Car or not to Car ms1 PCOM???

[sandiegodo]

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I'm from CA where a car is a necessity. I'm going to live within walking distance from PCOM, but I would like to bring my car. Are there apartments on Conshohocken with parking garages? Also, are there any PCOM students who found having a car their first year as a good thing or a total nightmare?

Thanks

 

[tripleJ]

Yeah, you'll need your car and a gun or two! Seriously, you'll have to park on the street unless you want to pay $$$$

 

[raptor5]

I will also be an MS1 at PCOM this year. Wow we can finally say we will be starting med school this year. Anyway I live near philly and will be commuting to PCOM but having lived in San Diego I can say that it all depends on what you want to do. If you plan on sticking around the school or bumming rides from new found friends leave your car. I know that in most situations a car is a neccesity in SD unless you live near the trolly and are willing to walk everywhere else. I think it is worse at PCOM. If you are planning to live in Consh how do you plan to get to class. PCOM, Downtown, and most other things are not within walking distance. Bring the car if it is financially feasible. I know I could not live in either place without one. PLus if you want to get away for the day it is nice. You will probably regret it if you do not.

raptor5

 

[sandiegodo]

Hey tripleJ, you crack me up! I wish I could park indoors, but sounds like my poor jeep has to sleep outside 🙁 ummm, so is it hard to find parking around the apartments on Consh. I went to undergrad in Los Angles, and finding parking was a Beeach. Sometimes it'd take 30min to find a spot. I hope it's not crazy around the school. Although, I'm now considering taking small firearms for protection thanks for the tip.

Heya raptor5, congrats on getting in. I'm so excited to start med-school, finally. I applied for two years and this is really awesome! All the waiting was worth it. I'm glad I opted not to go to SGU.
I'm so use to just getting in my car whenever I need to. I'm considering saving some money by leaving my car behind, however I don't want to regret it, come late night study breaks when I need a quick get-a-way.
I thought Consh was a 5 min walk to campus??? I want to live as close as possible to PCOM. I'd opt to live at the activities center if I could. I'm pretty sure I'll bring my car now, besides if I don't I'll probably bum a ride off of you... just kidding.
Thanks for the info.
-Cheers

 

[group_theory]

The apts on Conshohocken Ave are a little more than 5 minutes walk. They are within walking distance, but just not a quick "out the door and suddenly you're at school" walking distance

Most apts have parking lots. Call and ask the apartment manager if parking is available (this info is also included in the packet that Student Affairs will send you)

Parking at school. Well, you can certainly park along the street of Stout Road. That's usually a first come first serve.

Parking in the garage is limited (since faculty, staff/administration, and Sixers park there) and a little more expensive. I think $400 for the school year (at least for this year). But it is convenient (and sheltered from the environment unless you are on the roof)

There is also a student parking lot down the street (where Monument and Stout meet). It is an open-air lot w/ access via ID card. Plenty of space to park. I think it is $120/year.

Of course, you can always park next door in the parking lot of Pathmark for free (and hope that they don't tow your car or it gets damanged by shopping carts)


Regarding need for a car. Well, while my opinion of SEPTA (the regional public transportation) is less than desirable, some of my friends who are not from this area say that the coverage is good (in that you can get to almost anywhere using public transportation). There is a bus stop on City Ave in front of PCOM (I think the #44 will take you to 30th Street station/Amtrak and also downtown/Center City)

 

[tripleJ]

Just make sure to visit the Conshohocken ballet and give them my best.

 

[gruzia]

i'd definately bring a car, even if you're going to live close to campus. If you want to get the parking garage at school, fill out the paperwork early because the spots run out fast, the uncovered lot is cheaper, and what i have, but on those cold windy snowy mornings, even a five minute walk to the school is enough motivation to skip class.
the weather is def. a good reason to have a car, as well, unless you don't mind the aforementioned cold, wind snow, etc. Also, depending where you are and where you are going, it's probably not a good idea to be walking by yourself, at least when it's dark out.
the other thing is that while there are bus stops relatively close to PCOM and a train station, as well, the Philadelphia public transportation is not the best in terms of frequency of service, so you might find your social activities curtailled by the schedules (i think the trains stop running after around midnight or so and buses earlier). also, at $2 fare, it's a bit expensive. but then again, so is the car insurance , so take your pick 🙂

 

[sandiegodo]

Thanks gruzia,
I'm convinced! I'm bringing my car. so about the parking at school, it is worth it to spend the extra money for the covered lot. By the way, I'm from a sunny place and I despise the cold.

