UT Memphis for Fall 2004

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^^ I would somewhat agree with the housing situation. Mud Island is pretty nice and it is right downtown but so completly different at the same point in time. I live in South Bluffs, its a gated community and just as $$$ as anything on mud island. You can check out the crime via a crimemapper at www.memphispolice.org..... I've got a bunch of co-workers who live in mid-town and its very spotty - some parts no problem, others big problems - you get what you pay for. If you really want to be away from it all move out to the 'burbs - Germantown is the hot choice right now - but expect a possible 30 minute commute too...
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man, Germantown is old news. It's still an uppety community, predominantly white and affluent, lots of park space, bike lanes, and community regulations regarding the height of business signs, etc. It was big in the early 80's, etc, but it's surrounded by Memphis, Cordova, and Collierville so it isn't growing. Collierville and Arlington are really the hot places to live, they're two of the fastest growing towns in TN....they're really a commute though.

Cordova is more realistic. It has relatively new appartments, more stores and restaurants, it's adjacent to Shelby Farms, while the appartments in Germantown are largely older with a few exceptions. Germantown is pricey, though, especially in areas where it borders East Memphis.

Midtown really isn't that scary. Several of my friends growing up lived in Midtown. Sure, you wouldn't want to leave a bike unlocked out on your porch inviting a theft, but I know people who live in midtown and have not locked their backdoors in 20 years. Like Wolfpack and others have said, it's spotty, though. Check the crimetracker and consult someone who knows the area. I've lived here for 26 years...feel free to ask any questions.

Next time any of you are in town and it's a nice day, you should go check out Shelby farms. Drive east down Union (it will turn into Walnut Grove). You will past Baptist Hospital (which is huge and pretty nice, but I doubt you will spend any time there as a UT student). Keep going straight; you'll go over the Wolf River and enter into Shelby Farms. It's the second largest municipal park in the country. It has a buffalo and long horn cattle range, many, many lakes...ony you can sail on in small craft, mountain bike trails, horseback riding (if you don't mind horses that can simultaneously walk into the middle of a pond while you reign their heads around until they can bite your knees), and some great running trails. Enter the main part of the park by turning left at the light (it's the only light on the long expanse of Walnut Grove that runs through the park.
 
^you're right, germantown is yuppie - but there's a lot of new construction/apts on germantown parkway (especially south of the galleria). you'd need a state map to find arlington (its that far away :) ) and collierville is a just a huge 'burb - a lot of grass fields still... so it can be a hell of a commute. but if you've always lived in memphis, things might feel safer for you than those of us that are transplants are will be soon. I grew up in DC, so Memphis wasn't that big of a deal - people just really need to check out the area around a potential living situation pretty well. Few simple rules - don't live anywhere near Hollywood, Tillman, Vance St, parts of S. Third....
 
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I'm thinking about buying a Dell laptop for school. But I'm not sure are key features to look in purchasing a notebook. Does anyone know what brand/model is reliable and also not too expensive? Thanks.

Like someone has mentioned, I'm feeling a bit nervous about school and the whole rite of passage as M1.
 
WolfpackRed said:
^you're right, germantown is yuppie - but there's a lot of new construction/apts on germantown parkway (especially south of the galleria). you'd need a state map to find arlington (its that far away :) ) and collierville is a just a huge 'burb - a lot of grass fields still... so it can be a hell of a commute. but if you've always lived in memphis, things might feel safer for you than those of us that are transplants are will be soon. I grew up in DC, so Memphis wasn't that big of a deal - people just really need to check out the area around a potential living situation pretty well. Few simple rules - don't live anywhere near Hollywood, Tillman, Vance St, parts of S. Third....
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Yeah, Arlington and Collierville are way out :laugh: :laugh: I wouldn't recommend that a UT student live way out there. The area south of Wolfchase galleria is Cordova. G'town parkway runs through a good length of Cordova...those are good places for students to live in that they should feel safe no matter where they're from. They're not neccessarily cheap, though they're cheaper than downtown.

So, you picked UT over ETSU? It looks like our class is shaping up.

menemotxi, I heard that Justin got into Hopkins, but he hasn't made a decision yet. Lara won't be going to UT. Paul accepted one of the scholarships. As a matter of fact, almost all of the finalists have been offered the scholarship by now...
 
How has Justin made it this far along without making his mind up? Is he waiting on financial aid?

