2009 Pathology Applicants

[clancy81]

I am also happy to answer questions and share my experiences from applying this past cycle. I investigated most of the Western programs, and interviewed all over CA (all programs except LLU), UNM, and UW. There are definitely some great programs in the West.

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[dingozlife]

Casting a wide net is great, if you can afford it. I had 15 interviews around the country, and wound up staying locally, but interviewing around gave me a great perspective on different styles of program... it also let me meet a lot of big name people and future resident colleagues, so that part was fun.

One caveat I will have about recommendations - the information / impression you hear from people will often be semi-wrong or based on dated information... so try to keep a semi-open mind. At the same time, if you hear something from multiple sources, there's probably some truth to it.

Additionally, don't forget the growing database of residnecy interview reviews here. Pathology has one of the higher amounts of reviews, and I am in the process of slowly adding all mine. The 2008 applicants thread and rank/match threads might be useful too.

Finally, I want to throw in my recommendation for the program I'll be joining in July, Methodist in Houston... obviously I can give you a more inside perspective after July 1, but it has terrific faculty, great training, happy residents, excellent benefits, an incredible research track, and the cost of living cannot be beat! There are several programs in the area you could work into a single visit... and if you come down, I promise to buy you a beer.

BH

Hey docbiohazard, I'll be very interested in coming down to methodist for that beer, haha jp, but it'll be great to interview at your program and meet you and the other interns

 

[getunconcsious]

Hey docbiohazard, I'll be very interested in coming down to methodist for that beer, haha jp, but it'll be great to interview at your program and meet you and the other interns

I'm really hoping for Methodist too! I'm at UT-Houston and would like to stick around since my partner of 2.5 years is here and has 3 more years of residency.

Anyone know anything about what they might be looking for in applicants? I'm up there numbers-wise and work hard but have no extracurriculars, research, or anything that would give my app any sort of pizazz/personality.

 

[Alteran]

I'm also looking for a pathology residency in the upcoming year. Currently working on setting up away rotations and getting some publications under my belt. Its going to be a busy year.

 

[KWiz79]

Welcome to the board, leu345 and Alteran.

I just finished 2 weeks of Gyn and 2 weeks of Gyn/Onc. I liked the Gyn/Onc part because I got to go down to the Path lab and help gross specimens in, discuss the tumor, prognosis, histology, etc. It just confirmed again that Path is for me.

Only 4 weeks of 3rd year left. 4 weeks of L&D starting with night float tonight x 1 week. I can make it...I can make it.

2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS3, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS3, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS3/PhD, U. of Missouri
getunconcsious - MS3, UT-Houston
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS3, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS3, FMG
Ekard81 - MS3 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS3 in Chicago
dmurali - MS3
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS3

 

[Psychopathology]

Hope to meet up with some of you guys and gals on the interview trail.

I haven't much more to contribute to this thread, so here's quoting some classmates, relatives, residents, and attendings...


"I can't understand how people go into pathology. I would go crazy without having an opportunity to interact with another person all day." - Classmate

"I was thinking about going into path before I chose surgery. It must be nice only having to do one year of residency." - PGY2

"Pathology is still a three year residency." - Dean

"Pathology must be pretty chill. I mean, all of the patients are already dead." - Classmate

"I heard that pathologists are really, really socially awkward." - Another Classmate

"Pathology? Wow, crime scenes must be so exciting!" - Friend

"I heard a pathology attending yelling at a student and was like, wow, they're just like other doctors." - Another Classmate

"I suppose pathology involves patient care." - Surgery Attending

"I hate pathology. I did so bad in biochemistry and I can't imagine having to do research every day." - Yet another Classmate

"I heard that in the next decade pathologists will be replaced by machines." - Older Relative

"How long does it take the machine to read a biopsy?" - Another Relative

"You're smart for going into pathology. You will make lots and lots of money." - Surgery Attending



I enjoy confirming every myth, rumor, and urban legend I hear... Sometimes, I'm glad that our field is a little bit mysterious. I can't wait until the movie debuts. I'm going to tell all of my friends that it's about as close to reality as you can get!!!

Good luck to everybody finishing up third year!


The Biopsy Machine, MS3

 

[Alteran]

"I can't understand how people go into pathology. I would go crazy without having an opportunity to interact with another person all day." - Classmate

"We should stuff him in a closet" - A PA remarking to my attending after I stated my intention of pursuing pathology

"What!? You don't like people!?" - yet another PA commenting on my decision. I merely explained that I find the pathologies affecting these people much more interesting to me than the actual people affected by them.

