UCSF SOM class of 2009

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jellybean3 said:
I'm a Cal grad also. Yeah I remember when I interviewed the guide told me (also Berkeley grad) there were about 30% Berkeley + Stanford grads.

For those who are familiar with the city's districts, what do you think is the safer districts? Is inner sunset (UCSF) a safe place?

BTW should we have already sent off the UCSF Fin Aid 05~06 form already? Just wondering because they said somewhere to submit it ASAP after you receive your admittance. Hope I'm not late.


Hey guys;

I'm an MSI here at UCSF so I'm going to try to answer some of these questions.

As far as the SF districts, as long as you stay out of the Tenderloin and the Mission, you're in good hands. Inner Sunset is safe and is where a lot of the students live. Students also live in Cole Valley, which is on the opposite side of campus in relation to the inner sunset, quieter, more family-like. People also live in the Haight. In my opinion, you want to be close to school, driving/parking is out of the question and taking the bus all the time sucks up precious time.

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urocket said:
Hey guys;

I'm an MSI here at UCSF so I'm going to try to answer some of these questions.

As far as the SF districts, as long as you stay out of the Tenderloin and the Mission, you're in good hands. Inner Sunset is safe and is where a lot of the students live. Students also live in Cole Valley, which is on the opposite side of campus in relation to the inner sunset, quieter, more family-like. People also live in the Haight. In my opinion, you want to be close to school, driving/parking is out of the question and taking the bus all the time sucks up precious time.

What's so bad about Mission Bay?

I'm sorry, but I don't know much about the Bay Area. I applied for housing there at the new complex, but after reading some comments on this thread, I am not sure about living there anymore. :scared:
 
I live in the area (although I have nothing to do with UCSF), so maybe I can help clarify a little.

Mission Bay is literally being brought up from the dust. UCSF Mission Bay, circa 2002, was a big dirt lot with some abandoned industrial buildings in the area. The area surrounding it had more character... but it was also more crime ridden. Straight to the west of Mission Bay is the very culturally diverse area known as "the Mission" (NOT Mission Bay); traditionally the hispanic region of SF, it also became ground-zero for the counter/artist-culture during the Dot-Com boom years. It's a cute, commercial area with lots of great restaurants, bars... and small apartments for artist types. It also has a well-deserved reputation for crime. It's not a gang-bang area, but it still does see a fair share of drug-related shootings, robberies, assaults, prostitution, etc. I wouldn't live here, but it's a fun place to bar-hop.

The area to the south/southwest of Mission Bay is Potrero Hill. This is more residential, and did pretty well in picking up loft/urban housing developments during the dot-com boom... so many cute loft developments left around. The area just isn't very heavily populated however... feels a bit like a zombie development area. I'd consider living here, but I'd also pick my neighborhood here carefully. (Someone was just shot/killed in a Potrero nightclub last night.)

Now, the area *north* of UCSF Mission Bay is where you really want to live if money is less of an object... the area known as "South Beach" squeezes in along the Embarcadero/King St., right in front of Pacbell (er, SBC?) Park. The entire area is about 2 years old, and packed with gorgeous view-condos, a new urban-design supermarket, Borders, chic European furniture boutiques, etc... all the toys you could possibly want and more.

All 3 of these areas are anywhere from 2-15 blocks from UCSF Mission Bay, and within walking or biking distance.

PS. Oh, and Tenderloin is north of Market. This is where the chronic homeless live w/ lots of crack+meth usage, prostitution, and the worst of San Francisco's social ills. Avoid living here, heck... avoid *coming* here if at all possible. (I've seen public bus drivers assaulted in broad daylight. It's just not a happy place unless you're a very urban kid.)
 
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Yikes! For folks looking for San Francisco neighborhoods, I would _strongly_ recommend trying to find someone you know personally and asking their opinion. San Francisco, like NY, LA or any other major city, has neighborhoods that each have a personality and a lot of character.

Unfortunately, there is also a lot of subjectivity and stereotyping. For instance, UCSF is in the Inner Sunset. Some folks find the neighborhood charming and very comfortable; others find it boring and lilly white. The Haight is also nearby, which some find lively and fun, others find it dirty and loads of homeless.

