2015-2016 Jefferson Medical College Application Thread

[EnvisionMed]

Hey guys, what time is second look tomorrow?


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[TheWalkingDead]

Just out of curiosity, do you think that that is 70-90 who matriculate so more than that are actually accepted off of the HPWL? Or that 70-90 are accepted and less than that matriculate? Sorry for picky haha


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My understanding is that about 70 to 90 people who matriculate had spent time on the HPWL.

 

[MustLoveDogs1]

Someone posted to second look saying Friday's attire was what you would wear to class. Are y'all wearing jeans or is that too informal?

Thanks so much! Can't wait to meet y'all!

 

[catie_jane]

Someone posted to second look saying Friday's attire was what you would wear to class. Are y'all wearing jeans or is that too informal?

Thanks so much! Can't wait to meet y'all!

I will be!

 

[FreckleFart99]

Just got the email saying I was put in the "special High Priority category by the Committee". I'm assuming that's the HPWL, can someone remind me of what my chances of coming off of it are?

 

[708445]

Just got the email saying I was put in the "special High Priority category by the Committee". I'm assuming that's the HPWL, can someone remind me of what my chances of coming off of it are?

+1

I know 70-90 people, but what percentage is that?

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[Schwann Lake]

HPWL this morning. Still have no acceptances this cycle and I LOVED Jeff. Praying so hard.

 

[708445]

HPWL this morning, interviewed 3/30. Still have no acceptances this cycle and I LOVED Jeff. Praying so hard.

+++++++1. Feeling pretty bad about myself that whatever it was couldn't seal the deal


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[Schwann Lake]

Just got the email saying I was put in the "special High Priority category by the Committee". I'm assuming that's the HPWL, can someone remind me of what my chances of coming off of it are?

+++++++1. Feeling pretty bad about myself that whatever it was couldn't seal the deal


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The chances of coming off the HP list are very high, so I think we should all have hope and be thankful we weren't placed on the alternate list and that we are still under serious consideration.

 

[708445]

The chances of coming off the HP list are very high, so I think we should all have hope and be thankful we weren't placed on the alternate list and that we are still under serious consideration.

50%? 20%?


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[FreckleFart99]

50%? 20%?


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Exactly. I WANT A NUMBER DAMMIT!

On the real though, the stress is killing me I've been at this for like 9 months almost. I can't take this until August.

 

[EaglesontheWarpath]

Exactly. I WANT A NUMBER DAMMIT!

On the real though, the stress is killing me I've been at this for like 9 months almost. I can't take this until August.

No one knows how many people are on the HPWL to start with so it would be impossible to give statistics for coming off of it. As said above, roughly 1/3 of the incoming class comes from the HPWL, so it seems like they tend to have a ton of movement. Movement most likely occurs during traffic day, with very very few after (with the occasional person called in June-but would be the exception, not the rule)

If I had to put very rough, shoddy statistics to it, I would say that there are probably 300ish people on the HPWL, making your odds to come off a little less than a third. That's assuming that they pull randomly off the list, and don't pull individual people for reasons etc.

 

[708445]

No one knows how many people are on the HPWL to start with so it would be impossible to give statistics for coming off of it. As said above, roughly 1/3 of the incoming class comes from the HPWL, so it seems like they tend to have a ton of movement. Movement most likely occurs during traffic day, with very very few after (with the occasional person called in June-but would be the exception, not the rule)

If I had to put very rough, shoddy statistics to it, I would say that there are probably 300ish people on the HPWL, making your odds to come off a little less than a third. That's assuming that they pull randomly off the list, and don't pull individual people for reasons etc.

Ranked? Unranked? What can I do in the next ten days??


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[EaglesontheWarpath]

Ranked? Unranked? What can I do in the next ten days??


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I believe it's unranked but I'm not someone who would be in the know. Honestly, put your phone down and go do something. The waiting sucks, and I can't imagine going through what you guys are going through right now, but what made the waiting easier for me during the process was when I would set my mind towards a really arbitrary, meaningless, petty, and stupid goal and then spend all my free time trying to achieve that goal (read 7 books in 7 days (not recommended, really hurts your eyes), setting a new course record on Rainbow road in mariokart, make 40 foul shots in a row etc.) I spent 4 weeknights on my golf club's putting green trying to make every one of the 12 practice holes in 2 putts or less with 4 golf balls (yes I suck at putting, that's why it took me so long). Getting your mind off things you don't have control over right now is the best way to burn time.