 

[Billy33]

if you don't like the cold, you might want to skip the eagles games in mid-january! philly definately has 4 distinct seasons, unlike san diego who has 1. i'm starting pcom this summer too. i'm so excited. i wish i could start now instead of waiting around. as for the car, it's a no-brainer, it has to come! my jeep will be sleeping outside as well

 

[indymed]

Is the area around Conshohocken apartments safe? I also plan on living as close to campus as possible, but would also consider living farther away and driving as long as I was in a safe area. Getting shot, mugged, ruffed up is not my idea of a good time. What would PCOM students say is the most popular apartment complex for PCOM students?

 

[sandiegodo]

I'll be enjoying the sun here in SD in mid-Jan... Not an Eagles fan. Charger fan yes -suck as they may- I love them, but not after the law-suit they filed. Those greedy A-holes. I wish school would start now too. I'm ready to go!!!

 

[catwoman]

Hey indymed!

I will be a fellow PCOMer come August; I share your excitement!!! As for me, I am actually looking for apts around center city/rittenhouse sq because when my husband and I visited PCOM last month (I wanted to show him my school!!), I just didn't get a good feeling about living right around the school-- not that it seems like a "bad" area, it just seems deserted (if anyone disagrees, feel free to speak up; this was just my impression). I'd much rather drive to school and live in a safer, more congested place.

Any current PCOMers out there disagree and would like to post some positive comments about the neighborhood, feel free.

Can't wait to meet all you guys!!

 

[kaplanm79]

I will also be attending PCOM in August, and currently live in Conshohocken (a 15 min. drive from PCOM). I plan on moving into one of the apartment complexes right by PCOM (don?t know which one, haven?t checked them out yet). As far as PCOM being in a bad area it?s definitely not what I would consider a bad area (I think temple?s in a bad area). Personally I want to live right by PCOM because I hate 76 and sitting in traffic, I want to wake up and drive a couple blocks or walk down the street and be there. With regards to that area being deserted I think it?s similar to most surrounding areas, with the exception being center city. Like catwoman said maybe a current pcomer could comment on this. Well that?s my two cents.

 

[RajMahal]

I used to live in philadelphia. here is my $0.02.

philadelphia traffic is among the worst in the country. It is a crime-ridden city, and parking is exorbitantly expensive. if you're living outside of the city, i.e. near PCOM where parking is reasonable, then go for it, but get a car alarm and The Club. philadelphia public transport (SEPTA) is unreliable at best, and overpriced to boot. Can you tell that I miss good ol' philthydelphia?

Raj

 

[lanush]

Hello ya' all! I like this thread. I have also been accepted to PCOM, and can't wait to start! Going to be such a huge change.... I am burning with anticipation.

But here I want to propose leaving our cars behind! I have been living in LA for the last three years.. i feel like i contiunusly spend most of my life in a car. I have learned to regard this little space as my natural habitat. But i believe it also atrophies your mind.. especially the traffic, of course -- takes you out of touch with reality.. human interaction, nature appreciation, etc. Under circumstances it has it's wonderfull pleasures.. But then the convinience sucks you in, and in no time you find yourself spending your time/money on parking/gas/repairs/registration/insurance/parking tickets... at the same time adding on to the problem of traffic road rage and air pollution. See, in LA i have pretty much no choice but to have a car.. I can't wait to get to Philly and be free again!

(Miss the sound of snow under footsteps on a nice crisp morning.. i know, i know, it is not so fun freezing your butt off on a cold windy morning)

We'll see now how the reality goes.. perhaps once at PCOM i'll realize that the west coast has creapt uppon me more then i was suspecting.. that'd be sad 😳

Cant wait to meet you all!!!!!!!!!

 

[sandiegodo]

Hey Lanush,
I can't wait to start!!! I called the school today to see if my check was processed and I'm so excited that this is all happening. It's like a dream to finally get the chance to go to med-school.

About cars... I use to live in LA during college and having a car is a way of life. I've also lived in NYC where public transportation makes a car obsolete. I've considered leaving my car behind (to save gas money, etc.) but, I also remember how harsh the Winters are back East compared to Sunny SoCal. I hope you do not underestimate how cold 25 degrees is- it's miserable walking in the cold, snow, and rain. Driving less than a mile from my apt. to park in the garage at school is worth driving my car 2000 miles from Sun Diego to Phyillydilly and payihg the $400/yr for a spot. Can you tell, I hate the cold. It's 70 degrees today and sunny, I love PCOM, not the weather. Ummm, so for me Beekman apt. are a Godsend cuz the utilities are included and my apt. is going to be at a nice 75 degrees all year long.

