DMU Class of 2007 part 01

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Docgeorge

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Hey anybody here going to DMU, next year? I thought I would start a thread of our own.

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hey docgeorge,

as a first year at dmu, i would just like to say welcome! look forward to meeting you in august! :)

kimberlee
 
Hey Docgeorge! I'll be in your class next year! I was wondering when somebody would start a DMU thread. It doesn't seem like DMU is very popular here on SDN(in terms of the number of threads regarding the school), but hey, that doesn't bother me a bit. I love the school! This is pretty cool, how the three people who have posted here are from California!! Anyway, hope to meet you guys soon!
 
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luckystar
I hear you about not seeing many DMUers on this thread, I guess we'll just have to advertise.

Docstarwars,
Got any tips on places to live in Des Moines?
 
hey docgeorge,

well, i didn't bring a car out to des moines, so i looked for a place that was close to the school and to a supermarket. i live at windsor terrace, which is right across the street from dmu and a supermarket named dahl's. subway, burger king, and a couple of bars are also in close proximity. i have a couple of friends who live in the imperial and at 3000 grand, which are all in walking distance also. 3000 grand is really nice, but a bit too pricey for me. if you will be driving, i know that many people live in west des moines where rent is a little cheaper. hope that helps!

kimberlee :)
 
Thanks Docstarwars, I'm comming out there in may to eyeball the places to live. I moved into one complex blind, and I will never do that again. I've got a couple of questions for you, do they really give you a computer and palm pilot when you are there? And when should we get our Doctor stuff like our stethoscopes and stuff.
 
It's about time somebody started a thread about DMU. Throw me into the mix as another going there in the fall. I'm coming from Ohio, any other Ohioans going? Just started my hepatitis series and my arm is sore, but I think I can manage to type some more. The only problem I've found with the school is that there are 8 people per cadaver, but the head of the anatomy Dept. (Donald Matz) e-mailed me and relieved my fears. I'm glad to see others are excited about DMU. I'll be moving to Des Moines in May or June. When is everybody else going? Any other married folks?

Take care,
Melvin (don't worry, my parents weren't smoking crack. It's not my real name)
 
The only real problem that I have with the school is that first year lecture hall. But everything else is just great.
 
What's wrong with the lecture hall, Docgeorge? I've had classes in really nice halls, and really crappy ones, so I've sort of been desensitized to what I should be looking for. Melvin, I'm glad there's only going to be 4 people per cadaver too. Eight would be way too crowded!
I'll probably end up buying a car after I move to Des Moines. I'm planning on scouting out apartments in June, and then moving in July. I'm really excited, because I was born and raised in San Francisco, then went across the bay to college, so I'm looking forward to a change of scenery.
So what are you guys doing for the next few months?
 
Hello All, I would like to make a welcome from the 2nd year class! Sooooo, welcome!!!
Docgeorge, I don't know about the comptuer and palm piolit thing but I know it is in the works and might be implemented next year. As for the doctor toys (stethescope and what not), you'll purchase those at the beginning of your second semester (first year) so you will be prepared to begin the physical diagnosis class and the attached SPALs. As for places to live, Starwars (Kimberlee) has already started giving you the scoop. Don't be afraid to move to West Des Moines for cheaper rent, it isn't that much of a drive.
And the first year lecture hall, yeah it isn't the greatest design but I survived and you will too. It looks so large but in actuality, only half of the class will ever be there so the full room is rarely utilized...unless there is an exam :)
Well, I think I've said my bit. Congratulations all! Sort of sad that I'll never even see you guys...ahhh rotations :)
Katie
 
Katie, have you decided on where you're going for rotations? You have a lot of freedom in choosing where you would like to go, right?
 
Luckystar,

In your 3rd year you have less freedom than you do in your 4th year. In the 3rd year you must complete 16 weeks at a hospital and 8 weeks in a family practice clinic in one of the 6 regions. Mostly the 3rd year regions are midwest to east coast, the 4th year has more regions in the west. You also do 16 weeks of core electives which have to be 4, 4 week sessions of family pracitice(or internal med), peds, psych, and ob/gyn. There is a long laundry list of places you can go for that and if the place you want to go isn't on the list, you can work with clinical affiars. About half of our required hosptial and clinic rotations are in or very near Iowa. As for fourth year, you spend most of that in electives so it is back to the laundry list. And when you have "true" electives, you can go anywhere you want and work with MD or DO. People often use this as an oppurtunity to rotate through the hosptial they want to get a residency at, get a foot in the door. As for me, I'm young and lived in Iowa all my life so I am, to put it simply, OUTTA HERE!!! I have my 16 weeks of core electives first so I don't know where I'll be going but I'm thinking upstate NY or maybe Colorado...or maybe somewhere in the south. . . Then I have my 16 weeks of hospital time which I was fortunate enough to get Mt. Clemens in Michigan which is a great (and highly coveted spot) osteopathic teaching hospital The after that, I have 8 weeks in Houston, Tx for my family practice clinic. When I'm done with all that, I have 8 weeks of true elective time before my board break and I might try to stay in Houston b/c they have an amazing childrens hospital. Ok that was more than you proabably cared to know but people are usually curious about rotaions so I thought I would explain the process.
Katie
 
I cant believe I'm in med school!!!! This random thought pops into my my head 3 or 4 times a day. I'm so excited, I just sent in my deposit. Any way when is the white coat ceremony at DMU?
 