 

[708445]

I believe it's unranked but I'm not someone who would be in the know. Honestly, put your phone down and go do something. The waiting sucks, and I can't imagine going through what you guys are going through right now, but what made the waiting easier for me during the process was when I would set my mind towards a really arbitrary, meaningless, petty, and stupid goal and then spend all my free time trying to achieve that goal (read 7 books in 7 days (not recommended, really hurts your eyes), setting a new course record on Rainbow road in mariokart, make 40 foul shots in a row etc.) I spent 4 weeknights on my golf club's putting green trying to make every one of the 12 practice holes in 2 putts or less with 4 golf balls (yes I suck at putting, that's why it took me so long). Getting your mind off things you don't have control over right now is the best way to burn time.

You say this like I have fun things to do other than wait on Jeff


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[catie_jane]

Jeff provided info that said ~370 waitlist spots per cycle (not sure if this is HPWL only) and 85 spots are granted from the waitlist.

Making your chances approximately 23% (for those who were seeking #'s)

 

[coldcase331]

I know that this may have been stated earlier, but which is considered better between Barringer and Orlowitz?

 

[708445]

Jeff provided info that said ~370 waitlist spots per cycle (not sure if this is HPWL only) and 85 spots are granted from the waitlist.

Making your chances approximately 23% (for those who were seeking #'s)

If they interview 800 or so this sounds like all waitlist spots. Oh man I hate med school now

EDIT: How do they even choose HPWL? We're all qualified, so do they just throw darts?

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[catie_jane]

If they interview 800 or so this sounds like all waitlist spots. Oh man I hate med school now

EDIT: How do they even choose HPWL? We're all qualified, so do they just throw darts?

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Well then your chances are much higher if that # includes both HPWL and alternate WL.

I don't think there is anything for you to do except continue to send update letters (recommended by many on this forum) to show them your continued interest! Best of luck

 

[ab77]

to those that were previously accepted, how long did it take for them to send you all of the info/access to Blackboard, etc?

 

[catie_jane]

to those that were previously accepted, how long did it take for them to send you all of the info/access to Blackboard, etc?

I actually got the email about Blackboard/IT/Campus Key and financial aid before I even got my official letter in the mail (I am from MA though)

 

[FreckleFart99]

I don't know how many update letters I can reasonably send if decision are coming in like 10 days regarding waitlists.

 

[qwert123]

Has anyone not received a reply email from Dr. Callahan? I sent her an email a few weeks ago (before she was on vacation) and haven't heard anything.

 

[WontGiveUp90]

Has anyone not received a reply email from Dr. Callahan? I sent her an email a few weeks ago (before she was on vacation) and haven't heard anything.

I sent in an update during her vacation and I still haven't received a reply either.

 

[Schwann Lake]

Has anyone not received a reply email from Dr. Callahan? I sent her an email a few weeks ago (before she was on vacation) and haven't heard anything.

I emailed her recently and haven't received a response either, she's probably pretty busy I'm guessing.

 

[echoyjeff222]

just fyi your financial aid offer may be available. I just checked mine ... oh the lovely loans...

 

[ab77]

what do people generally do in terms of cars? I know we don't really need one for 1st and 2nd year, but do people tend to buy cars for 3rd year? I have a car now and trying to determine if I should sell it. not sure if it's worth the $ for insurance/upkeep if I won't be needing it much. any info is much appreciated!

 

[LastHope_]

I don't know how many update letters I can reasonably send if decision are coming in like 10 days regarding waitlists.

Decisions are coming in 10 days for HPWL? And what is traffic day?

 

[oobie]

Decisions are coming in 10 days for HPWL? And what is traffic day?

Traffic day is when everyone has to decline all acceptances but one. So a lot of open spots will be available then. Traffic day is effectively May 2nd this year (because April 30th) falls on a Saturday. This is when many spots will open up from the HPWL.

 

[Rachel&Ross5evr]

Has anyone who was not accepted asked for feedback on application or exit interview? I emailed Dr. Brooks but still no reply.

 

[aesculapian]

Has anyone who was not accepted asked for feedback on application or exit interview? I emailed Dr. Brooks but still no reply.

When did you email? Not sure if they usually give feedback but even so, she's probably been busy this week getting ready for second look. And they get so many emails anyway..

