***tucom-mi Class Of 2010***

[Benie7890]

Concerning your questions. I dont know much about the wireless internet. But most likely, it won't be the entire campus just the classrooms. The new curriculum will be implemented for your class. I dont know the extent of the intergration. However, I caught a very preliminary glimpse of the schedule set up for you guys. It seemed very similar to ours, except the materials were rearranged to relate more with each other. For example, you guys might be getting genetics early on with prof. gochin and a separate embryo and development unit. Also will be doing cell bio, cell histo, soft tissue OMM together. **This is only what I saw on the board. It may have changed since then. And may not even be for your year **** From what I hear, OMM and Physical Diagnosis will totally be more integrated (which was the problem i had with our curriculum) which is exciting stuff.

BTW: Im the guy who sent out the ad for the two available rooms in Glen Cove. One is going to be taken. So there is only one room left. We are looking for someone to sign a leasing starting June 1st.

[email protected]
OMS 1 going to 2

Could someone that's going ask some of the burning questions that we have been talking about, such as:

1)When will the university be wireless all over?
2)Will the new curriculum be implemented for our class, and if so,
3)What will it be like?
4)What other construction/new classroom plans are in the works?


Thanks in advance! It just occurred to me today that we only have about 8 more weeks of being premeds! Heavy, no?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DRofO]

Thanks Benie for all the great into! I sure hope the curriculum is in place when we get there.
I am trying to sign a lease on a house in American Canyon to move in July*1st, but the "back -up" house is not available until July 31st... talk about cutting it close. We'll see...
I would love to have a pre-orientation party! Depends on move in day! The countdown begins... 93 days...

 

[bnoosha]

Hey you guys!

I got my fin aid packet in the mail

Have any of you guys decided on which lender you will be choosing for the private loans?

Im really bad at all this loan stuff...so any advice or recoomendations would be very helpful

 

[SheLioness]

Hey you guys!

I got my fin aid packet in the mail

Have any of you guys decided on which lender you will be choosing for the private loans?

Im really bad at all this loan stuff...so any advice or recoomendations would be very helpful

Hi Bnoosha, I don't have any advice about choosing lenders but I do have a question to add! Does anyone know the number of credit hours we will have in Spring and Fall? Seems silly but I have NO idea! Thanks!

 

[PhDtoDO]

Hey,

As I've been in school forever, I already consolidated my previous student loans.

One thing to keep in mind is that you actually want to borrow from more than one lender...if you have one lender from undergrad, pick a different one for grad.

If you only ever borrow from one lender, when you finish and try to consolidate with another company/bank, you might get screwed.

If you only borrow from one lender, that lender has the right to refuse to let you consolidate with another lender, ie you must consolidate with them.

Trust me, I have friends who are paying interest rates that are twice mine because they only borrowed from one bank....and another friend that had one of her lenders buy out all her student loans so she couldn't consolidate with anyone else@!

FWI

sarah;-)

 

[DrVenture]

This thread is great! I wish I had discovered it earlier. I just finished catching up on the past 15 pages and thought I might introduce myself.

My name is Brad; I'm 30 and currently working as a researcher/lab manager in a lab on the UCSD campus. I have a BS in Microbio and an MS in Bio, both from UCSD. I was accepted through early decision back in October and had no problem making the commitment after acceptance. My wife and I are planning on moving into an apartment in either the safe side of Vallejo or somewhere in Benicia towards the end of July. Thank you to all of those who have provided so much specific information concerning apartments in these areas.

I was also wondering if anyone could help me out with a question I had concerning financial aid. I remember being told that our $3000 deposit would be used to help pay tuition for our first semester. Does this mean that this money will be subtracted from our financial aid award or will we be able to use this money to help cover moving expences and the first month of rent?

I added myself to frappr. That was a great idea SotaBGirl!

I also think a pre-orientation get-together sounds great. I will definitely be visiting this thread on a regular basis from here on out.

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone,
Brad

 

[mj1878]

This thread is great! I wish I had discovered it earlier. I just finished catching up on the past 15 pages and thought I might introduce myself.

