Rosalind Franklin Class of 2013

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
yeah, if you're Canadian I don't think there's a whole lot the financial aid office can do for you.

I talked to Shannon Stein before though and she said the process to get the I-20 is relatively quick so I wouldn't stress too much about it. I'm pretty sure we still have lots of time.


Has anyone had any luck contacting them?>
I urgently need them to get my I-20 stuff.. this is crazy!

Members don't see this ad.
 
Are we required to send notification to AMCAS to signify that we've been accepted in order to maintain our seat? Or are we just required to hand in the deposit and declaration of intent?

Thanks
 
You don't need to notify AMCAS..the school notifies them so that AMCAS knows if you're holding more than one seat. AMCAS should also know already because they should have already sent you that background check request e-mail. I'm happy to say I'm crime free:D
 
Members don't see this ad :)
You don't need to notify AMCAS..the school notifies them so that AMCAS knows if you're holding more than one seat. AMCAS should also know already because they should have already sent you that background check request e-mail. I'm happy to say I'm crime free:D

thanks podie!
 
Do we have to mail this in now.. or can we drop it off before orientation?
Also the section at the bottom about non U S citizen's.. has any non U S citizen figured out what to say there?
Thanks
 
Do we have to mail this in now.. or can we drop it off before orientation?
Also the section at the bottom about non U S citizen's.. has any non U S citizen figured out what to say there?
Thanks

Are you talking about the AMCAS CBC, or something else?
 
The one that goes to RFU- the one you have to pay for..its done by the illinois state police

Oh yeah, it looks like you have to mail it in before orientation. Not sure about immigration status, though.
 
Do we have to mail this in now.. or can we drop it off before orientation?
Also the section at the bottom about non U S citizen's.. has any non U S citizen figured out what to say there?
Thanks

I filled it out and mailed it. I think it's used to state that we give consent for fingerprinting that takes place during orientation.

I filled out Canadian citizen for immigration status and left the alien registration number blank.
 
For those of you who are interested, there are sporting events throughout the summer that students participate in. I'm trying to find a better way to format the list, but for now:

Open Gym Volleyball: 6-8PM Fridays, Lake Bluff Park District, Lake Bluff Residents and Woodlands residents play for free, others pay $5 but this is rarely enforced, level of play is overall B to BB level, I play in this one myself so I can answer specific questions about this activity

Soccer: Fridays, starts at 5PM, fields behind the school, I think this usually gets a good number of people playing but don't know for sure because I hate soccer

There's also softball, flag football, sand v-ball, and basketball. I'll post these later. I have no idea if people are actually showing up for these things.

I've also heard rumblings about a 3 on 3 sand v-ball tourney in July (which is blasphemy since sand is a 2-man game) but if that happens, I'll post as well.
 
I just got the email about the white coat ceremony being at 5 PM on Friday August 14th. Does anyone know what time it finishes?
 
I am the only one, or did others also receive the email with all the financial aid forms to complete again, even though I have already submitted my application for financial aid?
 
I am the only one, or did others also receive the email with all the financial aid forms to complete again, even though I have already submitted my application for financial aid?

yeah, i got it too. i'm definitely calling in the morning to make sure they have received everything.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
i just called the fin aid office, and the woman i spoke with was telling me that those e-mails typically only get sent out to individuals who are missing some or all of the paperwork noted in the e-mail. unfortunately, she didn't have full access to my file and didn't really seem to know what she was talking about. i had to leave a message for melissa crabb (who won't be back in the office until monday), who will hopefully call me back ASAP so i can get this figured out.

so...other than matt and I, did anyone else get this e-mail despite believing they had this taken care of?
 
Here's the rest of the athletics schedule for summer, all events start at 5PM except indoor v-ball

Soccer: every Friday, athletic fields
Indoor v-ball: every Friday 6-8PM, Lake Bluff Park District

July 6: Ult Frisbee, ath fields
July 8: Flag Football, ath fields
July 13: B-ball, Woodlands Apts courts
July 15: Sand v-ball, court behind student housing
July 20: B-ball, Woodlands courts
July 22: Softball, ath fields
July 27: Sand v-ball, court behind student housing
July 29: Softball, ath field
Aug 3: B-ball, Woodlands cts
Aug 5: Sand v-ball, court behind student housing

Again, I know there's a semi regular crowd for indoor v-ball on Friday and I'm pretty sure there's one for soccer as well. As far as the other events - I have no idea if people are making it out for those.

With respect to indoor v-ball, it's geared for players who have some experience playing the game.

If anyone has questions regarding the sports programs - feel free to contact me.
 
so...other than matt and I, did anyone else get this e-mail despite believing they had this taken care of?

i received the email! but i'm ineligible for financial aid anyway, so i didn't fill out the forms.
 
But other than that email from financial aid, has anyone heard anything from financial aid, including awards?
 
