Official KCUMB-COM Class of 2009!!!!

[Aphelion]

I guess I will introduce my self as well.

Name: Keith
Age: 32
From: Norfolk, NE originally, now I live in Portland, OR
Major: Nuclear Engineering Technology (75% done w/ EE as well)
Interested In: Anesthesia, Radiology
Random Factiod: I run a computer service business as well.

I will let Mindy introduce herself late

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[daddy2mykids]

Hey all,

My name is Todd, I was accepted last year but deferred. I also have children…four to be exact.
We live at the “Province of Briarcliff” on Vivion Rd. Issues have been raised about the Paseo bridge. Later this year it is to go under maintenance, reportedly for 6 months. There are detours but if the 6 month time frame is a concern you may want to stay south, or pick a location that has alternate routes close by. This is one of the reasons we picked the “Province” since Vivion rd has other routes still within 10-12 min from the school.

Some advice to everyone from out of town: Save some time and money and contact Michelle at "Relocation Central" (800-569-3506 or 816-222-0047). Michelle is great to work with and the service is absolutely FREE to you. We had lived about 2 hrs from KC before we moved up here and after spending a day with Michelle decided that maybe she hadn't shown us everything we would want to look at. I spent another 4 days looking (my wife and I) and discovered she did a very good job only showing us what we would be interested in. We ended up going with a place she had shown us. You can tell Michelle that Todd recommended her. Either way...don't waste your time if you are from out of town and looking for a home/apt. here in KC.

I look forward to starting class with all of you.

Todd

 

[Dr. Ditka]

Hey all,

My name is Todd, I was accepted last year but deferred. I also have children…four to be exact.
We live at the “Province of Briarcliff” on Vivion Rd. Issues have been raised about the Paseo bridge. Later this year it is to go under maintenance, reportedly for 6 months. There are detours but if the 6 month time frame is a concern you may want to stay south, or pick a location that has alternate routes close by. This is one of the reasons we picked the “Province” since Vivion rd has other routes still within 10-12 min from the school.

Some advice to everyone from out of town: Save some time and money and contact Michelle at "Relocation Central" (800-569-3506 or 816-222-0047). Michelle is great to work with and the service is absolutely FREE to you. We had lived about 2 hrs from KC before we moved up here and after spending a day with Michelle decided that maybe she hadn't shown us everything we would want to look at. I spent another 4 days looking (my wife and I) and discovered she did a very good job only showing us what we would be interested in. We ended up going with a place she had shown us. You can tell Michelle that Todd recommended her. Either way...don't waste your time if you are from out of town and looking for a home/apt. here in KC.

I look forward to starting class with all of you.

Todd

I am not familiar with Kansas City. I have only been there for about 22 hours for my interview. I have heard that the plaza is awesome but will this construction get in the way of living there? Would the plaza be an annoying drive even if there was no construction?

 

[cooldreams]

the construction is much north of the plaza so i doubt it would get in the way alone, however there is a lot of other construction going on (though still appears that none is in the way at the present time). i think that the plaza is one of the better drives in kansas city, just take your time when you are there if it is crowded...

 

[aabobrov]

Hey all,
Congrats on your acceptances and welcome here... Before I forget to do this, I wanted to pass down a few tidbits... First of all, when you come here next year, they will undoubtedly try to make things pretty tough-sounding. You'll be required to have equipment and books that even my class has never heard of or bothered to purchase, and they've toughened up with my class A LOT. We've had some threats of having to buy books that are "required' and we'd be sent home if we didn't have them in class. Do yourself a favor...follow these:
1. Do NOT buy the big 120dollar OPP book...buy DiGiovanni little book. Both are required, but the only one that you should buy, IF you buy either one of them, is the DiGiovanni. It's also on reserve at the library so you can photocopy the few needed pages easily.

2. Do NOT join Notepool--it will be a huge waste of 50bucks. It's completely pointless. Why? Because there are people in the class that diligently send out lecture summaries to the whole class every day. Because spending 50bucks JUST in case you'll miss a class someday, and just in case something is said in class that's important that you might miss... 50$ can bespent in much better ways than that.

3. Do NOT freak out about everything....there's no reason. Yes, medschool is tough, yes, there is NO END to studying, but you will learn the information whether you pull your hair out and study day and night or whether you just do what you need to do--to do ok. You will become a doctor, you will learn all this info once during the particular section, again for the section final, again sometime during the year in other sections, again at the end of the year for the cum. exam, again for shelf final at the end of the year, again for your boards 2nd year, again prior to your rotations and during your rotations, again for your 2nd step boards, etc etc. You will know it. KCUMB is a good school, and they will make sure that you know it. What matters is how you chose to learn it...the sane way or the rip your hair out way.
Good luck
Please let me know if you have any questions

 

[LovelyRita]

2. Do NOT join Notepool--it will be a huge waste of 50bucks. It's completely pointless. Why? Because there are people in the class that diligently send out lecture summaries to the whole class every day. Because spending 50bucks JUST in case you'll miss a class someday, and just in case something is said in class that's important that you might miss... 50$ can bespent in much better ways than that.

