University of Oklahoma -- all peeps -- part 2

[Non-TradTulsa]

My questions:
1) Is there a tangible benefit to being in student gov? Does it look good on your residency considerations? Do you get a better Dean's letter out of it? Call me selfish, but I doubt that I would have all that much interest in getting involved if there was not some personal benefit. (Periodic free meals are a personal benefit).

OK, I'll bite. I wasn't going to touch this one with a ten foot pole, but nobody else has (Bagel must still be in the Rockies). There is some benefit to being in student government - yes, it does "look good" on your C.V. It may or may not show up in your Dean's letter. But... the only reason you should join student government is because you really want to serve your classmates - I can tell you from personal experience that it's more work than one sentence on your C.V. is worth. Class of 2010 had a rather dysfunctional student government for first year (although I have great hopes for next year), and it cost me far more personal grief, pain, and conflict with friends that I would rather have avoided than it was worth. You'll be Class of 2011, but I'm recommending that free meals for 2010 officers' meetings be eliminated next year, because I think we spent far too much money that should be devoted to activities for *all* students, BTW.

2) The exception to my above statement is if someone screws something up that affects me... like Notegroups. What exactly was the flaw with Notegroups? I would consider running for Notegroups chair if I felt that I could at least make sure that they are useful. I sort of know the 2010 Notegroups chair, and he seemed like a pretty capable guy. Would it be worth while to put myself out there for it or does the system in place set the chairman up for failure?

Actually, the chairman for Class of 2010 was a female - the new chair is a male. Personal gripes aside, the problem with notegroups chair is that it is far more work than any 1st year medical student has time to handle. That's why it's a paid position. There probably ought to be two or three "reviewers." Also, our past notegroups chair was not half the b*tch she should have been - if fines and penalties were enforced the way they should be, I wouldn't count on running for "Mr. Popularity." Run for chair if you like - me, I'd rather rip my toenails out one-by-one. The only reason I'm Treasurer is that I've been a CPA since disco was cool, and it's a very easy job for me, so it seemed logical to me to offer my services.

3) Are there any worthwhile student organizations to get involved in? I don't really think I will end up in family practice, but there is that organization that I assume I will attend the cook-out for on the 8th. Would it be worth joining? I don't have my paperwork here, but it is like Oklahoma Family Medicine Association or something.

There are literally dozens of interest groups that you can join, and (good news!) they all provide free lunches at their noon meetings. You'll get the low-down on that during the first or second of week of classes - not to worry.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

I smell a future homeschooler, who'll look back on this post in a couple years and be like "What the hell was I thinking?"

(This was me, BTW)

Ain't it the truth? I want soonerfan's cell number so that on the first morning that it's sleeting horizontally with the wind blowing 45mph and there's a Steinberg lecture on serine/threonine receptors at 8am, I can call soonerfan to see if he's planning on showing-up!!! Oh, wait. I'd have to get up before 8 on a sleety morning. Never mind.

 

[DMBFan61]

ugh, steinberg....i totally forgot about that horrible, horrible man

 

[soonerfan77]

Ain't it the truth? I want soonerfan's cell number so that on the first morning that it's sleeting horizontally with the wind blowing 45mph and there's a Steinberg lecture on serine/threonine receptors at 8am, I can call soonerfan to see if he's planning on showing-up!!! Oh, wait. I'd have to get up before 8 on a sleety morning. Never mind.

I'm bringing my snowshoes for just such an occasion. Ha, ha, ha!

p.s. I wonder if anyone has ever had perfect attendance? Hmmmmm?

 

[Amxcvbcv]

I'm bringing my snowshoes for just such an occasion. Ha, ha, ha!

p.s. I wonder if anyone has ever had perfect attendance? Hmmmmm?

You're cute in a "I haven't had my spirit crushed by test blocks and inane lectures" kind of way.

Don't get me wrong, I love medical school and wouldn't want to pursue any other profession, but I think you'll find that perfect attendance is neither necessary nor particularly desirable.

