University of Louisville School of Medicine Class of 2014

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RED88

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I wanted to start this as
-an opportunity to meet classmates
-find out more info/brainstorm about living arrangements
-in hopes that we can help each other get over our nerves
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so does anyone have an idea where they would like to live?
 
I'm OOS and trying to make my final decision between Louisville and another med school. From my past experience with the city and my interview, I really like Louisville. I'm going down for one last visit before I make the decision.

So I'm curious, why are you going to Louisville? Or if you're undecided like me, why might you not go?

Also, any suggestions of things to see/do while I'm in Louisville for a last look? Awesome restaurants?
 
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Hi Arina! I'm from Louisville originally, left for college, and have been back for a little over a year now. I love Louisville, but of course I am biased! I currently live in the Highlands and am loving it, as there is so much to do around Bardstown Rd. It takes me 5-10 minutes to get to the Health Sciences Campus by car, as well as just about anywhere else in the city, but it would also be a quick and easy bus or bike ride downtown. I would definitely recommend you check out the area, even if you plan to live elsewhere, as there are so many great restaurants, shops, and bars. Louisville has a great parks system, so try and check out Cherokee while you are in town. We also have all kinds of amazing restaurants - Cumberland Brews and BBC are great microbrew pubs, my favorite restaurant is Havana Rumba (a can't miss - delish Cuban food), and Proof at 21C Hotel is a neat little cocktail lounge/art gallery downtown.

Also - another popular place for med students to live is around Mellwood ave, although here you are going to find cookie-cutter apartment complexes. River Oak is nice though - they have a little gym with a racquetball court, tennis court, and a pool.

I hope you enjoy your visit - maybe I'll see you in the fall!
 
Ohhh.... one of my friends is going to UofL in the fall, I'll be sure to tell him about this thread :D
 
Whats up guys? I've been looking at apartments and houses down there for a couple of weeks now. I can't get too serious about the houses till I move down there mid-july, but any suggestions for apartments near the medical center (besides phoenix) that are reasonably priced?

I'm glad someone finally started a thread like this, I've been a commuter for undergrad, so I'll be moving out for the first time (kind of pathetic I know). I'm pretty excited about moving to Louisville though, I'm from NKY right beneath Cincinnati and am ready to leave.
 
hithere3387 said:
yo estoy emocionado ;P
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Yo tambien. (my spanish isn't great, so that may be wrong :( )

Who all is going or applying to the pre-matric program? I had no idea where to stay, and I think it's too late to apply now.


I like the idea of a lazy summer too :)
 
jm192 said:
Yo tambien. (my spanish isn't great, so that may be wrong :( )

Who all is going or applying to the pre-matric program? I had no idea where to stay, and I think it's too late to apply now.


I like the idea of a lazy summer too :)
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That's correct.

While the pre-matric program sounds interesting, I don't qualify. As far as finding a place to live, I would assume that you would just live wherever you find an apartment for medical school.

I got an email from PEPP the other day about a job as an RA, I think I'm going to apply for that.
 
I'm sure we're all just trying not to think about going to medical school. I know I'm more focused on making the most out of the last summer of my life. So hopefully by the time we start learning about liver damage due to consumption of alcohol, I'll already have some experience in that area from this summer.
 
Im going to the Pre-matric program and living at the province apartments which was only one of two apt. complexes that I found to be fully furnished.
 
I'm pretty excited about starting med school at UofL. I'm coming from a big city and I think moving to a mid-sized city might be good for a change. My initial trip to Louisville left me kinda skeptical about the city and the people but I think I warmed up to it on my second visit. I liked the fact that you can get around the city pretty quickly. Everything, even the airport, is like a 10-15mins drive--a welcome change if you ask me. 3rd rotations are going to be less hectic since all the hospitals are basically on the same block compare to some of the other schools I interviewed at.