With my class, the notepool fee was refunded at the end of 2nd year. Do they still do this?

 

[aabobrov]

Actually I had no idea that they did that...hopefully they do that with my class as well.

With my class, the notepool fee was refunded at the end of 2nd year. Do they still do this?

 

[snowhite]

Wow. This thread is alive and bumping. I haven't visited since I first posted on the first page, but I'm glad I came back. I just read through the entire thread and it has some GREAT information. :thumbsup:

Well, here's my information:
Name: Teena
college: Texas A&M University
Major: BS-Biomedical Science, MPH-Epidemiology
Interesting fact: I have nothing to do until classes start, so I've been a bum and taking it easy.

Now, for my questions if anyone can help:
1.) Is there any place that is somewhat close (besides Century Towers) that is a decent place to live? How much do most places cost for a one br?
2.) Is anyone getting a roommate?
3.) What are the computer requirements? I have a desktop PC, but would it be better to get a new laptop since there is talk about wireless internet at the school?
4.) What about health insurance? Do students need to look for their own or are there options with the school? What is the health insurance Budget Adjustment?
5.) Great job with the list of books we need and don't need. Can anyone recommend more of those?
6.) How bad does the weather get in the winters? I'm from TX and cannot comprehend snow. I went to the SDN meet in NYC this past January and almost died b/c of the freezing cold and driving/walking through the snow was horrible during the big thunderstorm. Will it get so bad in KC?
7.) When is everyone moving? Anyone want to get together for a pre-orientation meet up?

Whew. Lots of questions. Anyway, glad to know that there are a bunch of enthusiasts out there and I'm looking forward to meeting you all.

 

[cooldreams]

i am actually in talks with ct to get in a little bit early so i can get all setup and not be in a big rush just before classes start. it seems that if you work with them early on, things can happen.

i had actually bought already all of the books off the list from last year... i wonder how many will be used for this year...

 

[staffy]

I will be going to KCUMB this fall and currently live and work in Kansas City near downtown. The construction mentioned above that will be going on is with the Paseo Bridge on I-35 (which is also I-29 and Highway 71). This is one of the major bridges across the Missouri River and also a major artery leading into downtown. They are completely shutting it down for six months starting in May and redirecting traffic to a couple of the other bridges in the area, specifically the Heart of America Bridge just to the west. This is going to be a major pain because around 100,000 cars travel across this bridge to go downtown every day and the route they are using as a detour does not have the infrastructure to accommodate that kind of traffic flow in my opinion. The bridge was shut down for about a month a year and a half ago and it wasn't very pleasant. However, they will probably have it back open by October, so if you don't mind dealing with a headache and being stuck in traffic for your first few months of medical school, live north of the river, otherwise, find someplace to the south of the river. I have attached part of an article as well as a link to it below. I was just going to paste a link, but the Star requires you to create an account to view the entire article. Also, here is a map of the area in question:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=64105&ll=39.111694,-94.573234&spn=0.034241,0.058375


NKC plans on heavy traffic
By MIKE RICE
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansa.../missouri/counties/platte_county/10963339.htm
The Kansas City Star

At a recent North Kansas City Council meeting, a councilman predicted that Police Chief Glenn Ladd would have a lot more gray hair by the end of the year.

That's because many of the estimated 95,000 motorists crossing the Paseo Bridge daily probably will be detouring through North Kansas City when the bridge is closed for more than six months for rehabilitation work.

Police, however, have recommended a detour route that they hope will move the heavy traffic flow after the bridge closes May 2.

Southbound vehicles on Interstate 35/29 would exit westbound on Armour Road, then turn south on Iron Street, then west on 12th Avenue. From 12th Avenue, they would turn south on Burlington Street, which connects to the Heart of America Bridge.

The detour would keep the traffic out of the business district along Armour Road, where the road is reduced to two lanes to accommodate on-street parking.

 

[BradenDO]

EMT? That is cool. Always thought that was cool... im actually right now hoping to do a little part time work in a pharmacy. What is something docs are notorious for?? Their prescriptions!! Maybe in doing this, I might gain some insight in allowing for better communication in this area. Patients actually die from being given misread meds. That is ridiculous, so preventable...

I worked at a pharmacy throughout highschool, and it really does help. Try to be a technician if you can, you'll learn more.

Good luck!

 

[cooldreams]

passing the 150 days left mark...

has anyone gotten anything recently from the school?

l8rs

 

[Slugbutton]

passing the 150 days left mark...

has anyone gotten anything recently from the school?

l8rs

I've received a reminder to pay the rest of the deposit , a big packet of scholarship info, and some paperwork for physical/immunization results. As far as any official matriculation agreement or anything like that, zip....

