freewheeler Posted May 14, 2016 Report Share Posted May 14, 2016 Sorry if this has been asked/talked about already, I feel like I read something about LOC but I can't find where. Should I be getting my LOC sorted before med school starts? Is there any kind of advantage in waiting until school starts? Good question. IIRC there is an info fair on this in July as part of orientation and I think I read one of the upper years recommend waiting until then. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to start shopping around now (it'd probably give you a better idea of what is out there wrt terms, perks, etc.). Also, when is the tuition generally due? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSWschnoodle Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 I'm looking at investing in a new computer for school (something lighter and more portable). Torn between the Microsoft Surface and the Macbook Air... anyone in U of C med have an opinion or insight into which system would be the better investment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiiiluther Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 I'm not currently a student - but do you have a budget? What kind of things are you looking for in a computer? (Ie. What kind of notetaker are you? Would you benefit from being able to write your notes on a tablet?) What kind of things do you intend on running? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSWschnoodle Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 I'm not currently a student - but do you have a budget? What kind of things are you looking for in a computer? (Ie. What kind of notetaker are you? Would you benefit from being able to write your notes on a tablet?) What kind of things do you intend on running? I have a larger laptop that I've used for years. In all honesty I've been in grad school for years now and the way my program was structured there wasn't a lot of "sit in class and take notes" time. In undergrad I did a mix between writing and typing. As for budget - I'd rather not spend a fortune (sub $1500 is where I'm at right now) but if an amazing option presented itself that required a few more bucks I would look at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amichel Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 I have a larger laptop that I've used for years. In all honesty I've been in grad school for years now and the way my program was structured there wasn't a lot of "sit in class and take notes" time. In undergrad I did a mix between writing and typing. As for budget - I'd rather not spend a fortune (sub $1500 is where I'm at right now) but if an amazing option presented itself that required a few more bucks I would look at it. The pro is pretty cool. I love my MacBook Air though. I get by just fine by typing and screen shots of important diagrams and figures. I was a podcaster so I'd watch the lectures and summarize the slides in Evernote. Then I write out notes by hand when studying for exams. Honestly just depends whether you really want to hand write notes and whether you prefer Mac or PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiiiluther Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 I'm personally someone that bought into the whole Mac trend... They're more expensive than they should be, but I've used a Mac for the last ~6 or so years and I prefer it to PC when it comes to schoolwork. They also tend to be pretty straightforward and difficult to mess up (save for dropping it). If you're looking for more "bang for your buck", a PC might be better for you, but again it's all up to you. (As a sidenote: at this point I would find it difficult to believe that there might be programs you'd need that aren't compatible with both Mac and PC). Also depends on what you like in size - even with an education discount you'd be limited to 11"- 13" Macbooks should you choose that route. (That being said Apple also offers some great refurbished Macs as well!) I think both options are honestly pretty good - I would to to the apple store / microsoft store to try some of the products out to see what you think! I've tutored people with the Surface, and it looked SICK (aesthetically and in terms of function). EDIT: Check out this website to determine when might be a good time to buy if you're looking for a Mac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearpuppy Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 I'll just say that I've personally switched to Mac several years ago after being hardcore pc. You can run anything on a Mac - if it's Windows only, simply run boot camp. Also, I started with a 17" and then later went to a 15" MacBook pro. Presently I'm waiting for WWDC where Apple is likely to announce upgraded macbooks, and then I'll buy a new 13". If you travel at all, a 15" is still too big. I actually have the new MacBook as a loaner right now, and it's light and great, but personally feel it's a bit underpowered and I think id prefer the greater real estate on a 13". The Eta for the upgrades is mid June. My plan would be to see how it goes, and if absolutely necessary buy an iPad pro (smaller one) for handwritten notes/ diagrams. jackz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSWschnoodle Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 I'll just say that I've personally switched to Mac several years ago after being hardcore pc. You can run anything on a Mac - if it's Windows only, simply run boot camp. Also, I started with a 17" and then later went to a 15" MacBook pro. Presently I'm waiting for WWDC where Apple is likely to announce upgraded macbooks, and then I'll buy a new 13". If you travel at all, a 15" is still too big. I actually have the new MacBook as a loaner right now, and it's light and great, but personally feel it's a bit underpowered and I think id prefer the greater real estate on a 13". The Eta for the upgrades is mid June. My plan would be to see how it goes, and if absolutely necessary buy an iPad pro (smaller one) for handwritten notes/ diagrams. I've been running on Mac for several years now and compared to my experiences with PC I have loved the mac laptops. They are expensive (and I would even buy the argument they are somewhat overpriced) but compared to the bug-ridden PCs I've owned as far as I'm concerned it's been money well spent. The biggest reason for upgrading to something else would be to get something lighter with a longer battery life compared to the 15 inch MBP. Now that you mention the potential June release of updated MacBooks I will likely wait and see as well... thanks for the reminder! :-D lexiiiluther, bearpuppy and jackz 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engmeddrm Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Hello Everyone, I started another topic but just saw this one and thought I'd ask in here as well... http://forums.premed101.com/index.php?