Official Njms Class Of 2009 Thread

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4 Ever said:
If you already found housing and youre 100% set on living there, then don't bother going to the housing session. Just keep in mind they usually have a luncheon after it so if you missed the january one, this one is one to go to (especially if its your birthday around then - free netters)

financial aid is nothing more than an estimate of loans - most of the times theyre more than happy to give you more money to borrow. Just go into the financial aid office and talk to ______ (i forget her name) and she will adjust it and send you the re-adjusted package later. You wont get your money til early to mid august so plan accordingly

if you are wondering what to do for studying until then, i say NOTHING!! i used to say "well read this, read that" but seriously, dont bother - the amount you will learn will be maybe 2 days worth of studying in med school. you will probably forget most things anyways so why bother wasting the fun time you have left?

during the housing session do we actually visit places that are good to live?

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drguy22 said:
during the housing session do we actually visit places that are good to live?

yes and no - some homeowners from the ironbound section shall be there to showcase their homes and you can follow them afterwards to see what the houses and the area looks like

some students may also show you some of their homes in the SH area. Aside from that, there will just be a panel where upperclassmen will talk about where they live and why its great for them.

thats about as close as you'll get to a tour of the living areas. if you find a few willing students, you can ask them to show you their homes
 
Hi guys,
how much financial aid (scholarships, grants) do NJ schools give? Is it possible to get them at all or it's all loans?
Also what's their official tuition rate w/out the housing?
 
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mdforlife said:
Hi guys,
how much financial aid (scholarships, grants) do NJ schools give? Is it possible to get them at all or it's all loans?
Also what's their official tuition rate w/out the housing?


I don't know of any entering scholarships/grants for MS-I students outside of the Humanism scholarships. However, that doesn't mean such things don't exist--students aren't trumpeting their financial aid packages/status to the entire class.

There are, however, lots of scholarships available starting after first year (Alumni Association, different cultural-org. scholarships, etc) the latter of which might be available starting in first year. Contact the Financial Aid office to find out.

Tuition for the 2005-2006 school year hasn't been set yet I don't think but for 2004-2005 tuition (minus fees) was $20,567 and with fees was $23,201 (I think the fees also include the University Health Insurance, which if you have your own insurance you can waive, saving about $1,700)
 
Dr. Oc and 4Ever, where is Ironbound with regards to the school? Im not familiar with that housing place, could you give a few details if you know? Good place to live; are students happy there you think? Decent prices? Thanks again!
 
Blue Scrub said:
Dr. Oc and 4Ever, where is Ironbound with regards to the school? Im not familiar with that housing place, could you give a few details if you know? Good place to live; are students happy there you think? Decent prices? Thanks again!

I found this link off of the Rutgers Newark website. It's a bunch of off-campus listings you guys might be interested in and Ironbound Newark is one of them.

http://housing.newark.rutgers.edu/off_campus_housing_list2.htm
 
So, I really wished I could have joined this page on a happy note, but I was put on the dreaded waitlist. I emailed dr. heinrich and he told me that "though I'm not on a place on the waitlist they normally reach, they will reevaluate in june and you never know". So, I guess I'm not holding my breath, though I just wanted to say hi to y'all.
 
Cutiepi27 said:
So, I really wished I could have joined this page on a happy note, but I was put on the dreaded waitlist. I emailed dr. heinrich and he told me that "though I'm not on a place on the waitlist they normally reach, they will reevaluate in june and you never know". So, I guess I'm not holding my breath, though I just wanted to say hi to y'all.

g'luck!
 
Anyone hear of any scholarship offers yet? RWJ offered me some money and I'm wondering if NJMS will be sending out the offers soon.
 
Blue Scrub said:
Dr. Oc and 4Ever, where is Ironbound with regards to the school? Im not familiar with that housing place, could you give a few details if you know? Good place to live; are students happy there you think? Decent prices? Thanks again!

