WesternU/COMP class of 2006

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Hey NX..
Yeah, Claremont, Chino Hills, Upland, Chino. San Dimas.. are all places you want to check out (there are a few others as well). When you come by here, you can either see if they have extra apt. guides at Student Affairs (in the Student Services Center where you were sitting in the morning before the interview) or you can just go to a local supermarket and pick one up in front.

As far as roommates go, yeah.. I think I would try and find some local contacts and even use SDN as a starting point too if need be for finding a roommate. If you decide on taking one of the summer courses, that's something to consider as well as you'll be here a bit earlier than most folks.
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Thanks everyone! That helped. And yes, I did interview on the 12th :)

Hm... so now anyone needs a roommate? I'm looking for a female fellow student, who's quiet and clean. If interested, please email me at [email protected].

Thanks!
 
CompBound:
About laptops, the school may rent one to you, but the price in not included in tuition. For the first years this year, the rental price is $500 per year (I believe). Instead of paying rent to the school on a computer that was good a few years ago, I think it is better to buy your own. The school will send you a list of required features and recommended features. I topped out most ofthe recommended features and spent under $2000, so I figure I saved money. If you don't have the cash to purchase a laptop, you can contact financial aid and they will increase your loans so that you can buy one.
Hope this helps! Congratulations on your acceptance!
 
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Thanks a million for the info Teloola. I replied <a href="http://www.studentdoctor.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=001652;p=33" target="_blank">Here</a> so instead of posting in two places....
 
Hi,

Does anyone know when the whitecoat ceremony for COMP is? And the details? Are they going to send us information about it?

:confused:
 
Hey NX811,
I already sent congrats in a different thread (there are too many message threads already!), but to answer your question, I believe our White Coat Ceremony was around August 11th last year. It did take some time to get information about it, although I think we had a date for it in advance so people could plan family coming out and stuff. I wonder if our old COMP message thread is around.. a year ago we were all discussing who was having family come out to watch the ceremony.

The white coat ceremony was in Ontario, CA about 15 minutes away driving.. I'm not sure if it is in the same place every year. We had it at a high school auditorium, but that being said.. it seemed like a really really nice high school (private school maybe?). It was a bit stuffy and definitely sunny that day, but I think most of us enjoyed the time to get to know one another better, feel good about ourselves and enjoy the time with family and friends. Afterwards, we all went back to school and had the picnic lunch which finished up an enjoyable afternoon.

Personally, I look back at how I was feeling last year around this time and I was definitely excited. Getting to know my future classmates and peers on SDN helped even more because we could all share our anticipation together. :) I may be wondering why I was cursed to study this entire spring break (well, most of it) for the upcoming neurosensory exam, but I'm glad to be here. Enjoy the last few months before things start moving!
 
Melancholy,

Thanks for answering my question! My parents were wondering, and yeah, I'm getting really excited about the whole thing. And I remember seeing a Discovery Health Channel special on med students. It showed the White Coat ceremony and I remember wishing it was me. But then it's only a few months away!! and it'll be me!! :)

August 11th- my birthday. That would be cool if it's on the same day :)

Thanks and hope you did well on your exam.
 
NX811- Whoa.. I didn't even notice it corresponded with your birthday.. and your screen name as well. (Me, being the ignorant non-Californian who doesn't know anything about cars thought the NX811 sounded like a good name for a car model.. heh). Unfortunately, 8/11 is also a month before the tragedy, but let's try to stay a little positive here..

From what I've heard, white coat ceremonies vary from school to school around the U.S. Some schools make a much bigger deal out of it than others I think (some are more laid-back than others). Even though I have nothing to compare to, I thought COMP's was balanced without getting too "ceremonious" and drawn out. I did think one of the best feelings was (if I remember this right) after we read our oaths, we started congratulating each other and it was all smiles. It's definitely nice to think back to simpler times to help give me a little shove when I am in a studying rut. :)
 
Whatsup Fellow '06 ers!

Congrats to all who made it this year and I am looking forward to meeting everyone! I have a quick question: Anyone making any big vaction plans the summer before school starts as a last "hoorah"? I'm hoping to do some traveling before burying my head in books for the next 4 years. I'm trying to some ideas of where to go and where people have been or are planning to go.

Enjoy the break while it last guys!

O
 
Can't let this drop to the bottom.. keep it up folks! :D
 
Hey everyone!

I just interviewed at COMP (3/26/02) and truly loved the place, students, and got a "good" feeling you're supposed to get when interviewing.

