MCW Class of 2010, Part 3

[Agent Splat]

<-- newest addition to MCW's class of 2010.

Hello!

Congrats! Let us know if you have any questions. Eventually the insanity will control itself. Or not.

---

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[samenewme]

<-- newest addition to MCW's class of 2010.

Hello!

Hello, back atcha, and welcome!

 

[jbelzer82]

I have finally registered, its been 8 months since i new i was coming to MCW, but i guessb im a little behind to actually jump out there and say milwaukee here i come...but yes, see you all in AUGUST!

 

[Agent Splat]

I have finally registered, its been 8 months since i new i was coming to MCW, but i guessb im a little behind to actually jump out there and say milwaukee here i come...but yes, see you all in AUGUST!

congrats! get a jumpstart and come take my anatomy final for me. it's easy. just memorize plates 1-5000 in Netter.

 

[DoctorFunk]

congrats! get a jumpstart and come take my anatomy final for me. it's easy. just memorize plates 1-5000 in Netter.

That might be good enough for a pass, but to really excel he/she'll have to memorize all of the random clinical tidbits that go along with the structures.

Granted, those factoids were really all that was keeping me awake half of the time in lecture, but faced with regurgitating them all at once, I find them a lot less interesting

Regardless, as Joey Ramone once said ~Twenty, twenty, twenty four hours to goooooooo. I wanna be sedated~...or something.

 

[opmed]

I'll throw my name into the mix for the MCW class of 2010.

 

[Dr. Swan]

Hello jbelzer82 and opmed!

My question to everyone is: where do you live? Or where will you be living?

The surrounding suburbs on Google Maps include Washington Park, Wauwatosa, Elm Grove, West Allis, and West Milwaukee. Am I missing any immediate neighborhoods? Are there notable pros and cons for these communities? What do the utilities run for those already renting in Milwaukee? Does anyone own their housing?

Any other housing suggestions?

 

[Gimlet]

Hello jbelzer82 and opmed!

My question to everyone is: where do you live? Or where will you be living?

The surrounding suburbs on Google Maps include Washington Park, Wauwatosa, Elm Grove, West Allis, and West Milwaukee. Am I missing any immediate neighborhoods? Are there notable pros and cons for these communities? What do the utilities run for those already renting in Milwaukee? Does anyone own their housing?

Any other housing suggestions?

I live in 'Tosa, but people who go to school here live all over the place. Lots of people live right around school (within walking distance), and a fair number are in downtown Milwaukee (a fair drive in the morning, depending on traffic), and some people live out in the boonies. I'd say the majority live within a short drive in Wauwatosa or West Allis.

Pros and cons are fairly self evident once you see these neighborhoods. If you like to party and bar-hop, downtown is the place to be. 'Tosa and the other suburbs out here are pretty quiet, but it's nice not to deal with the hassles of city living, and there's plenty to do out here, too.

My utility bill last month (3 BDRM lower) was $192. And we keep our place chilly. I haven't heard about other people, but I'm sure it's less since most students live in 1 or 2 BDRMs.

Not sure how many people own. I'll be looking for houses come this spring.

Overall, you don't have to worry about this for a while. I started looking in late March last year, I think, and all the landlords who regularly rent to med students commented on how early I was. I was used to Madison where you have to start looking about 8 months before you want to rent if you want a nice apartment.

 

[opmed]

I'm currently living in 'Tosa, but I've lived downtown in the past. To find a place in the Tosa area for yourself that falls within the $550/month budgeted to students by the financial aid department, you would have to be pretty creative in your search. All of the apartment complexes that I know of in the area run more than that price, but you can rent out a room or rent out part of a house for right around $550/month. There's a fairly decent list of places like this on craigslist. Things, of course, become more affordable if you live with other people.
The areas around MCW (West Allis, Tosa, Elm Grove, West Milwaukee), for the most part, are pretty nice and you don't have to worrry too much about safety...with a few exceptions.
I've looked at condos and houses in Tosa and they are very expensive. The lowest priced piece of property that I've seen in Tosa ran about $170k.
I'm sure I'm leaving some stuff out, but I hope this helps.

