University of Maryland Class of 2010 part 01

[LadyWolverine]

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Thursday morning bump...



It's PAYDAY!!!!

👍

 

[LucidSplash]

Thursday morning bump...



It's PAYDAY!!!!

👍

Awww... I only get paid twice a month - the 15th and the last day of the month. But tonight IS poker night. If I win, that's a payday of sorts 🙂

 

[LadyWolverine]

Awww... I only get paid twice a month - the 15th and the last day of the month.

I HATED the "bi-monthly" thing about being salaried...almost as much as I hated not getting OT. I'm hourly now, and I get my paycheck once a week! It's such a great motivator...plus the time and half is serious incentive to work 60-hour weeks. I'm so glad I'm not involved in acad. research anymore...the pay is absolute garbage for the amount of effort and hours put in!

What do you do, LS? Please tell me you're not a lab slave... 🙂

 

[SuzieQ3417]

I only get paid twice a month, and that is if I turn my time sheets in. I hate filling out time sheets. I wish they would automate it or computerize it. I worked at a department store in highschool, and it was nice because we just had an employee id that we would swipe to time in/out...you'd think they could develop a system like that for a university. (I'm definitely a lab slave!) 😎

 

[LucidSplash]

I'm a "toxicology associate" in the preclinical contract research division of a biotech.

Translation: I assist a PI (study director) in running the preclinical testing on compounds, most of which are drugs trying to get into clinical trials. So we're the step after the in vitro - the animal in vivo studies. I help design, plan, coordinate, and monitor the studies. After the "live" part is over, I am mainly responsible for writing the study report, dealing with client issues, and making sure the quality assurance audits get responded to in a timely fashion.

The other two divisions of my company are a genomics database and a drug repositioning service. The latter is still in the "proof of concept phase" but its pretty cool. I don't have anything to do with them though.

 

[SuzieQ3417]

I'm a "toxicology associate" in the preclinical contract research division of a biotech.

Translation: I assist a PI (study director) in running the preclinical testing on compounds, most of which are drugs trying to get into clinical trials. So we're the step after the in vitro - the animal in vivo studies. I help design, plan, coordinate, and monitor the studies. After the "live" part is over, I am mainly responsible for writing the study report, dealing with client issues, and making sure the quality assurance audits get responded to in a timely fashion.

The other two divisions of my company are a genomics database and a drug repositioning service. The latter is still in the "proof of concept phase" but its pretty cool. I don't have anything to do with them though.

That sounds so concise...is that what you put on your AMCAS? It's sounds like how I would respond to the interview question "what is your research like?" 🙂

(2 more days until Colorado...I'm going crazy here!!!!!)

 

[SuzieQ3417]

Ok guys, we need 18 more posts to overtake MCW class of 2010...let's get to work here.

 

[LucidSplash]

That sounds so concise...is that what you put on your AMCAS? It's sounds like how I would respond to the interview question "what is your research like?" 🙂

Lol, no I think I put something closer to my "formal" job description on my application. I'm just really used to having to explain what I do since my job title doesn't really answer the question

 

[LadyWolverine]

LS, it sounds like you have an interesting job. Toxicology is one of my favorite subjects! (Although I was more interested in microbial/pathogenic toxins...but the pharmacological principles are similar!) If I had known better coming out of college, I would've applied for a position in biotech, rather than at a university. Biotech certainly pays better than academia, although there is certainly a profit-driven motive...but I think it's also easier to see your work-product benefiting patients (unlike my work at UDub, where my project was still in animal model phase even after 5 years...oddly enough, due to toxic effects of what we were administering 🙂 )

During my masters program, I actually toyed with the idea of a PhD in toxicology. But then I came to my senses.

Now I know who to go to for help with pharacology...🙂

SQ: What kind of research do you do?

 

[SuzieQ3417]

L

SQ: What kind of research do you do?

Our lab has a lot of different projects, but they all are basically aimed at trying to better understand the role of transcription factors in DNA replication. I work primarily with plant and bacterial cells and anaylyze different subunits of plant RNA pol III C (really exciting stuff! lol). One of our researchers is trying to manipulate gene expression to produce more nutrient-rich plants...another is trying to understand this process in mammalian cells to see what causes cancer to become invasive (they just bought a mass spec to analyze breast-tissue samples of women with a history of breast cancer).