I got an email on July 1st saying that they had processed my financial aid request and mailed me an award packet.
 
so...i just talked to melissa, and she said that they had all my paperwork but it just hasn't been processed yet. she also said something that led me to believe there is a separate (as of yet, unprocessed) pile of forms for those students who will be using discover.
 
You're right chief. I spoke with Melissa today as well. I had Discover loans and it was in a separate pile. She told me that they are going to be processed and I should be receiving my award soon. So confusing...
 
Has anyone started buying the books on the book list? The list says 2008-09 school year on it. I know a few of the books have newer editions. Has anyone inquired about this?
 
Has anyone started buying the books on the book list? The list says 2008-09 school year on it. I know a few of the books have newer editions. Has anyone inquired about this?

I'm planning to wait for orientation. I've heard that last year's M1's have put together a guide with info about stuff like that.
 
I would wait on the book list for now. There will be a used book sale on-campus too where upperclassmen sell back some books they won't be using anymore. Also, it's not imperative to have your books right away anyways.
 
You're right chief. I spoke with Melissa today as well. I had Discover loans and it was in a separate pile. She told me that they are going to be processed and I should be receiving my award soon. So confusing...

i finally got notice from discover that i was approved for all my loans. this $200k debt im heading towards is really starting to hit home now.
 
Is anyone here living in the Deer Valley apartments?
 
Sorry this might seem like a random question but I couldn't find this on the RFUMS website (must be there somewhere but can't find it for the life of me).

Does RFUMS have meal plans (I assume there's a cafeteria of some sort)? I have no idea if these are uncommon at grad schools but coming from undergrad the only thing I learned to cook was Ramen and I don't think I could live off that stuff for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for med school :p. I am living on campus so I know the rooms come with a kitchen but I really don't think I'll have much time to cook studying for classes (not that I really know how to cook anyways).

Thanks.
 
Sorry this might seem like a random question but I couldn't find this on the RFUMS website (must be there somewhere but can't find it for the life of me).

Does RFUMS have meal plans (I assume there's a cafeteria of some sort)? I have no idea if these are uncommon at grad schools but coming from undergrad the only thing I learned to cook was Ramen and I don't think I could live off that stuff for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for med school :p. I am living on campus so I know the rooms come with a kitchen but I really don't think I'll have much time to cook studying for classes (not that I really know how to cook anyways).

Thanks.

yes, there is a cafeteria, but i dont think there is a meal plan - not that that stops you from eating two meals a day in there. also, anyone can make microwave dinners and sandwiches regardless of cooking abilities or time constraints. :)
 
yes, there is a cafeteria, but i dont think there is a meal plan - not that that stops you from eating two meals a day in there. also, anyone can make microwave dinners and sandwiches regardless of cooking abilities or time constraints. :)

Well as long as they serve 2 meals that's good enough. I will probably be getting some frozen food but I'd kinda hate eating that stuff everyday (although maybe the cafeteria food isn't much better). Thanks for the answer.
 
Sorry this might seem like a random question but I couldn't find this on the RFUMS website (must be there somewhere but can't find it for the life of me).

Does RFUMS have meal plans (I assume there's a cafeteria of some sort)? I have no idea if these are uncommon at grad schools but coming from undergrad the only thing I learned to cook was Ramen and I don't think I could live off that stuff for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for med school :p. I am living on campus so I know the rooms come with a kitchen but I really don't think I'll have much time to cook studying for classes (not that I really know how to cook anyways).

Thanks.

you've nearly hit "gunner" status without ever taking a med school class, well done! trust me, you can spare 30 minutes and cook yourself some food - it isn't that crazy difficult to get through your first year.
 
In case anyone is having too much fun this summer, here's what appears to be a preliminary version of our M1 curriculum for this year.
 
In case anyone is having too much fun this summer, here's what appears to be a preliminary version of our M1 curriculum for this year.

wow! how'd you find that? So is that the order everything's being taught in? Do you know anything about the exam schedule? I heard there's no midterms and finals like they used to have...
 
wow! how'd you find that? So is that the order everything's being taught in? Do you know anything about the exam schedule? I heard there's no midterms and finals like they used to have...

It's the magic of Google. I think my interviewer said they were switching to a systems-based integrated curriculum this year, so that could be the order they're teaching stuff in. According to last year's schedule, they didn't start teaching some subjects (like biochem and neuro) until later in the year; if this actually is how they're teaching they must have reorganized things. They have yet to update the schedules for the class of 2013, so we'll just have to wait and see.
 
Last edited:
Yes the M1 curriculum has changed...all the topics are system based integrated now...and instead of midterms and finals i believe there are going to be integrated exams after each unit....Im not clear about how anatomy is going to be because the M1's take it with the Pod students, so not clear as to how that is going to work...but things are structured differently for your year...I was an M1 last year and we took 12 weeks of neuro and 16 weeks of biochem during the last portion of the year, i think you will start with MCB, Biochem, and Embryo...and i think your neuro is 6 weeks long instead of 12 like mine...Its going to be interesting to see how things pan out. The physio exams are killer so i guess its nice that the questions on the tests will be mixed with other subjects because it forces you to be well rounded for each exam. Best of luck and see all of you at orientation!


