OFFICIAL Harvard Medical School Class of '09 Thread

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Hey Matt,
How was your weekend at Harvard?

Let us know!!
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leaft said:
Hey Matt,
How was your weekend at Harvard?

Let us know!!
Click to expand...


It was wonderful -- a bit rainy and chilly (at least compared to what I am used to here in TX, but not too bad nonetheless..) We had several lectures, panels, great food, an incredible group of prospective students, time to explore Boston, and several nights out at some clubs and bars around town. Vandy seemed like a great place to stay for the first year to get a chance to meet your class... and housing after the first year, though expensive, wasn't quite as bad as I had imagined.

My only hang up at this point is the question of financial aid -- they claim that the average indebtedness is about 94k, but that most assuredly is a skewed figure since much of the class likely has their family pay for everything. I'm most likely looking at 175k for all four years, so I'm a bit pissed about that considering that many other schools were much more generous with my EFC.

I've got Penn this weekend, followed by UCSF -- but I'll let you know where I decide. (Harvard is still probably my top choice as of now...) Make sure you all post next week with your own thoughts! :)
 
matt,

i'm glad your weekend was good.
i'm looking forward to this weekend!

however, i too am a little concerned about financial aid packages.
and i haven't even gotten mine from harvard yet- even though i submitted it at the end of march. oh well. i called to make sure that it is complete and they assured me that they would give me a package before May 15. i hope they don't make me wait that long.

i will definitely let you know how the weekend goes.
 
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hi all...has anyone received any more info about revisit weekend? are we supposed to get our host info and stuff beforehand or after we get there?

oh and leaft,

i'm in the same financial aid situation as you...complete end of march still nothing. anyway, the director emailed me asking for some more info so i guess that means they're working on my app...you must be in the same boat and we should hear soon.

this weekend should be fun :)
 
i had a great time meeting everyone at revisit and really enjoyed hearing about all of your amazing experiences!

are any of you planning to do the feat or func orientation programs? if so, which one?
 
FEAT!

It's going to be fun to go 5 days without showering. I also look forward to doing my business in the woods, as opposed to in a restroom :D

Seriously though, FEAT will be a blast.
 
ns83 said:
i had a great time meeting everyone at revisit and really enjoyed hearing about all of your amazing experiences!

are any of you planning to do the feat or func orientation programs? if so, which one?
Click to expand...

Yes, great meeting everyone! I am going to be doing FUNC. I'm not exactly a staying in the woods without showering kind of gal. I did a program similar to FUNC when i started undergrad and it was a great way to bond with folks pre-orientation.
 
The weekedn was definitely very inspiring...they put a premium on recruiting a pretty diverse class of backgrounds I thought....As for me, it will be the FEAT trip...looking forward to the wildlife ;) ...Holla!
 
For those of you who went to 2nd look, was the curriculum for next year discussed at all? I haven't been able to get straight answers about the curriculum design and I was hoping that they explained it at revisit. I'd be appreciative of any info.

Thanks!
 
rjphila said:
For those of you who went to 2nd look, was the curriculum for next year discussed at all? I haven't been able to get straight answers about the curriculum design and I was hoping that they explained it at revisit. I'd be appreciative of any info.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Yeah--they talked about curriculum reform *a lot*. The gist of it was if they can get everyone to agree, they want to try a 1.5 year basic science curriculum for the class behind us, which would include some sort of thesis/scholarly work requirement and possibly a longitudinal clinical year. Each student would rotate at the same facility--they have pilots of this right now. It won't affect the entering class of 2005 unless you defer (or maybe the thesis thing would if you take 5 years to graduate). It was interesting and we might have the ability to get invovled in the changes if you want.
 
Alright guys, who is definitely going to Harvard? I finally decided yesterday! see you in august 06- i will be taking a year off to do graduate work at oxford.



RunMimi said:
Yeah--they talked about curriculum reform *a lot*. The gist of it was if they can get everyone to agree, they want to try a 1.5 year basic science curriculum for the class behind us, which would include some sort of thesis/scholarly work requirement and possibly a longitudinal clinical year. Each student would rotate at the same facility--they have pilots of this right now. It won't affect the entering class of 2005 unless you defer (or maybe the thesis thing would if you take 5 years to graduate). It was interesting and we might have the ability to get invovled in the changes if you want.
Click to expand...
 
what were ur GPAs and MCAT scores?
 
