<p>Son also had to buy his specific laptop from his med school, came complete with specific software for his courses and exams…coded specifically for him for exams…also came with a tablet as well.</p>
<p>He did appreciate and use a school specifc laptop bag sold at the med school store and a gift card from there as well. Also an Amazon.com gift card as that is where he ended up buying some of his instruments…cheaper than the bookstore, same with some texts. And as a student they are eligible for free Prime from Amazon, no tax for us and with Prime free 2 day shipping.</p>
<p>1) Your kid? Favorite niece? Or just a random kid you are obligated to buy a gift?
2) Already got an acceptance?
3) Knows where they will be attending?</p>
<p>We knew that (until the kid knew where she would be attending) that the big ticket items were off the table. Stethoscope, that other-scope, laptop, Ipad were all too school specific. So I bought one of those little silver knee knocker hammers and had it engraved with Dr. Blank G. Blank. </p>
<p>Other than that, nothing med school specific. Oh , yeah. There was that Europe trip. She said that was medically-related. ;)</p>
<p>Ah, yes, but if your child is clever and ambitious, they will get the med school to pay for their travel. D1 has already applied for travel fellowships for the summer after MS2. She’s hoping to get the travel/wilderness medicine dept to pick up her tab to go back to Africa. She’s also made contacts with a charitable group (of physicians & surgeons) who go to Central/South America every year to run healthcare clinics in rural communities–she’s on their alternate list to go to Peru this summer. If group decides to take her–her medical school will pay her expenses.</p>
<p>“Ah, yes, but if your child is clever and ambitious, they will get the med school to pay for their travel.”
-None, zero of clever and ambitious in D’s class, as everybody is paying themselves. Yes, exactly the case, D. is going to rural Peru, one of only 10 chosen and feels very lucky. Nobody is asking for paid trip, they are happy just to be chosen. We have paid already and I already started worrying.</p>
<p>DD and many of her MS2 classmates went to a conference recently and the school did give them a travel budget. It was lean, but nice. Especially when you see that the Step 1 costs over $500, worse than the MCAT and SAT.</p>
<p>^Well, we already paid $2500 for a trip and there are some additional expenses. I do not care too much about money, I am worrying about travel itself. D. will be in rural Peru for one month. She is also planning to take step 1 in spring of next year. $500 is nothing, we are paying much more for rent, not counting tuition. As long as they are OK, it is all worth it…as long as they stay safe and healthy.</p>
<p>DS will have a trip in the summer. Do not know how much the student will pay and how much the school may help. But we are greatful that the school will arrange the transportation and lodging. Originally I thhought it will last the whole summer, but now I learn it will only be one week. He seems to have started the arrangement of his summer research, as he said he would talk to several professors/doctors this week or something like that. It appears his school has some “system” in place to support its students to do research.</p>
<p>This upcoming trip could be a good bonding experience among some of the students who are going. (I heard DS was just one of the students who are “assigned” to go there. So it is not all students and it is also not a single student only.) There is another true “bonding” trip during spring break. But after DS had compared the price of joining that trip and that of coming home, he decided to go home. He said he has negative income now and should not spend money like that.</p>
<p>D. cannot do research in this summer because she will be abroad for whole month. However, research is built-in in her program, everybody is doing it.</p>
<p>Med school’s paying for my week-long conference in Colorado, and for my summer position back home. Also secured a summer clinical research position (ortho) and one for the fall (surgical oncology). Just have to be creative and flexible–there’s always someone out there who will fund it, if you can find them!</p>
<p>^Yes, I believe that D. has only one summer, this coming summer.<br>
Apparently what D. enjoys the most is to be in doc. office (once a week for now). It was very rewarding to hear excitement in her voice as hopefully this will be her job at some point of time. She always liked research in a past but she likes to work with people the most.</p>
<p>Older sibling to be exact, although I always thought it was a random kid when I was younger. iPad 2, laptops, and other big-ticket items are a little over my budget. Throwing a few games of Mario Kart, however, should be doable. The Seinfeld joke of cash wrapped in a nice gift box might work, too.</p>
<p>Trying to understand this process…BFF’s son has had several interviews and has been waitlisted (guess there are various KINDS of waitlists, too—he’s on one 'high priority" list, whatever that is!) at 4 schools. There is a ‘magic’ date in May she refers to. Is that when those who’ve gotten offers from several schools must decide which offer to accept? If so, when will the waitlists open up that might lead to an offer for this hard-working young man? Great respect for those who make it through this painful process…</p>
<p>^Yes, they have to let Schools know which one they select by May 15. I heard there are cases when people got accepted even after that date, even late in a summer, I have no idea what causes such a late acceptance. D. made sure to let schools know right after she decided not to attend there to make a spot available for somebody else. She did not wait until May 15. But some might be waiting for scholarships or some other aspects prevent them from making final decision.</p>
<p>Financial aid packages (scholarships, grants, etc) are sent to students at the end of April (May 1 is the date by which students must have financial info in hand) with May 15th being the date by which students must select one school if they have multiple offers.</p>
<p>So there is usually a flurry of activity around the end of May, with a few more openings happening all the way up to the week before classes start.</p>
<p>“High priority” means he would one of the first students tapped should a spot open up, although that designation isn’t any kind of guarantee it will happen. Med schools are very good judges of their yield and make judgments about the numbers they accept accordingly.</p>
<p>WayOutWestMom,
I can think of one school that was a bit off with judging the yield as my son was super-interested in their school (and they perhaps thought not due to stats/locale/etc.)! Their loss I’m still a little grumpy about it though…lol</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone still waiting. Hang in there :)</p>
<p>My daughter is anxiously awaiting the decision of her #1 choice. It is rumored on SDN that it may be tomorrow. Is there a certain poster here (cough, cough) that can verify that? :)</p>
<p>Well, no news from D or on SDN. Mr. mmmcdowe, do you have any insider info for the timeline? My D actually took a pm tablet last night because she was anxious. Come on, throw us a bone! ;)</p>
I don’t think there is a summer between MS2 and 3. Maybe a su…</p>
My D actually took a pm tablet last night because she was anxious. Come on, throw us a bone! ;)</p>