===Penn State Class of 2011===

[Scalpellum]

I wanted to ask your opinion on this; I currently own a desktop which I am happy with. It is relatively easy to work with, even though it is of course much heavier and not as portable as a laptop. (I was thinking about getting one of those thin flat screen monitors because I currently own one of those big monitors which are of course so hard to move around. But then again, I will certainly not do that if I actually end up buying a laptop.)

I know that PSU recommends that we buy a laptop, but since I will be living on-campus and I will have access to computers on campus and my desktop when I spend time back in my room, do I really need to get a laptop? My dad keeps telling me that I do for a better quality of education.

I am not saying these because I don't want to spend the money on a laptop, but I just wanted to see what you guys think.

How about the PSU's laptop program? Are you guys going with that?

I have the PSU laptop and it sucks. It freezes all of the time. Sometimes when I close the laptop it stays on so it heats up. Also the arrow cursor moves randomly sometimes. I have a few friends who a couple of their key pads fell off. I do not recommend the PSU laptop. You can get a better laptop for cheaper.

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[baboola]

thanks for clearing things up!

on second day look someone asked if a car is necessary. I believe the answer was yes then. How necessary is a car? Will we have to drive often or will most of the time be spent on campus?

 

[Futuredoc1364]

I just received my on-campus housing package today!! yay~

I got my housing assignment yesterday as well. So what exactly are we supposed to return to the housing office? As long as I have figured out, we need to submit the rent for Aug. and also the leasing agreement.

I also received the email from the admissions office regarding my transcript. My undergraduate school will post my degree on my transcript on June 14, and I have asked them to send my transcript after that date. I want to make sure PSU gets my transcript soon.

 

[baboola]

I think it's just the lease agreement form that we have to return now? I still don't have my PSU ID so I can't fill out the other forms (ie. charge to account form, vaccination form)

 

[FDoRoML]

Hi Everyone. Sorry I've been in absentia for a while! Busy times...

So, first, yeah-- laptops through PSU are not recommended by many of us, for couple of GOOD reasons.
1. You can get the same or better, cheaper.
2. They have control over it-- they have installed a bunch of crap that they think is necessary (it makes it much like all the slow desktops available for use on-campus!). It slows down the PC and often causes crashes- 3rd party software that doesn't make nice-nice with Windoze. If you know an average amount about computers, you will get a much more reliable machine by controlling it yourself. Just download the free Norton Corporate AV available to all of us so you're safe for on and off-campus usage. Also, you should have Windows XP *Pro* or Vista Pro, not "home" edition.

Things you miss out on with your own laptop--
Groupwise (the program itself)- but you have access to your Groupwise email on and off campus through the web. No skin of my back, personally.
Printing server- OK, so this is a pain. They would install the print server on the PSU laptop so you can hit print and it gets queued into the system and you can go to just about any printer within the next day or so to print it off (for a fee!). If I want to print at school, I either email myself the file or use a flash drive and take it to one of the desktops to print. Most often, I print from home. It's cheaper. There have been occasions when I forgot, though, but it's really not that big of a deal because you can almost always be guaranteed to get onto a desktop (library or PBL rooms).

And now, just a note-- not sure if this has been discussed yet or not. Books:

I mentioned the AMSA sale earlier- go to this if you can (Sunday at the end of your orientation week). You will be provided with booklists of required and recommended (by your peers) books. Keep in mind just about everyone has a different studying method and some will tell you books are 100% useless, some swear by them. Guage it on yourself.

One note about a book the AMSA sale will not have- for anatomy (and embryology) this year, you will be using a new book. Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (the really big, really expensive one!-- close to $200). Start searching now if you want to try and find a used one-- check the textbook websites and also half.com and amazon used books. I think it's in the 39th edition and there's an e-edition and a regular one (the e-edition has online resources). I wouldn't say that one's necessary, since it's substantially more than the regular one. Just know that the newer edition has a blue cover with a picture of a person's back muscles-- the 38th looks quite different.