 

[The_Dude35]

I would imagine that the waitlist has to be ranked, they cannot just randomly pull people from it.

 

[FlyEaglesFly55]

I hope everyone who came for second look enjoyed it and hopefully you love Jeff as much as we all do here!!

Does anyone know what time classes usually start and end each day? Or at least around how many hours of classes there are?

No two days are identical but here's a decent layout of classes:

Mornings: M1 have lecture from 9am-12pm, M2 has lecture from 8am-12pm. Lectures are approx. 50 minutes each with 10 minute breaks.

12pm-1pm lunch hour.

Afternoons: Non-lecture stuff, like anatomy lab, micro lab, small group, health mentors, ICM lectures, etc. Sometimes you have afternoons off completely.

I set up my schedule as 3 types of days: Just lecture (free afternoon), Early afternoon (free after 3pm), Late Afternoon (free after 5pm). Most days fall under one of these three categories.

HPWL this morning. Still have no acceptances this cycle and I LOVED Jeff. Praying so hard.

+++++++1. Feeling pretty bad about myself that whatever it was couldn't seal the deal


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Good luck y'all. Please don't be down on yourselves, the application stuff is the woooooooorst

I know that this may have been stated earlier, but which is considered better between Barringer and Orlowitz?

I preferred Barringer to Orlowitz, but I know people that have lived in Orlowitz for a few years. Quick and easy differences are: Barringer has a better floor plan for the rooms and a sun deck. Orlowitz has a better gym and a courtyard. Also Orlowitz has better views of the city.

what do people generally do in terms of cars? I know we don't really need one for 1st and 2nd year, but do people tend to buy cars for 3rd year? I have a car now and trying to determine if I should sell it. not sure if it's worth the $ for insurance/upkeep if I won't be needing it much. any info is much appreciated!

Yeah, M1 and M2 cars in the city cost you more than you get use out of it. How much you may need a car in M3 and M4 depends on where your rotations are. Technically every rotation can be accessed by public transportation and if not, you are housed near the hospital. However, if you get surg somewhere like Bryn Mawr and need to be there at something like 4am , it's pretty tough to get there via train when the trains only start running at 6.

A few people are bringing their cars from home for M3, it seems, but there's a googledoc for ride sharing. I sold mine before starting med school and I managed to not have a rotation set that I need to travel for.

 

[echoyjeff222]

I hope everyone who came for second look enjoyed it and hopefully you love Jeff as much as we all do here!!



No two days are identical but here's a decent layout of classes:

Mornings: M1 have lecture from 9am-12pm, M2 has lecture from 8am-12pm. Lectures are approx. 50 minutes each with 10 minute breaks.

12pm-1pm lunch hour.

Afternoons: Non-lecture stuff, like anatomy lab, micro lab, small group, health mentors, ICM lectures, etc. Sometimes you have afternoons off completely.

I set up my schedule as 3 types of days: Just lecture (free afternoon), Early afternoon (free after 3pm), Late Afternoon (free after 5pm). Most days fall under one of these three categories.





Good luck y'all. Please don't be down on yourselves, the application stuff is the woooooooorst



I preferred Barringer to Orlowitz, but I know people that have lived in Orlowitz for a few years. Quick and easy differences are: Barringer has a better floor plan for the rooms and a sun deck. Orlowitz has a better gym and a courtyard. Also Orlowitz has better views of the city.



Yeah, M1 and M2 cars in the city cost you more than you get use out of it. How much you may need a car in M3 and M4 depends on where your rotations are. Technically every rotation can be accessed by public transportation and if not, you are housed near the hospital. However, if you get surg somewhere like Bryn Mawr and need to be there at something like 4am eek:), it's pretty tough to get there via train when the trains only start running at 6.

A few people are bringing their cars from home for M3, it seems, but there's a googledoc for ride sharing. I sold mine before starting med school and I managed to not have a rotation set that I need to travel for.

thanks for the info ... do you find the lectures useful? I heard that they're all recorded, and a lot of people just don't go to lectures?

 

[FlyEaglesFly55]

thanks for the info ... do you find the lectures useful? I heard that they're all recorded, and a lot of people just don't go to lectures?

I go to the lectures, but most everything is recorded so a lot of people don't go. The number of people in lecture slowly declines and now we're at approximately 40 people at the end of MS2. I liken it to homeroom in high school compared to the greater class size.

