Anyone moving across the country/far away for med school?

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Let's start a support group.
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I am!! Thanks for posting this, it was just dawning on me all the effort that this is going to take. I think a support group to brainstorm some ideas/share info is a great start!

Ok, so I'm sure I'll be attending Pitt next year, and I live in California. I need to haul some essentials all the way across the country, and don't really know how. Mostly books, which makes this more difficult given how much the little monsters weigh!

Ideas?

P.S. I don't own a car, and would like to avoid getting one, if possible.
 
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d1ony5u5 said:
I am!! Thanks for posting this, it was just dawning on me all the effort that this is going to take. I think I support group to brainstorm some ideas/share info is a great start!

Ok, so I'm sure I'll be attending Pitt next year, and I live in California. I need to haul some essentials all the way across the country, and don't really know how. Mostly books, which makes this more difficult given how much the little monsters weigh!

Ideas?
Click to expand...

Perhaps pack enough clothes and other essentials to last a few weeks at your new destination, then slowly ship the rest? I've also heard of people packing everything in a huge ass trailer and just driving across country.
 
I moved from Oregon to the East Coast three years ago to attend med school. I did not know a single soul on the East Coast. Quite a culture shock. It has been a great experience, but I am hoping to return to the West Coast for residency.

Good luck to all of you who will be making the big move to new places.
 
California to Boston. I've looked at 3 moving options.

1) Ship everything UPS/FedEx, cheapest option, but I'll have to leave a few large items behind.
2) POD everything, which is the most expensive but convenient.
3) Drive a U-Haul 3000 miles. Middle-ground expense, may be fun to drive cross-country.
Or 4) bring only essentials and re-buy necessary living items in Boston.
 
I may not be moving across the country, but does having to drive 8 hours to your school in another state count?
 
FuSoYa said:
California to Boston. I've looked at 3 moving options.

1) Ship everything UPS/FedEx, cheapest option, but I'll have to leave a few large items behind.
2) POD everything, which is the most expensive but convenient.
3) Drive a U-Haul 3000 miles. Middle-ground expense, may be fun to drive cross-country.
Or 4) bring only essentials and re-buy necessary living items in Boston.
Click to expand...

+1, California (Bay Area) to Boston

I'm pretty anxious. I don't know anyone or anything about the east coast :scared:

I was gonna just take a suitcase or two for clothes, books, laptop, necessities. Come back winter break for snowboard and more stuff.

I might be moving to the dorms, but if I don't. For bed and furniture, I will consider craigslist and buying it there. Seems to much of a pain to lug it across the country.
 
searun said:
I moved from Oregon to the East Coast three years ago to attend med school. I did not know a single soul on the East Coast. Quite a culture shock. It has been a great experience, but I am hoping to return to the West Coast for residency.

Good luck to all of you who will be making the big move to new places.
Click to expand...


My story's similar, except I'm from California and I did it less than a year ago.

Can't help with the moving stuff as the military did that for me. But I did ship my car since I didn't want to drive across country. I can look up the company if anyone would like to know.
 
I'm not sure yet personally if I'll be moving an hour down the road to go in-state or across the country from CO to New England. I'll be deciding after second look days next month.

But that being said, I've done the move from the east coast to CO, back to the east coast a few years later, and then back to CO a year and a half later (I know it's a lot) so I'm pretty familiar with how much it sucks. That being said, I did it hauling a U-haul trailer behind my outback. I don't remember exactly but I think the cost for renting the trailer was ~150-200 and then of course you lose some gas mileage which adds to your cost and you drive a bit slower, but nothing too substantial. I'm not relishing the thought of going through it again and am trying to figure out if I can downsize and just drive my car, but with clothes, bikes, skis, and climbing gear (I know, I'm a gear head...) I quickly discover what my space limitations are. But I love road trips and if driving trailers don't freak you out then it's not really all that bad and actually a whole lot of fun. Of course if you don't own a car and won't need one in med school then this one is pretty much out. Also, if you dont have a car that hauls a trailer and have to rent a u-haul truck and tow your car behind it that can become a huge pain in the rear and costs a whole lot more.

As far as other options, I never looked into shipping through UPS/FedEx just assumed it would be too expensive, especially for things like bikes, maybe just clothes would be different. I had researched PODs before, but like FuSoYa said they are crazy crazy expensive and not worth it I thought.

I guess it all comes down to your personal circumstances (stuff to take, location, car, etc) but I personally have a hard time turning down another road trip opportunity.
 