Here's a link to my PI's bio if you're interested: http://www.biochem.missouri.edu/wfolk.php

 

[LucidSplash]

LS, it sounds like you have an interesting job. Toxicology is one of my favorite subjects! (Although I was more interested in microbial/pathogenic toxins...but the pharmacological principles are similar!) If I had known better coming out of college, I would've applied for a position in biotech, rather than at a university. Biotech certainly pays better than academia, although there is certainly a profit-driven motive...but I think it's also easier to see your work-product benefiting patients (unlike my work at UDub, where my project was still in animal model phase even after 5 years...oddly enough, due to toxic effects of what we were administering 🙂 )

During my masters program, I actually toyed with the idea of a PhD in toxicology. But then I came to my senses.

Now I know who to go to for help with pharacology...🙂

SQ: What kind of research do you do?

Hehehehe, don't be mislead I'll probably be no help at all in pharmacology. We have actual scientists who do the various clinical pathology, histopathology etc bits. Actually, a lot of time we don't even get to know the pharmacological or structural make up of the compounds we work on. Our clients are super protective of that! The interesting ones are the ones that don't kill you but have some sort of pathologic effect. Most of them just kill you or are completely harmless. But its given me a good perspective on things like what happened with Vioxx, beyond just what you get from the media. I've enjoyed it, but I don't want to do it forever and I knew that coming in as a lowly report associate generating data tables.

But you're right, it DEFINITELY pays better than academia. 🙂 And its really cool when we get e-mails from clients letting us know that a drug we worked on has passed FDA muster and is going into clinical trials.

I work with a lot of people with PhDs in toxicology - you made the right decision. They're an odd bunch. 😀

 

[SuzieQ3417]

Ok, in an attempt to boost our post count, here is another short survey:

rap or rock: rock

pop or country: pop

walmart or target: while I love target, based on where I spend more money I guess it would be WalMart

pink or black: pink

cheez it or cheese nip: cheez it

cat or dog: dog

tape or glue: tape

writing or typing: typing

phone or computer: computer

baseball or football: football

high school or middle school: high school...I hated middle school

dunkin donuts or starbucks: starbucks

brownies or cookies: brownies

reading or writing: reading

Green Day or Beastie Boys: Beastie Boys

ocean or pool: Ocean

singing or dancing: Dancing

 

[LucidSplash]

I am going to feel really lame if I end up not getting into Maryland, having chatted up this thread so much. Oh well.

rap or rock: rock

pop or country: country but sometimes pop

walmart or target: target!

pink or black: black

cheez it or cheese nip: cheez it

cat or dog: cat (times 2)

tape or glue: tape

writing or typing: typing

phone or computer: ooo, that's tough. computer. unless I'm talking to my sister.

baseball or football: eh, whatever

high school or middle school: high school if I really have to pick one

dunkin donuts or starbucks: starbucks

brownies or cookies: brownies

reading or writing: reading

Green Day or Beastie Boys: Green Day

ocean or pool: pool. I hate sand.

singing or dancing: singing alone in my car where no one can hear me

 

[SuzieQ3417]

I am going to feel really lame if I end up not getting into Maryland, having chatted up this thread so much. Oh well.

Your interview was at the beginning of March, right? It took 5 weeks before I heard anything. It wasn't such a bad wait, though, because I was travelling a lot around the holidays. Maybe we could start a petition to make sure you get accepted? Or we could go on a hunger strike. Or a homework strike. We'll figure something out to ensure your acceptance.

 

[LucidSplash]

Your interview was at the beginning of March, right? It took 5 weeks before I heard anything. It wasn't such a bad wait, though, because I was travelling a lot around the holidays. Maybe we could start a petition to make sure you get accepted? Or we could go on a hunger strike. Or a homework strike. We'll figure something out to ensure your acceptance.

Lol. Yeah, I interviewed 3/8 so its not like I'm expecting to hear anytime soon. Not that it stops me from compulsively checking my e-mail. 🙄
Dr. Foxwell said 4 weeks at the interview, but last year he said 6-8 weeks and I didn't get my waitlist letter for 12-14 (I can't remember exactly when). So I'm not holding my breathe for 4 weeks. 😳

Any petitions you would like to initiate in my honor would be greatly appreciated 🙂 But I don't think a homework strike will help much.

Maryland, this is my love letter to you. Please accept me! You wouldn't want to dissappoint the lucky people you have already accepted, would you? 😍 Please don't make me go to Albany. It is cold there and I swore I'd never move back to Upstate NY.

 

[SuzieQ3417]

Lol. Yeah, I interviewed 3/8 so its not like I'm expecting to hear anytime soon. Not that it stops me from compulsively checking my e-mail. 🙄
Dr. Foxwell said 4 weeks at the interview, but last year he said 6-8 weeks and I didn't get my waitlist letter for 12-14 (I can't remember exactly when). So I'm not holding my breathe for 4 weeks. 😳

Any petitions you would like to initiate in my honor would be greatly appreciated 🙂 But I don't think a homework strike will help much.

