Med Schools and Cars

[JulianCrane]

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I hate to drive. In fact, I haven't even gotten my license yet. Driving just scares me. Anyhoo, I was just interested to know what are some med schools at which cars are definitely not a necessity. Thanks.

 

[Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]]

Wow, how do you survive without a car?

 

[Patiently Waiting]

You can in NYC. A couple of my friends there have never got behind the wheel, believe it or not.

 

[lola]

well, most urban schools probably have decent public transportation.

the cities in the u.s. with the best public transportation that i've been to are boston (tufts, bu, harvard) and nyc (nyu, columbia, cornell, mt. sinai). you can easily get along there without a car. i'd imagine the public transportation in chicago (u of chicago, northwestern) is good too.

 

[Dr. Kermit]

I noticed you had a thread about NYMC, you may find a car convenient in Valhalla to get to the mall and grocery stores.

 

[Joss]

stay away from the west coast...you will never survive without a car!

 

[paean]

There are two ways to approach not needing a car:

1. Go somewhere with decent public transit. I hear that students at UCSF and OHSU sometimes get through without a car. (Joss the west coast isn't all So. Cal.) Also, the northeast cities listed above. And DC may be a possibility, cabs are really cheap.

2. Go to a school where you will do all your rotations in one hospital. That way you can live right next to campus for the first two years, and right next to the hospital for the second two. U Southern California students do all their rotations at County, so while you might feel like the only person in LA w/o a car, it is possible.

 

[wgu]

At Michigan, you're disencouraged from driving because of campus area parking problems. Only some staff and faculty get the next-to-building parking spots.

 

[The Fly]

I've lived in a bunch of cities on both coasts and as such, will try to offer my advice, for whatever it's worth. . .

NYC: VERY easy to not have a car and as others said, there are plenty of people there who have spent very little time behind the wheel. In fact, if you're on a budget, any NY'er would suggest that you NOT have a car.

Boston: A car is arguably more necessary than in NYC (not saying much), but public transportation is good enough that you don't need one -- this is provided you go to either HMS or Tufts, since BU isn't near a T stop.

LA: Car is definitely necessary, So. cal. is the worst place to not have a car of any large city. Don't think about not having a car.

Philly: Can get away without having a car (public transportation decent) but it's nice if you want to get out of town.

Chicago: Public transportation is relatively friendly and there's a comprehensive system that (I believe) runs all of the time. Can get away without having a car.

Fly's unofficial mini list of med schools where a car isn't an absolute necessity:

Einstein
Mt. Sinai
Columbia P&S
Cornell
NYU
Harvard Medical
Tufts Medical School
Penn
MCP Hahnemann University
Jefferson Medical College
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Temple University
University of Chicago
University of Illinois--Chicago
Finch University of Health Sciences--Chicago Medical School
Loyola University Chicago (Stritch)
Northwestern University
Rush University

Okay... this is absolutely NOT a comprehensive list, just my brief list! Hope this helps . . .

🙂

 

[Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]]

I see the only advantage of not having the car: a person would stay at home and study.

 

[The Fly]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]:
•I see the only advantage of not having the car: a person would stay at home and study.•••••If only it were that simple! :wink:

 

[JulianCrane]

I'm supposed to get my license this summer, but I am so scared when I am behind the wheel. And to make matters worse, I have to drive with my dad, who just annoys me by criticizing every move I make and telling me faulty directions. For instance, he'll stay turn right when he means left, so I get so flustered. Additionally, he makes driving a chore. I dunno what to do!!

 

[jiffy boy]

a car is very handy

 

[Ibis]

How did you obtain any independence as a teen w/o a car (or at least hoping to get one?)?

 

[Dr. Kermit]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by The Fly:
•
Einstein
MCP Hahnemann University
Temple University•••••I interviewed at these three schools and will be attending the first. I disagree with the later two that a car isn't necessary. In fact, most of the students have cars at MCP or Temple b/c they live in northern suburbs and commute. Unless they lived in Center City, where the Subway was more easily accessible, most of the students live in Roxborough, Manayunk, West Philly, and near the Art Museum. So a student at MCP and Temple may find a car necessary, especially at Temple where the area is a little rougher and you may not want to wait for a subway in North Philly.

As for Einstein, it is easily accessible to Manhattan by bus and there are grocery stores and restaurants near by, to get to department stores will be difficult without a car. So, I'm taking mine up there. Parking is only $65 a month, can't beat that!