Note that the Mission and Mission Bay are very different. The Mission is a popular place to live and you'll see lots of adverts for rentals there (it's quite big). It's a predominantly Latino neighborhood, which of course makes folks interpret that it's crime ridden. There is a fair bit of crime there (far more than the Sunset, but about the same as the Haight), but it's grossly exagerrated. Note that this is true of any non-white neighborhood in SF. Even the Tenderloin isn't near as bad as people say. I've lived in the Mission and Tenderloin both. The Mission I'd recommend to the open minded and savvy, the Tenderloin is not for the faint of heart.

If you have not personal contacts in San Francisco, if you stay within walking distance of UCSF, you will be fine as far as neighborhoods are concerned. Try to get a place with a month to month lease, giving you freedom.

If you've ever lived in a big city, you'll find San Francisco is a cakewalk as far as urban problems such as gangs, drugs and crime are concerned. If this is your first forray into an urban area, San Francisco has training wheels.
 
Thanks so very much for the invaluable insight on living options!
 
Notdeadyet,

Thanks for your pointers. It helps to have broad perspectives of the different areas. I've lived in cities before so I think I'd be aright anywhere. No one really says much about the on campus housing. What's that like? I'd stayed with someone in the Aldea coimmunity. It seemed quiet and convenient....

notdeadyet said:
Yikes! For folks looking for San Francisco neighborhoods, I would _strongly_ recommend trying to find someone you know personally and asking their opinion. San Francisco, like NY, LA or any other major city, has neighborhoods that each have a personality and a lot of character.

Unfortunately, there is also a lot of subjectivity and stereotyping. For instance, UCSF is in the Inner Sunset. Some folks find the neighborhood charming and very comfortable; others find it boring and lilly white. The Haight is also nearby, which some find lively and fun, others find it dirty and loads of homeless.

Note that the Mission and Mission Bay are very different. The Mission is a popular place to live and you'll see lots of adverts for rentals there (it's quite big). It's a predominantly Latino neighborhood, which of course makes folks interpret that it's crime ridden. There is a fair bit of crime there (far more than the Sunset, but about the same as the Haight), but it's grossly exagerrated. Note that this is true of any non-white neighborhood in SF. Even the Tenderloin isn't near as bad as people say. I've lived in the Mission and Tenderloin both. The Mission I'd recommend to the open minded and savvy, the Tenderloin is not for the faint of heart.

If you have not personal contacts in San Francisco, if you stay within walking distance of UCSF, you will be fine as far as neighborhoods are concerned. Try to get a place with a month to month lease, giving you freedom.

If you've ever lived in a big city, you'll find San Francisco is a cakewalk as far as urban problems such as gangs, drugs and crime are concerned. If this is your first forray into an urban area, San Francisco has training wheels.
 
Hi again,

Just wondering if a current M1 could comment about the structure of your days/weeks at UCSF. The website gives the broad picture of how the blocks are sequenced, and what the missions are. I interested in knowing the formal logistics of your days/weeks. Things like what time your days start, do you have an afternoon or (noons) off, is there time to unwind or maybe start some research? Just looking for some insight. Thanks.
 
aeneid said:
Notdeadyet,

Thanks for your pointers. It helps to have broad perspectives of the different areas. I've lived in cities before so I think I'd be aright anywhere. No one really says much about the on campus housing. What's that like? I'd stayed with someone in the Aldea coimmunity. It seemed quiet and convenient....
Aldea is a lovely spot if you can stand the weather. Nice and quiet, zero crime, a quick walk to UCSF and if you're feeling frisky, a quick stroll to the bars, restaurants and coffee houses of Haight, Cole Valley and Inner Sunset.

If anyone has any specific questions about places to live in San Francisco, please let me know. I've lived in the Bay Area all of my adult life, in SF since 1994. I've lived in lots of different neighborhoods in the City with an open mind, so I'd be happy to give opinions and links to more info. Feel free to PM me as well. You'll all be moving to one of the finest cities in the world, trust me...
 
Sorry to be such a bother, but has anyone been to the new UCSF Mission Bay campus? Is the area really that bad?

For me, the big plus of living here is the new housing, comfortable atmosphere, and a consistent reliable landlord (i.e., UCSF).