 

[dulcinea]

hey cooldreams, i appreciate you putting together the KCUMB website but i had a random comment. you mentioned that we could let you know if we had anything to add. well, it mentions that we are supossed to be getting hepatitis C vaccines. there actually isn't vaccine for hepC, only A and B. i'm sure it was just a misprint but i thought i would let you know!! have a great day!

 

[cooldreams]

hey cooldreams, i appreciate you putting together the KCUMB website but i had a random comment. you mentioned that we could let you know if we had anything to add. well, it mentions that we are supossed to be getting hepatitis C vaccines. there actually isn't vaccine for hepC, only A and B. i'm sure it was just a misprint but i thought i would let you know!! have a great day!

haha... oops... sounds like that joke where the doc walks into a classroom full of premeds and asks who has their hep a, they all raise their hands real fast, then hep b, again they raise, and then he asks hep c and a couple still raise real fast... or something like that... lol...

thanks!

 

[MCWIHEA]

Hey guys, does anyone know the official start date for school??? I know it's usually the first week of August for orientation..didn't know if that was set in stone though. I also got a packet of scholarship info but that's it so far.

 

[LDRoss]

Hey guys, does anyone know the official start date for school??? I know it's usually the first week of August for orientation..didn't know if that was set in stone though. I also got a packet of scholarship info but that's it so far.

Well...orientation is Aug. 8th-12th. Classes start the 15th. I am pretty sure this is right...at least that's what I wrote down and that's what I am planning on.

 

[LadyDoc]

Well...orientation is Aug. 8th-12th. Classes start the 15th. I am pretty sure this is right...at least that's what I wrote down and that's what I am planning on.

Hi guys, just found this thread. Your first week will be all orientation. It's an amazingly well organized week, and you'll be treated like royalty. The first day or two you’ll get a lot of presentations and you’ll be completely overwhelmed. You’ll say to the people sitting next to you “can you BELIEVE we’re in medical school??!!!” about 400 times. Be sure to dress very nicely the first day since you’ll have your official photo taken. There always seems to be one or two people in a tank top and cutoffs. Don’t be one of those few

We did a community project, which was a really easy way to get to know each other, and then they had a big cookout for us at a Royals game. It was all free. The highlight of that first week is the white coating ceremony and the reception afterwards. The ceremony is a very formal event and you’ll get your white coat! It’s a beautiful ceremony, and afterwards, they have a big feast and free bar for you at a nearby hotel. Trust me, you’ll know you came to the right school after that first week is over, and plus you will have met quite a few of your classmates so that first day of class, at least some faces will be familiar.

They put a ton of work into that first week. I was so impressed!

 

[LadyDoc]

Hey all,
Congrats on your acceptances and welcome here... Before I forget to do this, I wanted to pass down a few tidbits... First of all, when you come here next year, they will undoubtedly try to make things pretty tough-sounding. You'll be required to have equipment and books that even my class has never heard of or bothered to purchase, and they've toughened up with my class A LOT. We've had some threats of having to buy books that are "required' and we'd be sent home if we didn't have them in class. Do yourself a favor...follow these:
1. Do NOT buy the big 120dollar OPP book...buy DiGiovanni little book. Both are required, but the only one that you should buy, IF you buy either one of them, is the DiGiovanni. It's also on reserve at the library so you can photocopy the few needed pages easily.

2. Do NOT join Notepool--it will be a huge waste of 50bucks. It's completely pointless. Why? Because there are people in the class that diligently send out lecture summaries to the whole class every day. Because spending 50bucks JUST in case you'll miss a class someday, and just in case something is said in class that's important that you might miss... 50$ can bespent in much better ways than that.

3. Do NOT freak out about everything....there's no reason. Yes, medschool is tough, yes, there is NO END to studying, but you will learn the information whether you pull your hair out and study day and night or whether you just do what you need to do--to do ok. You will become a doctor, you will learn all this info once during the particular section, again for the section final, again sometime during the year in other sections, again at the end of the year for the cum. exam, again for shelf final at the end of the year, again for your boards 2nd year, again prior to your rotations and during your rotations, again for your 2nd step boards, etc etc. You will know it. KCUMB is a good school, and they will make sure that you know it. What matters is how you chose to learn it...the sane way or the rip your hair out way.
Good luck
Please let me know if you have any questions

He's sure right about notepool. I would save your money. Our class has 4 or 5 people who regularly type up summaries and e-mail them to the entire class. Everybody (well, almost everybody) is really willing to help each other, which sure makes it easier.

Also, you'll have all kinds of advice about what to buy and what not to buy as far as books go, but I'd say wait before you buy any book, but when you decide you MAY need one, then BUY it. Don't be afraid to spend $100 on a book that will help you. You will definitely earn another $100 eventually.

Books I found very helpfull:

-DiGiovonna's OMM book
-a good physiology book
-an embryology book (or just get the BRS review one)
-an EKG book (everybody will swear by Dubin, but I got the other one, Clinical Electrocardiography by Goldberger, after I saw a friend's. Everybody else who has seen mine has gone out and bought it, putting Dubin on a shelf somewhere. Dubin was also in prison for underage sex stuff and possessing child porn, so I don't want to give him any money at all.
-at least the path BRS book, but Big Robbins if you can

there are some great websites that have pictures, so I really wouldn't buy a histo book.