 

[soonereng]

So I missed the deadline to order the CO2011 t-shirts. Will there be other opportunities? If not, oh well, but I would have liked to have a couple.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

So I missed the deadline to order the CO2011 t-shirts. Will there be other opportunities? If not, oh well, but I would have liked to have a couple.

Last year they had extra shirts available at the pre-orientation event and I think throughout orientation.

Lol, student government and notegroups. From what I've heard if your main focus is matching well, grades and research are more important so only do it if you think it will be fun. Yeah, our last crew caused a bit of class agitation, but it looks like this year will be better.

I'm with NTT in voting no way in hell for being a notegroups chair. I would maybe, maybe think about doing it if it paid $1k/month but even then maybe not. Now it pays something like $50/week, which is probably nowhere near what it's worth. If you're very organized, a good enforcer and have tons of spare time, it might be a good position. The thing to think about is that you'll have to track every single note assignment for every lecture to make sure it's turned in on time and that it's accurate. Whenever anyone screws up, you've got to confront them and get them to pay you a fine. Not my idea of fun, but yeah it's a hugely important job.

Ok, insurance -- aside from the prescriptions, another downside of the cheaper insurance option is that it does not have a stop loss, which is a cap on how much you can owe regardless of how large your medical expenses get. It's not a big issue for routine care, but if you get really sick, you could conceivably wind up owing huge amounts of money (30% of all medical costs) without the stop loss.

 

[DMBFan61]

You're cute in a "I haven't had my spirit crushed by test blocks and inane lectures" kind of way.

Don't get me wrong, I love medical school and wouldn't want to pursue any other profession, but I think you'll find that perfect attendance is neither necessary nor particularly desirable.

gastrosheeshish anyone?

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

You're cute in a "I haven't had my spirit crushed by test blocks and inane lectures" kind of way.

Don't get me wrong, I love medical school and wouldn't want to pursue any other profession, but I think you'll find that perfect attendance is neither necessary nor particularly desirable.

Soonerfan is cute in a "never met Steinberg" kinda way. Dr. S is a smart man, but heck - he can read his own syllabus in front of the class and not understand what it was he was trying to say. Soonerfan is assuming all lectures are stimulating and relevant. Um... NOT. Most are, but not all.

But, hey, who are we to step on his snowshoes? I could write volumes on what my experience of first year was like - but he'll know soon enough.

Now, when Dr. DeAngelis is stamping his feet and pitching a fit because nobody showed for his lectures, he'll love soonerfan.

 

[soonerfan77]

I was reading on a different thread a discussion about AOA. What are OU's guidelines/qualifications for AOA. Top 1%? All honors? Is it political in any way?

AOA is always a great boost to a CV, and it never hurts to ask.

 

[Antigunner]

IWhat are OU's guidelines/qualifications for AOA. Top 1%? All honors? Is it political in any way?

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe 4.0 after 3rd year gets you junior AOA, then top 1/6 are eligible for AOA. There are no honors here, so that would be hard. And yes. Pretty much everything has a political aspect from here on out. Get used to it.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Soonerfan is cute in a "never met Steinberg" kinda way. Dr. S is a smart man, but heck - he can read his own syllabus in front of the class and not understand what it was he was trying to say. Soonerfan is assuming all lectures are stimulating and relevant. Um... NOT. Most are, but not all.

But, hey, who are we to step on his snowshoes? I could write volumes on what my experience of first year was like - but he'll know soon enough.

Now, when Dr. DeAngelis is stamping his feet and pitching a fit because nobody showed for his lectures, he'll love soonerfan.

I can get DeAngelis's frustration, but come on -- his lectures were the week before test block over material that wasn't going to be on the next test. Who's gonna go to that? Steinberg has about the worst syllabus ever -- good thing I didn't even attempt to go to his lectures. All I can say is thank goodness for the Steinberg for Dummies notes that one of our classmates prepared. When you MS1s hit Steinberg, ask one of us for them.