Maryland, this is my love letter to you. Please accept me! You wouldn't want to dissappoint the lucky people you have already accepted, would you? 😍 Please don't make me go to Albany. It is cold there and I swore I'd never move back to Upstate NY.

Have you written a letter of intent yet to Maryland? Or did you already profess your undying love for them during the interview? If you haven't, I would consider writing a letter. I'm not sure how much they actually help, but as long as it is thoughtfully written it certainly couldn't hurt.
I was a little surprised by my acceptance, because I didn't feel like I had an exceptional interview. Just goes to show you can't go by your interview impressions, because some schools where I thought I had great interviews I was waitlisted/rejected. Of course Maryland was my second to last interview, so I had a lot of practice at that point and was fairly relaxed. Still, looking back I can list several questions where I ask myself "what the hell were you thinking with that response?" Lol...I'm so glad to be done with interviews.

 

[LucidSplash]

Have you written a letter of intent yet to Maryland? Or did you already profess your undying love for them during the interview? If you haven't, I would consider writing a letter. I'm not sure how much they actually help, but as long as it is thoughtfully written it certainly couldn't hurt.
I was a little surprised by my acceptance, because I didn't feel like I had an exceptional interview. Just goes to show you can't go by your interview impressions, because some schools where I thought I had great interviews I was waitlisted/rejected. Of course Maryland was my second to last interview, so I had a lot of practice at that point and was fairly relaxed. Still, looking back I can list several questions where I ask myself "what the hell were you thinking with that response?" Lol...I'm so glad to be done with interviews.

OH YEAH. I wrote a PRE-INTERVIEW letter of intent when I was put on pre-interview hold. 🙂 I wrote about how disappointed I was not to get off the waitlist last year, how I love the curriculum, the students, etc. How I did everything they said by retaking the MCATs, etc and how if they interviewed and accepted me I swore to heaven I'd matriculate. (well, it was a bit more well written than that). It did actually get into my file because one of my interviewers talked about it. And at the interview they asked me why I thought I didn't get in last year and if I'd had any success this year. I told them yes, but Maryland was still my top choice and in my opinion my interview this year was "Maryland's second look" at me because I already knew where I wanted to be for the next 4 years and they just had to decide. I made it as absolutely clear as possible without being obnoxious. I'm going to send an update letter as soon as I get the grade from my grad level biochem test I have this coming Monday (assuming I do well) saying "look look, I love Maryland and I have As in these two grad level classes, whats not to love?" Also, the prehealth professions advisor from my alma mater has been lobbying Dr. Foxwell pretty hard for my app. I think she's why I got the interview. Dr. Foxwell actually took my app home and read it himself and discussed it with my advisor (she rocks, she is my hero).

So yeah. 😀 They know I would give just about anything to be there, save my first born or my soul. But duplicate organs are up for discussion (who needs a kidney?).

 

[LadyWolverine]

rap or rock: Tough call. I love 'em both equally. I'd say rap in its heyday (i.e. when I was in middle- to high school).

pop or country: Pop...never really got into the country thang.

walmart or target: Target (spoken with french accent)

pink or black: Totally black. I hate girly-pink crap.

cheez it or cheese nip: cheez it! Man, I can eat a half-box of those suckers in one sitting!

cat or dog: Draw. Love 'em both.

tape or glue: Glue. You can't sniff tape.

writing or typing: Writing. Can't memorize what I type.

phone or computer: Computer

baseball or football: Football...although I'm a baseball fan, too.

high school or middle school: High school was the greatest time ever! Middle school blew.

dunkin donuts or starbucks: Starbucks, but only for the ambiance. Their coffee sucks. Their chai and steamers are good, though.

brownies or cookies: Mmmm...brownies, if they're fresh out of the oven. Cookies, if they're oatmeal raisin.

reading or writing: Depends on my mood, but usually reading.

Green Day or Beastie Boys: B-BOYS!!! (Check your head and Ill Comm are two of my most favorite albums ever!!!)

ocean or pool: Ocean!! (But pool for actual swimming).

singing or dancing: Dancing! You don't want to hear me sing. 🙂

 

[SuzieQ3417]

tape or glue: Glue. You can't sniff tape.

Nice.

 

[LadyWolverine]

Holy crap!!! Who saw that AMAZING game last night?!?! I was screaming and throwing things at the TV up until the last minute of the game!

I 😍 you, LSU!

(I've got them playing UConn in the championship game, so they'd better deliver!)