However, Im having anxiety over it all for a couple of reasons. One is that my interviewer (the one and only interviewer) only interviewed me for about 15-20 minutes...coming all the way from Boston, this seemed like a shame. He was a stand-in because the regualr interviewer was late and since I was the first on the list that day had the "substitute" while everyone else had the scheduled interviewer. Are short interviews bad? I felt like I talked too much - Im just not sure.

Also, I did mention to the interviewer that I was accepted at TUCOM and waitlisted at AZCOM. Will this hurt me?

I really love the school and hope that I get in... Thanks!

Careofme
 
Hey there future COMPers, congrats to all who were recently accepted, I know I'm totally excited to move to California and get started!!! Hope all is going well with everyone and Careofme, my interview didn't last all that long and I felt like I dominated the conversation as well and found out two weeks later I was in, so I'm sure it went fantastic and I'll keep my fingers crossed that you hear good news!!!

How's the classes going with all of you already in COMP????

Talk to ya'll later.....
 
hi careofme
I don't think you should worry about how long your interview lasted. My interview was also fifteen minutes long and i was accepted to western university. So just hang in there and stay positive. You should be hearing from them in about two weeks. Best of luck to you
futuredoctor. :)
 
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hi careofme
I don't think you should worry about how long your interview lasted. My interview was also fifteen minutes long and i was accepted to western university. So just hang in there and stay positive. You should be hearing from them in about two weeks. Best of luck to you
futuredoctor. :)
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by oscar_meyer:
•Whatsup Fellow '06 ers!

Congrats to all who made it this year and I am looking forward to meeting everyone! I have a quick question: Anyone making any big vaction plans the summer before school starts as a last "hoorah"? I'm hoping to do some traveling before burying my head in books for the next 4 years. I'm trying to some ideas of where to go and where people have been or are planning to go.

O•••••My wife and I are planning a two week vacation this summer - one week at a big music festival back east and the second on a ship somewhere in the Carribean. See ya guys in August!

j
 
Vacation plans may be postponed... maybe..

any one receive the ISAC appliaction form? Is anyone considering to apply to the summer course? The price seems very steep, and I'm wondering if it is worth spending my last summer before med school in a gross anatomy lab.

Anyone heard positives about ISAC, and if it is worth the money and time?

O
 
My vacation plans remain in tact.

I actually contemplated taking ISAC last year when I was accpeted, before I decided to defer - but reconsidered. I have heard good and bad things about it. Even if you pass ISAC, during the fall you have to TA in the lab and are expected to sit in lecture - you just don't have to take the exams.

Biggest point against ISAC, that I've heard, is that it robs you of the bonding experience of Gross during the fall - a big thing for all 1st years (the bonding).

I've actually had a good deal of anatomy, including a full embryology and GHA lecture/lab, so I figured rather than rob myself of my summer, I'd just breeze through GHA in the fall (good intentions!!!)

Fall is going to be hard either way, so why blow one of your last summers (in fact, your last summer with any real responsibility) - would rather be cruising through Reche Canyon or up hwy38 on my crotchrocket, than sitting in a cadaver lab from 8-5!
 
Hey oscar_meyer,
There was a brief message thread about ISAC that you can read.. here's the link:

<a href="http://www.studentdoctor.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=002315" target="_blank">recent ISAC thread</a>

If you do a search in the Osteopathic forums section for ISAC, there should be older message threads from last year that will have even more information about ISAC and the pros and cons. Personally, even if it does suck up part of your summer, I believe it is something to consider unless you have anything else you plan on doing during the summer (I didn't.. so ISAC was better than sitting around for a few weeks doing squat).
 
Hello all...

I've been lurking here for while, but I decided to finally jump in. I've had my acceptance for a few months but it's beginning to feel more real to me now. I'm looking forward to meeting other COMP '06-ers online over the next few months!

Has anyone thought about where you will live?
 
I was planning to commute. I'm currently living in Irvine, so I expect 2 hours out of my day going back and forth to be on the road. Hopefully I can hack it, but that's the plan for now.

I saw some fellow COMPers also trying to commute from orange county. Anyone willing to carpool?
 