 

[vixen]

I can vouch for NYC and boston...you DON'T need a car. And especially in NYC, you wouldn't want to have the hassle of a car (parking (including money and FINDING IT!), scratches and dents from other cars (this WILL happen), driving is a headache, Tolls are like $7 one way over a bridge...

Mass transit is good...I survived easily there w/out my car.

 

[Sweet Tea]

I worked at MCPH for a summer, and the only reason I needed a car to get there is that I lived in the suburbs. There's a train stop close by MCP. The train system is great for getting around Philly, but if you want to go to areas outside of the city (King of Prussia Mall, Poconos, Jersey) then you'll need a car. I never drove downtown in Philly (southerners do not belong behind the wheel in philly), and got around just fine on the train. Although I agree, the train stations around Temple are a bit sketchy... I got lost there one night... not fun.

If you're applying to UNC, you'll want a car, but you don't need one. THe buses in Chapel Hill are all free, and most students either live close enough to the school to walk or they take the bus b/c there is absolutely no parking on UNC's campus. The buses also go to all the grocery stores and downtown areas, and there's lots of buses going from Chapel Hill to Durham and Raleigh. I think it's simialr over at Duke, but I'm not sure if they're free.

Hope this helps!

 

[brickmanli]

I'm not getting a car for other reasons. This summer is just too hectic for me to do test drives and make sure I'm not scammed by shady dealers. So I'm gonna buy a bike first. I'm going to Dartmouth so it might be tough because there are no public transportation, but at least I'll be healthy and enjoy the scenery. Back in China, none of us had cars but we survived.

 

[Lara]

I'm going to Temple, but I'm rather hoping I might be able to make an arrangement with a potential roommate (or someone living nearby) where I'd pay full gas, etc. in return for lifts. Is that a reasonable possibility? I figure paying would be worth my "turn" to drive in a carpool, and would still be far more cost effective than buying a car (not to mention that I'm also still without a licence 😳 )

 

[Sweet Tea]

lara-- i think that paying for gas would be fine. i carted my undergrad roommate's butt around town for 2 years, and she never once offered to pay for gas. granted, we were both going to the same place, but it would have been a nice gesture. i think your roommate (or whoever you end up carpooling with) would really appreciate the gesture!

 

[saimabean5]

I'm sure for NJMS, you dont need a car either.

 

[The Fly]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Dr. Kermit:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by The Fly:
•
Einstein
MCP Hahnemann University
Temple University•••••I interviewed at these three schools and will be attending the first. I disagree with the later two that a car isn't necessary. In fact, most of the students have cars at MCP or Temple b/c they live in northern suburbs and commute. Unless they lived in Center City, where the Subway was more easily accessible, most of the students live in Roxborough, Manayunk, West Philly, and near the Art Museum. So a student at MCP and Temple may find a car necessary, especially at Temple where the area is a little rougher and you may not want to wait for a subway in North Philly.

As for Einstein, it is easily accessible to Manhattan by bus and there are grocery stores and restaurants near by, to get to department stores will be difficult without a car. So, I'm taking mine up there. Parking is only $65 a month, can't beat that!•••••I was operating under the assumption that it wasn't whether a car should be brought to school but more of 'what if I don't have a car' and as such, made my list. . .

It's easy to get from Einstein to the city, however... as i recall:

Bus to Einstein:
The Morris Park Avenue Express Bus (BxM-10) runs between Manhattan and the Bronx and stops directly in front of the College of Medicine. Northbound stops are at Madison Avenue and 24th St., 36th St., 44th St., 52nd St., and 59th St., and on Third Avenue and 87th St.

By Subway From Manhattan:
IRT East Side: 180th St. train or DYRE Ave. train (No. 5) to East 180th St. Then take the Morris Park Avenue bus (No. 21) to Eastchester Road.

IRT West Side: 241st St. White Plains Road train (No. 2) to East 180th St. Then take the Morris Park Avenue bus (No. 21) to Eastchester Road.

IND 6th Avenue Subway: 6th Ave. train to Fordham Road (Grand Concourse). Then take the City Island bus (No. 12) to Eastchester Road. Transfer to Westchester Square bus (No. 31) to Morris Park Avenue.

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I am much less familiar with Philly, even though I'll be there in a month but I think that if you lived in the city you could use public transporation to get to the other medical schools within Phila -- I know that Penn is near a # of stops on the green line.