I didn't explore Bardstown that much but it was reassuring to know that there were some cool spots in town. My one concern though is matching back to coasts(West or East). The match list looks very selective to Kentucky or Midwest. I know it's probably due to most students coming from Kentucky. But I wonder if I have to do more work to match outside Kentucky/Midwest for something competitive?:oops:

I guess I will cross that bridge when the time comes. I will be moving by July 1st to get ready for the prematriculation program so I'm currently looking into the housing market. Go Cardinals!
 
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I think matching away from your med school is competitive anywhere.

Im a little afraid of not having anything to do as well, but since my undergrad isnt exactly in a big city I have become experienced at making things to do...but we shall see. maybe having nothing to do will mean I will have great grades.

YAY!!! someone else who is doing pre-matric.
 
As a soon-to-be-graduated MS4, I would have to say the match list preponderance for the midwest/southeast is probably more region bias than anything else. That being said, as you will discover during the course of your residency application process, the main determinant of where you match rests on your scores, letters of rec, and how well you interview. If you put forth the effort and have the dedication, you will be able to match anywhere you want (which is a pretty general rule that applies to all US MD programs).

There is probably some sort of regional advantage to attending a program, in that faculty from the same part of the country tend to know each other better and thus have the ability to write a more influential letter. However, I've found that most specialties here have at least a few prominent faculty members whose letters would definitely be respected outside of the region.
UofL consistently places a handful of students into some of the very best programs in the country across a variety of specialties.

It's important to not put the cart before the horse, though. Just take solace in the fact that you control your own destiny in regards to where you want to go for residency.
 
Eurosepsis said:
As a soon-to-be-graduated MS4, I would have to say the match list preponderance for the midwest/southeast is probably more region bias than anything else. That being said, as you will discover during the course of your residency application process, the main determinant of where you match rests on your scores, letters of rec, and how well you interview. If you put forth the effort and have the dedication, you will be able to match anywhere you want (which is a pretty general rule that applies to all US MD programs).

There is probably some sort of regional advantage to attending a program, in that faculty from the same part of the country tend to know each other better and thus have the ability to write a more influential letter. However, I've found that most specialties here have at least a few prominent faculty members whose letters would definitely be respected outside of the region.
UofL consistently places a handful of students into some of the very best programs in the country across a variety of specialties.

It's important to not put the cart before the horse, though. Just take solace in the fact that you control your own destiny in regards to where you want to go for residency.
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Thank you for the reassurance! Nice post.
 
RED88 said:
I think matching away from your med school is competitive anywhere.

Im a little afraid of not having anything to do as well, but since my undergrad isnt exactly in a big city I have become experienced at making things to do...but we shall see. maybe having nothing to do will mean I will have great grades.

YAY!!! someone else who is doing pre-matric.
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I was thinking the same thing. lol

Any idea what to expect from the pre-matric class? Are we taking gross anatomy classes?
 
everyone be sure to check your email account...ASAP
 
Check your gwise (UofL) account. They said not to check it until May 1st, but when i checked mine there was a lot of extra paperwork I was lacking.

I wanted others to know just in case.
 
RED88 said:
Check your gwise (UofL) account. They said not to check it until May 1st, but when i checked mine there was a lot of extra paperwork I was lacking.

I wanted others to know just in case.
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What kind of paperwork? Immunization documents?
 
I've submitted my FAFSA and immunization stuff so I think I'm complete there. I didn't any email for more documents.The only thing left is to submit my college transcripts.
 
Anyone else attend the Flexner symposium yesterday? There were some pretty big time names in medicine, including the presidents of both the AAMC and the AANC.
 
