Harvard Medical School Class of 2010

[Risa]

Mr. Bip, that WE SUCK story is pretty much the most amazing thing I've ever heard. It really, truly happened?? You Yalies must have just been overwhelmed with the feeling of accomplishment!

Thanks for the ride offer--that would be a lot of fun! Unfortunately, I actually have two (maybe three) finals for performance classes that weekend. So although I'm bound and determined to make at least an appearance at 2nd look, I'm probably going to have to go late/leave early. Otherwise I would definitely take you up on it. If by some miracle my finals all get cancelled (I can dream, right?), I'll letcha know

I'm sad I can't think of any weird Harvard stories. Dajimmers, I love your fortune cookie. The closest I can come to that is my horoscope the day before my letter came. It said "minor adjustments will get you to the happy place." My minor adjustment was a lucky nickel in my bra. Ta da!

Now that we've unveiled our ice creams of choice (well some of us have... *shakes fist at those who didn't name an ice cream*), drumroll please for... favorite article of clothing! Mine: if you don't count my new HMS sweatshirt ( ), I've gotta go with my pink plaid flannel pj bottoms. When we get to school, you will know who I am by the fact that I never don't wear pink. Literally.

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[alpenglow]

Mr. Bip, that WE SUCK story is pretty much the most amazing thing I've ever heard. It really, truly happened?? You Yalies must have just been overwhelmed with the feeling of accomplishment!

Thanks for the ride offer--that would be a lot of fun! Unfortunately, I actually have two (maybe three) finals for performance classes that weekend. So although I'm bound and determined to make at least an appearance at 2nd look, I'm probably going to have to go late/leave early. Otherwise I would definitely take you up on it. If by some miracle my finals all get cancelled (I can dream, right?), I'll letcha know

I'm sad I can't think of any weird Harvard stories. Dajimmers, I love your fortune cookie. The closest I can come to that is my horoscope the day before my letter came. It said "minor adjustments will get you to the happy place." My minor adjustment was a lucky nickel in my bra. Ta da!

Now that we've unveiled our ice creams of choice (well some of us have... *shakes fist at those who didn't name an ice cream*), drumroll please for... favorite article of clothing! Mine: if you don't count my new HMS sweatshirt ( ), I've gotta go with my pink plaid flannel pj bottoms. When we get to school, you will know who I am by the fact that I never don't wear pink. Literally.

ooh, I wear pink, too! did you notice how much you stand out, too? maybe it was the fact that I wore a REALLY pink shirt with my suit on interview day...or the fact that I have, like three feet of white-blonde hair!

to partners in pink!
oh, and I can't have ice cream (that dairy allergy thing)...but I am a chef and can cook lots of other fabulous desserts...from back in the day of being able to eat B & Js...B&Js still wins, though!

 

[med21]

Hey! Good to know about this thread. I will most likely be attending HMS next year in the New Pathway program. I'm deciding between Stanford and Harvard at the moment. I'm leaning toward the east coast school though!

 

[dajimmers]

I admit, I skipped the ice-cream question. My favorite is Mackinac Island Fudge (you'll have to go to Northern Michigan to know), with bits of cookie dough and mashed strawberries added. Mmmmmmm....

I don't know if any of you saw this, but I found the HMS Class of 2009 thread; it's a beast at 10 pages long. I just started page 5, but figured some of you may want to see it. There's a ton of other "Harvard" threads if you use the search function (I chose to search for TITLES containing "Harvard" or "HMS" and excluded threads newer than 6 months).

So far it has been trying to find negatives in the curriculum, talking about housing, discussing the curriculum change we're going to face, etc.

 

[Risa]

ooh, I wear pink, too! did you notice how much you stand out, too? maybe it was the fact that I wore a REALLY pink shirt with my suit on interview day...or the fact that I have, like three feet of white-blonde hair!

to partners in pink!
oh, and I can't have ice cream (that dairy allergy thing)...but I am a chef and can cook lots of other fabulous desserts...from back in the day of being able to eat B & Js...B&Js still wins, though!

