*\*\*\* Official COMP Class of 2009 */*/*/*

[truth99]

Sup COMPers!

I finally received the ISAC stuff via EMAIL in my WesternU mail account. So check your email doods!

It seems we have quite a few San Diegans going to COMP like SurfingDO and myself. So to all you from the 619, 858 and 760...make yourselves known!

What up SD people I am from La Jolla and I also plan to do the ISAC program, look forward to seeing all you guys in the fall.

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[Negasourus]

Hey SD people, Im living in Carmel Valley right now and went to ucSD, but i will def NOT be doing ISAC, however Im sure I will be jealous of you guys come first semester!

 

[ncremer]

I was wondering what every one was doing for medical insurance? Has anyone found anything cheaper than the school, I know I have not had much luck with finding anything? Or do most people just go with COMP's medical plan?

 

[DoctorS]

Does anyone know the deal with the gym? i know they dont have any on campus but i think they give you credit if you get a membership at 24 Hour Fitness or Bally's???

 

[donvicious]

They changed the gym policy a bit for the Class of 2008. It may be a little different for you guys. For us, 24 hour fitness was not really an option. The local Y is free (but a little on the grungy side) and a one year Bally's membership is $50. These were both subsidized by the school. If we wanted to get a membership for another gym. They would give us a $100 credit towards our student accounts if we showed proof of such membership.

 

[donvicious]

I was wondering what every one was doing for medical insurance? Has anyone found anything cheaper than the school, I know I have not had much luck with finding anything? Or do most people just go with COMP's medical plan?

You could get insurance through SOMA which has a comparable plan to the school. But I think you have to join SOMA (Student Osteopathic Medical Association) first.

I just got the basic school plan. It's fine but read the fine print. Some conditions (like ADHD) only have a 50% benefit.

 

[hotlikebutter]

hey guys and gals.

i need a to find a place to live. if you got a room for rent please message me the info. i will be doing ISAC so early june or late may move in would be great.

i would use the ban web, but it doesnt seem much better.

cant wait to meet you all

 

[DoctorS]

I was able to log onto banweb and fill out a roommate request form successfully. I then talked to ann koch who approved the request but as of now that is all you can do. She told me that the lady who handles the website is on vacation until next week so you wont be able to look at other students profiles and contact them for a roommate. For now, i would suggest that if you are looking for a roommate, go and fill out a request form.

 

[DrCara]

I just wanted to stop by and say hi to my future classmates! I'm heading to Pomona in August from Colorado (via Wyoming), and I'm still in a state of shock over my acceptance (that could be because I spent a week and a half preparing for the "thank you for your interest, unfortunately..." letter. )

I'll be living in eastern San Bernadio county, and will be using MetroLink as much as possible. Can anyone give me any feedback as to their experiences with SB County public transportation? I just don't feel like driving a whole lot if I can avoid it.

 

[melancholy]

Hi DrCara,
I just started using Metrolink to commute from the downtown Pomona station to downtown LA for my rotation and it is actually very convenient and pretty clean as well. (Although I have to get used to being on a "schedule" and not having the convenience of a car to drive wherever whenever I want.)

Debbie Harvey in Student Affairs at our school can order student-discounted Metrolink tickets which are a nice deal. The only things to consider are making sure the hours are convenient enough for you if you want to stay at school longer to study on some nights, etc. Where are you going to commute from?

 

[DrCara]

Hi DrCara,
I just started using Metrolink to commute from the downtown Pomona station to downtown LA for my rotation and it is actually very convenient and pretty clean as well. (Although I have to get used to being on a "schedule" and not having the convenience of a car to drive wherever whenever I want.)

Debbie Harvey in Student Affairs at our school can order student-discounted Metrolink tickets which are a nice deal. The only things to consider are making sure the hours are convenient enough for you if you want to stay at school longer to study on some nights, etc. Where are you going to commute from?

melancholy,

I was looking at the MetroLink website earlier, and the closest station to where I'll be staying is Riverside - I know it's a longer than average commute, but I've had longer. Right now, with gas prices as they are and the age of my truck, I think I'll have to adapt to the train schedules. Also, it's really nice that the station is about four blocks from the school.

 

[SquidDoc]

Welcome and congrats MS1s!!!
I am in the DO 2008 class, and just want to drop by and find out if anyone needed a place to live pretty soon...I am scoping out places, and if I do not find something soon, I will have to delay moving until July. For those of you that do not know, you can get all over "Banweb" on the westernu homepage and browse current available rentals and roommate possibilities.

PM me if interested!