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hey everyone,

i too remember having qualms about the first year lecture hall. ask katie, and she can tell you about the emails i sent her. anywho, it's not as bad as it looks. there are three giant screens that come down allowing everyone in the class to see what's being projected. also, as katie pointed out, students don't go to all of the lectures, so you probably will have plenty of room to spread out.

docgeorge, i think our white coat ceremony was on september 14th, but i'm not absolutely sure. i just remember it being right before our third biochem exam! that sure was fun.:p

kimberlee :)
 
I can deal with the lecture hall, not that big of a deal. Do you guys know where they are going to move the workout stuff when they tear down that old gym. It's kind of a bummer that they have the white coat cermony a month afer all the parents leave. Oh well. Good luck on your finals guys.
 
Katie,
Thanks so much for taking your time and explaining rotations. I'm getting really excited already! I want to stay in the midwest or west coast, and I noticed there are rotation spots in Oregon (in the brochure I got from the interview), and that's somewhere I'd love to be for residency and/or future practice. Do your grades or board scores have any weight in getting placed at your preferred spots? I'm looking forward to going all over the place, since this will most likely be the only time in my life where I can afford the opportunity. Thanks again for your insight!

Docgeorge, I think the same thing several times a day! It's all I've been waiting for my entire life :clap:

I don't think I'll have any qualms about the lecture hall, since I'm used to sitting in rooms made for 500+ people. As long as I have room to write, I'm happy!
 
Good question DocGeorge, I, too, am wondering where the new gym will be. Working out is important to me, it's my stress reliever. I was told that the new building won't be done by the time our pre-clinical years are done and nobody told me where the interim building will be.
I didn't get a chance to see much of the town when I interviewed, so my fiance and I are going to Des Moines for Spring break. Sounds exciting huh? Anyway, I'm planning on scoping the place out more thoroughly at that time. However, I did go to a great brewery right downtown after my interview. I forget the name of the place, but it is a must for any beer lover. It's as good as the beer I had in England. Did anybody check out the area right around campus? Is it an area where one can walk to get groceries, sundries, etc?

Melvin
 
Hello Again!

The gym. . .I currently work at the gym and work out in the gym. Sometime this winter they will be erecting a temporary building that will house the temporary gym. It will be on the south edge of the property, right off of the parking lot. So it will extend a walk to the gym by about 1 or 2 min. The gym is not one of the stellar parts of the school....the future gym should be nice though, too bad I'll be in my residency at the time :) If you become dissatisfied with the gym, some have, try the YMCA downtown. I think you can be a member for $20 a month as long as you are a full time student. I am just fine with the gym we have, I'm able to do a complete workout there.

The brewery downtown was the Court Ave Brewery...lovely place, good raspberry beer. You should also check out the Rock Bottom Brewery and Raccoon River Brewery when you get here, they are well thought of.

Luckystar, grades and class rank have absolutely no effect on where you get to rotate. Everyone has an equal chance of going where ever. The required hosptial and clinc times are thrown into a lottery. You are able to "hearts desire" a certain place or person and most people (about 80 to 90%) get that. I happened to get everything I wanted but I was pretty flexible going into it. The clinic in Oregon is only open to 4th years for their required (core) clinics. However, I've been perusing my laundry list of options, and oregon is on there with a few clinics or hospitals. Hmmmm, that is a bit confusing, let me know if that doesn't make sense.

Ok, I hope I was able to answer a few questions, back to Hematology!
Katie
 
Hey everyone! I am bored silly at work, so I thought I'd come and post. How are the clubs at DMU? I'm interested in surgery(of various kinds) and somebody told me about a surgery club. Does anybody know more about this group?

Oh yeah, I still cannot get over how NICE the people at DMU are! I got a Christmas card from Becky and some other people in the office, and it totally made my week a little brighter. It's nice to feel welcomed.

Have a great day and stay dry, if it's raining where you are... :D
 
I know that they have a surgery residnecy at memorial, so I'm betting that there will be surgery clubs too. Dr. Reed (the Chief of the Surgery Residency Program) was one of my interviewers he was soooo cooool. Any of you guys at DMU know what a good cell phone company in Des Moines esp the DMU area? My contract with the cell phone company is up and I want to dump them, they suck.