 

[Psychopathology]

There wasn't a day or evening that went by during my fellowship when I wasn't inundated with pages, working side-by-side with everyone in the department, and casually chatting with acquaintances when things settled down. The idea of pathology residents working alone in a cold, dark basement is pretty ridiculous, but surprisingly prevalent among students who have no interest or curiosity about the field. I enjoy feeding this rumor for kicks and to sorta scare off slackers who believe the other rumor that path is gonna be a 40 hour work week for the next four years

I guess it would be more relevant if classmates asked us whether or not we enjoyed patient contact, since we won't be seeing many patients where we're headed. I'll miss being somebody's doctor, but there are loads of fascinating roles that I won't be able to adopt in this lifetime. Things I'll get to do and things I will not. Being doctor-ish and taking care of patients is one of the things I enjoy about third year. I could probably do it for a living but I'm deciding to do something else. Pathology is just sweet... What can I say? I'm looking forward to my one-year-residency of dealing exclusively with dead people and never talking to another human being except for when the biopsy machine breaks down and I need to have it repaired

 

[MasterThespian]

Hey all!

I’d just like to second DocBiohazard’s invitation to come check out the Methodist program down here in Houston. I’ll be joining them in July, but since I went to med school at Baylor here in Houston, I’ve done a few “second” looks and spoken to quite a few residents. It’s true that the residents are happy, the faculty and didactics are top-notch, and benefits are great (even 401K matching and a graduation bonus!). In addition to the great case material and teaching at Methodist, you get to do some surgpath at MD-Anderson as an upper-level (plus any electives you arrange there), dermpath with Ron Rapini at UT-H, can arrange pedi path at Texas Children’s, and it is very doable to arrange for electives or research collaborations at any of the Texas Medical Center’s institutions (MD-Anderson, Baylor, UT-Houston, Texas Children’s, Rice University, St. Luke’s, numerous research centers, many other hospitals-on and on)- it’s an ENORMOUS medical center with experts in everything! Last few years’ residents got good fellowships at MD-Anderson (dermpath, cytopath), BWH (GI), Methodist (Heme, SP), Baylor (Molecular), Texas Children’s (Pedi), also few straight into PP. 100% board pass rates so far (2 or 3 years of grads). I’ll admit, Houston’s no beauty and when you get off the plane and drive down nasty I-45 to town you will say to yourself “This is one UGLY city” but I promise you there ARE nice areas and there is definitely a ton of stuff to do here- check out Bayou City Outdoors club website, also lots of arts- music, opera, ballet, theatre, tons of professional sports, festivals, Galveston beach an hour away, etc. Cost of living is way cheaper than any other large metro area I can think of- homes are VERY affordable. And the people are friendly. Summers are long and HOT, but for me that beats a cold winter shoveling snow any day- I can hop on a plane to SLC or Denver for snow and ski anytime (direct flights most anywhere since we’re a major hub). So give us a visit and I’ll join you and DocBH for that beer!

 

[dingozlife]

looks like ill be the designated driver...

to pick up the keg

 

[Ale]

...texas programs are not that "IMG friendly" . . . maybe i'm wrong. i'll look into it . . .

cheers

Where do you get that, almost everyone here is a foreigner.

 

[Arctic Char]

Where do you get that, almost everyone here is a foreigner.

well then i suppose i stand corrected.

so i am back from my spring vacation. what a great trip, but damn i didn't want it to end

i just arrived back in tel aviv after an epic trip to the american southwest. i was with my best old friends from college, celebrating an upcoming wedding in june. we all met up in vegas, and from there we made our way through utah - first stopping off to hike and camp at Kolob Canyon Arch, and eventually heading way out to the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park (southeast utah). This was an extremely remote canyon system, carved deep into the landscape. it required some pretty sketchy rapelling with our packs, and some tight fits through narrow rock formations . . . all just to get down into the canyon system. once down there, we hiked nearly 18 miles per day, stopping to climb/boulder on the very cool rock formations that line the canyon walls. in 4 or 5 days of camping, we saw a lot of great bird species, had many intimate encounters with the local bat population, we admired 5,000 year old petroglyphs on the canyon walls, enjoyed perfect weather, and got to camp on a rock ledge about 70 feet up, perfectly out of range from the no-see-ums, wind sheltered, and sized to fit 4 people, yet we were only three. so it was a nice deal.

we got back to vegas fully incapable of assimilating to civilized, modern society, but we did our best. it just took a little beer. all in all, i can say with utmost confidence that this was the best trip i have had in years, probably takes 2nd or 3rd place to kayaking the Inside Passage, and fishing from the agulowok lodge in rural southwest alaska. much of it had to do with the company, much of it had to do with timing, and just as much had to do with the impressive nature of the Canyonlands National Park. a truly spectacular place. i highly recommend a visit

sorry for the non-pathology related topic. but i suppose i am now ready for the marathon to begin . . .

and thanks for the elaboration on texas programs. it'd be nice to get such infor for a lot of programs/places out there . . .

