Medical schools with great locations

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i vote BU is awesome just because Fenway is 5 minutes away.

boston-fenway-park-sunset.jpg
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MiCasaMD said:
Would you categorize a predominantly black neighborhood as bad? Are you looking for a school located in a rich neighborhood so that you can feel better about yourself? Why medicine? To help people who a less fortunate? or To enter a profession because it may be a way to a beach house. Hmmmm, lots of questions.
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maybe the areas the referring to have a higher rate of crime. maybe by looking for a school in a rich area, there is less of a chance of being the victim of a crime.

as long as someone is a good doctor, i couldn't care less about their motivation.
 
BrainBuff said:
Yea, there was a time where most people would argue about Chicago Med School (Rosalind Franklin), saying that it was not even in Chicago. Loyola in Maywood is pretty suburban also, and I think that safer than the area where U of C is located.

Neighborhoods do change though. The area around UM Miller used to be pretty nasty 20 years ago, from what I hear. It is much better now.

I thought that the area around Columbia was not that bad. Again, anyone knows anything about any of the other Philly schools?
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I would argue its not in Chicago, nor is Loyola. But I'm a downtown snob ;)
 
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Ponger said:
I merely made the comment i did in the hopes that you'd understand that location doesn't mean much in med school. You don't get nearly enough time to enjoy the nice areas of the places you live.
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Dude, that is to you. Don't be so condescending. To me, the location means a lot, in medical school, residency and whatever. Btw, you did more than gasping !!!

:laugh:
 
I loved, loved, loved Loyola, BUT...

After my interview I was walking in a neighborhood across the street from the school--I was TWO BLOCKS from campus--when some weird guy on drugs approached me and asked me twice, "Are we going to call the police?" WTF? Then a postal worker told me that I was in a bad area and I'd better get out of there (it was in the afternoon, not even at night).

In addition to all this, the taxi driver who took me to the airport told me a bunch of horror stories about that neighborhood. He was not happy when I told him that I'd walked through the neighborhood alone.

This all occured literally across the street from the campus. I guess the campus is situated right on the line dividing a "good area" (which was beautiful) with a "bad area." I'd say that Loyola gets a :thumbup: but the location gets a :thumbdown:.

(Obviously, as someone who only visited for an interview, I don't know the area or situation anywhere near as well as a lot of other people who were posting about Loyola.)
 
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OP, you should probably have specified in the very beginning then that you're looking for the nicest urban areas, not just nicest areas. And you should probably also define "urban". If you're used to Chicago (where things are close-by, you can take public transport everywhere etc) then cities like NYC, Boston and SF probably fit the bill (though again, UCSF is in the saddest area of the city). Atlanta, LA, San Diego, Stanford, and a bunch of other cities that were mentioned here aren't like that at all and will require you to drive a lot. Another thing to consider is whether the hospital is on the same campus as the med school (they can be in more ghetto areas), whether the campus itself is beautiful (UCSD has a really ugly campus even though the location is by the beach), etc.

I know when I looked at med schools, I looked for pretty campuses (or at least nice facilities), and an area surrounding the school that was walkable, safe, pretty, and that had stuff to do as well as residential options so I wouldn't have to drive to school. I also looked for a place that had the hospital on the same campus and where the patient population wasn't too limited as far as socioeconomics, ethnicities, etc.

I just suggest (to everyone) that you consider what exactly you're looking for in a location.
 
Ilovewater said:
Jefferson is in a pretty good neighborhood. The scariest one, from what I've seen, is the neighborhood that Temple is in....
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Jeff is in a GREAT area I would say. Youll have fun there. As for temple...holy ****. I actually live north of the city and the quickest way to get downtown is right down broad street...every time I drive past Temple I just laugh. Very brightly lit campus...but step a few blocks off any any direction and you are in the straight up hood....as in packs of dudes ridin quads in the city with huge chrome wheels hood. (saw this sat nite and blew my mind)
 
BrainBuff said:
Anyone knows about U Penn??
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Penn is in University city...which is a safe neighborhood just because you have UPenn and Drexel right there. Lots of cops...lots of students..lots of security. Its like its own little "city." But outside of University city you are basically in West Philly....just ask the fresh prince! Its a safe area as long as you use common sense. I went to Drexel for grad school so I still get their campus alerts..and every now and again youll get some warning about a rape or robbery..but nothing outside the norm IMO.
 
