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I'm currently supposed to be making big decisions about where to apply to medical school in October and I don't really know where to start. I generally get the impression everyone loves whatever uni they end up at, but I'm sure there are quite a few people with regrets. So, to the cleary older and wiser of this message board;
How did you choose the university you went to?
What did you like and value about it?
What did you dislike about it that you didn't realise would be a problem until you were there?
What would you have done differently in your choice-making?
Yes, taking major life advice off an internet forum is questionable, but you guys have given out great great advice over the years  )
Post Edited (06-13-07 17:19)
~ Sofi ~
"And so tomorrow there will be another number for the one who had a name."
i have regrets.
i picked by price.
i went to a collar popping ugg boot wearing prissy **** school.
big mistake.
i should have gone to school in a city i wanted to be in at a school with people i don't hate.
*~katie~*
good luck applying to med school, i know it's not easy...
based on a lot of my friends in med school, make sure you go to a place where you can handle the workload, it's hard anywhere, but some places are harder than others. also, if you want to be a regular doctor, it's not worth the big name prices. and, dont go to a top 10 reject school.
University of Washington has recently taken #1 in medical school
1. How did you choose the university you went to?
I chose UW because it was where people in seattle normally go. I applied there ONLY and no where else. It was either school or the army. Also, it would be the cheapest, because I live only a few miles away.
2. What did you like and value about it?
-The classes/professors
-The diverse student body
-The events
-24hr libraries and study halls
3. What did you dislike about it that you didn't realise would be a problem until you were there?
-Fitting into a HUGE university, but that may be just me. I have yet to find my niche there.
-Not a good place if you have no idea what you want to do because a lot of the really intriquing classes are open to majors ONLY
4. What would you have done differently in your choice-making?
-Nothing really. It was the safe choice because it was near home and I did not have to take out any huge loans to go there.
hope this helps, if not, oh well...
Message deleted on 2015-09-05 06:30:16 PDT
I basically picked the one my friends were going to... yeah I'm so independent. But it was also about the closest one that I wanted to go to and it was half the price of the University of Minnesota.
The thing I found I didn't like when I got there was their advising system for registering for classes. They make you have a code to register before a certain date and you have to get it from your advisor.... and I could never get ahold of him. I never once actually met with the man in person.
But wow... medical school... that should be fun. A little bit more difficult than my English major. (As you can see that major did wonders for my grammar while writing on message boards, haha.)
"It's not always rainbows and butterflies it's compromise that moves us along"
I picked my school because I didn't see a sense in making my parents spend over a hundred thousand dollars on an undergraduate education when I knew I was going to be going to grad school anyway, so I went with the public CUNY college.
I like that it's close and costs less than my high school did. Some great professors.
However, the school has some very smart people. It also has some of the absolute dumbest people I have ever come across in my entire life. I don't understand how some of these people can tie their shoes. I simply didn't have to deal with such stupid people having gone to private schools you'd get kicked out of for not maintaining grades all my life. I am dumbfounded by people who are happy with 2.5 GPAs, impressed by those who break 3.0 and amazed if you get a 3.5.
Each day I go to class I wonder what mind have been different if I'd gone to NYU instead. Some things would be better, some things would be much worse, some things wouldn't be at all.
If I could do it again I feel like there's a 50/50 shot I'd have opted for NYU instead. I honestly don't know.
-Mike
 
Go listen to my band. We're awesome.
http://www.myspace.com/rosencrantzny
weallgotwoodandnails
Im at Kentucky because they have a top 3 Pharmacy Program.... and they are going to make my life hell to keep it that way. But at least I know that after its all said and done all an employer will have to do is see the name of my school and I'll be hired on the spot.
Oh and theres something about in-state tuition.
As far as people go, I am of the belief you can make great friends in any educational setting.
You people are so helpful. Truely, I really appreciate this.
Went to Manchester today, sorry Genesis, really not happening. I tried so hard to like it 'cos I really thought I would love to go there but it just has no buzz. Obviously it'd be a lot more interesting during term time but the whole place is just too big and impersonal and in the city the people just aren't that friendly. It's like London on a weekday, but on a weekend. This might just be because I saw Leeds Uni yesterday and it's the most friendly, united, buzzy campus I've ever seen.
Christina, how big is Oxford city? I'm coming up on Wednesday! I have a horrible feeling I'm gonna fall in love with it and then not get in ( Seriously, ridiculously intelligent people are just more fun. And weird. Which is more fun.
~ Sofi ~
"And so tomorrow there will be another number for the one who had a name."
sofi123 wrote:
> Christina, how big is Oxford city? I'm coming up on Wednesday!
