Utah - thoughts?

[woolie]

Hey guys,

I was wondering what people thought/knew about the medical school at Utah. I like it and so far am impressed by their incredible friendliness and support. I also like the outdoor lifestyle in Utah and the community in general. Any information about residency matches, school experiences and anything else? Will I feel a fish out of water not being a mormon? What about getting residencies around the country? Research opportunites? How is the area for professional women? (I'm pretty liberal.)

I like the school, but always open to more information and feedback.

 

[japhy]

woolie,

first off, congratulations on your acceptance. i am a med student at the U and love going to school there. i was drawn there for similar reasons that you have stated: the incredibly friendly student body and the magnificent dean's office. they work very hard to ensure their students are happy and excelling in school.

just as a personal plug, i have been able to ski 40-50 days a season during the last two years, mountain biking is ridiculously accessible and on and on...

in terms of the match, most people do very well, even in competitive residencies like uro, rads, etc. i bet you could talk to margie or anna in the dean's office and they could get you the most recent match list.

i think that you will be fine not being of the dominant state religion. most people are kind and courteous and I have never felt like it was an issue. the professors are very accessible, the docs are great, which leads to many research opportunites, either over your 1st summer or beyond.

i can say, without a doubt, that i have loved going to school at the U. the students are fantastic, they hang out quite a bit, i just feel like it is a place that i have been able to thrive during med school.

on a personal note, i would love to have more liberal women at the u. i am currently on leave from med school to get another degree. but i would be coming back to med school when your class reaches the clinics. so come to the u. please.

anyway, if you have any more questions feel free to pm me.

 

[Skialta]

I am an MSI and a transplant to utah (not of the dominant religion). Suprisingly Salt Lake City is fairly liberal, the ratio is 50/50 mormon/non mormon. If you love the outdoors you can't go wrong, Alta and Snowbird are only 25 minutes away. There are many good research opportunities here and professors and attendings are very approachable and willing to help you out. As far as diversity is concerned, utah in general is lacking but I feel the medical school is trying. My classmates range from conservative mormon to very liberal with all sexual orientations represented. I believe our USMLE board scores are above the mean and we have a good match rate. I don't think you can go wrong choosing the U. Good luck with your decision.

 

[woolie]

Thanks guys for your responses! I feel the same way about it seems like a great place to really thrive. Also, the outdoor skiing, hiking, biking are just incredible. I think I'm just nervous in general about starting school and so I am glad to hear your experiences. The community is definitely very warm and supportive and that really stood out for me during this application year. It's amazing to think that you can study study study, take an exam and then go skiing for the afternoon!

 

[japhy]

did i mention that season passes to alta, snowbird, etc are $400 for students? it is so easy to ski half-days in slc, you will have the goggle tan in no time.

 

[conure]

Woolie,

I'm also an MSI at the U of U so I will throw in my two cents. A note on my background. I was born and raised in SLC (non-mormon), went away to college and have lived outside of utah for the last six years. Safe to say alot has changed in Utah since I've been away and a lot has stayed the same.

I'm very happy to be back here for med school. My class is, like skialta said, diverse although not as diverse as some other schools. It is obvious to me that the admissions committee has worked hard to bring together people of varying backgrounds, beliefs and lifestyles. It has worked and I hope the legislature doesn't f* things up. I am particularly encouraged by the women in our class. They are all very strong, independent, free thinking and intelligent. There are at least two openly gay women in our class. I guarantee that you will have many things in common with your classmates and you will not feel like a fish out of water.

As for the school itself the classes are great, as good as any other school you could attend. There are great opportunities to work with physicians here (yes even in first year) and they encourage all types of reasearch. Do well and you will match where you want.

That being said we still have our issues, after all we are medical students. We whine a lot and tend to complain a bit to much. We seem a bit intense at times and perhaps are overly concerned with seemingly mundane issues. But I believe this is true of any medical school class. We really shine when we get together for parties, events and charity work. We do know how to laugh and have lots of fun together.

 

[japhy]

conure,

just wanted to give your class some props. while the third and fourth years were known for partying like mad and having a damn good time, word on the street is the 1st years party harder. you put us all to shame.

 

[TysonCook]

Hey,
If any of you MSI's at the U see Cory Heidelberger tell him Tyson Sez "WAssup", he was my roomie while I was at the U.

Utah is a great place with a lot to due, low crime and a wonderful place to get an education. You are very fortunate to be there!