Duke is great.... how is Durham, anybody?

[Seal]

Just wondering... everybody here (with the exception of certain NCAA fans from certain other schools) seems really excited about Duke. Perhaps it is the reputation of the school, the strength of the training, perhaps it is even the abbreviated preclinical year(s). All in all, though, how do you guys feel about living in Durham? For those of you who went to the 2nd look visit (I couldn't go although I realy wanted to), what did you think? How were the students, their social life, etc.?

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[priddygirl]

Durham is only ok because it's about 5 minutes from Chapel Hill

 

[Riesling]

The above poster must be a jealous Terp fan

Well, listen to a proud former Blue Devil who lived in Durham for four years and go back there quite frequently. Although Durham isn't exactly a "happening" town like San Frencisco or Miami, it really isn't as bad as what people may tell you. First of all, the cost of living is relatively cheap and the crime rate is really nothing compared to the area around Johns Hopkins, for instance. Downtown Durham is going through a lot of renovation as well, and it does have a share of nice restaurants and bars around the campus. If you so desire, you can venture out to Chapel Hill or Raleigh pretty easily, too. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, so called the Triangle Area, was voted #1 place to live in America by Money magazine sometime back in the early 90's I believe. Another perk - you don't really have to worry about getting caught in the traffic too often in Durham. Also, DC is only 3 hours away, and both Smokey mountains and the Carolina coast are about 2 hours away from Durham.

The weather in Durham is pretty nice almost all throughout the year, except in late summer when it gets really humid. Durham only has a minor league baseball, the Durham Bulls, but who needs anything else when you have the Duke basketball!!

And Southern hospitality really rings true in Durham. Most of the local you meet are pretty friendly.

All in all, Durham is an excellent place to be while in school. Yes, if socializing and meeting people are your thing, then Durham probably isn't your place; but, considering how you will be in med school, especially at an academically demanding institution such as Duke (first year at least), I think it's rather nice not have too much temptation all the time.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Riesling (edited April 05, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Riesling (edited April 05, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Riesling (edited April 05, 2001).]

 

[Pegasus]

Hey now, dont put down Chapel Hill. If I am not mistaken, the coffee shop I study at has many Dookies coming in to study for their boards/exams,ect..and Halloween, well all of Duke comes out to good ole' Franklin St. to party! You may put down Chapel Hill, but everyone knows that it is the place to have fun, especially after the anatomy final!

Actually it is pretty fun to have the Duke rival against Chapel Hill. For instance, when Duke wins a game, Chapel Hill has to put in in our papers "Duke Kick Ass", ect. And the same goes for Duke!

Anyway, I know several med students that go to Duke and they really like it. And you get a year to study for the Step I USMLE in your third year while you are doing research...lucky Devils..hehe


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~Pegasus~

 

[caffeinegirl]

Hey there Seal

I went to second look and it was a lot of fun. the students there are really nice and excited about their school. As for life in Durham, well, it definitely ain't San Fran. It's a small town, and there are some good restaurants (you have to find them) and a couple of bars. But most likely, as a Duke student, you end up on Chapel Hill to unwind.

Chapel Hill is like Collegetown here in Cornell...Franklin St. is a strip of small shops, bars, restaurants, and coffee shops all tailored to college students. I'm not sure what life would be like for a grad student, but they said there are some bars where not many undergrads hang out.

Living is DARN cheap. And you get nice places too! I really liked the apartments that were made out of renovated warehouses which are located downtown.

Accessibility is great...you MUST have a car. Everything is max 20 minutes away. As for distance from school and home....depends if you stay at Chapel Hill, but most students have a 5 minutes commute

Duke has great research opportunities, and also great students.

Plus, the weather is nice

Hope this answers your questions

 

[Seal]

Thanks for all your replies!! I'm glad to hear that Durham is not nearly as bad as some people have said... as some of you may know, I'm trying to decide between Cornell and Duke, and obviously there is a huge difference between NYC and Durham. NYC is great, but I don't think I "Need" to live in a huge city with that much to do. I'm glad to hear that there's enough to do around Duke.

What do you guys think of the students there? Also, Caffeinegirl, can you tell me more about the second look visit (which I missed)? Did you ever get to look at their match list or did they sell you other propaganda info? Have you also decided between UCSF and Duke?

 

[priddygirl]

Originally posted by Riesling:
The above poster must be a jealous Terp fan

She's actually ar Tarheel

 

[caffeinegirl]

Hey again Seal
You missed quite a bit of action. They planned pretty much every minute of every day that you were there! They had lectures about Durham, and also what to do during your third year. We also got to sit in on an MS1 lecture and get tours of housing, Chapel Hill, and of their clinical and basic science facilities.

It was great to talk to students who were MS1-MS4. We didnt' get to see their match list, but from what I heard, it was amazing. They were all very happy and thrilled.

They also had tons of food for us, and had Deans host us for dinner at their houses! Plus, we got to watch the Final Four match with all the med students with a keg and everything!

They had parties every night I think, and about 100 prospectives showed up. It was a blast. Everybody was really nice..from the present and prospective students.

The only downfall for me was the lack of emphasis on primary care. If you're into research (be it basic science or clinical) or don't want to go into primary care, Duke is the place for you. Their facilities are just amazing...buildings and buildings worth of research going on there.

Hope this helps! I know of another student deciding between Cornell and Duke, and after that weekend she's definitely going to Duke!!