Here's an e-mail I got about the curriculum change for next year (c/o 2010), it's the most detailed plan I've heard about so far:

TO: The HMS Community

I want to thank all the faculty, students, and staff who, over these last six months, have provided input and feedback on medical education reform (MER). These last several months have proven to be an important period of reflection, a time during which our community has had ample opportunity to express their opinions and views.

After more than three years of deliberations and this most recent period of dialogue, the time has come to move forward with an action plan; we owe it to our community. Under the leadership of our new Dean for Medical Education, Jules Dienstag, I have convened the Medical Education Reform Steering Committee, comprised of the chairs of the five MER Design Groups and assigned the mission of assuming leadership of the MER initiative. At the first meeting of the MER Steering Committee on May 6, 2005, I outlined a framework for the restructuring of the curriculum.

August, 2006 “Introduction to the Profession,” a new course to take place during the last two weeks of August
September, 2006 First semester of “Fundamentals of Medicine” is launched
Winter, 2006-2007 Students declare an area of in-depth concentration

The new requirement for an in-depth concentration in one of three general areas (basic investigation, patient-oriented investigation, “medicine and society”) is one of the backbones of the new curriculum, preparing our students for leadership by focusing on a closely faculty mentored in-depth area of scholarship. Concentrations are expected to culminate at the end of the fourth (or optional fifth) year in a written product (“thesis”).

March 30, 2008 Fundamentals of Medicine ends

We will follow the mandate of the University in adopting a common 4 month-1 month-4 month academic calendar. Ending FOM two months early will a) allow us to consider new models of clinical clerkships, b) facilitate meaningful advanced clerkships, c) support concentrations, and d) help dissociate clerkship teaching from internship auditioning.

April l, 2008 Transition from Fundamentals of Medicine to the “Principle Clinical Experience” (PCE)

During this clinical ramp-up period, the time given up from the end of the second year preclinical courses should reflect a gradient of increasing clinical activity: advanced pathophysiology teaching (tutorials) in the hospitals; incorporation of the lost [2 days/week] time devoted to Patient-Doctor-II into the PCE, ideally at the PCE site; simulation training for medical procedures and emergencies; clinical introduction (radiology, pathology, labs, computer system, etc.); and preparation for taking national boards.


Spring, 2008 Single-site PCE begins

The Cambridge Integrated Clerkship pilot is nearing the completion of its first full year. In addition, pilot single-site clerkship experiences are planned for July, 2005; because the Principle Clinical Experience does not “go live” until the spring of 2008, opportunities exist for additional pilots in the summer of 2006 and 2007.

Spring, 2009 Advanced clerkships begin

Medical education reform is my highest priority, and I am committed to devoting my time and energies to providing the best educational experience for our students. The five Design Groups are now tackling their charges and planning the components of the curriculum outlined above; we anticipate preliminary reports from them in the fall of 2005. I will also keep you updated on efforts to improve the financing of medical education, the recognition of faculty for teaching, and the development of faculty as teachers. The coming months should be very eventful, and I look forward to your continued input and support.

Sincerely,
Joe Martin
 
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heard back from hms fin aid...


I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU ALL IN AUGUST!!!!
 
Mateodaspy said:
heard back from hms fin aid...


I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU ALL IN AUGUST!!!!
Click to expand...

Congrats on deciding...see ya in the fall!
 
Mateodaspy said:
heard back from hms fin aid...


I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU ALL IN AUGUST!!!!
Click to expand...


I imagine that GuyLaroche is devastated :p ...But congrats on having a final decision and see you this fall!!
 
I'll be seeing you guys there! Just checked my financial aid package online and it was quite generous! Actually, it's much cheaper to go to HMS than my state school, so I don't really have much of a choice to make:) Yay! Now, I need to find a summer job that will help me pay the student contribution...I'm glad this thread is being kept alive:)
 
my finaid package is also really good!
i finally have an answer to the dreaded question of where i will be next year!
Matt, Yalie, and Carlene- I look forward to seeing you all in august.
 
