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Q. Will graduating from a lower-prestige university affect my medical school admission? I currently study chemistry at California State University, Northridge.A.Choosing the best premed school to get into medical school (generic article)New medical school in Elk Grove makes history (newspaper) (CNUCOM)Can CSU students get into medical school in California? (SDN discussion thread regarding CSU success with UC admissions)Pre Med 101 - Know What You Need to Get Into Medical SchoolChoosing a Pre Med School It does not matter what pre med school you attend to get your undergraduate training. The only thing that matters is that you are in an environment that YOU can be successful in. You may think it is hard to believe that it doesn’t matter, but once you are in medical school and see the vast diversity of your classmates you will agree that it does not matter if you went to Harvard or a small liberal arts college.[Pros and Cons of Liberal Arts colleges for the premed]The simple recipe to get into medical school:Get great grades in your pre-req classesHave a solid plan for your MCAT prep and get a competitive scoreGive yourself plenty of time for extraordinary volunteeringChoosing the best premed school to get into medical schoolDo not go to a great school. Go to a school that will make YOU great. – Ryan Gray, MDThere is no perfect or wrong choice when it comes to selecting a pre med school. The biggest considerations for most high school seniors are geographic location, proximity to family, size of school, range of degree programs offered, and cost. There are, however, some other important things to think about if you are thinking about becoming applying to medical school someday. Read below to find out 5 criteria for choosing a pre med school.Type of Experience: Happy Hour vs. Study BuddyFirst, before you even think about particular pre med schools, you should know that becoming a physician is a long journey requiring a lot of work, patience, and dedication. That said, if you are thinking of spending your college years as your chance to party every weekend and booze it up, you may want to reconsider your career aspirations. There are undoubtedly some professional schools which may still accept you if you skate by with a decent GPA and entrance exam score despite frequent nights of inebriation. Medical school is not one of these. Medical schools take your college transcript GPA and MCAT scores very seriously, as well as how you spend your time in college. They require several letters of recommendation and expect a certain amount of volunteer work or research while you are in college. This does not mean that you can’t have a certain amount of fun in college – of course you can. But, you have to remember the larger picture and that college is the first step in a long journey toward obtaining your medical degree.Type of School: University vs. Liberal Arts collegeThe next big choice to make when choosing a pre med school is whether you want to attend a large university or a small liberal arts college. Can you get an adequate pre-medical education at both of these types of institutions? Yes, for the most part. Almost all big universities will have the necessary pre-med science courses as they typically will have several science departments. Lots of liberal arts colleges, on the other hand, may have a wealth of courses in literature and the humanities but only a few in the biological and physical sciences. Given that your advisor and dean’s office can play a large role in the application process to medical school, you should ensure that they have the necessary services should a student wish to apply to medical school. Remember, you can major in Chinese or Art History and still go to medical school, but you also need to make sure that you will have a good science background in preparation for your future studies in medical school as well as for your MCAT preparation.Type of Competition: Cut-throat or Laid-backSome universities will have hundreds of premed students and inevitably have a high level of competition among the students. Others will have a more laid-back vibe. Given the importance of your college transcript, make sure that you select a school which will be a good fit for you. If you are someone who thrives in high-level competition with your peers and is not bothered by long hours and putting aside your weekend plans with your friends for some extra time in the library, then a very competitive pre-med program at a top university may be for you. If, on the other hand, you are someone who gets nervous around competition and 100% final exams, you may want to select a school with a more nurturing and laid-back environment.Type of Curriculum: Easy A vs Sweatin' BulletsMedical schools will look at your science GPA, your total GPA, and the level of rigor in your curriculum. If you have a 3.99 total GPA, but if most of your courses were in rock painting, your GPA will not be taken as seriously as someone with a 3.85 GPA with courses in integrative neuroscience and analytical chemistry. Most medical school requirements include many hours of studying very involved science material, so you admissions committees are looking for applicants who have already applied themselves, and succeeded, in difficult science courses in college. All of that being said, even if you going to major in History or German and only do the required pre-med sciences, courses, you need to make sure that the rest of your courses are challenging. Also remember that because med school courses are very challenging, you want to prepare yourself well for the level of rigor that you will face in medical school by challenging yourself in your undergraduate studies. The better the study habits that you form in college, the more prepared you will be for weekend-long studying sessions in medical school. The adjustment will also be easier if you are used to studying a lot before you set foot in medical school.Type of Matriculants: In-State vs OutMed schools and the AAMC keep public statistics of where students come from. It is not always as easy as public vs private medical school. If you have any idea about what medical school you are truly interested in attending, review the data and figure out if you should try to gain in-state residence. You might be able to gain the residence by attending an undergraduate school in that state. Many schools also keep data on the exact undergraduate school that their matriculants come from, although I think this data is less important.New medical school in Elk Grove makes historyCalifornia Northstate University College of Medicine (CNUCOM)California Northstate University is the first for-profit traditional medical school accredited in the U.S.The school, with an initial class of 60 students, hopes to make a dent in the nation’s physician shortageA total of 1,232 new students enrolled in California’s 12 medical school programs last fallMedical students Jonathan Huang, left, Zain