I'm commuting, so if you want, please email me at [email protected] and we can discuss it some more :) . New and/or existing COMP students are also welcome to email, and I can add you to our growing list of students who are planning to meet this summer before school starts in August. go COMP! :clap: :clap:
 
Hi Everyone,
I recently had my interview (3/29), which I believe went quite well, and am hopeful about a favorable outcome. I already have an acceptance at UHS but am gravitating more and more towards COMP. As far as the schools are concerned, I honestly believe that they are both good and that I will be able to achieve my goals by attending any one of them; however, being that I am from California, COMP is appealing more to me.
Now, then, as many other prospective students, I have concerns about housing and am hoping that some current students might be able to help out with info etc. I wasn?t in town long, but I have ruled out Pomona (especially The Plaza?..it just looked a bit too shady to me). I took a good look at Chino Hills, and was quite impressed, even though the rents there are quite high (~$1,000/1bd apt). I am wondering if there are a significant number of current students who are living there, and if there are future students who are seriously considering living there. The same for other communities around Pomona?.I simply did not have time to visit them all, and would really welcome input from those who did, and those who are living there currently. Perhaps you could briefly relate your experiences with costs, apt. complexes, commute etc.
I am married, and understand that a significant number of med students are. My intent is to find out if there are certain communities and/or apt. complexes where several fellow students (especially the married ones) are living, so that we may be able to support each other outside of school in whatever ways possible, even if it simply means studying together during weekends.
Any help will be greatly appreciated....
 
qafas, i got into COMP and luckily i live about 10 minutes away in Diamond Bar. it's a really nice, upscale city. you might want to look into it. in addition, other areas that may interest you are claremont, montclair, chino, and san dimas.
 
Hi Qafas-

I am glad to hear your interview went well...that is one thing about COMP's interviews is that they are very relaxed and friendly...

I am currently a second year student and I have been living in Claremont for almost two years now. I highly recommend Claremont...very nice little town, safe, and basically not Pomona! It's about 8-10 minutes away from campus (5 minutes if you drive like a maniac like me when I am late to class!) and what I like about it the most is the Claremont Village blocks away with cute shops and restaurants. Not to mention all the local Starbucks for the night before exams! It's a college town with the Claremont Colleges nearby, so that offers alternative study environments like their really nice libraries. I like to study there because I just don't want to be on campus all day and night!

Chino Hills is popular, too. Although I think it's a bit further and not as nice like Claremont. Although some people beg to differ. I suggest (if you can) checking out the two cities and see what suits you best! Good Luck!

Kira, MSII
DO 2004
 
I got a question!

I'm really interested in the one bedroom apartment in the Plaza. Anyone knows when's the best time to contact them and get the 1-bedroom apartment. I talked to the manager and he said that 1-bedroom apartment's hard to get in summer time....is that really true? Anyone with experience in dealing with them? And, do you think whether I might still get it around June/July?

Thanks.
Anniejojo
 
Anniejojo,
being flexible might help a bit when dealing with the manager. He is a pretty slick guy so it helps to pump him up a bit when it comes to getting any preference towards an upcoming vacancy.. at least in my opinion. I'd think the summer time would be better since students are sometimes moving out. I think it's all pretty subjective, so just try to keep aware of what rates other people are paying and when it gets close to time, ask me or other Plaza people to see if we know who is or isn't moving out during the summertime. Haven't we chatted about this before in the past? My memory is getting worse...
 
Melancholy,

What do you mean "pump him up"? My wife and I are going to be taking a quick trip down in a few weeks to scout out the area. I've heard the manager at the Plaza is interesting... my wife actually looked at a model apt. when I was down interviewing a couple of months ago. I assume from your post that you live there-- do you like it? I'm intersted in minimizing my commute. BTW, when I was there last I met someone who lives at The Park. My dad is over 55 and could sign my lease so I want to look into that option
too.
 
Hi Laloz,
If the manager in question is Dennis, he's a nice guy, but I did get a feeling that it helped to be on his good side when it came to getting an apartment. I think in the end, he's all about business and making money, but he seems to be a bit negotiable with things here and there. He actually gave me a bonus for moving in a month early.. and as I was flexible enough to do so, it wasn't too big a deal. It may vary from person to person, but I think it is something to keep in mind when dealing with that sort of personality... he's about making the sale.

I could deal with living here another year, but I would like to try a different location because I find myself spending more time in either Claremont or Chino Hills when I am driving around than I do in Pomona across from school(where all I do is study.. heh). It is certainly an advantage to live closer to school as you can walk back and forth and save money on gas, but for example, I like going to gym to work out (we have free LA Fitness membership), but all the gyms are about in a 15 minute radius from school, so I always end up having to drive out to a gym rather than living closeby to one. It's a minor thing, but I think I'd go to the gym a lot more often if I didn't have to beat traffic at certain times.

The Park might be a good option to look into. From what I remember, the rent was a little cheaper and perhaps it is a bit quieter as well. It would be a good idea to go there and walk around the apt. complex and see the rooms to get a feel for it. I think it'd be a good idea to let your wife check everything out to be sure she feels safe being in the area at night.. just more things to think about.

Let me know if you have any other questions... I'd be happy to answer to the best of my abilities!
 