Some of my friends were trying to talk him into going to Hopkins. From what I heard, he was leaning towards Memphis, but that was three weeks ago. I don't remember Paul, who was he again?
 
menemotxi said:
How has Justin made it this far along without making his mind up? Is he waiting on financial aid?

Some of my friends were trying to talk him into going to Hopkins. From what I heard, he was leaning towards Memphis, but that was three weeks ago. I don't remember Paul, who was he again?
Click to expand...

Hopkins certainly would be tempting...it would be nice to have that diploma up on your wall. I don't know if I would be as happy there since it's sooo competitive, from what I hear.

Paul went to Clemson, he had buzzed hair and a hoarse voice because he was sick that weekend.
 
Yeh, I did pick UT over ETSU... wasn't as easy of a choice as I thought it would be. I think UT's clinical experience and the opinions from current medical students at UT pushed me over the top. Always good to know that the current students are extremely happy.

I didn't realize that area was Cordova, I guess the Germantown Parkway threw me off. Since it seems to be Shelby County policy to change the names of roads in random locations -- they should rename Germantown Parkway -> Cordova Parkway in the areas that apply
 
WolfpackRed said:
Yeh, I did pick UT over ETSU... wasn't as easy of a choice as I thought it would be. I think UT's clinical experience and the opinions from current medical students at UT pushed me over the top. Always good to know that the current students are extremely happy.

I didn't realize that area was Cordova, I guess the Germantown Parkway threw me off. Since it seems to be Shelby County policy to change the names of roads in random locations -- they should rename Germantown Parkway -> Cordova Parkway in the areas that apply
Click to expand...

no joke...Union/Walnut Grove, Mendenhall/Mt.Moriah...etc. Well, if it's any help...Cordova, I think, starts just north of Walnut Grove...I think the area of G'town Parkway that borders Shelby Farms is part of Memphis, and Germantown starts just north down the road close to where Humphrey's blvd. interstects. You can always tell you're in germantown if the signs of buildings are no more than about 8 feet high (if that).
 
cakemix,
i got a dell laptop last year, the 600 M. I love it. I haven't had a problem out of it since the week I got it, last july, when the VGA went out. Dell had it fixed and back to me within about a week. it was cheaper than a gateway but more than a HP or Compaq, definitely cheaper than a Mac. I would find something that has a built-in WIFI adapter, which is pretty common nowadays. I would get a 40 GB hard drive, at least 1 GHz processor, and >= 256 mb RAM. I have the Centrino Pentium 4. It is supposed to give you a longer battery life and compared to my wife's IBM it does. This will come in handy at school, obviously. These specs are good for a light weight laptop but if your looking for more speed and power then you want a desktop replacement. These are bigger, heavier and less mobile than what I have.
 
As far as buying a new computer....what is everyone leaning towards as far as desktop versus laptop? From talking to current students, they say that there is always a computer open in one of the labs so a laptop is not really a necessity...but I've never owned own so I don't how willing I'd be to pick one up just to "try out". Opinions?
 
I'd say depends on how often you're going to be at home... I know if I'm at home I'm not going to want to study therefore the lap top is a necessity. The lap top gives you the option to bring your computer with you where ever you want to or may find yourself studying. If you can type quick enough, you can take notes on it as well...
 
I'm leaning pretty heavily towards a laptop, just because it takes up a heck of a lot less room on my desk when I'm home. Also, like someone pointed out earlier, I would like to be able to take it with me if I am studying while I'm not at home.

I'm also leaning pretty heavily towards living downtown, but that's only because I'm a small town girl craving a taste of big city life!
 
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Hi guys,

Thank you for all the good points. I'm leaning heavily towards getting a laptop since I have never owned one. Due to the nature of my job I can now assemble a desktop computer. SO if I decide to watch movies or play video games I can just built one. Does anyone know if Goodman housing has high speed internet connection and if it's included in the rent? That would be nice if it's true.
 
I have a laptop and love it. UT has wireless...in the library atleast, which makes having your own laptop very convenient for writing/researching in the library. Also, since notes, etc. are available online, it's nice to be able to download them onto your own computer while at school...or to be able to download them at home and take the 'pruter to school. I've also figured out how to print from my computer to just about any printer at the U of M, and with wireless, you have a pretty convenient and economical way of getting and printing information.
 