Lalani, and Tyler Ellis observe a demonstration on performing an orthopedic exam at California Northstate University College of Medicine in Elk Grove last month. These first-year medical students are attending the first for-profit medical school in the nation. Randall Benton [email protected] KATHY ROBERTSONAmie Cai, 25, took a year off after she graduated from UC Berkeley to work as a laboratory manager and apply to medical school. She didn’t get in. Anywhere.Cai, who grew up in Folsom, decided to get more experience. She “shadowed” Dr. Kenan Si at a walk-in clinic on J Street in Sacramento where she could talk to patients in Chinese.First-year medical student Tyler Ellis takes notes at California Northstate University College of Medicine in Elk Grove last month. . The school was accredited in June 2015. Randall Benton [email protected] a new medical school in Elk Grove opened for business last year, Cai jumped at the opportunity. So did 59 other students in the inaugural class at California Northstate University College of Medicine.The first for-profit traditional medical school accredited in the United States hopes to make a dent in a physician shortage and lack of medical school slots in California and nationwide.The school was accredited in June 2015, took applications over the summer and signed up a full class by its launch in early September.Students who landed a spot still pinch themselves to be sure it’s real.California Northstate’s opening comes at a time when many for-profit colleges are under fire for misleading students about their job prospects and earnings, and saddling them with high student loan debt. In the most recent case, the Federal Trade Commission sued DeVry University last month.Students at California Northstate acknowledge the risk, but say they’re glad they got in.“When I heard about this new school in my hometown of Elk Grove, I thought, ‘What the heck?’ ” said Chris Phillips. “For me, this is a dream come true.”WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS NEW SCHOOL IN MY HOMETOWN OF ELK GROVE, I THOUGHT, ‘WHAT THE HECK?’ FOR ME, THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE.Chris Phillips, a student at California Northstate University College of Medicine in Elk GroveAt 30, Phillips is the oldest in the class. He’s married, has three children and a master’s degree. He taught high school physics and shadowed a doctor at a local pediatrics clinic before applying for medical school in 2016.“It’s an interesting group,” Susan Ely, assistant dean of student affairs, admissions and outreach, said of the student body. “It tells you immediately there are way more qualified medical students than places for them, especially in California.”More than 52,500 students applied to medical school for the 2015-16 school year, but only 20,631 enrolled, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges.A total of 1,232 new students enrolled in the 12 medical school programs in California last fall, AAMC figures show. There were more than 67,000 applications. Students typically apply to two dozen schools or more because the market is so competitive.“That’s a lot of wasted talent,” said Dr. Joseph Silva,California Northstate medical school dean.California is particularly tough because people like to attend school in the state — and practice here afterward.“It’s a risk to go to a brand-new school, but (California Northstate) is an accredited California medical school, ” said Shermilla Pia, a new student from Davis. “It’s close to home. My family is here. So is my boyfriend. I’m part of creating something – and that’s pretty huge.”The class is diverse. More than half the students are Asian. Male students outnumber females by more than two to one. Almost 80 percent of students are California residents. For now, the school is not accepting applications from foreign students.The lopsided gender mix was a surprise. Women usually equal men in enrollment or come in a little higher.“(Selection) was all done in seven weeks, in batches,” Silva said. “In the first rush, men, quite frankly, had a better record. In the second batch, fewer women were invited for interviews.”Beyond that, Silva had no explanation. This is something the school will watch, he said.Students don’t seem to care about numbers. They see themselves as pioneers.“It doesn’t feel like a rigid, set-in-stone program,” Cai said. “We are the school. We can help improve it along the way.”California Northstate is the first traditional for-profit to be accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The only other for-profit is a Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Parker, Colo. It opened in 2006.The plus of starting a school from scratch with investor funding is the ability to get the program off the ground quickly.Backers raised more than $50 million to fund the school. Now open for business, the school gets more than $3.2 million a year in tuition and fees from a class of 60 students.“Profit, nonprofit makes no difference. The school is what you make of it,” said Gopal Kodumudi, another student in the inaugural class. “The matriculation rate at the pharmacy school is great, so I have no worries.”Debt is a fact of life, students say. The $54,000 annual tab is lower than some private medical schools. In-state tuition and fees at UC Davis, the other medical school in town, are about $43,000 this year.“We’re taking out loans,” said Cai. “Anywhere you go, it’s going to be high.”The school launch was quick, but the program has been in the works for years.It’s part of a university that also includes a school of pharmacy, undergraduate college of health sciences and post-baccalaureate program to help students who want to improve their chances of getting into a medical, pharmacy or other health-related school.The medical and pharmacy schools share a campus on West Taron Drive in Elk Grove. The building used to be an AAA call center. California Northstate bought it in 2011 for $7.1 million.The model at the medical school is an integrated approach that brings basic science and clinical expertise together from the beginning. The traditional approach is two years of basic science and anatomy before two years of clinical study with patients.“We actually start with clinical study and the 120 different ways a patient presents to a physician,” said Dr. Ann Poznanski, associate dean of curriculum.Then students learn the underlying science behind the patient condition and see what it looks like in the anatomy lab.“This gives them something that actually makes sense,” Poznanski said. “Teaching in this more integrated way has more sticking power.”Students also teach each other.The focus recently was on hip, knee and joint pain. Broken into groups of four, students practiced their medical skills on actors posing as patients with a joint problem. Students took turns knocking on the door, asking questions and examining a patient. Those not on the spot scribbled notes, wondered out loud – and occasionally laughed.