UCSD SOM Class of 2010

Hey, I'll join this thread! While I'm still not sure which school I'm going to go
to, UCSD is a favorite of mine because of the location. Close to friends and family and the beach! I've been checking out the craigslist apartment postings ever since I got an interview. I soooo badly want to live in pacific beach or any place where I can walk to the beach!

 

No one else has been accepted or wants to join our class thread?!

 

i want to, unfortunately, i'm swimming in the acceptable pool at the moment!

 

I just got a " hold for interview" we will see...

Santa Cruz Slug

 

You lucky bastards that got in... It's so depressing, I just don't see that many people turning down UCSD to make space for us in the acceptable pool. The only people who might do it are people who get into UCSF, UCLA, and maybe Harvard. I don't even know if anyone would turn down UCSD for Stanfurd. Damn the beach and the attractive public tuition. I'm so screwed.

 

UCSD definitely gets a lot of consideration due to the proximity to the ocean. I have a Lost 6'6" fish that's been hibernating for a year that would definitely go to good use.

My biggest concern is the mountains (or lack thereof). Big Bear is a good 3.5 hour drive, which would be a huge pain in the arse.

If UCSD would only videotape their lectures, it would be a no-brainer for me...is anyone else planning to ditch class and self-study?

 

Hey fellow (possible) UCSDers! Congrats on getting in too!

I was wondering is anyone concerned about how hard the classes are at UCSD? The location and tuition are definitely attractive but I'm wondering if anyone has any opinion on the med school program itself?

 

I don't see how the classes are harder at UCSD than at any other med schools.

 

a bit ago, i attended a forum that had students from UCSD, Dartmouth, Wash U and a couple of other schools. when they all compared their coursework, the ucsd kids talked a lot about how tough their classes were while the other kids talked a lot about how similar their classes were to courses they took in college. also, when i interviewed (at UCSD), my interviewer told me the professors tend to teach waay more detail than is necessary for medical school. that being said, they still have excellent board scores....

 

UCSD doesn't tape lectures? That sucks. If that's the case, I don't understand why they "require" a computer with pretty ridiculous configuration specs. I was gonna buy another computer before med school anyway, but everything on the list is pretty much double what I've got in my current computer, which is working just fine for any type of schoolwork imaginable. Maybe they think I'll need to blow off steam by playing video games? How thoughtful of them.

 

hm i had no idea that lectures arent taped. that's a bummer, considering they have so much lecture hours the first year too.

is there a note taking service then?

and is anyone looking at housing options yet? =)

 

It's true that we do not have taped lectures. However, that doesn't seem to cause any problems because 1. our syllabus is excellent and contain everything you need to learn. 2. there is a class notetaker and everyone gets the notes for FREE and 3. We have 3 full-time professional tutors that hold review sessions/office hours everyday if you have problems.

I recall that we have a "recommended computer requirement." As a first year, you don't need anything fancy. As long as your computer has the basic programs (word, acrobat, etc), you should be fine.

Regarding lecture hours, it's a myth that we are lecture-heavy. There was a study done several years ago that looked at how many hours students spend in lecture. Among the CA schools, UCSD has the second fewest lecture hours. You will be shown the results to this study in orientation.

Regarding housing, don't worry about it until July. There are plenty of vacant apartments around the UTC area.

 

I will add some fresh blood to this thread. SDNstud, it looks like I will be following your exact steps. I graduated from Berkeley in December and am starting at SD in the fall...I apologize for my lack of originality. I'm looking forward to second look weekend and getting to clarify some of these questions about housing, class time, etc.

 

Welcome!

Anyone who goes to 2nd look will have to post their impressions and thoughts since I won't be able to go.

 

Just got accepted about 2 and a half weeks ago...I'm pretty excited I might be moving back to San Diego. So is anyone excited about April 21st-22nd?

 

I'm really excited about having been accepted and congrats to everyone else as well! The prospect of returning to La Jolla after being away for 7 years is pretty exciting, as are the parent-sponored meals that would be available...

It's hard to admit on this thread, but I'm still on the fence. I didn't get to spend much time on campus during my interview, and I just received an acceptance to Yale. I'm still waiting to hear from UCSF. Anyone else in a similar spot?

 

I'm not going to UCSD next year, but it will be a very sad day when I have to leave Pacific Beach. I don't think anywhere compares to how sick PB is, and San Diego in general. Believe me after one 4th of July at the beach (with 100,000 of your closest friends) and a PB block party (if it's not cancelled this year) it will totally sell you on this place. Congrats to all of you.

 

Congrats all!

They're looking for student hosts now so I imagine you'll hear about that very soon...

 

Hey future UCSD med students! I'm a current MS1 at UCSD. I wanted to first congratulate you on your acceptance to UCSD. It is a totally kickass school (I'm so glad I chose it over SF and LA - nice weather/beaches and awesome clinical/research opportunities = happy med students; in fact, a good amount of us turned down SF, LA, Stanford and Harvard for the awesomeness of UCSD).