 

[hknbuy]

Hi All,

I'm new to this website, and haven't really ever posted on line (I know, I've been living in the dark ages); so, please be patient with the newbie (that would be me).

Okay, I got my acceptance, but I'm crazy-nervous (so much so that it is sucking the joy out of actually being accepted to medical school) about the cost of living down there - especially when COMP's published estimated cost of education seems to be filled with a lot of gaps. Namely, their estimates for room and board are pathetically low when compared to the published rates in the rent book. How does it work?

Also, does anyone have a really good feel (beyond the party-line given us on the interview day) for how 'case-based' the new curriculum really is? I've spent a lot of time in class rooms, and have figured out that I learn better by doing than listening to someone lecture me about it (snore).

I'd appreciate any feedback,

Sara D.

 

[melancholy]

Hey,
sorry it took so long to respond. The commute from Riverside should be pretty unstressful because there won't be many people getting on the train from that point at all and it will be nice and quiet all the way in. I will have to say that I have a hard time trying to sleep on the Metrolink because I can't find a comfy position (even with one of those airplane travel inflatable pillows), but I'm sure you can find something else to do like read or something. There are proposals to raise the student rates, but so far they are locked and hopefully they will stay like that for awhile. Your tickets may come out to be about $30-40 for five round trips (one week's worth) because there are a few "zones" you have to cross between Riverside and Downtown Pomona.

The station is a pretty quiet and uneventful walk to school.. literally in our backyard adjacent to some of our parking lots.

melancholy,

I was looking at the MetroLink website earlier, and the closest station to where I'll be staying is Riverside - I know it's a longer than average commute, but I've had longer. Right now, with gas prices as they are and the age of my truck, I think I'll have to adapt to the train schedules. Also, it's really nice that the station is about four blocks from the school.

 

[larushct]

Hey all -- wanted to drop a note and introdcue myself. I'llbe joining you all this August -- coming out to COMP all the way from NYC. My family is in Santa Monica, but I'll be looking for a place in Pasadena area -- is that an unreasonable commute?

I'm **very** used to a horrific commute, having working in NYC for a while.

Also, I'm an older student -- any other 30+ out there?

 

[tkim]

Hey all -- wanted to drop a note and introdcue myself. I'llbe joining you all this August -- coming out to COMP all the way from NYC. My family is in Santa Monica, but I'll be looking for a place in Pasadena area -- is that an unreasonable commute?

I'm **very** used to a horrific commute, having working in NYC for a while.

Also, I'm an older student -- any other 30+ out there?

Classmate of mine lives in Old Town, and the commute for him is ~45 min. so it's not so bad. I came from Boston, so a 45-60 min commute seems like nothing.

 

[DrCara]

Hey all -- wanted to drop a note and introdcue myself. I'llbe joining you all this August -- coming out to COMP all the way from NYC. My family is in Santa Monica, but I'll be looking for a place in Pasadena area -- is that an unreasonable commute?

I'm **very** used to a horrific commute, having working in NYC for a while.

Also, I'm an older student -- any other 30+ out there?

Hiya larushct!

Join the 30+ crowd - I'll be 33 when we start this fall.

I'm not sure how far Pasadena is from Pomona - if I remember correctly (and someone please point out if I am wrong) Pasadena is west of Pomona, so since you'd be driving away from the LA area, the commute shouldn't be too bad.(again, don't quote me on that! )

 

[larushct]

I'm the ripe ol' age of 38. Looking forward to meeting everyone soon!

 

[Doctor G]

Hey all -- wanted to drop a note and introdcue myself. I'llbe joining you all this August -- coming out to COMP all the way from NYC. My family is in Santa Monica, but I'll be looking for a place in Pasadena area -- is that an unreasonable commute?

I'm **very** used to a horrific commute, having working in NYC for a while.

Also, I'm an older student -- any other 30+ out there?

Hey larushct~ I am going to be a commuter too. I live ~15 min east of Pasadena. I will take me ~30 min to get to COMP from my house. So, it'll be about 45 min for you to get to COMP from Pasadena. You'll be taking 210 east, then 57 south, then 10 east to get to COMP. Why don't you find somewhere closer to the campus? Is it because you found cheaper living cost there? Or, is it closer to family and friends?

 

[Doctor G]

Hello my fellow COMP classmates! I just sent in my 1k deposit in last Sunday. (Waited for a month or so to do that). I look forward to meet everyone this fall~ Go c/o 2009!

p.s. I thought I was considered relatively old to start medical school, since I just finished my master's study in chemistry. I will be 24 starting med school this fall. It's all good!