Hi, the start of Ironbound section of Newark isn't too far from the medical school the distance depends what part of the Ironbound you live in, you could be as close as 10 minutes. Parking is usually an issue because you have to park on the street. There aren't many apartments in the Ironbound, but you can get a spot in a two family home or something. I'm originally from the Ironbound and all our family friends kept their old houses and rent them out. What they ask for is comparable to what you'd pay at Society Hill, but there's no gated community/gym/etc. If you really want to live in Newark, I'd say go for Society Hill first, but if you're willing to live elsewhere, my suggestion is to try Montclair, it's a really great place: coffee shops, resturants, indie movie theatres.
I lived in the Ironbound for a long time, and still go there very often. It's safe but you're not going to get that young adult/student atmosphere that you would get in Society Hill or a place like Montclair. If that doesnt' bother you and you want something cheaper, the surrounding areas like Hillside and Union are urban but small (and safer) and not bad places to live. I live in Union and it takes me 20 minutes to get from my kitchen to the Norfolk St. parking deck (and I don't take highways).
If you have any other questions, let me know. I have contacts in the Ironbound and surrounding areas.
 
untildawnbreaks said:
Hi, the start of Ironbound section of Newark isn't too far from the medical school the distance depends what part of the Ironbound you live in, you could be as close as 10 minutes. Parking is usually an issue because you have to park on the street. There aren't many apartments in the Ironbound, but you can get a spot in a two family home or something. I'm originally from the Ironbound and all our family friends kept their old houses and rent them out. What they ask for is comparable to what you'd pay at Society Hill, but there's no gated community/gym/etc. If you really want to live in Newark, I'd say go for Society Hill first, but if you're willing to live elsewhere, my suggestion is to try Montclair, it's a really great place: coffee shops, resturants, indie movie theatres.
I lived in the Ironbound for a long time, and still go there very often. It's safe but you're not going to get that young adult/student atmosphere that you would get in Society Hill or a place like Montclair. If that doesnt' bother you and you want something cheaper, the surrounding areas like Hillside and Union are urban but small (and safer) and not bad places to live. I live in Union and it takes me 20 minutes to get from my kitchen to the Norfolk St. parking deck (and I don't take highways).
If you have any other questions, let me know. I have contacts in the Ironbound and surrounding areas.


How far is Montclair from campus and do you know of any particular places in Montclair?
 
vish57 said:
How far is Montclair from campus and do you know of any particular places in Montclair?

Untildawnbreaks, thanks for the reply! Yes, I heard good things about Montclair as well.....one of my tour guides at the Jan. luncheon said she was going to live there for next school year.....do you know anymore about it? Sounds like a nice area to live in....
 
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Blue Scrub said:
Untildawnbreaks, thanks for the reply! Yes, I heard good things about Montclair as well.....one of my tour guides at the Jan. luncheon said she was going to live there for next school year.....do you know anymore about it? Sounds like a nice area to live in....

Hey, Montclair is really nice. I hung out a lot there when I was in high school. It's not too far from the medical school, I don't know what rush hour is like on the parkway going to University Heights because I always take local roads in. If you call local real estate agents or just check listings, you'll find what's available. I would think a lot of students live in the area, since there's a university in town so real estate agents should know what you're looking for. My only comment is, there is a "ghetto" part of Montclair so just make sure you check the place out.
 
untildawnbreaks said:
Hey, Montclair is really nice. I hung out a lot there when I was in high school. It's not too far from the medical school, I don't know what rush hour is like on the parkway going to University Heights because I always take local roads in. If you call local real estate agents or just check listings, you'll find what's available. I would think a lot of students live in the area, since there's a university in town so real estate agents should know what you're looking for. My only comment is, there is a "ghetto" part of Montclair so just make sure you check the place out.

Sounds good! I think I may look into that area...sounds like an area I would like to live in, but we'll see :thumbup:
 
http://www.njequities.com/

check this out....im gonna be checkin out hallmark house, Colannade park, and pavillion plaza...they all look great. Hallmark house is only 1.4 miles from school!!!
 
To the current NJMSers, how hard is it to find housing? I'm stressing out about this a bit... I will only be in New Jersey for about a week (same week as housing day...) and then in NJ for a week before school starts.

I need a roommate too! Did any of you meet your future roommate(s) on housing day?
 
drguy22 said:
http://www.njequities.com/

check this out....im gonna be checkin out hallmark house, Colannade park, and pavillion plaza...they all look great. Hallmark house is only 1.4 miles from school!!!