If you can come to the Welcome Back Day (a.k.a 2nd look day) I would highly suggest it - it's a great time to chill on the beach, meet some med students, and learn more about what the next 4 years are going to be like.

Yup UCSD has no taped lectures, but like SDNstud says (and he IS a stud - he's my ICM partner) the syllabi are awesome, AND there is a sweet notetaking and tutorial service. Basically, classmates and paid tutorial people write up notes and also hold comprehensive review sessions, office hours, and practice exams.

If anyone needs any help or info on anything about UCSD or SD, lemme know. Us MS1's are always down to chill with ya.

 

Around La Jolla: there is of course La Jolla Shores, Torrey Pines State Beach, tons of restaurants in downtown La Jolla; people go to eat a lot in hillcrest at places like Phil's BBQ, Bombay, etc...there are also a lot of bars and clubs there as well as coffee shops to study. In PB, PB Bar and Grill is a big party spot for cheap beer and tacos...pretty much anywhere in PB there is a party always going on and a lot of nightclubs and bars. There are tons of good restaurants there and in Little Italy if you like Italian, or perhaps Old Town for Mexican. In Downtown, the Gaslamp has a ton of bars, great restaurants and clubs. Ole Madrid, Decos, and On Broadway are the most popular clubs, as well as W. Downtown also has Petco Park for Padres Games. Coronado and Mission Bay have some cool beaches and nice hang out spots as well, and there is always the SD Zoo, Balboa Park, Sea World, and the Wild Animal Park, as well as 4 or 5 huge malls and shopping outlets to keep people busy. If you are into food of the Asian persuasion, check out Convoy Street - complete with a ton of great Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnameses places, as well as a bunch of Asian supermarkets and karaoke bars.

Our 2009 class is pretty active physically - a lot of them run, swim, surf, and play soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball, even IM water polo as a class! some of them are even taking martial arts and dance classes together. they are also involved in a lot of service/volunteering/md school clubs and extra-curriculars. Many of us visit restaurants on weekends together to experience the local flavor of SD food and nightlife.

 

Has anyone applied for housing yet? Where are you guys considering? Are people looking for roommates?

 

I was wondering about the class schedule- when do students take electives, how many do they have to take and what are the different options? The only one I know about is the free clinic (which sounds cool).

 

Electives time is Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. You're required to complete 21 "units" in two years, and the definition of a "unit" is somewhat arbitrary.

For instance an elective that takes 3 hrs/wk for 10 weeks might be 3 units, whereas you can get 2 units just for going to an elementary school for an hour (one time) and telling kids not to smoke. You also get a unit during orientation for doing this nutrition thing that takes an hour or two.

This isn't completely up-to-date but will give you an idea: http://meded.ucsd.edu/Catalog/overview/electives.html (ignore the 400-level courses)

You can also take one undergraduate course for elective credit.

 

Elective classes vary from a ton of preceptorships in just about any medical specialty you can imagine (ie. orthopedics, emergency med, pediatrics, etc etc), classes on neuroscience, lab medicine, pharmacological drugs, medical journals, as well as really unique classes like medical spanish/chinese/japanese, medical hypnosis, wilderness medicine, surgical art, and of course the free clinic! you can also get elective credit for DOC (Doctors Ought to Care), where you teach schoolkids stuff about sex ed, alcohol, AIDS, etc, as well as credit as "reading quarters" and "research quarters" when you do the ISP. Most people get their 21 units done before the end of first year (nobody cares about the units - they are just there to make sure that you don't just bum around for your whole time in med school) and still take electives in the 2nd year, becausee there are so many interesting ones and they are a great break from the academic classes. If you don't want to take tons of electives, you can just get yer 21 done and go lay on the beach for the rest of the time

 

Im in! Im in! Finally I know exactly where I am going to med school! What a looong process. I just got a call from dean kelly yesterday and am so excited. I went to UCSD for undergrad, grew up in the bay area, and still can't get enough of california. im hoping that meeting new classmates at sd will make the experience fun and interesting. looking forward to it!

 

Hi, all. I finally got a phone call from Dean Kelly today! I'm so excited and really happy for my family. I already started to think about working at the free clinic, doing some community outreach, and setting up (or finding) preceptorship for my electives. Really glad to see all of you here and look forward to meeting you all in person in Aug!

 

got an email today! Thanks to whoever turned them down to go to Stanford or wherever.... cause I'm in!

 

I gotta say that the rumored misery of students in the first 2 years is kinda freaking me out. Does anyone have experiences that confirm or deny?

 

Hi,
I was just wondering if anyone else was looking for a roommate for off-campus housing in La Jolla . . .
I can't wait to meet all of you
Lindsey

 

I just accepted Dean Kelly's offer, so I guess that means that I'll be going to UCSD! The students on my tour indicated that you basically need to be expecting a baby to get off of the housing waitlist for the first year. Is that the case? Where is everyone looking to live?