Hey guys, thought I'd pop in and say hi. I'm a soon-to-be third year at UofL. Any questions about the program, I'd be glad to help answer them!
 
lildave2586 said:
Hey guys, thought I'd pop in and say hi. I'm a soon-to-be third year at UofL. Any questions about the program, I'd be glad to help answer them!
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What's something you wish you had known about medical school and/or ULSOM before you started?
 
hithere3387 said:
What's something you wish you had known about medical school and/or ULSOM before you started?
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That's a tough one. I wish I would have known that it's really not as hard as people make it out to be, and that most people tend to sensationalize everything. If you are not afraid of a little hard work, it's going to be a smooth ride (has been for me so far).
 
lildave2586 said:
Hey guys, thought I'd pop in and say hi. I'm a soon-to-be third year at UofL. Any questions about the program, I'd be glad to help answer them!
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Name a few things you would change about the school if you could snap your fingers and make them happen.
 
TheMan21 said:
Name a few things you would change about the school if you could snap your fingers and make them happen.
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If the school has any weakness, it's the pre-clinical curriculum. We still have a very traditional basic science curriculum, although they are currently working on making some changes that will be very positive, and will probably affect your class. I would love to see the school move to an organ-based, "systems" approach, but this will probably not happen as that is a MAJOR change that would take at least 5 years to complete. With that being said, there are not many places in the country where you can get the clinical experience that you get at U of L. It was the reason why I chose to come to Louisville, and is without a doubt the most important part of any medical school experience. It's quite similar to places such as Baylor, who has the massive Texas Medical Center for it's clinical rotations and clerkships. The convenience of seeing patients at up to 4 hospitals in one day is a unique experience that you don't get at many places.
 
lildave2586 said:
If the school has any weakness, it's the pre-clinical curriculum. We still have a very traditional basic science curriculum, although they are currently working on making some changes that will be very positive, and will probably affect your class. I would love to see the school move to an organ-based, "systems" approach, but this will probably not happen as that is a MAJOR change that would take at least 5 years to complete. With that being said, there are not many places in the country where you can get the clinical experience that you get at U of L. It was the reason why I chose to come to Louisville, and is without a doubt the most important part of any medical school experience. It's quite similar to places such as Baylor, who has the massive Texas Medical Center for it's clinical rotations and clerkships. The convenience of seeing patients at up to 4 hospitals in one day is a unique experience that you don't get at many places.
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Can you expound on the typical class schedule? Is it 9-5? Are lectures mandatory? Thanks!
 
Balloonboy said:
Can you expound on the typical class schedule? Is it 9-5? Are lectures mandatory? Thanks!
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From what I can remember from my interview day, only certain labs (like anatomy) are mandatory. Lectures are filmed.
 
Balloonboy said:
Can you expound on the typical class schedule? Is it 9-5? Are lectures mandatory? Thanks!
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Lectures are not mandatory, except for ICM which has an attendance policy. All of the lectures are recorded on Tegrity, but some professors (especially from the anatomy department) chose not to include their slides, so you only get audio. None of the labs are mandatory either, although I'm not sure how you could possibly learn gross anatomy without actually being in the lab.

First semester of first year, typical class schedule is 8-12 in class, 1-2 anatomy (MWF), with anatomy lab starting at 2 and going until whenever you are finished. You get most Wednesday mornings off for study time or preceptorship. You will also get some afternoons off, it just depends on the schedule.

Second semester of first year is lecture all the time, pretty much from 8-3/4.

Second year is lecture all the time. If you are not lecturing you should be studying (A LOT more material in second year).
 
How well are students really doing on the boards?

What is your opinion of UK's med school (do you ever wish you had gone there, assuming you applied there)?
 
lildave2586 said:
Lectures are not mandatory, except for ICM which has an attendance policy. All of the lectures are recorded on Tegrity, but some professors (especially from the anatomy department) chose not to include their slides, so you only get audio. None of the labs are mandatory either, although I'm not sure how you could possibly learn gross anatomy without actually being in the lab.

First semester of first year, typical class schedule is 8-12 in class, 1-2 anatomy (MWF), with anatomy lab starting at 2 and going until whenever you are finished. You get most Wednesday mornings off for study time or preceptorship. You will also get some afternoons off, it just depends on the schedule.