> I have a horrible feeling I'm gonna fall in love with it and
> then not get in ( Seriously, ridiculously intelligent people
> are just more fun. And weird. Which is more fun.
so true.
but from what ive gathered sofi you are very blessed in matters of intellect.
so dont stress! you can totally do it!!!
Message deleted on 2015-09-05 06:30:16 PDT
Oxford is obviously bigger than what you're used to in farnham/guildford... but its no manchester... its a city comprised of many neighboorhoods... the center is very managable.
leeds is quite cool and is a very 'uni' town... i think oxford is like that as well, but there are alot of poncy bat-suits going around as well, but it seems like it would be an awesome uni to go to... and as for the city, i LOVE it, beautiful buildings, parks everywhere (even in town) the bus systems make everything really accessable, so much culture going on plays concerts and stuff like that going on all the time, just saw damien rice here last thurs, and bright eyes came to just here and london last time he toured... and london access is very easy and cheap, even for a night the buses are only ?7 return, they take about an hour and they leave london every night every 20 min up until 330am... so you can go to a show in london and not have to worry about accom!
and... i'm here! lol. the only thing about oxford is the fact that housing is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. nick and i are paying nearly fifty percent more for a house slightly smaller than his in exeter... i know you're not going to be worrying about that because you'd live at your college (halls) for at least two-three out of your five years... and i'm sure you'd beable to house share with your friends... it makes it cheaper when you're a student because there are student houses that tend to be ranker, but cheaper and are for like six to share... where else are you looking?
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love.christina
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go here please --- http://www.hanson.net/site/hanson/link/1/87042
I can apply to four medical schools, so I was looking to choose four from Oxford, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds and UCL. My dad keeps trying to get me to go out to the States, but that's not gonna happen.
Oxford sounds incredible; I used to think I'd like to go to a big city but now I'm realising somewhere slightly smaller with some sort of community-base might be a lot better, especially as you say it's so easy to get to London. The only thing that really bothers me is that I get the impressions that the whole collegiate system makes it a bit like boarding school. That said I love their approach to the medical course and you can transfer between Oxford and London schools after three years so that could be cool.
The work hard party hard attitude really appeals to me, I think I'd really enjoy the medical school's approach to gaining a complete scientific understanding to the foundations of disease since I really don't like being told to just accept facts and question pretty much everything unless it's entirely logical, and I think the tutorial system sounds great. Academically, I know I'd really enjoy the challenge. The thing is, a) it's Oxford, b) it's medical school; my chance of getting into both is SO small. People that go to Oxford are RIDICULOUSLY smart. I just really don't think I'd get in.
I'm not too sure about UCL because of it being in London. So it'd be ridiculously expensive to live there and everything's pretty crowded. It's a gorgeous medical school and it's affiliated with a lot of leading hospitals, though.
I thought you moved to Reading?
Post Edited (06-24-07 07:36)
~ Sofi ~
"And so tomorrow there will be another number for the one who had a name."
How did you choose the university you went to?
I chose the university of essex because the course sounded the most interesting. For me thats the most important thing as there are more than likely going to be awesome people everywhere but you have to stick to the course for however many years, in my case 3, and so its important that you wont get bored!
What did you like and value about it? Ive just finished my second year and i still love it. essex is a relatively small campus and so it means that you know a lot of people which makes it such a nice community atmosphere! Also there are a wide variety of nationalities and people from all over which is nice. I can only speak for my department (Health and Human science) but they are so lovely and are open to anty questions or problems you might have...plus all my friends there are awesome! I went to a uni where none of my friends from home where going which i thinks a good thing as its nice to have 2 seperate groups of friends!
What did you dislike about it that you didn't realise would be a problem until you were there?
To be honest i dont have any problems with the uni. some people who came and have partners else where struggled a bit as at weekends they were always going to see them and so never properly integrated themselves into university but other than that everyone i know seems pretty happy with it!
What would you have done differently in your choice-making?
Im really happy with my choice as i have awesome friends, and awesome department and am having a great time...but as you said im sure that everyone says that about their uni.
Hope that helps dude, if you have any other queries just repost or email me...if you have any questions about other uni's i know quite a lot of others at different unis and would be more than happy to ask them questions! Good Luck! xx
having oxford be your 'reach' uni i think is fine sofi, you never know, and i am pretty sure that admission tends to be just as much about the interview as anything else and you give me the impression you are great in interviews.
ps - bristol is a wicked city as well, you'd really like it... but that's hard to get into as well, at least i know their art program is lol! don't know much about the medical side. if it was me, i'd stay in the south... lol!
pps- i don't know why your father would like you to study in the states, its 5 years more, and um, about 60-70 grand (sterling)... not including visas and international student crap! lol... and you'd be so far away from your family!
ppps - i moved to reading, could barely stand my 6 month sentance... RANKFEST! in november i was promoted at work and i got a store in oxford... and in march i was finally allowed to move here... nick moved up from exeter and its very cool. shockingly getting into london is easier/cheaper/more convenient than when i lived in reading! no, seriously!