 

[Futuredoc1364]

Thanks for your post FDoRoML. Regarding the housing material which we are supposed to return to the housing office, I read that we need to send a check for $689. So does this mean that the loans we will take will be used for the remainder of the months, or will we get reimbursed for the month of Aug. also? I know this seems like a silly question, but it is good to be clear about financial matters.

 

[NYyanx28]

Figured I'de bump with a question. Could any current students give me an idea of the supermarket scene? I typically cook a lot for myself and was wondering if there are any stores that are better for meat, produce, etc.

Also, does anyone remember if there is a microwave already in the University Manor East apartments?

Any help would be great as I would otherwise be doing my first shopping blind.

 

[Docfarm]

Does anyone know someone who has gotten off the hold list in the past couple years? Do you have any tips for doing so?

 

[reecie89]

They just sent an email asking about students who want to defer, do they do that every year or do you think they over-accepted?

We should get the money back for the 1st months rent in our first loan disbursement, right?

 

[LT2]

They just sent an email asking about students who want to defer, do they do that every year or do you think they over-accepted?

We should get the money back for the 1st months rent in our first loan disbursement, right?

wow, defer? they didn't do that last year. they must have over-accepted again!

last year the hold list did not move at all. they had over-accepted and we ended up with ~15 more students that we should have. sounds like they might be in the same boat this year. good luck with the hold!

as for groceries, there is a Kern's (i think) right by campus off 322. there is also a giant on cocoa not too far from the school. i've never shopped at the Kern's so i can't say anything about it. the giant is nice although somewhat expensive. there is a wal-fart in palmyra, right off 422 (about 10 min from campus). it's another place to buy food (CHEAP) if you are ok shopping at wal-fart. i have yet to find a place with good produce though. my goal is to find some of the local farmers market when i get back.

 

[Scalpellum]

thanks for clearing things up!

on second day look someone asked if a car is necessary. I believe the answer was yes then. How necessary is a car? Will we have to drive often or will most of the time be spent on campus?

I don't think a car is really necessary. I live in briarcrest and I can just walk to school in about 10 minutes. There are a couple of grocery stores close by as well. I am not sure about the last 2 years when you do away rotations. A car might be needed then. Not sure though because I am only a 2nd year. Overall, I think if you can afford a car I would go ahead and get one because it would make life easier.

 

[Scalpellum]

Figured I'de bump with a question. Could any current students give me an idea of the supermarket scene? I typically cook a lot for myself and was wondering if there are any stores that are better for meat, produce, etc.

Also, does anyone remember if there is a microwave already in the University Manor East apartments?

Any help would be great as I would otherwise be doing my first shopping blind.

Also to add to LT2 there is a Sams Club on the 322 and a Costco off of 83 (take 22/colonial park exit). From experience I believe Costco is better than Sam's Club but is also a little bit farther from the school. These stores have really good meat/produce and most of their food is in bulk. Did I mention the free samples!!

 

[Scalpellum]

Also to add to what FDoRoML said about the AMSA book sale. Make sure to get to the AMSA book sale early!! Once you get in there will be a big free for all. Also if you join AMSA or AMA (not sure which one) but you get a Free Netter's (Anatomy Atlas). This book is essential for anatomy.

 

[Scalpellum]

Not sure if someone posted the 2007 match list for Penn State so here it is:

Penn State Match List 2007

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anesthesiology (11)
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Anesthesiology
UPMC Medical Education Prog Pittsburgh PA Anesthesiology
UPMC Medical Education Prog Pittsburgh PA Anesthesiology
U Rochester/Strong Mem Rochester NY Anesthesiology
B I Deaconess Med Ctr Boston MA Anesthesiology
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Anesthesiology
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Med Ctr Lebanon NH Anesthesiology
U Southern California Los Angeles CA Anesthesiology
UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles CA Anesthesiology
Hosp of the Univ of PA Philadelphia PA Anesthesiology
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Anesthesiology

Child Neurology (1)
Johns Hopkins Hosp Baltimore MD Child Neurology

Dermatology (3)
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Dermatology
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Dermatology
UVM/Fletcher Allen Burlington VT Dermatology