Thanks CADO2B-

Great to know that there are other people trying the commute from Orange County! Hopefully some So Cal COMPERS can meet up before classes start in August!
 
2nd year COMPers,

Is there any time between 1st and 2nd year to travel or do fun stuff? I'm postponing my trip to France and was hoping I can do it then.

How did you use your summer this past year? Aidez-moi, s'il vous plait!
 
Does anyone know the exact date when classes begin this fall? I'm trying to plan a trip, but am unsure of when classes start.

Thanks!!
 
NX811- Hey.. the summer between first and second year is your last long break that you will ever get I believe. We get three months off! I think that is the longest break aside from this time you have between now and when classes start in late summer/early fall... so to answer your question, yes there is time to do plenty of things. Most recommend taking that time off during the summer anyway.

As far as when classes start, hmm.. I have Aug. 13 as the first day of real classes. There is, of course, orientation week and perhaps anything else before that including the two summer anatomy courses.
 
NX811,

That summer between your 1st & 2nd is basically your last extended vacation (about 2 1/2 months). I would suggest that you do something non-medical, the 2nd year is a grind and then all of the sudden you start your 3rd year.

You're going to get a 1 month mandatory vacation during your 3rd & 4th years as well as a mandatory 1 month between 3rd & 4th.

Eric, MSII
 
Thanks everyone for helping me out. So France is still very plausible if I don't go this summer. Yay!!! :-D

On a side note, man! it is getting way too hot here in Tucson, Arizona!!!
 
Eric,
Are we gonna get to see ya one more time before you all leave for the wide world of rotations and COMLEX??


If nothing else...at least give us a softball re-match....c'mon now...you at least owe us that!!!
 
I just called COMP regarding housing. The lady there said school will start August 12th, and that orientation is one week before that and that orientation is manditory for matriculation. I have friends in Claremont who say that housing is very affordable there. Although living closer to school would be ideal, although dangerous. Nonetheless, that's the scoop. Take care.
 
What's up Yosh,

Good to hear from you, I haven't seen you guys around lately. They're really trying to throw a bunch of stuff at us at the end of the year. I think I'm juggling 4 different things right now.

Softball sounds cool I'm not certain how many 2nd years would come out, but there was a huge ultimate frisbee game yesterday I heard a lot of us came out for that. I'm sure there will be one more "bash" before we all take off to rotations. I remember last year they had a end of the year party at Robbies, hopefully there would be something like that this year as well.

Neuro's almost over for you!
Eric
 
just a quick question, that L.A. fitness membership, does that include anyone we may want to go to, or do we have to stick to one location we choose.....and what are the drawbacks to the plaza.....quick response will suffice....thanks...
 
L.A. Fitness...you can go to whatever one you want...I have been to several without a problem..it is a UNIVERSAL membership.

As far as the Plaza...it all depends where you are coming from, what you are used to...and what you want out of where you live.

It is not the nicest by any means...but it isn't a run down sum...just the same..

You need to see it for yourself...

I have friends that live there...and friends that wouldn't be caught dead there.

Single women...I would say no....

A guy that is street savy and can hold his own...will be fine..
 
Yah, I'm a street-savvy sorta guy. *Flex* :cool:
 
Yeah....Yosh...

I'd re-evaluate my synopsis of "street-savy".....

Although Lanny could be packing......in which case I will view Lanny differently from now on.... :p
 
ACCEPTED!

I just got my letter today. WU/COMP looks great for me.

I have two concerns, however. First, I noticed that many of the attainted residencies are in primary care or medicine. At this point I'm interested in surgery; will it be hard to obtain a surgery residency from WU/COMP? In general, how are the surgery rotations?

Also, I havent heard much research being performed at WU/COMP. Is there a research coordinator or website where I can find what labs are working on what? I believe that research enhances one's chances for some residencies, am I correct?

Thanks for all of your input - I know that I havent said much on this board but I've been quietly reading all of your responses from the corner...and am thankful for all of your help!!

:D
 
I was also recently accepted to COMP and am looking forward to meeting my fellow classmates!

I noticed the same thing, that a majority of the students from COMP go into primary care. I would be interested in hearing, from students who are currently attending, any insight that you might have on that statistic (70% go into primary care-according to US News and World Report).
 
