UMD class of 2008

[biffbuddy]

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I am 99% sure that I will be attending UMD in the fall
anyone else planning on attending?- lets get to know each other!!

 

[bjolly]

hi! I'll be there! who else?

 

[priyapriya]

I'm 99.999% sure too

 

[biffbuddy]

hey priya and bjolly and welcome!!

let's also use this thread to post any questions or comments about UMD- I hope this can become a useful thread to both current applicants and next year's class

hopefully some current UMD'ers will jump on the bandwagon and help us out!

I'll start:

does anyone know of any international summer/elective opportunities or chances to do rotations at other schools? I really would like to go abroad first summer and possibly for a month rotation in third or 4th year - I would also love to go to new york city for anything

 

[thesaug]

Hey guys...i might be at UMD as well!

 

[Spitting Camel]

Biffbuddy,
Does this mean no Loyola for us? Congrats on having a choice as to where you are going!!

 

[MtsByondMts]

BiffBuddy, thesaug, and AlreadyinDebt: are you non-residents? I'm curious to hear what drew you to apply to Maryland and what made it your first choice.

 

[thesaug]

Hi MtsByondMts ,

Yes I am a non-resident...I am actually from Canada. The reason that I decided to apply to UMD was for the fact that I was interested in their program. I know its a very general answer, but after reading their website and what the school has to offer, I was drawn to it. You also get a lot of clinical experience at UMD through the large network of hospitals. Being located in Baltimore, the exposure you will get as a student to the number of different medical conditions out their is also quite large.

One other reason was that a student from my university here was accepted to UMD and has nothing but great comments for the school.

At this point, I dont have a first choice school. I am still undecided about which school I will ultimately choose.

 

[biffbuddy]

thanks alreadyindebt!! yeh, I think I am going to turn down loyola unless they give me an incredible aid package....

MtsBeyondMts....I am an in-state resident which is one of the huge draws of the school- I am deciding b/w there and loyola- I recently turned down a few interviews at nymc and drexel and withdrew from BU post interview (did not send in an interest letter after I was deferred till march decision) b/c I knew I would have picked UMD over them.

like any state school, money is a huge incentive- i love the idea of being in much less debt after graduation- but maryland is a great school - the hospital is amazing, they seem to have a very well put together program and I know that I can do well coming out of there. I prob wouldn't choose it as an out of state student b/c I would rather be in another city than baltimore (new york!) but its a good enough city to live in for four years. I was skeptical before i went on my interview, but i was very pleasantly surprised when i was there- my interviews went so well, the facilities are superb, and i really began to see myself there...

I don't really know what you are getting at, but I will say this- If I did not like the school, I would not choose it solely b/c its cheap- I would much rather be in debt and happy - I hope some of my future classmates have the same opinions!!!

 

[MtsByondMts]

Thanks biffbuddy and thesaug for your replies. I'm just interested in hearing why other people are interested in UMD so that I can add to my list of plusses. I'm a Maryland resident, and besides the cost and beautiful brand new facilities, what really attracts me to UMD is their HELPERS-PRO initiative. I think it's great that they are taking steps to reintroduce humanism to the medical field. I got the impression that they really seek out students who have demonstrated a sincere concern for others. The faculty really seem to care about their students as well. After comparing interview experiences with my friends who are applying or have applied to med school, it seems like this is a unique aspect of UMD.

 

[biffbuddy]

I also felt that UMD really stressed a humanistic aspect to medicine and I got the impression that they were really trying to sense my personal char's in the interview - i had almost no questions related to my academic studies.

Mtsbyondmts - have you decided you are going to maryland? I also had a lot of hesitation in my decision, similar to your own concerns, but I think that UMD will end up being a great place to be and to come out of for residency.

there has to be more than 4 people who have decided to go to UMD!!! come on people!!!!!

 

[Spitting Camel]

Mtsbyondmts,

I didn't apply to UMD... I just wanted to say congrats to my friend biffbuddy! Congrats to you too, if you got in and good luck if you haven't yet!

 

[DrSal]

Hey,

congrats on knowing where your going! it must feel great! UMD is my top choice actually. Do you mind sharing your stats, and your residency status? i'll be applying this cycle.

thanks, good luck, maybe i'll see you there next fall

 

[biffbuddy]

I was a political science major from a top 20 university
28Q MCAT
3.75 overall gpa
3.51 science
lots of EC's, community service, and research
maryland resident

good luck dr. sal in your app process next year!!!

 

[mcwmark]

Hey Everyone-

I'll be at U Maryland next year, though not as a med student, I'll be a resident in neurosurgery. congrats to all those that are going- from what I hear, you'll have a great 4 years (I'll have a great 7 years!).