 

[eosinophil]

does anyone know what are the best path programs in new york (city)

 

[yaah]

does anyone know what are the best path programs in new york (city)

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=452054

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=310557

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=232520

And also try the search function, suggested terms include any of the names of the programs you are interested in .

 

[deleted113029]

I can beat yall I think; Just found out today my last month of third year is general surgery at a huge county hospital. 4:30-6 and 5 calls. I guess it will just make me appreciate MS4 that much more? Hope I'm not too burned out for anatomic path tho. I guess I have a short 1 week break in between.

 

[Arctic Char]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=452054

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=310557

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=232520

And also try the search function, suggested terms include any of the names of the programs you are interested in .

haha . . . heaven forbid the question would extend to the path job market in NY

 

[bioguy]

Mine is a strange case. I am an IMG came to US for PhD in Molecular Biology, very interested in Pathology and was hoping for a career as an academic pathologist/researcher. Unfortunately, after 6 years of struggling with unsuccessful research, circumstances demand that I take a Masters only. Might have a first-author paper before I finish Masters, already have couple of co-author papers. Haven't taken Steps yet, but am confident and determined to get a good score (+95). Meanwhile, I am trying my connections to get any kind of experience in our Path dept. here. Do you guys have any suggestions or any appraisal of my situation? I truly appreciate it. What are the middle tier programs? I am so dejected that I am not even thinking of upper tier.

 

[Arctic Char]

Mine is a strange case. I am an IMG came to US for PhD in Molecular Biology, very interested in Pathology and was hoping for a career as an academic pathologist/researcher. Unfortunately, after 6 years of struggling with unsuccessful research, circumstances demand that I take a Masters only. Might have a first-author paper before I finish Masters, already have couple of co-author papers. Haven't taken Steps yet, but am confident and determined to get a good score (+95). Meanwhile, I am trying my connections to get any kind of experience in our Path dept. here. Do you guys have any suggestions or any appraisal of my situation? I truly appreciate it. What are the middle tier programs? I am so dejected that I am not even thinking of upper tier.

bummer. i can sympathize with the frustration of stagnant research. however, i would suggest perhaps posting your questions as its own thread and you might get more responses.

being an '09 applicant myself, i can only tell you the answers i think you are likely to get: do well on the steps (1+2), secure good letters from american pathologists, apply broadly and on-time, and "you might surprise yourself"

best of luck . . . keep us up to date

 

[Arctic Char]

for fun - i'm posting my severely premature ROL . . . i have 5 days before my family shelf exam, so a little daydreaming is ok . . . and since my mind has changed to a large degree, especially since my last vacation reminded me how much of a westerner i am, i figured its time to see things in writing. also keep in mind i'm trying not to be over-ambitious or unreasonable

1. New Mexico
2. Utah
3. U. Arizona
4. OHSU
5. Vermont
7. Dartmouth
8. UC Davis
9. St Joseph's (Phoenix)
10. Penn State

Who's coming with me??? Me and my goldfish??

 

[Napoleon1801]

for fun - i'm posting my severely premature ROL . . . i have 5 days before my family shelf exam, so a little daydreaming is ok . . . and since my mind has changed to a large degree, especially since my last vacation reminded me how much of a westerner i am, i figured its time to see things in writing. also keep in mind i'm trying not to be over-ambitious or unreasonable

1. New Mexico
2. Utah
3. U. Arizona
4. OHSU
5. Vermont
7. Dartmouth
8. UC Davis
9. St Joseph's (Phoenix)
10. Penn State

Who's coming with me??? Me and my goldfish??

So just for conversation's sake....why are Utah and New Mexico your top two? I've definitely heard positive things about New Mexico, but I haven't heard that much about Utah really? Just curious, if the question is too nosey, you don't have to answer.

 

[TypicalTuesday]

for fun - i'm posting my severely premature ROL . . . i have 5 days before my family shelf exam, so a little daydreaming is ok . . . and since my mind has changed to a large degree, especially since my last vacation reminded me how much of a westerner i am, i figured its time to see things in writing. also keep in mind i'm trying not to be over-ambitious or unreasonable

1. New Mexico
2. Utah
3. U. Arizona
4. OHSU
5. Vermont
7. Dartmouth
8. UC Davis
9. St Joseph's (Phoenix)
10. Penn State

Who's coming with me??? Me and my goldfish??

Sounds like we have similar taste! My top four are pretty much same as yours, only slightly different order...see you in a few months maybe?