So save the snowshoes for fun stuff.

 

[oudoc08]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe 4.0 after 3rd year gets you junior AOA, then top 1/6 are eligible for AOA. There are no honors here, so that would be hard. And yes. Pretty much everything has a political aspect from here on out. Get used to it.

I believe you have to be 1st quartile to be considered. Then a total of 1/6 of the class will actually be AOA.

How they select the 1/6 out of the 1/4 is not exactly clear. Some are nominated in junior, some in senior year. (According to the AOA website)

 

[Amxcvbcv]

I get to spend tomorrow in the EGD lab/suite/whatever at Presby tomorrow AND board scores are coming out.

I'm excited.

 

[poppytart]

Hello everyone!

I was wondering if you could give me some advice...how soon do you think I should have my amcas app in by? I am hoping by the end of this month...that shouldn't put me behind since interviews don't begin until October (which I am sure I won't be getting a first tier interview). Thanks for the help!

 

[soonereng]

Hello everyone!

I was wondering if you could give me some advice...how soon do you think I should have my amcas app in by? I am hoping by the end of this month...that shouldn't put me behind since interviews don't begin until October (which I am sure I won't be getting a first tier interview). Thanks for the help!

I think that the general advice is the sooner the better, regardless of how competitive you think you are.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I get to spend tomorrow in the EGD lab/suite/whatever at Presby tomorrow AND board scores are coming out.

I'm excited.

Poppytart, I would think that by the end of this month would make you on the early end for OU applicants. Since they're so formulaic with their interview granting, getting it in super early doesn't seem as important as at other schools. Good luck to you, too!

 

[soonereng]

Poppytart, I would think that by the end of this month would make you on the early end for OU applicants. Since they're so formulaic with their interview granting, getting it in super early doesn't seem as important as at other schools.

True, true for OU. I didn't get mine in until the end of Sept. and interviewed in Nov. I was thinking more of the other schools one might be applying to through AMCAS in regards to earlier is better.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

True, true for OU. I didn't get mine in until the end of Sept. and interviewed in Nov. I was thinking more of the other schools one might be applying to through AMCAS in regards to earlier is better.

Yeah, exactly. Applying early seems to be huge with lots of other schools. Also, the earlier you apply, the early you figure out what you're going to be doing next year, which relieves some of the anxiety of the year.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

I think that the general advice is the sooner the better, regardless of how competitive you think you are.

I would agree - get it in ASAP. The 2007-2008 application cycle was OU's first year as a rolling school - as they get some practice at it, they may start finishing review and making interview selections earlier - can't really predict how quick they'll be from past experience since the rolling system is new. Earlier is safer - and less stress.

 

[Antigunner]

Just wanted to be the first to say... I passed Step 1. Flippin' sweet.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Just wanted to be the first to say... I passed Step 1. Flippin' sweet.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Just wanted to be the first to say... I passed Step 1. Flippin' sweet.

Way cool. I've got one finger uncrossed now - still waiting for amxcvbcv, johngalt, and the rest of 2009!!!

 

[poppytart]

Thanks for the replies! I will definitely have it in within the next ten days.

Also, I calculated my number based on that formula on a scale of 15 and mine is around an 11.75. I'm sure it won't be first tier, but do you think it will be late second tier? I just hope I interview before they start deferring and waitlisting people. Thanks again for the help!

 

[soonereng]

Also, I calculated my number based on that formula on a scale of 15 and mine is around an 11.75.

What formula?

 

[poppytart]

What formula?

Your GPA x 3.75 (to make it on a scale of 15) + MCAT (average of the three scores) / 2

So, if you had a 4.00 and a 15 MCAT your number would be a 15...and you would be perfect!

 

[soonereng]

Your GPA x 3.75 (to make it on a scale of 15) + MCAT (average of the three scores) / 2

So, if you had a 4.00 and a 15 MCAT your number would be a 15...and you would be perfect!