Would it be stupid to live at the new Mission Bay housing complex and to take the shuttle every day to Parnassus?
 
Tra La La said:
Sorry to be such a bother, but has anyone been to the new UCSF Mission Bay campus? Is the area really that bad?

For me, the big plus of living here is the new housing, comfortable atmosphere, and a consistent reliable landlord (i.e., UCSF).

Would it be stupid to live at the new Mission Bay housing complex and to take the shuttle every day to Parnassus?

umm...i wouldnt live at mission bay as a med student. i work at mission bay now and the housing looks nice, the ucsf mission bay campus is nice, but there isnt much around here, besides many homeless people and the railroad tracks. if i get into ucsf (i am waiting to hear back post-interview, doesnt look good though since i interviewed first week of january), i would NOT live in the mission bay units. san francisco is a great place to live and staying at mission bay would take away from that. if you dont mind having to drive everywhere, then maybe it wont be so bad. also, public transit isnt so great. there are the few ucsf shuttles and one MUNI bus line that come here. new, cheap housing is wonderful, however, since you spend all of med school at parnassus and the mission bay area sucks (unless you have a desire to see lots of ballgames), i would definitely get an apartment in the city in a nice sf neighborhood (there are tons). when you come for revisit, you should check out the area. take the shuttle from parnassus (about 15 minute ride) and take a peak at the area.
 
btowngirl said:
umm...i wouldnt live at mission bay as a med student. i work at mission bay now and the housing looks nice, the ucsf mission bay campus is nice, but there isnt much around here, besides many homeless people and the railroad tracks. if i get into ucsf (i am waiting to hear back post-interview, doesnt look good though since i interviewed first week of january), i would NOT live in the mission bay units. san francisco is a great place to live and staying at mission bay would take away from that. if you dont mind having to drive everywhere, then maybe it wont be so bad. also, public transit isnt so great. there are the few ucsf shuttles and one MUNI bus line that come here. new, cheap housing is wonderful, however, since you spend all of med school at parnassus and the mission bay area sucks (unless you have a desire to see lots of ballgames), i would definitely get an apartment in the city in a nice sf neighborhood (there are tons). when you come for revisit, you should check out the area. take the shuttle from parnassus (about 15 minute ride) and take a peak at the area.

Thanks for the advice! It's always nice to have some inside insight.

G'luck on hearing back from UCSF! I'm rooting for you. :luck:
 
Hey yall,

Current MSI here, just was browsing the forums (for old times sake) and wanted add my congrats for getting into UCSF. Honestly, I think you guys are going to really like it here. I definitely do and I can't imagine what it would have been like to go anywhere else. ;)

Alright, take care and good luck to anyone who's still waiting to hear back!
 
I posted this before, but I'll try again. Do you guys know that UCSF hands out few Dean's Scholarships every year? They have told me they were going to announce the recipients within couple of weeks. Anyone hear anything?
 
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any of you sign up for the yosemite trip yet?

Anyway getting a little hesitant of the mission bay housing now that a lot of people have said it isn't so hot.

lastly for those of you taking finals (quarter system) good luck.
 
Has anyone heard anything from Financial Aid? I never received notice that my file was complete but I assume everything's all there since I personally took everything to their office! I'm just wondering because I've already received an award letter from another school...
 
i77ac said:
I posted this before, but I'll try again. Do you guys know that UCSF hands out few Dean's Scholarships every year? They have told me they were going to announce the recipients within couple of weeks. Anyone hear anything?

nope...not yet. i'm kinda hoping that these scholarships do exist. it'd be nice to have some extra money in my pocket if i were lucky enough to get one. i'll let you know if i hear anything though
 
Does anyone know if the scholoarship is only for in-state students only?

NorCalGirl said:
Has anyone heard anything from Financial Aid? I never received notice that my file was complete but I assume everything's all there since I personally took everything to their office! I'm just wondering because I've already received an award letter from another school...
 
Has anyone heard about the Dean's Scholarships offered at UCSF? I know someone asked, but I didn't see a response to the question of whether they're just for in-state students....

...Also, I received some news that they will give an estimate financial aid package without getting a lender. I think they realize that many of us will base our decision on financial aid, so they're not going to request the MPN from our lender until its time for the official package to be generated....