My name is Brad; I'm 30 and currently working as a researcher/lab manager in a lab on the UCSD campus. I have a BS in Microbio and an MS in Bio, both from UCSD. I was accepted through early decision back in October and had no problem making the commitment after acceptance. My wife and I are planning on moving into an apartment in either the safe side of Vallejo or somewhere in Benicia towards the end of July. Thank you to all of those who have provided so much specific information concerning apartments in these areas.

I was also wondering if anyone could help me out with a question I had concerning financial aid. I remember being told that our $3000 deposit would be used to help pay tuition for our first semester. Does this mean that this money will be subtracted from our financial aid award or will we be able to use this money to help cover moving expences and the first month of rent?

I added myself to frappr. That was a great idea SotaBGirl!

I also think a pre-orientation get-together sounds great. I will definitely be visiting this thread on a regular basis from here on out.

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone,
Brad

Welcome, Brad! That's a good question that I just had answered by the bursar. She said that BEFORE you claim any financial aid or anything, there will be a $3,000 credit in your account. In other words, it will not affect how much financial aid you get the first year. So yes, it will be like getting an extra $3,000 that you won't be getting the second year.

 

[PhDtoDO]

During the into of my interview, they said that we'd get the money back after a while. I think it was a few weeks or something.

So it isn't just an account surplus, you get it back or can request a refund at a certain point. It may just appear as extra on your student account and you can request a refund.

-Welcome Brad!

-sarah

 

[bnoosha]

Its gonna be nice getting that $3000 check back to cover misc. expenses...its funny ill be happy to be getting my own money back

Nice to meet you brad and Mayron!

And we have to make sure we have pre-orientation parties....plus many nights out during all of orientation week...i wanna go out as much as possible before hell (i mean school) starts

During the into of my interview, they said that we'd get the money back after a while. I think it was a few weeks or something.

So it isn't just an account surplus, you get it back or can request a refund at a certain point. It may just appear as extra on your student account and you can request a refund.

-Welcome Brad!

-sarah

 

[doubleplay]

Its gonna be nice getting that $3000 check back to cover misc. expenses...its funny ill be happy to be getting my own money back

Nice to meet you brad and Mayron!

And we have to make sure we have pre-orientation parties....plus many nights out during all of orientation week...i wanna go out as much as possible before hell (i mean school) starts

so.....what if we paid the deposit via credit card? is it refunded to the card or given to us by check? This is return is great news as I was stressing about the cost of moving, first/last rent, etc etc. Also, does anyone know yet what they received from their FAFSA? I filled mine out in January and don't know how to find out if I received full amount. thanks for any help at all.

 

[DrVenture]

Welcome, Brad! That's a good question that I just had answered by the bursar. She said that BEFORE you claim any financial aid or anything, there will be a $3,000 credit in your account. In other words, it will not affect how much financial aid you get the first year. So yes, it will be like getting an extra $3,000 that you won't be getting the second year.

Thanks for the info Marc! A $3000 dollar check will definitley be helpful for getting through the first couple of months.

-Brad

 

[hmack]

Thanks for the info Marc! A $3000 dollar check will definitley be helpful for getting through the first couple of months.

-Brad

After the fin. aid covers the tuition we will get a check that will be whatever is left from the aid after tuition is paid but since we have technically already paid 3K of the tuition it will just be a larger surplus. And we get the money soon after school starts. But since most of us will be borrowing money for the first time it will be a little later than when we will get it the other 3 years.

Oh I definitely think we need to have some pre-orientation parties before school starts... great idea! Hopefully people will move up a little before school starts!

 

[bmwrob]

Class of 2010,

My name is Rob and I am currently a 1st year (3 weeks left and then I'll be a 2nd year!!!!). Anyways, my roommate (Lindsey) are looking for someone to move into our vacant room. Our other roommate is a PA student and they go on rotations after only 1 1/2 years. Preferably we would want another girl so that we wouldn't have to change the rooms up. I have the master with my own bathroom and the two other rooms share a bathroom. So, some details....