 

[Original]

BUMP! from the History Archives.

 

[brandonite]

Haha. You had me confused, Original. I didn't see the time stamp on the messages... :wink:

 

[matthew0126]

hey riesling??

who got their asses handed to them last month? remind me, was it the terps or the pewks

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Riesling:
•The above poster must be a jealous Terp fan <img src="http://www.studentdoctor.net/bbs/wink.gif" alt="" />

Well, listen to a proud former Blue Devil who lived in Durham for four years and go back there quite frequently. Although Durham isn't exactly a "happening" town like San Frencisco or Miami, it really isn't as bad as what people may tell you. First of all, the cost of living is relatively cheap and the crime rate is really nothing compared to the area around Johns Hopkins, for instance. Downtown Durham is going through a lot of renovation as well, and it does have a share of nice restaurants and bars around the campus. If you so desire, you can venture out to Chapel Hill or Raleigh pretty easily, too. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, so called the Triangle Area, was voted #1 place to live in America by Money magazine sometime back in the early 90's I believe. Another perk - you don't really have to worry about getting caught in the traffic too often in Durham. Also, DC is only 3 hours away, and both Smokey mountains and the Carolina coast are about 2 hours away from Durham.

The weather in Durham is pretty nice almost all throughout the year, except in late summer when it gets really humid. Durham only has a minor league baseball, the Durham Bulls, but who needs anything else when you have the Duke basketball!! <img src="http://www.studentdoctor.net/bbs/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> And Southern hospitality really rings true in Durham. Most of the local you meet are pretty friendly.

All in all, Durham is an excellent place to be while in school. Yes, if socializing and meeting people are your thing, then Durham probably isn't your place; but, considering how you will be in med school, especially at an academically demanding institution such as Duke (first year at least), I think it's rather nice not have too much temptation all the time.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Riesling (edited April 05, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Riesling (edited April 05, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Riesling (edited April 05, 2001).]•••••

 

[matthew0126]

doh me too being confused... i guess the dukies were #1 _last year_ after all

•••quote:•••Originally posted by matthew0126:
•hey riesling??

who got their asses handed to them last month? remind me, was it the terps or the pewks

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Riesling:
•The above poster must be a jealous Terp fan <img src="http://www.studentdoctor.net/bbs/wink.gif" alt="" />

Well, listen to a proud former Blue Devil who lived in Durham for four years and go back there quite frequently. Although Durham isn't exactly a "happening" town like San Frencisco or Miami, it really isn't as bad as what people may tell you. First of all, the cost of living is relatively cheap and the crime rate is really nothing compared to the area around Johns Hopkins, for instance. Downtown Durham is going through a lot of renovation as well, and it does have a share of nice restaurants and bars around the campus. If you so desire, you can venture out to Chapel Hill or Raleigh pretty easily, too. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, so called the Triangle Area, was voted #1 place to live in America by Money magazine sometime back in the early 90's I believe. Another perk - you don't really have to worry about getting caught in the traffic too often in Durham. Also, DC is only 3 hours away, and both Smokey mountains and the Carolina coast are about 2 hours away from Durham.

The weather in Durham is pretty nice almost all throughout the year, except in late summer when it gets really humid. Durham only has a minor league baseball, the Durham Bulls, but who needs anything else when you have the Duke basketball!! <img src="http://www.studentdoctor.net/bbs/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> And Southern hospitality really rings true in Durham. Most of the local you meet are pretty friendly.

All in all, Durham is an excellent place to be while in school. Yes, if socializing and meeting people are your thing, then Durham probably isn't your place; but, considering how you will be in med school, especially at an academically demanding institution such as Duke (first year at least), I think it's rather nice not have too much temptation all the time.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Riesling (edited April 05, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Riesling (edited April 05, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Riesling (edited April 05, 2001).]••••••••••

 

[dukeblue01]

Duke is one of the best places to go to college! Durham is one of the worst places to live! I hope you are getting my message. Though I loved my undergrad years at Duke I am so glad to be leaving Durham (hopefully to Chicago or Atlanta). Get a great education, stay on campus or go to Chapel hill. Durham can be dangerous.

 

[HairlessHeart]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by dukeblue01:
• Durham can be dangerous.•••••Dangerous?? You mean crime?? It can't be as bad as East Cleveland or some other urban locales.

 

[dukeblue01]

There is a lot of crime here for such a small city. Not near as dangerous as a big inner city. Besides, the med campus is located in a nicer part of Durham, while the freshmen undergrads are near some of the worst parts of town. I liked Durham ok, but my friends from big cities were thoroughly disappointed. The small town southern charm wears off in a year.

 

[Street Philosopher]

Took trek's advice... although I'd still like to know. People here are ultra trigger happy so I think I'll ask somewhere else.

 

[Trek]

Schoolboy- best not to ask that question Trust trek, and i ain't even black. --Trek

 

[DAL]

I went to school in Raleigh and rarely visited Durham unless it was necessary. Durham probably has an equal crime rate or higher as Raleigh, even though Durham is a much smaller city than Raleigh. That being said, I never read any headlines "Duke student killed" or anything similar in my five years there. I think if you stick to the nicer parts of town and frequent Chapel Hill or Raleigh when you want to party late night, you chances of getting in trouble in Durham are about as likely as your getting in trouble in any other city.