Wow those places look pretty nice and at decent prices!! Nice find DrGuy! :thumbup:
 
I did not meet my roommates at housing day, but found a listing a few weeks later through the school's "housing clearinghouse" website that you get access to at the housing expo. It took me about a week and a half to iron out all the details which was great since I was only home in NJ for about a week or so in July. Housing day also has a bunch of 1st and 2nd years who have upcoming vacancies in their apartments so you may be able to snag a deal that day.
 
this may be a little early to ask, but im curious....how do you current NJMSers study? Do you just mainly study off your own notes, and the note taking service notes, and supplementing all that by reading a little bit in the books? What's the best way you've found to study for the classes at NJMS?
 
i checked out two of the places on that website i posted...and i hated one (pavillion plaza) and the other one is awesome (Hallmark House). I think i mite have found a place to live.

-its 1.3 miles from NJMS door to door.
-downtown newark(nice place)
-rite across from city hall, police dept, and post office
-on broad street
-nice restaraunts around there
- subway subs rite across the street:)
- Dunkin donuts across the stree:) breakfast!
-gated parking
-24 hr security
-and all utilities paid!...total with parking will be bout $830/month for studio.

ima gonna check a few more places out...and then decide.
 
drguy, what was it that turned you off about pavilion plaza? it looked pretty cool online, but then again so did the dump I live in currently.
 
davidthegnome said:
drguy, what was it that turned you off about pavilion plaza? it looked pretty cool online, but then again so did the dump I live in currently.
well i parked and then i saw this guy come and jump into the dumpster. he was mad scary man. Then i walked into the rental office, they were MAD rude. "O sorry we dont have time to show you an apartment". The office was junk. etc etc...then i saw hallmark house:)
 
bumpity bump...i gotta save this thread from goin to the abyss....
 
Blue Scrub said:
this may be a little early to ask, but im curious....how do you current NJMSers study? Do you just mainly study off your own notes, and the note taking service notes, and supplementing all that by reading a little bit in the books? What's the best way you've found to study for the classes at NJMS?

Can someone answer this question for us? and thanks to anyone that does :thumbup:
 
Blue Scrub said:
this may be a little early to ask, but im curious....how do you current NJMSers study? Do you just mainly study off your own notes, and the note taking service notes, and supplementing all that by reading a little bit in the books? What's the best way you've found to study for the classes at NJMS?

Definitely a bit early to ask and when you DO ask during orientation, you might get various responses. Most of which include "Well everyone has their own style, you just have to figure it out on your own". So, that being said, I will agree with the statement though I hated hearing it.

Here is what I recommend:

Get the scribe service but do NOT get the printed copies. You will just get frustrated since you are paying extra for them but they dont get printed on time. You're better off ONLY getting the online version and printing them when they get posted. You'll get the notes MUCH faster.

go to the classes (many students might recommend not going) and when you get, you might even feel as if its a waste of your time. Most people think they will take that class time and study but it hardly works out that way. Its more of an excuse to sleep in and do other things. Also, sometimes things stick in your head that will pop up on an exam just because you happened to be paying attention at the right time.

aside from that, get tips from the right people in the class. Sometimes I received the worst advice from upperclassmen and its not because they were gunning - they just forgot what it was like back then.

so, now just relax and do whatever you can to get your mind dumbed down for med school. Youll need all the empty space in your head later when classes start
 
Thanks for the response 4Ever...Im sure we'll all figure out our own studying behaviors once we start...and yeah I cant wait to hear everyone's 2 cents on studying habits when we first start, that will be crazy!!

I checked out Montclair this past Saturday, and the town seems really nice...Bloomfield St is the main street, with a bunch of restaurants, shops and all kinds of other stores, etc. Def a nice place to live, and the rent prices dont seem too bad either....wouldnt mind living there....only 1 exit away from UMDNJ off of I-280, or you can take Bloomfield St down all the way to the campus....dont know much else yet but I'll let you know once I do more research on the place...
 
Blue Scrub said:
Thanks for the response 4Ever...Im sure we'll all figure out our own studying behaviors once we start...and yeah I cant wait to hear everyone's 2 cents on studying habits when we first start, that will be crazy!!