“It’s really cool how we can really interact with a potential patient and see how we come off as doctors, even though we are still students,” said Zain Lalani, who drew the short straw and had to go first.“This is a safe environment where they can make a mistake and can correct it,” said Dr. Ralitsa Akins, senior associate dean of medical education and accreditation. “We are developing a habit.”In one exam room, professor Hanns Haesslein kept a steady banter going as he watched each student.“We’re not just interested in the bones, for crying out loud,” he said. “What do you feel? Push it in and out.”Physical diagnosis is part of the detective work of being a doctor, said Haesslein, an obstetrician/gynecologist in private practice at the Sacramento Maternal-Fetal Medicine Medical Group. “I’m doing this because I love it. It’s a challenge because every day, there is another thing we need to work on, plan for, assess and change.”Dr. Ravinder Khaira, a local pediatrician who is medical director of four clinics in the area, is another member of the faculty at California Northstate.“It takes advantage of my advanced degree and offers a chance to form the new school,” he said. “The students? They are amazing. They are intelligent, very enthusiastic and happy they’ve been given this opportunity.”There is a looming problem for medical students here and throughout the nation, however. About 1,000 current medical school students won’t match with residency spots when they graduate this year, said Dr. Julie Freischlag, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine.The federal government pays for most resident training, but capped the number of positions in 1997. There are more graduates, but the only new slots are funded by hospitals or other sources.“It’s good to have an increase in the number of medical schools as the nation tries to solve the problem of not enough doctors,” Freischlag said. “But we do need to find new places for them to train.”AT A GLANCECalifornia Northstate University School of Medicine’s inaugural Class of 2019:Enrollment: 60Total applicants: 686Acceptance rate: 8.8.%Female students: 19 (32%)Male students: 41 (68%)California residents: 47Out of state residents: 13Race/ethnicity: 19 Caucasian; 33 Asian; 3 African American; 3 Hispanic; 2 Pacific IslanderAverage Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score: 32Average GPA: 3.48Source: California Northstate University School of MedicineRead more here: New medical school in Elk Grove makes historyCan CSU students get into medical school in California?DISCUSSION THREAD REGARDING CSU SUCCESS IN GETTING ADMITTED TO UC MEDICAL SCHOOLS (A BIT DATED, STILL RELEVANT)Discussion in 'Pre-Medical - MD' started by missbones, May 7, 2010.missbones: Been reading some pretty disheartening comments on hsdn and elsewhere from people on adcoms or current med students in California stating that unless you apply disadvantaged, you wont get into a California med school with a CSU as your undergrad.Can anyone confirm or deny this or provide insight? I plan to speak to a counselor on campus next week. Just wanted as many viewpoints/experiences as possible. Also this thread might be helpful to other CSU students.I am a cc --> CSU transfer. Just decided to go pre-med in my senior year so I potentially have 4 more semesters ahead of me to complete all the chem prereqs. I'd like to know what my chances are and if would be smarter for me just to graduate with my BA and then try to get into an SMP or Post-bacc at a more prestigious institution in order to improve my chances for acceptance in California, instead of continuing on my current plan to just postpone graduation in order to take the required pre med classes.my gpa is around 3.56-59. I have 4 units I failed at the CC level. Am I dead in the water adding this to my CSU status?Chemokine7 I know people who went to a CSU and got into UCLA and USC but they had solid MCAT scores to back up their high gpa. If you have a high gpa at a csu and a low MCAT score, it will not reflect too well. One of my interviewers even said that he believes CSU gpas are way inflated compared to UCs. So make sure you do well in your MCAT and do not leave the adcom room to question it.mspeedwagon Status:Medical Student I know CSU kids in the CA med schools, but all had 30+ MCAT.plsfoldthx Status:Medical Student doesn't everyone in med school have 30+ mcat?Meat Status:Medical Student Check out my MDapplications link to the left. CSU student, good GPA, solid MCAT, some research, volunteering, etc. I was a bit late to the game (started doing health care activities two years before applying). I was murdered at the UC level in CA. Not one interview. Not even secondaries at UCSD or UCSF.I'm sure some will say "obviously something was wrong with your application," which may have been true, but not ONE UC invite with my numbers? I assumed there was some state hate.Good luck man! I would suggest transferring to a UC.EDIT: I do have a URM friend at my school that had a USC and UCLA interview. So its not totally impossible.missbones Status:Pre-Medical Did you apply early?Meat Status: Medical Student Submitted end of June, verified mid / late July, all secondaries in early August. Certainly could have been earlier.silverhorse84 Status:Resident CSU grad. Got into USC and was waitlisted at Irvine (never sent a letter of interest, which they highly suggest, so who knows what would have happened). Had a 3.6 something GPA, and 30 MCAT. No, I'm not URMIgnore what other people say - unless you want to go to a "top" medical school you'll be fine. Get a good GPA and a good MCAT, speak the truth in your essays and interviews, you'll be fine.Meat Status:Medical Student For sure. Do the best you can, you'll totally make it!missbones Status:Pre-Medical Thanks for the advice. I was thinking of doing the USC post bacc. I was all over that recent CSU thread, and I don't think anyone said it was impossible - just that it is much easier coming from Berkeley/UCLA/UCSD.lord_jeebus SDN Moderator Status:Attending Physician That said, with your GPA you will need a strong MCAT and maybe a post-bac.longhorn09 Status:Medical Student Have you tried Loma Linda?missbones Status:Pre-Medical the statements that you made, among what others said, that pretty much made me feel like I had no chance because I lack "near perfect GPA" and "extraordinary accomplishments":"Those very few successful applicants from the Cal State system tended to have extraordinary accomplishments outside of the classroom, near-perfect GPAs, and high MCATs""Can the CSULB student overcome this disadvantage? Of course, but most don't. It's not just a matter of scoring high on the MCAT. You would need to distinguish yourself in ways going above and beyond most pre-meds.""Again, the few CSU students that were accepted, in my adcom experience, were not accepted because they had great numbers (although they had to have that also just to be looked at) but because they had unusual life achievements."I also asked in that thread about