 

[indo]

Why are housing prices so high? Do people commute to chicago or what?

When does the roommate list come out?

 

[pratik7]

Why are housing prices so high? Do people commute to chicago or what?

When does the roommate list come out?

I dont think people commute to chicago from tosa so i'm not sure why it is expensive. It is a pretty safe area, close to downtown and has good school.

The roommate list comes out around june 15th if i remember correctly.

 

[Jwax]

I'm sure this isn't thrilling to you all, but I thought I'd throw in that I am in the "Highly selective applicant pool" or whatever for MCW. As I have only had one interview invite so far, this is wonderful. I am unsure as to how filled up the class is though. Sounds like the MS-1s have a blast at this school, even though ya'll live in a freakin' ice box.

 

[Agent Splat]

I'm sure this isn't thrilling to you all, but I thought I'd throw in that I am in the "Highly selective applicant pool" or whatever for MCW. As I have only had one interview invite so far, this is wonderful. I am unsure as to how filled up the class is though. Sounds like the MS-1s have a blast at this school, even though ya'll live in a freakin' ice box.

Best wishes to you. No clue how full the class of 2010 is thus far.

As for our class..the M2s have been saying we seem more uptight than they were. Can't say that I am personally, but every class has a bit of that. For the most part, we do have a lot of fun.

To address the ice box comment, -10°F isn't really that cold. Once you go numb you feel fine. Try accidentally leaving your heat off over Thanksgiving then coming back to an apartment that's below 40...took hours to get back to "room temperature." Then, the heater broke and wouldn't turn OFF, so it got up to 85 in my apartment, which was miserable. Oh, the drama.

 

[indo]

It isn't that cold there. It was 35 (feels like 28) there today, according the www.weather.com

 

[opmed]

The really pleasant part of the Wisconsin winter usually falls in February...thank God it's the shortest month of the year. My favorite part about winter in Wisconsin, though, is right around the beginning of March when you finally think spring is right around the corner, only to get about 6 inches of snow on your doorstep the next day.

 

[Agent Splat]

The really pleasant part of the Wisconsin winter usually falls in February...thank God it's the shortest month of the year. My favorite part about winter in Wisconsin, though, is right around the beginning of March when you finally think spring is right around the corner, only to get about 6 inches of snow on your doorstep the next day.

I remember when it snowed in May once ...probably around 15 or so years ago. Killed all the flowers my parents had just planted for the summer season.

 

[Franimal]

Hey Guys!!! I am coming out there in August from CA... Woohoo!!!! Just wanted to say Hello!!! I got my acceptance a few days before X-mas. Pretty stoked about it. I also got accepted to Temple but declined the offer because I thought MCW offered a better experience. What do you guys no about the Residency matching at MCW... is it good like the admissions people say it is? Anybody seen a list of what specialties last years students entered?

 

[Dr. Swan]

Congratulations Franimal! I bet it made for an excellent Christmas

I am curious how full our class is -- did they mention anything at your interviews?

 

[Franimal]

I was on a snowboarding trip with friends when I called my dad and had him open the letter. Let me tell ya, we did some celebrating that night. It was my first acceptance.
The admissions director said that he anticipated the class to be at 95% capacity after my group of interviewers. Most people after that would be waitlisted. But I think people may hold there spots at MCW while they wait for other schools. So they aren't truely commited to being part of MCW class of 2010!! I have one school that I am kinda still hoping for but I really don't think I will get in. My friend already had an interview and got waitl isted, so I am pretty sure I am out.

 

[dsherida]

Hey guys,
I thought I would throw my hat in the pool to go into a huge amount of debt over the next four year. I am not a big computer guy, but do you think it would be smart to get a laptop or is that really not essential for med school. If so, any suggestions...I probably wouldn't use it for crazy computer technical stuff so I would like to save as much $$$ as I can. Congrats to everyone and look forward to August!