I checked out Montclair this past Saturday, and the town seems really nice...Bloomfield St is the main street, with a bunch of restaurants, shops and all kinds of other stores, etc. Def a nice place to live, and the rent prices dont seem too bad either....wouldnt mind living there....only 1 exit away from UMDNJ off of I-280, or you can take Bloomfield St down all the way to the campus....dont know much else yet but I'll let you know once I do more research on the place...

That sounds awesome, but does anybody know how long of a drive it is from Montclair to UMDNJ during rush hour and during off-peak hours?
 
thehomez66 said:
That sounds awesome, but does anybody know how long of a drive it is from Montclair to UMDNJ during rush hour and during off-peak hours?

I'm not positive but I think the Parkway exits for Montclair and University Heights are either after one another or separated by one or two exits. So off-peak it should be really quick. I hear the Parkway is a nightmare during rush hour...
 
I have been in newark for 5 years , I go to school there . lol

Best advise is to get a place around the iron bound area. If you have the $$ , the society hill apt's are real nice. Personally , I would drive the extra 15 min and get a place in a better town such as belleville , clifton , or nutley. Preferably something right off route 21 so that you can jump right onto the highway.
 
bigdan said:
good look on the info, PKP.

dc

no problem ,

the best place to eat when you feeling the munchies after 12 is TOP's Diner . Great food , good people ... when you get to oreintation .. you will find out the deal with that .

lol .. there is a russian tity strip club in newark as well .Its off rt 21 going north .. believe me..Its NOT THAT GHETTO AT ALL :thumbup:

later
 
thehomez66 said:
That sounds awesome, but does anybody know how long of a drive it is from Montclair to UMDNJ during rush hour and during off-peak hours?

not exactly sure...but I mapquested it basically from the middle of bloomfield ave (downtown area of montclair) to umdnj campus....it was about 7 miles, so i'd say with no traffic, about 10-15 min....with rush hour traffic depending on the severity, could be anything from 30-60 min?
 
Blue Scrub said:
not exactly sure...but I mapquested it basically from the middle of bloomfield ave (downtown area of montclair) to umdnj campus....it was about 7 miles, so i'd say with no traffic, about 10-15 min....with rush hour traffic depending on the severity, could be anything from 30-60 min?

Thanks alot for looking that up, appreciate it, and from what I hear its not a bad place to live. And thanks for some good advice on that russian joint pkp :laugh:
 
thehomez66 said:
Thanks alot for looking that up, appreciate it, and from what I hear its not a bad place to live. And thanks for some good advice on that russian joint pkp :laugh:

no prob! its def a nice area, the downtown area at least...you can tell, i mean i havent been to the other surrounding towns which im sure are nice as well, but once you get to downtown montclair its very nice, i would love to live there....and for how nice it is, the rent prices from what I've seen are really decent.....im def gonna check out some other areas though as well, and i'll post anything else i find!
 
Blue Scrub said:
no prob! its def a nice area, the downtown area at least...you can tell, i mean i havent been to the other surrounding towns which im sure are nice as well, but once you get to downtown montclair its very nice, i would love to live there....and for how nice it is, the rent prices from what I've seen are really decent.....im def gonna check out some other areas though as well, and i'll post anything else i find!

ima gonna check out montclair as well....but so far, Hallmark house is sounding good for me......
 
To the NJMS entering class:

This article was recently published about exciting research at New
Jersey Medical School!


REGENERATING HOPE FOR A PARALYSIS CURE
Monday, March 07, 2005 BY CAROL ANN CAMPBELL
Star-Ledger

