Latest Student Newsletter

[gschneid]

Anyone wanna be the first to complain about the newsletter? Post your complaints here.

[senz_asian]

Can someone please send me the newsletter or post it up here,, ... I somehow haven't received anything from the admin. :(

[IWillBeMD1day]

Everything sounds goood in the newsletter!

[WSUCougar]

So here's a piece of the newsletter that references the loan status. This is the quote from our Chancellor

"We expect to share good news on the financial aid front soon. We are finalizing arrangements to make available a new credit-based loan program which will be offered beginning with the fall semester. It will provide funds for both tuition and living expenses. Loans are expected to be available both with and without a co-borrower, based on a student’s credit quality. As soon as the agreement is finalized, we will provide additional details."

Very Good News!!!


:dancing:

[azulpanther]

imagine if smu sent this newsletter 2 weeks ago. Alot of threads wouldnt have been made.


Yeah everything sounds great. Now we have a 97% passing rate !!! lol, screw harvard i got my education from smu, lol

[WSUCougar]

I really did enjoy reading the newsletter. You see, this is all I'm talking about. Just a little update on things, "Especially" when loans are all up in the air.

The part talking about clinical spots, was a little deceiving though. It stated that every student that passed the USMLE was offered a clinical spot, meaning the sites are not crowded. But..... weren't those spots that were being offered either "blue" or in the "UK"?

[butterflymd]

Cougar I agree a little communication goes a long way the newsletter did ease some of my anxiety now I just look forward to actually seeing a loan in place

[AmericanIMG]

the newsletter has a ton of useless info in there. they need to clean it up.

[smu79]

The part talking about clinical spots, was a little deceiving though. It stated that every student that passed the USMLE was offered a clinical spot, meaning the sites are not crowded. But..... weren't those spots that were being offered either "blue" or in the "UK"?
Cougar-

although it may seem deceiving, i dont think SMU is trying to trick us. I know of two kids who were offered blue rotations and took them..they will practice in Michigan and Utah- two states that accept blue rotations for licensing.

Some students dont actually care about green, as my two lads from the UK...i think smu owe this students these rotations....these students dont valuemd....

it is us who make a fuss about green rotations and rightfully so.

my point is that smu is making people happy by giving these kids blue rotations.

[smu79]

the newsletter has a ton of useless info in there. they need to clean it up.


you heard it first here....AmericanIMG is willing to volunteer his skills to smu. (after all he does have a phd. in editing/formating...dont you?)

[WSUCougar]

the newsletter has a ton of useless info in there. they need to clean it up.

useless info, mixed in with extremely useful info, is still a million times more beneficial than the newsletter we got last week. :cool:

[AmericanIMG]

useless info, mixed in with extremely useful info, is still a million times more beneficial than the newsletter we got last week. :cool:

i agree........

[mellsworth21]

Could someone post the newsletter?

[AmericanIMG]

Could someone post the newsletter?

its too long to post.

[senz_asian]

it's okk I saw the most important part on the other post.... thanks!



its too long to post.

[gschneid]

Here are some of the highlights:

Hired an executive vice pres. with 15 years of hospital sr. management experience to be the clinical development director for the 3 sister schools.

Parent company changed name to R3 Education.

Added a new research section ot the website.

Financial aid news coming soon as others have previously posted.

Clinical shadowing program for 4th and 5th semesters on island is exceeding expectations.

Letter from the Dean of Students: change in block exam schedules. stop being dishonest about attendance policy, you will get the boot. Kaplan program is good. Clinical people will be adressing the student body soon. New scantrons that give you a carbon copy so you can check your answers immediately after exams. SGA is doing a good job, adding vending machines. (I bet the cart lady won't be happy about that.)

Letter from DOBS: He is happy to accept this new responsibility and thanks the previous DOBS for his service. Be professional at all times, no more nonsense. Center of excellence in medical education is being established to explore new teaching methodologies.

Letter from Dir. of Research: SMU hosted first ever International Cardiac Symposium and it was great. Heart Fair was also great.

Rumor Control: Every student who passed step 1 and submitted paperwork got a rotation. We have Florida Hospital. Davenport program is strong. May '09 graduation is in Orlando. 97% first time step 1 pass rate.

That's about it.

[AmericanIMG]

the cc for the scantrons is fantastic.

[senz_asian]

I would deeply appreciate if someone can send me a copy of that newsletter into my email account that I specifically set up for this matter.


thank you again,...

cheers!


MD_Ta007@hotmail.com

[butterflymd]

Hey Senz I have sent it to your email address. Let me know if you receive it.