Have fun walking in the cold

 

[scubadiva]

Hi everyone, I'm not going to PCOM. I'm going to CCOM, but I'm also from California.

Do you drive 4 wheel drive cars or SUV's or trucks?

Do you think it is manageable to drive a rear wheel drive car through the snow?

I really don't want to trade in my car.

By the way, cars are a way of life in California, and I'm married and in 😍 with my baby.

 

[bobo]

my .02.

Absolutely positively bring a car of you can. You are absolutely crazy if you don't. Don't even think about not bringing a car. You will regret it if you don't.

bobo, msiv pcom

 

[Billy33]

this thought shouldn't even cross your mind, you have to bring a car! we're not freshman in college anymore, public transportation is great but you need a back up if you don't feel like waiting outside for a SEPTA bus on a cold, windy night. just allows you the freedom to get a while for a little if you need it. i've driven plenty of rear-wheel drive cars in the snow and it sucked! i love my jeep and it plows through anything😎 and it's fun......
on the other hand, philly is very expensive to have a car. insurance is unbelievably high, and parking is high.

(i'm bringing a car)

 

[Jay23]

One thing you also have to consider when you decided to bring a car or not, surpisingly, is your study habits. Especially during Anatomy, you are not going to have just one book. You have your notes and the scribe notes and your Netter atlas and the text book so if you think you will ever want to study at school, you will absolutely kill your back lugging all of that around. Not to mention if you use the gym and then you have to bring extra clothes too! It is a lot to carry around. I never brought my books to class in undergrad but I did it all the time first term. Also, in the winter it gets dark really early here and if you intend on studying at PCOM, attending a club meeting, have OPP lab until 5, or just hang out and talk to people for too long, it is going to be dark by the time you start home. Its not very smart to be walking around by yourself after dark all the time. People are really generous about giving rides but it is a situation you really have to consider if you anticipate studying or spending extra time at school. You really would be better off with a car!

 

[raptor5]

on the other hand, philly is very expensive to have a car. insurance is unbelievably high, and parking is high

To curb the insurance issue get a P.O. Box in Montgomery county (not to far away 20min.) Insure it from that address or use parents.

 

[sandiegodo]

Heaya Jay23 or any other current PCOMers,

I was wondering how long you are in class each day. I can't seem to find the curriculum info on the web-site for the first year. Also, the school year opperates on the quarter system right? How challenging was it to adjust to the system (quarter or semester) during the first year?

Thanks!

 

[Billy33]

i need to throw my 2 cents in about the insurance solution. i can't help it b/c right now i'm an insurance agent and have been for 3 years. i must say that that way of keeping costs down is EXTREMELY illegal. we aren't allowed to write an insurance policy unless the first address listed is a garaging address for the vehicle. we can have mail going to a po box but the policy will never be rated at the area the po box is in. i know i know, this is why everybody hates ins agents, i just had to say it.

 

[Billy33]

since this is turning into a thread for PCOM incoming students, anybody who starts in aug 2004 receive anything regarding fin aid, curriculum, info on the school (other than that little cd), etc. i have been getting school catalogs, course description, a 4 year overview, etc... from all the schools i declined at, but not from PCOM, which i'm going to. is this normal for PCOM? how do classes run, i guess not august - december if it's a quarter-schedule.

 

[kaplanm79]

The things I have received are from finacial aid (what needs to be filled out and when to fill it out) and a letter from student affairs just stating who they are and letting you know that there will be info to follow. Nothing about curriculum though

 

[Jay23]

