EWR to LAX

Observations/anecdotes from today's travels:

1. Don't try the peach-flavored iced tea at Dunkin' Donuts. I wanted something cold and sweet after running through half the terminal to find my gate, and I was expecting it to taste Snapple-ish, but instead it had this awful corn syrup-y feel with a sticky aftertaste, if that makes sense.

2. One of the major problems with Americans' "diets" is the seemingly unavoidable conflict between good taste and good habits. The woman behind me at DD ordered a coffee "with cream, skim milk, and two sugars." The cashier repeated this order but didn't say cream, so as another worker went to make the drink, the customer called out, "Don't forget the cream!" In such a case, why bother with skim milk? Just get the real thing, but less often.

3. It was a pleasant surprise to find that Continental still served breakfast (takeoff was at 8:30 AM EST), although the ticket said the only service was a "snack." The food itself was...meh, but about what could be expected of airplane food. The "snack" was semi-disappointing (only small bags of pretzel sticks), especially compared to Delta's basketfuls of both sweet and savory options. We'll see how lunch/dinner is on the way back =P

4. People who know that they are going to have to use the bathroom on a flight (which should be easy to predict on a 5.5-hour long flight), should NOT choose the window seat!

5. Whenever possible, avoid traveling with small children, especially on long flights. I say primarily this not for the sake of the parents or the other passengers, but actually for the kids. Infants in particular are very sensitive to changes in air pressure, and they're not old enough to understand how to make their ears "pop" to relieve the pain. The little girl in front of me, maybe three or four years old, was chewing gum on the descent, but she still kept complaining that her ears hurt almost until we had actually touched the runway.

That's all for now - hopefully I'll be much better about updating this in a timely fashion, in practice for next year!

Being an "unconventional" pre-med

When people first hear that I'm a pre-med student majoring in psychology, their usual reaction is, "Oh, that's great - you get to follow your interests while still fulfilling your requirements." Once they hear that I'm a double-major in two non-science departments, their eyes start to bulge out a little =P

Since a lot of you admits have asked about being pre-med at Yale or the neuroscience track in psychology, I decided to write this post as a case study of my experience in both of those areas. The goal is not to argue that everyone should avoid being bio majors if they want to go to medical school, but that it's definitely possible to fulfill pre-med requirements while taking full advantage of all the great academic options that Yale has to offer. An advance warning: this is going to be a REALLY long post.

Just for fun: An aerial shot of the Silliman courtyard
Some general notes about double-majors: (1) A maximum of two credits can count toward both majors, not including pre-requisite courses. Therefore, a requirement for major A can count as a pre-requisite for major B, and it won't count as one of the two credits. (2) If you want to do one senior project for both majors, they expect that the single project will be the equivalent amount of work as two separate projects, so it better be reeeeeally good. (3) You can't have double-major combinations like "Math and Economics" (a composite major) with Math or Economics (either of the component majors). Similarly, you can't double major in things with parallel tracks, like I wouldn't be able to double major in the Psych-Neuroscience track with the MCDB-Neurobiology track (too much overlap!). (4) Some majors can ONLY be a second major, such as international studies. There are a couple other rules and regulations, so check this page if you're interested.

Ok, so how did I double-major in two non-sciences and fulfill my pre-med requirements? First, I should note that I started off as a bio (MCDB) major), but after taking developmental psych my freshman fall and getting involved in psych research, I decided I'd rather be a psych major. Looking at the Blue Book, I learned about the "Neuroscience" track, which seemed to be the perfect mix of biology and psychology that I was looking for. There is a parallel "Neurobiology" track in the MCDB department, but the class and senior projects requirements are slightly different (scroll down to the bottom of the link). I decided to stick with the psych version because there were more interesting-looking classes in the psych department (which is a generally good way to gauge whether or not you should major in something).

