How was it like going OOS for Premed/Med School?

[genessis42]

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Hey guys,

I'm kind of curious as to how it feels to go OOS for Med School.
For current students, did you like going outside of your state for school and how was the transition?

How was it like going OOS socially, I mean, if someone goes outside of their state, they basically have to meet new people all over again and pretty much start over...

How was it as a med student? I'm asking because almost everyone also applies to schools outside of his/her state, so this kind of transition is probably very common

 

[plumhill]

Hey guys,

I'm kind of curious as to how it feels to go OOS for Med School.
For current students, did you like going outside of your state for school and how was the transition?

How was it like going OOS socially, I mean, if someone goes outside of their state, they basically have to meet new people all over again and pretty much start over...

How was it as a med student? I'm asking because almost everyone also applies to schools outside of his/her state, so this kind of transition is probably very common

I was OOS before transferring back IS (for undergrad; I can't speak for med school yet, but I can't imagine the transition would be much different). It really depends how far you're going for undergrad or med school. I wouldn't say its hard to go OOS, but each part of the country is a little bit different. The good thing is, you're probably going to be around other OOS people so its not a huge deal. And no matter if you go IS or OOS, you'll always have to start over (in a sense) and meet new people. Some people don't mind change and transition, and others don't do as well, though, so it depends on how you think you'd respond to change.

 

[cuculici1]

Hey guys,

I'm kind of curious as to how it feels to go OOS for Med School.
For current students, did you like going outside of your state for school and how was the transition?

How was it like going OOS socially, I mean, if someone goes outside of their state, they basically have to meet new people all over again and pretty much start over...

How was it as a med student? I'm asking because almost everyone also applies to schools outside of his/her state, so this kind of transition is probably very common

I think this is an individualized question that is tough to generalize. Some people go OOS and do fine, make new friends easily, and don't have any problems. Others get homesick or have trouble adjusting to the new environment and end up likely more unhappy than if they stayed closer to home. To be honest, you won't know until you try it but you can definitely mitigate the uncertainty by doing adequate due diligence and research prior to making your decision.

Personally, I grew up in Los Angeles and went to NYC for undergrad. I wanted change after high school and definitely got my fair share of that. I don't regret my decision, and it's impossible to speculate how things would have turned out differently if I stayed in state. All I do know is I made new friends and made the new environment work, so in reality it's up to you how you approach the situation. Ideally at this point I'd like to stay in state for med school since I already did the whole OOS thing for undergrad, but we all know how California medical school admissions are like, and I wouldn't mind going OOS if I had to.

 

[icaruswalks]

My advice. Depends on your personality. Are you an extrovert? Then go OOS. New experiences, new people, new friends. I went OOS and never regretted it. Are you an introvert? Then depending on how much you are willing to meet and interact with new people, then you may or may not want to go OOS. Then again, admissions anywhere is a crap shoot, so this may be decided for you already.

Good luck!

 

[metalgirl14]

I went to college in-state, but medical school out-of-state. I would have preferred to attend medical school back home, but I didn't get accepted to any of my in-state medical schools.

While I love my medical school, it is extremely tough being away from family and friends. My medical school is ~12 hours away from my hometown, so it is quite difficult to make trips back home (due to both financial limitations and time constraints). It can get quite lonely during the holidays, but most of the time, I am too busy with schoolwork to even notice the distance. I'm quite introverted, so I haven't made a ton of friends near my medical school. I imagine more outgoing people would have fewer issues with this though.

After I complete medical school, my husband and I certainly intend on moving back home, either to my home state or to a nearby state. We miss our old family and friends far too much to make this state our permanent place of residence.

 

[Anathema]

Introvert here.

Went to a place 12 hours from home. It's a nice experience to be somewhere totally new and different forcing yourself to be your own person, but you do feel the toll of being far away from family and friends.