I don't think there is a place on the web site that you can access our schedule. The amount of time you spend in lecture varies from day to day and keeps things from getting monotonous. There is a grid for each trimester (not quarter) that has what lecture we are getting each hour of the day and it has our schedule for OMM lab, etc. First trimester you will have Anatomy lab so basically you will spend an hour or two in lecture in the morning (usually starting at 8am but later in the term you get more and more days starting at 9 which is really nice), go to Anatomy lab anywhere from 2-4 hours, then lunch for an hour. Lunch hour is also a great time to go to the gym, plus the 76ers are all there around lunch time. Then you might have another hour of lecture or two, maybe not, it varies from day to day. You have OMM lab once a week, either Monday or Tuesday depending on what group you are assigned to and then the opposite day you have Histo lab. This year Histo lab attendance was optional so I didn't go. So since I had OMM lab Monday then I got all of Tuesday afternoon off every week and it was sooooo nice.
They will also throw in Clinical cases where you meet in small groups, primary care skills lectures and lab, OPP lectures, and some other things. Also, our classes are all mixed in so you won't be getting 4 hours of development in one day (I think I would die). You would have an hour of Microanatomy, maybe an hour or two of Anatomy, then perhaps some Development in the afternoon. But its awesome because the lectures all tie into each other and I think it makes it a lot easier to learn. It might seem a little haphazard not having a regular schedule but it honestly is so much better. It makes the time go by faster and really keeps your mind working, always making connections between one subject to another becuase you need to intergrate it all because there is just one big human body.
Second term is more lecture since you don't have lab but you can worry about that later.

 

[gruzia]

just so you know, PCOm is on a trimester system...the first trimester is from aug-nov, then the second is from nov-end of feb, and so on.
pcom can be a bit bit strange with the paperwork...i'm class of 2007 and i didn't know when school began till late in july. and i didn't get the schedule till really late, either...i think they're revising it all right up to the start of school, but keep calling and asking questions....make sure you get all your fin aid info and insurance info because some of the papers weren't mailed out till late even though they had them.

about the parking, weather, etc.....right now the windshields are close to zero so while parking garage is expensive compared to open lot (@ $300 vs $120) trust me, you will be sooooooooooo happy to be in parking garage (i'm in the open lot and i curse my decision every day...hate the cold!!!!)

the area around pcom is okay....it's relatively safe as long as you don't go in too deep into west Philly and use your common sense. There's not a huge nightlife around that area but Manayunk is @ five min. away(and center city is about 15 min, dep. on traffic, of course) . there's a bunch of apartment buildings on chonshohocken ave which is on the philly side, really close to pcom and an ok area if you're looking for apartments. i would stay away from living somewhere where you have to take 76 to get to school because it's got horrible traffic at all odd and not so odd hours of the day. Even City Ave can be pretty slow because of all the lights, esp in rush hour.

 

[sandiegodo]

Thanks Jay23, no wonder I couldn't find a schedule... at least it won't be boring and predictable. I like change. Your description was just what I was looking for.

Thanks also to gruzia, I hate the cold so much I'd rather poke my eyes out than have to walk in snow. It's 70 degrees here, I watched the Eagles game on the tube and everyone looked like they were freezing theire asses off. I wish there was a monorail from my apt. to pcom. Better yet, I wish they would build an atrium around pcom to protect us from the crappy elements. One huge, glass dome of warmth. But alas, I must deal with the cold, single digit temps. My only problem is I love running outdoors although, I might run faster in philly to aviod getting mugged. Ah, the silver lining, I must keep my perspectives open to a positive transition.

I love the cold, I love the cold, I love the cold.....owmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (sitting in a yoga pose).
So, my 5 y/o niece loves the cold weather cause she gets to make snow men. I wish I had that pure approach... Lets just roll up a few boulder-sized balls of snow, stack them up, sick a carrot in one of them with two pieces of coal and call him Frosty.

 

[group_theory]

Actually, if you have a short walk to school ... have you considered microwaving your shocks and sweater?

Nice layer of cushion of heat for a few minutes as you walk outside

The cold isn't that bad if you are only outside for a few minutes. Run from your apartment to your car (car is warmed up already)

run from your car to Evans Hall


and at night

run from Evans Hall to your car 🙂


And if you don't like to exercise, burn off those excess fat by shivering 😉 (i kid, i kid, I would never recommend someone getting hypothermia or frost bites)

 

[indymed]

I have a quick question for current PCOMers:

Do you know anyone who decided to buy a condiminium rather than rent an apartment? I figure, buy buying a condo, your money isn't going down the drain. Also, you can sell it after med school. Does anyone do this? Property values are always going up, and what I hear about Manayunk is that it is an up and coming town. Buying a condo in that area could actually be profitable. What does everyone else think about this?

 

[Billy33]

it's a good idea in theory, but unless you can definately afford it, property is EXTREMELY expensive in philly. and manayunk is a "younger suburb" of the city and is also amazingly expensive. but it you can do it, in 4 years i'm sure you'll be able to sell the condo and make a very nice profit. but if you're not familiar with philly prices, you might be in for a surprise.