 

[samenewme]

Hey guys,
I thought I would throw my hat in the pool to go into a huge amount of debt over the next four year. I am not a big computer guy, but do you think it would be smart to get a laptop or is that really not essential for med school. If so, any suggestions...I probably wouldn't use it for crazy computer technical stuff so I would like to save as much $$$ as I can. Congrats to everyone and look forward to August!

I'm right up there with the big, fat loans. I'm not planning to buy a laptop. I have a decent desktop at home and there are computer labs on campus, so I'm not going to blow money on a laptop unless it turns out I need one. I do plan to get a printer with a lower per-page printing cost, though. Not at all because I hate my slow crappy printer but solely because I'm sure I'll print so many notes in med school that the new, shiny, faster, cooler, multifunction scanning fax printer will pay for itself in short order. Really.

Welcome to the madhouse!

 

[pratik7]

The admissions director said that he anticipated the class to be at 95% capacity after my group of interviewers. Most people after that would be waitlisted. But I think people may hold there spots at MCW while they wait for other schools. So they aren't truely commited to being part of MCW class of 2010!!

While it is true that there are many people who are holding spaces here that may not want to go here, the school accounts for that and oversells the number of seats. So even though there is about 200 people in each class, the may give out around 400 offers (not including waitlist people) to which you say 95% are full. So there are about 20 seats left.

 

[pratik7]

Hey guys,
I thought I would throw my hat in the pool to go into a huge amount of debt over the next four year. I am not a big computer guy, but do you think it would be smart to get a laptop or is that really not essential for med school. If so, any suggestions...I probably wouldn't use it for crazy computer technical stuff so I would like to save as much $$$ as I can. Congrats to everyone and look forward to August!

Save your money. The only place my laptop has been is to the bathroom when i have to poop

 

[pratik7]

Hey Guys!!! I am coming out there in August from CA... Woohoo!!!! Just wanted to say Hello!!! I got my acceptance a few days before X-mas. Pretty stoked about it. I also got accepted to Temple but declined the offer because I thought MCW offered a better experience. What do you guys no about the Residency matching at MCW... is it good like the admissions people say it is? Anybody seen a list of what specialties last years students entered?

We usually do slightly better than average on the boards. One of our neuro prof showed us the breakdown from this year class and i must say i was impressed. Our average in Pharm was about a half standard dev above the national avg. We were only below avg in behavioral science and biostats i think.

Just remember there is a lot of self selection in matching. Just cause everyone wants to do internal medicine doesnt mean they cant do surgery or derm.

 

[Agent Splat]

Save your money. The only place my laptop has been is to the bathroom when i have to poop

that explains a lot.


but i second that, there's no need for a laptop/notebook unless you want one. I really don't see any benefit to it either, besides having wireless access in some of the study/conference rooms (which would be a major distraction anyway).

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

Hey Guys!!! I am coming out there in August from CA... Woohoo!!!! Just wanted to say Hello!!! I got my acceptance a few days before X-mas. Pretty stoked about it. I also got accepted to Temple but declined the offer because I thought MCW offered a better experience. What do you guys no about the Residency matching at MCW... is it good like the admissions people say it is? Anybody seen a list of what specialties last years students entered?

Echo what Pratik said about boards, though I've never seen any raw numbers (which neuro dude showed you that stuff?), I do know that a few years ago we had a 100% of the class pass and I only heard of a few people in my class that didn't pass Step 1. I recently took Step 2 (very clinically oriented--ie, "which of the following is the best next step/treatment/etc") and felt very well-prepared based on my clinical education.

As for residency (since that's what you actually asked about), people match each year in competitive programs and competitive specialites. I've been at interviews with people from Columbia, Northwestern, UTSW, Penn, UMich, etc and felt as though I compared very well. I think I have a copy of last year's match list floating around somewhere. PM me if you want it and I'll see if I can dig it up.

