Only acceptance in dangerous place?

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Well I go to school in newark and we seem to do just fine. We wait for a lull in the shelling and AK-47 fire and run from the bunker to the school, keeping our heads low. If mortars start exploding nearby we take cover behind one of the many charred or still burning war machines. I got chased by a gangsters in a pickup truck with a bed mounted 50 caliber machine gun but they only put a few holes in my white coat and narrowly missed any part of me... thats really the closest anyone has come to any real harm.
 
I WL-ed at a similar place. A lot of people loved the location, but I felt :scared: even during my interview/tour.

If it was the only place I got in, I would've grabbed it up in a second, lived far from the school, and spent a lot of time in prayer. But I would've gone. You can get used to almost anything.

(Plus, the trauma experience is probably amazing!)
 
Some of you guys are funny!
 
All cities pose risk. Fact of life. Grew up in one.

I live in a nice area in Boston, but walk to school through a slightly sketchier area.

I have a mini pepper spray in my purse and a mofo pepper spray next to my bed.

Just be street smart and you will be fine. don't give up a chance that may not come along again out of fear!!
 
We found a dead guy in my backyard a little over a year ago. This was, of course, after hearing several rounds of gunfire. I'm not in med school but it seemed like an appropriate place to add this.
 
rabidpanda13 said:
We found a dead guy in my backyard a little over a year ago. This was, of course, after hearing several rounds of gunfire. I'm not in med school but it seemed like an appropriate place to add this.
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I found bloody hand prints in my hallway after my neighbor slashed a man's throat. I never felt thatI was in any danger -- I had the good sense not to go home with her after the bars closed.

In urban areas, much of the crime is among intimates (people who know one another) or related to illegal business activity (drug related gang crime).

In shady neighborhoods, your biggest risks are theft or robbery. You should know the drill as to how to stay safe. The school's police service will be happy to give you some tips. Case in point, in 20+ years in the big city, I've been a victim of crime several times: pickpockets.
 
In one of the nicest neighborhoods of DC, Georgetown, my friend's apartment was broken into and her roommate was sexually assaulted and beaten.

It happens.

Oh, and there was a terrorist threat just made: coming "soon" against DC.

If you're scared, move to Iowa.
 
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baltimore is the only city i wouldn't live in matter what school with what fin aid i received.
 
Just suck it up and go. I grew up in a REALLY small Midwestern suburb, have lived my adult years in relatively safe mid-size cities, and for med school, I'm deciding between inner-city Chicago and Detroit, and either way, am super-excited - In the end, your best learning experience is in the big city - if you really want to practice rural medicine, you should have only applied to schools that had that option. The more 'dangerous' the city, the more safety options are available - I once worked in Anacostia, the shadiest part of DC - it was a long commute, but I made it work; and if things were so bad, why would anyone apply to Hopkins, USC, Penn, and so many other 'very competitive' schools in pretty shady cities?
 
not sure but maybe the fact that you are from a small town? i remember when i went to a small town *i'm from the cities* i was culture shocked. plus, why would one apply to a school they didnt feel comfortable with?
 
VoiceofReason said:
Well I go to school in newark and we seem to do just fine. We wait for a lull in the shelling and AK-47 fire and run from the bunker to the school, keeping our heads low. If mortars start exploding nearby we take cover behind one of the many charred or still burning war machines. I got chased by a gangsters in a pickup truck with a bed mounted 50 caliber machine gun but they only put a few holes in my white coat and narrowly missed any part of me... thats really the closest anyone has come to any real harm.
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I actually LOL'd at this post. :laugh:

I've lived in Baltimore and Philadelphia, and it really is about being smart, streets-wise. It is also about carefully researching the neighborhoods that you might live in, as well.
 
Thank you to most of you for your advice. To the ones who repeatedly asked why I would apply to a school I wasn't comfortable with, please re-read my very first post. If you read it and pay attention to what you're reading, you'll find that I wasn't uncomfortable with it until I SAW it at interview. It's not like I sat here and thought "gee, I really hate big cities, but let me apply here anyway". I interviewed at another big city school and I felt fine there because the school was in a nicer part of town. It's this particular school's location within the city that rattled me, not the fact that it's a big city. I was still debating withdrawing my application when I got the acceptance a very short time later. They told us it would take longer than it took so I thought I still had time to make up my mind before withdrawing, but I was wrong.
 
jmillski said:
baltimore is the only city i wouldn't live in matter what school with what fin aid i received.
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The Wire strikes again.