Anyone know what the computer allowment is on the loans....or if it varies, what is it around?
 
thanks for the advice guys. right now im thinking heavily aobut living in the dorm...at least for one semester. i figure ill be able to make a better decision on an apt. after living there for a while. also, the low cost will be nice! Ill be making the trip from knoxville tues, or wed. of next week to come check it all out.

anyone have any advice on how to pay for a car while in school? mine is about to fall apart.
 
Private loans are the most feasible possibility.....just know that you'll be paying it back plus a whole lot in 15 years. If you can tough it out for another 3 or 4 years...the longer you wait the more money you'll save. If it runs, hold onto it...no one's concerned about how your ride looks when you're studying 20 hours a day.
 
I have one suggestion about purchasing a laptop computer (namely a Dell). If any of you know someone with a "small business" [think outside the box], you can register to make the laptop purchase through Dell's small business department. Often, you can get a bit more for your money, particularly with the onsite service (which may be a better deal than the mail-in repair option). I don't know about you all, but things always seem to fail on me when I need them most, and I would hate to have to mail in my laptop for service the week of exams or something.

My boyfriend is an IT manager, and he suggested a machine with the following:
Intel M or 1.8 GHz processor
512 MB memory
DVD or CD/CDRW (your choice)
40 GB hard drive
wireless card
56K modem
These plus a few other options (like MS Windows OS) on the Dell Latitude D600 model priced out at about $1925.
(Please excuse any incorrect abbreviations etc. with the terminology. I am not well versed in this lingo!)

I personally would like the convenience of a laptop, but as most of you know you can get a "Porsche" desktop for the same price as a "Toyota" laptop. I think it all depends on your personal preferences.
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for all the helpful comments. Keep it up! I just went to the post office to ship some of my belongings. Found out that US postal office has a pretty decent rate for media material. Anyone going to be living at Goodman in the fall?
 
If you get a laptop, you should definitely get one with built-in wi-fi, instead of just a card. I'm told that built-in wi-fi gets much better reception, having something to do with a much longer attenna implanted in the body of the laptop.

--Funkless
 
just don't get a MAC, god hates MAC owners!
 
Hey everyone!!!

So how many more folks are still waiting to hear from UT? I wish you all the best!!

I am seeking advice of the academic sort & would appreciate any feedback you all might like to give. As some (now all) of you know, I was an English major/ Pre-med minor. I have picked up Microbio. , A & P, Pathophys., and Immunology, but I am still a little concerned about not having taken Genetics or Biochem.

Can any of you suggest any "crash" review materials for Genetics and Biochem that I might be able to study over the summer? Online resources would be best, but I might consider purchasing a text if anyone knows of an excellent one.

Thanks very much!!! Hope everyone has a great day!!
 
Miss 'I'm-not-a-gunner' is going to study over the summer??? Hmmm, sounds like a gunner to me... :p
 
If anyone is going to be buying a Dell you should look on ebay for discount codes. My buddy, an IT manager, told me to buy one and I got like 10 % off the total price of my computer. I bought the code from someone on Ebay for like 8 bucks!!! ;)

I think this has probably been discussed but does anyone have any insight on how the clinicals in Knoxville compare to Memphis and Chattanoooga? Anyone know anyone that has either done all their rotations or a few in Knoxville. I read on the websiter that UTK will have all required rotations starting this year.
 
sounds like a laptop is the way to go. unfortunately ill have to wait until the loan check comes to get one. anyone know when the check normally comes...and how much of it can go towards a computer? what is this wifi thing?

high speed internet at Goodman?? anyone know

also would it make any sense to have a desktop and laptop, or should i sell my 'puter.
 
jaceperkerson said:
sounds like a laptop is the way to go. unfortunately ill have to wait until the loan check comes to get one. anyone know when the check normally comes...and how much of it can go towards a computer? what is this wifi thing?

high speed internet at Goodman?? anyone know

also would it make any sense to have a desktop and laptop, or should i sell my 'puter.
Click to expand...

Someone might check to see if UT has a deal with Dell or another computer company. Universities often do (U of Memphis does)...students get a certaou in percentage off. Dell often has package deals that can change from day to day...some are better than others.

Wifi is the same as wireless, no? If a place has wireless internet and you have a wireless card, you can be on the internet without a cable. I have wireless in my house, so I'm sitting on the bed with my laptop and no lines whatsoever running into the wall. It's really nice. Some places, like Starbucks and many college campuses, have wireless so you can access the internet wherever you are. Some PDAs have wireless as well.