 

[samenewme]

Save your money. The only place my laptop has been is to the bathroom when i have to poop

Note to self: do not try to save money by buying Pratik's used laptop.

 

[Agent Splat]

Note to self: do not try to save money by buying Pratik's used laptop.

More importantly, just avoid Pratik in general.

 

[indo]

Since I'll pretty much be runnin' thangs over at MCW come August, I'm going to install a fire poll in the lobby so that you don't have to wait for an elevator or use the stairs.

 

[DoctorFunk]

Since I'll pretty much be runnin' thangs over at MCW come August, I'm going to install a fire poll in the lobby so that you don't have to wait for an elevator or use the stairs.

If I were single, I would probably advocate for the construction of a different sort of pole in the lobby--one utilized in a very different, but no less important profession than firefighting.

Lucky for the ladies in the class, as well as my grades, I'm a married man.

 

[samenewme]

Since I'll pretty much be runnin' thangs over at MCW come August, I'm going to install a fire poll in the lobby so that you don't have to wait for an elevator or use the stairs.

Everyone told me on the interview day how the school just bends over backwards to make you feel welcome, and this is just one more example. Gee, I guess I'll have to give up wearing skirts.

 

[indo]

Everyone told me on the interview day how the school just bends over backwards to make you feel welcome, and this is just one more example. Gee, I guess I'll have to give up wearing skirts.

A well fashioned hoop skirt can slow your decent so as to prevent potential ankle and plantar injuries.

 

[pratik7]

More importantly, just avoid Pratik in general.

If you were to avoid anyone...i would avoid Splat....he is a safety risk...he ran his car into a light pole

But I must caution all on using the internet while excreting waste...after 2 hours, your legs will go numb and you will have a ring around your bottom that hurts/burns from the toliet seat.

Hawkeye..it was Dr. Neitz ( neuro course dir) who showed us the breakdown of the board stuff

 

[pratik7]

Echo what Pratik said about boards, though I've never seen any raw numbers (which neuro dude showed you that stuff?), I do know that a few years ago we had a 100% of the class pass and I only heard of a few people in my class that didn't pass Step 1. I recently took Step 2 (very clinically oriented--ie, "which of the following is the best next step/treatment/etc") and felt very well-prepared based on my clinical education

Congrats on the great interviews. What are you doing your residency in?

From your observation, do board scores tend to follow with class rank?

 

[dsherida]

So MCW students seemed to have some time outside of studying and class when I interviewed. How would you say your typical day is class and study wise? I know I am not going to have much time at all outside of school, but was just curious how you guys set up your days. Thanks!

 

[DoctorFunk]

I know I am not going to have much time at all outside of school, but was just curious how you guys set up your days. Thanks!

First semester was a bit difficult because we had many hours of lecture each day. You start out with Biochem everyday at 8:20, and then usually go until around 4 PM after Anatomy lab. I usually tried to put 3-4 hours of additional studying in after class every day, so I probably had around 2 hours to spend eating supper and chatting with my wife. These study hours were extended during test blocks of course, starting about a week before the first exam.

This semester seems to be much leaner in the class hours, as the first two weeks we have had around 3 days/week where we are done by noon and other days we are done by 3 PM. I usually end up spending about 5-7 hours/day in the library on those early days, which leaves me more time in the evening for non-school activities. Not sure how this will all pan out as we approach the first set of exams, but so far the extra time out of class has been great!

This being said, throw all of these estimates out the window if A). You are the kind of person that can teach yourself without going to class or B). You don't care whether you get an Honors or Pass in a class. If this is the case, you should be able to have some more free time.

 

[pratik7]

So MCW students seemed to have some time outside of studying and class when I interviewed. How would you say your typical day is class and study wise? I know I am not going to have much time at all outside of school, but was just curious how you guys set up your days. Thanks!