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Slack3r said:
Are you sure about Jefferson? I thought it wasn't in the nicest of areas in Philly.
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Jeff is in a great area of the city. Safe, lots to do closeby. Smack dab in the central area of Center City. Best location of the Philly med schools by far.
 
regarding northwestern- the school itself is in a nice area but it's smack in downtown. do people actually live there? i can only imagine that if there is anywhere to live right around there, it's ungodly expensive. and doing simple things like grocery shopping would be a nightmare.

there's a nice suburban-y area right between the uic/rush area and loyola. personally i love it . . . i lived here while doing grad school @ loyola, and plan to stay here while i attend rush (the commute on the train is very short, like 15 min.) my apartment is relatively cheap, i have a car and a place to park it. i can walk to bars or drive to stores. i live two blocks from the train and can be in downtown chicago in less than a half hour.

i guess my point is, the location of the school itself is not necessarily where all the students live, so don't forget to take that into consideration. everyone talks trash about loyola and it's true that maywood is not great, but its 10 min away from nice suburbs, which is where most (i think) of the students live. whereas northwestern is in a great location, but actually living right in that area seems like it would be expensive and inconvenient.
 
Houston. Crime is at an all time low and the weather is GREAT :smuggrin:








(For the record, the city of Houston really was a pleasant surprise relative to what I was expecting)
 
ButImLETired said:
I know when I looked at med schools, I looked for pretty campuses (or at least nice facilities), and an area surrounding the school that was walkable, safe, pretty, and that had stuff to do as well as residential options so I wouldn't have to drive to school. I also looked for a place that had the hospital on the same campus and where the patient population wasn't too limited as far as socioeconomics, ethnicities, etc.
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Sounds great, did you find any like that?
 
MaryLennox said:
regarding northwestern- the school itself is in a nice area but it's smack in downtown. do people actually live there? i can only imagine that if there is anywhere to live right around there, it's ungodly expensive. and doing simple things like grocery shopping would be a nightmare.
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over 11,000 people live between Oak St., Lake Michigan, Ohio St and State St.

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Streeterville-Chicago-IL.html

Many students live in high rises between Ontario and Ohio.

There are three supermarkets in the immediate area -- Dominicks is the least expensive chain
http://www.notfortourists.com/search.aspx?city=CH&mapID=50290&catID=57
 
BrainBuff said:
Ahh! I almost feel bad about doing this, but you started by being such an **** that I think you need to be owned, my brother.

I have a feeling that you are so busy in grad school, and you do not have enough time to study so are stressing out a little bit. That's the reason why you are taking the MCAT on 8/5/2010.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=9856685#post9856685

Best of luck!:luck:
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:laugh:
The dude's trollin'
If he doesn't get banned, I wonder if he should ever post again just out of respect for how much he got owned. :oops:
 
pdxjazz said:
Sounds great, did you find any like that?
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Absolutely!

Vanderbilt is like that. The campus is absolutely stunning (my favorite library out of all the places I visited) and attached to the undergrad campus and the other grad schools, which is fun. Nashville is a cute city and the area around the campus is lovely and there are cafes, bars, and cute stores. Downtown is about a 5-10 minute car ride away and traffic isn't bad. All the hospitals are on the same campus (although there is one we could rotate through that's 10 minutes away). And the patient population is surprisingly varied and they do a ton of indigent care. The only cons that I can think of are the southern weather (not a fan of humid heat at all) and the lack of public transport. But again, I find that I can walk to most places.

Stanford is sort of like that except for a couple of things- you CAN technically walk everywhere but everything is pretty far because of how inordinately massive the campus is (just to get off campus to the town from the hospital is about 2.5 miles). The closest urban area is about 45 minutes to an hour away so the town can get stifling after a while. Also, there are a couple of places where you'll have to rotate that are farther away and you'll have to drive. And the patient population is really mostly white and affluent. However, the weather is absolutely perfect and if you like outdoorsy stuff there are tons of options.