 

[larushct]

I haven't found any place yet -- everything I've seen online so far wants a tenant to move in sometime in May/ June. I won't be enrolled in the summer programs, as I still work full time, and need to get my life on the East coast squared away (pack, rent out my house, which I own, and probably the same gazillion other things everyone else has to do). I don't plan to move in until mid/end of July.

I do have family there, though -- in Santa Monica. So I am looking in Pasadena, because that's about halfway between family and school. I don't mind the drive .. but you're right - something closer would be better. I'll be heading out to LA for Memorial day weekend, and will be checking out the areas then. My biggest concern with finding a place is I have a dog - that seems like a deal-breaker for a lot of apartment complexes.

Anyone else out there planning to move in July? (Seems like so many are enrolling in the summer programs and are moving sooner.)

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Hey if anybody here hasn't joined the Yahoo group, just wanted to let you guys know we're getting together tomorrow night in La Verne at 7:00pm . If you want to join us, shoot me a PM for more details.

 

[taylor92107]

Hello everyone, I'm finally getting around to posting! I'll be joining you guys in August. It seems llke there's a lot of people from the San Diego area. I'm actually from Pomona (lived there for 23 years till I moved to SD) so I'm psyched to be going to school about 1/2 a mile from my mom's house (free food!!). I look forward to meeting you all. And congrats to everyone.

 

[melancholy]

Whoops.. forgot to join the yahoo group. Approve my membership already!

 

[DrCara]

Bah! If I could figure out how to join the yahoo group without getting a yahoo account, I'd have signed up!

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Bah! If I could figure out how to join the yahoo group without getting a yahoo account, I'd have signed up!

It really only takes a few min to set up an account and it's free... just use your primary email when it asks and you'll get updates (messages) on that email; so technically, you won't even have to sign into the yahoo account again after it is set up unless you want to go to older messages or polls.

 

[larushct]

Terrific -- just added it to my Yahoo groups - so, now awaiting approval!

Incidentally, sorry I can't meet you all in La Verne tonight. I actually am heading out to CA tomorrow morning (from NYC) for the weekend. I'll be visiting the campus on Saturday to have another look around, show it off to family, etc.

How is everyone coming along with the tons of forms to fill out? I've plowed through most of the financial aid "6 steps" and made all my appointments for various docs I need to see: physical, Hep B series, dentist, etc. Woo hoo.

 

[ncremer]

It is nice to see everyone is still chatting on both Yahoo and sdn. If anyone is still in the search for places to live, Mercedes and I spent one long fun filled day looking at a ton of places from La Verne, Chino Hills, Chino, Pomona, Claremont, etc. We found a really nice place in Chino Hills Called Oak Village, about 20 min from school. They have a ton of availability, and they actually come with a fridge and washer and dryer in the apartment (a rare thing to find down there I found). They were pretty reasonably priced. THought I would just mention it in case anyone was looking for an idea.

 

[Mkitties]

Hey everyone,
I just found out that I got into Western a few days ago. It's exciting b/c it was my first interview and obviously my first acceptance. I'm kind of freaking out b/c I'm not sure if I want to do the summer programs and when they even start. I doubt I can get everything together in the next few weeks...I haven't even filed my Fafsa I'm also worried about finding a roommate.

 

[Doctor G]

Congratulations Mkitties on your acceptance! Are you the one who got that really late interview (the one in May)? I think it's too late to file for FAFSA, since the last day to submit was like March 1st of every year. You should contact the financial aid office asap to let them advise you on what to do. As far as roommate is concerned, where do you wanna live? If you wanna live really close to campus, the on-campus apartment Helix is accepting applications right now. Just go to their website and check it out. Unfortunately, the apartment won't be ready to move in until december. If you have some other places in mind, you can start by posting on here. Good luck!

 

[TheFish005]

You're not too late on FAFSA. you've missed the 'priority registration' dates, but i think most of us did. just get it done asap and you should be fine. i think i did mine last year in may and i had no problems. congrats and see ya in august.

 

[Doctor G]

You're not too late on FAFSA. you've missed the 'priority registration' dates, but i think most of us did. just get it done asap and you should be fine. i think i did mine last year in may and i had no problems. congrats and see ya in august.

Oops! My bad. What's the benefit of priority registration of FAFSA anyways?