Emergency Medicine (7)
Long Island Jewish Med Ctr Long Island NY Emergency Medicine
University Hosp-Cincinnati Cincinnati OH Emergency Medicine
N Shore U-Manhasset Manhasset NY Emergency Medicine
York Hospital York PA Emergency Medicine
U Massachusetts Med School Worchester MA Emergency Medicine
St Lukes-Roosevelt New York NY Emergency Medicine
Lackland AirForce Base San Antonio TX Emergency Medicine

Family Medicine (15)
Christiana Care-Health Services Wilmington DE Family Medicine
UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh PA Family Medicine
St Vincent Hlth Ctr Erie PA Family Medicine
David Grant Medical Center-Travis AFB Fairfield CA Family Medicine
Mount Carmel Health Columbus OH Family Medicine
Banner Good Samaritan Med Ctr Phoenix AZ Family Practice
Lancaster Gen Hosp Lancaster PA Family Practice
Lancaster Gen Hosp Lancaster PA Family Practice
York Hospital York PA Family Practice
Hosp of the Univ of PA Philadelphia PA Family Practice
Stamford Hosp/Columbia Stamford CT Family Practice
UC San Francisco San Francisco CA Family Practice
Lancaster Gen Hosp Lancaster PA Family Practice
NYP Hosp-Columbia Univ Med Ctr New York NY Family Practice
Lancaster Gen Hosp Lancaster PA Family Practice

General Surgery (5)
North Shore-LIJ Health Sys Manhasset NY Gen Surgery/Manhasset
B I Deaconess Med Ctr Boston MA General Surgery
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA General Surgery
York Hospital York PA General Surgery
New Hanover Reg Med Ctr Wilmington NC General Surgery

Internal Medicine (17)
Thomas Jefferson Univ Philadelphia PA Internal Medicine
Indiana Univ Sch Of Med Indianapolis IN Internal Medicine
UMDNJ-R W Johnson-Piscataway New Brunswick NJ Internal Medicine
Prov Portland Med Ctr Portland OR Internal Medicine
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Internal Medicine
Temple Univ Hosp Philadelphia PA Internal Medicine
B I Deaconess Med Ctr Boston MA Internal Medicine
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Internal Medicine
U Southern California Los Angeles CA Internal Medicine
University of Virginia Charlottesville VA Internal Medicine
Massachusetts Gen Hosp Boston MA Internal Medicine
George Washington Univ Washington DC Internal Medicine
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Internal Medicine
Mayo Graduate SOM Scottsdale AZ Internal Medicine
SUNY HSC Brooklyn Brooklyn NY Internal Medicine
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Internal Medicine
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Internal Medicine

Medicine Pediatrics (2)
U Michigan Hosps-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor MI Medicine-Pediatrics
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Medicine-Pediatrics

Medicine-Psychiatry (1)
Rush University Med Ctr Chicago IL Medicine-Psychiatry

Neurological Surgery (2)
University of Minnesota Minneapolis MN Neurological Surgery
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Neurological Surgery

Neuology (4)
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Neurology
U Rochester/Strong Mem Rochester NY Neurology
Einstein/Montefiore Med Ctr Bronx NY Neurology
Univ of Chicago Med Ctr Chicago IL Neurology

Obstetrics-Gynecology (8)
U Massachusetts Med School Worchester MA Obstetrics-Gynecology
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Obstetrics-Gynecology
Pennsylvania Hospital Philadelphia PA Obstetrics-Gynecology
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Obstetrics-Gynecology
Lehigh Valley Hosp Allentown PA Obstetrics-Gynecology
Madigan Army Medical Center Tacoma WA Obstetrics-Gynecology
Western Pennsylvania Hosp Pittsburgh PA Obstetrics-Gynecology
Kaiser Permanente-Oakland Oakland CA Obstetrics-Gynecology