Sinai was like this except (obviously) much more urban. The dorms are right by school and are actually really nice. The patient population is SUPER diverse. I think there are other hospitals where you could be sent to rotate through but of course the beauty of NYC is that everything is really easily reachable (though I believe there are a couple of hospitals that are in CT and NJ, but don't quote me on that). No need for a car. The Upper East Side is as fancy and lovely as you get. Central Park is across the street. My only issue with the location is really the issue that I have with every Manhattan school- it felt stifling to me. I like real campuses with separate libraries and buildings etc. Sinai has everything in one building. The facilities are lovely and the hospital is awesome, but I felt claustrophobic after one day of going up and down the same elevator and never going outside. Also, NYC is not everyone's cup of tea, and if you like the idea of walking home hearing the birds chirp and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the hospital, think again.

Let's see, what else was there...I liked NYMC's campus because it felt very cozy and campus-y (minus the prison and the cemetery on campus, those were creepy). It was very much like a small undergrad, which may or may not be a good thing. On the one hand, you'd get to live in a dorm 2 minutes away from classes and walk on the grass and study outside and all that good stuff. On the other hand, you're stuck in the same place all day every day for 2 years. This, like Sinai's location, made me feel a bit claustrophobic. Like Stanford, it has the issue that the closest real city is about 40 minutes away, and the area around the campus is very expensive and white and affluent and (as far as NYMC is concerned) mostly residential.

I'm sure other people have seen other med schools that fit these criteria.
 
willen101383 said:
Yeah...you most def. do. Its like night and day between the two.
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True. Story. The area around Temple's medical school isn't as bad as the area around the main campus, but it's still damn scary, IMO. The area around Jeff is really nice.
 
BrainBuff said:
anyone knows anything about any of the other Philly schools?
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Jeff- In Center City, the "downtown" part of Philadelphia with the nicest shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs. Nicest location BY FAR (LOL at whoever said PCOM....Center City >>>>>> City Ave)

Penn- Nice campus, but step outside and you're in West Philly. Enough said.

Drexel- In the East Falls neighboorhood. Working class with a few Townie bars in the area but otherwise little going on. Not really ghetto, BUT you will get your apartment/car broken into if you're not aware of your surroundings.

Temple- LOL.
 
Ponger said:
I merely made the comment i did in the hopes that you'd understand that location doesn't mean much in med school. You don't get nearly enough time to enjoy the nice areas of the places you live.

And as for your dickhead 'unlike you, i thrive' remark bull****, I completed my undergrad and grad work in Atlanta - a very nice young, urban city. So piss off!
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You get enough time to appreciate that there's a big difference between NYC and Nebraska. So I'd disagree about location not meaning much. I'd even venture to say that location matters a hell of a lot.
 
Pompacil said:
Jeff- In Center City, the "downtown" part of Philadelphia with the nicest shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs. Nicest location BY FAR (LOL at whoever said PCOM....Center City >>>>>> City Ave)

Penn- Nice campus, but step outside and you're in West Philly. Enough said.

Drexel- In the East Falls neighboorhood. Working class with a few Townie bars in the area but otherwise little going on. Not really ghetto, BUT you will get your apartment/car broken into if you're not aware of your surroundings.

Temple- LOL.
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Yeah, definitely Jeff > Penn > Drexel >>>>> Temple.

I'm not sure where to stick PCOM. I'm thinking between Penn and Drexel.
 
"Best" location is somewhat ambiguous, but:

if you're looking for weather, California

if you're looking for culture, East Coast or city

If you're looking for BOTH, then I guess you're stuck with UCSF or UCLA, but LA has hella pollution so I'm gonna say UCSF is the best location
 
ButImLETired said:
Absolutely!