people who attend post-baccs at CSUs and how they could have any kind of success rate if little to none of CSU med school applicants make it in, as you were saying. Since you didn't respond on that thread would you mind addressing this here if you have any experience in that area?missbones Status:Pre-Medical Loma Linda? Not interested. I'm very anti-christian.mspeedwagon Status:Medical Student I'm assuming you mean everyone that gets into a CA M.D. program... then the answer is likely yes (with a few exceptions).Of course 30 is close to the 80% percentile, which means only 20% of all test takes score at or above. So no, not "everyone" scores 30+.Side-note in response to another poster: Loma Linda is a terrible place to apply unless you are a 7th day adventist. They send you an automatic secondary (thus get your money) and then reject you (for the most part).lord_jeebus SDN Moderator Status:Attending Physician I was talking about my medical school in particular. Your odds at getting into a medical school somewhere in the US are not as bad, if your numbers improve. I think that if you improve your grades from this point, maintain 3.9+ in postbac and 30+ MCAT, you will be able to attend medical school somewhere in the country. You can't be picky though.U Turn Status:Pre-Health (Field Undecided) A high school friend of mine graduated from San Jose State last year and is currently an M1 at UCLA. She had a 3.9 GPA and a 32 MCAT from what I remember. She's not an URM but apparently adcoms at her interviews were impressed that she's a hardcore mountain climber and has climbed numerous mountains including Mt. Everest and Mt. McKinley.lord_jeebus SDN Moderator Status:Attending Physician Sounds like "extraordinary accomplishments outside of the classroom, near-perfect GPAs, and high MCAT" to me .missbones Status:Pre-Medical I already have ~110 units. So the best I can do is maintain and raise it maybe .1 in 2 years... Postbac seems like the best option for me. I really don't want to leave California.Maneuver Status: Pre-Medical CSU GPA's ARE inflated. You shouldn't have more than one or two B's. Certainly no C's, D's, or F's.MichaelRW Status:Pre-Medical plsfoldthx said: ↑doesn't everyone in med school have 30+ mcat?seriously?lord_jeebus SDN Moderator Status:Attending Physician If I were you, if prereqs are all fulfilled I would apply simultaneously to med schools and post-bacs - just in case you get in somewhere. But you'll probably need the post-bac.Even with the post-bac, your odds of staying in CA are not good. 4 years is not that long and if you work hard you should be able to come back for residency.missbones Status:Pre-Medical I'm not sure I understand this. If my pre-reqs are fulfilled why would I do a post bacc?lord_jeebus SDN Moderator Status:Attending Physician GPA boosting, especially if your GPA in the prereqs is similar to your overall GPAmissbones Status:Pre-Medical lord_jeebus said: ↑GPA boosting, especially if your GPA in the prereqs is similar to your overall GPA I guess you consider my gpa extremely bad because most other people I've talked to said it was fine/competitive. My gpa is a 3.5 ish mostly because of those 4 units I failed. I have only one other c and the rest are As, A- and a few B+'s, I think 5.JokerMD Status:Medical Student yes, its possible.amikhchi Status:Medical Student Calstate northridge grad 3.47 gpa and 36 mcat... Absolutely no love from any california schools... Congrats to those who got in from csu system, but looking back I would have gone to ucla... I'm rather confident if I had went to ucla (got accepted to all UCs for undergrad) I would be in med school right now with my 31 and wouldn't have had to retake mcat...Oh wellmissbones Status:Pre-Medical What are your ECs/volunteering/shadowing etc. Please be honest.amikhchi Status:Medical Student i've gone over this in several threads, and honestly they are avg i'd say, about 200 hrs of shadowing over the course of about 2 years, about 150 hrs of other volunteer community service, about 120 hrs of research (through my school), and an undocumented amount of hours that would probably fall under ECs, but not community service or clinical experience.missbones Status:Pre-Medical i know my gpa is on the low end, doesn't need to be stated, but my mcat is also on the higher end... anyone i talk to says it's "weird" that i get no interviews from CA schools, or that "something must be wrong with your application"... i think it's the CSU...sounds like it. I think id rather just stop taking pre-reqs, graduate, get into a uc post bacc and see how it goes from there. Its just scary because you can only get loans for those programs and most dont want you to work so what do you do after 2 years of debt if you dont get in? Get to work in the real world, I guess.Meat Status:Medical Student i think it's the CSU...Maybe there are just too many UC applicants applying for us CSU kids to be competitive. Why even interview CSU students when UC students are lining up with similar scores (albeit possibly slightly lesser scores in some cases). Maybe from the prospective of an adcom, with so many people to pick from the UC system, why even interview a CSU kid unless he / she has some REALLY unique features.All speculation of course. I certainly wish I would have had some UC interviews. Don't let this discourage you OP, there are plenty of other med schools out thereteenmachinery1 Status:Medical Student 200 hours of shadowing is NOT anywhere remotely near the average.amikhchi Status:Medical Student what's the average? ~4 hours a week for about 2 years with the exception of breaks and special circumstances.lord_jeebus SDN Moderator Status:Attending Physician Shadowing hours is never the issue. People don't get accepted because they shadowed a lot.JJMrK Status:Resident It's possible but you put yourself at a disadvantage.lovemesomeTJ Status:Non-Student UC post-bacs are for URM students who consider themselves disadvantaged and can back this claim up in their essays. I think the only one that might not require this is UC Berkeley, and it is not apart of the UC Post-Bac Consortium (or whatever it's called) that provides you with the extra help of getting in (I believe). If you meet this criteria, then all is well. But if not, you're going to need to figure out another alternative.I really don't see what the big deal is about California. Born and raised, all of my family and majority of my friends are here, and I could give a rat's *** about staying here for the rest of my life. Not to knock you and your motivations, but my goal is MEDICAL SCHOOL, not medical school in California. If you do exceptionally well at a school anywhere else in the country, you won't have trouble coming back here. To me, 4 years is a breath of fresh air from California and a chance to see another part of the country and how it lives. But again, we all have our motivations and reasons for our desires so I wish you luck in remaining in California.missbones Status:Pre-Medical USC takes non URM