We live in Benicia which is an AWSOME place to live.... especially compared to Vallejo. I honestly feel like I could sleep outside with all of my stuff around me and be fine. It is a 3 bedroom/2.5 bath townhouse. Washer/Dryer... huge living room and kitchen... fire place (saved us money in winter).We pay for electricity, cable and internet. We have an awsome landlord that pays for everything else.... even if we have a problem and have to call someone out to fix it!! He has actually had med students living here for the past 8 years for 2 years at a time. So, he loves having s here. We are only about a 15 minute walk from downtown Benicia which is great. It's also a 15 minute drive to school. And the cool part too is that it is a straight shot... HWY 760 which turns into Curtola which turns into Mare Island Parkway and then left onto the island. We are in the process of getting pictures to show, but it really is a nice place and we lucked out to find it. Total rent is $1500 (which is EXCELLENT for a 3 bed 2.5 bath pretty much anywhere around here). Rent for the room would be about $450/mo.. maybe a little less. I offered to pay a little more extra than I am now for the master, but Lindsey and I havn't talked about it yet. So, don't pass up this opportunity to live with 2nd years and gain valuable information on how to get through med school!!! Plus, we are both awsome!!!! E-mail be at [email protected] or my # is (707)330-1374.

 

[mj1878]

so.....what if we paid the deposit via credit card? is it refunded to the card or given to us by check? This is return is great news as I was stressing about the cost of moving, first/last rent, etc etc. Also, does anyone know yet what they received from their FAFSA? I filled mine out in January and don't know how to find out if I received full amount. thanks for any help at all.

The $3,000 will just be applied to tuition, so it's like tuition is that much cheaper--what it boils down to is that, after the University receives your aid from the government/alternative loans, they cut you a check for whatever's left after they deduct tuition. Your check will be $3,000 more than next year's check.

--Make sure your FAFSA had the correct school code selected. At first I mistakenly put down Touro-California as the school code; it actually needs to be Touro College (FAFSA code 010142), the parent institution and NOT Touro-California. If you put Touro-CA, it could be a reason that you haven't received anything. Also, I talked to the financial aid office, and EVERYONE gets the full amount of Staffords, no matter what. Don't worry about it.

 

[mj1878]

Just some friendly reminders, as orientation is coming up fast, and I know that the last three months will go even faster...

--Get your immunizations done. Even though they haven't sent us the forms, you can download and print them easily off the website. Scroll down a bit and you'll see all the forms linked.
On the form, it says immunizations must be submitted 2 months before registration, so kind of do it quickly. If you're one of us that works in a hospital, Employee Health should be able to do it all for you. Notice that there are separate forms for Immunizations and a Physical Exam, which is very basic. If you've never been vaccinated for Hepatitis B, it takes 6 months to complete the vaccinations, which occur in 3 steps over the 6 months. If you start it now, TUCOM will be okay with it; there's a disclaimer on the form that says it's okay if you're NOT done with vaccinations that occur over long periods, as long as you've started them by the time school starts and finish in a timely manner.

The only other forms that I downloaded were the Emergency Contact Form and the Registration form, which I know I won't use until August, but TUCOM doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get us the info.

Sooo---if you haven't had your MMR, Tetanus, Hep. B, Varicella, go get your shots! Make sure that you get a couple of copies of the documentation of the vaccination/titer record so you'll have them on hand when you're asked to submit them for rotations/residency.

Have a great May!
Marc

PS---Yes, as I stated at the beginning of these 15 pages, I think that a TUCOM/SDN pre-orientation toast is in order!!!

 

[DRofO]

I still have a quarter sized knot in my arm from the tetanus booster last week. Also for those who don't happen to have their records from childhood immunizations, the blood tests to check for titer takes often 2 weeks. I wanted to check so I wouldn't have to get any extra shots! Ouch!

 

[PhDtoDO]

Has anyone gotten their blackboard access info yet?

They said we'd get it in May. I'm not really sure what it is besides class lectures or schedules etc.

Any info on this?

sarah

 

[DRofO]

I haven't received any info regarding the blackboard etc...in fact I have only recieved one email from Touro (about financial aid) in the past 4 months! Hummmm....I did pay my deposit...I am sure I am still inrolled...maybe...

 

[bnoosha]

Hey guys...i called Touro yesterday and they transferred me to the lady in charge of health history...she reccommended that I include copies of titer levels for all immunizations on the health history form.

I think thats what i will be doing....i guess it takes longer, but your right...we wont have to get as many shots

 

[bnoosha]

no blackboard info yet....and im still waiting for our list serv to be set up...(i think they said end of apr/ beg of may)...i guess its just around the corner...but im still very anxious for it to be set up.

Has anyone gotten their blackboard access info yet?