Vanderbilt is like that. The campus is absolutely stunning (my favorite library out of all the places I visited) and attached to the undergrad campus and the other grad schools, which is fun. Nashville is a cute city and the area around the campus is lovely and there are cafes, bars, and cute stores. Downtown is about a 5-10 minute car ride away and traffic isn't bad. All the hospitals are on the same campus (although there is one we could rotate through that's 10 minutes away). And the patient population is surprisingly varied and they do a ton of indigent care. The only cons that I can think of are the southern weather (not a fan of humid heat at all) and the lack of public transport. But again, I find that I can walk to most places.

Stanford is sort of like that except for a couple of things- you CAN technically walk everywhere but everything is pretty far because of how inordinately massive the campus is (just to get off campus to the town from the hospital is about 2.5 miles). The closest urban area is about 45 minutes to an hour away so the town can get stifling after a while. Also, there are a couple of places where you'll have to rotate that are farther away and you'll have to drive. And the patient population is really mostly white and affluent. However, the weather is absolutely perfect and if you like outdoorsy stuff there are tons of options.

Sinai was like this except (obviously) much more urban. The dorms are right by school and are actually really nice. The patient population is SUPER diverse. I think there are other hospitals where you could be sent to rotate through but of course the beauty of NYC is that everything is really easily reachable (though I believe there are a couple of hospitals that are in CT and NJ, but don't quote me on that). No need for a car. The Upper East Side is as fancy and lovely as you get. Central Park is across the street. My only issue with the location is really the issue that I have with every Manhattan school- it felt stifling to me. I like real campuses with separate libraries and buildings etc. Sinai has everything in one building. The facilities are lovely and the hospital is awesome, but I felt claustrophobic after one day of going up and down the same elevator and never going outside. Also, NYC is not everyone's cup of tea, and if you like the idea of walking home hearing the birds chirp and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the hospital, think again.

Let's see, what else was there...I liked NYMC's campus because it felt very cozy and campus-y (minus the prison and the cemetery on campus, those were creepy). It was very much like a small undergrad, which may or may not be a good thing. On the one hand, you'd get to live in a dorm 2 minutes away from classes and walk on the grass and study outside and all that good stuff. On the other hand, you're stuck in the same place all day every day for 2 years. This, like Sinai's location, made me feel a bit claustrophobic. Like Stanford, it has the issue that the closest real city is about 40 minutes away, and the area around the campus is very expensive and white and affluent and (as far as NYMC is concerned) mostly residential.

I'm sure other people have seen other med schools that fit these criteria.
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Thank you so much! I do have Stanford on my list but will definitely add Vanderbilt after that great review. I prefer a less "urban" environment so not sure about adding Mt. Sinai, although I have heard other great things about that school. Not sure when you referenced NYMC as to "On the other hand, you're stuck in the same place all day every day for 2 years. This, like Sinai's location, made me feel a bit claustrophobic." Would that not be true of all medical school's first 2 years or did you mean something else? Thanks again for those recommendations.
 
MCsoundt said:
"Best" location is somewhat ambiguous, but:

if you're looking for weather, California

if you're looking for culture, East Coast or city

If you're looking for BOTH, then I guess you're stuck with UCSF or UCLA, but LA has hella pollution so I'm gonna say UCSF is the best location
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Well weather is a subjective preference. Personally I prefer seasons, which I'm pretty sure were banned in California a couple decades ago (unless you consider smog, earthquakes, and gang warfare to be seasons.)
 
pdxjazz said:
Thank you so much! I do have Stanford on my list but will definitely add Vanderbilt after that great review. I prefer a less "urban" environment so not sure about adding Mt. Sinai, although I have heard other great things about that school. Not sure when you referenced NYMC as to "On the other hand, you're stuck in the same place all day every day for 2 years. This, like Sinai's location, made me feel a bit claustrophobic." Would that not be true of all medical school's first 2 years or did you mean something else? Thanks again for those recommendations.
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Well, first as a caveat: I go to Vanderbilt, so I'm naturally biased, but I do have to say that I love the location so I think you should apply!