students. But other than that I was also looking into Mills, which has a high success rate of placing post-bacc students at UCs.casillas Status:Pre-Medical I can't say whether there is a bias, but it is not impossible. I met a few CSU students during UCSF second look weekend. so it definitely happens.Appless It happens, but as a whole CSU are going to be less competitive then UC students. They are seen as inferior schools like it or not and probably 95% of people who want to be pre meds end up at a UC somewhere. Furthermore, the opportunities at a CSU are going to be less which regardless of whether or not the CSU name matters, will hurt your app. Research is obviously a huge part in getting into UC schools as well as USC and other top schools and at CSUs, research just isnt going to happen at near the same level as a UC if it happens at all since not even all CSUs can grant phds for science. UCs have the monopoly on research in cali. Unfortunately, you should have transferred to a UC. Your chances arent over but you need to have other areas such as a great mcat to help you out. CSU gpas are indeed insanely inflated. If you dont just straight dominate the mcat, I would look into a SMP type post bacmissbones Status:Pre-Medical Follow up question: I have one more year of undergrad left, minimum because its too late to apply for fall graduation.I have taken bio 1 (this semester), and stats several years ago. I was planning on taking chem 1a fall, chem 1b spring. Should I stop pre-reqs completely, just finish up my major (only need 2 courses) and maybe add a minor to maintain FT status? Then apply for post bac/SMP for summer or fall 2011? I wonder if it will hurt my chances to spend another yr with no pre-reqs or if its a bad idea to keep taking them at a CSU if I intend to go to a post-bac anyway?Musclemass Getting admission to the CSU system is the opposite of competitive, it's almost open. There are no doubt many capable students at CSUs for reasons of economics, circumstances, etc., but med schools know the score and probably anything much less than a 4.0 and a strong MCAT is going to be a problem.Elijah05 said: ↑probably 95% of people who want to be pre meds end up at a UC somewhere.Not true, many go to private schools or go out of state. Funding and diversity problems at many UC campuses make them a less attractive choice to many.ILikeDrugs Status:Pre-Health (Field Undecided) I graduated from a CSU with a bachelors in psychology. If my applications weren't free I wouldn't even bother applying, but since it will be free I will apply just for the hell of it, even though I know I won't be going to school here in CA. I could probably also put down that I am a mex-american urm without lying since my family came from mexico and I am a first generation US born, but I don't consider myself an urm because I don't consider myself mex-american, nor do I look it, act it, or feel like it. I will check off "other" and put down "human".So why bother applying? Out of spite and to waste their time, of course.Sometimes this process/field/people in this field make me feel like I'm on Gossip Girl. I think someone on here actually said that being in med school is kind of like going back to high school in a Gossip Girl like setting.missbones Status:Pre-Medical I get the feeling. My high school record gave me the capability to attend any school in California I wanted, including Berkeley, UCs etc. I chose community college in the local area to figure out wtf I wanted to do before spending thousands of dollars. Plus my parents wouldn't drop a dime, but their income made it impossible for me to obtain financial aid. Basically Wah wah wah.I'm wondering if I can even get into a reputable post bacc like scripps or mills or usc tho... still being a csu student and all

Los Angeles MagazineLove, Sex & DatingTravelLong-FormFoodCultureCityThinkIssue ArchiveThe MagazineHome GiveLA Here’s What’s Being Done to End L.A.’s Homelessness CrisisAn encampment on 8th Street downtownHugh KretschmerGiveLAHealthPhilanthropyPoliticsUrban DevelopmentHere’s What’s Being Done to End L.A.’s Homelessness CrisisWhere your money is going, what steps are being taken, and what’s coming nextByZoie Matthew-June 14, 2018ShareYou don’t need us to tell you that the city and county are in the midst of a homelessness crisis—the worst in the region’s history and the worst in the nation. Just look out the window on your daily commute.While a host of recent funding measures have helped to decrease L.A. County’s total homeless population by 3 percent since 2017, the number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time is still on the rise, and L.A. has a lot more to do to address the issue’s root causes.The info that follows can’t possibly tackle the entirety of a topic as complex and fraught as this—you’d need a textbook for that—but it does offer clarity about where your money is going, what steps are being taken, and what other efforts we can expect in the coming months.MoneyHugh KretschmerNonprofit organizations have long played a central role in helping the region’s homeless. The Home for Good funding collaborative alone has raised almost $40 million since 2012. “It’s nonprofits that are trying to fund the housing, negotiating with the landlord, and staying with the individuals to provide them the services they need,” says Ruth Schwartz of the Shelter Partnership. But the crisis has far exceeded the limits of what nonprofits can achieve. So the city and county have finally kicked in with three funding measures. Given their overlap, it’s worth stepping back for a refresher on which does what.$38,146: The average annual cost of public services for someone living on the street$15,358: What the cost is reduced when a person has been housedMeasure HHHWhat it is: A $1.2 billion city bond measure passed in 2016.What it’s funding: The construction of between 8,000 and 10,000 housing units over the next decade. Most projects will include access to supportive services like clinics, counseling, drug and alcohol treatment, and job training.Who’s paying for it: City residents are taxed $9.64 annually for each $100,000 of the assessed value of the property they own. For the medianhomevalue, that’s about $33 per year.Progress report: It started slowly, but a Supportive Housing Ordinance passed in April cut down on red tape. “It’s going to make projects go through the permitting process quicker and be less costly to develop,” says Schwartz. So far, there are 26 housing projects in predevelopment and three under construction, totaling 1,965 units. Council members have also pledged to approve building 222 supportive units in each of the 15 districts by July 1, 2020.Developer Linkage FeeWhat it is: A fee for most new construction in the city. Approved in 2017 by the city council, the ordinance is being phased in over the next year.What it’s funding: The revenue is being funneled into the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and could help build or maintain up to 1,767 