Very soon, perhaps in a few days or weeks, someone in the United States
will injure his or her spinal cord and become paralyzed. They may crash
their car, slip on ice or fall at a job site.
One of these newly injured people may be transported to Newark for an
experimental treatment that is invigorating the search for a paralysis
cure.
University Hospital is one of three sites nationally that is testing
specially treated immune cells -- called macrophages -- that are
injected into the spinal cord. The treatment may not help patients walk,
but they may be able to regain sensations or recover some movement.
Proponents want to open new avenues of research, and counter thinking
that the spinal cord can never be repaired.
"This is the first real, approved effort in humans," said Robert F.
Heary, the neurosurgeon who will perform the intricate procedure. He is
an associate professor at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School. "Other
treatments have only been done on animals."
Anything that regenerates the spinal cord would be heralded since
little now can help the more than 11,000 Americans who suffer the
injuries each year.
Criteria for the study are strict: Patients must have been injured
within 10 or 11 days; have a complete spinal cord injury, which means no
feeling below the site of the injury, and be otherwise healthy.
As Heary waits for a patient, he spreads the word to trauma centers
nationwide. Patients who meet the criteria will be transferred to
University Hospital or Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, or a
third site in Denver.
The study is the second round of patient experiments with macrophages.
Macrophages have been likened to little fire engines, rushing to the
scene of injury, cleaning up debris, and then secreting chemicals that
aid in healing and regeneration. Macrophages work well through most of
the body, but not in the spinal cord.
The macrophage treatment, developed by Proneuron Biologies Inc., an
Israeli company, takes macrophages removed from skin and blood in the
patient's own upper arm. The cells are then treated to help them work in
the spinal cord. Then, they are injected back into the patient through a
micro-neurosurgical operation. The operation enables the macrophages to
circumvent barriers that keep them out of the central nervous system. In
Phase I trials in Israel and Belgium, which began in 2001, the treatment
was given to 14 newly injured people. Thirty percent showed significant
improvement.
In Newark, once a patient is brought to the spine center, Heary will
remove cells. The cells will be activated at Progenitor Cell Therapy in
Hackensack with technology based on research by Michal Schwartz of
Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science.
"Things have to move quickly," said Karen Kepler, director of the
Spinal Cord Injury Program at the medical school and a co-investigator
of the study, which is also being coordinated by the Kessler Institute
of Rehabilitation in West Orange.
Researchers must learn of a person's injury as soon as possible,
hopefully by day five. Patients must get to Newark by day 10 or 11. It
takes 36 hours from the time the cells are removed until they are
transplanted in the two-hour procedure, which must be completed 14 days
after the injury. The study will end after researchers at all sites have
enrolled 61 people.
One third of the patients will not get the treatment, however.
"This is science," Kepler said. "We have to have a control group to
determine if changes are really due to the treatment and not to any
natural recovery process." Kepler acknowledged that telling a person who
made it into the trial that they will not get the experiment will be
wrenching.
A SUCCESS STORYJustin D. Richardson, a 24-year-old college student in
North Carolina, is among the few to undergo the macrophage procedure. He
was 22, a competitive swimmer who trained lifeguards, when he was out
with friends at a pool on Aug. 10, 2003. He dived in without looking.
"I nailed my head on the stairs," he said in an interview from his
apartment in Raleigh. "I should have known better."
He was paralyzed from the chest down. A family friend had seen news of
a macrophage study in Israel.
Richardson was only the 15th person to get the transplant and he had no
idea if it would work. After the accident, he had limited use of his
hands, which curled into claws. He could feel nothing from his mid-chest
down. A month after the injections, while still in the hospital, he
could feel clothes being slipped off his legs. Soon, doctors asked him
to close his eyes and he was able to tell them where they were touching
him.
"In the past year-and-a-half, every single muscle and nerve in my hand
has come back. That's the main thing I am thankful for," he said. He now
has some bladder sensation, and normal touch sensation from his stomach
up. He can use a wheelchair and live on his own, and has returned to
college.
"This treatment has allowed me to go back to the life I had, as much as
I can in a wheelchair," he said. "Doctors said they would not be
surprised if I continued to improve."
REEVE'S DEATH WAS SETBACK
The 250,000 Americans with spinal cord injuries need good news. The
past six months have been difficult.
The October death of Christopher Reeve, the actor paralyzed after
falling from a horse nine years ago, was a blow. Another hit came with
comments by U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, who criticized vice presidential
candidate John Edwards when he said stem cell research could help people
like Reeve walk again. Frist, a physician, called the comments
"shameful" and said they gave people false hope.
Wise Young, the noted spinal cord researcher at Rutgers University,
said comments by Frist hurt people still stung by Reeve's death.
"Here we had the Senate majority leader saying that people should not
even hope," Young said. "His message drove in pessimism."
Young, whose own work has shown promise in labs, called macrophages "a
very interesting hypothesis." He said other potential treatments are
moving forward.
On April 12, people with paralysis plan a rally in Washington, D.C., to
push for money to take promising lab treatments -- some have enabled
paralyzed rats to walk -- and test them in people. Dana Reeve,
Christopher's widow, will speak.
Richardson also plans to talk about his experience.
"These trials are so important," he said. "I will tell people how I
benefited from one."
 