Any Way, Happy Holidays Guys
 
Hey guys! I just received an acceptance email from DMU this morning!! I am planning on going here unless a miracle happens and I hear from MSU in the next couple of months. Just wanted to say hi to all of my potential class mates :p
 
Howdy SuzyQ, I'm still holding out on a few places, but as of now I'm thinking DMU. Congratulations on your acceptance. Did anybody interview on September 17? I think that is when I went.

Take care,
Melvin
 
Hello everyone,

I am sooooooo happy, I can final post on this thread. I received the acceptance email today. I don't think I'm going to have to travel as far to Des Moines as some of you guys. My university is only 1.5 hrs away, and my hometown is only 3 hrs away from Des Moines. Des Moines was my top choice by far, so I'll be calling the rest of my schools this Monday to withdraw my apps.

Glad to be aboard the class of 07,
later hyper :rolleyes:
 
Congratulations on your acceptances, SuzyQ and hyper! I'm going to DMU for sure, and I hope to see you there! Where are you guys from?

I interviewed in Las Vegas on Oct. 4....great choice for an interview setting huh? I had a great time though :p
 
Welcome to the class guys! I look foreward to meeting you all in August.
 
sorry for the stupid question, but where is des moines? thanks

p.s congrats all!
 
Des Moines is in Iowa immediatespring :D And Im from Michigan lucky star :) Are there any other Michiganders going to DMU?? Im soooooo excited!! It's just strange withdrawing acceptances from otehr schools because I never thought I would have to choose between schools! Hey hyper, congrats!! And I remember you were supposed to be interviewing the same day at DMU as I was....I still dont know who you are! ahaha....oh well....Have a great Christmas everyone :D
 
hey SuzyQ,

yeah, I forgot we were supposed to be there the same day. I was the tall, bald guy. Remember??? So have you interviewed at MSU yet? Good luck if that's your top choice.

hyper :)
 
ah ok...........yes i do remember you now:) I havent interviewed at MSU yet...they havent even called me for an interview yet...my file was just complete there december 2nd so im just hoping that since its the Christmas season that interview lettters are just being sent out later.:p
 
Why os it that DMU is under-represented on SDN?
 
I've been wondering about the same thing. Could it be its location? I didn't think twice about the possibility of living in Des Moines when I was considering applying, but when I told my friends where I'm headed, they kind of chuckled at the thought of me in Iowa. Well, besides that, what else can be keeping the DMU posts down?
 
All of my friends had the same reaction! They were all like...uhh why would you want to move to iowa, there is nothing there but cornfields.:laugh: I personally think DMU is a great school and I think its highly respected by the osteopathic community. I was very happy to find out there is a lot more to do in Des Moines other than cow tipping and frolicing thru the corn fields :laugh:
 
I hate it that almost the entire US thinks Iowa is just corn. We also have soybeans, hogs, and cows!!!

There's also a couple of movies that were made in Iowa: Field of Dreams & The Bridges of Madison County. So we very similar to Hollywood. :)

But please believe me, Iowa is not just full of farmers. I've lived here my whole life and have loved it. I've visited about everywhere in the US and a few other countries, and we have just as much going on here as the next state.

So for all of you guys that are coming to DMU, you won't be disappointed with Iowa. I'm so happy that I was accepeted here so I don't have to leave my home state.

For anyone else out there worried about Des Moines or Iowa, you should come visit and see that it really is a great place.

I hope all of you guys have been having a great holiday season.

later, hyper :p
 
Hey guys--I'll join you in representing the class of 2007 at DMU. I am pretty sure I'll be heading there next summer unless I hear from one of the two schools that contract seats for Idaho residents (I'm from Idaho). I loved my visit there and felt that the students were happy with their school. Look forward to meeting all of you in the fall.
 
Welcome, jmanwaring! Hope to see you in class next summer! When was your interview, because I met two people from Idaho at mine.
Wow, we're up to 5 in our potential class of 2007!
Hyper, I'm sure I'll have a great time in Des Moines and Iowa. People seriously have to get over stereotypes about any of the states. I've always wanted to check out life in the midwest. Besides, I happen to like corn, and soy, and pork...and all those good things Iowa has to offer :p
 
hello all-

Hey docgeorge, I interviewed on the same day as you. I just mailed my deposit for DMU, so I'll be joining you in the Class of 2007. Does anybody know where they are living yet? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
 
You just had the baby right? Man I loved that place, it was so awsome. I was worried that I would'nt get in. As far as living, I'm planing to head down there in May and try to look at some places. I want something with in walking distace to school. I've gotten spoiled, I live just a 5 min walk from school now and I dont ever want to think about commuting again.

to the other posters:

My couins both MD trained in big cities (NYC) thought I was crazy when I turned down my interview at CCOM and opted for Des Moines. I think they had visions of cows muching on grass in front of the school. (This is not far from the truth where another cousin went to med school)... Any way Happy New Years Guys, I'm heading off to visit Inida in a couple of days, I'll talk to you'all later.