 

[BiopsyThis]

Hello all,

glad to be on board here. slogging through the last 5 weeks of general surgery, then on to a path rotation. i've noticed most people are interested in west coast residencies...anyone looking at east coast programs? also, anyone thinking about path specialties yet? i'm interested in pursuing research, and thinking about micro or hemepath. anyways, below is my list of programs i'm thinking about. good luck everyone and i'm looking forward to hearing about things in this thread.

1. Beth Israel
2. BWH
3. MGH
4. Boston Univ
5. Yale
6. U Penn
7. Brown

2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS3, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS3, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS3/PhD, U. of Missouri
getunconcsious - MS3, UT-Houston
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS3, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS3, FMG
Ekard81 - MS3 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS3 in Chicago
dmurali - MS3
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS3
BiopsyThis - MS3/PhD (virology), Northwestern

 

[Arctic Char]

So just for conversation's sake....why are Utah and New Mexico your top two? I've definitely heard positive things about New Mexico, but I haven't heard that much about Utah really? Just curious, if the question is too nosey, you don't have to answer.

i have short answers and long answers. the personal reasons involve my love for the southwest/mountain west, its great landscape, and my desire to return to there. i'm an outdoor enthusiast, and the mountain west has great skiing, climbing, kayaking, fishing, etc. As far as program quality and personal fit - they both (all) appear to be strong programs with good placements and large resources for training. and from what i can tell NM seems to have an affable group i would get along with very well. BUT, all of this is speculation at this point. i'll need to get more direct exposure before I can settle my mind once and for all . . . but its fun to toss around ideas.

see you in the west TypicalTuesday! stay in touch about interviews . . .

 

[mlw03]

UNM was quite impressive. only knock is that they rotate through a few hospitals, so the logistics of driving around each day could get a bit annoying. but if you don't mind that, everything else was very impressive. excellent surg path, renowned forensic and heme, excellent clin path with TriCor.

 

[Arctic Char]

thats good to hear, thanks for sharing. part of me wants to hear "nah, it sucks, only the suckers go there. you could match no problem" . . . j/k, its good to hear that they are a high quality program. here's to crossed-fingers . . .

 

[ssj3tom]

Good luck to all!! Hope to meet some of you out on the interview trail!

Add me to the list of enlightened souls hoping to start "pushing some glass" in 2009!!

2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS3, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS3, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS3/PhD, U. of Missouri
getunconcsious - MS3, UT-Houston
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS3, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS3, FMG
Ekard81 - MS3 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS3 in Chicago
dmurali - MS3
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS3
BiopsyThis - MS3/PhD (virology), Northwestern
ssj3tom - MS3, Ph.D. (cell biology), LECOM

 

[getunconcsious]

thats good to hear, thanks for sharing. part of me wants to hear "nah, it sucks, only the suckers go there. you could match no problem" . . . j/k, its good to hear that they are a high quality program. here's to crossed-fingers . . .

I hear ya but there's probably enough people that would simply refuse to live in Albuquerque, regardless of program quality, to keep competetiveness from becoming unreasonable. Gotta look on the bright side, right? Same reason I'm guessing I'll have good luck in Houston lol.

 

[dmurali]

hey ... am also 2009 applicant... am interested in UW, brigham, UMASS, UVA and VCU....

 

[Arctic Char]

adding dmurali.

i thought houston was supposed to be super-fly dynamite? i'm sure its a few rungs up the hipness scale than Albuquerque though. i've heard a lot of great things about houston . . .

that reminds me a classic joke:

Q: How do you piss off a texan?

A: Cut Alaska in half, and make Texas the 3rd largest state

2009 Pathology Applicants
Arctic Char - MS3, MSIH (The Medical School for International Health)
Napoleon1801 - MS3, U. of Oklahoma
KWiz79 - MS3/PhD, U. of Missouri
getunconcsious - MS3, UT-Houston
dingozlife - Med student
Pronkzilla - MS3, UT-Southwestern
tmz2007 - MS3, FMG
Ekard81 - MS3 in St.Louis
typicaltuesday - MS3 in Chicago
dmurali - MS3
leu345 - IMG
Alteran - MS3
BiopsyThis - MS3/PhD (virology), Northwestern
ssj3tom - MS3, Ph.D. (cell biology), LECOM
dmurali - MS3 (?)

 

[mlw03]

ok, i'll bite. is alaska really more than twice as big as texas?

 

[Arctic Char]

Alaska square mileage: 656,425
Texas square mileage: 268,601

 

[Arctic Char]

haha, OMG these are great!