Since you can watch recordings on 1.5x or 2x speed, you can get lectures done in 30ish minutes so it's probably more "efficient" to just watch recordings. I just feel like going keeps me on schedule better.

 

[joshuaaw]

Question to everyone: is it generally recommended to send in a physical letter for an update/letter of intent rather than an email? I'm on the HPWI and I've sent in one physical letter as well as one letter of recommendation, but I want to send another correspondance before April 30th. I'm wondering if an email to Dr. Callahan would suffice or if I should mail in another letter.

Thanks!

 

[Doctor Strange]

Question to everyone: is it generally recommended to send in a physical letter for an update/letter of intent rather than an email? I'm on the HPWI and I've sent in one physical letter as well as one letter of recommendation, but I want to send another correspondance before April 30th. I'm wondering if an email to Dr. Callahan would suffice or if I should mail in another letter.

Thanks!

Email

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[Rachel&Ross5evr]

What day is traffic day this year if April 30th is a Saturday? Or does that not matter?

 

[oobie]

What day is traffic day this year if April 30th is a Saturday? Or does that not matter?

May 2nd is technically traffic day this year.

 

[Rumor13]

thanks for the info ... do you find the lectures useful? I heard that they're all recorded, and a lot of people just don't go to lectures?

Personally, I don't care for lectures. As a whole, the current M1 class has about 60-70 ardent lecture goers. Most people that don't go watch all/most of the recordings on 1.5-2x speed. A minority don't go and only watch lectures for subjects they feel they need clarification on. The smallest minority do not go to lecture nor watch/listen to the recordings.

At Jeff, learning is to each his own. Best advice is treat everything everyone tells you about how to study as wrong, because 90-99% of what you'll be told works for someone else will not work for you. Whatever it takes to pass (or honor if that's your goal), you just have to do you.

 

[Rumor13]

I know that this may have been stated earlier, but which is considered better between Barringer and Orlowitz?

I hate Orlowitz and I don't even live on campus.

 

[conaanaa]

Really excited to be coming here next year! Thanks for all the help everyone's given in this thread so far. I also have a few more questions if anyone is willing to help answer them Since we're on the topic of lectures, I was wondering how interactive they are? I know lectures to big classes tend to not have too much interaction, in which case I think I would probably prefer watching the recordings as well, but I was wondering if now that the attendance is lower the professors tend to ask / answer questions a bit more often to students? If that's the case I think I would still find it beneficial for myself to attend lectures

Also, does anyone know anyone who drives or bikes to school? It seems that most people don't recommend driving during M1 / M2, but I'm considering how far I am willing to live off campus and still considering these options since maybe it's worth it depending on my distance. Biking in Philly seems pretty nice, although I looked at some of the paths Google Maps laid out for me and it seems like there are stretches without bike lanes, which I hope aren't too dangerous. As far as cars go, it seems quite expensive like you all said - I found a parking garage near campus for $205 / month which seems to be the cheapest option, but I am also wondering how the street parking is and how any current students feel about commuting. As far as I know there don't seem to be any TJU parking discounts or anything for being a student.

If I do happen to live a bit further from campus (~20-25 minutes biking or by SEPTA), how much would that impact my ability to interact with classmates and attend social events? I think I rank getting to know and becoming friends with classmates pretty highly in my priorities. Are there many social events at night in the beginning of the year? I'm not really a huge bar person (I've heard that's a common event at the beginning of graduate schools), but I do like hanging out with classmates and I don't want to be missing out on too much if I'm far away from campus. Do people start hunkering down and studying pretty quickly?

Anyways thanks so much, any of this information would be so useful to me in making my decision, and I really appreciate your input a lot!

 

[EaglesontheWarpath]

Really excited to be coming here next year! Thanks for all the help everyone's given in this thread so far. I also have a few more questions if anyone is willing to help answer them Since we're on the topic of lectures, I was wondering how interactive they are? I know lectures to big classes tend to not have too much interaction, in which case I think I would probably prefer watching the recordings as well, but I was wondering if now that the attendance is lower the professors tend to ask / answer questions a bit more often to students? If that's the case I think I would still find it beneficial for myself to attend lectures

Also, does anyone know anyone who drives or bikes to school? It seems that most people don't recommend driving during M1 / M2, but I'm considering how far I am willing to live off campus and still considering these options since maybe it's worth it depending on my distance. Biking in Philly seems pretty nice, although I looked at some of the paths Google Maps laid out for me and it seems like there are stretches without bike lanes, which I hope aren't too dangerous. As far as cars go, it seems quite expensive like you all said - I found a parking garage near campus for $205 / month which seems to be the cheapest option, but I am also wondering how the street parking is and how any current students feel about commuting. As far as I know there don't seem to be any TJU parking discounts or anything for being a student.