Holla back anyone with the 411...
 
anyone know when we should expect financial aid packages to arrive? i'm hoping soon, but i've heard that some schools send the packages after the 15th.
 
notdeadyet said:
Aldea is a lovely spot if you can stand the weather. Nice and quiet, zero crime, a quick walk to UCSF and if you're feeling frisky, a quick stroll to the bars, restaurants and coffee houses of Haight, Cole Valley and Inner Sunset.

Just wanted to mention that a large chunk of the single studio apartments at Aldea are being demolished this summer (along with Turk) so they will not be available for this upcoming Fall. Another complex of studio apartments owned by UCSF is in the process of being constructed right next to campus on 3rd Avenue and Irving, and should be done by Fall 2006 I believe.
 
NorCalGirl said:
Has anyone heard anything from Financial Aid? I never received notice that my file was complete but I assume everything's all there since I personally took everything to their office! I'm just wondering because I've already received an award letter from another school...


DO NOT ASSUME anything with UCSF. I was told today that my app had not been received even though I sent it over a month ago and had even confirmed it 3 weeks ago with someone in the office! They finally found it after a few hours, but no work has been done on it since it was missing. You should give them a call and make sure it got filed properly. I called about the Dean's Scholarships and they said that they would be decided in a few weeks!
 
the other Dr. said:
DO NOT ASSUME anything with UCSF. I was told today that my app had not been received even though I sent it over a month ago and had even confirmed it 3 weeks ago with someone in the office! They finally found it after a few hours, but no work has been done on it since it was missing. You should give them a call and make sure it got filed properly. I called about the Dean's Scholarships and they said that they would be decided in a few weeks!

Gosh, thanks for letting us know... sorry about your application! (They make us fill out all that paperwork and then lose it or take their time sitting on it!) I just called them right now and thankfully, my stuff is complete. The woman said the next thing we should be expecting is a confirmation letter in the next few weeks and then an official offer in the first week of May. We'll see!
 
Does anyone know the schedule for the 2nd look? I know it's the May 6th and 7th, but don't know when it starts. Can someone post?
 
Actually, it's May 7-8. And this is what the email said: (probably more info than you needed, but what the heck?) :)

"Breakfast and check in will be 8:00 - 8:40 a.m. in the Nursing Building
in room N-225. To get there, enter the Medical Sciences Building at
513 Parnassus, walk through the lobby and up the stairs on the right
side, exit the building through the double-glass doors at the top of the
stairs, and walk across the courtyard to the Nursing Building. Although
there will be signs to direct you, please consult the campus map for
directions.

A map of the campus may be found at:
http://www.ucsf.edu/campuses/maps/parnassus.html

The activities on Sunday will conclude at 2:00 p.m.

Public parking will be available in the Millberry Union garage. The
cost will be $3 on Saturday and $3 on Sunday. When you check in for the
program, you will receive a packet of information, which will include a
parking permit entitling you to the $3 discount for parking on Saturday
and Sunday. You can submit this permit to the parking attendant upon
exit.

If you requested housing, a current medical student will be contacting
you shortly to make arrangements.

If you have any questions about the weekend, please contact Gabrielle
Fisher at 415-514-1390 or [email protected]."
 
on mother's day?
that is odd.

Did they mention what the dress code is? or is it just going to be casual.
BTW 3 months till school is almost approaching so start preparing to get TB tests and your other immunization records ready.
 
Hey everyone -- I was just accepted last week and am just now starting to think about financial aid considerations for a few schools... i already did my fafsa and had it sent to ucsf... what else do i need to send in and where do i get the forms?

thanks -- and i can't wait to see everyone at second look!

p.s. anyone have any clue what % of ucsf kids are out of state?
 
Mateodaspy said:
p.s. anyone have any clue what % of ucsf kids are out of state?

They seem to aim for approximately 20% non-California residents. However, there are quite a few students who weren't California residents but became California residents after college so in reality there are more than 20% not from California despite approximately just 20% not having California residency.
 