affordable housing units per year, depending on how officials decide tospendit. A plan should be approved this year.Who’s paying for it: Developers pay up to $15 per square foot of construction, based on the nature of the project and where it’s located (developments that include affordable units are exempt). Officials estimate this will create a revenue stream of about $100 million per year.Progress report: The ordinance will be fully implemented by 2019. While the plan’s opponents worry that it will discourage construction, affordable housing proponents say it’s been a long time coming: Garcetti first proposed the fee in 2015.Measure HWhat it is: A ten-year, quarter-cent sales tax increase approved by county voters last year that’s expected to raise $355 million annually. What it’s funding: In large part, stopgap measures like temporary and crisis housing, rental subsidies for people on the brink of homelessness, and supportive services likehealthcare, job training, and outreach teams.Who’s paying for it: Anyone who pays sales tax in the county.Progress report: Since July 2017 Measure H revenue has, according to the county, helped more than 10,000 people find temporary or permanent housing and funded more than 1,000 new jobs in the homeless-services sector. It has also helped launch programs to aid families cover rent, utilities, and other expenses. And it’s been used to improve coordination among departments. “Things are much more streamlined today,” says Schwartz.HousingThere’s slightly more than one shelter bed for every three homeless people in the L.A. area. Not all beds are available year-round either, and many people would rather avoid shelters, which can be crowded, dangerous, and restrictive: They don’t accommodate pets or partners and severely limit possessions. As the city chips away at its plan to build at least 10,000 affordable housing units by 2021, it’s looking for ways to shelter people in the meantime. These are four alternatives that could be part of the solution.Motel ConversionsL.A.had more than 380 motels, with a combined 10,259 rooms, and an ordinance passed in April aims to use some of them for homeless tenants. Participating motel owners must agree to work with agencies to provide supportive services. In return? They’ll be exempt from certain zoning laws that might otherwise require costly upgrades for compliance, and they’ll be allowed to equip guest rooms with full-size refrigerators and some cooking equipment. The property owners are also able to work with nonprofits in order to tap into county rent subsidy funds.TrailersMore than 100 public parking lots across the city have been flagged as potential sites for permanent housing. But in the near term, City Councilman Jose Huizar plans to install five trailers near Olvera Street this summer as a temporary solution. At a cost of $2 million for the first year and $1.3 million to run annually thereafter, they’ll provide beds, showers, laundry facilities, and supportive services for 60 to 70 people, with new tenants coming in every six months. It’s astart. “We’re hoping to find other publicly owned properties that we could convert into immediate shelter,” says Huizar.ADU’sOtherwise known as granny flats, accessory dwelling units—the wee homes that share lots with single-family houses—are being embraced by the state as a way to increase afffordable housing and decrease homelessness. California has eased its building and zoning restrictions, and last year Los Angeles County launched a pilot program that gave a handful of qualifying homeowners up to $75,000 to build an ADU in their yard or $50,000 to revamp an existing structure. In return, they must agree to rent to previously homeless tenants for at least ten years. The city’s Innovation Team is also experimenting with funding models to help homeowners build more ADUs, which could at least help increase the supply of affordable housing.Homes for HopeDesigned by USC architecture students and the Martin Architecture and Design Workshop in 2016, Homes for Hope’s modish, 6½-by-11-foot pods are intended to be stackable, easily reconfigured, and code compliant. The cost? Around $25,000 each, though that could go down with mass production. The inspiration came from makeshift shelters seen on the streets. “These communities are master builders. They’re super inventive and experimental, and use what they have,” says Sofia Borges, who co-taught the course. A fund-raising effort for a pilot project in Sylmar with Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission is under way.Skid RowMen line up at the Midnight Mission in 1964Herald-Examiner Collection/LAPL Photo CollectionHow It Came to BeWhile encampments have sprung up all over the county since the Great Recession, skid row has always been L.A.’s epicenter of homelessness. Stretching for roughly 50 blocks, the tent-and-tarp-filled area is the largest of its kind in the nation, with 2,000 or so people sleeping in its streets each night. That it’s endured despite development pushing in on its borders in recent years is no accident.In 1972 a “Silver Book” plan drafted by downtown business interests sought to relocate skid row’s residents so the land could be redeveloped. But what prevailed was the “Blue Book” alternative, aka the “Containment Plan.” It drew boundaries around the neighborhood to preserve what cheap housing remained and to locate homeless services there.“People interested in saving low-income housing were in favor, as were people who didn’t want any of those people in their neighborhood,” says John Malpede, founder of the Skid Row History Museum & Archive. While some say the containment plan created a dumping ground for vulnerable residents, Malpede notes, “It’s become a neighborhood. It has a lot of self-awareness and has been able to advocate for its preservation.” Here are a few lesser-known facets of skid row history.Early DaysOriginally an agricultural area, skid row industrialized with the arrival of the trains in the 1870s. Bars, brothels, and hotels sprang up to cater to rail-riding transients and part-time workers. It became a hub for migrants from the South and Midwest during the Depression. Alcoholism was rampant. In the 1950s the city cut the supply of cheap housing in half when it demolished many of the area’s by-then-battered hotels, driving their occupants onto the streets.The PeopleThe demographic makeup of skid row—mostly white, male, and elderly—shifted as Native Americans poured into L.A. following 1956’s Indian Relocation Act. Nicknamed “Indian Alley,” skid row’s Winston Street became the site of the United American Indian Involvement center in 1974. The area’s black population grew when Vietnam veterans returned in the 1960s and ’70s, and surged again during the ’80s crack epidemic and war on drugs. Today skid row is mostly black.PoliticsSkid row has official boundaries: 3rd, 7th, Alameda, and Main streets. And residents want it to have an official neighborhood council as well in order to enable them to advise city officials about land-use issues amid DTLA’s development boom. A recent effort ended in a controversial election and lost by 60 votes. Activists blame a last-minute decision to allow online voting, which is typically banned for neighborhood elections, that effectively excluded many skid row denizens.Beyond the RowThe encampments you see lining sidewalks on 8th Street are permitted by the LAPD because of a legal battle that sprang from skid row. The 2006 decision in Jones v. City of Los Angeles overturned a “quality of life” ordinance that banned people from sleeping, lying, or sitting on city sidewalks at any time. Filed on behalf of six homeless people, it determined that arresting violators when they had nowhere else to go amounted to “cruel and unusual punishment.” Since then, people have been allowed to stay put between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.Leading the ChargeBorn on skid row, activist Steve Richardson, aka General Dogon, has been pressing for change in the area.