[WSUCougar]

Here are some of the highlights:
Letter from the Dean of Students: change in block exam schedules. stop being dishonest about attendance policy, you will get the boot. Kaplan program is good. Clinical people will be adressing the student body soon. New scantrons that give you a carbon copy so you can check your answers immediately after exams.

yeah..... this was definitely a long time coming, since a lot of people sign in for their friends..... today our Pt-Dr Professor held everybody after class and called out loud "everyone" that was signed in on the attendance sheet, to see who was "actually" in class. It was absolutely hilarious.... especially with all the people trying to sneak in, so they wouldn't be busted.

What happens to these people that were signed in, but not in class. Because I swear, there had to be what 20-30 people that never responded when their names were called.

[gschneid]

There has to be a better way to take attendance than letting people sign a piece of paper. People are so sneaky. It bugs the crap outta me that people are constantly walking in and out of class. The only reason one should get up in the middle of class is if they are about to soil their pants. I'm glad to see them cracking down. If you can't sit for 50 minutes in a row you shouldn't be a doctor.

[AmericanIMG]

yeah..... this was definitely a long time coming, since a lot of people sign in for their friends..... today our Pt-Dr Professor held everybody after class and called out loud "everyone" that was signed in on the attendance sheet, to see who was "actually" in class. It was absolutely hilarious.... especially with all the people trying to sneak in, so they wouldn't be busted.

What happens to these people that were signed in, but not in class. Because I swear, there had to be what 20-30 people that never responded when their names were called.

this has been an issue for FOREVER.

[senz_asian]

Thank you ! I did enjoy reading it!


Hey Senz I have sent it to your email address. Let me know if you receive it.

[butterflymd]

Cool. Just let me know if I could be of any further help with any communication passed on from the school.

[rynobuddy]

Yeah attendence has always been an issue. I know they have to have the policy for accrediting purposes but it is ridiculous. If someone wants to skip out that is their own fault and responsibility.

When I was in basic sciences the professors were terrible and hated to waist my time sitting in lectures, so I frequently signed in and left. Simply I did not need to attend lectures to be successful because at the time the profs were horrid and I learned more reading on my own.

But it is what it is

[smuInsideOut]

Attached is the newsletter in a zipped folder.

[senz_asian]

It makes me smile every time I see we help each other to communicate up here.... it truely define "we are in the same boat now!":D

[AmericanIMG]

better then complaining and whining or bad mouthing the school.

[MDplzz]

People in our class got serious attitude problems...its no wonder that they are cracking down on attendance and making exams harder..

[gschneid]

I wish they would lock the doors when class starts so people can't walk in and out.

[WSUCougar]

I wish they would lock the doors when class starts so people can't walk in and out.

Or not tell us that at the end of class they're going to do a roster check. Because then people start texting their friends to come to class, so they don't get busted.

At the end of class, I felt like I was watching a James Bond Movie, with all the students trying to sneak into class like a bunch of trained assassins ;)

But also in dealing with the attendance issue on the newsletter. I think that the school also does it for "loan purposes" as well. Because in all seriousness, loan companies want to be assured that students are attending class regularly, which hopefully equates to them have a higher likelihood of graduating, and not defaulting on the loan. Because if the loan company knows that we don't have an attendance policy, they could figure that the "risk" of the student defaulting on the loan is higher when the student doesn't attend class regularly.

[rynobuddy]

Former dean and prof of immunology use to lock door occasionally when i was on island.

Talk about fire hazard

[mellsworth21]

Thanks for the zip file!

[gschneid]

Or not tell us that at the end of class they're going to do a roster check. Because then people start texting their friends to come to class, so they don't get busted.

At the end of class, I felt like I was watching a James Bond Movie, with all the students trying to sneak into class like a bunch of trained assassins ;)

But also in dealing with the attendance issue on the newsletter. I think that the school also does it for "loan purposes" as well. Because in all seriousness, loan companies want to be assured that students are attending class regularly, which hopefully equates to them have a higher likelihood of graduating, and not defaulting on the loan. Because if the loan company knows that we don't have an attendance policy, they could figure that the "risk" of the student defaulting on the loan is higher when the student doesn't attend class regularly.
I agree. If it wasn't so annoying it would have been hilarious. You can just tell that there are a lot of people who aren't serious about becoming a doctor. Hopefully they will be weeded out soon.

[AftenMD]

I kinda agree with the poster that said he would sign in and leave class- my experience in basic science was that I could learn faster and better understand the material if I taught it to myself out of their ppts or a book than trying to strain my ears listening to foreign accents all day- and end up missing writing down half the information because I didn't know that "inter-funga-ma" = Interferon gamma (micro prof)

What vagus??? ESO-Phagus!