Also, and this is very important, be very, very careful what you say on Blackboard and whatever you do, DO NOT mass e-mail your entire class unless you are very, very careful. When you send an e-mail using the "class of 2009" option, it will also forward it several key administrators and so anything you say will be picked over carefully. We almost lost one of our classmates before class even started because of an e-mail comment. You'd think it would have been something really bad, but it never is. Somebody who reads those freaks out over nothing, and it happens a lot, so save yourself the agony!

 

[DRealDrZ]

That email comment is VERY important...I'm a 4th year and we had an incident (or 2) and it can get kinda hairy. The first week was very nice...made it an easier transition into school. I hope graduation week is as good/better for me this year!!!!

 

[2005doc]

Hi 2009,

Congratulations! I too saw some of the comments from current students and thought I'd add my 2 cents. It's an exciting time starting, and ending, and everything in between is, well, a lot of work. But you'll make it, don't stress. Try and remember you're running a marathon not a sprint, and life gets markedly better after step I boards.

I disagree with the comments about notepool. In my experience $50.00 is cheap to have an extra set of notes on hand for the year. Granted, it's dependent on who's doing the notes, how organized your class is with Notepool, and it will never be error proof-- but when it comes down to the wire and you need just the highlights, or say you and your study buddy disagree on what you wrote down, or you miss class cause you're sick, you'll be wishing you had it. If their are funds left over at the end of the year, they are frequently refunded. Again, that's up to your notepool leaders. My motto has always been better safe than sorry.

Don't buy your textbooks before classes start unless they are key books that you hear over and over again that you need, like Netter's. I could have saved much more than Notepool dues, had I waited to see if I really did need the book rather than taking other people's words on it at the start.

As just mentioned, be careful with mass school emails.

UHS/KCUMB was a good choice for me, they will train you well. If I can add one last thing, enjoy orientation and continue to do class bonding stuff. It really makes med school better when you're working as a team and there is no reason not to. Especially in that respect, you made a good choice of schools.

Congrats Again!

 

[LadyDoc]

Hi 2009,

Congratulations! I too saw some of the comments from current students and thought I'd add my 2 cents. It's an exciting time starting, and ending, and everything in between is, well, a lot of work. But you'll make it, don't stress. Try and remember you're running a marathon not a sprint, and life gets markedly better after step I boards.

I disagree with the comments about notepool. In my experience $50.00 is cheap to have an extra set of notes on hand for the year. Granted, it's dependent on who's doing the notes, how organized your class is with Notepool, and it will never be error proof-- but when it comes down to the wire and you need just the highlights, or say you and your study buddy disagree on what you wrote down, or you miss class cause you're sick, you'll be wishing you had it. If their are funds left over at the end of the year, they are frequently refunded. Again, that's up to your notepool leaders. My motto has always been better safe than sorry.

Don't buy your textbooks before classes start unless they are key books that you hear over and over again that you need, like Netter's. I could have saved much more than Notepool dues, had I waited to see if I really did need the book rather than taking other people's words on it at the start.

As just mentioned, be careful with mass school emails.

UHS/KCUMB was a good choice for me, they will train you well. If I can add one last thing, enjoy orientation and continue to do class bonding stuff. It really makes med school better when you're working as a team and there is no reason not to. Especially in that respect, you made a good choice of schools.

Congrats Again!

Oh yeah, something else I forgot to mention: When you decide where to live in Kansas City, you have quite a few options. CT is very handy since it is right across the street. A lot of students live there. It is more expensive than most any other place you can get, but what you're paying for is the convenience. The rooms are a little small, so if you need space or don't want the dormitory atmosphere, then there are many apartments complexes within 15 min of the school.

I would recommend getting a place north of the river though! KC morning traffic is atrocious, but it's not too bad if you're coming from the north. The way the Interstates are laid out makes it very hard to come in from the south. You will sit and crawl for long periods of time. All my friends who live south of the river wish they didn't. Just something to think about when you're looking for a place to live next year.

A last comment about Notepool: 2005Doc is absolutely correct about the notes, but the reason I recommended not joining Notepool is because my classmates send out notes on every lecture FOR FREE. Because of this, Notepool would have been a waste of $50 for anybody in my class. Hopefully the class of 2009 will have students who continue to do this. We often will have 2 different people send their summaries to us -- just another testimony to how great the students are at KCUMB.

 

[coureurdubois]

Anyone know if attendance is mandatory and kept for most classes? Or is it very instructor-dependent? Any penalties for skipping class to study?

 

[cooldreams]

Anyone know if attendance is mandatory and kept for most classes? Or is it very instructor-dependent? Any penalties for skipping class to study?