This is how I fulfilled the Psych-neuroscience requirements - it's actually a screenshot of my "track worksheet," which I would bring to Professor Schafe each semester to show how I was planning to finish the major:
Some explanatory notes: I got out of pre-requisite intro psych and the intro bio courses because I had scored a 5 on the AP Psych exam and AP Bio exam, so that was 3 credits I didn't have to take. "List A" classes are more standard psych courses - I counted Developmental Psych (140) and Social Psych (150). After that, they ask for an "advanced" psychology course (anything above 200) - I counted 371, Lab in Animal Cognition (basically working in the Comparative Cognition Lab). Credits 9-12 are all advanced science classes, usually higher-level bio courses (200 or higher) relating to animal or human biology, but they can also include higher-level math or computer science classes. The last entry, CSCC 363, was a residential college seminar called "Frontiers of Neuroscience." To fulfill my senior requirement (not listed on the worksheet), I took PSYC 413: Mind, Brain and Society, which was an awesome seminar, and my final paper for that class counted as my psych senior essay. Total: 11 credits.

Dissecting sheep brains in research methods (PSYC 240)

At the beginning of my junior year, I decided to add History of Science, History of Medicine (HSHM) as a second major. I had originally started taking HSHM classes to fulfill my humanities distributional requirement, but found them surprisingly enjoyable. What makes the major so great is that it's super flexible: there's just one required class. Here are the requirements and how I fulfilled them:

1) Pre-reqs: 1 semester math (I took MATH 120 freshman spring) and 1 year science with lab (I counted organic chemistry)
2) Four HSHM courses: HSHM 242 (Molecular Bio in the 20th century), HSHM 210 (Magic Bullets and Wonder Pills), HSHM 727 (grad-level seminar on colonial public health), and HSHM 235 (Epidemics and Society since 1600)
3) Required HSHM seminar: HSHM 328 (Methods in HSHM)
4) HSHM or History seminar: HSHM 451 (Cardiology in America)
5) Five more electives, chosen in consultation with your faculty adviser: Two bioethics classes (offered through Political Science), MCDB 240 (Bio of Reproduction), CSTD 331 (a college seminar), and PSYC 413 (Mind, Brain, and Society).
6) Senior essay: Everyone registers for HSHM 490 and HSHM 491, so your senior essay grade becomes the grade for these courses at the end of the year. I wrote my essay about the development of chemotherapy at Yale, which is somewhat discussed in an earlier post.

Total credits: 13, beyond the pre-reqs. MCDB 240 and PSYC 413 were the two classes I counted as overlaps with Psych.

Now, you might ask, how does this match up with pre-med requirements? Pre-med reqs usually include 1 year (or equivalent) of general chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, and physics, all with lab. School also usually ask for a year of math, a year of English, and some require biochem. Here's how those matched my major requirements:

1) General chemistry - I took CHEM 118/119 (one-semester general chem with lab), since I had a 5 on the AP Chem exam. For some schools, this would have been enough, but just in case, I took one semester of biochem (MB&B 300) with lab (MCDB 251). Conveniently, MB&B 300 counted as an advanced bio class for neuroscience!
2) Organic chemistry - fulfilled my HSHM pre-req for a year of science with lab
3) Biology - MCDB 205 (Cell Bio) and MCDB 240 (Bio of Reproduction) both counted as advanced bio classes for neuroscience. As I mentioned earlier, I double-counted Biology of Reproduction for an HSHM elective too. For labs, I took the intro bio labs (MCDB 121 and E&EB 123) last summer, since I was serving as a YSS counselor and got one free course credit.
4) Physics - I also took this in the summer (2007), only paying for two of the three credits because I was a YSS counselor. I could have counted this toward the HSHM pre-reqs instead of organic chemistry if I wanted to.
5) Math: I took MATH 120 (multi-variable calculus) after getting a 5 on the BC Calc exam, then since I had to take Statistics for neuroscience anyway, just counted that as my second semester of math. As noted earlier, I counted MATH 120 toward my HSHM pre-req.
6) English: I took one English course freshman year, and a literature course senior fall.