 

[Swimm]

I am not a med student, but I definitely have some experience with going to school OOS! I transferred after my first year of undergrad. My first college was all the on the other side of the country. When I transferred, I remained out of state but this time a little over half way across the country.

I tend to be a quiet person, but going elsewhere has been the best decision I have ever made. I can happily say that I have friends from ALL OVER the country and would not regret any of the decisions about where I have been/gone.

Just to make the point, I love my hometown and am very close with my family. So, my decision to go OOS was purely to see something new/different, not to run away from anything problematic.

If you want to go OOS, I highly suggest it! But I also agree with what everyone above has said: it is a very personal decision. No two people are ever going to have the same experience with their decisions 😉

 

[Tots]

I can't speak to moving out of state for medical school, I have not done it yet...but I am looking forward to it! I went instate for college but had to meet new people as a freshman anyways since I didn't know anyone. I imagine that just like freshman year, there will be plenty of people at the beginning of MS1 that also be looking for new friends.

Edit: Yeah definitely need to work on my reading comprehension! Fixed post to more reflect your question

 

[Black Mamba24]

I'm unsure if I want to go out of state for med school. I got accepted to my state school as well as one in a state bordering my home state. I'm an introvert/haven't really been away from my family for any significant length of time, so I'm worried how happy I will be ~8hrs away from home. I have been working on being more outgoing though, so maybe this would be good for me. Thank goodness I don't have to make a decision until May.

 

[genessis42]

Ya, I'm also kind of introverted as well..

OOS can be really different but in Med School, you'll know everyone pretty well since you'll be with the same group all the time.

I think it gets harder to meet people as you get older & older

 

[ScholarStud]

It's fun.

 

[genessis42]

I think OOS can get hard if someone gets into a Relationship and tries to maintain it

Because then your GF would be from another state most likely, and it would get very difficult to keep it Long-Term once you get back to your home state such as in meeting each others parents and stuff like that

 

[MD2017done]

Go to a school where most of the other students are also OOS. That way no one already knows each other, and you get to form completely new groups of friends. Most top undergraduate schools and medical schools seek geographic diversity. The college I went to had 85 percent of its students out of state, from all over the country. 30 percent Northeast, 30 percent south, 15 percent midwest, 15 percent west coast, 10 percent international. It was awesome hanging out with students from all over the country, all races, all religions, etc

I was a loner in high school lol, because I moved into the school district my freshman year of hs, when everyone had already been in a "group" of friends since goddamn kindergarten. It was tough finding friends. However, at my college, no one already knew each other, and I had a decent social life, pre-med stopped it from being a great social life lol but that is okay because now I have gotten into med school.

 

[NickNaylor]

I'm glad that I took the opportunity to go explore somewhere else even though it has definitely made me realize that I want to get back home ASAP. I love the city that I'm in, but I just miss my home state more.

 

[TheShaker]

To add a little bit more discussion to the thread...

Did any of you who moved OOS feel antsy and impatient to get out of your hometown/state and live somewhere new? How did you feel about it afterward?

 

[cuculici1]

I'm glad that I took the opportunity to go explore somewhere else even though it has definitely made me realize that I want to get back home ASAP. I love the city that I'm in, but I just miss my home state more.

This is pretty much exactly how I felt about going across the country for undergrad.

 

[NickNaylor]

To add a little bit more discussion to the thread...

Did any of you who moved OOS feel antsy and impatient to get out of your hometown/state and live somewhere new? How did you feel about it afterward?

Yes - that was my exact position (born and raised in Dallas, went to undergrad two hours south of there, etc.). I'm really glad I decided to go somewhere else, but as I mentioned above it has definitely made me realize that I want to be back in Texas if not Dallas for the long-term. I definitely wouldn't mind doing residency not in Texas, but after that I'll probably try and get back to the Republic.

 

[MedPR]

I moved OOS for undergrad and really enjoyed it. Great opportunity to gain some new perspective and grow as an individual outside of your comfort zone. No regrets, except the tuition.