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- Nov 14, 2001
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Hey all:
i received a bunch of e-mails from people this weekend asking me about UCSD and decided to post all my answers in case anyone else was interested.
Be forewarned though that I am only one student out of 120 in my class and what i have written is only my opinion. Everyone's interpretation of their med school experience is different, so keep an open mind to what i have said and what you have heard from other med students. Also, if there are any other UCSD med students lurking here, feel free to add to whatever I have said
If there are any other questions that I have not yet answered, please PM me b/c i do not check these forums very often.
CalBear
1. The main concern that I have is how good is financial aid? Of course, it is a UC and it beats private schools in costs, but I am wondering what kind of package can I expect from the school.
the FA at UCSD is actually really good. Since most students have no source of income, our expected contributions are $0 dollars. Personally for my package I received $12,000 in grants and scholarships and $14,000 in loans (mostly subsidized). Not a bad deal for med school at all! Most of my classmates have this same breakdown, so unless you are filthy rich on your own, I wouldn't be surprised if you received pretty much the same package.
2. I was looking for a list of student groups but could not it online nor in the catalog.
As for the student groups, I couldn't find a link on line. We have this little black booklet titled "student survival guide: for students by students" that has a bunch of info on classes, fun things to do, clubs etc. try calling the admissions office or the Office of student affairs at (858) 534-3700 to see if they would send you one.
3. I'm wondering if you know if Sprint PCS has decent reception at the la jolla area/UCSD?
The cell phone plans that work best around here are sprint, verizon, and ATT. Do NOT get cingular or T-mobile b/c you can't get reception at any of the nearby apartments or on campus. I personally have ATT and have never had any problems with getting reception.
4. How do you like it at UCSD in general?
Personally I really like it here. my classmates are really nice, most of the faculty are approachable and really like teaching, and the administration and staff are really helpful. Compared to undergrad at Berkeley, i really like it here b/c contrary to all the rumors, people here are really friendly and are not even close to being as competitive as they are in undergrad. That's not to say of course that there are no competitive people in my class; there are bound to be a few in each school. However, no matter how competitive they are they are still willing to help one another out. We have several people in our class who regularly and graciously share their study notes with the rest of the class.
5. What kind of study abroad/clinical opportunities are there?
There are actually quite a few study abroad and clinical opportunities available. There are several programs where medical students go to South America for the summer and provide the underserved there with basic medical care such as vitamins and immunizations. Quite a few of my classmates are going to participate in these programs and there are really excited. Of course there is always the free clinic that you should have heard about during your interview. You basically get to be the "doctor" and decide what treatment to provide...of course you also have the help of an attending and a fourth year medical student. There are also a lot of clinical electives that you can do. There are preceptorships in pediatrics, reproductive medicine, surgery, etc. this is not "shadowing" and you actually get to do stuff like patient histories and basic physical examinations (we don't actually learn that stuff till the spring quarter, so if you do a preceptorship you can get earlier experience.)
6. What about student involvement in community service?
As for community service, my classmates do a lot of outreach and educational programs. There are also several student run organizations that organize blood drives and the such. Several of my classmates are also involved in outside community work. For example, several students are going to be volunteering at a camp for children with cancer this summer. if you are interested in a community service activity and it is not available, all you have to do is take the initiative and organize it and I'm sure you will get a lot of your classmates to help you out.
7. Also, when do you guys take the boards? Does everyone take it together or is the timing flexible?
As for the boards, I am only a first year so I have not really thought about it all too much. my second year friends are currently studying for them though and they are scheduled to take it in June. I'm pretty sure that all second year medical students have to take it in june of their second year b/c that is the only time that they offer it.
8. What do people do outside of class/studying?
In our spare time my classmates basically do the same things that everyone else does. a ton of people went to see matrix together weds night when it first cam out. Also, last week was one of my classmates' b-days and we had a beach bbq and watched the lunar eclipse. Just this weekend a bunch of people went clubbing and to the zoo. We have a forum and whenever someone has something planned they will put it on the forum and invite the whole class. That?s pretty nice b/c everyone is invited to everything and we get to socialize with people who are not in our usual circle of friends.
9. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of SD's program?
Personally, I think that the strength of the school is definitely the faculty and staff. There are some absolutely amazing professors here who really do care about the students. Unfortunately, we do have our share of bad professors just like any other school might have. The one thing that really impressed me when I interviewed here and still impresses me now is the fact that the school truly does want you to succeed and will do anything to help you. They have an absolutely fabulous tutorial program where the tutors give us regular review sessions, private tutoring, and study aids. Out of all the schools I interviewed at there was not one that had a tutoring program. If you are interested in research, one of the strengths of the school is definitely the research that takes place here. The only thing that I really don?t like about the school is that we have to do a senior thesis to graduate. It?s not really a lot of work b/c you can do anything from a community service project, to clinical research, or to basic science research. I personally don?t like the thesis requirement b/c I would rather do something else with my free time. Honestly though, it?s really easy to complete and is not a big deal.