 

[LucidSplash]

Holy crap!!! Who saw that AMAZING game last night?!?! I was screaming and throwing things at the TV up until the last minute of the game!

I 😍 you, LSU!

(I've got them playing UConn in the championship game, so they'd better deliver!)

Dr. Foxwell, please note that I did watch this game last night and I was rooting against Duke, therefore I am already showing my terp pride. Please accept me. That is all.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Oh man, lots of big words in this thread I don't understand...

Lucid way to root against Dook. I hate hate hate those f-ers!

Survey time:
rap or rock: Rock

pop or country: Pop

Walmart or Target: I don't really shop at either but I like Target better and they don't treat their employees like dirt

pink or black: Black!

cheez it or cheese nip: Cheezits are about a million times better than cheese nips

cat or dog: dogs!

tape or glue: tape. glue sucks

writing or typing: typing, bar none.

phone or computer: computer! I'm so anti social

baseball or football: football, but its pretty close

high school or middle school: I don't know. I had fun at the end of both schools, but not that much fun at the beginning. I guess I'll go middle school.

dunkin donuts or starbucks: dunkin donuts! open 24 hours and forget yuppie coffee

brownies or cookies: mm, cookies

reading or writing: reading, but I love to write

Green Day or Beastie Boys: Green Day!

ocean or pool: Pool, but I love being near the ocean

singing or dancing: Singing! I hate dancing. I also hate singing in public. Oh god..

 

[LucidSplash]

It Worked!!!! I Just Got Home And My Acceptance Letter Was In My Mailbox!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Will See You All In August!!!!

 

[tweetledee]

It Worked!!!! I Just Got Home And My Acceptance Letter Was In My Mailbox!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Will See You All In August!!!!

OMG!! Congratulations!! You wanted this one soo much!! 👍 🙂 That was soo fast!!

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Yay, Lucid! Welcome to UMD!

 

[gonadotropins]

It Worked!!!! I Just Got Home And My Acceptance Letter Was In My Mailbox!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Will See You All In August!!!!

Congrats! 👍

 

[Mixtli]

Congrats LS. I read last year's thread and thats a lot of perserverence you showed in order to get in this year. 👍. I wish I can keep my hope and determination up since Maryland's WL does not move much year-to-year. Anyways, I took LW advice and sent in a LOI, wrote an update letter, sent in my transcripts, and got additional rec(s) (all post-interview because at that time I honestly was still interviewing and did not have a top choice). I think I didn't do that well during my interviews (tired, exams, multiple interviews). Either that, or I was slightly rooting for Duke (cause I have them in the final 4, but normally I detest them) .

 

[SuzieQ3417]

It Worked!!!! I Just Got Home And My Acceptance Letter Was In My Mailbox!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Will See You All In August!!!!

Congratulations!!! That's so awesome. 😀 Can't wait to see you all soon...we really need to plan a get-together before classes start. I think I might be coming down at the end of April. I haven't booked the tickets yet, but as soon as I do I'll let you all know and see if we can't get together for drinks or something. Party hard to celebrate Lucid!

 

[LucidSplash]

Thanks everyone! It was definitely so so fast, I didn't think I'd hear anything for another 4 weeks at least. Thank you for all your congrats and well wishes. I know I've probably sounded a little psychotic (I don't know if there's a single person on SDN who DOESN'T know I want Maryland) and you guys have been very patient with me. 🙂 I am definitely up for a get-together anytime, as I am right near College Park right now so it wouldn't take me that long to get to Baltimore.

My husband and I had a bottle of champagne we've been saving for over 2 years and we cracked it last night with a group of friends. We're really happy to be at Maryland next year and I can't wait to meet all of you!

 

[LucidSplash]

Congrats LS. I read last year's thread and thats a lot of perserverence you showed in order to get in this year. 👍. I wish I can keep my hope and determination up since Maryland's WL does not move much year-to-year. Anyways, I took LW advice and sent in a LOI, wrote an update letter, sent in my transcripts, and got additional rec(s) (all post-interview because at that time I honestly was still interviewing and did not have a top choice). I think I didn't do that well during my interviews (tired, exams, multiple interviews). Either that, or I was slightly rooting for Duke (cause I have them in the final 4, but normally I detest them) .

Thanks Mixtli. I feel for you. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers and hope the WL moves for you. But if it doesn't, I know that you'll make a great doctor - with the 2 acceptances under your belt and that score of waitlists, you're going to be a doctor and you'll be successful no matter where you end up. 😍

 

[LadyWolverine]

It Worked!!!! I Just Got Home And My Acceptance Letter Was In My Mailbox!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Will See You All In August!!!!