Second semester of first year is lecture all the time, pretty much from 8-3/4.

Second year is lecture all the time. If you are not lecturing you should be studying (A LOT more material in second year).
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Good info. Thanks. Do you think going to lecture is helpful? Are you tested mainly on lecture materials like slides, prof's notes etc? Thanks again.
 
TheMan21 said:
How well are students really doing on the boards?

What is your opinion of UK's med school (do you ever wish you had gone there, assuming you applied there)?
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As far as board scores go, our scores from last year beat the national average. Does that really say anything about the school? I'm not sure it does. Most schools beat the national average, although rumor has it that UK did not last year (that doesn't mean they won't this year, however).

UK has a good school. They do things a little different as far as pre-clinical stuff goes than we do. They do gross anatomy in a shorter time span, and combine some courses like genetics and biochemistry. They have somewhat of an organ system approach for the second year, which I think is a great way to teach things. However, I don't think their clinical curriculum/experience matches up with what UofL has to offer.

I never wish that I went to UK over UofL. I applied there, but got into UofL early and turned down the interview at UK. I'm very interested in surgery, and training at UofL is something I would love to do (the surgery residency here is probably the best program at the entire school). So all in all, UofL was just a better fit for me. I've got a lot of friends at UK who love it, and it was a great fit for them. At the end of the day I think it comes down to which is a better fit for each individual.

Balloonboy - going to lecture was a good thing for me. A lot of my friends stayed home and studied pretty much in seclusion. Some come to school and watch Tegrity in the PBLs. Again I think it's an individual decision. Some people can't stay awake in lecture, so coming is pretty pointless for them. No matter what you decide, it's always good to know that you have options. As far as tests, if you study the lecture notes, you're gold.


One last word of advice. I worked my tail off the first two years and learned everything that I could. Some people would get to a comfortable place in a course as far as grades go, and then slack off towards the end because they could afford to. I never did this, and I'm really thankful now because it has made studying for Step I A LOT easier. The best prep for Step I is learning the material well the first time around. Nothing can replace that, trust me.
 
lildave2586 said:
As far as tests, if you study the lecture notes, you're gold.
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I don't want to be nitpicky, but by gold do you mean pass or do you mean excelling (high pass/honors/whatever is equivalent to an A)?
 
TheMan21 said:
I don't want to be nitpicky, but by gold do you mean pass or do you mean excelling (high pass/honors/whatever is equivalent to an A)?
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Either one, it really depends on what you want to achieve. I can't think of many classes where the lecture notes weren't enough to answer every question on the test correctly. Some classes, like Pathology, you will want to supplement class notes with outside sources such as question books. I think I used BRS Physio also for Physiology, but that was just to get another perspective on the content. Most of the classes have notes that are very well written.
 
lildave2586 said:
Balloonboy - going to lecture was a good thing for me. A lot of my friends stayed home and studied pretty much in seclusion. Some come to school and watch Tegrity in the PBLs. Again I think it's an individual decision. Some people can't stay awake in lecture, so coming is pretty pointless for them. No matter what you decide, it's always good to know that you have options. As far as tests, if you study the lecture notes, you're gold.
Click to expand...


Thank you!
 
For those with families, how did you get insurance? All of a sudden my wife says that she doesn't want to work. Apparently, the premiums for plans provided through the school that would cover myself, my wife, and my daughter are pretty ridiculous. I guess medicaid is an option, but do any doctors in the area even accept it? Thanks for the help.
 
TheMan21 said:
For those with families, how did you get insurance? All of a sudden my wife says that she doesn't want to work. Apparently, the premiums for plans provided through the school that would cover myself, my wife, and my daughter are pretty ridiculous. I guess medicaid is an option, but do any doctors in the area even accept it? Thanks for the help.
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It is quite expensive if you get the school plan. I'm not sure you want to hassle with medicaid, but most of the university physicians take it. There are a few in my class with your situation, and I think most of them take the schools coverage.
 
lildave2586 said:
It is quite expensive if you get the school plan. I'm not sure you want to hassle with medicaid, but most of the university physicians take it. There are a few in my class with your situation, and I think most of them take the schools coverage.
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Do they take out extra loans to cover the expense? By the way, thanks for answering all my questions so far - I really do appreciate the input.
 