Can I get in on the HMS love.... :)
Looking forward to getting this thing started....

leaft said:
my finaid package is also really good!
i finally have an answer to the dreaded question of where i will be next year!
Matt, Yalie, and Carlene- I look forward to seeing you all in august.
Click to expand...
 
is anyone giving up a lot of money to go to HMS?...i'm having a hard time justifying paying an additional $100,000 to go there...
 
smile82 said:
is anyone giving up a lot of money to go to HMS?...i'm having a hard time justifying paying an additional $100,000 to go there...
Click to expand...

Hi all!

I've finally decided as well. It was a tough decision, because a lot of other factors went into my choice, not just money. But, I'll be joining you all in the fall. I'm very excited.

To answer previous OP's question--YES! I'm giving up a lot of money to go to Harvard. Not nearly as much as $100,000, but around $65,000.

Some questions to help you in your decision:
1) Take a look at both financial aid packages very carefully. Is the other school paying for your whole budget? (i.e. are they covering 100% of your tuition plus your living expenses?) Many schools just cover tuition and don't give stipends for living allowances. This makes a big difference because living expenses can be pretty high and would require you to take out additional loans.

2) If you do have to take out loans, what type of loans will they be? In my financial aid package, I have to take out $25,000 in loans (the unit loan). However, this is all subsidized loans. Many schools don't offer school loans, and require you to take out federal loans. Federal subsidized loans have a cap of $8500/yr. Thus the rest will be unsubsidized, meaning your interest will accrue during your years in medical school.

3) The opportunities at Harvard are unsurpassed. Basically, that money you are paying is for a whole life worth of connections and opportunities: Top rate professors, top rate schools (business, law, public health, government, etc), top rate students, research, funding for projects, etc).

4) Talk to the fin aid department at Harvard--they can be generous.

5) Given all this, if your parent's expected contribution to Harvard is much much more than it would be at the other school, I might reconsider going to Harvard then, especially if it would put your parents in a difficult situation fianancially (i.e. if they have to contribute $25,000 as opposed to $0).
 
just withdrew from all other schools...now it's official:) no turning back...
 
ns83 said:
i had a great time meeting everyone at revisit and really enjoyed hearing about all of your amazing experiences!

are any of you planning to do the feat or func orientation programs? if so, which one?
Click to expand...

Func-i had to make a similar decision for undergrad, but i ended up not choosing the hiking trip for the price and because i didn't want to spend days without showering or have to go potty outdoors...it's amazing how little i've changed after 4 years in this regard.
 
okay i'm in...just withdrew from everywhere else and decided to swallow up the loans!

is there anything we have to do to ensure our spot? send a deposit etc?
 
smile82 said:
okay i'm in...just withdrew from everywhere else and decided to swallow up the loans!

is there anything we have to do to ensure our spot? send a deposit etc?
Click to expand...

nope, i called them today and they said that they'll figure it out...
 
Congratulations guys.. only the single most difficult school of medicine in the US. Stay humble and don't forget the patient.
 
emusibay said:
Congratulations guys.. only the single most difficult school of medicine in the US. Stay humble and don't forget the patient.
Click to expand...

what?
 
Is everyone rooming at Vandy in the fall?

Also, do we need to send any forms in to save our spot there -- and, if so, what is the deadline?
 
Mateodaspy said:
Is everyone rooming at Vandy in the fall?

Also, do we need to send any forms in to save our spot there -- and, if so, what is the deadline?
Click to expand...

hey,

hurry and send it in...the deadline is May 23rd...did you get that package in the mail?
 
where have all my classmates gone? :scared:

i don't want to be in boston all alone next year. hurry. come back.
 
Hi, all! Does anyone know when we should expect a huge packet of stuff detailing registration, housing, etc?
 
Hi Everyone,

Does anybody know if HMS has dicsounts for new computers or a preferred brand, etc.?
 
Retroviral said:
Hi Everyone,

Does anybody know if HMS has dicsounts for new computers or a preferred brand, etc.?
Click to expand...