Kickass!! Congrats, Dr. LS! I'm so excited for you! All that hard work and perseverance finally paid off, huh?

Our class is now officially 8 people! At this rate, we might just break 10 by the time school starts!! 🙂

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Another workweek to count down the days. Freaking whoopee.

 

[supa]

Tryna decide between UMD and GW. I'm outta state resident, but I think you can get in state status after 12 months? UMD has by far the best schedule, and I plan on working full time so it'll be more convenient at UMD. But I liked the GW clinical simulation center, and their digital labs.

Also GW gave me $30,000/yr four yr scholarship and UMD gave me $25,000/yr four yr scholarship. So that makes the decision all the more difficult. I know the housing market in DC is ridiculous, but I think B-more isn't far behind. Ahhhh....decision, decisions.

 

[Labslave]

I don't mean to hijack this thread or anything, but I think you guys can help me out a lot seeing as you all really love UMD (and I'm in need of some serious help)...

Why UMD? Are any of you guys choosing MD over a top-tier school?

I really liked Maryland when I interviewed (and liked it even more when they offered a $120,000 scholarship), but I'm also accepted at a top 10 school (see signature; no merit based scholarship at UMich = mad loans/debt).

What would you guys do???

I don't favor the location of one over the other significantly (Michigan weather sucks, Baltimore isn't the most exciting town ever), but feel as if the educational opportunities are better at UMich, while I would graduate debt-free at UMD.

By the way, this is an awesome thread and I've been following it around for a while. Congratulations to all of you on your acceptances and I look forward to your responses!

 

[tweetledee]

I don't mean to hijack this thread or anything, but I think you guys can help me out a lot seeing as you all really love UMD (and I'm in need of some serious help)...
I really liked Maryland when I interviewed (and liked it even more when they offered a $120,000 scholarship), but I'm also accepted at a top 10 school (see signature; no merit based scholarship at UMich = mad loans/debt).




Wow, I didn't know they offered $120,000 scholarships. 👍 If you don't mind me asking, did they offer it to you after you'd been accepted?

 

[Labslave]

Wow, I didn't know they offered $120,000 scholarships. 👍 If you don't mind me asking, did they offer it to you after you'd been accepted?

Would they have offered the scholarship BEFORE accepting me?

I was accepted back in November and they offered the scholarship just before Christmas (note: don't take my sarcasm too seriously, I just thought the wording of your post was funny 😉 ).

 

[supa]

I don't mean to hijack this thread or anything, but I think you guys can help me out a lot seeing as you all really love UMD (and I'm in need of some serious help)...

Why UMD? Are any of you guys choosing MD over a top-tier school?

I really liked Maryland when I interviewed (and liked it even more when they offered a $120,000 scholarship), but I'm also accepted at a top 10 school (see signature; no merit based scholarship at UMich = mad loans/debt).

What would you guys do???

I don't favor the location of one over the other significantly (Michigan weather sucks, Baltimore isn't the most exciting town ever), but feel as if the educational opportunities are better at UMich, while I would graduate debt-free at UMD.

By the way, this is an awesome thread and I've been following it around for a while. Congratulations to all of you on your acceptances and I look forward to your responses!

If everything else measures up as being equal (location, curiculum, facilities)...I'd go for the money.

 

[Labslave]

If everything else measures up as being equal (location, curiculum, facilities)...I'd go for the money.

I heavily favor Michigan's curriculum. P/F (strictly pass/fail, none of that H, HP, P, F stuff) for the first two years, students do well on the boards, etc.

Location-wise, Michigan has the edge as well, although the weather would most certainly be much worse in Ann Arbor.

Facilities are a draw (both are really nice).

I guess what I'm trying to ask here is: what makes you guys so enthusiastic about MD? The money is definitely a plus, but it'd be nice to hear what everyone thinks about the school itself as well. This is a hard decision because it's not just about prestige vs. money.

 

[tweetledee]

Would they have offered the scholarship BEFORE accepting me?

I was accepted back in November and they offered the scholarship just before Christmas (note: don't take my sarcasm too seriously, I just thought the wording of your post was funny 😉 ).

Haha, yeah. When I read it now, it does sound kinda funny, huh? 😛 I guess I meant to ask when after accepting you... 😳

 

[LucidSplash]

I guess what I'm trying to ask here is: what makes you guys so enthusiastic about MD? The money is definitely a plus, but it'd be nice to hear what everyone thinks about the school itself as well. This is a hard decision because it's not just about prestige vs. money.