Opthalmology (4)
Wayne State University Detroit MI Opthalmology
University of Maryland Baltimore MD Opthalmology
University of Maryland Baltimore MD Opthalmology
Brown University Providence RI Opthalmology

Orthopaedic Surgery (4)
U Washington Affil Hosps Seattle WA Orthopaedic Surgery
Duke Univ Med Ctr Durham NC Orthopaedic Surgery
George Washington Univ Washington DC Orthopaedic Surgery
Einstein/Montefiore Med Ctr Bronx NY Orthopaedic Surgery

Otolaryngology (3)
Yale-New Haven Hosp New Haven CT Otolaryngology
U Rochester/Strong Mem Rochester NY Otolaryngology
Eastern VA Med School Norfolk VA Otolaryngology

Pathology (2)
NYP Hosp-Weill Cornell Med Ctr New York NY Pathology
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Pathology

Pediatrics (17)
INOVA Fairfax Hospital Falls Church VA Pediatrics
NYP Hosp-Weill Cornell Med Ctr New York NY Pediatrics
Pitt County Mem Hosp/Brody SOM Greenville NC Pediatrics
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Pediatrics
U Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Madison WI Pediatrics
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Pediatrics
Childrens Hospital-Phila Philadelphia PA Pediatrics
Johns Hopkins Hosp Baltimore MD Pediatrics
U Rochester/Strong Mem Rochester NY Pediatrics
U Massachusetts Med School Worchester MA Pediatrics
U Michigan Hosps-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor MI Pediatrics
OSU/Childrens Hosp Columbus OH Pediatrics
U Nevada Affil Hosp-Las Vegas Las Vegas NV Pediatrics
New England Med Ctr Boston MA Pediatrics
St Christophers Hosp Philadelphia PA Pediatrics
Childrens Hosp-Oakland Oakland CA Pediatrics
Walter Reed Army Medical Center Washington DC Pediatrics

Peds/Psych (1)
Rhode Island Hosp/Brown U Providence RI Peds/Psych/Child Psych

Phys Medicine & Rehab (2)
LSU SOM-New Orleans New Orleans LA Phys Medicine & Rehab
UPMC Medical Education Prog Pittsburgh PA Phys Medicine & Rehab

Plastic Surgery (4)
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Plastic Surgery
Ohio State Univ Med Ctr Columbus OH Plastic Surgery
Mt Sinai Hospital New York NY Plastic Surgery
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Plastic Surgery

Psychiatry (5)
Johns Hopkins Hosp Baltimore MD Psychiatry
UC Davis Med Ctr Sacramento CA Psychiatry
University of Virginia Salem VA Psychiatry
U Utah Affil Hospitals Salt Lake City UT Psychiatry
U Michigan Hosps-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor MI Psychiatry

Radiation-Oncology (1)
New England Med Ctr Boston MA Radiation-Oncology

Radiology-Diagnostic (5)
Oregon Health & Science Univ Portland OR Radiology-Diagnostic
UC Davis Med Ctr Sacramento CA Radiology-Diagnostic
U Texas Med Sch-Houston Houston TX Radiology-Diagnostic
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Radiology-Diagnostic
Hershey Med Ctr/Penn State Hershey PA Radiology-Diagnostic

Urology (1)
University of Texas/HSC Houston TX Urology

 

[Leslieanne]

So, I got the orientation email this morning and am really happy to start planning for orientation week. My parents are flying cross country to see the WCC and I am really excited they are coming. My question is; is the BBQ and service project on Saturday mandatory? I would really hate for my family to come so far and not be able to spend Saturday showing them around. Does anybody else have this issue?

 

[yalla22]

yeah i was wondering the same thing - how does orientation typically go, are all events mandatory? does everyone go to all of them?

 

[baboola]

This is what I got from speaking with student admissions earlier last week.

Also, the first day of Orientation (which is students' required, non-negotiable first day on campus) is Monday, August 6. Our Family & Friends Program and the White Coat Ceremony will be that Friday, August 10. Saturday, August 11, is not required. Sunday, August 12, during the day is not required, but Sunday evening for Anatomy Lab is required. The first day of classes for medical students will be Monday, August 13.