It's the magic of Google. I think my interviewer said they were switching to a systems-based integrated curriculum this year, so that could be the order they're teaching stuff in. According to last year's schedule, they didn't start teaching some subjects (like biochem and neuro) until later in the year; if this actually is how they're teaching they must have reorganized things. They have yet to update the schedules for the class of 2013, so we'll just have to wait and see.
 
at my undergrad school, there was a past exam/midterm bank that was available for students to use as reference before the actual test took place. Is there a similar thing at CMS?
 
Each course will post previous exams from the past 3 years (except anatomy)..anatomy will post several sample questions that are very similar in style to the actual exam (for the most part the exams are directly from the notes, it becomes difficult because of the overwhelming amount of material and the specific questions that they ask on the exams)...I found that all the tests are fairly straight forward, but Physio exams for some reason are far more difficult than the other subjects. MAKE SURE YOU DO ALL THE PHYSIO PRACTICE EXAMS WELL BEFORE THE EXAM!!! The test questions are far more difficult than the notes presented in that course. The answer choices are very detailed and you have to know your stuff very well to get an A (its easy to get a C though...) Do all the practice questions available (make time!!!), first quarter i didnt do that many questions and i wish i had, i went from getting B+'s to A's simply by changing my studying style. Everyone has a different style and you have to see what works best for you (med school is a whole new way of learning...its 70 credit hours a year after all! :)

at my undergrad school, there was a past exam/midterm bank that was available for students to use as reference before the actual test took place. Is there a similar thing at CMS?
 
It sounds like the old exams may be less useful if they've changed the whole format of the curriculum, especially with the new integrated exams.

Each course will post previous exams from the past 3 years (except anatomy)..anatomy will post several sample questions that are very similar in style to the actual exam (for the most part the exams are directly from the notes, it becomes difficult because of the overwhelming amount of material and the specific questions that they ask on the exams)...I found that all the tests are fairly straight forward, but Physio exams for some reason are far more difficult than the other subjects. MAKE SURE YOU DO ALL THE PHYSIO PRACTICE EXAMS WELL BEFORE THE EXAM!!! The test questions are far more difficult than the notes presented in that course. The answer choices are very detailed and you have to know your stuff very well to get an A (its easy to get a C though...) Do all the practice questions available (make time!!!), first quarter i didnt do that many questions and i wish i had, i went from getting B+'s to A's simply by changing my studying style. Everyone has a different style and you have to see what works best for you (med school is a whole new way of learning...its 70 credit hours a year after all! :)
 
I'm curious to ask this question: Have any of you chosen RFU over a better ranked school? I'm deciding between RFU and another school which has a better reputation, but am leaning towards RFU for a few personal reasons. Anybody else have this situation?
 
I thought you could only hold one spot at a med school after May 15...How are you holding 2?

and I turned down an NYU interview after I got into RFU...does that count?
 
Im a second year at CMS and its a really good school. It is somewhat late to be deciding where to go to school....classes start in less than a month. so make a quick pick but make sure you weigh all of your options....good luck.
 
It sounds like the old exams may be less useful if they've changed the whole format of the curriculum, especially with the new integrated exams.

I took a look at your notes for the "integrated" courses...it is ALL the same info we had last year, its just organized differently. So the test questions will be of the same type, you all will just have to search around a little longer to find the questions that pertain to the material covered.
 
Just got my financial aid in the mail today (I used Discover Loans).
 
I took a look at your notes for the "integrated" courses...it is ALL the same info we had last year, its just organized differently. So the test questions will be of the same type, you all will just have to search around a little longer to find the questions that pertain to the material covered.

Cool, I'm glad to hear that. A bunch of people have told me that old exams are pretty important for studying in medical school.
 
Out of curiousity, has anybody bought any books and supplies yet?

Or has anybody heard anything about which books are necessary to buy off that book list?
 
I took a look at your notes for the "integrated" courses...it is ALL the same info we had last year, its just organized differently. So the test questions will be of the same type, you all will just have to search around a little longer to find the questions that pertain to the material covered.

Are all the exams multiple choice?
 
Are all the exams multiple choice?

that would be awesome. i like multiple choice.

also, DavidMD28, do you know what this T-score business is when they mark our exams/midterms?
 
Pretty much every medical school in the country uses exclusively multiple choice tests.
 
I hate to be the one who asks this question, but does CMS drug test during orientation?

(I'm going to be at a small party next week and am a little paranoid about THC from second-hand smoke.)
 
Schedules for 2009 - 2010 are now available on the CMS website.

The good news:
Lectures generally start at 9 AM, not 8.

The bad news:
Someone thought it would be a good idea to have exams every Monday at 7:45 AM.
 
Top