Well, I'm not choosing Maryland over a higher ranked school, it has been my #1 choice all along. I'm in-state, so the tuition factor is there, but I'm so "into" the school itself that's just one bonus factor.

I really appreciate the schedule they have with lecture being in the morning for the most part. I like how technologically integrated the school is, putting all the lectures online, etc. I like the block scheduling. Obviously the lack of P/F is not so nice, but I'm really all about not having more than one test to study for at a time and since I don't really favor systems-based over the more traditional approach that Maryland has, that was not a factor for me.

More than anything, I just got the best feeling from the students and faculty when I was there. The students all seemed sane and relatively happy. They all worked hard, and that was obvious, but they still seemed like they were happy with their choices. I did get to sit in on a MSII lecture with one of their best lecturers, Dr. Plotnick, and even though I couldn't quite follow everything, it still held my interest. He used himself as a case study, which I thought was interesting. The students and the faculty that I met were one of the biggest draws.

At this point, I think I am interested in primary care, so I appreciate that they have a focus on that. At the same time, I'm not entirely sure of what I want to do, so I like that they appear to have a pretty diversified match list. It looks as though I would not be button-holed into primary care by going there but that I would get plenty of options to explore different specialties.

The resources are great, at least IMHO. While Baltimore is no Boston or NYC, I think there is still plenty to do (but I also went to a rural college). DC isn't that far away, either. There seems to be just about any medical-type institution available in Baltimore, so your options for rotations are varied.

I'm actually somewhat interested in medically underserved populations, so the rotation in an underserved community was attractive to me.

Several students spoke of overseas opportunities they had had, either with professors, or outside of Maryland, between their 1st and 2nd years. One girl I spoke with definitely made it sound like if that was something you were interested in, its was real possibility. I thought that was very interesting and a possibility I'd like to explore.

Well that's my $0.02 without really giving it too much thought. You should definitely choose what's right for you - but I'd love to be in your shoes with the scholarship!

 

[daisy458]

hey guys,

i just found this thread not too long ago, and i thought i'd ask some people who have already gotten in for some advice. i also interviewed at maryland on 3/1, and i waited all last week for a decision (when they said they would give it to us). on thursday i get this letter from them, and my heart is pounding and i'm too scared to open the letter, but i finally got the courage to do it. it basically said that there was no decision made yet, and that they need more time to look over my application. MD is definitely, DEFINITELY my first choice. any suggestions? i've been reading about letters of intent. how do i write one? i also have some publications/abstracts that i could provide.

 

[LucidSplash]

hey guys,

i just found this thread not too long ago, and i thought i'd ask some people who have already gotten in for some advice. i also interviewed at maryland on 3/1, and i waited all last week for a decision (when they said they would give it to us). on thursday i get this letter from them, and my heart is pounding and i'm too scared to open the letter, but i finally got the courage to do it. it basically said that there was no decision made yet, and that they need more time to look over my application. MD is definitely, DEFINITELY my first choice. any suggestions? i've been reading about letters of intent. how do i write one? i also have some publications/abstracts that i could provide.

Maryland accepts off the waitlist by formula, and my understanding is that once you are ranked and put on the waitlist officially, there's almost no chance of changing your position.

So, definitely send a LOI as soon as possible. Mention in it some things you specifically liked about the school. Say that Maryland is, by far, your first choice and that, if accepted, you can guarantee you will matriculate. You can finish off with an update on yoru recent publications and abstracts.

Good luck!

 

[daisy458]

Maryland accepts off the waitlist by formula, and my understanding is that once you are ranked and put on the waitlist officially, there's almost no chance of changing your position.

So, definitely send a LOI as soon as possible. Mention in it some things you specifically liked about the school. Say that Maryland is, by far, your first choice and that, if accepted, you can guarantee you will matriculate. You can finish off with an update on yoru recent publications and abstracts.

Good luck!

Thanks for the help, Lucid! 🙂 The letter said that it wasn't an acceptance, rejection, or waitlisting, just an asking for more patience (as if I have any more! 🙂 ) as they look at my app again, so there's still hope. Congrats on your acceptance!

 

[LucidSplash]

Thanks for the help, Lucid! 🙂 The letter said that it wasn't an acceptance, rejection, or waitlisting, just an asking for more patience (as if I have any more! 🙂 ) as they look at my app again, so there's still hope. Congrats on your acceptance!

Yep, understood. That's why I suggested sending it ASAP, in case they DO waitlist you - you want to get the letter in before you're formally ranked. (Note, I received the same letter last year and was later waitlisted - not saying it happens to everyone, just saying its possible).