If any of you have knowledge of the baltimore area and the (safe) places to live, I'd appreciate the info!

Mark

 

[FinallyOnMyWay]

Just thought I'd share some interesting info I just got from UMD about re-establishing residency during med school and qualifying for in-state tuition!

I live in D.C. and used to be a MD resident but thought I was going to be locked into my "out-of-state" status for all 4 years... Happily this is not the case.

Apparently, as long as you spend 12 mos (1st year of school) in MD, have your critical documents changed (voter regis., driver's license, etc.) you can re-establish yourself as a resident and get in-state tuition for the remaining 3 years. Woo hoo! NOTE: This is true for **previous residents** only. (And I guess you have to figure out a way to demonstrate previous residency, like income tax returns or something?)

I really liked Maryland when I visited - and I'm seriously considering it for next year - but I'm still waiting on a couple of decisions. It's great to hear from some potential classmates though - You guys sound cool!

 

[MtsByondMts]

biffbuddy: I haven't decided on Maryland for sure (I'm still waiting on a few other schools), but it's most likely where I'll be going.

mcwmark: Re: your question about housing, I found the following thread helpful: Housing in Baltimore near U of M. I'm not sure if you qualify or are interested in campus housing, but for those of you who are, I got this flier in the mail about a Campus Housing Fair next week. It's on Friday, 3/19 from 10am-2pm in the Student Union Lobby at 621 West Lombard Street. I called them b/c I'm working and can't make it, and they told me that there will be another fair in June (unfortunately also on a Friday). They also suggested visiting this web site: http://www.housing.umaryland.edu. The number you can call for more information is 410-706-7766. I hope this helps!

 

[Pelivar]

MCWMark,

I am a fourth year med student at UMD. Congrats at matching their for neurosurg, hopefully I'll be doing EM their so i can call you at 3 am from Shock trauma for all the traumatic brain injuries A lot of residents and students live in appartments in the 1-2 blocks around the hospital. The places are very nice and relativly safe being so close to the hospital and the inner harbor, but a little expensive. You can also live cheaper in townhouses a few blocks from the hospital or in nicer rowhouses in Federal Hill, Canton, or Fells Point. I live about 20 minutes south of the hospital in the suburbs. You can easily find good, not too expensive, suburban housing within 15-30 minutes from the hospital

The Rest,
Good luck at UMD. I loved my 4 years of med school (much more than I thought i would). We have some great faculty, a nice new hospital, and everyone has a good time. My class was always partying and having a great time together. Good luck!

-P

 

[tms]

I like to extend one of your first WELCOMES to one of the greatest medschools around. I'm a first year (yep...knee deep in neuroscience right now) and deciding to come to UMD is one of the best decisions I've made. I am a B-more native...and thought that another 4 years here would be miserable...but I was fortunatley mistaken.

First, UMD does a great job of picking out its class members. I have at least 10-12 new, instant best friends. Classmates who are dynamic, caring, and extremely supportive. We mesh like a tightly knit family. We study together...take trips together...yeah, Phili, Mexico, New Orleans, and soon, the Domincan. We definitely party together...and there are plenty of cool places to go in B-more...from your local watering hole type pubs to your swankier, "NYC" style places.

Second...class is over at noon...everyday. Twice a week we have afternoon obligations like PBL and ICP...but its no big deal. You'll appreciate the study time...starting at 1...trust me.

There are plenty of places to live...and live pretty cheap. Ridgely's Delight is 2 blocks from campus and is chock full 'o students. I live about 3 blocks from campus is a beautiful townhouse...rent 1100 (2br 2 bath)

Maryland also has some very active organizations...including our AMSA chapter which has been pinacle in getting exposure for the Maryland Health Care for All bill...

anywhoo...good luck for those who haven't made there decisions yet...and hopefully i'll see ya next year...look for the tall pollock that pimps the occassional cowboy hat.

if you have any questions...email me at [email protected]

troy


BTW...for those interested...your class, as of now, is 70% female...
mine is like 65%

go ladies....

 

[ATLdoc]

70% female!?! Well, count me in...

I usually just read SDN, but I figured if ever there was a post to chime in on, its is this one. I too will be at Maryland in the fall.

Troy-thanks for your post. I am actually going to be in Baltimore next week to check out places to live in the city. Do you rent your townhouse? How did you find it? Any advice for me next week? I've been focusing on the apartment communities near school b/c info on them is available on line.