They said we'd get it in May. I'm not really sure what it is besides class lectures or schedules etc.

Any info on this?

sarah

 

[KendoDO]

In terms of paying the $3,000, I suggest on credit card if you have the means, if you have one of those miles plans you can get 3k miles for your $3,000. Free trip anyone?

 

[Benie7890]

Just heads up. Integrated curriculum will not be implemented for your class. So it will start 2007 for class of 2011.

kev

 

[KEPDO]

Hey Guys
Hope you're enjoying your time before Touro. Just wanted to let you all know that the curriculum won't be changing for you next year. This means you'll have the same coursework etc. as we did (Class of 09). Also, laptops are required there is 1800 alloted in the budget for your computer purchases. I'm sure the school will send you information about the requirements. Last thing, I don't know if your list serve is up yet, but it should be soon. Not to worry, big sibs are being organized and we are all excited to be meeting you soon!

 

[PhDtoDO]

Dr. Haight said that they are starting a new revised curriculum for our class during my interview.

If that isn't true, than its been changed because many of us were told that.

FWI

sarah

 

[PhDtoDO]

Hey,

This is sort of off topic, but a friend of mine (and a Harvard doc on my dissertation committee) work with a program that screens for HIV and distributes HIV drugs in rural central Haiti. They are running critically short on funds (inside info from my good friend from public health). It's called MARCH and they have a program that gives back 4% for all purchases made through the Tulane website on AMAZON.

Do you need to buy a B-Day present, or just need some new books? They also sell everything else including electronics!

Please check it out and pass it on if you're so enclined.

http://www.march.tulane.edu/links.htm

Just click on the AMAZON icon in the corner!

Thanks,

Sarah
TUCOM
2010

 

[fuzziefoo]

hello future classmates! i was wondering if anybody knows about the match list for 2006. also, are we going to be set up on a listserve for the class of 2010 or do we have to notify admissions about that? lastly, will there be food at the open house on may 16th...just kidding about that question.
peace and love, fuzziefoo

 

[BluesClues32]

I know this is a little pre-mature, but does anyone know if it is possible to travel over Thanksgiving? Do we still have class until 3 PM on the Wednesday before? Will we still be bombarded with work over that weekend? I am trying to decide when the best time for my family to visit me, and I figured Thanksgiving might be the easiet. Thanks!

 

[bnoosha]

Hey

Looking at last year's schedule it seems that we wont get out till 3pm on wed
http://209.209.34.25/webdocs/WeeklySchedules/Fall2005/2009Fall2005.htm#b1120

i think the best time to have your family visit would be in october, because I know we get many of the Jewish holidays off (like Rosh Hashana, and Sukkot)

I know this is a little pre-mature, but does anyone know if it is possible to travel over Thanksgiving? Do we still have class until 3 PM on the Wednesday before? Will we still be bombarded with work over that weekend? I am trying to decide when the best time for my family to visit me, and I figured Thanksgiving might be the easiet. Thanks!

 

[bnoosha]

I haven't seen the matchlist for 2006 yet...but I am very curious to see it as well.

Admissions will notify us once the list serve has been set up, (we do not need to contact them)

Are you going to the open house? I'm curious to know how it goes...so def. let us know!

hello future classmates! i was wondering if anybody knows about the match list for 2006. also, are we going to be set up on a listserve for the class of 2010 or do we have to notify admissions about that? lastly, will there be food at the open house on may 16th...just kidding about that question.
peace and love, fuzziefoo

 

[bnoosha]

Hey Guys


I wanted to get a new car before I start school...and I was wondering if the fin aid department would take into account a car payment and adjust the budget? What do you guys think...is it worth asking???

 

[fuzziefoo]

i'll see if i can make an appearance. i'll definitely keep you guys posted if i attend

I haven't seen the matchlist for 2006 yet...but I am very curious to see it as well.

Admissions will notify us once the list serve has been set up, (we do not need to contact them)

Are you going to the open house? I'm curious to know how it goes...so def. let us know!

 

[Flt Surg WannaB]

Nope, it doesn't look like you are the "grand old lady' because I am 39. I actually have a step-daughter who is older than many of my friends from college! My philosophy is to keep moving so old age can't catch up! Oh, yea...have you guys heard about the 5 mile run during orientation week? I would start training if you don't want to be struggling at the back of the pack.
Tamara

Dang, you mean I lost out on the "grand old Lady" title!! Well I'm the same age as Nora (SheLioness). Man, I love TUCOM!