PedsDoc14 said:
I'm not sure yet personally if I'll be moving an hour down the road to go in-state or across the country from CO to New England. I'll be deciding after second look days next month.
Click to expand...

I wish I had the option right now. I want to just hop in my car and do the two hours north to my condo in Denver. But CU is being mean and stringing us along in limbo-land, so I'm tentatively making plans to move out to VA.

I've had to move cross-country several times. The military has been doing it for me up til now (which is nice because you don't have to pack anything, but they tend to lose a lot of stuff too, so doing the inventory at the destination majorly sucks. And I absolutely hate road trips. I hate traveling, period. I wish Star Trek was real, only so that I could teleport to where I want to go. That would seriously suit me so much more than any other mode of transportation.

As it is, I'm thinking about getting a small U-Haul trailer and pulling it behind my car. I don't think I have enough room in the back of my car to cram all my stuff (especially since I'm insisting on bringing my papasan chair, and that thing barely fit in the back of our SUV), so that seems the best route.
 
I'm moving! I have a minimalist philosophy, though, and don't own anything big like furniture. Pretty sure I can fit everything I own in my car and have the car itself shipped. Silverhorse, do you have the name of that shipping company?
 
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I made the move from California to Chicago last year. For shipping I used amtrak to ship 7 boxes each weighing 30-50 lbs and it ended up being about $130 for all of it. All I needed to do was get the boxes to the station and then they called when they arrived in Chicago (about 4-5 days later) and I had 2 days to pick them up before they charged for storage. It worked out great, was insanely easy, and much cheaper than UPS/FedX would have been.

For furniture I just used craigslist and started looking the week or two before I moved and asked people if they would be willing to hold it for a week (for some things I had to send a deposit by paypal) - Then once I got to chicago just rented a truck for a few hours and arranged pick up with each person for one night. Ended up being much easier than I thought and I got some great stuff!

I hope that helps a little! Good luck to everyone moving!
 
caseofthemndays said:
I'm moving! I have a minimalist philosophy, though, and don't own anything big like furniture. Pretty sure I can fit everything I own in my car and have the car itself shipped. Silverhorse, do you have the name of that shipping company?
Click to expand...


I'll look it up. In the meantime though, I do know the car has to be empty for them to take it. They won't ship it with your stuff inside.
 
swimbeckers said:
I made the move from California to Chicago last year. For shipping I used amtrak to ship 7 boxes each weighing 30-50 lbs and it ended up being about $130 for all of it. All I needed to do was get the boxes to the station and then they called when they arrived in Chicago (about 4-5 days later) and I had 2 days to pick them up before they charged for storage. It worked out great, was insanely easy, and much cheaper than UPS/FedX would have been.
Click to expand...

I am intrigued. Can you give more details? On the Amtrak site, they don't really make any indication of this option (although I only took a cursory glance)
 
I'm 85% sure I will have to drive from Upstate New York to Mobile, AL (just waiting to hear from my instate school). Its about 1,300 miles if I were going straight there; but I'm going home and then to my fiance's home which are sort along the way. So in total, I'll be driving 1,600 miles in a week.

I've got two dogs and a cat to squeeze into my Forester. Even with a large car top carrier, I really only plan have room for clothes, books, personal items, and pet stuff. I'm going to have to sell most of my large items and buy again when I get to Mobile. Craigslist and yard sales are definitely the way to go.

The only thing I'm worried about is finding a house to rent (it has to have a fenced yard) and finding roommates who are willing to live with my zoo. I really don't want to be stuck in a hotel for weeks while I try to find a place.

Are you guys planning on renting a place sight unseen?
 
IHeartSleep said:
I am intrigued. Can you give more details? On the Amtrak site, they don't really make any indication of this option (although I only took a cursory glance)
Click to expand...

Here's a link on dimensions of boxes and everything.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am/Layout&cid=1241267371736

I would call the number listed to get the current rates and everything. Also not every amtrak station lets you ship (but ones in the larger cities do) so also make sure to ask if the station does before getting all your boxes there. From what I remember it's like $65 for the first 100 lbs and then something like 0.57 for each additional lb.
 
swimbeckers said:
Here's a link on dimensions of boxes and everything.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241267371736

I would call the number listed to get the current rates and everything. Also not every amtrak station lets you ship (but ones in the larger cities do) so also make sure to ask if the station does before getting all your boxes there. From what I remember it's like $65 for the first 100 lbs and then something like 0.57 for each additional lb.
Click to expand...


Excellent data!! I'm going to look into this possibility. Thanks swimbeckers!!
 