 

[Mkitties]

Congratulations Mkitties on your acceptance! Are you the one who got that really late interview (the one in May)? I think it's too late to file for FAFSA, since the last day to submit was like March 1st of every year. You should contact the financial aid office asap to let them advise you on what to do. As far as roommate is concerned, where do you wanna live? If you wanna live really close to campus, the on-campus apartment Helix is accepting applications right now. Just go to their website and check it out. Unfortunately, the apartment won't be ready to move in until december. If you have some other places in mind, you can start by posting on here. Good luck!

Like the other poster said, I think the deadline is June 30, 2005 but I still need to speed it up. Do you guys think I should hand deliver my deposit to save a few days? And do we get an info packet as soon as we send in our deposit? And its too late to do ISAC or SMSPP, right?? The booklet they gave us during the interview says they start in June, but when in June? Sorry guys for all the questions.

Also, I'm looking for a roommate, preferably a female who likes to go out. I'm going to go look for apts probably on Wednesday but from all the previous posts, I'm thinking claremont sounds good. I guess I missed the gathering you guys had a few days ago I would have really liked to meet you guys.

 

[taylor92107]

Is everyone getting a laptop?

 

[LeemerDO]

Laptops at Medical School is a part of the culture. Get one. Your life will be much easier and classes will go by much faster.

 

[Doctor G]

I checked the WesternU COMP website and found that the first day of classes is on August 8th. Wow, that's early. I always thought we start near the end of August or something. Is everyone ready to start? I'm excited yet wanted longer summer break.

 

[Mkitties]

Does anyone know if there is a dress code at Western for lectures and labs?
Thanks in advance.

 

[walkingcliche]

hello fellow COMP students! I received my acceptance just last friday. I think i may have actually had the last interview day. strange to think classes start in just about 8 weeks. I better get on that FAFSA

I'll be commuting from the Pasadena area and I'm hoping it wont be too bad against traffic.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Doctor G, orientation starts Aug 1 and classes start Aug 8...

MKitties, there is no dress code for lectures and I imagine labs require closed toe shoes and probably a coat for Anatomy

 

[instrumental]

Doctor G, orientation starts Aug 1 and classes start Aug 8...

MKitties, there is no dress code for lectures and I imagine labs require closed toe shoes and probably a coat for Anatomy

I'm pretty sure its too late to enroll for ISAC, especially since classes start tomorrow (Thursday). SMSPP won't start until June 20. You'll have to contact Dave Hacker to see if its too late to enroll. Both programs are really good, I think. I did ISAC, and it was great.

No official dress code for class, but of course they strongly encourage you to dress appropriately. The administration doesn't like to see miniskirts or shirts showing stomach, etc. You know all this by now. For OMM, you gotta wear shorts and T shirts. For girls, they ask that you wear sports bras too cuz you gotta show as much skin as possible for palpation. Guys have to take off their shirts. For anatomy, pretty much its up to you. But remember, whatever you wear will smell like embalming fluids, so I suggest scrubs or old clothes you don't mind throwing away later on. The school provides lab coats.

Hope that helped. Enjoy the remaining summer, and see you all in the fall!

 

[OnMyWayThere]

I'm pretty sure its too late to enroll for ISAC, especially since classes start tomorrow (Thursday). SMSPP won't start until June 20. You'll have to contact Dave Hacker to see if its too late to enroll. Both programs are really good, I think. I did ISAC, and it was great.

No official dress code for class, but of course they strongly encourage you to dress appropriately. The administration doesn't like to see miniskirts or shirts showing stomach, etc. You know all this by now. For OMM, you gotta wear shorts and T shirts. For girls, they ask that you wear sports bras too cuz you gotta show as much skin as possible for palpation. Guys have to take off their shirts. For anatomy, pretty much its up to you. But remember, whatever you wear will smell like embalming fluids, so I suggest scrubs or old clothes you don't mind throwing away later on. The school provides lab coats.

Hope that helped. Enjoy the remaining summer, and see you all in the fall!

You guys mentioned on the c/o 2008 thread that the new curriculum has Anatomy taught in a block... so, what would be the benefit of taking ISAC?

 

[instrumental]

You guys mentioned on the c/o 2008 thread that the new curriculum has Anatomy taught in a block... so, what would be the benefit of taking ISAC?

Good question. I havn't seen that new curriculum set in stone, but yes, that is one of the new proposed changes. If it turns out to be this way, then its true that ISAC students won't have the big advantage that we had this year because we didn't have to take anatomy and were able to focus on other classes. Besides this, the other advantage of ISAC is that it is taught in a small group (~30 students) with better individual attention by faculty and facilitators (who will be great this summer). The atmosphere, I think, is a lot more supportive and condusive to learning than that during the fall.