“My parents met on skid row in the ’50s. I grew up there in the ’70s, and in the early ’80s I got addicted to crack cocaine. I ended up in state prison, where I read a lot of black history books and got involved with political activism. After 11 years I came back to skid row, and downtown was in the midst of being gentrified. They had these ‘business improvement’ security guards who’d harass people.In 2006 L.A. launched the Safer Cities Initiative, which brought 50 extra police to skid row. They’d pull up on homeless people, claiming they were loitering. ‘Loitering’ is hanging out with a criminal intent. Just because you’re on a public sidewalk and black doesn’t mean you’re loitering. I got involved with L.A. Community Action Network, and we created a watch team. We’d document interactions with security guards and the LAPD and teach people their rights. We created a community report card called The Dirty Divide to document public health-and-safety infrastructure, like trash cans and bathrooms.Post-Measure HHH, we worked with the mayor’s homeless-policy director for about eight months, and they finally found money to get us six temporary toilets. Close to the anniversary of HHH, the mayor’s office wanted to have this press conference and to give me a certificate. I was like, Who wants a certificate for bringing six temporary toilets when we need 100 times that? I took his certificate, tore it up, and threw it back at him.”The BasicsMore than 500 city and county employees fan out in teams to help the homeless get food, health care, clothing, and the like. Funding from Measure H will only grow that number. “We are going into riverbeds, encampments, and under bridges,” says Colleen Murphy, outreach coordinator for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Metro even has its own outreach program on the Red Line, which has become a de facto shelter. Here’s how they work.ShelterIt’ll take years to house everyone, but Murphy is optimistic. “Outreach was kind of the first to come out of the box with Measure H,” she says, and those teams can help direct people to the appropriate housing options, assuming they’re available. “As we have more shelters opening up and more housing resources, that’s going to hopefully make our job a little easier.”ClothingA fresh set of clothes can be a big help when you’re trying to get a job or secure housing. Vouchers for thrift stores and free clothing closets are two of the most common ways that outreach teams help people get garb, says Murphy. To keep those clothes clean, a handful of nonprofits, such as LAMP and the Downtown Women’s Center, offer laundry facilities.HygieneToilets and showers for the homeless are scarce, and existing ones have been closed down repeatedly, owing to concerns about drug use and prostitution. So people use the sidewalks as toilets. Following last year’s hepatitis A outbreak, L.A. opened a small skid row facility with toilets, showers, and attendants, but more are needed. The nonprofits Lava Mae and the Shower of Hope are working with the county to develop a mobile shower program.Mental HealthLAHSA estimates that 33 percent of homeless people in the city are mentally ill. Teams with mental health professionals give field assessments. Some clients get “light therapy,” says Murphy; others might be directed to county psychiatric facilities. But space is finite, and because of strict limitations on treating people against their will, even patients who are a danger to themselves can refuse.IdentificationUnlocking benefits like Social Security disability income and housing requires birth certificates, ID cards, et cetera. So outreach teams prioritize helping clients obtain copies. “We have vouchers so the ID is either free or at a discounted cost,” says Murphy. “If getting to the DMV is challenging, we can transport the client, go with them, and help.” Covering the cost of public transportation is also an option.FoodBuying food to supplement the hot-meal programs run by churches, shelters, and homeless organizations costs money. Another early step outreach teams take is to help clients sign up to receive financial aid, whether from Social Security, disability income, or the county-funded General Relief program, which can provide up to $221 a month.Health CareStreet teams help people enroll in health coverage or connect them with physicians; some even include a nurse who can conduct exams. “Having nurses on the ground and being able to assess if that’s a serious wound or some other issue is huge,” says Murphy. But there’s a long way to go: Of the 831 homeless deaths in Los Angeles County last year, a significant number were linked to preventable health problems.The LawHugh KretschmerIt’s a vicious circle: The rules and laws that essentially aim to curb homelessness often just complicate maters. Limits on what people can bring to homeless shelters can dissuade them from sleeping there. Fines doled out to people who can’t pay them lead to arrests and criminal records, which makes finding a job more difficult. Encampments are rousted, spurring the people in them to move somewhere else. A quick tour of some modest remedies.