If I do happen to live a bit further from campus (~20-25 minutes biking or by SEPTA), how much would that impact my ability to interact with classmates and attend social events? I think I rank getting to know and becoming friends with classmates pretty highly in my priorities. Are there many social events at night in the beginning of the year? I'm not really a huge bar person (I've heard that's a common event at the beginning of graduate schools), but I do like hanging out with classmates and I don't want to be missing out on too much if I'm far away from campus. Do people start hunkering down and studying pretty quickly?

Anyways thanks so much, any of this information would be so useful to me in making my decision, and I really appreciate your input a lot!

I can't speak to your first or third questions, but in terms of biking Philly has been ranked the/one of the most bike able cities in America. From experience I know that it is definitely doable and the city has been dedicated to making sure the bikers can get around safely. The stretches without bike lanes can be a tiny bit hairy but they tend to be short and as long as you're careful you'll be ok.

 

[ab77]

hopping onto the question train... does anyone know when we'd be notified of our on-campus housing assignment? and when are typical move-in dates for the on-campus housing? thanks!

 

[catie_jane]

I know that there are a lot of summer research opportunities at Jeff but I was wondering if they offer stipends for students looking to go elsewhere to perform research (like if I wanted to go back to Boston for the summer)?

 

[Rumor13]

Really excited to be coming here next year! Thanks for all the help everyone's given in this thread so far. I also have a few more questions if anyone is willing to help answer them Since we're on the topic of lectures, I was wondering how interactive they are? I know lectures to big classes tend to not have too much interaction, in which case I think I would probably prefer watching the recordings as well, but I was wondering if now that the attendance is lower the professors tend to ask / answer questions a bit more often to students? If that's the case I think I would still find it beneficial for myself to attend lectures

Also, does anyone know anyone who drives or bikes to school? It seems that most people don't recommend driving during M1 / M2, but I'm considering how far I am willing to live off campus and still considering these options since maybe it's worth it depending on my distance. Biking in Philly seems pretty nice, although I looked at some of the paths Google Maps laid out for me and it seems like there are stretches without bike lanes, which I hope aren't too dangerous. As far as cars go, it seems quite expensive like you all said - I found a parking garage near campus for $205 / month which seems to be the cheapest option, but I am also wondering how the street parking is and how any current students feel about commuting. As far as I know there don't seem to be any TJU parking discounts or anything for being a student.

If I do happen to live a bit further from campus (~20-25 minutes biking or by SEPTA), how much would that impact my ability to interact with classmates and attend social events? I think I rank getting to know and becoming friends with classmates pretty highly in my priorities. Are there many social events at night in the beginning of the year? I'm not really a huge bar person (I've heard that's a common event at the beginning of graduate schools), but I do like hanging out with classmates and I don't want to be missing out on too much if I'm far away from campus. Do people start hunkering down and studying pretty quickly?

Anyways thanks so much, any of this information would be so useful to me in making my decision, and I really appreciate your input a lot!

Many lecturers actively stop and pose questions to the class. 95% of the time no one answers because no one knows and they move on, or if the lecturer is trying to make a point they will wait for someone to answer then go from there with their point. You are realistically free to stop lecturers at any time during a lecture to ask a question or request clarification and they will happily oblige. I wouldn't call many lectures "interactive" per say. We do definitely have certain lectures, workshops, and especially exam reviews where we use our iPads to answer questions and they display the results on the screens as a pie chart and then there are other "lectures" that by their nature are designed to facilitate active learning and require student participation. But essentially all the basic science core content lectures are what you would expect of a normal lecture. The lecturer talks, stops at certain places and asks (mostly rhetorical) questions and proceeds, stopping as needed for questions and explanations. Most people just don't go to lecture because 1) most of us are NOT morning birds; 2) in person lectures move at a pace that you cannot speed up, slow down, or pause and most of the time you will either be able to move much faster through the content or need to move much slower than the lecturer's pace; and 3) lectures are boring; there I said it, the human attention span is only so long and lectures, by-and-large, are very dense and dry and unless you can actively pay attention and actively absorb what is being said with the ability to commit the information to memory, going to lecture is not an efficient usage of time. Nobody will criticize you for going to lecture and nobody will criticize you for not going to lecture, including the faculty and your student Dean. The only thing that matters is that you learn what you need to learn without sacrificing your physical or mental health to do it.