NorCalGirl said:
Gosh, thanks for letting us know... sorry about your application! (They make us fill out all that paperwork and then lose it or take their time sitting on it!) I just called them right now and thankfully, my stuff is complete. The woman said the next thing we should be expecting is a confirmation letter in the next few weeks and then an official offer in the first week of May. We'll see!
I also called and, unfortunately, they had not received my FAFSA. For some reason, the other schools I had designated did receive it--in the end, however, they found out that someone had incorrently entered my SSN into the system. Now I'm ok.
 
So I called the financial aid office yesterday to check whether my application was complete. The secretary who answered said that everything was complete and that all I needed to do was wait for my confirmation and award letter arriving soon. However, today I got a letter from the office telling me that I haven't turned in my promissory note. Same thing happen to anyone?
 
202 said:
So I called the financial aid office yesterday to check whether my application was complete. The secretary who answered said that everything was complete and that all I needed to do was wait for my confirmation and award letter arriving soon. However, today I got a letter from the office telling me that I haven't turned in my promissory note. Same thing happen to anyone?

Hmm... so I just called home (where I get my mail) and my brother said I got a letter saying my parents' info is incomplete and they need to sign a form declaring their assets?! (I also called the office last week, and they said I was complete) I thought I provided all the parental info they needed on those supplemental forms. Apparently not! What is going on over there?? :thumbdown:
 
I remember my own financial aid woes- they kept on telling me to wait, then by Aug.1- still no package, I called and harassed them until someone actually looked me up and realized my app hadn't been processed yet because they claimed to have been missing some form I had already sent in. But not to worry- after that little mishap was cleared up, I had a check in the mail within 2 weeks.

Also, I don't think any of the 1st years are even considering Mission Bay housing....take that as a clue. Who wants to live that far away from school when it's time for an 8am required class? A good alternative is to wait a bit and contact some current first years, or second years that will need roomates for the upcoming year. There are lots of us (I'm going to be looking for one) and most of us live close to campus, and it would almost be like a built-in big sib. Check out the UCSF housing website, or make some contacts during second look weekend. Whatever you do, don't be concerned because you can def find a place near campus for $600-800/mo and enjoy your OWN room (priceless).
 
Since I saw there are replies from a few current UCSF students, I was wondering if you guys can give me some advice.
I interviewed at the end of Feb and I still haven't heard anything from them, so I assumed it's either a rejection or waitlist. I have sent in two additional letters fo recommendation a few weeks ago already, but apparently that's not good enough. Thus, I am thinking about writing a letter of intent to UCSF. Do you think that will make a difference? I got accepted to HMS, but UCSF is clearly my number one choice. Do you think I should mention my acceptance to HMS in my letter? Or do you think that's kind of snobbish?
 
I don't know how admission procedures work, so please take my advice with a grain of salt. I can't tell you if the letter of intent will help, but I can tell you with some confidence that it will not hurt. If UCSF is really your dream school, then what do you have to lose? Make sure the admissions office knows you will matriculate for sure if they offer you one of those precious spots (believe me, they don't like to get rejected either).

As for name-dropping, I don't know that I recommend mentioning your acceptance to HMS. The majority of students at UCSF were holding multiple acceptances from other top 10 schools (I believe for our class, avg was 7 other med school acceptances). What I'm getting at is that a HMS acceptance will not impress them, and if anything, may even deter them from offering you a spot. (Again, this is just my own opinion). If I was on the comittee, I would think you already had a great acceptance, so why not give someone else the opportunity. I don't know that this is what they would think, but I'm just getting to the fact that I don't see how much mentioning this would help. For the most part, they are already assuming you have other acceptances, so it wouldn't change anything in the way that they read your letter of intent.


Good luck!

P.S. The point is that you should def write an honest and concise letter of intent!
 
Thanks for your reply.

Do u know in general when do people get pull off from the waitlist at UCSF? Can u estimate how many people at your class were waitlisted before?


Frizzled said:
I don't know how admission procedures work, so please take my advice with a grain of salt. I can't tell you if the letter of intent will help, but I can tell you with some confidence that it will not hurt. If UCSF is really your dream school, then what do you have to lose? Make sure the admissions office knows you will matriculate for sure if they offer you one of those precious spots (believe me, they don't like to get rejected either).