Also, ISAC students will most likely learn the material better than others because they will get it multiple times, once during the summer, then again during the fall when they TA the course. In addition, many ISAC students become anatomy tutors for the LEAD office during the fall which further reinforces the information (and get paid pretty well). This is a big plus beacuse a solid understanding of anatomy is critical for many other courses, like OMM, as well as being a physician in general. Teaching experiences will also come in very handy later on if you want to be an OMM TA or OMM Fellow.

So although the biggest advantage isn't there for ISAC students, there are many other benefits that make ISAC worthwhile.

 

[Doctor G]

Doctor G, orientation starts Aug 1 and classes start Aug 8...

MKitties, there is no dress code for lectures and I imagine labs require closed toe shoes and probably a coat for Anatomy

It says on the Western U website that the first event of the fall term is the President's Ice Cream Social which is on the 4th of August, and the White Coat Ceremony is on the 6th. It didn't say anything about the orientation. How come I didn't receive any information on it yet? Does the orientation only last for a day?

 

[TheFish005]

Our orientation was 2 1/2 days and was a complete waste of time. It's supposedly required. The only worthwhile things that happen during orientation is that you get your pic taken for your student ID (which you will need to wear to enter the buildings), you get your parking tag, and you get to talk to a few of us second years about what it's really like in med school. For us, it was wed, thurs, and fri before the white coat ceremony. you should be getting something inthe mail about it relatively soon. i can't remember exactly when it came to me last year, but i do remember it seemed rather late (so maybe later this month or even first week of july). oh yeah, you get to listen to about 12 different people tell you how gifted/talented/cool you are for being accepted to medical school, and how they expect big things from you, yada yada yada. yay? hope this helps,

 

[Doctor G]

It looks like Western U is on semester system. So when did summer vacation begin for you guys this year? For MSI, do we still need to be studying during big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the summer vacation? I would like to know because I want to plan ahead, thank you!

 

[TheFish005]

It looks like Western U is on semester system. So when did summer vacation begin for you guys this year? For MSI, do we still need to be studying during big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the summer vacation? I would like to know because I want to plan ahead, thank you!

Our last day of classes for MSI was may 19. They've changed the curriculum for you guys next year, but we had an anatamy exam the monday after thanksgiving break, so we were studying the entire time. Christmas is between semesters, so you don't have any new material to be learning yet, but you always have the option to go back over stuff you've already learned, but you won't want to after finishing your first semester (i didnt pick up a single book during xmas break). summer... hmmm, i haven't yet, but i did bring home a few books to look at... we'll see. I'm sure others are studying and yet others are not even thinking about it. It really depends on your learning style, and how well you retain the material you've already learned. You'll figure it all out as you go.

 

[Doctor G]

I have a question about labtops. My sister is gonna sell me her Dell Inspiron 1100. The display is 14.1''. On the Western U "Notebook Specification" sheet, it says that we need at least 15'' LCD. Does it really matter?

 

[TheFish005]

The truth of it is, that you don't really even need one for school. I love having it, because it blows the doors off my old computer, and there is tons of stuff you'll want to download like powerpoints and hand-outs, etc. The 'requirements' on the website are dumb; there's absolutely no reason you need a 3.5" floppy drive, and there's no reason why you would need a specific screen size. I almost never take mine to class anymore because it's more of a distraction for me. when i have it at school, i'm on AIM, i'm checking my email, reading the news, and other non-productive things like that. I guess my point is, get a computer you'll be happy with, that has the features YOU want and don't worry about the school's 'requirements'.

 

[Doctor G]

The truth of it is, that you don't really even need one for school. I love having it, because it blows the doors off my old computer, and there is tons of stuff you'll want to download like powerpoints and hand-outs, etc. The 'requirements' on the website are dumb; there's absolutely no reason you need a 3.5" floppy drive, and there's no reason why you would need a specific screen size. I almost never take mine to class anymore because it's more of a distraction for me. when i have it at school, i'm on AIM, i'm checking my email, reading the news, and other non-productive things like that. I guess my point is, get a computer you'll be happy with, that has the features YOU want and don't worry about the school's 'requirements'.

Thanks for the reply TheFish005, you are always attending to my questions. I kind of figured already that the screen size doesn't even matter at all, but I just wanna ask anyways 'cause you guys who went through at least the first year would know the heads ups.

 

[snuffles04]

Does anyone know what books will be required first year? (I really want to order my books online). I've heard Netter's anatomy is required and possibly the "dead body book." Some isac people said that Grant's dissector wasnt worth it... but I don't know much else... please help!