Thread: Questions from an incoming freshman:)

I will be starting this fall and would greatly appreciate if current students or graduates could help answer some questions I have.

1) What books would you recommend for the first year? should I wait to buy them before school starts?

2) Where would you recommend living?

3) Is anyone involved in research at the school, and how is your experience?

4) What books would you recommend to prepare for step 1 & 2?

5) Any advice?

Originally Posted by jal

I will be starting this fall and would greatly appreciate if current students or graduates could help answer some questions I have.

1) What books would you recommend for the first year? should I wait to buy them before school starts?

2) Where would you recommend living?

3) Is anyone involved in research at the school, and how is your experience?

4) What books would you recommend to prepare for step 1 & 2?

5) Any advice?

Definitely wait until you arrive before you buy your books. As far as recommended books go, that's very much down to the individual although for some classes certain texts are more popular than others, either way you'll figure it out when you get here.

For where to live, you can check out my old post:

http://www.valuemd.com/poznan-univer...-students.html

at the bottom is a scanned map of Poznan with all the important areas marked for first year students if you are not planning to stay in the dorms.

For the step exams grab a copy of First Aid when you get here and good review books as you go.

Thanks for getting back with me, are there any apartment complexes you would recommend? and also did you need to get a visa?

My wife and I both had to get a one year student visa from the Polish consulate in Toronto. There is also the option of coming here and then getting a Temporary Stay Card, but it is a much more difficult process trying to work through Polish bureaucracy.

As far as apartments, there is no shortage of places to live in Poznan.

There is a block of low rise buildings on Ul. Ułańska that is very popular with students because of their good location between major first year and second year class locations:

NORC - street level panoramic images (street-view) for Eastern and Central Europe

The street view images are two years old so now the area is completely finished and landscaped.

1) I agree with Paul, wait until you get here for books. Also, do not get overeager and take the "recommended book list" to the store and buy everything on it! Wait until you classes start! Talk to upper years, and see what books they used, also try to flip through the book to see if its a style that works for you (example - I bought the Netter's Atlas for Anatomy and loathed it. I switched to Grant's and was beyond happy). I do agree that the First Aid book is an absolute must!

2) Personally, I can't stress enough that I would recommend living off campus. You can experience more of the city, as well as have a quiet place to return to. The places on Ulanska are popular, as are those on Wojskowa. Lots of people live elsewhere, but the ones I just mentioned are new buildings with fewer headaches.

3) I've heard of English program students doing research, and I'm interested as well. However, I felt it was best for me to wait until after my Step 1 this summer to spend time and energy on research. Basically, the opportunity is there if you want it.

4) I'm using the books I liked best from my classes for the step, also Goljan patho. First Aid will be a major focus in my studies, and then of course lots and lots of questions. For questions, I'm starting with U World. For some encouragement, our school has an 87 percent pass rate, making it one the top performing foreign schools out there

5) Advice - Do not come here with the mistaken ideas that it will be exactly like your home country! I think this is the number one thing that sends people in the direction of having a bad experience. Its medical school taught in English but definitely in a Polish style. You can make this a great experience if you come in with an open mind, not just towards your studies but to life and people in general.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone for the advice, I am really excited and ready to get back to school after a year long break. I plan on busting my butt so I think an off campus apartment will be the way to go for me.

I got a question for you guys. What's the cheapest Polish cell phone plan that gives you a free/cheap cell phone?

There are several different companies that you can choose from and pretty much all of them have deals where you can get a phone for 1 zl when you sign up for a contract. The main companies are Era, Orange, and Play. It is always better to get the same company as friends because they are the ones that you would be calling the most, but if it doesn't matter to you, then Play is probably the cheapest for you as the caller, but more expensive for your "non-Play" friends to call you. I believe every company gives free incoming calls/texts, which is always nice.

You also have the option to just buy a "Starter card" from one of the companies and then just add minutes as you go either by buying more from a store/gas station or going on-line.

If you choose to live in an apartment and will be picking your own internet or cable provider, I have heard that you can get discounts on your plan if it also includes your cell phone. So it is something worth looking into.