Thus, the only EXTRA things (that I didn't count toward either major) were one semester of general chemistry with lab, my bio labs, physics with lab, and English (7.5 credits total). I could have streamlined this further, e.g. if I took more advanced bio labs, they could have counted toward the neuroscience requirements. Also, most people don't realize that it's not absolutely necessary to finish pre-med requirements before you apply, although it's advisable to finish the sciences before you take your MCAT (for obvious reasons). You just have to finish them before you actually enter medical school.

Total credits: 11 (Psych) + 13 (HSHM) + 7.5 (finishing pre-med) = 31.5. Wow, I still had room for other stuff! Remember, 36 credits is only the MINIMUM to graduate from Yale - many students end up taking more. The only distributional requirement left after all this was foreign language, which I finished with 3 credits worth of Spanish.

In general, my experience as a non-science pre-med has been overwhelmingly positive. I was never stuck in lab plating cells or pipetting (although I could have done that kind of research too), and I feel I have a much more balanced view of medicine from my classes in psych, bioethics, and public health (something to talk about during interviews!) Of course, there are a couple caveats: I had AP scores that allowed me to skip out of 4-5 credits, and I took summer classes (I would recommend spending at least one summer in New Haven anyway). However, the the bottom line is still that you CAN be a non-science major and still be pre-med...some of my friends have majored in History, English, Political Science, or even Theater Studies and went to/are going to medical school =)

For general pre-med advice, Undergraduate Career Services has a lot of resources, including student's impressions of schools from their interview days and first years. You HAVE to go through UCS for the med school application process, but I've usually found them to be slightly too cautious/pessimistic in their advice. (I can attest to this from personal experience - I was accepted to a medical school even though my GPA was significantly lower than their average, although my MCAT score is higher than their average). Talking to upperclassmen is much more helpful, even more so through informal means (rather than through some of the pre-med organizations, which are mostly dominated by what I call "crazy pre-meds" obsessed with obtaining the highest possible GPA and having the perfect resume).

On a final note, some of you may be especially interested in the Medical Humanities program at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. My friend who is a Theater Studies major is entering MSSM as part of this program next year, so if you have questions, I can certainly put you in contact with her.

Yale = beautiful

As if the thought of coming to Yale wasn't tantalizing enough already, the weather during Bulldog Days was actually an anomaly compared to the rest of the week. Some photos from my walks around campus, all taken the past few days (no joke) :

The view from Dwight Hall

L-Dub courtyard

Berkeley North Court

Dogwood trees outside SSS

Tulips =)

I've seriously never seen a two-color daffodil before...

"Chilled Water Supply" jazz combo
(My friend Meredith is the one playing the flute)

Of course, one of the biggest events of the year is Spring Fling, where YSAC usually brings in 2-3 musicians to perform, as well as having 2-3 Yale bands. (Those of you who went to Battle of the Bands Monday night of Bulldog Days, those winners were the ones who go to play today). This year's headline artists included Wale, The Decemberists, N.E.R.D., and Girl Talk. Dining Services also sets up a huge BBQ outside, so everyone eats out on Old Campus instead of in the dining halls. People come out with frisbees, footballs, crazy hats, etc. What's the best part? Admission for Yalies is FREE!

Huge dance party!

A clip of Girl Talk below

Huh?

Earlier this afternoon, my suitemate Sara and I walked to Union League for lunch, since it's New Haven Restaurant Week. As we waited on the corner of College and Chapel, I noticed the "Press for walk signal" button had a new designation:
:-P

Bulldog Days Part 2

To be totally honest, this doesn't even begin to cover all the activities that went on at BDD, but there's only so much one girl (me) can do...

Giant Handsome Dan at the extracurriculars bazaar

Glee Club members singing "Bright College Years"

Dinner at La Casa Cultural

Officer Adam Torres (SM '06) chatting with admits

Bubble tea (aka boba) at the AACC

Reasons why people came to Yale
(Click to have a larger version pop up)

Karaoke-ing =P

URC Christine shows off her henna design

Rockin' out

Board games =)

Yale Debate Association mixer

Bhangra team workshop

Glow-juggling on Cross-Campus with YAGS

Mixed Company, one of the coed a capella groups

The New Blue, Yale's oldest all-female a capella group
(and oldest female undergrad group in general!)