 

[getunconcsious]

Oh cmon arctic! Is all this Texas bashing really necessary? I suppose I don't care since I'm from Nevada, but now that I've been stuck here for 7 years the place is kind of starting to grow on me!

And I still insist that at the very least we're way better than New Mexico!

 

[Arctic Char]

Oh cmon arctic! Is all this Texas bashing really necessary? I suppose I don't care since I'm from Nevada, but now that I've been stuck here for 7 years the place is kind of starting to grow on me!

And I still insist that at the very least we're way better than New Mexico!

haha, hey, i love texas. i'm not bashing anything. as a sign of goodwill, i'll embarrass Alaska with this prideful scene from the tranquil wilderness

 

[Alteran]

I still insist that at the very least we're way better than New Mexico!

Being born and raised in Texas, I can say that I really love my state. Driving through New Mexico was a freaky experience because the only way I knew that I was still on the US side of the border was because everything was in English.

 

[clancy81]

UNM was quite impressive. only knock is that they rotate through a few hospitals, so the logistics of driving around each day could get a bit annoying. but if you don't mind that, everything else was very impressive. excellent surg path, renowned forensic and heme, excellent clin path with TriCor.

I was also really impressed by UNM and am really glad I checked the program out. Coming from CA the driving distances and their idea of "rush hour traffic" did not seem bad at all, so I agree that it all depends on your perspective with respect to the different sites.

 

[Napoleon1801]

Being born and raised in Texas, I can say that I really love my state. Driving through New Mexico was a freaky experience because the only way I knew that I was still on the US side of the border was because everything was in English.

Mucho agreement. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to tour UNM last month when I was in New Mexico, but for a place bordering Oklahoma, it looked like an entirely different planet almost. It was fun for sure and having mountains in the scenery was a big plus. Albuquerque and Santa Fe seemed like little outposts in the middle of a huge desert. It looked like there was some very interesting hiking opportunities out there! I'd be walking up the side of a mountain once work let out.

 

[Arctic Char]

since we were all talking about texas/houston, i figured i'd mention that i FINALLY scheduled step 2 CS for November 1st in Houston. certainly wish i could have gotten an earlier date, but its the best i could do. nonetheless, i'm excited about seeing houston. i'll have time to spend a few days in town, so someone has to give me some tips about seeing/doing, etc etc.

i'm also interested in seeing some of the houston programs that i'll be applying to .. . wonder if i'll be able to squeeze in some first-looks, or if i'm lucky i'll have interview invites at the time i can lump together . . .

anyway, looking forward to it

 

[Matte Kudesai]

haha, OMG these are great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfbTO0GlONU

 

[docbiohazard]

since we were all talking about texas/houston, i figured i'd mention that i FINALLY scheduled step 2 CS for November 1st in Houston. certainly wish i could have gotten an earlier date, but its the best i could do. nonetheless, i'm excited about seeing houston. i'll have time to spend a few days in town, so someone has to give me some tips about seeing/doing, etc etc.

i'm also interested in seeing some of the houston programs that i'll be applying to .. . wonder if i'll be able to squeeze in some first-looks, or if i'm lucky i'll have interview invites at the time i can lump together . . .

anyway, looking forward to it

You might be able to work interviews in that early. Get your application in early and let the programs know when you'll be in town.

First caveats I will give you about the CS testing site in Houston - it is not in a particularly "scenic" or "nice" part of town. It's located close to the major airport (IAH) and has quite a few hotels in the area for businessmen types, so it's a good place for a CS testing site, but it's not a super good impression of Houston. Houston's a big freaking place.

Anyway, I'd be more than happy to tell you anything about the Houston/Galveston area you'd like to know. I can also tell you about Dallas and Austin, having lived both those places as well... just let me know.

BH

 

[Arctic Char]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfbTO0GlONU

duuuude . . . when i get old and decide to "let myself go", i am so moving to Snook, Texas.

i think that guy had xanthelasmas on his face, but it was hard to tell . . .

 

[TypicalTuesday]

Anyway, I'd be more than happy to tell you anything about the Houston/Galveston area you'd like to know. I can also tell you about Dallas and Austin, having lived both those places as well... BH

I'm planning on applying to some Texas programs, but don't know much about any of them, or the areas. Are there any programs in Texas to stay away from? Which do you recommend (besides Methodist of course)?

Which city/area is more family-friendly and has more of a small town feel? I've heard good things about Austin and even Dallas/FW, but have never been to either area.

 

[106174]

Which city/area is more family-friendly and has more of a small town feel? I've heard good things about Austin and even Dallas/FW, but have never been to either area.

If you have any questions about UTSW and the DFW metroplex, let me know. We have an awesome program, and although a lot of people in this forum might disagree, I think Dallas is one of the best cities to live in the US.