Do they actually use that at OU? Mine was a 13.1 then for whatever it's worth.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Thanks for the replies! I will definitely have it in within the next ten days.

Also, I calculated my number based on that formula on a scale of 15 and mine is around an 11.75. I'm sure it won't be first tier, but do you think it will be late second tier? I just hope I interview before they start deferring and waitlisting people. Thanks again for the help!

If memory serves me, I think the "average" successful candidate for OU now would have a 3.65 and a 30 MCAT, which is a "selection index" slightly over 11.8 - so, you're right at the middle of the road. There really aren't any "tiers" (especially if you're in-state) - if you interview first week, that's a very good thing; if you interview in late February, that's not so much a good thing. If you have decent extracurriculars and a good essay, you should be golden.

That is, if you don't explode before interviews begin. Relax!

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Do they actually use that at OU? Mine was a 13.1 then for whatever it's worth.

Yes, they do, and God bless them for it. That's why OU interviewed me when a lot of comparable schools wouldn't touch me at my age. OU does not use any "soft" factors until after the interview, which gave me a chance to give my "dog-and-pony show" in a great interview. I'm a huge supporter of the system because it's absolutely impartial until after they've met you in person. A high "selection index" doesn't guarantee you acceptance - granted, the rejection rate for the first few weeks is pretty low, but when I interviewed first day I met an absolutely obnoxious guy who, I found out later, didn't get an offer.

 

[Amxcvbcv]

Looks like I'll be competitive for radiology after all.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Looks like I'll be competitive for radiology after all.

Good job!!

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Looks like I'll be competitive for radiology after all.

HOORAY!!!
I want to review with you how you studied!! Did you get over being sick? Whatever virus I caught week before last was a very nasty summer cold/flu thing. One ear was especially affected and it's still clogged/ringing despite a trip to the doc.

 

[Amxcvbcv]

HOORAY!!!
I want to review with you how you studied!! Did you get over being sick? Whatever virus I caught week before last was a very nasty summer cold/flu thing. One ear was especially affected and it's still clogged/ringing despite a trip to the doc.

I haven't quite. It was some kind of respiratory virus.

I've still got some deep chest congestion and an occasional nasty cough, but I'm almost over it.

Thanks for the well wishes.

 

[soonerfan77]

I'm looking at the sample budget that was distrubuted during my interview, and there is no way my wife, my unborn child, and I will ever be able to live on $17,000 a year. Is there a chance that the financial aid people could increase my living expenses to say $50,000 a year, so we can pay for medical insurance and all the other things that come with parenthood. I would also like to eat something more than Ramen noodles everyday, which is what $400 a month would buy. My in-laws have pledged to co-sign any additional loans, but I'm just unsure how the whole thing works. Can I take out whatever amount I want, as long as I pay it back? Any help we be very much appreciated.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

I'm looking at the sample budget that was distrubuted during my interview, and there is no way my wife, my unborn child, and I will ever be able to live on $17,000 a year. Is there a chance that the financial aid people could increase my living expenses to say $50,000 a year, so we can pay for medical insurance and all the other things that come with parenthood. I would also like to eat something more than Ramen noodles everyday, which is what $400 a month would buy. My in-laws have pledged to co-sign any additional loans, but I'm just unsure how the whole thing works. Can I take out whatever amount I want, as long as I pay it back? Any help we be very much appreciated.

Well, sorry to be "Answer Man" all the time. But...

It is against Federal law to budget federally-backed loan money to support anyone other than the student (this was not always the case, but it has been for several years). Some couples do manage to live on the student allowance, but I don't know how they do it. The only exception to this is for childcare. So, if you want to borrow money to support your wife and children, you'll be looking at straight private loans - which, if I remember from BofA's program, max out at $30,000 per year. You can take out the max from a private loan (whether they'd let you do it all four years, I have no idea - you'd definitely need a cosigner if you're a traditional student). It is possible to get your certified budget for Stafford ($38.5K/yr max) and GradPLUS loans increased (mine is rather large since I maintain homes in Tulsa and OKC due to my mother's Alzheimer's Disease and the difficulty in asking her to move for two years) - but, again, it has to be for a federally-allowable purpose, which can't include family support. Also, your Year 1 budget is only for nine months - there is no support over the summer.