To partners in pink! I wore pink on interview day too... I think kryptonite:Superman :: no pink:me... in any case, I liked standing out! And, I cordially invite you to cook fabulous desserts for me any time you want . Have you worked as a chef professionally? Either way, mmmm, I love good cookin'.

Dajimmers, nice footwork on the old threads. I'm definitely going to read through the Class of 09 one. I'm horribly inept at using the SDN search function, so, thank you!

And med21, welcome to the thread. Come to Harvard

 

[alpenglow]

To partners in pink! I wore pink on interview day too... I think kryptonite:Superman :: no pink:me... in any case, I liked standing out! And, I cordially invite you to cook fabulous desserts for me any time you want . Have you worked as a chef professionally? Either way, mmmm, I love good cookin'.

Dajimmers, nice footwork on the old threads. I'm definitely going to read through the Class of 09 one. I'm horribly inept at using the SDN search function, so, thank you!

And med21, welcome to the thread. Come to Harvard

what a recruiter!

about the chef thing - yes, I'm actually doing it professionally right now via the realm of teaching for a college culinary arts program

Le Cordon Bleu was my year+ of school used as thinking time to decide whether I was really, truly dedicated to becoming a physician...and the skills that I gleaned from culinary school and my culinary internship have kept me paying the bills through undergrad without working at McDonald's

 

[Yalie05]

hey everyone!

congratulations on your acceptance! i'm a first year at hms and i think you all should come! i also went to yale and graduated in '05!

 

[Risa]

hey everyone!

congratulations on your acceptance! i'm a first year at hms and i think you all should come! i also went to yale and graduated in '05!

Hi Yalie! I just finished reading the Class of 09 thread. Then I saw your name on here and was like oooooh I've heard of him/her! I feel like a celebrity is in our midst

And Alpenglow ooooooh Le Cordon Bleu! A pink-wearing bonafide chef... there is no way on the planet I won't like you. In fact I need to go tell my dog about you... we pronounce everything to him in fake french ('e eez a poodle) and "le cordon bleu" sounds like an opportunity I shouldn't pass up!

[edit: i think i should win some kind of prize for my superfluous use of "oooooh!" ]

 

[2009md2b]

re: off campus living

I'm a first year that started in Vandy and recently moved off. I think people spread out pretty well across Boston, Cambridge, and even the suburbs. I would say that one of the most popular spots is Coolidge Corner in Brookline at least for the second year class. I can't say if there is any one concentrated place that the first year class is settling. I think almost anyplace fine if you make it a point to come to all the LIFE events. A lot of the students here have spent a least a little time in Boston before coming and have an idea of where they want to live. If you want any specific advice, PM me.

 

[alpenglow]

re: off campus living

I'm a first year that started in Vandy and recently moved off. I think people spread out pretty well across Boston, Cambridge, and even the suburbs. I would say that one of the most popular spots is Coolidge Corner in Brookline at least for the second year class. I can't say if there is any one concentrated place that the first year class is settling. I think almost anyplace fine if you make it a point to come to all the LIFE events. A lot of the students here have spent a least a little time in Boston before coming and have an idea of where they want to live. If you want any specific advice, PM me.

What is the best way to look for off campus apartments/houses? Roommates? Any success stories appreciated! The links throught the Vandy page weren't particularly helpful - not bad, just not great.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[HMSNeuro]

re: off campus living

I'm a first year that started in Vandy and recently moved off. I think people spread out pretty well across Boston, Cambridge, and even the suburbs. I would say that one of the most popular spots is Coolidge Corner in Brookline at least for the second year class. I can't say if there is any one concentrated place that the first year class is settling. I think almost anyplace fine if you make it a point to come to all the LIFE events. A lot of the students here have spent a least a little time in Boston before coming and have an idea of where they want to live. If you want any specific advice, PM me.

would you mind sharing the neighborhood/street you're on? if not, i understand.