 

[daisy458]

Yep, understood. That's why I suggested sending it ASAP, in case they DO waitlist you - you want to get the letter in before you're formally ranked. (Note, I received the same letter last year and was later waitlisted - not saying it happens to everyone, just saying its possible).

Ohhh, gotcha. Thanks 🙂

 

[Labslave]

Well, I'm not choosing Maryland over a higher ranked school, it has been my #1 choice all along. I'm in-state, so the tuition factor is there, but I'm so "into" the school itself that's just one bonus factor.

I really appreciate the schedule they have with lecture being in the morning for the most part. I like how technologically integrated the school is, putting all the lectures online, etc. I like the block scheduling. Obviously the lack of P/F is not so nice, but I'm really all about not having more than one test to study for at a time and since I don't really favor systems-based over the more traditional approach that Maryland has, that was not a factor for me.

More than anything, I just got the best feeling from the students and faculty when I was there. The students all seemed sane and relatively happy. They all worked hard, and that was obvious, but they still seemed like they were happy with their choices. I did get to sit in on a MSII lecture with one of their best lecturers, Dr. Plotnick, and even though I couldn't quite follow everything, it still held my interest. He used himself as a case study, which I thought was interesting. The students and the faculty that I met were one of the biggest draws.

At this point, I think I am interested in primary care, so I appreciate that they have a focus on that. At the same time, I'm not entirely sure of what I want to do, so I like that they appear to have a pretty diversified match list. It looks as though I would not be button-holed into primary care by going there but that I would get plenty of options to explore different specialties.

The resources are great, at least IMHO. While Baltimore is no Boston or NYC, I think there is still plenty to do (but I also went to a rural college). DC isn't that far away, either. There seems to be just about any medical-type institution available in Baltimore, so your options for rotations are varied.

I'm actually somewhat interested in medically underserved populations, so the rotation in an underserved community was attractive to me.

Several students spoke of overseas opportunities they had had, either with professors, or outside of Maryland, between their 1st and 2nd years. One girl I spoke with definitely made it sound like if that was something you were interested in, its was real possibility. I thought that was very interesting and a possibility I'd like to explore.

Well that's my $0.02 without really giving it too much thought. You should definitely choose what's right for you - but I'd love to be in your shoes with the scholarship!

Thanks for your reply LucidSplash. It's nice to know that there are people who really like UMD out there!

 

[LadyWolverine]

Why UMD? Are any of you guys choosing MD over a top-tier school?

I really liked Maryland when I interviewed (and liked it even more when they offered a $120,000 scholarship), but I'm also accepted at a top 10 school (see signature; no merit based scholarship at UMich = mad loans/debt).

I don't favor the location of one over the other significantly (Michigan weather sucks, Baltimore isn't the most exciting town ever), but feel as if the educational opportunities are better at UMich, while I would graduate debt-free at UMD.

I don't have this problem, as I haven't been accepted to a "top-tier" school. But I will ask you this question - Why do you think the educational opportunities will be better at U Mich?

I am a Michigan graduate, and I love my alma mater. I think that the education I received there was phenomenal (true, I am talking about undergrad). But one of the caveats of going to such a research-intensive state school is that students often become less of a priority. The quality of the courses and teaching can be hit-or-miss. (Think about who will be teaching your year 1-2 classes). For medical students, the class is smaller, but the institution is the same, and thus, so are the motives.

I believe that Maryland gets about as much research funding as Michigan. I don't know what the figures are for either school this year, but it's pretty safe to say that they are both very research-intensive. Michigan draws a lot of big-name researchers because - hey - it's Michigan. But how many of these docs will actually be teaching you? Interacting with you on a regular basis? How much will you honestly learn from them when you are trying to study for your boards?

You will learn the same anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, etc. anywhere you go to school. A body in Ann Arbor has the same plumbing as a body in Baltimore. I think that, with perhaps a couple of exceptions, you are capable of getting the same quality of education at either Michigan or Maryland. (The background of the student body is most probably what will be different.) What Michigan has is reputation. Absolutely, this will make a difference in your future. But this doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have "better educational opportunities" at one over the other.

People need to get out of the mindset that a higher-tier "ranking" automatically equals a better education. Yes, it may mean more perks in the end (e.g. prestige, name recognition), and, this is a valid reason for going to one school over another. But I think that this has little to do with the quality of education you will receive.

I honestly believe that if you feel that the education will be better at Michigan, go to Michigan. I loved Ann Arbor. You'll get over the weather (I HATE that excuse - I made it through 4 years and it wasn't that bad.) But don't make your decision based on faulty reasoning.