I would certainly advise that you see a financial planner that you trust before you go this route. You're going to be looking at purely private loans, probably with variable interest (as you can imagine, the interest rate on a private loan - which is unsecured debt with no federal guarantee that won't begin repayment for seven years minimum - is rather steep) - and no interest deferral - and probably frequent interest capitalization. You could be looking at a more-than-massive loan payment - in addition to your roughly $175K debt for the standard in-state budget and tuition (which is a monthly payment of anywhere from $1500 to $2000 depending on repayment period). If you're also paying OOS tuition.... wow. You might find that orthopedic surgery is about your only career choice - or a 30-year amortization. I believe Chase and Bank of America offer private loan programs.

A premed buddy of mine was in the same situation - his wife was a stay-at-home mom who hadn't worked in years. He originally tried to keep her at home - but there was just no way to do it. She had to go back to work (and was none too pleased when she was working in the building across the street from Norris Hall at Virginia Tech on the day of the shooting, BTW). My buddy and his wife have two small girls. You'll have to find a solution that works for you, of course, but the idea of an extra $120K in debt over and above the standard budget would keep me awake at night when I need to be sleeping!!

 

[soonerfan77]

As far as the living expense increases, my wife and I have been saving all of our receipts from the past month's expenses(food, utilities, medicine, etc.). We will be submitting them when we arrive at the beginning of the month, but I'm unsure of the process. The loan to our car is in her name. Does that mean I can't submit it? It is registered in both our names. We have yet to have an electric bill in OK. Am I allowed to submit our electric bill from our apt in TX?

Concerning the private loans, are they based on the budget the FinAid office certifies or do you simply go to the bank and ask for the amount you want?

Finally, a friend of my mother-in-law has spoken about the potential of making a lump sum of $$$$ right out of med school by moonlighting. Some residencies allow it; Some don't. This doctor friend has stated that he made over half a million in one year busting his @ss picking up about every shift he could handle. What are the possibilities/potentials for a high-energy level grad, so that I can pay off my loans before they compound considerably with interest?

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

As far as the living expense increases, my wife and I have been saving all of our receipts from the past month's expenses(food, utilities, medicine, etc.). We will be submitting them when we arrive at the beginning of the month, but I'm unsure of the process. The loan to our car is in her name. Does that mean I can't submit it? It is registered in both our names. We have yet to have an electric bill in OK. Am I allowed to submit our electric bill from our apt in TX?

Concerning the private loans, are they based on the budget the FinAid office certifies or do you simply go to the bank and ask for the amount you want?

Finally, a friend of my mother-in-law has spoken about the potential of making a lump sum of $$$$ right out of med school by moonlighting. Some residencies allow it; Some don't. This doctor friend has stated that he made over half a million in one year busting his @ss picking up about every shift he could handle. What are the possibilities/potentials for a high-energy level grad, so that I can pay off my loans before they compound considerably with interest?

Oh, my. OK - I'll give you my take on this - just remember that I'm a CPA and pretty conservative. You can submit your living expenses from Texas - whether or not they're approved is at the discretion of your financial aid counselor - as long as they're within federal guidelines. Car payments are not allowable for federal loans - no matter who owns the car. Credit card debt is not allowable. And, remember, if you submit living expenses that were generated by two people - they're going to cut them, because your wife's share of the bills is not allowable.

Your school-certified budget applies to federally-backed loans, Stafford loans ($38.5K/year max) and GradPLUS loans. Those funds will only be disbursed to you if the school certifies the amount. Many private (non-federally-guaranteed) loans will only allow you to borrow up to your certified cost of attendance less other aid. In fact, I just looked at B of A's website - they're now limiting Education Maximizer loans to cost of attendance. I think there are still a few private lenders that allow you to borrow over the cost of attendance, but they're expensive and Chase/B of A were the only reputable lenders I knew who did that - and they apparently no longer do. But, if you can find a private lender who doesn't require school certification, the financial aid office won't be involved.