PS
Any DMUers here know any good cell phone companies out there? aka (Sprint, Verizon, At&T, T-mobile, ect...)
 
Hello everyone,


WELCOME CLASS OF 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to send you all good wishes on your first and second year at DMU.

Remember medicine is what you make of it....do not subscribe to another person's opinion of your abilities...your work will stand on its own..believe this and you will be a great physician.....

If you have any questions..you are more than welcome to ask...i will try my best to answer.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DO Candidate 2004
DMU
 
There seems to be an extensive amount of housing listings on the internet, but it's a little hard to gauge the location of the apartments in relation to the school. There's a few good ones along Grand Ave, but what are the other streets that border the school and does anybody know if there's apartments on those?
Is anybody else going to apply for financial aid? Just a reminder that FAFSA is available after Jan. 1... Is applying for Medloans a similar ordeal?
 
What internet sites did u use to look for housing?
 
I used most of the links found on DMU's webpage; I think it was under student life or something like that. There's ones for Apartments.com, Apartmentbluebook.com, and listings from the Des Moines Register. The page with student recommendations for various apartments is also very helpful. I'm happy that apartment shopping in Des Moines is a lot easier than for the Bay Area, at least on the internet.
 
Yes, docgeorge, I am the one with the (relatively) new baby-She's 8 months old now. My name is Rick, and we talked about SDN when we were touring the school.
 
Happy New Year, everyone!! :D

Can you believe we'll be starting school in a mere 8 months??
 
Just wanted to extend my welcome, congratulations and a wonderful NEW YEAR!!!

I'm sure I met some of you and maybe even interviewed some of you when you came to DMU....

It's a long road ahead but a worthwhile one....

If there's any questions you folks would like me to answer just post away and I'll do my best to visit....

If there's something you folks would like to do, go ahead and read "THE DO: Osteopathic Medicine in America" by Norman Gevitz, PhD. It'll be the first book and first exam you will have.... :)

Later,
JP
 
hey jp (popoy),

aw, don't get them started on thinking about their upcoming assignments. let them enjoy what freedom they have left! :)

i'm just kidding jp. listen to what he has to say, i'm sure glad i did!

welcome dr. dicky!

kimberlee :cool:
 
Well I just sent in my deposit to DMU!! woo hoo....oh and by the way, does anyone know what kind of picture they want? Is a 2x2 photo (like the one we needed for the MCAT) ok? I think I'll get the Gevitz book because I've heard great things about it..:D
 
Suzy,
So you've decided on DMU? Yay!!:clap: I ran out of my MCAT pics because of all those secondaries that asked for one, so I just sent in a wallet-sized (3x5) pic. I think the one for the MCAT or passport is perfect for their purposes, whatever they may be.
 
Originally posted by luckystar
Welcome, jmanwaring! Hope to see you in class next summer! When was your interview, because I met two people from Idaho at mine.
Wow, we're up to 5 in our potential class of 2007!
Hyper, I'm sure I'll have a great time in Des Moines and Iowa. People seriously have to get over stereotypes about any of the states. I've always wanted to check out life in the midwest. Besides, I happen to like corn, and soy, and pork...and all those good things Iowa has to offer :p

Luckystar:
I interviewed there on Friday, December 13th. I had a few friends from Idaho interview the day before, Dec. 12th. I'm really planning on going to DMU if I'm not accepted to the U of Washington or the U of Utah. The only thing I'm weary of at DMU is 3rd and 4th year rotations having to move all over the country. Can anyone see a silver lining in this?
 
I'm interviewing there next Friday (the 10th) and am really excited about it... For those of you who have been accepted, how long after your interview did it take before you were contacted? DMU is my top choice followed by Kirksville (my interview there is the following Thursday...)
 
Jmanwaring

I understand your concerns about 3rd and 4th year rotations. The traveling during rotations is pretty much up to the student. For my class (2005), there were 80 hospital and 70 clinic sites in Iowa (not all in des moines). Also, those who choose to do the C.O.R.E. in Ohio can stay in one place for 2 years. There might be a couple of months that would have to be spent at a clinic a couple of hours away in a worst case scenario. As for myself, I'm one that opted to travel around. I want to work with as many different doctors in as many different areas as I can so I can decide where I might like to settle in this world. Also, in my 4th year, when my mind turns to residencies, I should be able to rotate through whatever hospital I want to do my residency at. I'm pretty much an optimist, so I don't have a hard time finding my silver lining :) I know that Becky and others try to be upfront about the possiblity of moving around during the last 2 years so it might sound ominous. I'm glad you were happy with school and best of luck to you getting in where ever you want :)
 
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