I had my laptop in UT's library the other day, but I didn't get any wireless signals, though the librarian assured me they have wireless in the library.
 
Hi guys! Wow, I've missed a lot over the last week. I was in Memphis last weekend (21-23) and was able to find an apartment out on Mud Island! I was really impressed by all the places downtown. I didn't see a single bad apartment! I can't wait to move in July! I also stopped in to talk to Nelson while I was in town and he said that this year is shaping up to be one of the strongest classes in a long time. He also said that the new curriculum is going very well and that people have seemed to be really happy with it. Also it looks like everyone did really well on Step I this year.

With regards to laptops and computer prices. UT does receive educational pricing from a few different manufacturers. You can find the prices for both computers and software at:

http://bookstore.asa.utk.edu:16080/uccs/prices/

As far as whether to buy a Dell or an Apple, the best advice I can give is to buy what you are comfortable with. There is an Apple store somewhere in Germantown if I'm not mistaken, so go and take a look at things and play with them. It is very easy to find a Dell laptop to get your hands on and play with.

I can't wait to meet everybody. I hope that everyone has a great summer!

--Egghead
 
EggHead said:
As far as whether to buy a Dell or an Apple, the best advice I can give is to buy what you are comfortable with. There is an Apple store somewhere in Germantown if I'm not mistaken, so go and take a look at things and play with them. It is very easy to find a Dell laptop to get your hands on and play with.

I can't wait to meet everybody. I hope that everyone has a great summer!

--Egghead
Click to expand...

:D I gotta admit, this is all really exciting.

Ok...there is an Apple store in Germantown as you mentioned. Here are the directions if anyone wants to visit. Head East down Poplar; you'll be on it for a good 20-30 minutes from the river downtown. In Germantown there are some long stretches of road with no stop lights and large, new houses on the right. You will turn left at the first light you come to (West Street). The Saddle Creek shopping center will be on your right. The Apple store is in there along with a J Crew, GAP, Banana Republic, Anne Taylor, and Marble Slab Creamery. Irish Rose has been there ;) .



By the way, have any of you tried Back Yard Burgers yet? I know they're getting around the country some, but they're from Memphis. Their stuff is tons better than other bast food burger joints, though a little pricier. Their stock is also a really good investment, btw.
 
Certified Back Yard Burger Junkie!! It's kinda like the $5.00 milkshake! Just that good!
(It does not help that there is one within 20 yards of my office!)

jaceperkerson- The load check generally comes around the 1st week of the term (so for us the week of Aug. 16th since I don't think they count orientation). I have read some other posts about FA in general & they all note that students should have some back up money avail. should the loans be dispersed late (apparently that is not uncommon). Of the $7,200 +/- available for our book allocation, an estimated $3,000 can be used for computer & PDA. I spoke with the bookstore & she said that if you purchase a computer through the school, you can have 24 month (pretty sure- could be 36 months) financing w/out interest. There is a $50 "processing" fee, but basically you can have up to 2 years to make the payments without penalty. I think this could be a good deal, however I would be fearful of not paying it off right away. The computer $ is a one time allocation, so if a student spends the money elsewhere, he/she won't get it again. She said that they had all major types of computers (excluding Dell & Apple & Gateway) & they have a purchase agreement with Office Depot (or Comp USA, something like that) for the negotiated price.

This summer is going to fly by... Welcome to June already!!!

When is everyone headed over to move in & such (excluding those already in place!!)?
I will be moving out to the Estates at River Point the last week in July.
 
I just read some of the info on the link from EggHead... looks very informative! Thanks for posting it!! I never guessed that the computer purchasing would be system wide.

Take care all!!
 
<--- Petrified by the thought of investing in a restaurant.
 
Hey Asclepius,

How's that thesis? Are you near done?
 
Irish Rose said:
Hey Asclepius,

How's that thesis? Are you near done?
Click to expand...

I'm looking at June 10...plan to have it completely written by then...if funk wouldn't keep me up all night in the chatroom.

funk...what? are you investing in a restaurant?
 
Egghead...
I just ended up getting a one bedroom out on Mud Island at the Grove. What apartment complex did you eventually decide on?
 
VandyPatty,

We ended up getting a two bedroom at Arbors. One thing that we liked about it was their pet policy. We don't have a dog right now, but my wife is really wanting to get one and we don't want to be tied down by apartment policy. How do you like the Grove?
 
