Thoughts on Penn State?

[bonez318ti]

Anyone have thoughts on Penn state after having interviewed there (or maybe matriculating there?)

How are the facilities? How were the students (happy?)? How was the faculty? How is the Hershey area?

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[vcatz]

Anyone have thoughts on Penn state after having interviewed there (or maybe matriculating there?)

How are the facilities? How were the students (happy?)? How was the faculty? How is the Hershey area?

The facilities are decent and they have plans for some major construction at the med center. Not sure when those buildings are going to be started. The impression I got from colleagues who were med students at PSU is that the students are pretty happy there. The faculty is good - some of the basic science departments are weak but the clinical departments are strong. Hershey is really rural - if you have never lived in such an area it will take some getting used to. It is cheap to live there. There is a limited nightlife in Hershey and Harrisburg but the area is great for outdoors activities.

I lived in Hershey for ~4 years so feel free to PM me with additional questions.

 

[tinkerbelle]

I thought Penn State was beautiful (but I went to school in Baltimore... so evrything is beautiful by comparison). The students seemed really happy. Even though the student had an exam the day of my interview, they were really peppy and told us how great their school is. In fact, I felt the most comfortable with Penn State students than at any other school.

As far as facilities go, I remember saying to myself that I would love to go there... so the facilites must have been good. Although my interview was a while back, so i might be confusing schools.

I'm considering going there, however, tuition and expenses are ridiculous. So unless I get a really good financial aid package, I will decline my acceptance.

I liked how Penn State has cheap dorms... so you don't have to worry about housing.

As far as the interviews go, I had one really awesome interview and one horrible interview. One guy was really condescending an kept putting me down... but I guess that's how he treats people he likes??? But other than him, the interview day is fun. I like how I had morning interviews and therefore got to relax the rest of the day.

All in all, i really liked Penn State.

 

[bonez318ti]

I'm considering going there, however, tuition and expenses are ridiculous. So unless I get a really good financial aid package, I will decline my acceptance.

Any word on how easy it is to gain state residency?

 

[tinkerbelle]

Any word on how easy it is to gain state residency?

They made it sound almost impossible. My dad is a PA resident, but even then it's hard to gain residency (since i'm a maryland resident).

 

[lightnk102]

My thoughts on penn state:

absolutely loved it. loved the program, loved the philosophy of the school (in my notes on schools, i labeled it "very much a school with a social conscience"), was very impressed with the dummies (my favorite was the colonoscopy dummy who moans if you puncture the bowel). i was especially impressed the long list of foreign countries you can do international rotations at, and my interviewer led a contingency of doctors to Iraq to help rebuild the medical infrastructure there.

an important thing to note is that they have a thesis requirement.

the only downside is that it's rural. i've lived in urban areas my entire life, and i'm not sure how stir-crazy i would get. i do have a friend at penn state who moved from new york, and he said it hasn't been that bad. on the contrary, his grades have improved ten-fold. i've never been a huge fan of on-campus housing anywhere, but based on what i heard, off-campus housing isn't that hard to find anyways. a good proportion of the students move off campus second year based on what i heard.

that and, the air around hershey quite literally smells like chocolate (except for right in front of the reese's factory, where it smells like peanut butter). i half-expected oompa loompas to greet me at the hospital, but it was your standard doctors and phd's. i'm not sure if i was relieved or disappointed (being interviewed by an oompa loompa would've been interesting). that being said, being around an area saturated with chocolate means that by the end of med school, i'm going to graduate looking like a house.

 

[lightnk102]

Any word on how easy it is to gain state residency?

i asked the students this on the tour. they said you basically have to buy property, otherwise it's hard to establish residency.

 

[supersnuffles]

How long do you have to have owned the property before establishing residency?

Also, if you have a Masters in anything, you can option out of the thesis.

 

[vcatz]

It is almost impossible to establish PA residency for med students at PSU. Also, it is not really a thesis - a small research project. If you have published a paper then you do not have to participate in it.

 

[supersnuffles]

thanks for the correction, vcatz. somehow i thought it was masters. maybe it was published paper. meh. can't be that bad right to do a summer of research. that's nothing.

 

[jmartin82]

I am a MSI at PSUCOM, and I tell you this: If you get accepted, COME!

I have never regreted my decision of choosing this school, in fact I love it even more every day! The people are amazing, the facilities are great, the faculty is wonderful!

A tidbit: In gross you will have neurosurgeons come in to help you disect out the brachial plexus, you will have a cardiologist come in to help you understand the heart, you have an ortho surgeon come in to help you disect out the hip joint.

Anyway, it's saturday night and we just took an exam, so the party awaits! SEE YOU IN THE FALL!!

If you guys have any Q's drop an email to [email protected]

 

[Medikit]

I am a MSI at PSUCOM, and I tell you this: If you get accepted, COME!

I have never regreted my decision of choosing this school, in fact I love it even more every day! The people are amazing, the facilities are great, the faculty is wonderful!