/topic/90567-ip-exp-eng-to-md-path-of-action-advice/ Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruhh Posted May 29, 2016 Report Share Posted May 29, 2016 My question is: with the compressed nature of UofC's program in mind, how much free time do you have? I am an avid snowboarder and would really like to be able to ride the mountains on some weekends, and maybe going out with friends once or twice a month. I want to know whether I'm better off just forgetting about a social life or it's still possible to balance the two at least to some extent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albertan10 Posted May 29, 2016 Report Share Posted May 29, 2016 you will have a ton of free time to do that. Many head out to the mountains quite often during the winter season. As for social life, no reason to forget about any of that even in clerkship. Sure, you'll need to balance some weeks with call and such. But it's totally feasible. sjc2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruhh Posted May 29, 2016 Report Share Posted May 29, 2016 you will have a ton of free time to do that. Many head out to the mountains quite often during the winter season. As for social life, no reason to forget about any of that even in clerkship. Sure, you'll need to balance some weeks with call and such. But it's totally feasible. That's so relieving to hear! I still live in Ontario with no mountains in sight, so the thought of going to Alberta and not being able to finally ride real mountains due to med school was daunting haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albertan10 Posted May 29, 2016 Report Share Posted May 29, 2016 I hear ya. Don't let the compressed program intimidate you. You will have a pretty fun time in Calgary for sure. sjc2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borborygmi Posted May 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 That's so relieving to hear! I still live in Ontario with no mountains in sight, so the thought of going to Alberta and not being able to finally ride real mountains due to med school was daunting haha I often take a weekday that doesn't have mandatory classes to head to the slopes and also moved from Ontario. I hope you love it! So much good skiing/boarding and so close. Pretty amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carebear Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 Is it viable to work while in the program? I'm not talking everyday, but pick up a shift per week, or so? Or is there some time off that we have? Extended breaks, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albertan10 Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 probably not advisable. but it is possible. I have known people who have done exactly that. as for extended breaks. other than the yearly december breaks, you will get 2 weeks off in march during first year only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carebear Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 This is probably a silly question, but how do we get access to a uofc email, etc? does that all happen during orientation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSWschnoodle Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 This is probably a silly question, but how do we get access to a uofc email, etc? does that all happen during orientation? If you have attended/applied to U of C (to a program other than med) before then you can log into myUofC to access all that stuff (except some students can't get into email - mine is currently down). If you haven't attended before then I'm not sure when that'll get sent - sorry :-( I'm sure one of the goats will shed some light! U of C has had an interesting week or two in regards to email and other tech systems (they wound up with a virus or a hacker or something that took down all the emails and interrupted wifi during the Social Sciences and Humanities Congress this past week). I'm not sure when this stuff was sent last year but if login information goes out later this year my guess is this techpocalypse has something to do with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borborygmi Posted June 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 This is probably a silly question, but how do we get access to a uofc email, etc? does that all happen during orientation? From what I can recall, we received our e-mail addresses in late June or so last year. I'm not sure if this will be different for you since the incoming class starts 3 weeks earlier than we did in 2015. MSWschnoodle is also correct that the exchange servers have been exploding for the last week. However, the majority of the students are on Office365 which is a different platform, so I'm not sure how much the downtime would affect the e-mail setup for the incoming class. I suspect you will have your e-mail address prior to orientation week, though, because there will be some activities that will require you to log in and navigate Osler (the med school online portal) during that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostycappuccino Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 Sorry if this has already been asked, but can any current students shed light on whether or not it's worth it to live near campus? And if so, which neighbourhoods are best to live in that are most convenient? (And does this change by second or third year - as in, once hospital rotations begin?) My home is in Calgary in the NW, but it would be a 50 minute bus ride everyday or 30 minute drive to get to campus. Do most students at UC live on campus or at home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amichel Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 Sorry if this has already been asked, but can any current students shed light on whether or not it's worth it to live near campus? And if so, which neighbourhoods are best to live in that are most convenient? (And does this change by second or third year - as in, once hospital rotations begin?) My home is in Calgary in the NW, but it would be a 50 minute bus ride everyday or 30 minute drive to get to campus. Do most students at UC live on campus or at home? You'd probably get more info on this from the loooong discussion on the Facebook group. Borborygmi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostycappuccino Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 You'd probably get more info on this from the loooong discussion on the Facebook group. I haven't taken the time to look through it yet, but I'll go look for it now! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amichel Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 I haven't taken the time to look through it yet, but I'll go look for it now! Thanks. No worries! Much bigger sample size over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoolBeans Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 Is the 'Welcome to the Profession of Medicine Ceremony' one where we can invite family? Is it equivalent to the white coat ceremony? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borborygmi Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 Is the 'Welcome to the Profession of Medicine Ceremony' one where we can invite family? Is it equivalent to the white coat ceremony? It is! Family is welcome and there is a food & drink gathering with photo opportunities afterwards. Jdumps 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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