 

[notabiobot]

I just found this thread and wanted to say that I'll most likely be joining HST next year. Hope to see you all at second look!!

 

[Mr.Bip]

I just found this thread and wanted to say that I'll most likely be joining HST next year. Hope to see you all at second look!!

Notabiobot, good to have you here. I wonder if we'll actually see each other after Second Look I do hear that HST and NP students are in their own universes ... is this true?

Also, if anyone cares: I've been edging closer and closer to deciding that HMS is where I'm going to be this fall. There are just too many reasons to be there. I feel like there are only a few definite HMS-bound people in this thread. How are the rest of you progressing in your decisions?

 

[periodic]

Hey everyone,

I'm an HMS II and wanted to address some of the curricular questions, because I can guess it is causing more consternation than it's worth. I've gone to many of the curriculum reform meetings here and tried to keep informed.

The curriculum in the first two years is making important changes - tighter integration, some shifting around of material, and the requirement of a longitudinal course that covers aspects of the healthcare system, ethics, and medical anthropology. Additionally, you will probably be asked to pick an area of concentration, from three groups (basic science, clinical science, and medicine and society, which covers most other things like global health, health economics, bioethics, etc). Pretty much, anything you are interested in is fair game, as long as it has enough substance to let you produce a scholarly work (a "white paper" or more rigorous thesis, if you wish) by graduation. Some students were concerned that this would "force" them to choose a specialty early or take a 5th year, but the concentration/scholarly work is more about formally requiring students to gain experience in scholastic work related to medicine. Frankly, most students do this anyway, or something that could be easily adapted, without a formal requirement. A huge benefit will be engaging more of the many experts in the HMS system with mentoring and guiding students.

But overall, the preclinical courses will not change drastically enough to break anything that's been working before - it's still the same faculty leading the (largely) same courses. Instead, I think the new preclinical curriculum is more tightly designed, and you will benefit from the intense focus by faculty to review and revise it. For example, there will be a shortened pharmacology intro course, and then organ-system specific pharmacology sections will be integrated into their respective areas during 2nd year pathophys (ex: renal pharmacology during renal pathophys...whereas in the standalone 1st year pharmacology class, we spent half our time learning pathophys to understand the drug mechanisms).

Doing all the 3rd year clerkships at one hospital is meant to 1) give you more longitudinal patient exposure, and 2) give you closer supervision and mentorship, so faculty can help you progress over time. These are the "longitudinal pilot clerkships" at MGH, the Brigham, the BIDMC, and Cambridge Hospital. HMS's approach to assigning clerkships, including these, is to let you fill out preferences, and then hold a lottery. I can't see this changing, and it seems fair. There will always be people unhappy with the result of a random selection, but everyone I know who didn't get their first choice for a clerkship program ended up fine with it. Numerically, evaluations for clerkships don't vary that much across HMS hospitals, in general, and you will be impressed by the faculty and different aspects of all of these hospitals. And, when it comes down to it, your Dean's letter for residency doesn't even mention where you did your 3rd year rotations, just that you were in the Harvard system.

Anyway, I hope to see you all here! Ask questions, but go with your gut and pick a place where you see yourself being happy and successful. These types of decisions will continue forever.

Best of luck!

 

[Mr.Bip]

Hey everyone,

I'm an HMS II and wanted to address some of the curricular questions, because I can guess it is causing more consternation than it's worth. I've gone to many of the curriculum reform meetings here and tried to keep informed.
...

Best of luck!

periodic -

Thanks so much for the information! That was a great post. A question: which clinical option are you doing for your third year and why?

 

[alpenglow]

Notabiobot, good to have you here. I wonder if we'll actually see each other after Second Look I do hear that HST and NP students are in their own universes ... is this true?