Any road cyclists and/or beginning surfers out there in the 1st year class?

 

The housing waitlist is very strange.

One thing that worked for someone was to say on the application they needed housing by some random date in July (this year). This led to a spot in Del Sol after only a few months on the list.

This probably won't work for Mesa, and definitely not for Coast.

Later this summer, you'll get access to the med student housing forum, which is probably the best way to get a spot in subsidized housing.

 

i was just offered a spot in the single grad housing (after only ~2 months on the waitlist) but they won't let me see the place before I sign a year lease which starts in july. i also won't know my roommates until august. i'm not sure if it is worth the low rent.

 

Hey guys, we need to spice this thread up! I was hoping more people from the entering class would be posting on this thread- and maybe add a little info about themselves? I really want to get to know our classmates... you guys may be the only thing keeping me sane once school starts! Im 23 years old grew up in walnut creek or the east bay and went to school at ucsd. I am currently back in my home town doing mindless work, traveling, hanging out with friends, and relaxing for the summer. I am driving down to san diego for the weekend to look for housing. i definitely dont want to live in the on campus dorms and the waiting list for off campus housing is pretty ridiculous. Im thinking of buying a 2 Bedroom/bath near campus either in carmel valley, utc, or la jolla (if its not outrageously expensive). I want to live with a fellow med student if possible to share some fun experiences with. i am pretty laid back and dont take life too seriously. i want to live with someone who is neat, doesnt smoke, studies quietly, and who likes to have a good time once in a while! how many of you are living in the bay area? i think it'd be fun to have a get together or meet up sometime before school starts. anyone interested???!
-Cindy
[email protected]

 

If anyone in the bay area wants to meet up for a beer, pm me! It's gonna be a looooong time until the end of August.

 

wow what a short thread we have. can't wait to meet you guys this august

 

okay, I will do my part to keep our thread on the front page!! I'm in La Jolla right now living the lazy life and enjoying the sun...let me just say that with exception of the a**-kicking our professors are going to give us we are going to have a great four years here. If anyone wants to hang out or wants suggestions on different apartment complexes (I've looked at almost every single one down here) PM me and we can get together. I look forward to meeting everyone!

-terra16

P.S. thanks for the compliment zzyzx, you're pretty cool yourself

 

Anyone looking for a roommate to live close to campus?

 

Hi, it's been a while that I visited this thread. I have been busy myself moving close to the school and taking a vacation. I'm a non-traditional old student who is married with two children. (I'm the mom). Is there anyone with non-trad, older, or married, or with significant others kind of background? I'm excited about meeting with my classmates and willing to start making friends. Please feel free to PM me or reply me so that we can get to know each other.

Also, did you guys all finish fill out the forms on the web? Some of them were due by today and I'm not sure which one I filled in..Ha ha. Maybe I should go figuire out and finish up whatever is left. Enjoy the rest of the summer and see you soon!

 

Hi all,

I'm also a married student starting ucsd this fall. No kids though, not quite ready for that yet. I'm currently taking the summer program so i've gotten a brief summary of what fall quarter will be like. Turns out we start at 9 am until thanksgiving!! Then it switches to 8am. At least this is the tentative schedule we were given today.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer,
See everyone during orientation!

 

OMG. It's such a great news! At least I can take my kids to school before I go to school. Could you tell us more about the summer classes? Maybe I should have taken them. What subject have you covered, how are the instructors, lecture notes, etc.. Maybe I should sit in the rest of the summer classes.

 

I've really enjoyed being in the summer program so far. It's was great for people like me that have been out of school for a year, and needed to get back into the groove of studying regularly.

The three major catagories are physiology, immunology and some molecular biology. The physiology has included cardiac function and now we've moved to pulmonary stuff. The program is taught by the tutorial staff and I think they are great. Steve and April are the main teachers and they both really know the material. Also they have tons of energy which helps too! Aside from the fact we have one midterm a week, the summer course has gone by smoothly.

 

Hola everyone,

Got off the waitlist a while ago while I was bouncing around Europe. I'm back in SD now, enjoying(?) the heat and humidity. Hope y'all are enjoying your summers...see you in a month!

 

Thanks for the detail info. I'm glad that I didn't take the summer course. One midterm a week! I don't think I need them until the school starts. Well, to be honest with you, I wish I took the course but I don't mind hanging out with kids and building a strong relationship with my kids and hubby before the school starts. I might feel a little bit behind in terms of knowing all the material (I'm not a science major.). But I don't mind trying and getting stressed out a little bit in order to catch up with everybody. That's what school's for! Enjoy your rest of summer class and share some of the knowledge with me when I have tons of questions. See you all in a month!

 

I was just curious, did any of you interview anytime after February 1st?