A clip of the Spizzwinks (?), Yale's oldest male undergraduate a capella group
(Trivia fact: The Whiffenpoofs are just 5 years older, founded in 1909)

First night of Bulldog Days

For those of you who unfortunately can't be here, a few photos and videos to help you live vicariously =)

Cupcakes at the welcome dessert...yum!

Host pick-up craziness in Commons

Konjo! workshop at the Af-Am house

Finally, my personal favorite: an all-bassoon version of Coldplay's song "Viva La Vida"

Spring at Yale

While the weather for next Mon-Weds is (unfortunately) looking semi-iffy for Bulldog Days, hopefully the following photos will give you a true sense of how gorgeous Yale can be in the springtime =)

Stroll right down this way...
(Branford to the left, JE to the right)

Daffodil fields outside Old Campus

A view of Vanderbilt from Chapel Street
(Branford and Berkeley freshmen live here)

Hanging out on Cross-Campus
(SML in the back, Berkeley north court to the right)

Blossoming cherry tree outside the music school

The white magnolia tree in Silliman

What I call the "Yellow Bush Road" =P
(Malone Engineering Center to the left)

Yale Away from Yale

A lot of people have been asking about study abroad opportunities, so we thought we'd give you a chance to hear from some students who have actually gone abroad, either over the summer or during a semester. Click on the name to see their full blog.

Maureen Gaj: A junior in JE who is one of the student housing coordinators here at the office, but this semester she's working remotely as she is studying in Wales and traveling throughout Europe in her free time =)

Shira Concool: I'm a junior in Pierson, majoring in African-American Studies. On campus I am a tour guide, an assistant at the President’s house, and a group leader for Community Health Educators. By the middle of sophomore Fall I figured I could use a little adventure so I decided to study abroad that spring. I went to Cape Coast, Ghana with the School for International Training (SIT) under the program name “The History and Cultures of the African Diaspora.”

Rishabh Khosla: I'm a junior majoring in Political Science in Trumbull College, and an international student from Bombay, India. This past summer I received a grant from yale to travel to Iran and study Persian in Tehran for two months. In my spare time, I explored this fascinating city, and on weekends I would take trips to other cities to take in the historical and cultural sites.

For more information about Yale study-abroad programs in general, visit the Office of Fellowship Programs!

It is done.

Well, at least one of my senior essays is finished...now I can return all of these!

On to deal with two reading responses for tomorrow and my psych senior essay due in 13 days...

Netlibrary "hack"

So I'm working on my senior essay, and I need to look up a page number for a citation. I don't have the book with me, because I had previously used the online version from the Yale library database. While I'm waiting for a page to load, I notice the following line of code (I highlighted it with a red box - click for a larger version to pop up):


In case you can't read it, it says "HACK: Sometimes parent or parent.parent is inaccessible because we're trapped in somebody else's frameset."

Whaa...? Is this some poor programmer trapped in the Matrix? =P

There aren't just fennec foxes...

Moment of amusement for the day:

Fennec hare born in North Korea!

Guest blog: Welcome to New Haven!

Editor's note: This blog is from Liz Kinsley '05, one of our wonderful admissions officers and a New Haven native!

Hi 2013! I thought I'd be the first to welcome you to Yale, and to New Haven!

Earlier today, Dean Brenzel called me (accused me of being?) "the New Haven Maven" in an email, and I think I"ll run with that ridiculous-but-kind-of-amazing title. I grew up in New Haven and will talk anyone's ear off about how much this place has to offer. The city is rich in history, artistic culture, interesting people, delicious food, my really cool parents, etc., so this post will hopefully share with you some nooks and crannies of New Haven that never turn up on our campus tour.

First, I will take you where far too few Yalies have gone before (at least during the school year): to the beach!

(Cue my Beach Boys soundtrack...)

I know what you're thinking. But it's true: New Haven is a beach town.