Also, if anyone cares: I've been edging closer and closer to deciding that HMS is where I'm going to be this fall. There are just too many reasons to be there. I feel like there are only a few definite HMS-bound people in this thread. How are the rest of you progressing in your decisions?

if we were racing...we'd be tied

I think that I remember a post of yours somewhere that mentioned something like "for every one good thing I hear about UCSF, I hear two about HMS"

it's beginning to look undeniable - I will let the accepted student weekend be my feeling indicator

ps - good to see you here, Notabiobot!

 

[alpenglow]

periodic -

Thanks so much for the information! That was a great post. A question: which clinical option are you doing for your third year and why?

I second the thanks and the inquiry

 

[periodic]

I second the thanks and the inquiry

I am doing one of the longitudinal pilots next year. I'm more interested in seeing one hospital in depth across departments and having some extra faculty attention. The comfort and familiarity associated with one place will be nice too. Some people preferred to see multiple hospitals, and thus, decided not to do one of the pilots. The number of Harvard hospitals is one its cited strengths, after all.

Your class will all be in the longitudinal 3rd year, though, and these pilots will no longer be "pilots". I think that, like the preclinical years, the reform process itself will create a stronger learning environment, since faculty and students will be more attuned to education and improving it in myriad ways. Making sure everything is in place for your class is a major focus of HMS faculty involved in the curriculum right now. Don't be fooled though, getting to this point and deciding what to and not to do was a complex, and sometimes political, process.

In the end, though, I'd caution against placing too much weight on curriculum reform one way or another. We have our way of doing things, Duke has theirs, UCSF has theirs, etc...etc. They all work pretty well, mostly because they have good students and good faculty. That's not going to change soon.

 

[Kimka83]

Hey guys, has anyone received a confirmation that your "statement of intent to matriculate/acceptance of the acceptance" form has arrived? I have decided on Harvard . . . and I don't want to mess this up! I am just a tad bit neurotic that it got lost in the mail and they will give away my spot!
Okay, I am nuts. But seriously, did anyone get a confirmation?

 

[Risa]

Hey guys, has anyone received a confirmation that your "statement of intent to matriculate/acceptance of the acceptance" form has arrived? I have decided on Harvard . . . and I don't want to mess this up! I am just a tad bit neurotic that it got lost in the mail and they will give away my spot!
Okay, I am nuts. But seriously, did anyone get a confirmation?

Hooray for deciding on Harvard! No confirmation here... I didn't even think to be neurotic about it! But I'd say if we all continue not to get one, then the likelihood of ALL our mail being lost is low .

Periodic, thanks for coming in to check on us. Everything you've said has been really helpful!

Notabiobot, welcome to the thread.

And Mr Bip and Alpenglow, you're leaning our way! That is most excellent.

I just got back to school from spring break, and am feeling less motivated than ever. I definitely already had senioritis, but now that I know where I'm headed in the fall it's pretty much quadrupled. And it's not even like I'm taking hard classes...

 

[blah7]

I read this forum every day, so I figured I'd post and say hi! I really really want to go to HMS next year.. and I'll definitely be at revisit weekend. I just have to decide whether turning down a full ride somewhere else is worth it

 

[Kimka83]

Current HMS students, could you tell us a little about living in Vandy? Some of the pros/cons, what daily life is like there. Are people social? How about your rooms, size, what can you fit in there? Any stories about what it is like to live there would be appreciated!

 

[sirpado]

Current HMS students, could you tell us a little about living in Vandy? Some of the pros/cons, what daily life is like there. Are people social? How about your rooms, size, what can you fit in there? Any stories about what it is like to live there would be appreciated!

car or no car? I don't know the area at all so unsure about practicality of bringing auto.

 

[alpenglow]

I read this forum every day, so I figured I'd post and say hi! I really really want to go to HMS next year.. and I'll definitely be at revisit weekend. I just have to decide whether turning down a full ride somewhere else is worth it

Welcome! Or, I should say, thanks for joining the forum

Do you have any idea what your HMS finaid package will be like? I noticed the trend (albeit a small sample size) that underrepresented minority and/or immigrants get AMAZING finaid if they apply and inquire. I, not being either of those, but do swing toward the poor/disadvantaged segment. I think that I will get fairly good financial aid from HMS based upon preliminary calculations. Enough, anyway, that the loans that I'll have to take out will not amount to enough for someone becoming a physician to forgo a school of their dreams for. Point is, I would figure out what you'll get finaid-wise, and go to the 2nd look weekend(s) before making a final decision - you definitely have a tough one!