I know its not the answer you are looking for...but it depends.

For example i usually study only on day we get out early ( before 2pm). But i make up for it on the weekend where i will study 9 hours sat and sun. I refuse to study past 7pm and get lots of sleep(8-9 hours). A lot of other people study consistantly during the week 3 or 4 hours a day and dont study much during the weekend. They usually get 5-6 hours of sleep.

Just my observation...its prob not worth the space it takes up on the SDN server

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

Hawkeye..it was Dr. Neitz ( neuro course dir) who showed us the breakdown of the board stuff

I assume that's Mr. Dr. Neitz. He's awesome (he wasn't in charge my M1 year). Did y'all know he was cited on CSI (or one of those shows).

 

[samenewme]

A well fashioned hoop skirt can slow your decent so as to prevent potential ankle and plantar injuries.

No, thanks, I've worn hoop skirts. I couldn't possibly wrap my legs around the pole. Though I suppose I could just jump WITHOUT the pole.

 

[Agent Splat]

FYI....the wireless network in the lecture hall works great. we're in cell and tissue biology right now. needless to say, i'm not paying attention.

 

[Marianne11]

Just wanted to say hi. I'll be in the 2010 class.

 

[Franimal]

Just wanted to say hi. I'll be in the 2010 class.

Welcome Marianne11.. Congratulations. I think I saw a post by you saying you had already been an M1? Are you transferring to MCW? Anyhow, I'm glad to hear from another member of the 2010 class.

 

[Marianne11]

Yes, I was an M1 at MCW, but had to take a leave of absence so I never started my M1 year. But I'll be back to start in August.

 

[akpete]

Hey everyone. I haven't been on SDN for some time now (mostly due to laziness, not from being too busy). Congrats to everyone accepted. You'll love it here.

I am one of those non-class goers. I found that after completely zoning out in every lecture and then having to go everything again, I needed to come up with another plan. Plus I talk to much and disturb everyone around me. So when they say that it "depends" for how much time you have, it's absolutely true.

Don't have much else to say right now. Just saying hi and congratulations.

 

[Messerschmitts]

Hey guys, I'm currently deciding whether to attend an interview invite at MCW; since I've already gotten into somewhere else and since the interview is only for a spot on the alternate list, it's a bit of a difficult decision to buy the plane ticket and go through the effort of interviewing.

I have a question about tuition: the websites state it as ~33,000, which is pretty low for a private school. Combined with low required fees, it would technically be cheaper for me to attend MCW than Cincinnati, which is a public school which gives in-state tuition after the first year. However, on the MCW website I see this thing about a $5000 "Wisconsin-resident capitation". Does this mean that the OOS tuition at MCW is actually 33,000+5,000 = ~38,000, or does it mean in-state tuition is 33,000-5,000 = ~28,000? Also, are OOSers eligible for applying for in-state tuition after the first year then?

 

[opmed]

Hey guys, I'm currently deciding whether to attend an interview invite at MCW; since I've already gotten into somewhere else and since the interview is only for a spot on the alternate list, it's a bit of a difficult decision to buy the plane ticket and go through the effort of interviewing.

I have a question about tuition: the websites state it as ~33,000, which is pretty low for a private school. Combined with low required fees, it would technically be cheaper for me to attend MCW than Cincinnati, which is a public school which gives in-state tuition after the first year. However, on the MCW website I see this thing about a $5000 "Wisconsin-resident capitation". Does this mean that the OOS tuition at MCW is actually 33,000+5,000 = ~38,000, or does it mean in-state tuition is 33,000-5,000 = ~28,000? Also, are OOSers eligible for applying for in-state tuition after the first year then?

The Wisconsin resident capitation means Wisonsin residents get a $5,000 break from the $33,000...used to be $10,000...grrr. I don't believe that OOS people can get the tuition break after a year. I may be wrong about that, though.