See you guys there!

Are you guys gona live on campus? Does anyone know a good place to start looking for furnitures aside from my all-time favorite WalMart?

 

[deviantk2]

Congrats everyone that got accepted! I'm a current 3rd year at PSU and I am really happy here.....in fact I take Step I on Thursday and start my first rotation on Monday. Good luck to everyone, and if anyone is moving into the Shoe Factory in Palmyra, look me up! Oh, and enjoy the rest of your summers!

 

[MDMAMA]

Ikea is in Plymouth Meeting just off the PA turnpike about 1 1/2 hours from Philadelphia. Great buys on furniture and all packed and ready to go in the car.

 

[MDMAMA]

1 1/2 hours from Hershey. Sorry. It's outside Philadelphia.

 

[LT2]

This is what I got from speaking with student admissions earlier last week.

Also, the first day of Orientation (which is students' required, non-negotiable first day on campus) is Monday, August 6. Our Family & Friends Program and the White Coat Ceremony will be that Friday, August 10. Saturday, August 11, is not required. Sunday, August 12, during the day is not required, but Sunday evening for Anatomy Lab is required. The first day of classes for medical students will be Monday, August 13.

See you guys there!

Are you guys gona live on campus? Does anyone know a good place to start looking for furnitures aside from my all-time favorite WalMart?

just to reiterate, the community service day is not mandatory, they understand that many of you will have family in town.

ikea is a good place for furniture, just make sure the boxes will fit in your car before you head out there! staples also has desks for extremely cheap (there is a staples right in town off 422/chocolate ave).

it sounds like your class is quite large at this point...from the numbers we've heard, it's around 10 or so bigger than our class (which i think is 154). that's pretty big!

if anyone is still looking for housing, let me know, i have a room in my house and you would be living for less than it costs to live on campus.

see you all soon!

 

[baboola]

thnx for clearing things up.

160ish? that's huge!!

can a class that big actually be accommodated? i heard the size of class of 2010 was already pushing it.

 

[purplemonkey2]

can any upperyear students comment on what first year will be like?
How is the workload, how much free time is there.
How fair are exams? and how are we graded on each course, is it a pass/fail system?
which books should we buy and which ones are not needed?

 

[Leslieanne]

They sent out ANOTHER deferment email!! A deferment email that basically encourages us to apply to other schools!! This class must be huge for them to try to get rid of us like this. Perhaps they will offer incentives next...like lowering out-of-state tuition if we defer.

 

[baboola]

i counted 158 on the email list!

 

[future_dr_house]

i counted 158 on the email list!

Wow that's tedious and takes some dedication. Is radiology in your future?

 

[NYyanx28]

Wow that's tedious and takes some dedication. Is radiology in your future?

Actually, I did the same...gmail organizes the emails of other recipients in a vertical column which was easily copy and pasted into excel. 159 was my exact count. That sounds huge considering last year's was like 145-150 and it was "overbooked".

 

[belgianbeerguy]

Actually, I did the same...gmail organizes the emails of other recipients in a vertical column which was easily copy and pasted into excel. 159 was my exact count. That sounds huge considering last year's was like 145-150 and it was "overbooked".

wow, good to know. Sounds like I'm definitely not gonna get off that waitlist. good luck to you guys this year!

 

[baboola]

Oops...i must've missed myself in the count.

Wow that's tedious and takes some dedication. Is radiology in your future?

haha...I copied and pasted the email list to excel too...but i'm not ruling radiology out yet!

 

[FDoRoML]

Last I heard there were 157 of you remaining. Last year's class was 154 - they were aiming for 145. Sorry to the waitlisters, but unless a lot of dropping or deferring goes on in the next couple of weeks, it looks bad for you this year.

Actually, I did the same...gmail organizes the emails of other recipients in a vertical column which was easily copy and pasted into excel. 159 was my exact count. That sounds huge considering last year's was like 145-150 and it was "overbooked".