 

[MasterThespian]

As for Houston- don’t know whether it qualifies as “super-fly”, but there IS lots to do.

Here’s what I’ve done in the last week and a half:
Saturday 10th- Art Car parade (WAY cool- see http://www.orangeshow.org/artcar.html),
Fri & Sat evenings- acted in a community theatre play with cast party Sat night.
Sunday 11th- Houston Museum of Natural Science, saw Lucy’s Legacy exhibit and went to Butterfly center (www.hmns.org). Sun evening- saw Houston Ballet perform Madame Butterfly (FREE!) at Miller outdoor theatre (free concerts/plays/dance/etc every week available - see www.milleroutdoortheatre.com).

During the week- tennis with hubby at neighborhood courts on Tues, Zumba dance class on Wed, saw Rodrigo Guitar concerto performed with Houston Symphony on Thurs, watched 5 Monarchs hatch from their chrysalises in my own backyard butterfly garden planted 6 weeks ago, harvested a half-dozen tomatoes from my garden (yes, ripe tomatoes already-can plant in February down here! We plant again later for a second fall harvest). This past weekend, acted in my play again Fri/Sat nights, auditioned for 2 more plays, signed up for a Sun AM beach bike ride in Galveston with Bayou city outdoor club (see http://www.bayoucityoutdoors.com) but skipped it- too tired. Last night- went indoor rock climbing with BCO. Tonight- dinner with hubby followed by cheap massage at a massage school.

Half the stuff was free (Art car parade, Houston Ballet, tennis, beach bike ride, acting&gardening-of course), the other half cost from $10-30.

My husband and I are not into sports, though we live about a mile from Reliant Center (www.reliantpark.com), where the Houston Texans and other sports stuff happens and I’m sure you know there are plenty of professional sports teams in Houston. We do go to Reliant for the amazing Houston rodeo (largest rodeo/livestock show in the world), vintage car shows, Nutcracker festival, woodworking shows (hubby, not me), occasional concert, and so on.

My husband belongs to the Society of American Period Furniture Makers and they are flying in a famous master carver from Charleston, SC to teach a weekend workshop in 2 wks and he also does an occasional woodworking demo at Bayou Bend museum, which has early-American antiques. There's no doubt the early-American furniture scene is MUCH better in the NE (where early America actually happened!) and my husband does fly to Williamsburg every year to study, but the point is, even down here in Houston, he can find like-minded people.

Since the Houston housing market is cheap, we can afford a house with a big enough garage for his workshop (something we found to be a huge problem on the east coast). We also have a pool, which many houses in Houston have, given the heat.

We don’t follow the live music scene much, but on weekend afternoons we often go to a local record store, Cactus, which has FREE beer and live music every Sat or Sun. And there’s a fair amount of live music and plenty of major concert tours (though Austin does have a better local live music scene). See www.houstonpress.com for music/theatre stuff.

The museums, theatre, dance, opera, concert, sports scenes are excellent (unless you come from NYC, of course, but then no other city can compare to that). Local live music is good, but Austin is better. Outdoor activities decent- I haven’t done a lot, so I don’t really know, but Galveston and Lake Conroe are each an hour away for water sports, Texas Hill country is 2.5-3 hours away, there are some state parks around, and there is apparently a fair amount to do in terms of bike riding/skating/canoeing etc if you check out the BCO website (I just haven’t done a lot). Next month BCO has a hang-gliding off the back of a boat trip that I'm keen on doing (for $75). Keep in mind that it is HOT HOT HOT for about 4-5 months of the year and there are no mountains- not even any hills. However, it’s REALLY easy to grow stuff here, if you’re into gardening or landscaping- our yard is a paradise. There’s a big bird sanctuary park on Galveston for bird watchers. I do like to hop on a plane every winter for Colorado or Utah to snow-ski and head to the NE in the fall to see the color.

Putting in a plug for Methodist hospital, you get 3 weeks vacation plus 1 week at Christmas-time first year, and 4 weeks plus 1 week at Christmas in years 2-4, so plenty of time to travel if you need to see snow or mountains now and then!

Still on my list- flamenco dance and/or Spanish guitar lessons! There are actually multiple flamenco dance teachers in Houston.

So, basically, what I’m trying to say is there is always ALWAYS something to do in Houston. If you’re bored, it’s your own fault. And there is something for almost everyone. What we ARE missing are hills/mountains/snow. We are a very sprawling, car-necessary city with too much pavement. We do have four seasons, though- fall, spring, summer, and SUPER SUMMER!

Y’all come on down and check us out! Not to mention the Texas Medical Center is a thing of glory. And although, as you pointed out, Texas may only be the 2nd biggest state, it DOES have the BIGGEST, BADDEST MEDICAL CENTER IN THE WORLD!