A tidbit: In gross you will have neurosurgeons come in to help you disect out the brachial plexus, you will have a cardiologist come in to help you understand the heart, you have an ortho surgeon come in to help you disect out the hip joint.

Anyway, it's saturday night and we just took an exam, so the party awaits! SEE YOU IN THE FALL!!

If you guys have any Q's drop an email to [email protected]

Jhmartin, where do guys go to pick up chicks at Penn state?

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

My thoughts on penn state:

that and, the air around hershey quite literally smells like chocolate (except for right in front of the reese's factory, where it smells like peanut butter). i half-expected oompa loompas to greet me at the hospital, but it was your standard doctors and phd's.

 

[bbtbay]

In your third year, do you have to do rotations at Penn State or can you go elsewhere?? I know in the fourth year they have a lot of opportunities to go abroad or anywhere in the country but I came away unsure if you can do the same your third year.

 

[sdnstud]

Jhmartin, where do guys go to pick up chicks at Penn state?

Although I am not a student at Penn State, I did find its student body quite attractive.

I think Penn State is a great school. I interviewed there early January and I totally loved it. The school really emphaizes on producing compassionate doctors. Did you guys have the head of the cardio-department come in and talk about his persepctive of being a doctor? His speech almost made me cry. He talked about how he has patients who cut their pills into pieces so that their medication can last longer. Why do these patients do that? they are victims of Amercia's messed up healthcare system. Situations like this really put into perspective why I am going into medicine. Attending a school that repeatedly remind you why you are going into medicine is definitely a plus.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Although I am not a student at Penn State, I did find its student body quite attractive.

I thought that too. And Penn State was one of the few schools where I was like, "I would totally hang out with these people".

I really wish Penn State was cheaper... or at least around the same price as my state school. At the moment, I just can't justify paying an extra $15,000-$20,000.

jmartin82: what's the financial aid like? Do people actually get scholarships.. or are the packages all loans?

 

[supersnuffles]

I thought that too. And Penn State was one of the few schools where I was like, "I would totally hang out with these people".

I really wish Penn State was cheaper... or at least around the same price as my state school. At the moment, I just can't justify paying an extra $15,000-$20,000.

jmartin82: what's the financial aid like? Do people actually get scholarships.. or are the packages all loans?

Am I not worth that extra 15K?

 

[tinkerbelle]

Am I not worth that extra 15K?

snuffles well... if you're there than that's a whole different story....

 

[invicta]

Does anyone know about waitlist movement at Penn State?

 

[ribbi_j]

what schools are you all comparing penn state with?

I really did enjoy my interview experience, the rural setting doesn't bother me- and every school I have as an option seems similarly ridiculously expensive. I really liked the idea of having some variety in the curriculum with the humanities, and the mandatory research seems simply to give you a leg up for residencies...

For those that have interviewed, what were your thoughts on the way the information was presented (I have 10 interviews swirling together in my mind), and how do you think this program will get you into a top-notch residency?

 

[ribbi_j]

do most people wind up in the northeast for residencies? where can I find out this information?

 

[morganlefay]

Anyone know anything about people moving off of Penn's interview hold list to an interview? I'm still on the hold, have been since November. Appreciate any input.

 

[kaps22]

do most people wind up in the northeast for residencies? where can I find out this information?

They give you a copy of the match list in the interview packet. I can't seem to find it right now, but from what I remember it was pretty great. Definetly skewed towards PA and the northeast.

I loved Penn State also! The people I met there were definetly people that I could see myself having a good time with outside of class. The community environment was a big plus, and everyone seemed to be very happy with their experiences there. Also, my two interviewers were pediatric specialists who trained at top-notch hospitals. They chose to teach at Penn State over other 'big name' programs because of the supportive environment, and focus on clinical teaching. Can't really get much better than that, from a student's perspective. good luck to everyone waiting!

 

[ribbi_j]

thanks for the info- as I remember now I believe that they were mysteriously out of those residency match lists when I interviewed. I'll have to see if someone in the office can email me one...

I'm from the midwest and think that the school would be a great fit - however, I was wary of limiting my residency options to a part of the country that is generally not the lifestyle that I'm used to.

 

[PADoc2be]

Just want to clarify/give more info regarding the research project. In order to exempt, research must have been in a medically-related field and must have been published (this can be done in undergrad years, a masters thesis isn't necessary). I did not exempt, so I spent last summer (between MS I and MS II years) working for a nationally-known neurologist here at the medical center on a research project on ALS. Not only did I learn some neuro before our neuro course (which is finishing this week, at last!), but I made some great contacts with physicians before hitting the floors. He also took me into the ALS clinic once a week where I shadowed him through his interviews and exams. Initially I was upset that I had not exempted and had to work at the hospital for the summer, but I am extremely satisfied with the way I spent my last (sigh) summer. Besides, my name will be on the journal article that resulted.