Colorado open house: impressions

My distilled impressions of Colorado after the open house:

I really like it here. I like the program, I like the people, and I like the environment. I can see myself being happy here for the next four years - at least, as happy as one can expect to be while going through medical school.

However, I feel that my experience this weekend was to some extent hampered by the uncertainty in my situation, not knowing whether I will end up here or at UCSD. The majority of my potential classmates are definitely coming to Colorado, but I did meet a significant number of people who are in the same boat as me, who either have multiple acceptances and are here to get a second look, or are on a waiting list at a school that they may very well choose over Colorado.

Aside from getting a second look at the program itself, meeting my potential classmates was one of my primary goals of attending the open house. I was struck by how many people are "non-traditional" candidates like me, not straight out of college but with some real life experiences. A lot of them have advanced degrees, are in committed relationships, and some even have children. As part of the program, a panel of students addressed issues such as housing, living on a budget, balancing work and play, and having a family during medical school. It was helpful to hear directly from current students how they are coping with the pressures of school.

There was a barbecue after the scheduled presentations and panels, and after the barbecue, a big group of us went to the Rockies game downtown. That was when I felt I made some meaningful connections with the people who I might be going to school with for the next four years.

That was also when I realized that Colorado is beer country. Being a wine guy, this revelation was cause for concern (said tongue-in-cheek). "We're sitting in Coors Field," one person told me. "Of course we like our beer!" At a bar later that night, I took a beer taste test of sorts. "That one tastes fine, I guess," and wouldn't you know, it turned out to be Coors!

I came away from the Colorado Open House with overwhelmingly positive feelings about the prospect of going to medical school here. Despite the drastic difference of tuition between UCSD and Colorado, should I be given the opportunity to go to UCSD, deciding between UCSD and Colorado would be difficult.