You can moonlight if you're in a program that allows moonlighting. You won't be allowed to moonlight your intern year - and you can't moonlight without supervision until you pass Step III and are fully licensed. I have heard of some third-year residents who got their $45K resident salary up to around $100K by very, very aggressive moonlighting. Half a million - um, not so much. Unsupervised moonlighting can be dangerous, BTW - if you get a large malpractice claim while working on your own, you can be dismissed from your residency - ruining your career before it ever starts. I used to run a resident/faculty clinic - I've seen some horror stories that are not far-fetched.

If you'll accept some advice from an old guy - you really need to bring your expectations down to Earth. If you look hard enough, you can find someone who will allow you to borrow enough to be deep in debt for the rest of your life. That doesn't mean you should do it. Medical students are rather poor, but generally not uncomfortable. Look, I came from a background of 20+ years as a CPA and was quite used to living comfortably. All that changed when I came to OU. My car is paid-off, my neighborhood in OKC is lower-working-class on a good day, I shop for clothes on final clearance. And, actually, I'm very comfortable in my (quite) modest little house. I'm saying from personal experience - a mortgage or other large debt just didn't mean much to me when I was in my '20's - but it's real money that has to be paid-back every single month. There is an old saying, "live like a student now and live like a doctor later - or live like a doctor now and live like a student later." Perhaps you can get some advice from the SDN posters on here who have young families - there are several (I'm single and live in a house due to large German Shepherd pictured at left). But I can tell you, if your wife works at least part time and you accept the standard budget, you should be able to make it work. Medical school is not about comfort or luxury - I thought the comedown in lifestyle would kill me - but, truth is, I never have enough free time to notice. I do not eat Ramen noodles - ever.

End of lecture. You know, I do wish you well and I mean absolutely no offense - but I think your current plans, as I understand them, are unrealistic.

 

[soonereng]

Your school-certified budget applies to federally-backed loans, Stafford loans ($38.5K/year max) and GradPLUS loans.

They actually increased the Stafford max to 40.5K this year I think.

soonerfan - If you were wanting to do FP you could always go the Physicians Manpower route, but then you are setting your fate before you even begin.

I personally am counting on my wife to go back to work after she has the babies (will be living on the student loans and personal savings until then). I don't think that one can really afford not to if you have small children. Granted my wife earns a pretty decent income by herself so she could work part time and still more than cover all of our living expenses.

Either way, our lifestyle is definitely coming down from our current DINK status (Dual Income No Kids), where we buy what we want, eat what we want, and go where we want.

I also plan on going back to work next summer to build back up some of the savings that will be lost this fall, but again, the return on my time as an engineer is better than most jobs (except maybe NTT's cush job ).

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

(except maybe NTT's cush job ).

Hey, there has to be some advantage to being old... although I'll admit, my old rate of pay - knowing I won't work long enough to owe income taxes - is a really nice gig. But I may need it - I've been wondering if I might have a better shot at a top residency if I get my face lifted (they give a discount to students to let the plastic residents practice since there isn't much charity plastic work outside of trauma). It's weird when you're over 40, but not yet 50 - in the morning, my face looks like it always did. But by 5:00pm, it looks like somebody let the air out of my cheeks. Having seen the way the delicate branches of the facial nerve snake all over the face, however, I'm a little nervous about letting anybody come after me with a knife.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Stopped in at the right time it would appear...