BigRedDeal said:
I'm 85% sure I will have to drive from Upstate New York to Mobile, AL (just waiting to hear from my instate school). Its about 1,300 miles if I were going straight there; but I'm going home and then to my fiance's home which are sort along the way. So in total, I'll be driving 1,600 miles in a week.

I've got two dogs and a cat to squeeze into my Forester. Even with a large car top carrier, I really only plan have room for clothes, books, personal items, and pet stuff. I'm going to have to sell most of my large items and buy again when I get to Mobile. Craigslist and yard sales are definitely the way to go.

The only thing I'm worried about is finding a house to rent (it has to have a fenced yard) and finding roommates who are willing to live with my zoo. I really don't want to be stuck in a hotel for weeks while I try to find a place.

Are you guys planning on renting a place sight unseen?
Click to expand...


From Cornell to Alabama. Quite a transition. I assume your cat is an indoor cat because fences are no problem for cats, although cats have an excellent sense of place and direction and usually find their way home. Get them chipped. Dogs don't wander as much, but you definitely will need a fence.
 
PedsDoc14 said:
I'm not sure yet personally if I'll be moving an hour down the road to go in-state or across the country from CO to New England. I'll be deciding after second look days next month.

But that being said, I've done the move from the east coast to CO, back to the east coast a few years later, and then back to CO a year and a half later (I know it's a lot) so I'm pretty familiar with how much it sucks. That being said, I did it hauling a U-haul trailer behind my outback. I don't remember exactly but I think the cost for renting the trailer was ~150-200 and then of course you lose some gas mileage which adds to your cost and you drive a bit slower, but nothing too substantial. I'm not relishing the thought of going through it again and am trying to figure out if I can downsize and just drive my car, but with clothes, bikes, skis, and climbing gear (I know, I'm a gear head...) I quickly discover what my space limitations are. But I love road trips and if driving trailers don't freak you out then it's not really all that bad and actually a whole lot of fun. Of course if you don't own a car and won't need one in med school then this one is pretty much out. Also, if you dont have a car that hauls a trailer and have to rent a u-haul truck and tow your car behind it that can become a huge pain in the rear and costs a whole lot more.
Click to expand...

This is a pretty big no-no unless you have a 4wd vehicle with a transfer case that can be put into neutral. Even so, it puts a lot of stress on the other side of the differential gears.

If you have to do it, tow on a dolly (or a trailer if you have a rwd).
 
Will be moving from South Florida to Upstate NY. Have no idea where to start. :eek:
 
Cross-country trips are really enlightening, if you have never taken them. I moved from California to Tennessee after my freshman year... I didn't have any furniture, but I did have a fair amount of clothes/electronics/books to take with me. A Focus can carry a lot more than you'd expect, let me tell you. :p

Though I'm not moving far for med school, moving during undergrad was overall a good experience. I ended up in a state that I like far more than the state I came from, and I became familiar with a new part of US "culture." Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time to drive (took me 2 days to get to Tennessee, but I should have realistically stretched it to 3 or 4), stay only in decent hotels when you have to stop, and pack an icechest with lots and lots of food.
 
I was just told by my mentor that when she moved across the country for gradschool she shipped books by post. Apparently, they had a cheaper rate for books back then, so I might look into that.

Well, she also said that they lost all the boxes of books, so it's not terribly encouraging... I wonder if they have gotten better (she was in gradschool a long time ago). Anyone had any experiences shipping books by post office?
 
i'll be moving from nj and the east coast (where i've lived and attended ugrad/grad school all my life) to nebraska next year....i've never lived more than 10 miles from the ocean.....i am really excited but i'm not exactly sure how i'll fit in in the midwest....this should be interesting haha :scared:
 
d1ony5u5 said:
I was just told by my mentor that when she moved across the country for gradschool she shipped books by post. Apparently, they had a cheaper rate for books back then, so I might look into that.

Well, she also said that they lost all the boxes of books, so it's not terribly encouraging... I wonder if they have gotten better (she was in gradschool a long time ago). Anyone had any experiences shipping books by post office?
Click to expand...

Mediamail

Used to use it a lot for eBay shipments, cheap, never lost a package (you can add insurance/delivery confirmation), but can take up to a couple of weeks especially around holidays (it's the last stuff to be put on planes, if there is no room then it doesn't ship) and sometimes they'll make you open it to confirm that only allowed items are packed.
 
kami333 said:
Mediamail

Used to use it a lot for eBay shipments, cheap, never lost a package (you can add insurance/delivery confirmation), but can take up to a couple of weeks especially around holidays (it's the last stuff to be put on planes, if there is no room then it doesn't ship) and sometimes they'll make you open it to confirm that only allowed items are packed.
Click to expand...