I'm in, I'm in!!! I found out last night. Wow, what a relief! I am so excited, and can't wait to meet everyone.
 
Whooooohoooooo!!!!! Congratulations!!!! :clap: I love to hear the good news!

sewaneegrad, we will have to have another get-together so you can meet everyone.

So, has anyone else heard any good news??
 
^ I just found out where babies come from. Does that count as good news? :p
 
So you're gonna be a Daddy?? Of course that is good news!!
 
yikes... definitely not daddy dave, 22 is way too early for moi.
 
Congrats to Sewaneegrad!!! Enjoy the rest of your summer.
 
I was listening to the local news on the radio the other day, and it was announced that UT-Memphis lost its accreditation for its anesthesiology program. I don't know how common this is in the medical community or if it would in anyway affect med school students, so I started checking the web and can't find any sources to back this up.

Anyone else hear about this? It had to do something in relation to lack of funding for research and inadequate education regarding cancer treatment.
 
EDIT:

Okay, as soon as I made my previous post, I find the article. It would totally suck to be a resident in this program. And the fact that Memphis was warned this was going to happen...

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/article/0,1406,KNS_348_2930189,00.html

Health center losing anesthesiology program
June 1, 2004

MEMPHIS, Tenn.- Tennessee's primary medical school is losing its program for training doctors in anesthesiology.

"We have a huge shortage of anesthesiologists across the country. To lose a program of this magnitude is disheartening," said Gary Kimzey, president of the Tennessee Society of Anesthesiologists.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has trained anesthesiologists since the 1960s. Through the program, students called residents become specialists in putting patients to sleep for surgery or otherwise controlling their pain.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has notified the university that the program will lose its accreditation on June 30, 2005.

The university was warned three years ago that the program was in trouble, largely because of too little faculty research and inadequate training in managing cancer pain.

Henry Herrod, dean of the university's College of Medicine, said he hopes to reapply for accreditation next year and have a new program in place by July 2006.

Normally, 12 to 16 doctors are enrolled in the program. Five to seven residents are expected to complete the program's final year.

The Health Science Center, which trains doctors, nurses and a variety of other medical-care specialists, has reduced faculty hiring in recent years because of state budget cutbacks.

Herrod said he will seek help from other institutions, such as Methodist University Hospital, in reviving the program.

Gary Shorb, the hospital's chief executive officer, said Methodist is willing to help but is not sure yet what assistance will be needed.

Residents in the anesthesia program work under faculty supervision at the Regional Medical Center (The Med), Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, the Memphis Veterans Medical Center and Methodist hospital.

Bruce Steinhauer, The Med's director, said the residents will be missed.

"There is a considerable shortage of anesthesiologists in town right now. The residents aren't playing a major role in solving that, but they were the margin of difference for us," Steinhauer said.
 
Freaker,

There is an article on this in today's Knoxville News Sentinal (www.knoxnews.com). Basically, the explanation was lack of faculty research and a decreased number of faculty in the program.

--Egghead
 
well thats no good... is there a clinical elective and do you think this would effect it?
 
Egghead...I liked the Grove a whole lot...I actually looked at the Arbors but they didn't have any availability for one bedrooms in August. Both complexes were really nice and I think living on the island is a real plus in my mind.
 
was there any price break for students?
 
Yeah...I heard about the demise of the anesthesiology program. I don't know if there was an elective rotation in anesthesiology; if so, I'm sure it would affect it. You could always do an anesthesiology rotation elsewhere if you were interested. It may not matter if Dean Herrod is able to reestablish the anesthesiology program by '06 anyway.

Surely this doesn't help UT's reputation, but keep in mind that the school is going through some changes right now and funding from the state is poor since we're recovering from hard times. UT is building an excellent cancer research center, and perhaps pain management of cancer will be involved in that. And don't forget that a load of money has been dumped on the school and bioworks consortium to make a major research park in Memphis. I imagine UT's reputation will only improve, though perhaps not significantly by the time we apply for residency. On the flip side, the same sort of problems that ended anesthesiology provide more opportunities for students like us to get involved in a meaningful way in patient care. UT may not be as glamorous as Harvard or Hopkins, but when you have docs and residents scrounging to get their hands in a place like that, what room is left for the students?

...there lemonade is served :)
 
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