Class of 2016 Chat

pH - ughhhh, that’s what I kept finding. This house was a lucky break, but it is a five minute drive in good weather. Once it snows that will become a less awesome prospect. And I had to trade closeness to school, ability to hop into study groups easily (most students live in apartments and share houses within walking distance of the school) for the way lower rent and much more room. I think it’s TOTALLY WORTH IT, but we’ll see in a few months.


Personally, I’d take the studio. You’ll be closer to that gym, and more likely to use it. Besides, the basement sounds awful, and losing a lot of money if you don’t find any roommates worse. But, like Shawn said - CHECK FACEBOOK. The group for my class is funny and neurotic, and there has been a lot of roommate finding going on. Give it a shot.

Thanks Pixie. I was actually all set to take the studio, but there were no more available… it happened overnight so the search continues.


I did find another room for rent option that seems more realistic but I’m really not sure how comfortable I am with the idea of living with people who aren’t med students (you know, people who have LIVES?!).

Just to throw this out there - living next to school sounds like a good idea, but it’s also nice to be able to get a break from all the drama and craziness that goes on. Living a little further away can be really nice because when you go home -you are not at school. So, Pixie, I think you’ll be thrilled that you live a little further away. PH - I’m rooting for you. You’ll find the perfect place, I know it. Living with people who have lives can go both ways - either it’ll be an escape from stress or it’ll cause stress - so it really depends on your personality - but you’re pretty much going to be studying all the time, so plan accordingly…

Switz, my family’s farm is in Elizabethtown, PA (really close to Hershey) and it’s an awesome old farmhouse, but complete with the requisite mold you speak of. I am shocked at how expensive rentals


in Hershey seem to be, though! But glad you ended up finding a nicer place =)

good news on the tucson front: all moved into our new house and my wife got a job with the radiation oncology department at the college of medicine! her office will be in the building next to the COM so we can carpool to school/work, meet up for lunch, and the best part: reduced tuition!!! it’s looking extremely likely that i will graduate from med school without any debt. maybe i can also get my foot in the door of the highly competitive rad/onc field…

Well, after 8 days without power, we have left 1830 behind us and are back in the present day.


So, having played online all morning and been unproductive, I find myself searching for cheap health insurance - required to have by the school, but something I’ve never had as an adult. I am never sick, and only see a doctor once a year.


Soooo… how do I find health insurance that will cover, say, a horrible car accident, but doesn’t waste my money by requiring prescription coverage or doctor’s visits? I can pay those out of pocket and be better off, it seems.


Side note - Googling “horrible emergency only insurance” gave me nothing.

Lol Pixie. Try goggling indemnity health insurance, hospital insurance, individual insurance. Some of the websites will give you different quotes and let you see about plans where office visits aren’t covered. But they have really high deductibles (~$10000). Does your school not have an insurance plan for students? What kind of coverage do the current students have?

Shawn, that is awesome about your wife’s job!


Pixie, any way you can get in touch with some current students and see what they are doing for health insurance? I know SOMA has a student health insurance program (http://www.somainsurance.com/), but didn’t look into it since my school offers a specific plan.

School doesn’t have its own, most students are using SOMA. I’m over 30 (which makes me a decrepit crone to all but car insurance) so the SOMA plan with a higher deductible is $178 a month.


It may be low, but to someone who will not be using their Rx plan or doing more than an annual exam, well, that’s a boatload of money. The only other thing a fellow student has is Assurant, which is not real insurance. It covers a tiny amount and then all the rest of the bills are on you.


I want to be covered for a needle stick or car accident, but I keep finding what Core mentioned - 10k deductibles. Crazy!

Anybodt else get to see their registration page yet? 47 Credits in the First Year here.

We moved down to Blacksburg, VA last week. We are falling in love with this town and it feels very similar to the university town where we were living.


We opted for a non-SOMA health insurance plan. All of the students from the VCOM facebook group talked about how awful SOMA insurance was: high prices and didn’t cover anything.


I’ve been doing some last minute pleasure reading (goodbye non-medical books!).



telomerase, I think I’m going to spend the next week and a half reading a bunch of mindless magazines while I still can!


I got a call from VCOM the other day that I’m at the top of the waitlist and to be prepared for a call… ACK! It was my top choice, but I’m really not sure at this point since I’m so invested in LECOM financially that I’d switch if they do end up calling me.

  • BaileyPup Said:
47 Credits in the First Year here.



Welcome to medical school, hehe.

I know it will be hard, but aside from a class or two I am really excited for it. It is going to be so interesting. One thing I haven’t figured out yet, do they just schedule classes willy nilly throughout the day or if you have biochem on MWF it will always be at 8am?


The really funny thing is that you still have to “register” for classes as if you have a choice.

  • BaileyPup Said:
One thing I haven't figured out yet, do they just schedule classes willy nilly throughout the day or if you have biochem on MWF it will always be at 8am?



It was my experience that my school just scheduled lectures willy nilly during the morning hours (8-11:50 am) M-F. For example,

Biochem week 1:

Mo, Tu, Th 10-10:50 am

We 9-10:50 am

Fr 9-9:50 am

Biochem week 2:

Mo Labor Day (no classes)

Tu 9-9:50 am

We 9-10:50 am (1st quiz)

Th, Fr 10-10:50 am

Biochem week 3:

Mo 11-11:50 am

Tu, Fr 10-10:50 am

We, Th no class

Fr 7:30-8:40 am (1st exam)

You can see 2 trends.

1: there is not much predictability to the schedule.

2: exams/quizzes happen often.

Bailey, I find the “registration” process amusing as well!


I don’t know the actual number of credit hour equivalents in my first year, but I’m definitely expecting to be “drinking through a fire hose” as I’ve heard it related. But I’m definitely excited! This is the kind of stuff I LOVE learning about.

Every school varies on how they schedule the lectures, and it will depend on the curriculum - like if it has some PBL component or small group cases, or more lecture - but it does tend to be hectic and the fire hose starts at full force - at least in my experience. There really wasn’t a ramping-up period - they just turn it on and you start drinking. The first couple of weeks are just rough - so be prepared for that. But you get used to it and it becomes pretty normal. Good luck, everyone! I’m excited to see how it goes and to read your stories.

My school has no registration (or, due to the undecidedness of this year’s schedule, are not offering it for the new curriculum).


We did get our schedule for the orientation week, which ends with one day of real class. I really should do this summer review material soon.


OMG, THREE WEEKS OF FREEDOM LEFT. I have got to get myself to an Ikea.

When does everyone start? I have my Bridge Program starting July 24, Orientation Aug 1, Prologue Aug 6, and White Coat on Aug 10.


Bailey, we have access to our class schedule for the first block (through Oct 11) and all my classes are scheduled willy nilly.

Orientation 8/6, and White Coat on 8/25.


Does this white coat thing seem a bit odd to anyone? Getting coats while we still know nothing of value?