And Lighthouse Point Park, which looks out across the Long Island Sound, is one of my favorite places to soak up the true character of the Elm City (1). Along with the New Haven Green, Lighthouse Beach may be the best spot to see New Haven's diverse community come together in one place.

Next to the beach itself are stretches of grass with gazebos and picnic tables where groups - school field trips, big families, birthday parties, etc. - camp out for the day, barbecuing, throwing footballs and Frisbees (2), or flying kites.

At one end of the beach is an old-fashioned carousel, one of New Haven's classiest historic landmarks.

When I was little, I'd come to the Lighthouse at the end of every year with my elementary and middle school classes, and I'd beeline for the camel on the carousel (pictured below). It doesn't move up and down like most of the horses do, but it's a CAMEL. Which is awesome.

Lighthouse Point is about a ten minute drive from campus, and the city bus will take you directly there. You should all take time to go when you get here in the fall. Yale 2013 can make a name for itself by becoming beach bums and spreading the Lighthouse love!

(1) New Haven was famous for a huge population of elm trees before Dutch Elm Disease wiped them out in the late 1920's and 30's.
(2) The Frisbee was arguably invented in New Haven.

Community service at Yale

One (of the many) reasons I chose to come to Yale because everyone I met seemed to genuinely want to make the world a better place (not just to fulfill high school/NHS requirements or in the Miss Congeniality sense of answering "World peace" to every question). Over 80% of students participate in some form of community service during their time at Yale, and we have the largest student-run service umbrella organization in the country: Dwight Hall, which is right on Old Campus.

There's a little something for everyone at Dwight Hall...if you're interested in
- Science/Math? Try Synergy, DEMOS, Mathcounts, or SMArt!
- Debate? Try the Urban Debate League!
- Medicine/Public Health? Try ARCY (American Red Cross at Yale), CT Hospice, or the Yale Public Health Coalition!
- Arts/music? Try Instrumental Connection, Splatter, or Yale Children's Theater!
- Going abroad? Try AISEC or Reach Out!
- Social justice? Try Amnesty International, YHHAP, or the Social Justice Network!
- Literature? Try Summer Buds!
- Teaching English? Try BOLD or Bridges!
- Working with kids? Join PALS/become a public school intern or early childhood education fellow"!
- Saving the environment? Try YSEC, or become a STEP coordinator!
- Finance? Become a Dwight Hall Management fellow!

What makes Yale even more amazing? You don't have to be part of any of these groups to participate in service!

Believe it or not, it's true - many other groups include some sort of community service component. A couple examples from my own activities:

1) Once a semester, CASA and TAS partner up to run CASPY, where adopted Chinese kids from the New England area all come to Yale for a day of cultural activities, good food, and even a Talent Show. Their parents get a chance to talk to other parents who have gone through similar experiences, which is always helpful for swapping advice and such. Yalies can be Big Sibs (get paired with a couple kids and take them everywhere for the day) or be some of the people organizing the activities, both of which are vital roles.

The dance workshop I ran at CASPY a couple years ago

2) Today, YSC is having a barbeque out on the New Haven Green - it's there specifically to serve New Haven residents, especially the homeless, rather than having it out on Old Campus where it would mostly be Yalies. We're also handing out bags of food and basic toiletries - we made them assembly-line style after Real Life on Thursday =P

3) In April, there's this program called Science Saturdays, when families come to hear cool lectures from professors on everything from nanoparticles and the physics of golf to viruses and butterfly eyespots. The YSM staff usually goes out to help run the fun science demos out in the hallway to keep the kids amused before/after the lectures.

4) Just yesterday, a couple of us from Phoenix went to Columbus Family Academy. The students are mainly Hispanic, but several of the classes have been studying China, even corresponding with Chinese penpals and taking a field trip to Chinatown in New York. After we performed, we did a mini-workshop to demonstrate more props and let the students try dancing with them. It really put everything in perspective...I had forgotten how super-enthusiastic elementary school kids can be!

My ribbon solo

Posing with umbrellas - even the boys!

Whee, ribbons!

So, as you can see, there are ample opportunities for Yalies to give back to the community...and have lots of fun doing it!