I see people (not necessarily classmates) bike on the streets all the time. Biking in a city can only ever safe to an extent, but if you know what you're doing it won't be an issue. For the most part, only the streets North and East (towards downtown) are busy and will pose a challenge to a bicyclist. I don't know anyone that drives, though I'm sure at least someone does. Honestly, there are sooooo many living options within 15, let alone 5, minutes walking distance from campus that I see no reason to need to commute unless you have special circumstances (like family) that requires it. It will just be an added burden. Even if your commute is "just 25 minutes", that's 50 minutes a day x 5 days a week (4 hours) you lose just traveling (assuming you go to campus every day) and you will never be able to "just run home real quick" to grab something if you forget. Also, if you ever wake up late for something or transit is late, good luck getting to campus on time. Despite being personally pessimistic about it, commuting is perfectly do-able and I have classmates who do it and I can't say they seem like their life is crumbling or their struggling too hard with it. Bottom line, it WILL make your life easier to live closer to campus both for academic and social reasons.

The social scene, aside from whatever you plan to do with your friends on your time, is almost all bar events, mixers, etc. Typical "we're all adults so let's go somewhere with alcohol" type things. Orientation week is jam packed with end-of-day events geared towards having you meet your classmates and forming friend groups. Once anatomy starts, the events take a share nose down since you will be jumping right in full force (there is no easing in or buildup). You will need to start your strict study regimen the day Anatomy starts. As August passes and MS2s and the other schools return from summer/clinicals the University's social life picks up and there are club events and social events regularly. By then you will also have likely picked your friends. Unless you live with other students or are on campus a lot though, don't expect a high amount of socialization. Yes you will have time for friends, but it will be a fraction what you had in undergrad and most of your social time will sadly be penciled into your schedule around your studying (I've had to say no to a beer or a bar crawl many a time unfortunately because I was behind or because I needed to be somewhere early the next day). A lot of your "hanging out", especially around exam time, will be studying together or even just being in the same place at the same time for a workshop/review/study session and talking to your friends during that time as the situation allows.

It definitely takes more (but not necessarily a lot of) effort to be social AND efficient in med school since studying is always the priority and everyone is on their own schedule.

 

[Rumor13]

hopping onto the question train... does anyone know when we'd be notified of our on-campus housing assignment? and when are typical move-in dates for the on-campus housing? thanks!

Move in if I remember was like 1-2 weeks before orientation started unless you needed to request an earlier move in for whatever reason.

 

[Rumor13]

I know that there are a lot of summer research opportunities at Jeff but I was wondering if they offer stipends for students looking to go elsewhere to perform research (like if I wanted to go back to Boston for the summer)?

Not as far as I'm aware. I'm sure there are options somewhere, but typically internal funds (scholarships/grants) are used to fund internal work or work affiliated with Jeff. This doesn't mean that external funds aren't available and honestly, most people find a way to get paid unless they are doing something crazy unusual or they got an opportunity so perfect for what they wanted to do that they didn't care about getting paid.

On a personal note, I have 2 classmates I know of that are going back to Boston (having went to school and/or worked there prior to matriculation) for the summer to do research.

 

[FlyEaglesFly55]

Really excited to be coming here next year! Thanks for all the help everyone's given in this thread so far. I also have a few more questions if anyone is willing to help answer them Since we're on the topic of lectures, I was wondering how interactive they are? I know lectures to big classes tend to not have too much interaction, in which case I think I would probably prefer watching the recordings as well, but I was wondering if now that the attendance is lower the professors tend to ask / answer questions a bit more often to students? If that's the case I think I would still find it beneficial for myself to attend lectures

Also, does anyone know anyone who drives or bikes to school? It seems that most people don't recommend driving during M1 / M2, but I'm considering how far I am willing to live off campus and still considering these options since maybe it's worth it depending on my distance. Biking in Philly seems pretty nice, although I looked at some of the paths Google Maps laid out for me and it seems like there are stretches without bike lanes, which I hope aren't too dangerous. As far as cars go, it seems quite expensive like you all said - I found a parking garage near campus for $205 / month which seems to be the cheapest option, but I am also wondering how the street parking is and how any current students feel about commuting. As far as I know there don't seem to be any TJU parking discounts or anything for being a student.