As for the NYMC comment- what I meant is that having the dorm on the same campus as where the classes are held, and not being within walking distance of a real commercial, fun area made me feel a bit claustrophobic. You'll definitely have to be on the same campus for the first 2 years everywhere you go, but you might live outside of campus and study at cafes down the street or at another grad school etc. I like that kind of thing. I don't love being in the same place all day every day. But truly, it's a matter of personal taste here. For example, while I like being in a more suburban area for med school, I wouldn't mind being in the middle of things for residency so I'm considering a lot more urban places (Northwestern, the Boston hospitals, NYC, UCSF, stuff like that) for that. Some people prefer the opposite or want to stay in one or the other throughout their training. No one thing is inherently better than the others.
 
Pompacil said:
Well weather is a subjective preference. Personally I prefer seasons, which I'm pretty sure were banned in California a couple decades ago (unless you consider smog, earthquakes, and gang warfare to be seasons.)
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Hey now, we need four seasons, and wildfires shouldn't be left out. ;)

I'm with you, by the way, I like seasons, though I do wish the summers in Philly never went above 85 degrees.
 
Geekchick921 said:
Yeah, definitely Jeff > Penn > Drexel >>>>> Temple.

I'm not sure where to stick PCOM. I'm thinking between Penn and Drexel.
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I concur.

Jeff > Penn > Drexel/PCOM > Temple

Penn isn't terrible though...and having worked here and lived in Center City I sort of enjoy that my "med" life and my social life are separated by a river. So, when I come home from work, I do feel like I'm escaping it.

Also, UCity isn't a terrible place. There's a fair amount of restaurants, bars, etc. for lunch and dinner. And who can deny that they haven't gotten a big azz margarita at Mad Mex....or a 1/2 off burrito at 1 AM?

That being said...if location were the only factor Jeff wins by far. You're literally a hop and skip away from the gayborhood, a few blocks to rittenhouse to the west. Old City to the East. It's literally the most conveniently located area to take advantages of all the better neighborhoods in the city.

I will warn you though...Philly is no NYC. It does feel small at points because only a small amount of people live within Center City Borders. I think 88,000. It doesn't have the NYC hustle and bustle...which I sort of like.

Sigh, Philly :love: I will miss thee.
 
I think OHSU has the best location. Portland is a beautiful, safe city. You can see Mt. Hood from the med school,, Urban amenities, but clean, with public transportation and wilderness not far away
 
Well if your into snow i'd suggest case western. Us ohioans have been getting pooped on by mass snow from lake erie for years.
 
ButImLETired said:
Well, first as a caveat: I go to Vanderbilt, so I'm naturally biased, but I do have to say that I love the location so I think you should apply!

As for the NYMC comment- what I meant is that having the dorm on the same campus as where the classes are held, and not being within walking distance of a real commercial, fun area made me feel a bit claustrophobic. You'll definitely have to be on the same campus for the first 2 years everywhere you go, but you might live outside of campus and study at cafes down the street or at another grad school etc. I like that kind of thing. I don't love being in the same place all day every day. But truly, it's a matter of personal taste here. For example, while I like being in a more suburban area for med school, I wouldn't mind being in the middle of things for residency so I'm considering a lot more urban places (Northwestern, the Boston hospitals, NYC, UCSF, stuff like that) for that. Some people prefer the opposite or want to stay in one or the other throughout their training. No one thing is inherently better than the others.
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Ah, thanks for the clarification. I'm ok with living on campus as I live at home and commute to a local university, so for me going away to medical school will be like most people going away to undergraduate school. I understand about residency in urban areas however and would probably do the same.

I had a pretty good idea you decided on Vanderbilt...:cool:
 
quiltlady said:
I think OHSU has the best location. Portland is a beautiful, safe city. You can see Mt. Hood from the med school,, Urban amenities, but clean, with public transportation and wilderness not far away
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If you're cool with it being wet and cold and depressing 300+ days of the year.
 
jvesco22 said:
USC, hands down one of the nicest neighborhoods on the West Coast!!

The only place where you can get mugged, shot, carjacked, and hit by a car on the same night!!
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Hopkins on the East Coast will give you a run for your money. :laugh:
 
Temple is in a really scary looking neighborhood. Hopkins is in a not-so-great part of Baltimore, while Howard is in a somewhat seedy (but-could-be-worse) part of DC.