MtsByondMts- I actually started the MD housing post you referred to b/c I am completely overwhelmed about where to live. My boyfriend and I are moving from Atlanta (I am a MD resident currently in the ATL for grad school). My big concern for him is that he will be starting a post-doc at NIH in Bethesda and I know the commute from Baltimore to Bethesda is INSANE.

Does anyone have any suggestions for apartment communities outside (south) of the city? I really want to live in the city close to school, but this may be a second option.

Its great to hear about all of you! BTW, Its about time we had a thread for U of MD class of 2008!

 

[priyapriya]

Hey Troy- Thanks for the welcome! I don?t think we?ve met before, but Jimmy and I worked in adjacent labs and I remember him mentioning your name. The last time I talked to him, he was going rock climbing, so it?s nice to know I?ll have time to do other stuff while in school

ATLdoc- What is the maximum amount of time you?re willing to put in for your commute to UMD? I?m at the NIH right now and I moved to Bethesda from College Park (which is much closer than Baltimore) because I didn?t want to deal with too much traffic. So I completely understand!

Thanks biffbuddy for starting this thread!

 

[biffbuddy]

no prob priya! we're starting to get some good representation on sdn - i like it! oh and by the way, Im also at the nih! building 10?

pelivar and tms- thanks for all the positive reinforcement! keep those positive vibes goin - i want these four years to be more than a "dreaded" time in my life call me crazy, but I actually am psyched to start school

hope there are more sdners who start jumpin in on this thread - its actually really important for me to have a good class - you guys sound cool as well - i hope there are more people comin that are ready to party hardy and study hard - in the words of tms, yeehaw

 

[tms]

hey ya UMB...what, what!

priya...J-Dubb is the coolest hawaiian I know...he's actually one of my best friend's up here.

and for all you social butterflies out there...no worries...we do quite the bit of going out...look forward to orientation and meet as many people as you can...

i'll prob be in charge of portion of your orientation planning and partying so....you're in good hands.

ALTdoc...try the umaryland.edu website...then search for the residency page..you know what..hold that thought...

http://www.housing.umaryland.edu/

also check the citypaper website for baltimore...not sure how that works cause almost every city has one and almost always directs you to their's but try citypaper.com as a start

also...the baltimoresun.com is a good paper to check

 

[priyapriya]

Hey biffbuddy,

I work for NIAID in the Twinbrook "campus" in Rockville (not much of a campus, considering it's like two small buildings, with weird-looking magenta roof thingies, if i may add).

You listed Atlanta for your location, so I assumed you were still there! I was in Atlanta two years ago when Maryland won the NCAA championship... loved the city (and the game, of course )

I hope we have a cool class too-- makes such a big difference!

 

[biffbuddy]

yeh, I have to update my location

guess what...I work for NIAID too!!! hahah - its a great place to be- dont know what the twinbrook site looks like, but a guy in my lab goes there a lot to use a big machine

and...I was also at that game! well, it was a lot easier for me to get them a friend was scalping them and i got them for free- plus, we moved down to awesome seats, which were the only two seats in the llower section that happened to be unoccupied- we kept praying no one would come to claim them!!

GO MARYLAND!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MtsByondMts]

Wow... I wonder how many of us are NIH'ers. I work for NCI, and am in Bldg 10 twice a week. We probably see each other all the time without knowing it.

 

[bjolly]

there are a lot of great neighborhoods in Baltimore where you can rent an apartment or house for less than downtown, and less than places closer to DC like Bethesda. Check out Charles Village, Hamilton, Lauraville to name a few. If you look at the www.livebaltimore.com website, they have profiles of different neighborhoods.

 

[meme_297]

Hey guys,
I work at the NIH 2. Building 10, and I'm still trying to finalize my decision but U MD may just be the place for me.

 

[tms]

I love the prospect of so many UMD basketball fans coming up herre' to UMB. I'm a TERP...class of 2002 (oh yeah...great year to graduate)!

I, also, freakishly worked a year at the NIA...and there are many previous post-bacc IRTAs in my class...awesome.

 

[bigbaubdi]

Hi everybody!

I may or may not be coming to UMD....Anyhow, I am a diehard Terps fan. How is this for being a diehard (and foolish) Terps fan - I refused to apply to any other ACC schools (especially Duke).

tms,

As a native Baltimorean and someone who is deeply concerned with universal health care, I am pretty curious about UMD's efforts on the Health Care for All bill. What kind of steps are UMD AMSA students taking to promote this bill?

 

[hale-bopp]

Hi guys
I'm another potential Maryland student (pending two more decisions). It's my favorite school that has accepted me so far, by far. I applied out-of-state, but I grew up in Maryland and my dad and brother live here now. I'm really happy about the possibility of getting In-State tuition after first year for former Maryland residents, it makes choosing maryland easier than it would be otherwise.