 

[Futuredoc1364]

I am sure you guys are getting ready to move in soon. I just had a quick question: Do you guys know how the "little" program works? I mean is the program only during orientation? And based on what I understand, it is only recommended but not required, right? I am very interested in participating, but I am just not sure how it exactly works.

Also, for moving in, do you guys think it will be OK to move in on Aug. 4th (Sat.) instead of Aug. 1st? I am having my family helping me with moving in and it is easier for them to help during the weekend. Based on what I understand, I will be able to pick up my keys at the hospital main information desk. I wish I could get there earlier so that I could just hang out before orientation begins...

 

[yoyo12]

i dont see an issue with moving in on aug 4. classes dont really start till aug 13th, so you'll have plenty of time to get accustomed to the area and campus well befor that...

 

[future_dr_house]

i just got the anatomy book in...it came to almost 11 lbs !

 

[tazman09]

i just got the anatomy book in...it came to almost 11 lbs !

Don't spoil the ending for the rest of us who haven't got the book yet!

 

[FDoRoML]

At least your anatomy book is also your embryology book. But still, it's a monster!

For the little question:
They assign 2nd years to 1st years to serve as a resource for questions, etc. Your experience will vary depending on your needs and the things your big chooses to do. Many shared notes, old exams (though this is unnecessary since you'll have access to anatomy exams), review questions (this is perhaps more important for the 2nd block-- CMBMP-- where they refuse to give you access to old exams and you also can't even keep your own!), general help getting around and finding things, etc etc.

It's good to have someone to ask questions of, and having come here without knowing any upperclassmen personally, it was a huge help for me. Sure, you get to know more people as you are here longer and get involved in different things, but you'll definitely have about a million (yep, this has been quantified!) questions in your head and it's so cool to have someone to ask instead of just stressing about it. Plus, you really get unbiased answers. Faculty here are great and very accommodating but they can't always be 100% forthcoming if it crosses random professional boundaries. Your fellow students are here for that!

 

[NYyanx28]

Two questions: If I declined the student health insurance for my parent's plan(until I turn 23), will I still receive the full budget including the $1,000+ for the health ins.?

Also, can someone tell me a little more about the patient project? We are paired up with another student who does/does not have a car and meet with a patient in their homes? Then we meet back and confer in small groups and discuss? Any info would be great, since the Orientation e-mail wasn't too informative.

 

[future_dr_house]

Two questions: If I declined the student health insurance for my parent's plan(until I turn 23), will I still receive the full budget including the $1,000+ for the health ins.?

Also, can someone tell me a little more about the patient project? We are paired up with another student who does/does not have a car and meet with a patient in their homes? Then we meet back and confer in small groups and discuss? Any info would be great, since the Orientation e-mail wasn't too informative.

For the first question, I think you are allowed to take up to the full amount that they allotted for you regardless if you went with school insurance or not.

 

[Futuredoc1364]

I think people have already gone over this, but how much is expected to be spent on books for the first year? How many books are we going to need?

Based on what I understand, we can order the books online. How about the AMSA used book sale? Do they offer a better price? I am confused here...

 

[NYyanx28]

Anyone current students know what we should expect to use in class for note taking? Notebooks or do you just write on the printed out PPT's?

 

[Futuredoc1364]

I just figured out some information about laptops and I thought it would be good to pass it on. I recently purchased a laptop, and just checked with the IT department about some stuff. If you are still in the process of buying a laptop, these ideas might be helpful.

1- Windows Vista home premium is compatible with their system, and so is XP professional based on their website.

2- The higher the amount of RAM, the better. However, you should really consider how you will use the laptop. If you know you usually run many applications at the same time, it is much better to have more RAM. My laptop comes with 1 GB memory which is recommended for Vista. I know based on my computing needs that 1 GB should be enough for me. Besides, I can always upgrade if I feel the need to.

3- My laptop comes with 80 GB hard drive. Now, I know based on today's standards, that's not a lot. However, for my purposes, that's plenty. In fact, I think PSU's laptops come with 80 GB hard drive. Again, always consider what you need from your laptop!