Good luck, and congrats on the acceptances and scholarship. I wish that Maryland would offer these to more of their in-staters...like me.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Why do I like Maryland? You get a really, REALLY favorable schedule in the first 2 years. Can do whatever the hell you want. Need extra study time? Take it. Want to veg out? Do that. The half days give you a lot of freedom. All the lectures and materials are online, so you don't have to worry about missing anything. The "free" laptop doesn't hurt either.

Instate tuition is obviously great, and being able to stay home with my family and friends is paramount to my decision. They aren't a top ranked school, but there are plenty of opportunities, and its not like they're unranked - they're at around 40. That's the top third of all US med schools, not bad. It isn't a top 10, but still, I think rankings are overrated once you pass maybe the top 5 anyway.

Honestly, the only negative to UMD is Baltimore. F-ing Baltimore. I've been here all my life, and the city sucks. There's not really all that much to do, as there are about 3 major areas to party IMO, and I hate one of them. Public transportation here is useless, and the traffic blows. The school is not in a good area either. If UMD was pretty much anywhere else in the state, I may not have even applied to any other schools. I'm going regardless, but I pretty much can't state enough how much B-more sucks.

I really enjoyed the school itself when I interviewed, they have some cool programs, and the facilities are very nice. Shock trauma is the best emergency medicine experience in the entire country. Hospital is humongo big, plus the VA next door.

If you can deal with the city being sub par, I think Maryland will be an amazing place to spend the next four. Plus, Dr. Foxwell is pretty much the man 🙂

 

[supa]

Why do I like Maryland? You get a really, REALLY favorable schedule in the first 2 years. Can do whatever the hell you want. Need extra study time? Take it. Want to veg out? Do that. The half days give you a lot of freedom. All the lectures and materials are online, so you don't have to worry about missing anything. The "free" laptop doesn't hurt either.

Instate tuition is obviously great, and being able to stay home with my family and friends is paramount to my decision. They aren't a top ranked school, but there are plenty of opportunities, and its not like they're unranked - they're at around 40. That's the top third of all US med schools, not bad. It isn't a top 10, but still, I think rankings are overrated once you pass maybe the top 5 anyway.

Honestly, the only negative to UMD is Baltimore. F-ing Baltimore. I've been here all my life, and the city sucks. There's not really all that much to do, as there are about 3 major areas to party IMO, and I hate one of them. Public transportation here is useless, and the traffic blows. The school is not in a good area either. If UMD was pretty much anywhere else in the state, I may not have even applied to any other schools. I'm going regardless, but I pretty much can't state enough how much B-more sucks.

I really enjoyed the school itself when I interviewed, they have some cool programs, and the facilities are very nice. Shock trauma is the best emergency medicine experience in the entire country. Hospital is humongo big, plus the VA next door.

If you can deal with the city being sub par, I think Maryland will be an amazing place to spend the next four. Plus, Dr. Foxwell is pretty much the man 🙂

Since you're from B-more can you tell me something about Middle River. I'll be moving from DC, and I found brand new townhomes for a reasonable price out there. A comparable home in my area would be about $400,000. What's that city like?

 

[Labslave]

But I will ask you this question - Why do you think the educational opportunities will be better at U Mich?

Once again, I'm not trying to hijack the thread but: 1) I'm interested in academic medicine to some degree (at the very least, I will be doing research in med school and don't want to burn any bridges) and the depth of research opportunities at UMich far surpasses Maryland's (plus the name of your school actually matters if you intend on having a career in academic med), 2) UMich has great study abroad programs that employ a superior network of connections (you can do rotations/research pretty much anywhere in the world; and guess what, they pay for it, too), 3) I think the systems-based approach and weekly quizzes play to my strengths and allow me to avoid my weaknesses, hence allowing me to digest a large amount of information in a doable amount of time --> more time for me to pursue my interests.

I really wouldn't say that in general (i.e. for everyone) the educational opportunities will be better at UMich, but for me they are to some degree.

I know that I would still have a plethora of opportunities at Maryland, don't get me wrong. I was really impressed by Maryland's programs during my interview day; the labs were incredible (I had my student interview in one of their labs), the students were really chill/laid back, the facilities were amazing (seriously, I don't think there's one school out there that has better facilites, and I saw a bunch)...the list goes on and on. I would be happy at Maryland. Seriously. But the whole grades thing? Out-of-date curriculum?

At this point I just wanted some feedback from you guys and that's what I got. So thanks! Oh, and by the way, I'm also a resident of Maryland. I am a UMDCP graduate 🙂

Best of luck to you guys this fall (and maybe I'll see you in Baltimore)!