Kadini,
Congrats on your acceptance into the 2006 class! I believe Kiki2004 made some comments in reply to CareofMe's statement which was relatively close to yours.. in regards to a considerable amount of students who end up becoming primary care physicians. You can find that link to the page in the COMP 2005 message thread here:

<a href="http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=001652;p=34" target="_blank">Link to response in COMP 2005 thread</a>

CareofMe- Kiki2004 gave a great summary of the research outlook at COMP. In case you didn't read what I had written in a separate message thread regarding research at our school, here it is...
-------------------------------------------------
I'm currently an MS-I at COMP and although I'm sure others could provide more detail as to various research experiences, I know that as this summer between our first and second year comes up, the school seems to have a number of opportunities set up to do research at labs in a number of schools including UCLA and UCSF as well as research with the various professors on campus at Western. From what I briefly remember, the majority of the research on campus covered areas such as OMM, pharmacology (a lot of it since we also have a school of pharmacy here), anatomy, and physiology.. I am probably missing a few areas here so hopefully someone can fill you in on the rest of them. There are other opportunities to do research during the summer as COMP has a number of scholarships/stipends they can award to students who desire to take the time to do research. I have gotten the feeling that research hasn't always been the top priority of the school, but based on hearing various professors and students speaking, I feel like there are definitely people pushing and working towards increasing the amount of research associated with the school.
------------------------------------------------
I should add that the school and professors definitely do encourage research and that is one reason why the biomedical club works to give stipends for those interested in performing research over the summer. The club also tries to give more opportunities for students to present their research at other venues (i.e. research symposiums) from what I remember, but I don't remember exactly where they have presented in the past. Personally, I decided in the end not to pursue a summer research position because I had other things that were on my list to do for the summer and some research positions tend to take up a large portion of the summer, as you might guess. I haven't seen my folks in half a year so I plan on spending a few weeks with family as well as spending some time to relax, volunteer, and maybe even work some. I think research can help incrementally in some cases and may help even more depending on how related the subject matter is to a possible speciality you are interested in, but I felt I had other priorities in my life. Besides, it's nice to be able to take advantage of being here in southern California with the sun and all. (for those of you who aren't experiencing it already!)
 
Oh yeah, for anyone who is wondering, I currently live in the Plaza Apartments across the street from COMP and when I went into the Student Affairs Office looking for housing information, the ladies there recommended not living at the Plaza. I can understand why they would not recommend students living there because realistically, there are much nicer places to live. However, I feel their recommendations may not always be appropriate based on what sort of living conditions you're used to and if one feels the advantages outweigh the possible disadvantages. I think The Plaza works for some people and not for others, so it's nice to keep an open mind to keep living next to school an option.

As a side note, I may end up moving out during the summer. I'd like a change of venue... also living in one of the popular surrounding areas would allow me to live a bit closer to an LA Fitness (instead of a 15 minute drive, it may be 5-10 min. instead), have slightly better access to food and groceries (I would be passing food on the way to and back from school every day.. making it easier to stop and grab dinner on the way home), and perhaps cut costs a bit if I can find a roommate as well. Also, I think it's nice to try living somewhere different just for the experience. I haven't had too problems with living at the Plaza currently and I'd just as well stick around for another year because of the convenience and well, because I'm not fond of moving. :)
 
That is if there is no one wanting to commute, I'll be willing to split rent for a place closer to school...*sigh* :)
 
Hi everyone, since you are on the subject of commuting, I just got accepted last week and will be commuting from Pasadena (about 30 miles). I was wondering if anyone is coming from this direction or knows anyone that is. It sure would be nice to carpool sometimes or at least meet some people since I really didn't get to know anyone at my interview. Take Care.

Jen
 
Hi folks,
Welcome abord Jen! I'm sure there should be locals around your area that are probably commuting. There are probably a few from my class that are doing the same, but you'd probably want to find someone in your incoming class because our schedules are not always the same.

As far as looking for roommates, I'm still debating what to do.. hmm. :/ Have more important things to worry about for the time being.. two more OMM exams and then a short break before any major exams.. whee!
 
Hello fello Western COMP students/classmates,

I'm going to Westen too this AUG12. =) I'm so happy that finally I'm one step closer to my dream of becoming a doctor (finally). Too many negative vibes here about Western like someone here says...there are always two sides to a coin. I agree with Arnold (sup Arnold...you suprised?) that it's what YOU make out of it. For those who complain; don't blame the school for your failures. Ask yourself...are these the attitudes you want to have when you become a physican? Don't blame the institutions for failures. I believe that if you study hard that you will succeed and that has been my philosophy ever since high school. You have to accept the fact that this is MEDICAL school and not undergraduate! If you are not willing to study or learn then medicine is not for you. Even though I'm not yet there...I can say that I will not blame Western for my failures or poor grades. If people in the class are able to score well on the test then I believe it is possible to do the same only if you study...read...etc. I believe that everyone can do well on a test. Some people might be smarter but they have to read too. Those that are not just have to study more and harder. My point is that it's not impossible but possible for everyone to get good grades.
 
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