However, I wish I could be more help. The fact is, I really don't know how a family of 3 is to live on what is available, without navigating the private loan minefield that NTT has described. I normally shy away from talking about finances, even to family, because it's nobody's bidness. But I'll make an exception for you guys, in part because except for the Trustafarian rich kids from Edmond who are descended from a long line of physicians (they'll be in your class too...), we're all getting paid the same amount to go to school. We probably spent about 8-9K, maybe a little more, over what we got from FA. I had saved up a little in anticipation of the kiddo, there was some residual savings, birthdays, random gifts from grandparents, etc. As it is, my wife can't wait for me to start school so the money faucet gets turned back on.

**If you aren't a budgeter, AND YOU SHOULD BE, the first thing I would do when you get your disbursement is figure out what your bills will be for the 3 summer months (don't forget AC costs ) , add 10% or so, then divide this by 2. Take half out of your fall check, half out of your spring check. Don't touch it until you're celebrating the fact you never have to go down to the anatomy lab again.**

But we had quite a few things pop up that ate into our budget that weren't planned for. New carpet, new windows (ouch...), 2 a.m. plumbing issues, gas prices, formula costs (keep the ****s on the tits!), well-baby checks which are the biggest ****ing racket next to personal property taxes, Payne County personal property taxes, etc, etc...

I don't know the answers to your personal situation, but I do know your trepidation is not unwarranted. It isn't easy. And made less so by the fact that most older folks are used to having more money (in contrast to the single "traditional" student used to having less). Truth be told, if we didn't live between our parents (3 miles each way, a blessing and a curse), both sets of which know full well what being poor feels like, we'd be on welfare. Well, actually that's not true, because we got turned down when we applied. Made "too much money". Nowhere on your award letter does it say that more than half of what you "make" goes to the school before you even see it. But we eat at their houses quite a bit, under the auspices of them getting to see the kiddo. Oh yeah, I pimp my son for food, I'll say it.

 

[soonerfan77]

Thanks for all the help, guys!

I really want to enjoy school as much as I can, but I have to solidify the $$$ situation first. Half of my dreams are about having a great time, and the other half are nightmares about the $$$. We have an appointment to talk with FinAid as soon as we arrive, and things should get better after that.

Long time no see, Mr. Freeze!

 

[JohnnyOU]

HOORAY!!!
I want to review with you how you studied!! Did you get over being sick? Whatever virus I caught week before last was a very nasty summer cold/flu thing. One ear was especially affected and it's still clogged/ringing despite a trip to the doc.

I was sick as crap for over 3 weeks with the flu...lost my voice for a week from coughing so much. I went to the dr (actually a PA) at the OU family medicine place and the guy's first words were "you can't have the flu; flu season's over".

I was like, ummm I can't get outta bed without feeling like I'm dying, every joint aches, I have a fever, and I'm coughing up nasty crap 24/7. It's not a bad case of the crabs!

Whatever it was, it was the sickest I've been in the last decade. But it couldn't have been the flu since it was out of season.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

IWhatever it was, it was the sickest I've been in the last decade. But it couldn't have been the flu since it was out of season.

Hey, Johnny, good to see ya! I've been wondering how the last of your summer was going.

I have news for your PA (I hope yours isn't mine over there!). There is some nasty virus going around. Two weeks ago today, I went to bed with sinus drainage and a tickly throat. Next day, I was holding paper towels under my nose because I couldn't grab Kleenex fast enough. Then, my "discharge" (if you will...) went from clear to unhappy colors and moved down my chest. Saturday I had severe sweats and chills - which ya don't get with just a cold. By Sunday evening, I was feeling better - still a nasty chest cough - spent the whole bloody weekend in bed - but I've had a residual ear infection that has made me crazy - my ear was so swollen the canal was nearly shut. There was a brand-new 3rd year student up here in Tulsa who nearly got his arm broken when he tried to use an otoscope before the doc came in. "Does that hurt?" Why, no, kiddo, my knuckles are always this white.

I was thanking my lucky stars that I hadn't caught anything like this during block week or the week before. I haven't felt that cr*ppy in years. I'm with ya, brother, it was NOT "just a cold."

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Thanks for all the help, guys!