I do not know for sure. I do know that many of the classes have some sort of policy. How typical that is, and how strictly enforced I do not know. I plan on going to as many as i possiblly can however. We only get to do this once.... well that is all the more we want to do it anyways

anyone big into computers? i just put together this new computer system with a dual monitor setup. I am now learning the video card i have doesnt work well with dual monitors and the game i want

oh and any more comments on the website would be nice. - like it, hate it, change this, add that, take the whole site down it sucks... something to that effect. thanks to all those who have helped thus far. i am planning on redoing a lot of it again here shortly.

have a great day!

 

[LadyDoc]

Anyone know if attendance is mandatory and kept for most classes? Or is it very instructor-dependent? Any penalties for skipping class to study?

No, attendance is not required at any lecture, although it will be required for all labs (there will be a sign in sheet that is passed around). Nobody cares if you skip a class, as long as the faculty doesn’t see you coming in late or leaving early. We have 10 minute breaks between classes, and Smith Hall, which is full of study rooms, is just a few feet from the first year classroom, so lots of students skip selected classes in order to study or sleep.

 

[Prisoner 37927]

Anyone know if attendance is mandatory and kept for most classes? Or is it very instructor-dependent? Any penalties for skipping class to study?

Just another comment on the whole attendance deal. Like LadyDoc said, there is no mandatory attendance policy for lectures currently in place. Congratulations to all the new members of the Class of 2009. As you will soon find out, sometimes it is better and more productive to skip certain lectures in order to get things done and either catch up or get ahead.

As far as the books, these are my recommendations:

"Big Robbins" for path
Netter's anatomy atlas
Clincial EKGs as recommended earlier (I enjoy this one better than Dubin's. To me, Dubin's dummifies everything too much)
Guyton and Hall Medical Physiology

I wouldn't buy anything else until you are here. Enjoy the summer while u can guys (and gals).

 

[Prisoner 37927]

He's sure right about notepool. I would save your money. Our class has 4 or 5 people who regularly type up summaries and e-mail them to the entire class. Everybody (well, almost everybody) is really willing to help each other, which sure makes it easier.

Also, you'll have all kinds of advice about what to buy and what not to buy as far as books go, but I'd say wait before you buy any book, but when you decide you MAY need one, then BUY it. Don't be afraid to spend $100 on a book that will help you. You will definitely earn another $100 eventually.

Books I found very helpfull:

-DiGiovonna's OMM book
-a good physiology book
-an embryology book (or just get the BRS review one)
-an EKG book (everybody will swear by Dubin, but I got the other one, Clinical Electrocardiography by Goldberger, after I saw a friend's. Everybody else who has seen mine has gone out and bought it, putting Dubin on a shelf somewhere. Dubin was also in prison for underage sex stuff and possessing child porn, so I don't want to give him any money at all.
-at least the path BRS book, but Big Robbins if you can

there are some great websites that have pictures, so I really wouldn't buy a histo book.

Also, and this is very important, be very, very careful what you say on Blackboard and whatever you do, DO NOT mass e-mail your entire class unless you are very, very careful. When you send an e-mail using the "class of 2009" option, it will also forward it several key administrators and so anything you say will be picked over carefully. We almost lost one of our classmates before class even started because of an e-mail comment. You'd think it would have been something really bad, but it never is. Somebody who reads those freaks out over nothing, and it happens a lot, so save yourself the agony!

Definitely keep an eye on what you send out to the class via the school's e-mail system or post on Blackboard. "Big Brother" routinely patrols and watches everything hunting out unprofessional behavior. Keep it low key and use personal e-mail addresses of your friends to e-mail stuff.

 

[LadyDoc]

As far as the books, these are my recommendations:

"Big Robbins" for path
Netter's anatomy atlas
Clincial EKGs as recommended earlier (I enjoy this one better than Dubin's. To me, Dubin's dummifies everything too much)
Guyton and Hall Medical Physiology

I wouldn't buy anything else until you are here. Enjoy the summer while u can guys (and gals).

Oh yeah, I forgot to put an anatomy book in my list You will definitely want at least one of those. I too recommend Netter's, plus you probably won't be sorry if you pick up Moore/Dally as well. I use them both, but if I only had one of them, I'd get Netters. I'd hold off on buying Netters though. During the first few weeks of school, there will be several school clubs that will give away a free Netters!

 

[LadyDoc]

Hi guys,

I've gotten a bunch of private messages about the professionalism score card mess we have right now, so I thought I'd just post my reply here since it's SPRING BREAK and I probably won't be checking here much this week since I have family here visiting I will still try to reply to each private message, but it may take a few days.

Here's what I sent to the last person who PMed me, asking me about the professionalism scorecard:

They have this girl they hired to “manage” the program, but all she really does is patrol the message board (and some suspect our school e-mail account) for anything and everything she can use to give someone a negative mark. There is really just one faculty member behind the “anti-student” trend, and that’s Dr. El-Sawi. She is in charge of student affairs and is a big player with the curriculum, so she has a lot of power and loves to throw it around. I’m not kidding – there have been 4 faculty members fired this year, all by El-Sawi, and all because they disagreed with her publicly. Avoid her like the plague. She especially hates men.