Thanks! I had the understanding that mediamail was more of a one item only shipping thing. Do you know if you can actually ship boxes full of books this way?

Looks like this may be worth looking into!


P.S. just did a quick google search and you can ship up to 70lbs in a container not exceeding 108 inches in combined dimensions. Thanks for this tip!
 
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I'm relocating in 2 months and I'm not even sure where. Add in family and I have a bunch of people with expectations that have no idea how torn I am.

I have two great schools to pick from and honestly, I'm hoping one comes through with some ridiculous financial aid offer to make my decision easy.

I'm so stressed out trying to save up for relocating and hoping my fiancee can find a job. Not that I'd trade it for application season again. Oh well, I knew from the start I wouldn't be able to relax until I was done with residency. This is just a phase of stress I didn't especially anticipate.

Why can't I just win the lottery or something?
 
When I realized that I would have to do this, I thought

fuuuuuuuuuuuuu.....dge!

And then I realized how much tuition would be, and I thought the same.

This is quite daunting. I will admit that I am pretty nervous.
 
XxNemesis29xX said:
I will be. I'm moving from Alabama to NYC, big change!
Click to expand...

Nice, I'm moving from Upstate NY to Alabama. Huge change! But I'm pretty excited about the South.

searun said:
From Cornell to Alabama. Quite a transition. I assume your cat is an indoor cat because fences are no problem for cats, although cats have an excellent sense of place and direction and usually find their way home. Get them chipped. Dogs don't wander as much, but you definitely will need a fence.
Click to expand...

Ha ha. I may be a pre-med, but I'm not completely ignorant. Yes the fence is for the dogs. I'm tired of taking them out on potty-walks 5x a day. Kitty is indoor only... its so much cheaper. I don't have to worry about injury or extra vaccines.

call me x said:
.i am really excited but i'm not exactly sure how i'll fit in in the midwest....this should be interesting haha :scared:
Click to expand...

I'm right there with you. Really worried Billy Jo, Bobby Sue, and Bubba aren't going to like my yankee accent. I don't think I'm going to like NASCAR. There may be some tension.
 
Looks like I'll probably be moving bay area ---> NYC, and getting pretty nervous. Plan is to pack what I can into my old salvage title Honda, hope we make it the whole way, and the sell the car on ebay when I get there. I figure I'll give myself 2 weeks to see the sights and go camping and live on beans. Can't wait!

Not sure how I'm going to deal with living 3000 miles from everyone I know and then being introduced to winter, a season I've heard of but never really experienced. It'd mid march and 75 and sunny outside. I'm going to miss California.
 
swimbeckers said:
Here's a link on dimensions of boxes and everything.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am/Layout&cid=1241267371736

I would call the number listed to get the current rates and everything. Also not every amtrak station lets you ship (but ones in the larger cities do) so also make sure to ask if the station does before getting all your boxes there. From what I remember it's like $65 for the first 100 lbs and then something like 0.57 for each additional lb.
Click to expand...

Wow! I never even thought about this for shipping my stuff. I had planned to just drive my car, but this option sounds great. Thanks for the tip.
 
For now...

Southern California -> Miami

I have no furniture to speak of and not that many clothes. My parents are going to come help me set up and they will each get to carry a suitcase of my stuff haha. Furniture I plan on buying there and all that stuff when I set up my apartment. Anything else will be shipped. My car will probably be shipped as well. I don't want to drive for four days of my very small summer vacation.
 
JJMrK said:
What books are you guys talking about anyway?
Click to expand...

That's what I'm wondering.

Why would you bring books cross-country when you're going to start med school? Do you actually think you'll be able to read those books?

None of them will likely be important for med school, either.

If I moved to VA, I don't think I would bring any books at all.
 
Relocated from GA to TX-my dad had a truck so he drove me out and pulled a UHaul trailer and then my brother and I drove my car.

We had everything in the trailer for my 2 bedroom apartment (bed, dresser, bookshelves, chair/ottoman, all kitchen stuff, TV, etc) except the couch and the washer (we bought it through Home Depot and had it ready to pick up in TX). I bought some furniture from Craigslist in Atlanta (tech is in lubbock with the most aweful craigslist ever) and from IKEA (kept in boxes so it was easier to move but a pain to assemble). I think the cost was reasonable but since my dad paid I'm not sure on an exact cost.

Keep in mind your financial aid won't process til about 5 days before your first actual class day so for all the moving expenses you need to have money saved or live on credit til you get the financial aid.
 
metallica81788 said:
That's what I'm wondering.