MtsByondMts, the reason I applied to MD as an out of state resident is mosly that I grew up here and I know and love the area (and am tired of New England winters). We also have some family friends who have gone there and had nothing but good things to say about the program. On my interview day, I was pretty impressed by everything, especially the hospital. One of my interviewers was also the best interviewer I had anywhere... best as in asking difficult, but insightful questions that made me think about my motivation for medicine. She really impressed me. I also thought that the financial aid guy was one of the friendliest and most approachable financial aid officers I met.

I feel sort of left out in this group by not working for NIAID in my year after college (I worked in Boston). I did a summer internship at NIAID years ago, though, does that count? (I forget the building number, but it was in the LPD, working with Giardia).

 

[joker]

hey guys..im considering UMD as well, but I am waiting to see what kind of money they offer. does anyone know if/when they give out full/half scholarships? i heard they give out recruitment scholarships...but i dont know when they do this??

 

[biffbuddy]

there are so many people wavering on maryland!!!! I hope I dont end up as the only member of the class of 2008

welcome hale-bopp and don't worry- we won't isolate you when you get here after all, you did work at NIAID for a summer ! funny thing is, there are all these nih'ers, but none of us know each other!

joker- im not aware of any scholarships given out by UMD- you can do a search on old UMD threads- i think they talk about this- but they do offer great financial aid, including 2-3000 in grants for almost everyone - there is also a maryland professional school scholarship (1000), but it was due march 1st I think, and if you are a MD resident you can get both delegate and senatorial scholarships from your reps ranging from 200- a few k
I saw on the penn thread that you are waiting your decision today - good luck! I guess that means that if you get in there, you wont be comin to UMD..

biff

 

[joker]

hey biff..thanks for the info...yeah i am waiting for Penn, it's my top choice. my second choice is Northwestern, where i have been accepted. While I liked MD, I would only go there if they offered me significant (like a full scholarship) grants.

I don't mean to bash UMD, because it is a solid school with great facilities. However, when I interviewed there, I wasn't impressed with the students there as I was at other schools like UPENN or NU. I know a lot of kids who went to MD and loved it, aside from the A-E grading scale. To those who are headed to MD, baltimore is a tight place...have fun!!

 

[bjolly]

there are so many people wavering on maryland!!!! I hope I dont end up as the only member of the class of 2008

not to worry, biffbuddy, I'll be there for sure. I'd better, since I didn't apply anywhere else!

see ya in August!
Beth

 

[tms]

hey BIG...

UMB has a VERY active AMSA chapter... and we have been working hand in hand with the chapter from the "other" med school across town on the healthcareforall bill. we had groups go down to annapolis for both the senate and the house hearings on the bill...as well as the big rally in january...where 6 of our students spoke on behalf of the bill. most of our officers as well as other members have worked with the maryland health care initiative...etc. our chapter is the bomb... we even organized a white coat rally in front of the hospital which was a tremendous success.

additionally, at the AMSA region 3 conference...we had one of the strongest showings of all amsa chapters.

we also have a group called physicians for social responsiblity which addresses many topics including availability of health care.

 

[bigbaubdi]

Great post, tms....Thanks for the info...I have saved it on to my hard drive!!!

 

[MtsByondMts]

Hi TMS:

Thanks for all your enthusiastic comments!

Do you know approx. what percentage of your class is made up of Maryland residents? Do a lot of people commute from the suburbs? I just hope everyone doesn't book it out of the city as soon as class is over, leaving me all by myself with no one to hang out with. I think the reason it concerns me is that we'll only be spending a couple of hours a day in the classroom.

It sounds like you have a really tight class, so that's encouraging!

 

[biffbuddy]

hey mts

I think we have a lot of the same concerns based on some of your previous posts!!

I am a maryland resident, i live about 45 minutes away, but I do NOT plan on going home on the weekends or commuting. I will be living in marlboro square, which is a block off campus. I did not pick maryland b/c i wanted to be close to home- of course, it will be nice and my whole family loves it, but they will be coming to see me, not so much the other way around - i went to college in atlanta, and I love being away from home and in my own zone when im at school- i plan to do the same in baltimore! I really want to establish a good group of friends, go out, and have a good time while im in school- not just study and have a miserable four years

 

[traumamonkey]

Hey there UMDers,
I am not _yet_ one of you, but would very much like to be. so here's my question (don't know if anyone can actually answer it):
I am interviewing for UMD next week (3/24), which i feel is a REALLY late interview. is it possible that i might still get in? or is the best i can hope for to compete for ye olde waitlist?

i took the mcat in august (not by choice) and think it has really messed with my interview schedule. on good days i blame that, anyway, on bad days...

can you help with advice, etc? would love to go to UMD (the trauma center is incredible!) and would appreciate any timely info you can give me. feel free to PM or email me:
[email protected]

thanks!!