11. Are the UCSD housing (dorms) better than apts in the area for the price...btw, how much are ucsd's dorm costs?
the UCSD on-campus dorms (single graduate housing) is actually not that great. you have a 4 bedroom apartment that you share with 3 other graduate students. there is a common bathroom and a kitchen. i don't know about you, but that seems a little crowded. also, i've seen the rooms and they are TINY. the plus side is that they are extremely inexpensive with rent ranging from 200-250 a month. the university also has off-campus apartments at Coast and Mesa. These apartments are such a great deal. you can get a one bedroom for 500-600 dollars a month or a 2 bed/1 bath for 600-700 a month for the entire apartment--- that means your share will only be 300-350 if you had a roommate for the other room. unfortunately the waiting list for these apartments is very long and can be up to two-three years. that's why i suggested that you turn in an application even if you are not sure about wanting to live in university affiliated housing. by the time you even get offered an apartment you might be in your third year and by then the option of having your own place for 500-600 might be appealing to you. there's no penalty for not taking an apartment if it is offered to you, so you might as well turn in an application. The last option for university housing is La Jolla Del Sol, which is the subsidized apartments located about 3 miles from campus. These apartments are pure luxury! very clean with a gym, two swimming pools, and tennis courts. the singles range from 900-1000 there and 2 bed/2 bath range from 1100-1300. Not as cheap as Mesa or Coast apartments, but a great deal nonetheless. BTW, the best thing about these apartments is that there is a washer and dryer right in your apartment, so no more searching for quarters! for more info go to http://hds.ucsd.edu/hsgaffil/index.html.
12. What is the average number of hours of lecture a week?
The average number of lecture hours varies each quarter/block. for this quarter we have:
Monday--8 hours
Tuesday--4 hours + elective if you have one on this day
wednesday--8 hours
thursday--4 hours + elective if you have one on this day
Friday--8 hours.
Pretty scary...but most of the class only shows up for half of the lactures b/c we get all the lecture notes and we have class note takers. personally, i attend half of the lectures and am doing prefectly fine. I have some friends who don't show up for a single class and only come to take the test. as far as i can tell they are doing really well still.
The schedule is not always this crazy though. for instance for the mini block during fall, we only had 3 hours of class per day for about a month.
All in all though, i must admit that we do have quite a bit of lecture hours.
i received a bunch of e-mails from people this weekend asking me about UCSD and decided to post all my answers in case anyone else was interested.
Be forewarned though that I am only one student out of 120 in my class and what i have written is only my opinion. Everyone's interpretation of their med school experience is different, so keep an open mind to what i have said and what you have heard from other med students. Also, if there are any other UCSD med students lurking here, feel free to add to whatever I have said
If there are any other questions that I have not yet answered, please PM me b/c i do not check these forums very often.
CalBear
1. The main concern that I have is how good is financial aid? Of course, it is a UC and it beats private schools in costs, but I am wondering what kind of package can I expect from the school.
the FA at UCSD is actually really good. Since most students have no source of income, our expected contributions are $0 dollars. Personally for my package I received $12,000 in grants and scholarships and $14,000 in loans (mostly subsidized). Not a bad deal for med school at all! Most of my classmates have this same breakdown, so unless you are filthy rich on your own, I wouldn't be surprised if you received pretty much the same package.
2. I was looking for a list of student groups but could not it online nor in the catalog.
As for the student groups, I couldn't find a link on line. We have this little black booklet titled "student survival guide: for students by students" that has a bunch of info on classes, fun things to do, clubs etc. try calling the admissions office or the Office of student affairs at (858) 534-3700 to see if they would send you one.
3. I'm wondering if you know if Sprint PCS has decent reception at the la jolla area/UCSD?
The cell phone plans that work best around here are sprint, verizon, and ATT. Do NOT get cingular or T-mobile b/c you can't get reception at any of the nearby apartments or on campus. I personally have ATT and have never had any problems with getting reception.
4. How do you like it at UCSD in general?
Personally I really like it here. my classmates are really nice, most of the faculty are approachable and really like teaching, and the administration and staff are really helpful. Compared to undergrad at Berkeley, i really like it here b/c contrary to all the rumors, people here are really friendly and are not even close to being as competitive as they are in undergrad. That's not to say of course that there are no competitive people in my class; there are bound to be a few in each school. However, no matter how competitive they are they are still willing to help one another out. We have several people in our class who regularly and graciously share their study notes with the rest of the class.