 

[Code Brown]

Free time at med school? It depends on you. I know people who study like crazy (10 hours a day) and barely get by, and then there are others who are lucky to get in 1-2 hours a day, who party every weekend and who still get good grades. It all depends on your learning style and how efficient you are at studying. And for those of you with significant others, believe it or not, this is a benefit when it comes to studying. You will be more grounded and have fewer distractions.

As for the living situation, it all depends on what you want to experience. If you want a chill 4 years, live in Tosa. If you need to go out on the weekends, you're probably better off downtown. There is just so much more to do out there.

Oh yeah, if you plan to look around Tosa, don't get discouraged by the lack of available housing displayed on the internet (apartment for rent, etc.). The vast majority of the units are duplexes or small 4-6 unit buildings that don't advertise outside of the signs on the lawns.

 

[samenewme]

The Wisconsin resident capitation means Wisonsin residents get a $5,000 break from the $33,000...used to be $10,000...grrr. I don't believe that OOS people can get the tuition break after a year. I may be wrong about that, though.

You're right, you can NOT get the break after one year. The regs require you to live in Wisconsin for some period of time (I think at least a year) for some purpose OTHER than going to school. Which means you have to be, like, not in school.

 

[Franimal]

As for the living situation, it all depends on what you want to experience. If you want a chill 4 years, live in Tosa. If you need to go out on the weekends, you're probably better off downtown. There is just so much more to do out there.

Oh yeah, if you plan to look around Tosa, don't get discouraged by the lack of available housing displayed on the internet (apartment for rent, etc.). The vast majority of the units are duplexes or small 4-6 unit buildings that don't advertise outside of the signs on the lawns.

If you don't mind, the living situation is like the one thing I am anxious about right now. I live in Cali so I am unfamiliar with the geography layout over there. How far is Tosa from down town? I stayed with this guy Kevin in West Allis when I came out there, it seemed pretty layed back. How far is that from down town? And how do the two compare in price and location to school? Anywhere else you would suggest looking when the time comes?

 

[akpete]

If you don't mind, the living situation is like the one thing I am anxious about right now. I live in Cali so I am unfamiliar with the geography layout over there. How far is Tosa from down town? I stayed with this guy Kevin in West Allis when I came out there, it seemed pretty layed back. How far is that from down town? And how do the two compare in price and location to school? Anywhere else you would suggest looking when the time comes?

Hey, Kevin's a great guy. Hope you had a good time staying here.

Anyway, I thought I'd try to help. Tosa is around 15-25 minutes from downtown, depending on where you live in Tosa and what time of day. I live in Normandy Village, which is actually on the border of Tosa and Brookefield, so it's a little farther from downtown than other places. A bunch of people live in a place called the Reserve, and that's basically on the other side of Tosa, so from there, downtown is quick. These two places are on apartments.com, if you want to look. I pay a bit more because #1: I wanted to live by myself, #2: I have a dog, and #3: I was on the waitlist until July, so I had to find a place quick. I pay $750 for a 1-bedroom (I'm poor, so I get a little help from my Dad on the rent - not much though. The budget is a little out-dated in my opinion, and I made sure I filled out the survey!), and I know the Reserve is more expensive, but I lot of people I know that live there have roommates, so it's not as bad.

Code brown is right on the money when he says that most housing is privately owned and advertises basically on the front lawn. I looked at a couple, but since it was mid-July, prices were a little high, with not much selection. Your best bet? Come out here in like May or June and drive around, looking at the neighborhoods around school if you want to live in Tosa.

Downtown is typically more expensive than Tosa, and West Allis is typically a little cheaper from what I hear. The East Side can be comparable to Tosa or sometimes more expensive I think (Others can probably help more on this than me). University of WI-Milwaukee is on the East Side, so there's a bunch going on there too. One thing to keep in mind is that the Marquette Interchange Construction may screw up commuting.

Well, I hope that helped somewhat.