Right now there are at least 8 of my classmates who got a MAJOR lapse for making comments on Blackboard about the school’s lack of security. The comments were things like “Maybe the school can increase our loan budget to include protective body armor” and “they should get a few dingos and let them patrol the parking lot.” I’m not kidding – things like that got people a major lapse. It’s just out of control.

It shouldn’t be that bad for your class we hope. Everything else about the school is great, and as long as you just never, ever post to blackboard with your name, and never send out any mass e-mail unless you’re very, very careful, you’ll be just fine. Nobody has defined what a “major” lapse is vs. a minor lapse even, so it is really amateur hour with Dr. El-Sawi, which is pretty much par for the course with her anyway.

Please don't let the whole mess scare you -- you're coming to a great school! I am confident that Mr. Dalzel will eventually step and in make them fix the mess they've made with our class. He's one of the few people who Dr. El-Sawi can't intimidate and he always seems to have the students' best interests at heart.

 

[Prisoner 37927]

LadyDoc speaks the truth gang. I am one of those elite 8 that are now being watched like hawks by the school. I will refrain from saying exactly what my comment was in order to prevent giving away my identity but it did concern the lack of security on campus.

Every school has its pros and cons though and KCUMB is no exception. The trick is to determine what school has more pros and stick with that. KCUMB has an awesome curriculum in its Genesis program which is systems based. I'm sure that everyone has heard of that. Its faculty (minus a few hardasses) are wonderful and extremely cordial to the students and also will go to great lengths in order to help you out. The education that KCUMB provides is one of the best that I have seen or heard and I am not just saying that because I am a student.

Hi guys,

I've gotten a bunch of private messages about the professionalism score card mess we have right now, so I thought I'd just post my reply here since it's SPRING BREAK and I probably won't be checking here much this week since I have family here visiting I will still try to reply to each private message, but it may take a few days.

Here's what I sent to the last person who PMed me, asking me about the professionalism scorecard:




Please don't let the whole mess scare you -- you're coming to a great school! I am confident that Mr. Dalzel will eventually step and in make them fix the mess they've made with our class. He's one of the few people who Dr. El-Sawi can't intimidate and he always seems to have the students' best interests at heart.

 

[IACBY]

Hello to all!

I just wanted to add my 2 cents to my fellow 2008 classmates list of tips:
Use the library on deciding which books you might want to buy (or just keep checking out), and sign up for MDConsult class (library as well)-- I found it to be very useful!

Good luck, and see you all soon!

 

[Freeeedom!]

Let me tell you Dalzel does NOT always have students best interest in hand. I am a graduate of UHS, it is and was a fine school. But in every school there is someone who watches you...even READS these bulletin boards. Mr. Dalzel sent me an email one day based upon a comment I made on this board. A threatening email (at least it scared me). Overall, he has been good to the school and works well as a team...but never think you are icogneto when on these boards.
Watch yourself.

 

[Scaramouche]

Hello class of '09!! This is my first post. Just wanted to say hi to everybody. See you all in August!

 

[drchris33]

I too would like to congratulate all of the members of the Class 2009! I am currently a third year and I will be one of the two OMT Fellows this school year, so I am sure I will be meeting a lot of you soon. If anyone ever has any questions what-so-ever regarding school, rotations, books, OMT, etc, please feel free to email me or PM me on here.

Yeah I too would warn you about what you say on here as well as mass emails. Things can get ugly really quick; so just be careful......enough said.

Enjoy your summer. Do not start studying early. You won't be as motivated to study because there is so much stuff you could read/memorize, that you will probably forget it anyway. There is plenty of time to study during the year.

My advice for medical school is find a study habit that works for you. There are so many different ways to learn the material. If you wish to model after someone else, that is fine but just make sure it works the best for you. It took me a good semester before I found the system that worked the best for me. And also remember, that a "B" is OK! I found this hard to swallow at first, but after my first semester, I learned that a B is pretty darn good.

Also one last piece of advice. I recommend each and every one of you to pick three things that you will not give up during medical school, no matter what; whether it be family, religion, tv shows, exercise, etc. I mean if you tried to study all hour of the day without relief, you will hate life. My three things I didn't give up were my wife and kids, working out and ER.......so no matter if I had a final Friday morning at 8am, when 9pm rolled around Thursday night, all studying stopped. Just my two cents.

Again congrats to you all. Let me know if I can do anything to help!! See you in August!

Chris Morrissey MSIII

 

[ClassSkipper]

Morrisey,
You are just in it for the vast money aren't you? Seriously, congrats on the fellowship. For those incoming, Chris will be your best friend the Saturday before OPP practicals.

Some more cents: The Paseo bridge is going to be under construction from about the time you guys start for maybe 8 months to a year. This is the main bridge to North KC and housing up north will be pretty tough until they get it done. The locals know about the other two small bridges, and traffic is likely to be awful. If they are saying 8 months it is likely to be much longer, not at all judging by the Research Building.

