Correct--you don't get any of money from your student loans until usually sometime in the first 1-4 weeks of starting school, similar to undergrad or graduate school.
Savings, parents, private personal loans, and credit cards are generally your only options. There are "residency and relocation loans" that graduating medical students can get (and I believe pharmacy students may be eligible as well), but as far as I know, those are only for when you're in your last year of medical school, and meant to help fund the move to residency. I don't think pre-meds/pre-pharm students are eligible because it's still not guaranteed you're going to actually go to medical/pharmacy school or graduate, whereas a 4th year medical student is almost certain to graduate and is a pretty safe bet for loan companies.
If you can't borrow from your parents, get a 0% APR credit card and use that, pay it off completely when you get your student aid a month or two later.
I knew about 6 months ahead of time I was going to be moving for medical school so I saved up an extra $3k or whatever for moving halfway across the country, 1st month's rent, deposit, etc. If you have that much leeway as well, try to cut your costs the next few months to save up. Sell furniture and belongings (helps keep the costs of moving down too--but don't sell things you're just going to buy back!), do some of the "etc." jobs offered on craigslist (I did a couple focus group surveys--made $500, worked as a janitor a few nights, etc etc. Obviously don't do anything sketchy.)