 

[alpenglow]

Current HMS students, could you tell us a little about living in Vandy? Some of the pros/cons, what daily life is like there. Are people social? How about your rooms, size, what can you fit in there? Any stories about what it is like to live there would be appreciated!

we're all ears! I've never lived in any dorm before, so please use this as an excuse to rant about the things that no one else wants to hear, or that you are too smooth to say in an un-anonymous situation

 

[dajimmers]

we're all ears! I've never lived in any dorm before, so please use this as an excuse to rant about the things that no one else wants to hear, or that you are too smooth to say in an un-anonymous situation

Well then it seems you NEED to stay in Vandy next year. First, any self-proclaimed college grad by definition has some dorm experience. Luckily, your decision to enter med school, and a med school w/ a dorm nonetheless, allows you to rectify this mistake. Secondly, how do you plan to relate to your poor 19-yr old patients living in dorms if you've never done it yourself? If you want to be a good doctor, you'll live in Vandy.

 

[alpenglow]

Well then it seems you NEED to stay in Vandy next year. First, any self-proclaimed college grad by definition has some dorm experience. Luckily, your decision to enter med school, and a med school w/ a dorm nonetheless, allows you to rectify this mistake. Secondly, how do you plan to relate to your poor 19-yr old patients living in dorms if you've never done it yourself? If you want to be a good doctor, you'll live in Vandy.

are you trying to better serve the ailing 19 year-old sect of society...or, are you trying to out the off-campus apartment "competition"?

actually, I probably will, since the extent of experience that I have in Boston, or the entire East Coast for that matter, occurred during my HMS interview!

besides, one of you fine folks may be roommate potential when second year rolls around - who can resist living with their own chef

 

[dajimmers]

No way this thread is allowed to go a whole day without a post! We're not that boring, are we?

Umm, in pretty much useless news, HMS seems to be at the top of the USNews rankings again...

 

[alpenglow]

No way this thread is allowed to go a whole day without a post! We're not that boring, are we?

Umm, in pretty much useless news, HMS seems to be at the top of the USNews rankings again...

yeah - I hate when the only news is that your school is #1 - again! we need to start a support group

as for boring, or slightly ADD, I am checking out the un-posts of the day before heading out to dance my night away...anyone else like electronic music? boston has a great music scene, though I still give the points to the sf bay area...

I have lots of random interests (i.e. outlets) outside of medicine - what do you all do for fun? besides dancing, I am a dinner party (cooking of all sorts), running (distance), hiking, snowboarding, reading (news, literature, non-fiction), playing outside, playing music (violin) politically-intrigued person...and more

 

[Risa]

Man oh man, I am waaay behind the times on posting here! Sorry guys, I should be ashamed of myself .

Random interests, eh? Hmm, well, as far as dancing goes, I took lindy hop lessons for a while last year. It's SO fun, and although I've stopped for the time being I'm definitely hoping to pick it back up next year. Y'all should come with me . I have to admit that I've always had kind of a hard time dancing to electronic... I prefer hip hop for the club scene. As far as just plain listening goes, I love jazz singers and show tunes!

I loooove dinner parties... we have them at home on a regular basis! My mom is in charge, but I'm her sous-chef (you have no idea how hard a time I just had figuring out how to spell that ). So alpenglow, if you want a right-hand woman to wash and chop things, I'm your gal. I also aspire to actually know what I'm talking about re: wine, but I'm not there yet.

I also like reading (mainly fiction), movies (both good-good and bad-good ones), SURVIVOR (!!!), knitting, bingo ( ), playing of all sorts (from board games to cards to outside to just goofing around), swimming, and most things that qualify as an adventure... although preferably not involving bugs (ew!).