I really want to enjoy school as much as I can, but I have to solidify the $$$ situation first. Half of my dreams are about having a great time, and the other half are nightmares about the $$$. We have an appointment to talk with FinAid as soon as we arrive, and things should get better after that.

Long time no see, Mr. Freeze!

I won't bring you down by telling you which half is more right

Yeah been busy with left-over honey dos from last summer. Sometimes I wish I wasn't as handy as I am. My wife's 2 favorite lines are "All you have to do is [insert really trivial sounding minimization of the true effort required for a task]" and "Well, how do they get it done so quick on 'those shows'?" when something takes me awhile to do, like oh, say REMODEL an entire house! I cringe every time she's in front of the idiot box watching HGTV and says, "Ohhhh, I LIKE that...".

Warning: TMI to follow...Sometimes though, being handy comes in, well, handy. I did get some sex yesterday, ostensibly for fixing the AC that had gone out. I didn't tell her it was just a tripped breaker; I made the whole production with multimeters and taking the outside unit apart. I thought I had "reset" the breaker, but the 220 breakers are harder to push over, so I didn't get it done the first time. I also didn't tell her that it took me awhile to think that maybe I didn't check the panel as well as I could have. So it looked much more like I was the walk-off home run king, when really I just got an RBI sometime in the 3rd inning. But after the house cooled down from 89 degrees, she didn't care and it was, as they say in New Zealand, "bizness time"...

I may just go out and pull a fuse or something tonight.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

I may just go out and pull a fuse or something tonight.

If we tell her how much you value her for her cost-saving dairy abilities, you'll be cut off faster than you can blink, buddy.

I was out tonight with a chainsaw taking off the bottom 6' of branches on my two 30' Austrian Black Pines in my front yard in Tulsa. I always wanted to leave them with branches all the way to the bottom (kinda Christmas-tree like), but they've overgrown the driveway and half the street and the neighbors hate 'em. I finally had to admit defeat. Although one neighbor always complained to me that they completely hid the house from the street... which was kinda the idea when I planted them 18 years ago.

It was kinda nice to do some hard physical labor.

 

[Jwax]

Congrats to you guys passing the boards! Way to go!

Pleasure to meet you, soonereng. You really are very tall.

 

[soonereng]

Pleasure to meet you, soonereng. You really are very tall.

The pleasure was all mine. I don't realize how tall I am most of the time until people who haven't met me say: "You're really tall!" Little kids are either in awe of me or scared of me.

I told you I shouldn't put all my weight into the chest compressions! Poor dummy. Suffered a cracked sternum from me, and I gave the poor kid dummy a pneumothorax although that was probably because his "skin" wasn't buttoned down.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

So did you guys get the email from financial aid about the new budget? They said something about adjusting for the tuition increases and increasing the living expenses coa amount by $300/month. I checked my award, and it looks like it hasn't been changed at all.

Has anybody else checked theirs? Right now, they're giving me the $17,410 for living -- isn't that the amount it's always been for MS1s and 2s?

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Has anybody else checked theirs? Right now, they're giving me the $17,410 for living -- isn't that the amount it's always been for MS1s and 2s?

Yes, I think if your aid's already been processed, you have to request the increase up to the new budget. Shouldn't be a big deal, since you don't have to justify it.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Yes, I think if your aid's already been processed, you have to request the increase up to the new budget. Shouldn't be a big deal, since you don't have to justify it.

I guess I'm confused because I thought would change the totals in the approved budget, but they look exactly the same. Right now I can't find any exact figures on the portal site for the new amount we can request. Neither my specific financial aid information nor the budget information breakdowns have changed.

Not to mention that site is also a pain because it always take me 10 minutes to find what the coa actually is because they bury it in a really non-intuitive way.

Editing to add that the other weirdness is that my tuition and fees have always been listed as $42k for both last year and this upcoming year, before the announcement about the tuition increase. When Schmidt sent out that email, I was confused as to what the difference actually was because those are the figures finaid has been giving me all along.

And now the PeopleSoft site isn't working at all.