I know that harvard alumni can get big discounts on IBM computers but I'm not aware of any programs for current students. They will give you a loan to cover the cost of the computer though.
 
hi everyone--just thought i'd bring this back up.
 
I mostly just wanted to say hi!


And also, as I am getting my student visa stuff in order, I have been talking to the folks at HMS a bit this past week (student visa stuff was due today). So here is what I know (you guys probably know this stuff already, but hey!)-
Housing stuff should go out in June and it will have very strict deadlines, but everyone signed up for housing in Vandy should have already gotten a mailed notification about the elevators not working in Vandy for part of next year. So... if you didn't get the notification about the elevators not working... you want to call the Vandy office and ask if you are registered for housing there in the fall.

Also, if you are at a different address for the summer you need to change your mailing address on the AMCAS site. Doing it only through HMS doesn't work because they update their database through AMCAS every week or so, and it will default to whatever AMCAS has.
 
leaft said:
I mostly just wanted to say hi!


And also, as I am getting my student visa stuff in order, I have been talking to the folks at HMS a bit this past week (student visa stuff was due today). So here is what I know (you guys probably know this stuff already, but hey!)-
Housing stuff should go out in June and it will have very strict deadlines, but everyone signed up for housing in Vandy should have already gotten a mailed notification about the elevators not working in Vandy for part of next year. So... if you didn't get the notification about the elevators not working... you want to call the Vandy office and ask if you are registered for housing there in the fall.

Also, if you are at a different address for the summer you need to change your mailing address on the AMCAS site. Doing it only through HMS doesn't work because they update their database through AMCAS every week or so, and it will default to whatever AMCAS has.
Click to expand...

Do you (or anyone) know the best way to get their stuff there in the fall? I can have someone drive me with my stuff but that might be a huge pain in boston. (I'm not keeping a car there, so they would have to drive it back) Is anyone shipping?
 
I haven't had the chance to get to my summer mail address mailbox in a few weeks. Have we gotten anything from HMS since May 15th aside from that Vandy elevator notification?

~Matt
 
I haven't gotten anything but the elevator thing since May 15. I hope we get some stuff soonish. After a year of checking my mail every day in hopes of getting something from a med school I have become a crazy-mail-checker, and I need something to feed my addiction.
 
Well, I got my Vandy room assignment and that oh-so-nice letter from Mrs. McEvoy. I'm glad I had some extra courses, because I had listed biochem as my second chem course. I hope no one else is screwed! So yay for Vandy love :)
 
have any of you signed up for your hms email addresses yet? does anyone know if we're allowed to even get one at this point?
 
Prematriculation website: Was anyone actually able to access the contact list or submit info? I think the links at the top are broken bc they log you out. Anyone else having this problem?
 
16hoursleeper said:
I searched and found:
http://www.hms.harvard.edu/it/forms/email_form.html#idinfo
but I'm not sure if they will give us one yet. I didn't try it. If you do, let us know what happens.
Click to expand...


Hmm... it looks like this is only for staff or students who are doing research at HMS this summer. I think I also read somewhere that we won't get our e-mail addresses until orientation =( oh well!
 
wishnhopn said:
Prematriculation website: Was anyone actually able to access the contact list or submit info? I think the links at the top are broken bc they log you out. Anyone else having this problem?
Click to expand...

you should click Resources --> All resources.. there should be about 8 links that you can access -- the contact list, match list, along with various other "helpful" links on the hms website. there are only about ten people or so on the contact list, so it's really not all that much to look at. I submitted my info on Thursday, but it hasn't been posted on the contact page yet.
 
Hey everyone!!!! I just got an offer from the waitlist!!!! I'm coming to Harvard :)

Sparky
 
Sparky Man said:
Hey everyone!!!! I just got an offer from the waitlist!!!! I'm coming to Harvard :)

Sparky
Click to expand...

Awesome!!! Congratualtions :thumbup:
 
CarleneM said:
Awesome!!! Congratualtions :thumbup:
Click to expand...

thanks everyone! wow, this is soooooo unexpected. i just can't believe it! i was supposed to fly to st. louis to find an apt. for wash u next fall. as i'm printing my itinerary, i get this email and a phone call from harvard :love:
 
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