5. What kind of study abroad/clinical opportunities are there?
There are actually quite a few study abroad and clinical opportunities available. There are several programs where medical students go to South America for the summer and provide the underserved there with basic medical care such as vitamins and immunizations. Quite a few of my classmates are going to participate in these programs and there are really excited. Of course there is always the free clinic that you should have heard about during your interview. You basically get to be the "doctor" and decide what treatment to provide...of course you also have the help of an attending and a fourth year medical student. There are also a lot of clinical electives that you can do. There are preceptorships in pediatrics, reproductive medicine, surgery, etc. this is not "shadowing" and you actually get to do stuff like patient histories and basic physical examinations (we don't actually learn that stuff till the spring quarter, so if you do a preceptorship you can get earlier experience.)
6. What about student involvement in community service?
As for community service, my classmates do a lot of outreach and educational programs. There are also several student run organizations that organize blood drives and the such. Several of my classmates are also involved in outside community work. For example, several students are going to be volunteering at a camp for children with cancer this summer. if you are interested in a community service activity and it is not available, all you have to do is take the initiative and organize it and I'm sure you will get a lot of your classmates to help you out.
7. Also, when do you guys take the boards? Does everyone take it together or is the timing flexible?
As for the boards, I am only a first year so I have not really thought about it all too much. my second year friends are currently studying for them though and they are scheduled to take it in June. I'm pretty sure that all second year medical students have to take it in june of their second year b/c that is the only time that they offer it.
8. What do people do outside of class/studying?
In our spare time my classmates basically do the same things that everyone else does. a ton of people went to see matrix together weds night when it first cam out. Also, last week was one of my classmates' b-days and we had a beach bbq and watched the lunar eclipse. Just this weekend a bunch of people went clubbing and to the zoo. We have a forum and whenever someone has something planned they will put it on the forum and invite the whole class. That?s pretty nice b/c everyone is invited to everything and we get to socialize with people who are not in our usual circle of friends.
9. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of SD's program?
Personally, I think that the strength of the school is definitely the faculty and staff. There are some absolutely amazing professors here who really do care about the students. Unfortunately, we do have our share of bad professors just like any other school might have. The one thing that really impressed me when I interviewed here and still impresses me now is the fact that the school truly does want you to succeed and will do anything to help you. They have an absolutely fabulous tutorial program where the tutors give us regular review sessions, private tutoring, and study aids. Out of all the schools I interviewed at there was not one that had a tutoring program. If you are interested in research, one of the strengths of the school is definitely the research that takes place here. The only thing that I really don?t like about the school is that we have to do a senior thesis to graduate. It?s not really a lot of work b/c you can do anything from a community service project, to clinical research, or to basic science research. I personally don?t like the thesis requirement b/c I would rather do something else with my free time. Honestly though, it?s really easy to complete and is not a big deal.
11. Are the UCSD housing (dorms) better than apts in the area for the price...btw, how much are ucsd's dorm costs?
the UCSD on-campus dorms (single graduate housing) is actually not that great. you have a 4 bedroom apartment that you share with 3 other graduate students. there is a common bathroom and a kitchen. i don't know about you, but that seems a little crowded. also, i've seen the rooms and they are TINY. the plus side is that they are extremely inexpensive with rent ranging from 200-250 a month. the university also has off-campus apartments at Coast and Mesa. These apartments are such a great deal. you can get a one bedroom for 500-600 dollars a month or a 2 bed/1 bath for 600-700 a month for the entire apartment--- that means your share will only be 300-350 if you had a roommate for the other room. unfortunately the waiting list for these apartments is very long and can be up to two-three years. that's why i suggested that you turn in an application even if you are not sure about wanting to live in university affiliated housing. by the time you even get offered an apartment you might be in your third year and by then the option of having your own place for 500-600 might be appealing to you. there's no penalty for not taking an apartment if it is offered to you, so you might as well turn in an application. The last option for university housing is La Jolla Del Sol, which is the subsidized apartments located about 3 miles from campus. These apartments are pure luxury! very clean with a gym, two swimming pools, and tennis courts. the singles range from 900-1000 there and 2 bed/2 bath range from 1100-1300. Not as cheap as Mesa or Coast apartments, but a great deal nonetheless. BTW, the best thing about these apartments is that there is a washer and dryer right in your apartment, so no more searching for quarters! for more info go to http://hds.ucsd.edu/hsgaffil/index.html.
12. What is the average number of hours of lecture a week?
The average number of lecture hours varies each quarter/block. for this quarter we have:
Monday--8 hours
Tuesday--4 hours + elective if you have one on this day
wednesday--8 hours
thursday--4 hours + elective if you have one on this day
Friday--8 hours.
Pretty scary...but most of the class only shows up for half of the lactures b/c we get all the lecture notes and we have class note takers. personally, i attend half of the lectures and am doing prefectly fine. I have some friends who don't show up for a single class and only come to take the test. as far as i can tell they are doing really well still.
The schedule is not always this crazy though. for instance for the mini block during fall, we only had 3 hours of class per day for about a month.
All in all though, i must admit that we do have quite a bit of lecture hours.
Whatever happened to haha, or hee hee, or tee hee? I'll have to ponder a bit more whether I like this che che che business!!