As for running, I've been running but only up to about 3 miles. If you add the running I do after my kid, well that adds another 2 miles.

Lisa

 

[Flt Surg WannaB]

haha maybe! Just kidding! Not a huge fan of running, but I would ride a bike for it ... haha

For me, it will be a 5 mile waddle.

 

[KendoDO]

hey Lisa! I ate with your mom and dad tonight for Tiffany Chen's birthday. They say "hi"

 

[SheLioness]

Dang, you mean I lost out on the "grand old Lady" title!! Well I'm the same age as Nora (SheLioness). Man, I love TUCOM!

As for running, I've been running but only up to about 3 miles. If you add the running I do after my kid, well that adds another 2 miles.

Lisa

Sounds like we have a big 'grand old lady' posse in this class. Awesome!

And I am NOT running but I would happily walk it if that is allowed!

Actually, I will be out there in about two weeks. Anyone want to get together for a very early TUCOM 2010 toast?

 

[BluesClues32]

**As a side note, I have never applied for loans on my own before, so if this is a silly question...please don't hold it against me


So....
The American Education Services (AES) sent me the Master Promissory Note in the mail. I don't plan to take any private loans, but I do plan to take out Stafford Loans. Unfortunately, I don't have a bank in my homestate. So, my question is this...can I pick any lender for my Stafford Loan and get the same interest rates after graduation? Thanks!

 

[hmack]

Hey,

Okay so I was talking with another first year and we will be going to the open house to get some more info on fin aid and just to meet classmates... So if people are interested we are meeting around 5-515 on the steps in front of the Basic Sciences building...

Heather

For all those that live far away I will post whatever info I get .... if you have specific questions PM me and I will try and get it answered

 

[heech]

Hey Guys


I wanted to get a new car before I start school...and I was wondering if the fin aid department would take into account a car payment and adjust the budget? What do you guys think...is it worth asking???

bnoosha,

It *never* hurts to ask! But my impression is that while the financial aid office can help with some expenses... anything as "luxurious" as a new car is probably not too likely. I'd still suggest you give'em a call.

 

[DRofO]

Sounds like we have a big 'grand old lady' posse in this class. Awesome!

And I am NOT running but I would happily walk it if that is allowed!

Actually, I will be out there in about two weeks. Anyone want to get together for a very early TUCOM 2010 toast?

Let me know where and when... I'll put you on my schedule.
Tamara

 

[DRofO]

So if people are interested we are meeting around 5-515 on the steps in front of the Basic Sciences building...

Heather

I am trying to talk my hubby into going... but he isn't into that kind of thing, so it may be just me and I will see you at 5pm on the steps.

 

[cristendahl]

I am in the TUCOM Class of 2008 and will be leaving for Vegas at the end of June. My husband and I own a townhouse in Vallejo and would love to rent it to incoming Touro students.

It is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath townhouse, 988 sq. ft. located on Calhoun Street. Rent is $1400/mo. It is only 10 minutes from campus and the street is very quiet.

If you are interested, please e-mail me directly at [email protected] so I can get you more information.

I hope you all enjoy your next 2 years on the island!
--Crissy Dahl-Fulton, OMS 2

 

[optimusprime03]

hey class of 2010...i've posted this before, but i just wanted to get it out in the open again...i'm looking for someone to take over my lease and then my apt starting from July 1st. It's a 1br/1ba apt in Vallejo (the safer part) and rent is $885 a month and it is in a great location with many food places right around the corner. My apt has been quiet and i have had no problems with neighbors. Security deposit will only be $300 and they do accept pets. The apt comes with a washer and dryer, fridge, and a dishwasher. It's about 10-15mins from campus and there are other students who will probably live here too so you guys could carpool. I would even pay for half of June's rent (but not utilities) for you if you wanted to move in to the place in June.

If you guys are interestd, either message me or email me directly at [email protected] and i will send pictures. thanks and look forward to seeing you guys in 3 months!

