So, it's been a while, and for good reason

Since the last time I posted on September 18th, I've been to five med school interviews and have missed countless classes. In fact, during one two week stretch, I attended only a single class, during which I took an exam (Neurophysiology). So how about a quick summation of the events that have transpired?

My first interview was on September 26th with the University of Chicago. Having heard some less than savory things about Hyde Park, the area in which the school is, I was mildly paranoid about leaving all of my stuff in my car during the interview with the thought in the back of my mind that my car may be broken into during the interview, as I wasn't sure how the parking situation might be. Ironically enough, the night before the interview, my car was broken into--window busted out and all--in Wicker Park, where I was staying with a friend. Nothing major was stolen; it really was more of an inconvenience than anything else, with my primary concern being that I may have to drive to Pittsburgh in a couple days still without a window. I've always hated driving on highways with the wind blowing in. It drowns out the music! Nevertheless, the interviews (there were three of them at UC) I thought went pretty well, and I think the admissions committee may have been mildly impressed with me for not flipping out regarding the break-in. I've yet to hear from the school, though, in regards to whether or not I've been accepted, rejected, or placed on a waitlist. I should be hearing something from them in the near future. The Chicago trip was great, despite the break-in. I was able to hang out with my good friend Naynay and old buddy Ryan while in Chicago, and was able to swing by Notre Dame to see my friend Ting on my way home.

The second interview was a few days later at the University of Pittsburgh, a school that I've been quite excited about from the beginning. The interviews all went pretty well, with the exception of one, which was fantastic. It turns out that the assistant dean of admissions, with whom I had one of my interviews, is a big fan of Tool and actually went to their concert in Pittsburgh a few days before the interview. I, having attended my fifth Tool show only a week or so before, was more than happy to talk to her about Tool for about 20 minutes. I felt great about my chances afterward, needless to say, and I've since been accepted, about which I'm absolutely thrilled. While in the city, I was able to visit my friend Danielle and her husband Aaron--I had driven to Maine in June to be at their wedding.

The third interview was with St. Louis University, a school that I've kind of considered my back-up from day one. The interview went well, and honestly, the group of interviewees was really great. It made the day much more enjoyable. I met up with my family, minus my older brother who is of course in California now, which was nice. I've since been accepted here, though I turned down the acceptance after hearing the good word from Pittsburgh.

The fourth and fifth interviews were combined into one trip: first at UPenn in Philadelphia and next at NYU in Manhattan. I loved UPenn. It's probably my first choice overall at this point, and it'll be difficult for anyone to top it. The interviews went pretty well, especially the student interview, but I won't hear from them one way or the other until March at the earliest. Philadelphia was also very nice. I've been there before, but did not really have the opportunity to truly experience the city. I had the opportunity this time around, and was very pleasantly surprised by it. I stayed with my old friend Karla from nerd camp back in the day; she's doing her PhD in Immunology at UPenn now. I was also able to catch up with my college friend Scott, who is at UPenn for his MD/PhD, and my Uncle Mike. Afterward, I hopped a train to Manhattan and was able to catch up with my friend Nancy, who's getting her MD at Cornell on the Upper East Side, and her boyfriend Rick, who's getting his MD at NYU. I was staying with Rick, who made for a really good host, and the location was very convenient for the interview. I liked NYU more than I thought I would, though, admittedly, I didn't know much about it prior to getting there. The interview went very well, and I should hear from them as early as December.

So that's where things currently stand. After hearing from Pittsburgh, I cancelled my interviews at the University of Missouri and Ohio State, and will probably cancel at the University of Cincinnati also. I was recently invited to interview at Tulane, and while I would love to take a trip to New Orleans, I will probably turn down the invitation for time and money constraints.

Finally, my aforementioned friend Ting (who is visiting next weekend!) and I were talking a couple weeks ago and decided on a whim to take a trip to China. The current plan is to go for the month of January, but nothing is set in stone yet. More on this next time.

Also, more as a reminder to myself than anything, next time will include a few thoughts on immigration, a few obstacles to catching up with school work, and music. In the meantime, inform yourself.

Currently listening to: "Helpless" by Faith No More
Previous activity: Trying out a new bottle of wine
Next thing on the agenda: Who knows? Not I.