As for name-dropping, I don't know that I recommend mentioning your acceptance to HMS. The majority of students at UCSF were holding multiple acceptances from other top 10 schools (I believe for our class, avg was 7 other med school acceptances). What I'm getting at is that a HMS acceptance will not impress them, and if anything, may even deter them from offering you a spot. (Again, this is just my own opinion). If I was on the comittee, I would think you already had a great acceptance, so why not give someone else the opportunity. I don't know that this is what they would think, but I'm just getting to the fact that I don't see how much mentioning this would help. For the most part, they are already assuming you have other acceptances, so it wouldn't change anything in the way that they read your letter of intent.


Good luck!

P.S. The point is that you should def write an honest and concise letter of intent!
 
anyone else get their financial aid package in the mail yet? apparently i received my estimate yesterday at my home address. i'm praying it's less loan money and more grant/scholarship money!!!
 
I was told my package was sent out on the 22nd, and I still have not received it. I know I live on the East Coast, but I'm a little worried....So, the answer to your question is no, but they did say they had mailed out all completed packages late last week and early this week....I hope it's good news as well....

202 said:
anyone else get their financial aid package in the mail yet? apparently i received my estimate yesterday at my home address. i'm praying it's less loan money and more grant/scholarship money!!!
 
aeneid said:
I was told my package was sent out on the 22nd, and I still have not received it. I know I live on the East Coast, but I'm a little worried....So, the answer to your question is no, but they did say they had mailed out all completed packages late last week and early this week....I hope it's good news as well....
DAMN!!! I got a letter telling me that my application is incomplete...and I submitted it over a month ago. Sigh.
 
Just returned from the revisit weekend. I met a ton of amazing people! UCSF is an amazing place to learn medicine. I especially enjoyed the talk by Dr. Lowenstein.

Anyways, all the best to those of you who are decided on being there...and to those of us that are undecided...follow your bliss... :)

Take care,
Aeneid
 
Anyone know anything about the wait-list so far? I called a while back when my friend got in off the high priority in mid april. They told me that before May 15th they will send us something saying what part of the waitlist we are on or if we are rejected. Anyone gotten anything along those lines yet?
 
BUMP--What's new on the UCSF front?
 
Tra La La said:
BUMP--What's new on the UCSF front?

hey tra la la--where did you finally decide between SF and LA?
 
billybama said:
hey tra la la--where did you finally decide between SF and LA?

Hi! I'll be heading to UCSF...thanks for asking. And you? Where are you off to in the fall?

:luck:
 
iamoptimusprime said:
Anyone know anything about the wait-list so far? I called a while back when my friend got in off the high priority in mid april. They told me that before May 15th they will send us something saying what part of the waitlist we are on or if we are rejected. Anyone gotten anything along those lines yet?

Hi , i received a letter stating that I am in the top portion of the waiting list of about 100 people. Does anyone know how realistic an acceptance could be?

Any non-traditional applicant at UCSF out there? I am one.
 
How did you guys choose a lender from the list that the FAO provides? Unfortunately I have NO idea what the heck I'm doing... :confused:
 
joyful said:
How did you guys choose a lender from the list that the FAO provides? Unfortunately I have NO idea what the heck I'm doing... :confused:


Yo, I just chose medcap because I do all my stuff with wellsfargo. I think as long as you choose one that doesn't have an initial fee then they are pretty much the same. Some offer you different benefits when you are paying it off.

Are most people living alone or did most of you find roommates at second look?
 
Bear1220 said:
1. I'd suggest finding roommates. It's MUCH cheaper and that's what most students tend to do. If you do that, expect to pay anywhere from $600-1000 for your own bedroom. I live a couple blocks away and pay only $650 for my own bedroom. The housing market in the Bay Area has improved tremendously (for renters).

2. BART stops around midnight-ish but for all your traveling within the city, use the Muni. The N-Judah line (to and from the Parnassus campus) runs really late; it's got an owl service bus after the light rail shuts down around 1ish, which definitely has come in handy many times!

Hey, i was wondering if you could share something about your experience as an M1 at UCSF. I interviewed there but I am still on the waitlist. Can you tell me about your class composition in diversity ( I am non-traditional, too old to mention) and the curriculum? Is it true that they really cut down anatomy to the....bone?
 
Does UCSF have a listserv or website of some kind that would assist in finding roommates for the coming year? :)
 
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