Did any of you guys get your financial aid letters/packages yet?


May 15 is coming up soon.
 
Axe said:
Did any of you guys get your financial aid letters/packages yet?


May 15 is coming up soon.
nope..not yet...soon though..i hope.
 
drguy22 said:
ima gonna check out montclair as well....but so far, Hallmark house is sounding good for me......

Yeah I want to check out those housing places you posted....as well as the other towns such as West Orange, Nutley, Clifton, and the Ironbound area that was also mentioned....I dont think we'll need to worry about checking out Society Hill, Im sure we can check it out at the luncheon....I actually stayed there for my interview with a friend, they are pretty nice places, I liked them
 
Hey, drguy, on your profile it says August 11th. Is that when classes start or when orientation starts for us?

I'm splitting hairs because I need to figure out how I'm going to find an apartment and furniture and all these crazy things in about a week in the beginning of august.
 
August 11th is the start of the mandatory orientation. classes start the next week....
 
so whose parents are goin to parents day this upcoming sat? I wonder wat theyre gonna do there... :cool:
 
My parents might go.

Have you guys heard from financial aid yet? I heard of someone who heard from RWJ already about financial aid... when are they going to let us know about NJMS? I got something that told me to do that online loan counseling thing, but that's it so far.
 
UDbiochem said:
My parents might go.

Have you guys heard from financial aid yet? I heard of someone who heard from RWJ already about financial aid... when are they going to let us know about NJMS? I got something that told me to do that online loan counseling thing, but that's it so far.
when i called on the 15th, they said that they were working on it rite now....so i assume soon. i got a $1000 scholarship/year from the middlesex medical association:) (nothing from NJMS yet... :confused: )
 
drguy22 said:
when i called on the 15th, they said that they were working on it rite now....so i assume soon. i got a $1000 scholarship/year from the middlesex medical association:) (nothing from NJMS yet... :confused: )

congrats on the scholarship drguy! every little bit helps.....UDbiochem I also got this notice saying I had to complete this "Online Entrance Interview" (not sure if that's what you got or not), but I did that already last week....my guess is they may wait for everyone to complete those entrance interviews before anyone gets their financial aid package?

Im going in for my 2nd TB shot tomorrow (part 2 of the 2-step ppd thing) so Ill prob have all my health forms sent in by the end of this week........my parents said they'll be going to Parents Day! I didnt get to check out any other living areas this weekend, hopefully next weekend.....anyone else check out anywhere this past weekend?
 
Blue Scrub said:
congrats on the scholarship drguy! every little bit helps.....UDbiochem I also got this notice saying I had to complete this "Online Entrance Interview" (not sure if that's what you got or not), but I did that already last week....my guess is they may wait for everyone to complete those entrance interviews before anyone gets their financial aid package?

Im going in for my 2nd TB shot tomorrow (part 2 of the 2-step ppd thing) so Ill prob have all my health forms sent in by the end of this week........my parents said they'll be going to Parents Day! I didnt get to check out any other living areas this weekend, hopefully next weekend.....anyone else check out anywhere this past weekend?


i didnt get a letter for an online enterance thingy.....

btw...can u guys rate this thread (5star preferably..)
 
Blue Scrub said:
UDbiochem I also got this notice saying I had to complete this "Online Entrance Interview" (not sure if that's what you got or not), but I did that already last week....my guess is they may wait for everyone to complete those entrance interviews before anyone gets their financial aid package?

Yup, that's what I got. Maybe it's a good sign you didn't have to do it, drguy! Or maybe you'll just get it soon.
 
UDbiochem said:
Yup, that's what I got. Maybe it's a good sign you didn't have to do it, drguy! Or maybe you'll just get it soon.
i wont have to do it...i called and they said that i was complete..and they didnt need anything else from me. i dunno...i just wish i could get some scholarship money...... :cool:
 
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