 

[nerdgrrl]

Hey Guys


I wanted to get a new car before I start school...and I was wondering if the fin aid department would take into account a car payment and adjust the budget? What do you guys think...is it worth asking???

sure it's worth asking, but... as I recall from undergrad, there's some fine print in the stafford loan stuff that specifically says you can't use the money to buy a car. in addition, it would be kind of weird to justify saying you can take more loans to pay a different loan. don't forget to take into consideration that your insurance will go up with a new car that's not paid off. I'm going to have to sell my newish car and buy an older one that won't have a loan because there's no way I can justify paying a car payment and the insurance when I'm putting myself a quarter million in debt for school. but that's just me.

 

[PhDtoDO]

Hey,

If you look at the financial aide stuff, because we need to borrow so much, pretty much everyone is going to max out on stanford loans and take out non-traditional educational loans....its the ladder that you can use to pay off a car.

If I were you, I would consider using the 3,000 deposit and an additional non-stanford school loan to pay off the car you have. I've had 'old' hoopty cars most of my life but recently bought a little honda civic with less than 50,000 miles. This car should last me though med school and maybe even my residency. Having an old car can and often is more expensive in the long run. Trust me, you don't want to own a money pit that's always in the shop or gets bad gas mileage on a student stipend with california gas prices.

I don't really know your situation, but this is something to consider, or at the very least ask financial aide about.

Just my opinion,

Sarah

 

[bnoosha]

ya my current car is a 98 mercedes...and its giving me problems...

this is why i wanted to get a new car under warranty so i wont have to worry about car problems while im in school...
im gonna contact fin aid and see what they say.

thanks everyone for the input!

Hey,

If you look at the financial aide stuff, because we need to borrow so much, pretty much everyone is going to max out on stanford loans and take out non-traditional educational loans....its the ladder that you can use to pay off a car.

If I were you, I would consider using the 3,000 deposit and an additional non-stanford school loan to pay off the car you have. I've had 'old' hoopty cars most of my life but recently bought a little honda civic with less than 50,000 miles. This car should last me though med school and maybe even my residency. Having an old car can and often is more expensive in the long run. Trust me, you don't want to own a money pit that's always in the shop or gets bad gas mileage on a student stipend with california gas prices.

I don't really know your situation, but this is something to consider, or at the very least ask financial aide about.

Just my opinion,

Sarah

 

[heech]

Hi all,

Just wanted to let you know I got a look at the 2006 TUCOM match list. I would publish it, but it's just a draft... and I'm told that they will try really, really hard to get it onto the site by this weekend! So just be patient for a few more days.

So, I'll just give the quick highlights. It's not very different from previous years, although I have to admit I didn't see any "highlight" allopathic matches... best match is probably anesth @ Case Western. Across the board though, just shows TUCOM is starting to solidify its residencies in surrounding areas.

- 1 AOA-opthamalogy, 1 diagnostic rad.
- fewer FP than previous years, more IM than previous years.
- far more allopathic residencies (versus AOA) than in years past. About 3/4 are headed into allopathic residencies.
- good representation with Alameda County/Highlands (3) and Kaiser Oakland (4);
- two headed to UCSF-Fresno (EM/IM).
- the first matches into TUCOM's internal medicine residency in Las Vegas!
- 4 of the 7 incoming PGY-1 FP at Methodist Sacramento will be from TUCOM-MI.

For those wanting to stay in the Bay Area, greater % of matches in the immediate Bay Area this year than 2005. And if you then take a look at the match list from 2003/2004... wow, TUCOM has come a *long* way in that department!

Any more questions? Let me know.

 

[mj1878]

I'm really starting to get excited about the prospect of being an actual medical student in just three months.

Along with that excitement comes some new anxieties that I thought maybe someone else was dealing with. I studied a LOT in undergraduate; being premed and wanting to do well enough to "get in" lit a certain (and I'm sure familiar to everyone here) fire under me, and I'm quite certain I've never studied as much timewise as I did during undergrad at any time in my life. During midterms I was first in the library and I almost always heard the announcement overhead saying "the library will close in 15 minutes...".
I always studied in the library, never at home.