I bought a house about 5 min from school and it has been awesome. There are some perfectly nice areas with good neighbors not far east. I would definitely do it over again, we have had zero problems. I pay less for my mortgage than most people pay for their rent and I have a 3 bedroom house with wood floors and a nice yard and garden. Not ideal if you have kids as the schools are terrible, but for me and my wife it has been better than we expected. We are having to sell our house after only two years, but even so, I would recommend it. If you are at all thinking about it, let me know, and I can give you some pointers.

 

[snowhite]

Where is everyone deciding to live? Just want to get a feel for what others are doing for their living situation.

Do the Century Towers' rooms fill up? If anyone has already lived there, what do you think of them? Is it quiet?

I might want to get a roommate, so if anyone else is thinking about it too, holler at me.

Has anyone else bought the medical terminology book they want us to study before classes start? I just ordered it online, but am not really motivated to study right now.

Ok, enough of my ramblings. Looking forward to seeing you guys.

 

[cooldreams]

im still searching pretty hard myself. im going to goto ct unless i can figure out how to do a few things first... but ct is not too bad.

have a great summer " ya'll "

 

[Dr. Ditka]

Where is everyone deciding to live? Just want to get a feel for what others are doing for their living situation.

Do the Century Towers' rooms fill up? If anyone has already lived there, what do you think of them? Is it quiet?

I might want to get a roommate, so if anyone else is thinking about it too, holler at me.

Has anyone else bought the medical terminology book they want us to study before classes start? I just ordered it online, but am not really motivated to study right now.

Ok, enough of my ramblings. Looking forward to seeing you guys.

What? there is a book they want us to study before class starts? What is this book they speak of, how do I get it and is it necessary? I always hear people saying don't study anything before med school because you will learn it all in the fall anyway. As for living, I want to live in the plaza. Does anyone know how practical that would be and how long it would take to get to school in the morning?

 

[ClassSkipper]

Lots of students live both places. Here is the quick and crappy: if you liked living in the dorms, you will probably like CT. Rooms are small and overpriced (in my opinion), but it is right next to campus and won't take you much longer than from the new parking lot. Lots of fellow students there, so if you like seeing your classmates very frequently, it is perfectly doable. Not sure where people get groceries, someone else will have to fill you in on that.

Plaza is more for people who like the social scene, not necessarily fellow students. Parking can be tough and there is more crime in parts, but again, not too bad. Probably around 15 min to school, depending on where you are in the plaza. Most people like whichever one they moved to, more personality-driven than one is good/bad.

North of the river wasn't too bad, mostly typical apartment complexes, but again, traffic is going to suck for a year.

I hope this is a fair assessment. You are smart people and can figure it out.

 

[Scaramouche]

Wow. This thread is alive and bumping. I haven't visited since I first posted on the first page, but I'm glad I came back. I just read through the entire thread and it has some GREAT information. :thumbsup:

Well, here's my information:
Name: Teena
college: Texas A&M University
Major: BS-Biomedical Science, MPH-Epidemiology
Interesting fact: I have nothing to do until classes start, so I've been a bum and taking it easy.

Now, for my questions if anyone can help:
1.) Is there any place that is somewhat close (besides Century Towers) that is a decent place to live? How much do most places cost for a one br?
2.) Is anyone getting a roommate?
3.) What are the computer requirements? I have a desktop PC, but would it be better to get a new laptop since there is talk about wireless internet at the school?
4.) What about health insurance? Do students need to look for their own or are there options with the school? What is the health insurance Budget Adjustment?
5.) Great job with the list of books we need and don't need. Can anyone recommend more of those?
6.) How bad does the weather get in the winters? I'm from TX and cannot comprehend snow. I went to the SDN meet in NYC this past January and almost died b/c of the freezing cold and driving/walking through the snow was horrible during the big thunderstorm. Will it get so bad in KC?
7.) When is everyone moving? Anyone want to get together for a pre-orientation meet up?

Whew. Lots of questions. Anyway, glad to know that there are a bunch of enthusiasts out there and I'm looking forward to meeting you all.

Great, me too! I've been bummin' around too since I graduated in Dec. Now I don't feel so bad for just taking up space lately!

 

[MGoBlueDO]

How's everything going? Let me know if you got any questions...