 

[docbiohazard]

I'm planning on applying to some Texas programs, but don't know much about any of them, or the areas. Are there any programs in Texas to stay away from? Which do you recommend (besides Methodist of course)?

Which city/area is more family-friendly and has more of a small town feel? I've heard good things about Austin and even Dallas/FW, but have never been to either area.

Austin is fantastic, I went to undergrad there, but there's no path program there to my knowledge. People in Houston seem to hate Dallas, I dunno why, maybe because DFW is a "better known" city in some ways than Houston, even though it's smaller, but whatever. To me, they are fairly similar, except DFW is slightly more hilly, and less humid. Houston is more sprawling in some respects. I think they're both family friendly cities. If you want small town feel, then I'd recommend Galveston... But seriously, both cities have suburbs and such that can give you more of a community vibe, but of course this involves more of a commute. I live near the Johnson Space Center, which has a park n ride with direct bus service to the Med Center so I'm going to try that out when I start. BH

 

[Arctic Char]

As for Houston- don’t know whether it qualifies as “super-fly”, but there IS lots to do.

Here’s what I’ve done in the last week and a half:
Saturday 10th- Art Car parade (WAY cool- see http://www.orangeshow.org/artcar.html),
Fri & Sat evenings- acted in a community theatre play with cast party Sat night.
Sunday 11th- Houston Museum of Natural Science, saw Lucy’s Legacy exhibit and went to Butterfly center (www.hmns.org). Sun evening- saw Houston Ballet perform Madame Butterfly (FREE!) at Miller outdoor theatre (free concerts/plays/dance/etc every week available - see www.milleroutdoortheatre.com).

During the week- tennis with hubby at neighborhood courts on Tues, Zumba dance class on Wed, saw Rodrigo Guitar concerto performed with Houston Symphony on Thurs, watched 5 Monarchs hatch from their chrysalises in my own backyard butterfly garden planted 6 weeks ago, harvested a half-dozen tomatoes from my garden (yes, ripe tomatoes already-can plant in February down here! We plant again later for a second fall harvest). This past weekend, acted in my play again Fri/Sat nights, auditioned for 2 more plays, signed up for a Sun AM beach bike ride in Galveston with Bayou city outdoor club (see http://www.bayoucityoutdoors.com) but skipped it- too tired. Last night- went indoor rock climbing with BCO. Tonight- dinner with hubby followed by cheap massage at a massage school.

Half the stuff was free (Art car parade, Houston Ballet, tennis, beach bike ride, acting&gardening-of course), the other half cost from $10-30.

My husband and I are not into sports, though we live about a mile from Reliant Center (www.reliantpark.com), where the Houston Texans and other sports stuff happens and I’m sure you know there are plenty of professional sports teams in Houston. We do go to Reliant for the amazing Houston rodeo (largest rodeo/livestock show in the world), vintage car shows, Nutcracker festival, woodworking shows (hubby, not me), occasional concert, and so on.

My husband belongs to the Society of American Period Furniture Makers and they are flying in a famous master carver from Charleston, SC to teach a weekend workshop in 2 wks and he also does an occasional woodworking demo at Bayou Bend museum, which has early-American antiques. There's no doubt the early-American furniture scene is MUCH better in the NE (where early America actually happened!) and my husband does fly to Williamsburg every year to study, but the point is, even down here in Houston, he can find like-minded people.

Since the Houston housing market is cheap, we can afford a house with a big enough garage for his workshop (something we found to be a huge problem on the east coast). We also have a pool, which many houses in Houston have, given the heat.

We don’t follow the live music scene much, but on weekend afternoons we often go to a local record store, Cactus, which has FREE beer and live music every Sat or Sun. And there’s a fair amount of live music and plenty of major concert tours (though Austin does have a better local live music scene). See www.houstonpress.com for music/theatre stuff.

The museums, theatre, dance, opera, concert, sports scenes are excellent (unless you come from NYC, of course, but then no other city can compare to that). Local live music is good, but Austin is better. Outdoor activities decent- I haven’t done a lot, so I don’t really know, but Galveston and Lake Conroe are each an hour away for water sports, Texas Hill country is 2.5-3 hours away, there are some state parks around, and there is apparently a fair amount to do in terms of bike riding/skating/canoeing etc if you check out the BCO website (I just haven’t done a lot). Next month BCO has a hang-gliding off the back of a boat trip that I'm keen on doing (for $75). Keep in mind that it is HOT HOT HOT for about 4-5 months of the year and there are no mountains- not even any hills. However, it’s REALLY easy to grow stuff here, if you’re into gardening or landscaping- our yard is a paradise. There’s a big bird sanctuary park on Galveston for bird watchers. I do like to hop on a plane every winter for Colorado or Utah to snow-ski and head to the NE in the fall to see the color.