Good locations:
-GW and Georgetown (nice parts of DC)
-Virginia Tech Carilion - Roanoke, VA is gorgeous with the Blue Ridge Mountains and has a lot of character, attractions and conveniences for a small city its size. Little traffic, congestion or pollution and very affordable living options seem to make it the ideal town for broke students like us! Of course I'm a little biased because I'll be going there, but location is one of the reasons I chose it :)
 
MCsoundt said:
"Best" location is somewhat ambiguous, but:

if you're looking for weather, California

if you're looking for culture, East Coast or city

If you're looking for BOTH, then I guess you're stuck with UCSF or UCLA, but LA has hella pollution so I'm gonna say UCSF is the best location
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I deeply wish SDN had an eye-rolling emoticon.
 
Slack3r said:
If you're cool with it being wet and cold and depressing 300+ days of the year.
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With the exception of this year, oregon's summers are gorgeous! But you're right, it does rain alot but I personally don't mind the rain. We have seasons which is nice.

I think OHSU has a great campus, minus the fact that parking is very very limited and expensive. It has fantastic views of the river and of Portland from atop the hill. Sunsets would probably be beautiful from that little area near the tram. Don't let the rain fool you!
 
MaryLennox said:
regarding northwestern- the school itself is in a nice area but it's smack in downtown. do people actually live there? i can only imagine that if there is anywhere to live right around there, it's ungodly expensive. and doing simple things like grocery shopping would be a nightmare.

there's a nice suburban-y area right between the uic/rush area and loyola. personally i love it . . . i lived here while doing grad school @ loyola, and plan to stay here while i attend rush (the commute on the train is very short, like 15 min.) my apartment is relatively cheap, i have a car and a place to park it. i can walk to bars or drive to stores. i live two blocks from the train and can be in downtown chicago in less than a half hour.

i guess my point is, the location of the school itself is not necessarily where all the students live, so don't forget to take that into consideration. everyone talks trash about loyola and it's true that maywood is not great, but its 10 min away from nice suburbs, which is where most (i think) of the students live. whereas northwestern is in a great location, but actually living right in that area seems like it would be expensive and inconvenient.
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So as a M2 at Northwestern I'll say that the vast majority of the students live within a few BLOCKS of the school in downtown. Yes, it is a little expensive (most pay around 900-1200/mo), however, it is an unbeatable location. Groceries can be a pain, however, there are two grocery stores and a Trader Joe's close by (2-5-7? blocks). In the winter I guess this is a pain but it's really not that bad since everything's so close.

As a general comment to the post, I think the best location depends on what you're looking for. I'm from California and so I'm familiar with UCSD, UCI, UCLA, and Stanford's campuses so I can comment on those.

If you're looking for a fun place with a lot of things to do in an urban environment, then Northwestern in Chicago is the best hands down. If you care more about other things (vast beautiful campus, surfing, etc.) then others may be better.

Some quick notes:

UCSD: La Jolla is a nice, upscale city, right near the beach. Kind of a pain to get to downtown SD though so most stay local in upscale suburbia.

UCLA: Westwood is nice, but small (effectively 5 square blocks). You need to drive to get anywhere else (which is a significant pain anytime between the hours of 2-6pm...or 10-2am** for that matter =P).

UCI: Kind of like La Jolla. Lots of nice malls and close enough to the beach. Again you will be doing lots of driving (and the commute to the Med Center is no joke). Disneyland is nearish which is a plus (however, the weekly tests here makes fun a bit harder to have)

Stanford: Beautiful campus for those of you who are into that sort of thing. Surrounding area, however, is a suburbia with not much going on. SF is kinda far.

Northwestern: 2 blocks from lake Michigan (complete with sand/volleyball and like 25mile running/biking path. 2 blocks from Magnificent Mile which has all of the shopping and dining you could ever ask for. Walking/biking distance to the loop, beautiful parks (with free concerts), numerous museums, and a serious-sized city with various niches to explore. Public transportation is EASY and useful to getting to places like Chinatown, Argyle, Wrigley Field, and US Cellular Field. No dealing with traffic, tons of entertainment options, and super easy to get out on weekend nights.

