pearlbo said:
Pattayapus and Lobster MD or anyone else!!!! Let's totally meet up before stuff hits the fan...I will be backpacking through Asia late june/early July and am totally free anytime before or after my trip..It will be really nice to see some familiar faces at orientation...which by the way; does anyone know what happens during orientation? Do we get initiated dazed and confused style? What are we supposed to wear the first day? no flip flops? just wondering...thanks!
Orientation week is a lot of logistical stuff, presentations, etc. If i remember our orientation week correctly, we had a welcome breakfast, took pictures for our ID's (they provide the white coat for it, but you can't keep it), and had a bunch of lectures on financial aid, HIPAA (sp?), professionalism, the student-run clinics, research, etc. You get your locker, locker combo, (yup, just like high school!) and mailbox assignments, set up your email if you haven't already done that. The deans come and talk to you too and bring lots of warm fuzzies to your spririt. There's a welcome lecture about anatomy and anatomy lab and the supplies you'll need to provide - basically, scalpel blades (you can get them at the bookstore), gloves (i recommend getting nitrile and latex and doing a latex-over-nitrile bit during lab. confer with other classmates about getting things together in bulk to save money), and aprons if you want. You also sign up for anatomy groups. You get to know the people in your college pretty well since they tend to break you into groups according to college. The retreat at the end of the week is a lot of fun, lots of bonding happens there, and the nights are usually free during the week to hang out around Davis (Sophia's, Sudwerk's, etc)
Oh, and a tip....try not to get the smelly room for anatomy lab (if the setup will be the same as last year)....tables 1-12 had the downdraft tables (in the not-so-smelly room) while the other groups were in the "elephant" (more smelly) room. Yeah, you get used to the smell, but I was in the downdraft room and there was a difference when we looked at bodies in the other room. Don't buy books yet because we'll be sending you the Disorientation Manual in the next few weeks (which will have tips on which books to get/not get), and your big sib may have books/flashcards to give you too.
You'll probably have to email Terri about a random fact about yourself, and during orientation week there's that icebreaker about matching people with their random fact. the person that gets the most last year got a gift certificate to the bookstore.
Wear whatever's comfortable, it's gonna be hot!
If you're looking for a place in davis, i can help you too...lived in all parts of davis and loved it 