I don't know how helpful these ideas are, but I thought I share them anyway. See you guys soon!

 

[NYyanx28]

I just filled out my loan increase for a computer purchase... anyone know when exactly during orientation we get our loan disbursements?

 

[socal1015]

Anyone current students know what we should expect to use in class for note taking? Notebooks or do you just write on the printed out PPT's?

So for anatomy, they'll provide you with packets which you'll take notes in. It's going to involve a lot of drawing and coloring but enjoy it while it lasts because I personally felt like I learned best that way. After that, your professors will mainly be using powerpoint so either students would print the powerpoint out and take notes on it or bring their laptops to class and use that to take notes.

 

[Futuredoc1364]

I am a Bank of America customer and I just realized that the closest ATM to PSU campus is about 20 miles away . What bank do most PSU students use? I don't know if I want to drive 20 miles everytime I need some cash or I guess I could use my credit card to purchase different things.

 

[baboola]

I am a Bank of America customer and I just realized that the closest ATM to PSU campus is about 20 miles away . What bank do most PSU students use? I don't know if I want to drive 20 miles everytime I need some cash or I guess I could use my credit card to purchase different things.

i believe PNC is quite convenient in hershey, and there's an ATM in the medical center.

I think i saw somewhere that there's student discount at AT&T and Verizon. Student ID/email is required to activate those discounts. since we won't be getting any of that til orientation week, does anyone have any suggestion re: this?

 

[future_dr_house]

I am a Bank of America customer and I just realized that the closest ATM to PSU campus is about 20 miles away . What bank do most PSU students use? I don't know if I want to drive 20 miles everytime I need some cash or I guess I could use my credit card to purchase different things.

I bank with Compass Bank and appartently they only have locations in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. I suppose I should get a new account, or I'll just drive 1000 miles each time I have a check to cash

 

[Scalpellum]

can any upperyear students comment on what first year will be like?
How is the workload, how much free time is there.
How fair are exams? and how are we graded on each course, is it a pass/fail system?
which books should we buy and which ones are not needed?

The courses are graded honors (10%)/high pass (15%)/pass (above 65% on straight scale)/fail. During orientation week they will give you a paper with information about books. I would go to the AMSA book sale on 8-12. Make sure to get there early though. If you join AMA or AMSA (forgot which one) but you get a free Netter's (Anatomy atlas). This book is highly recommended. Some student's like the anatomy book by Chung. It is more of a review book. The anatomy exams are looooooong. The lab practical will be 50 tags and you will have 1.5 minutes at each station. It will take between 1.5-2 hours. During the lab practical they also have radiology questions. Then you have a written test that will take atleast 3+ hours. The written tests have fill in the blank, multiple choice, short answers, and essays. I would say on testing day it will take you 5-7 hours for anatomy. The other blocks (CMBMP and BBD) the exams will be about 3 hours and they are multiple choice. The exams are graded fairly. If a question was worded poorly then they will throw it out. For anatomy you can get your test back between 1-2 weeks. Sometime it takes longer. The workload is not too bad. I would go home after school and then study for 2-5 hours each day. The week before an exam I would just study most of the day. There will be plenty of time to go out and have fun. Just use your time wisely. Instead of sitting in front of your couch watching tv, go and study. Usually after each exam this will be a party and many like to go to Harrisburg. I hope this helps.

 

[Scalpellum]

I just filled out my loan increase for a computer purchase... anyone know when exactly during orientation we get our loan disbursements?

I am not sure if this answers your question but I received my financial aid money on 8-31-06 for last school year.

 

[NYyanx28]

I am not sure if this answers your question but I received my financial aid money on 8-31-06 for last school year.

Whoa. That late?? I have run myself down VERY low on money assuming that we would get our loan disbursements during orientation.

 

[LT2]

Whoa. That late?? I have run myself down VERY low on money assuming that we would get our loan disbursements during orientation.

loan disbursements come out pretty late. definitely not during orientation! sorry!

 

[future_dr_house]

.