alot of northerners and cali residents come here. the match list is online somewhere.

LionInTheDark · Feb 5, 2005

Haybrant said:
im having trouble believing that if we interview in late feb (mine is 22) that we wont have a shot for the march acceptance. I applied in late nov and the earliest date i could schedule as of late dec. was feb 22. Seems like they would miss out on alot of apps, exactly the reason they dont do rolling, if they wouldnt look at us before the march deadline if we are interviewing in late feb.

must depend on when the admissions committee has its final meeting before first round of acceptances are sent out. i'm sure if you miss the first round, another round probably goes out within a couple of weeks.

ALOT of people from my class interviewed late. don't worry about it.

LionInTheDark · Feb 5, 2005

davedavedave said:
To be honest, the major drawback I see in Upitt is being a single in that city... it's been ranked that worst city for singles for a number of years running. and the school makes the effort to get nontrads (ie. older people, eww). I know it's a lame drawback, but it's definately a factor in my choosing a school... so hows the life of a single at pitt?

what's wrong with non-trads? i took a couple of years off before starting med school and i'm not gross. in fact, experience tells that people mature quite a bit in the first year or two out of college. but yes, the average age of our class coming in was 24, and its probably 25 by now. i'd guess 50% of the class took a year (mainly) or more off before starting. we have some people in their 30's and one or two in their 40's also, along with a few people who entered at 20.

now you have to ask yourself, is your class going to be your main dating pool? or will you look for outside ways to meet people? med school does keep you busy, but eventually you'll probably find a way to get to know non-med students. i'm going to have to say that being busy will probably handicap you a little in meeting people, but if you've figured it out where you are now, you'll probably do alright here. and if it makes you feel better, carnegie mellon and pitt's undergrad campus are both right here. tons of undergrads and other grad students running around, although it might take some effort to meet them.

i think the singles ranking might have to do with the fitness level of the city, which is pretty hit or miss...

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