$87 million is spent by the city on homeless arrests, skid row patrols, and mental health interventions each year.19 percent of people arrested by the LAPD in 2017 were homeless.14,506 of those arrests were made for misdemeanors, many involving citations for storing property or sleeping on the sidewalk.Ticket ClinicIn a courtyard at downtown’s Central Library, the Homeless Court ticket clinic is in session. Catherine Clay stands twiglegged in heavy boots, reading numbers of a clipboard to a patient crowd. “One twenty-six! One twenty seven!” cries the tiny 43-year-old. Clutching papers, the chosen few head to the canopied rows of city attorneys to get their citations cleared, much like Clay did five years ago. “Now I’m here as a giveback because I’m grateful it worked for me,” she says.Homeless off and on for 15 years before being placed in affordable housing, she’d accumulated around $15,000 in fines for driving violations and other small offenses. Tickets come with the territory when you’re living on the streets of L.A., where just lying on the sidewalk can result in a $35 “quality of life” citation; left unpaid, it can snowball into hundreds of dollars or a bench warrant.Held every couple of months, the clinics don’t tackle the debates raging around the ethics of such enforcement, but the program does enable people to work of those fees with community service and counseling. “I was just extremely happy I didn’t have to decide between paying these tickets and moving into my apartment,” says Clay.Safe ParkingFor the 25 percent of homeless Angelenos who live in their vehicles, trying to find a safe, legal place to park at night can be frustrating. While camping on the sidewalk is permitted between 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in L.A., sleeping in your car at night can lead to costly fines in most areas.“If you live in your vehicle, your vehicle is vulnerable all the time. It’s really hard to stay citation-free,” says Emily Uyeda Kantrim, who runs Safe Parking L.A. Founded in 2016, the nonprofit assists churches and businesses in hosting the vehicular homeless in their parking lots at night while providing portable bathrooms and security and helping connect people with other supportive services.The catch, once again, is neighborhood opposition. Only four of these lots have been established so far: three by Safe Parking L.A. and another by the city, which plans to launch a safe parking program of its own this summer.The BinEach morning, homeless people flock to the Bin, a free skid row storage facility run by the nonprofit Chrysalis. Sorting through the 60-gallon city-donated trash bins where they keep their items, visitors grab clothes, take medicine, and tuck away tents. Safely stowing their stuff gives folks a sense of dignity, says Chrysalis vice president Trevor Kale: “You can go and make your appointments without carrying a humongous bag. It’s freedom.” It also ensures their belongings won’t get them in trouble with the police, since anyone who stores too much in a public area can be cited, arrested, or have their possessions confiscated. How much is too much? Under a city ordinance, everything must fit in a 60-gallon container. The challenge is how to replicate the Bin’s success: The facility is one of only three in L.A., because efforts to open new locations have faced stiff neighborhood resistance.How You Can HelpDonateHomeless organizations don’t just need money. Many, like the Downtown Women’s Center, have wish lists of day-to-day items. downtownwomenscenter.org/our-wishlistWashDo a load for someone who can’t afford to by volunteering for Laundry Love. laundrylove.orgFeedProviding food to the homeless can be a family affair. L.A. Kitchen hosts kid-friendly meal-prep days every other month. lakitchen.org/family-daysTeachVolunteer tutors from School on Wheels help homeless students maintain academic stability. schoolonwheels.orgRELATED: Here’s How You Turn Shipping Containers Into Housing for the homeless would like to see 400 million AMERICANS each with a company “TOO BIG TO FAIL”!But when you are big you should be careful not to step on other people's toes! And when you do it should cost you! The way things are now the big governments and big business help each other step on people's toes THAT IS A FORM OF SOCIALISM CALLED FASCISM! And when BIG BUSINESS AND BIG GOVERNMENT OVER STEPS THEY NEED TO BE PUNISHED AND THE FINES NEED TO GO TO THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS! If all 7 Billion people on this planet get together and demand that the poor are taken care of all the current workers will be managers and all the manager will be directors! Almost everyone can work, but FIRST A HOME! THEN A PHONE!THEN A JOB! What BERNIE DOESN’T TELL YOU IS ALL THE PROBLEMS ARE BECAUSE OF SOCIALISM! AND WHAT DENNIS PRAGER DOESN’T TELL PEOPLE IS HE WANTS BIG BUSINESS AND BIG BUSINESS TO GET ALONG TOGETHER AND THAT IS A FORM OF SOCIALISM CALLED FASCISM! I am hoping that the plunder TAX will gain traction! Ronald Regan said if you want LESS of something TAX IT! I want less greedy RICH .01% ERS!I am an ultra-conservative! One in 6 children in AMERICA GO TO BED HUNGRY! WE HAVE SPENT 20 TRILLION ON HOMELESS BUT THE BUREAUCRATS GOT IT! THAT IS 40 MILLION PER HOMELESS PERSON! IT IS A RACKETT!But now we must impose a plunder tax on the .01% that s getting so rich that they will destroy not only the poor! But the middle classes! If they get the 10% tax they will virtually be paid to be the richest people on the planet! A C.E.O.makes 680 TIMES WHAT THE AVERAGE WORKER MAKES!They can be on many boards ! so they can make thousands of times what average workers make !Why not just hire 680 people to do the C.E.O. job? Wouldn’t 680 heads be better than one overpaid head?The TAX INCOME: is paid 70% by the workers, and the other 30% is paid by the small businesses! While the rich corporation and “NON ” profits pay nothing as they get corporate welfare! The rich have never paid even for murder! No execution of a rich person in our history! The TAX should never be imposed on the poor or MIDDLE CLASSES! It should not even be imposed on small business! The plunders TAX SHOULD START AT 2 million dollars at 40% then graduate up to the richest at 90% .the Rothschild is said to have 1500 TRILLION DOLLARS in secret vaults in the form of gold! THIS IS INCOME TAX EVASION on a grand scale!7 billion people on planet earth need to get together and demand that governments(ALL OF THEM)stop letting the rich PLUNDER!And the entire world needs to cave in on the ultra wealthy!OTHERWISE, THE RICH WILL HAVE A TWO CLASS SOCIETY THE SUPER RICH (WHO ANSWER TO NO ONE!)AND THE SUPER POOR! PUTIN AND THE OTHER DICTATORS ARE ALL CAPITALIST THEY ARE JUST FASCIST CAPITALIST… the stock market needs to be properly taxed! As well as derivatives (A huge 14.4 QUADRILLION DOLLAR MARKET) So if we impose a poor tax on derivatives of 1% then We can have $14 TRILLION DOLLARS to house, employ train the homeless, orphans, unemployed widows underemployed and those who can’t work!This is not a revolution it is polite society imposing its values on plunder, A VERY CAPITALIST CONCEPT …plunder must be punished!13 million millionaires in the world.043 billionaires GATES, SLIM, ELON MUSK,the trillionaires Warburgs Rockefeller's, DuPont's, Rothschild's Have about 600 trillion, $600,000,000,000,000.ooROTHSCHILD'S, ROCKEFELLER'S,Warburgs ,TRILLIONARES.001% $600,000,000,000,000.ooBILLIONAIRES ( 2043 ) .01 % $13,000,000,000,000,000,000.ooMILLIONAIRES (13 MILLION) .1% $13,000,600,500,000,000,000.ooALL TAXATION SHOULD START AT TWO MILLION AND GRADUATE UP! to 90%Anyone under two million should not be taxed!To tax the poor is counterproductive especially when that money goes to the rich.The derivatives market is 1.4 QUADRILLION! If we TAX IT AT 1% that is 1.4 TRILLION TO HELP THE HOMELESS AND THE POOR!