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love.christina
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go here please --- http://www.hanson.net/site/hanson/link/1/87042
Message deleted on 2015-09-05 06:30:16 PDT
To be honest, like **** I want to go to America before being 21 anyway )
I'm pretty keen on Bristol, I have a buch of friends that live out there and a few at the Uni who all love it. It would possibly allow me to study abroad for awhile too, which was really why I wanted to go to Manchester. I don't think it's THAT hard to get into; there are no admissions tests and standard offer is AAB and there's not really any reason I shouldn't get 5 As so I fugure it's do-able. Arts and humanities courses there are notoriously competitive; a straight English course has something like 25 applicants per place!
Only thing is a lot of the hospitals used are very spread out in places like Swindon, Bath and WSM. Nice course structure though. I'm getting the impression that and the place are of fairly equal importance.
What do we think about London?
~ Sofi ~
"And so tomorrow there will be another number for the one who had a name."
london = cool, and intriguing but EVERYTHING is expensive. i mean its hard to be there and i am earning full time salary! imagine being a student! it would be like being in a candy store and not having any money or hands to touch anything lol.
swindon is really far from bristol! its like a hour on the train! (i know, we do most of our meetings and training in bristol, and i have to go through didcot & swindon & bath to get there)
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love.christina
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go here please --- http://www.hanson.net/site/hanson/link/1/87042
Message deleted on 2015-09-05 06:30:16 PDT
All I can say is London is good but very expensive. When my friend was training to be a nurse she struggled to pay for rent and just general living!! Have you thought about Southampton?? Right by the sea. Really easy to get on a train or coach. Night life is ok.
Only prob I heard it is another one that is quite hard to get into!!
Message deleted on 2015-09-05 06:30:16 PDT
Thanks guys. You can always rely on this board to be ridiculously helpful!
Southhampton's just too close to home.
So Oxford is pretty much the most beautiful city in England! And the people are SO friendly! I met a professor who's trying to cure Parkinson's and a woman trying to cure HIV. I love how everyone's so enthusiastic and down to earth about being some of the most intelligent people in the world. The city's a LOT like Guildford, really. With slightly fewer stuck up kids dressed in Jack Wills. Very traditional, obviously, a little like Hogwartish in parts, overwhelming numbers of tourists (always?) but generally very 'bright'. I don't think I could personally walk 100 yard down a high street and see two buskers and two "free hug" men and NOT love it. I think I'd like to apply to Magdalen. Eee! Interviews do sound like a right bitch, but hey, a girl can dream.
Christina, you are so lucky to live there!
ps What're they filming?
Post Edited (06-28-07 16:35)
~ Sofi ~
"And so tomorrow there will be another number for the one who had a name."
they're filming the philip pullman 'his dark materials' trilogy. you know golden compass, amber spyglass & the subtle knife.
and i love it. its my favourite place i've lived in england by far.... and yeah not everyone's a RaRa! Though you do get your jack wills clad posh gits but whatev... and yeah there are always tourists, just not this many because you have to remember its the middle of the summer in america when everyone travels and does 'summer abroad' programs... its awesome because they're a fucking goldmine when it comes to sim sales! (woo workaholic!)
you should go for it sofi. the worst they could say is no... and that's not an end all be all... but they could also say YES! ;o)
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love.christina
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go here please --- http://www.hanson.net/site/hanson/link/1/87042
I realise this is entirely self-interested, but just incase another wanted to keep up with this little saga, I got invited to interview at UCL today for the 27th November ) Wish me luck!
~ Sofi ~
"And so tomorrow there will be another number for the one who had a name."
GOOD LUCK SOFI!
i decided that i'm applying to school for sept 2008 as well... just one though and if i don't get in i'm not going to go back... i'm just waiting on my transcripts from h/s now lol... (and all that talk about london, yeah i don't know how i'm going to do it as its so expensive)...
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love.christina
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go here please --- http://www.hanson.net/site/hanson/link/1/87042
Oooh exciting! Where/for what?
~ Sofi ~
"And so tomorrow there will be another number for the one who had a name."
Message deleted on 2015-09-05 06:30:16 PDT
Who d'you work for, Genesis?
I got in )
Interview at Oxford next monday and tuesday.
~ Sofi ~
"And so tomorrow there will be another number for the one who had a name."
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