If you ask me, Northwestern's pretty tough to beat. Only downsides are 1) cost, 2)winter, and 3) the undergrad campus is far away (though law, management, and PT are next door).
 
MaryLennox said:
regarding northwestern- the school itself is in a nice area but it's smack in downtown. do people actually live there? i can only imagine that if there is anywhere to live right around there, it's ungodly expensive. and doing simple things like grocery shopping would be a nightmare.
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I really appreciate everyone's input, and it is clear that we all have different preferences. If there is one school that I am familiar with is Northwestern. One of my parents graduated from there and I have grown up loving the place!

-If you like city living, downtown Chicago beats Manhattan in cleanliness and space and there is just as much going on- off broadway plays, museums, bars, clubs, restaurants and plenty of shopping, lake Michigan, the Pier, etc.
- Most students live around the school and yes there is plenty of housing there !! And yes, it is expensive but no more than NYC or Miami. You do not need a car and everything is within walking distance.
- Academically, Northwestern is just as top notch as Chicago (maybe less nerdy!)

Northwestern is really one of my top choices, to be perfectly honest...
 
Ponger said:
I merely made the comment i did in the hopes that you'd understand that location doesn't mean much in med school. You don't get nearly enough time to enjoy the nice areas of the places you live.

And as for your dickhead 'unlike you, i thrive' remark bull****, I completed my undergrad and grad work in Atlanta - a very nice young, urban city. So piss off!
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You have plenty of time off in med school to enjoy your surroundings.
 
wontonman86 said:
UCLA: Westwood is nice, but small (effectively 5 square blocks). You need to drive to get anywhere else (which is a significant pain anytime between the hours of 2-6pm...or 10-2am** for that matter =P).
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This isn't necessarily true...I know the prevailing wisdom is that you have to drive to get anywhere in LA, but if you live in the WLA/Westwood area you can easily get by without a car. I work in Westwood and live 3 miles away and use my car about once every two weeks. The area between Santa Monica and UCLA is pretty bike-able, and buses (25 cents for students!) will get you to the fun places in Santa Monica and Venice.

Now if you want to get downtown, that's a different story :p I hear there are buses that will take you there, but I never use them.
 
BrainBuff said:
I really appreciate everyone's input, and it is clear that we all have different preferences. If there is one school that I am familiar with is Northwestern. One of my parents graduated from there and I have grown up loving the place!

-If you like city living, downtown Chicago beats Manhattan in cleanliness and space and there is just as much going on- off broadway plays, museums, bars, clubs, restaurants and plenty of shopping, lake Michigan, the Pier, etc.
- Most students live around the school and yes there is plenty of housing there !! And yes, it is expensive but no more than NYC or Miami. You do not need a car and everything is within walking distance.
- Academically, Northwestern is just as top notch as Chicago (maybe less nerdy!)

Northwestern is really one of my top choices, to be perfectly honest...
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haha yeah . . . whether you like NW definitely depends on your personality. i should have been more clear in my original post about the fact that i hate expensive apartments, not being able to park/ drive, and having to walk to get around to places in the dead of winter. i also get irritated by huge crowds of tourists downtown and i would not want to have to be around that all the time. there are plenty of people who love living in that environment. i guess its just that when i think about how stressful med school will be, i feel like i need to live somewhere relatively stress-free so its one less thing to worry about.

this is also coming from someone who didn't even apply to NW because she knew she wouldn't get in :) so take it with a grain of salt. also i am incredibly broke so the thought of an expensive apartment makes me very nervous . . . if i had less undergrad debt, more financially helpful parents, etc. living somewhere like that would definitely be more appealing.
 
how have none of yall said MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina)

It is located on the peninsula of beautiful Charleston, SC. It is about 100 yards from the banks of Ashley River. From the top floors you can see a harbor, the ocean, and two rivers.

And anyone who has been to Charleston knows how great that city is
 
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