TheMan21 said:
Do they take out extra loans to cover the expense? By the way, thanks for answering all my questions so far - I really do appreciate the input.
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Most of them don't, I'm pretty sure it's calculated into the cost of attending? You should contact the Med affairs office about this. Since you've got a kid, they may be able to get you a higher "Cost of Attendance" number. This would give you more money you could take out on a government loan. You also might consider calling Ms. Kaelin in the Financial Aid office, she would know about this as well.

I'm friends with a few people in my class that have kids (some of them more than one), and while most of their spouses work, they seem to be able to do just as well as anyone else in the class, so no worries! We do have a few with kids who's spouses don't work, however.
 
jm192 said:
I do. Did. Graduated at 10 this morning. It's my alma mater too now :)
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Congrats! Are there many hilltoppers in the 2014 class? There are 9 of us in the class of 2012. If you took biochem, histo, and immuno at WKU, then the first two years of med school are going to be A LOT easier for you! I took all of those classes and I came in knowing more than I needed to for the med school classes!
 
lildave2586 said:
Congrats! Are there many hilltoppers in the 2014 class? There are 9 of us in the class of 2012. If you took biochem, histo, and immuno at WKU, then the first two years of med school are going to be A LOT easier for you! I took all of those classes and I came in knowing more than I needed to for the med school classes!
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Thanks :)

Immuno and BioChem. Had to choose betwen Immuno and Histo this semester, went with the one everyone said was easier haha. I also took Comparative Anatomy, I've heard from a few people it's pretty helpful.

I'm not sure of the total #. I think we're around 7. We had a handful with acceptance at both UK and U of L, so not everyone accepted to U of from WKU is going. WKU did amazing as far as pre-professional acceptances; the advisors and professors are really doing just an amazing job. If you graduated 2 years ago, ALOT is different on the science end. They moved alot of the upper Bio Labs into the new engineering building. They finished up the newest building, Snell Hall, as well. It's easily the nicest academic building on campus. It's built ON Thompson Central. There are hallways that connect the two buildings haha. I think they're eventually going to get EVERYTHING out of the North building and tear it down.
 
jm192 said:
Thanks :)

Immuno and BioChem. Had to choose betwen Immuno and Histo this semester, went with the one everyone said was easier haha. I also took Comparative Anatomy, I've heard from a few people it's pretty helpful.

I'm not sure of the total #. I think we're around 7. We had a handful with acceptance at both UK and U of L, so not everyone accepted to U of from WKU is going. WKU did amazing as far as pre-professional acceptances; the advisors and professors are really doing just an amazing job. If you graduated 2 years ago, ALOT is different on the science end. They moved alot of the upper Bio Labs into the new engineering building. They finished up the newest building, Snell Hall, as well. It's easily the nicest academic building on campus. It's built ON Thompson Central. There are hallways that connect the two buildings haha. I think they're eventually going to get EVERYTHING out of the North building and tear it down.
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w
Sounds pretty awesome, I remember when they were building the new Snell Hall. Comparative Anatomy will help you, especially with Embryo and cranial nerves when you get to head and neck in gross anatomy. I'm glad to hear that WKU is still doing well getting students into medical school, I think you will find that you are just as well prepared (probably even more so) than your colleagues in your class that attended ivy league schools. When do you guys start class?
 
What are cable/internet providers in Louisville? Which do you guys recommend? Anyone know what the monthly cost is for a typical cable and internet combo?
 
What do you guys know of the St. Matthew area? Pros? Cons?
 
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