 

[traumamonkey]

i am also a former fellow NIHer. (was at NIMH for nearly three years after college).
funny, this is starting to look like the UMB/NIH club...

too bad about yesterday's game, by the way. MD should have one that, especially since they got so close in the end. heartbreaking! well, at least they beat Duke, and there's always next year....

Originally posted by biffbuddy
yeh, I have to update my location

guess what...I work for NIAID too!!! hahah - its a great place to be- dont know what the twinbrook site looks like, but a guy in my lab goes there a lot to use a big machine

and...I was also at that game! well, it was a lot easier for me to get them a friend was scalping them and i got them for free- plus, we moved down to awesome seats, which were the only two seats in the llower section that happened to be unoccupied- we kept praying no one would come to claim them!!

GO MARYLAND!!!!!!!!!!

 

[meme_297]

Hi People,
Did anyone recieve an email from the fin aid office,? I did and they wanted to know my preffered lender. I was just wondering what lender(s) med students usually use.

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks

 

[turk00]

Yeah I received that email too. Anybody else out-of-state? $58,000 is an awful lot for first year cost of attendance.

 

[greenie8]

turk,
I'm out of state too but still haven't decided for sure on UMd.

Do you knwo what the deal is with getting in state tuition? I've heard a mixed bag.
If anyone knows please fill us out-of-staters in!!!

AS for the prefered lender, I just put down the first choice (Fed Stafford Loan). I'm not sure if that's the best choice but I used those for my grad school tuition.

greenie

 

[FinallyOnMyWay]

Best thing to do is to call the Registrar's Office and tell them you're trying to get information about Maryland's policy for obtaining in-state status for tuition. (This is what the financial aid guy told me during the interview day).

They were very helpful to me (see my post earlier in this thread) but my situation is probably not the same as others' so it's probably best to follow up with them independently.

Good luck!

 

[Kalel]

Hey future UMD students,
Congrats on getting in! Regarding fa, be sure to pick a lender with 0% origination fee. That 3% can add up very quickly. I wasn't aware of this and did what the fa told me to, used my undergrad lender, which they didn't even do correctly, so I got stuck with the 3% for all 4 yrs because I had so much trouble changing servicers. I have no idea what "benefit" there is to picking one of their preferred lenders, since they don't seem to use any criteria that benefits students in making them preferred. The list seems to change from year to year too. My understanding is that the AMSA lender and the U Maryland lender were both lenders with 0% origination fees and are preferred lenders. The story with the instate and out-of-state tuition is that they have been going up a lot recently because the state has been going through financial problems. I wouldn't expect this trend to change. If you get an offer from a private school, don't throw it away until you compare their fa packages. Maryland is becoming a very expensive public school, and with it's sometimes poor fa packages, it can sometimes be even more expensive then many private schools out there. It's a nice school though, you will probably like it here if you decide to come here. Good luck!

Kalel

 

[turk00]

I haven't decided yet either if I will attend Maryland or not. When I interviewed at the school, I was under the impression that it was very difficult to gain in-state status. However, I will contact the school to make sure.

 

[meme_297]

I just talked to someone at the fin aid office and she said they were not at liberty to recommend any particular lender. She also said UMB, Access Group and Med Fund have the 0% origination fee kalel mentioned.
Any more suggestions?

 

[MtsByondMts]

Hi everyone! I'm a runner and prefer running outside in rain, snow, sleet, or shine to running on a treadmill. Does anyone know if there are any good, safe places to run close to campus where I could get in a good 5-7 miles? Where do people work out? I also swim... I don't suppose anyone knows if there's a gym with a pool closeby?

biffbuddy: thanks for your response to my concerns about being the only one sticking around campus after class ends. My family is also about 45 minutes away. I think living close to my family will probably be something I'll be happy about when holidays roll around, relatives come to visit, etc. I don't plan on going home frequently either. I like your way of looking at it... they can come visit me when I'm too busy/stressed out to visit them.

 

[traumamonkey]

hey mtsbeyondmts,
i was wondering the same thing about running in baltimore. if i end up at UMD (fingers crossed) at least i know there will be someone to run with!
treadmills are evil.

hopefully someone here (or a current student at UMD) will know where we can go.

n