Putting in a plug for Methodist hospital, you get 3 weeks vacation plus 1 week at Christmas-time first year, and 4 weeks plus 1 week at Christmas in years 2-4, so plenty of time to travel if you need to see snow or mountains now and then!

Still on my list- flamenco dance and/or Spanish guitar lessons! There are actually multiple flamenco dance teachers in Houston.

So, basically, what I’m trying to say is there is always ALWAYS something to do in Houston. If you’re bored, it’s your own fault. And there is something for almost everyone. What we ARE missing are hills/mountains/snow. We are a very sprawling, car-necessary city with too much pavement. We do have four seasons, though- fall, spring, summer, and SUPER SUMMER!

Y’all come on down and check us out! Not to mention the Texas Medical Center is a thing of glory. And although, as you pointed out, Texas may only be the 2nd biggest state, it DOES have the BIGGEST, BADDEST MEDICAL CENTER IN THE WORLD!

wow, thanks for the insight. sure you're not from the chamber of commerce?

i have heard of the bird sanctuary in galveston, and have always wanted to visit the fowl of the gulf. i'm pretty into ornithology . . . birds are amazing creatures, with amazing diversity and interesting behaviors. and so entertaining!

thanks for the tip BH

p.s. you should really make your initials DBH, as its an antonym for my favorite enzyme Dopamine Beta-hydroxylase. look up DBH deficiency if you want to learn about a very interesting, albeit extremely rare genetic disorder

thanks again to all

 

[MasterThespian]

From Arctic Char-
wow, thanks for the insight. sure you're not from the chamber of commerce?


Naw- it’s just that the first impression everyone gets of Houston (including me) is – ugly and hot. And that is true, no denying. Coming from Austin (an awesome town), I always heard negative things about Houston. I came here for med school IN SPITE of the location only because there was no med school in Austin and my husband’s company could transfer him here. And it took me quite a while to realize how much Houston had to offer, because it doesn’t just jump out at you. Houston doesn’t have a cool, laid-back hippy vibe like Austin and isn’t known for being progressive and interesting. It’s not surrounded by beautiful mountains or lakes and obvious outdoor rec opportunities- when you drive in from the airport, it’s ugly and urban. So it wasn’t until I started searching out things to do that I began to realize that there IS so much to do and, actually, in spite of its size, Houston isn’t that hard to get around in (lucky for me, I live pretty centrally, in the inner loop). Now I’m actually a fan of Houston, though my husband will never get used to the humidity. Austin has a vibe I love and is prettier and drier, but Houston actually has a lot more variety of things to do and really has some higher-quality stuff available befitting its stature as 4th largest city in the U.S. So I feel like it doesn’t get a fair shake, especially because out-of town people come in for interviews and all they see is the ugly I-45 drive from the airport to the Texas med center. If the med center weren't so impressive, I think we'd never get anyone to come here! But once they come, they often stay.

 

[Napoleon1801]

FYI for all of us purchasing flights from American Airlines....they'll be charging 15 dollars for the first bag and 25 dollars for the second. A grand total of $80 for a round trip for just your damn luggage to have the privilege of flying.

 

[clancy81]

FYI for all of us purchasing flights from American Airlines....they'll be charging 15 dollars for the first bag and 25 dollars for the second. A grand total of $80 for a round trip for just your damn luggage to have the privilege of flying.

Yeah, that's not good news for all of you having to interview this fall since likely most airlines will follow suit. I managed to keep interview expenses down by flying Southwest or JetBlue when I had to fly. Hotwire had some great hotel and rental car deals too that really saved me a ton of money.

 

[docbiohazard]

Yeah, that's not good news for all of you having to interview this fall since likely most airlines will follow suit. I managed to keep interview expenses down by flying Southwest or JetBlue when I had to fly. Hotwire had some great hotel and rental car deals too that really saved me a ton of money.

Only problem I had with Southwest is that I was normally cramming my flights in around ER shifts or other clerkship duties, so I needed to fly at night (after 5pm) and often flew back after my interviews... so a lot of times they didn't have late enough flights.

American Airlines is going down the tubes, fast. Why they didn't just bump up their ticket prices or offer a "discount" for flying w/o checked baggage, I dunno. I have a ton of AA miles that I need to donate to charity or somethign before they go belly up.

And Hotwire is excellent for hotels and rent cars... especially when you use the hotel location function where you can search near an address - helps land things near the hospital.

DBH