 

[MGoBlueDO]

Now, for my questions if anyone can help:
1.) Is there any place that is somewhat close (besides Century Towers) that is a decent place to live? How much do most places cost for a one br?
Most places are around 400-500 without a room mate in KC...I live in CT and its getting to look crappier every year...its not worth anything over what I paid my first year which is 520 and I pay 530 right now....I mean its convenient because its is across from school. It's the biggest time saver cause they are rebuilding the Paseo Bridge, so there might be traffic, but ther are 2 alternate bridges or streets to use to cross if you live on the north.
2.) Is anyone getting a roommate?
Good to have...it helps if you know the person than you can work together on tasks like studying...CT has a room mate matching programs, I'm not sure about other apartment complex
3.) What are the computer requirements? I have a desktop PC, but would it be better to get a new laptop since there is talk about wireless internet at the school?
No wireless at school...they promised that last year to our class...get one though then you can share connections if you know your neightbor to save on broadband...don't get dial up its too slow, although you may be able to use computers at school
4.) What about health insurance? Do students need to look for their own or are there options with the school? What is the health insurance Budget Adjustment?
I got BCBSKC it is decent but expensive, SOMA from the AOA is a good plan I think because its more flexible, you got to read and decide what you're looking for yourself...the financial aid will adjust accordingly your package...www.studentdo.net is the website I think for SOMA information
5.) Great job with the list of books we need and don't need. Can anyone recommend more of those?
BRS Pathology, BRS Physiology, NETTERS, Simmons OPP I read all these completely...I think there are others like First Aid, micro made simple, Dubin EKG, again I read all of these too, Mosby guide to physical exam, histology textbook by junquera...those are the ones I know I got my money's worth on...there are others I used in each individual section...
6.) How bad does the weather get in the winters? I'm from TX and cannot comprehend snow. I went to the SDN meet in NYC this past January and almost died b/c of the freezing cold and driving/walking through the snow was horrible during the big thunderstorm. Will it get so bad in KC?
It snows here 4-5 times this year, last year one time...otherwise its ICE I grew up in NYC area and Michigan so its not cold for me...its 30 degrees.
7.) When is everyone moving? Anyone want to get together for a pre-orientation meet up?
Our class leaves the area the end of July...so have a fun orientation week and remember to pace yourself...and don't in class like me...you'll be in the follies videos ...be careful with dress code cause now they have a check off list of what everyone does...our class doesn't have a checklist...but the class of 2008 has one and they could tell you more about what the requirements are...

Good Luck...

 

[MGoBlueDO]

Opps here's soma insurance: http://www.studentdo.com/benefits/index.html

Put wrong link above...I'm not sure how great it is...

 

[MGoBlueDO]

ABOUT NOTEPOOL above...it depends on your class...our first year it sucked...but clsoer to boards it got better... I was in it both years and its worth it if you know whose scribing and our class runs it like communism...we are strict on fining and kicking out people who don't follow the guidelines...then we formed our own mini-notepool a group of us are also in notepool and we share notes that are really detailed and filled in with the BRS series information that way you study both...also STUDY Path...it'll help you a ton in the long run even if its not worth a lot of points...it is like 60% + on your board exams...ERF is a good teacher after 2 years I realized that...he's unique in his approach but we had 2 other pathology lecturers one for Liver damage first year, was the most boring guy ever known to lecture...i mean the lights were off too...but he was horrible...plus the packet was a million pages long, that didn't help too...but those are things I wish I knew when I started...also...try to keep up with all the work...your body adjusts to the enviroment...but pace yourself...

 

[MGoBlueDO]

If anyone needs books...I'll be moving in July and I'll give a fair price on them...they are both textbook adn BRS series sicne I want to buy actual specialty specific texts next summer since that is when you use them for the rest of your life...also, if you have questions you can PM me although I don't log in every day or week...I can try...we're all busy studying for boards...also I lived in CT for 2 years and know MS 3 and MS 4s who passed on info to me on stuff pertaining to school after MS 1.

Sorry for all the posts...jsut wanted to add those random thoughts I had cause I can't sleep...we just finished Human Development and now its only P or F from this point on...so its a big stress relief...although we still need to study...

 

[cooldreams]

hey, drove by the school today, noticed some tv reports just outside of the school. were they there for the school?? i also noticed a bunch of interviewees... good luck

 

[Prisoner 37927]

I was there in class today and didn't notice the tv reporters ... maybe some homeless guy or hooker was hit by a car trying to cross Independence as we all will be doing in the near future. Kinda like a reality "Frogger" only there are no resets. Did see the interviewess though but I think that your class is full right now but the master's program still has slots so they were probably there for that.

hey, drove by the school today, noticed some tv reports just outside of the school. were they there for the school?? i also noticed a bunch of interviewees... good luck

 

[cooldreams]

I was there in class today and didn't notice the tv reporters ... maybe some homeless guy or hooker was hit by a car trying to cross Independence as we all will be doing in the near future. Kinda like a reality "Frogger" only there are no resets. Did see the interviewess though but I think that your class is full right now but the master's program still has slots so they were probably there for that.

oh yea, wonder how that is going to work come august? is the research facility open yet? is that where they will be??

 

[Prisoner 37927]

Yeah it is open. They are in the process of moving people over into that building right now and putting the finishing touches on. IT finally moved. That should free up some more study rooms in Smith Hall. They are interviewing right now to fill in a class for the master's program in biosciences or whatever it is supposed to be.

oh yea, wonder how that is going to work come august? is the research facility open yet? is that where they will be??

 

[MGoBlueDO]

A 7 year old was hit by a car this morning...around 7:30AM