However, now that I'm married, I'm going to have to rethink that philosophy. I always studied in the library because at home there were always too many distractions(tv, phone, people, cats, a bed!), and I'm afraid that I won't be able to adjust to studying at home as quickly as the curriculum will demand. I think I'll be waking up a few hours before class and studying then, and then studying at home from 7-12(or later). Obviously on weekends I'll study double-digit hours. I'm not sure if this will be enough, mainly because I'm not sure how I'm going to adjust to studying mostly at home during the week. I can pull long jags at the library over the weekend, but Touro's library won't be open as early or late as I think I'll want it to be on the weekend. I'm wondering if there's another place nearby that's open earlier and later. Obviously during the week if class is 8-5 most days, I'll want to come home and see my wife for a couple of hours of quality time, and then study the rest.

Also, I really don't know what to expect from the curriculum. I'm quite certain that it won't be like carrying 26 credit hours of undergraduate course load(less busywork, for example), but I know that it will be difficult in its own way. I just wish I had a little more insight so that I could hit the ground running(which, according to what I'm hearing about Touro's orientation activities, could be a VERY literal term!).

Anyone else feeling similar??

 

[BluesClues32]

I know how you feel about the amount of studying. But I wouldn't worry too much. I remember in grade school, my teachers warned my class that high school required hours of studying every night. In high school, my teachers scared us into thinking college would be impossible and that we would need to study 24/7. But, needless to say, I survived both high school and college without studying every minute. I admit, I did study A LOT, but I was able to prioritize my time. For example, while I waited for classes to begin, I read flash cards and while exercising, I listened to lectures. Yes, it was stressful around test times, but I survived. So I think medical school will be the same, as long as we prioritize.

And, I wouldn't worry too much about studying at home. I personally prefer it. I used to only study at the library, but then I found myself wasting a lot of time/energy at the library (getting all my books/notes together, walking to the library, finding a seat, getting organized, then studying). It was even worse when I tried to go to the library with friends, because they (or I) would want to take breaks to chat. So I started studying at my apartment. It was actually a time saver. Instead of wasting my breaks walking around aimlessly at the library, I would do chores around my apartment that I would normally have to do after studying at the library (cleaning, making dinner, etc). Studying at my apartment def helped me prioritize my time.

Since you haven't really studied at home before, I would spend about 5 minutes now making your house/apartment study friendly. First, I suggest finding 2 or 3 semi-quiet areas in your apartment that will be designated as "study areas". The areas should be away from the TV and other commonly used items (this allows others to not be inconvenienced when you are studying and you won't be distracted). Also, the areas need great lighting and comfortable chairs (so invest some money in these items if you don't have them already). Try not to study while sitting on the bed, unless you know you are too wired to fall asleep. Take 10 minute breaks every hour to walk around, snack, drink water, check your email, play with the dog, etc. But when you study at home, you lose track of how much time you have actually studied. Thus, I would make sure that you aren't burning yourself out. Give yourself some free time every day for fun, and extra time on the weekends.

My last suggestion is to find ways now for your child/spouse/bf/gf/pet to stay entertained during the school year. Suggest that they take a class, join a club, hang out with friends, find a hobby, read a book, etc. For example, although my boyfriend will be in grad school next fall, he plans to buy an electronic drum set to keep him entertained when he is bored and I need to study. He also has an Xbox and other little things to fill the time until I am finished. This way, I won't feel bad for studying because he is still having fun.

I hope this helps a little. I think when school starts, you will be so excited to study, that you forget that you were nervous.

 

[doubleplay]

Hey Guys


I wanted to get a new car before I start school...and I was wondering if the fin aid department would take into account a car payment and adjust the budget? What do you guys think...is it worth asking???

Hey bnoosha - like PhDtoMD said, we will all need to take out some alternative loads because our gov. loans will be probably be maxed out...so if you will be getting a new car, you will need to take out more alternative loans. What kind of car are you getting? I agree with PhDtoMD that it is better to spend a bit now to get something reliable, then to have to deal with car issues later while trying to study for classes.

A question for ALL - does anyone know when we will most likely receive our first financial aid check...this is my first time for FAFSA as well as any other loans and I was trying to plan out some of my finances and how much I need to save. It will be expensve moving, rent, etc for the first month or two, so it would be nice to get some $ help.....thanks.

 

[heech]

Don't hold me to this (that's what the financial aid office is for), but my understanding is that you only receive your first financial aid check right around the first day of school. I believe you'll need to look elsewhere for moving expenses.

(Did I mention Prosper.com? http://drsbe.blogspot.com )