If I do happen to live a bit further from campus (~20-25 minutes biking or by SEPTA), how much would that impact my ability to interact with classmates and attend social events? I think I rank getting to know and becoming friends with classmates pretty highly in my priorities. Are there many social events at night in the beginning of the year? I'm not really a huge bar person (I've heard that's a common event at the beginning of graduate schools), but I do like hanging out with classmates and I don't want to be missing out on too much if I'm far away from campus. Do people start hunkering down and studying pretty quickly?

Anyways thanks so much, any of this information would be so useful to me in making my decision, and I really appreciate your input a lot!

Rumor and I are secretly a great pair here since we have differing experiences and therefore different opinions. As they said previously, you will be given tons and tons of advice from upper years. Most, if not all of it, is pretty much bull. You find your ways to do stuff, you find your opinion on study schedules, you find your opinion on if rotation/locations are good. Anyway, your questions:

Lectures get more interactive second year. Majority are just lectures in the traditional sense, some integrate nearpod or other response systems into the lectures, some will ask questions of the class and actually expect somebody to answer. I tried not going to lecture for a while but I found that the ability to pause lecture or watch it at 1.5x speed actually hindered me. Feasibly I should be able to get lectures done in 30 minutes, but since they are already dense in person, this is just exacerbated at higher speeds and I'd miss things. Also, I have the attention span of a small child so I would pause and do other things, while that is really not an option in person, obviously. I'm also not going to learn the information on my first pass of lecture anyway. You learn it when you go over it again later that afternoon or hopefully a 3rd time that weekend.

Lots of my classmates bike to school. Philly is a very bike-able city. I'd just suggest sticking to non-major streets.

I don't know how much stuff you'd miss out on being far ish but still in the city. Those classmates I know who did feel like they missed out on a lot of stuff lived far out, like in the burbs or in Jersey. There are lots of social events, even random stuff like just a bunch of people going to Moriarty's. If you value it, you'll put effort into it, and you'll experience it. It's that way for literally everything in med school. Orientation there's a ton of social events with no school, lots of which are at bars of some sort. Some people start studying immediately, I valued getting to know classmates, so I hung out with a lot of people who did go out even once school started. There's 260 to a class, you'll find people that fit in your social circle, study circle, etc.

 

[ab77]

Rumor and I are secretly a great pair here since we have differing experiences and therefore different opinions. As they said previously, you will be given tons and tons of advice from upper years. Most, if not all of it, is pretty much bull. You find your ways to do stuff, you find your opinion on study schedules, you find your opinion on if rotation/locations are good. Anyway, your questions:

Lectures get more interactive second year. Majority are just lectures in the traditional sense, some integrate nearpod or other response systems into the lectures, some will ask questions of the class and actually expect somebody to answer. I tried not going to lecture for a while but I found that the ability to pause lecture or watch it at 1.5x speed actually hindered me. Feasibly I should be able to get lectures done in 30 minutes, but since they are already dense in person, this is just exacerbated at higher speeds and I'd miss things. Also, I have the attention span of a small child so I would pause and do other things, while that is really not an option in person, obviously. I'm also not going to learn the information on my first pass of lecture anyway. You learn it when you go over it again later that afternoon or hopefully a 3rd time that weekend.

Lots of my classmates bike to school. Philly is a very bike-able city. I'd just suggest sticking to non-major streets.

I don't know how much stuff you'd miss out on being far ish but still in the city. Those classmates I know who did feel like they missed out on a lot of stuff lived far out, like in the burbs or in Jersey. There are lots of social events, even random stuff like just a bunch of people going to Moriarty's. If you value it, you'll put effort into it, and you'll experience it. It's that way for literally everything in med school. Orientation there's a ton of social events with no school, lots of which are at bars of some sort. Some people start studying immediately, I valued getting to know classmates, so I hung out with a lot of people who did go out even once school started. There's 260 to a class, you'll find people that fit in your social circle, study circle, etc.

thanks for all the great info! that being said, how easy/hard is it to get this social experience if you live in a 1 BR, like in Barringer for example? I'm thinking of trying to do that but don't want to feel isolated by living by myself