Oh and, hi to blah7... welcome to the thread!!!

 

[dajimmers]

Downhill skiing (also know how to snowboard, but skiing’s where its at ). Not a fan of racing, but backcountry, straightlining, jumps in the park, tree skiing are all good. Been out west a few times, never to the East yet, though (and do yourselves a favor, coastal people, and avoid skiing in the Midwest at all costs). Also enjoy x-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice-skating, and other winter activities.

Amateur photograph and photo/video editing. But I’m way behind, tons of pictures and video from my study abroad and wedding to edit, name, categorize, print, etc.

I like reading fiction, and article-style nonfiction. Anything I can understand in a journal is often interesting to me. Movies are fun, and a few TV shows (Scrubs, House, Law and Order, CSI, Lilo and Stitch: The Series).

Sporadic interests (if I have the time): biking (mostly x-country mtb, but street works too), jogging, tennis, and soccer.

 

[blah7]

Does anyone have info on the revisit weekend? i'm trying to book a flight and i know that the dates are Thursday May 4- Saturday May 6, but has anyone asked about approximate times we should be arriving? Thanks!

 

[dajimmers]

Does anyone have info on the revisit weekend? i'm trying to book a flight and i know that the dates are Thursday May 4- Saturday May 6, but has anyone asked about approximate times we should be arriving? Thanks!

I just got an email on it, you should have too. I'm going to ask them a few questions, though:

1. I doubt I'll be able to make it (graduating that weekend), but I wondered if they'd be willing to put some of the amphitheater discussions online (since that's where they tape lectures anyways). No idea if this is feasible, but worth checking I suppose.

2. They didn't mention anything about if we could bring significant others, where we could stay if we came as a couple, and what my s/o would be allowed to attend.

3. If an alternative revisit date can be set up with a few of the same opportunities to talk with students, sit in a tutorial session, etc.

 

[alpenglow]

It's official - got my plane tix for the weekend; so, I'll be the brave one...or the stu**d one...to post a couple pictures (hope the thumbnails work). Please post one (or more) of yourselves so that we can meet in person! Or, if posting pics on the internet is not your thing, please find me and say "hi." I'm easy to find in a crowd.

For Risa, there is a cooking pic ;-)
The other is just a snazzy dressed up pic from a recent bday outting for a friend

hope to see some pics, and see you in person, soon!

[edit: teeny tiny pics removed, PM me with your email address and I'll send you ones you can actually see!]

 

[alpenglow]

So, I'll be the brave one...or the stu**d one...to post a couple pictures (hope the thumbnails work). Please post one (or more) of yourselves so that we can meet in person! Or, if posting pics on the internet is not your thing, please find me and say "hi." I'm easy to find in a crowd.

For Risa, there is a cooking pic ;-)
The other is just a snazzy dressed up pic from a recent bday outting for a friend

hope to see some pics, and see you in person, soon!

sorry, guess the thumbnail thing didn't work so well...
the pics' file sizes are too big to do much else...I'm open to suggestions

to find me: I have waist-length white blonde hair - that'll probably out me without further description

 

[Risa]

sorry, guess the thumbnail thing didn't work so well...
the pics' file sizes are too big to do much else...I'm open to suggestions

to find me: I have waist-length white blonde hair - that'll probably out me without further description

haha those suckers are like 3 pixels by 3 pixels!

nice try though.

i'll pm you a couple of me... anyone else who wants 'em just let me know

 

[alpenglow]

haha those suckers are like 3 pixels by 3 pixels!

nice try though.

i'll pm you a couple of me... anyone else who wants 'em just let me know

ditto that

 

[Kimka83]

I just bought my second look tickets, so I will hopefully see you all there!

 

[Mr.Bip]

Another one of my fabulous questions for the lovely potential HMS '10 community (which I believe consists mainly of me, Kimka, Alpenglow, Dajimmers, and Risa): finding off-campus housing and roommates - how does one go about this? I don't know any close friends going to HMS this year, but I don't really want to live in a 1 BR apartment by myself ...