Argh... lol

:roll: I also didn't like it when the door was locked.... several profs would do it- and I was like... didn't we PAY for this class? Aren't we paying your salary and you are blocking us from learning, even if we are late? Thats not helpful- and profs are supposed to want us to learn! Sometimes people had legit excuses, sometimes not... and the one pharm professor that would STOP class mid-sentence until the late-comer apolagized was just being more distracting and detrimental to the class. Just ignore it and continue, causing as little distraction as possible, please! To be fair, it is distracting when people would walk in late- if the doors were in the back of the room instead of the front, it would be helpful. In college people would walk in and out all the time- it was no big deal, you learned to deal with the distraction and block it out. Either way, locking the doors is just scary, and interupting class to stare at late-comers doesn't stop people from being late. :shock:

[smu79]

I kinda agree with the poster that said he would sign in and leave class- my experience in basic science was that I could learn faster and better understand the material if I taught it to myself out of their ppts or a book than trying to strain my ears listening to foreign accents all day- and end up missing writing down half the information because I didn't know that "inter-funga-ma" = Interferon gamma (micro prof)

What vagus??? ESO-Phagus!

Argh... lol
Good luck learning in residency buddy!! When your PD and your colleagues are foreign, what are you going to say….can I go home and learn it and come back when im ready? can you speak to me in english? lmao

:roll: I also didn't like it when the door was locked.... several profs would do it- and I was like... didn't we PAY for this class? Aren't we paying your salary and you are blocking us from learning, even if we are late?
Although you are paying tution, keep in mind that other students are also paying tution., these students don’t want to be distracted by unprofessionalism- students stumping through the doors, making noise sitting down and having THE LOUD WINDOWNS NOISE WHEN STARTING THEIR COMPUTER.

Thats not helpful- and profs are supposed to want us to learn! Sometimes people had legit excuses, sometimes not... and the one pharm professor that would STOP class mid-sentence until the late-comer apolagized was just being more distracting and detrimental to the class. Just ignore it and continue, causing as little distraction as possible, please! To be fair, it is distracting when people would walk in late- if the doors were in the back of the room instead of the front, it would be helpful.
I knew someone was going to come here blaming others, in this case, the class setting. Next time, don’t forget to advise the architects in how to set up a building so that YOU can interrupt the class in a lesser manner.try coming in late in the middle of a surgery while in clinicals...
In college people would walk in and out all the time- it was no big deal, you learned to deal with the distraction and block it out. Either way, locking the doors is just scary, and interupting class to stare at late-comers doesn't stop people from being late. :shock:

The point is that it is unfair, highly unprofessional, disrupted, deceiving and cheating, signing in and leaving. it is evenworse signing in for others.This is why SMU is cracking down. This is not a new problem….if you don’t feel like coming to class, don’t come. Use your absences wisely.

[The Big Dance Is Coming]

The point is that it is unfair, highly unprofessional, disrupted, deceiving and cheating, signing in and leaving. it is evenworse signing in for others.This is why SMU is cracking down. This is not a new problem….if you don’t feel like coming to class, don’t come. Use your absences wisely.

Very well-said.

[AmericanIMG]

Originally Posted by AftenMD http://www.valuemd.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.valuemd.com/st-matthews-university-school-medicine/159480-latest-student-newsletter-4.html#post852283)
I kinda agree with the poster that said he would sign in and leave class- my experience in basic science was that I could learn faster and better understand the material if I taught it to myself out of their ppts or a book than trying to strain my ears listening to foreign accents all day- and end up missing writing down half the information because I didn't know that "inter-funga-ma" = Interferon gamma (micro prof)

What vagus??? ESO-Phagus!

Argh... lol
Good luck learning in residency buddy!! When your PD and your colleagues are foreign, what are you going to say….can I go home and learn it and come back when im ready? can you speak to me in english? lmao



seriously, medicine is full of foreign MDs. adapt. very immature post IMO

[senz_asian]

Can some kind-hearted friend send me the list of the newest clinical sites?? I have the old version,.. and I wonder what are the new options. ... again I know this is a classifed (at least on here) so please send it to my email.


MD_Ta007@hotmail.com


many thanks guys!

cheers!

[gschneid]

I didn't know there was an actual list that was distributed. If so, I would like it too. PM me.

[Tricks are for Kids]

...if you are in 5th semester or higher you should have it on angel. There should be a clinical course there with a bunch of docs under the resources tab.

[AftenMD]

seriously, medicine is full of foreign MDs. adapt. very immature post IMO


Working on adapting- and have gotten better at understanding. I also didn't fall behind because I wasn't as "adapted" from the begining. I did what I had to do to learn- which is numero uno. Everything else- including "adapting" comes second.

[rynobuddy]

i see above posters point, if you cannot understand professor what is point of sitting in class staring into space or surfing the web. Sometimes, time is better served doing indendent study.