Why would you bring books cross-country when you're going to start med school? Do you actually think you'll be able to read those books?
Click to expand...

My parents required I took everything I wanted to have with me to my apartment and nothing stay at home- which meant my books, CDs, movies, photos, etc all made the trip- maybe this person is in that situation where his/her parents are ready to have an extra guest room and don't want to store stuff.
 
One of the early posters was talking about moving some "essentials" which consisted mostly of books.
 
JJMrK said:
One of the early posters was talking about moving some "essentials" which consisted mostly of books.
Click to expand...


Yeah, that would be me.

I guess it is only me, but I consider my books essential. I have been working for about 2 years, and have been collecting a little science library consisting of all the textbooks I could not afford to buy while I was in undergrad... I can't leave them here in CA because I'm by myself, my family doesn't live here.

So I have no place where I can leave them in CA. I would either have to take them with me or lose them/sell them, which I don't want to do. Other than my laptop, they are the most valuable thing I own. that's why I want to take them with me across the country.
 
Glad to find some company! Originally, I thought about shipping stuff through movers from Indiana to Texas, but then I realized that the only reason I needed it was because of a large desk, my small fridge and my office chair. I've now made the decision to sell and give away these large items. The rest (clothes, books) I will ship to a friend's place in Houston, and take the rest back with me to Maryland when my family helps me move back home after graduation.

I plan to pack up my car and drive from Maryland to Houston in July, carrying essential books and clothes with me. I will just buy furniture locally, from Craigslist or other second-hand vendors. Much cheaper this way, I think.
 
searun said:
I moved from Oregon to the East Coast three years ago to attend med school. I did not know a single soul on the East Coast. Quite a culture shock. It has been a great experience, but I am hoping to return to the West Coast for residency.

Good luck to all of you who will be making the big move to new places.
Click to expand...

Do you feel moving to the East will reduce your chances of a residency in the West? I'm from the West and considering going East for medical school but trying to understand how much the geographic location of your medical school affects the location of your residency.

Thanks!
 
d1ony5u5 said:
...
Ok, so I'm sure I'll be attending Pitt next year, and I live in California.
...
P.S. I don't own a car, and would like to avoid getting one, if possible.
Click to expand...
I can't imagine how you manged to live in SoCal without having a car, amazing!

I used to live in Los Angeles, and Irvine, and had to drive anywhere I had to go. With a family and kids, it's like your sole mate.

Congrats for the admission, though!
 
d1ony5u5 said:
Yeah, that would be me.

I guess it is only me, but I consider my books essential. I have been working for about 2 years, and have been collecting a little science library consisting of all the textbooks I could not afford to buy while I was in undergrad... I can't leave them here in CA because I'm by myself, my family doesn't live here.

So I have no place where I can leave them in CA. I would either have to take them with me or lose them/sell them, which I don't want to do. Other than my laptop, they are the most valuable thing I own. that's why I want to take them with me across the country.
Click to expand...

I see, I was just curious. Personally, I would probably sell them to finance the move.
 
ceng2doc said:
I can't imagine how you manged to live in SoCal without having a car, amazing!

I used to live in Los Angeles, and Irvine, and had to drive anywhere I had to go. With a family and kids, it's like your sole mate.

Congrats for the admission, though!
Click to expand...


Thanks! Yeah, it is crazy how dependent we are on cars in SoCal. I was just lucky to live places where there was a free shuttle to school/work. Maintaining a car is very expensive, and inconvenient.

It sure would make this movement easier, though...
 
specialK32 said:
Do you feel moving to the East will reduce your chances of a residency in the West? I'm from the West and considering going East for medical school but trying to understand how much the geographic location of your medical school affects the location of your residency.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I am confident that I will be able to match in the West. I have done well academically and I have a very competitive Step 1 score. I attend a top ten school and the match lists from past years demonstrate that students from my school do match on the West Coast, although most of them match on the East Coast.

Since I grew up on the West Coast, I have strong personal ties to the West Coast that will be evident to residency directors. I believe that I can make a convincing argument that I really am a West Coast guy - because I am.

I plan to apply to Washington and OHSU, as well as several programs in California. My preference is the Northwest since that is where I grew up and where my family is located.

The general rule is that if you want to match on the West Coast, it probably is better to go to med school on the West Coast, especially California if you want to do your residency in California. But I do not view this as an insurmountable obstacle, personally. We shall see.

If I have to do my residency in the East, then so be it. I will just return to the West when I have finished my training.
 
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