As for random interests: I'm a pretty hardcore classical musician (oboist). I love (almost) all things musical I'm also a compulsive reader - I love literature, science fiction, non-fiction, just about anything good. I'm the kind of person who subscribes impulsively to magazines and spends half his free time reading news and commentary on the web. Really random stuff: I love entomology, Chinese (taking Mandarin right now!), Wikipedia (have edited some articles), roadtripping, hiking ... Plus, I'm a foodie.

I also call dibs on alpenglow's first dinner party I'll bring a bottle of nice wine.

 

[Kimka83]

Another one of my fabulous questions for the lovely potential HMS '10 community (which I believe consists mainly of me, Kimka, Alpenglow, Dajimmers, and Risa): finding off-campus housing and roommates - how does one go about this? I don't know any close friends going to HMS this year, but I don't really want to live in a 1 BR apartment by myself ...

As for random interests: I'm a pretty hardcore classical musician (oboist). I love (almost) all things musical I'm also a compulsive reader - I love literature, science fiction, non-fiction, just about anything good. I'm the kind of person who subscribes impulsively to magazines and spends half his free time reading news and commentary on the web. Really random stuff: I love entomology, Chinese (taking Mandarin right now!), Wikipedia (have edited some articles), roadtripping, hiking ... Plus, I'm a foodie.

I also call dibs on alpenglow's first dinner party I'll bring a bottle of nice wine.

Mr. Bip, are you planning to go to revisit weekend? That might be a good place to find potential roommates. I think I have caved in and decided to live in Vandy, at least for a semester. I also don't really know anyone in the the HMS/Boston area, and I think living in Vandy will help me adjust. I had a nice long talk with my mother pretty much begging her to take my cats.
As for random personal info: I am a HUGE theatre fan. I love all things technical theatre, lighting, design, and especially stagemanagement. Theatre is probably the biggest part of my life at the moment, soon to be replaced with medical school surely. That being said, I am the world's most horrible actress. Seriously. If there was an award for being a terrible actor, I would have it. I also really love good literature, am a huge Ayn Rand fan, and I love pets, museums, and trying new things! I recently found an ice-skating rink near my college and proceeded to make an absolute fool out of myself. The little kids there put me to shame!
I am glad we are getting to chat on here a little. It will be nice to know some of my classmates before I get there. As a southern, state school kid, I am a little intimidated by you guys. I am glad you are nice!!!!!

 

[2009md2b]

I'll try to belatedly answer some of the questions here.

1. Vandy pro/cons
Pro: So incredibly close to class, easy to attend LIFE events, close neighbors facilitates meeting people, on the cheaper (but not cheapest) end of Boston living, you don't have multiple utility bills to pay, bigger singles than my undergrad dorms
Cons: people steal food, its dorm room, you can go a week without ever leaving Longwood, no cable, no wireless, get packages late, hard to cook for yourself

2. Sorry, not revealing my address on an internet forum!

3. Finding roommates. Well, I met mine once I got in Boston, so that's not too much help. Try looking at the Trading Post, but my sense is those are mostly temporary living situations or older resident-type posting. You might try meeting people at revisit that you like and inquiring if they want to live off-campus with you. To actually find a place, I highly suggest looking at http://boston.craigslist.com Rent per roommate can range from $500 to $1200 depending on your location/quality/#roommates, etc.

4. No car! For sure! Its really expensive to keep a car in Boston (~$200/month for a space) and highly unnecessary. Living off campus, I have an unlimited T pass for $40/month but you can spend even less on transportation living in Vandy. If you are absolutely bound to your car, you will probably have to live in the more suburban areas or get ready to shell out. But, seriously, there is no need for it!

Also I highly suggest going to revisit. Keep the questions coming but a lot of them will be answered then.

 

[Risa]

Everybody's interests sound like a lot of fun. If we SDNers are at all representative, I think our class is going to be pretty amazing. In this thread alone we have a chef, a theater person, a musician, .... me

md20092b, thanks for the info. I'm definitely getting very excited about second look weekend... why oh why is it so long from now!

Anyone do anything fun this weekend? I saw Ice Age 2... gotta love that poor acorn-seeking squirrel! He is so determined... keep on keepin' on, little guy. And my school had an all-seniors party which was "come as you aren't" so I got to dress up as a guy. Add all that to GORGEOUS first-days-of-spring weather, and it's been a good time.

 

[aumed22]

I figured I would give a shout out to my potential classmates next year. As of now, I'm about 98.7% sure I'll be at Harvard with y'all come fall. I'm also pretty sure that I'll be in Vandy too. I'm pretty pumped and looking forward to the second look weekend. If any of y'all are from Boston, can you give me an estimate as to what the weather should be in early May? Anyways, from reading your posts all of you sound way cool, and I'm sure we're going to have a great time next year. Hopefully, I'll meet y'all soon.

 

[Indryd]

Sigh...I know some of y'all got in at JHU. Come to Baltimore with me!

...I don't know why I'm choosing Hopkins over Harvard, just a gut feeling, I guess...come on folks...go with my gut (it's HUGE)!

Problem is, the Hopkins thread is like a ghost-town. All you I know from here are choosing Harvard...am I just nuts, or what?

See you round!

 

[alpenglow]

I figured I would give a shout out to my potential classmates next year. As of now, I'm about 98.7% sure I'll be at Harvard with y'all come fall. I'm also pretty sure that I'll be in Vandy too. I'm pretty pumped and looking forward to the second look weekend. If any of y'all are from Boston, can you give me an estimate as to what the weather should be in early May? Anyways, from reading your posts all of you sound way cool, and I'm sure we're going to have a great time next year. Hopefully, I'll meet y'all soon.

Welcome to "the group"!

As Risa mentioned before, anyone who wants to actually recognize each other at the revisit weekend, PM either of/both of us for a picture exchange.

Can't wait to meet you all in person!

 

[Risa]

come on folks...go with my gut (it's HUGE)!

haha that is probably the best argument i've ever heard. indryd, i remember how in love you were with hopkins from my very earliest days using sdn. i think you're going to really love it there! but hey, you can still pretend you're interested in harvard and hang out with us here for the time being (man, if the hopkins thread is a ghosttown compared to this it must be REALLY slow... ). i won't tell.

aumed, welcome to the thread! 98.7% seems like pretty good odds to me... where's the other 1.3% of you considering? by the way, you're behind the times... you have to tell us what your favorite ice cream flavor is! this is key .

 

[alpenglow]

Sigh...I know some of y'all got in at JHU. Come to Baltimore with me!

...I don't know why I'm choosing Hopkins over Harvard, just a gut feeling, I guess...come on folks...go with my gut (it's HUGE)!

Problem is, the Hopkins thread is like a ghost-town. All you I know from here are choosing Harvard...am I just nuts, or what?

See you round!

...go with the gut...but my HMS interviewer didn't have the greatest opinion of JHU, to put it mildly...neither has any other friendly, personable people that I've met...hope that isn't your experience there...you should just come to HMS and not worry about it! J/K - you HAVE to trust your gut - there's no other way when you're making this kind of decision. Good luck!

 

[aumed22]

I feel for you Indryd, my other 1.3% is on JHU, but the more I think about it, the more I think my gut feeling is for HMS. As for ice cream, I think you can't go wrong with a good batch of cookies and cream. I think it's that perfect balance between chocolate and vanilla.

 

[hehaha]

Hi everyone...just found this thread (thanx to risa). Just want to drop by =D...i'll be going to 2nd look weekend. Still need to book my tickets

 

[Risa]

Hi everyone...just found this thread (thanx to risa). Just want to drop by =D...i'll be going to 2nd look weekend. Still need to book my tickets

Welcome to the thread!