Ive lived in philly and bmore most of my life, never a victim of a crime once. You dont have to live close to where you go to school...

And whatever you do, dont live near temple. But I have differing opinions of west philly than many folks around here. I always felt safe.
 
Stixman28 said:
The Wire strikes again.


Ive lived in philly and bmore most of my life, never a victim of a crime once. You dont have to live close to where you go to school...

And whatever you do, dont live near temple. But I have differing opinions of west philly than many folks around here. I always felt safe.
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I have personally reviewed the quoted post, and I agree with all of the above findings. Especially about West Philly.
 
There are nice parts of every city. Just commute. You are pretty safe in your car, although a crackhead once tried to get in my car in central Newark. Hit those doorlocks just in time.
 
I've lived in two of the more dangerous cities mentioned in this thread for a considerable amount of time, and in some pretty dangerous areas. Visited many others. Walked through shady hours of ghetto streets alone. The only place that I've ever been assaulted was in a very small town in Ontario by some kids who hated americans, no lie.

Might I also suggest that you try to throw together the cash for another visit and spend some more time really getting to know the area/students? Maybe facebook stalk some currents and ask them about their experience?
 
maikuMD said:
Wtf...
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USC is across the highway from Compton, one of the more dangerous parts of Los Angeles. There is alot of gang activity in/around Downtown LA which is where USC is located.

Stixman said:
The Wire strikes again.
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Anecdotes aside, Baltimore has the second highest murder/capita of any US city behind Detroit and only slightly ahead of St. Louis. Just because you've never seen it, doesn't mean B-more isn't a dangerous city.
 
No matter where you live, there poses a risk.

I live just outside of Washington DC and got mugged by a gang... wasn't too bad. All I got stolen was about $10 in a backpack I was carrying... oh yeah, and my front teeth got knocked out.
 
sunset823 said:
Just suck it up and go. I grew up in a REALLY small Midwestern suburb, have lived my adult years in relatively safe mid-size cities, and for med school, I'm deciding between inner-city Chicago and Detroit, and either way, am super-excited - In the end, your best learning experience is in the big city - if you really want to practice rural medicine, you should have only applied to schools that had that option. The more 'dangerous' the city, the more safety options are available - I once worked in Anacostia, the shadiest part of DC - it was a long commute, but I made it work; and if things were so bad, why would anyone apply to Hopkins, USC, Penn, and so many other 'very competitive' schools in pretty shady cities?
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Yeah, Anacostia is no joke. I wanted to see the new Nationals' stadium so I drove down to Anacostia. I have never been more terrified in my life. Brentwood is also not very desirable, I once found my self in Brentwood at 2 in the morning, I was very scared this time as well.

Also: You can always go with a member of the football team.
 
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Slack3r said:
USC is across the highway from Compton, one of the more dangerous parts of Los Angeles. There is alot of gang activity in/around Downtown LA which is where USC is located.
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USC med school isn't in south central where the undergrad campus is... it's in east LA.
 
TooMuchResearch said:
Why did you apply to this school if you didn't want to attend?
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I hate that argument. As a pre-med about to submit AMCAS, we are supposed to know everything about each school we apply to, including the surrounding area, EXACT curriculum, facilities?

Please.
 
amph119 said:
I hate that argument. As a pre-med about to submit AMCAS, we are supposed to know everything about each school we apply to, including the surrounding area, EXACT curriculum, facilities?

Please.
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well you at least know where it's located.

I think Milwaukee (but not the area around MCW) is up there in dangerousness. My buddy's roommate recently got shot while opening his front door. Two guys were hiding in the bushes waiting for someone to get home, shot him in the back 3 times, took his wallet, and left 🙁
 
i think we're also forgetting the fact that you're not really protected on the campus of an academic institution. anyone can flip their $h!t anywhere at any moment. people have proven this at post offices, high schools, colleges...

yeah, i'm stoking the fire alright.
 
riceman04 said:
LOL...North Philly is no joke!!!!
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Are you a drug dealer? No? You'll be fine.

Thousands of people live there - that doesn't make them 'shady' either. 🙄 They do fine.

Don't go alone at 2AM into random neighborhoods. And even if you do, most times, it's perfectly fine. It's not a warzone.
 
i dont get why illadelph gets such a bad rep. do we act hard?
 
drizzt3117 said:
well you at least know where it's located.

I think Milwaukee (but not the area around MCW) is up there in dangerousness. My buddy's roommate recently got shot while opening his front door. Two guys were hiding in the bushes waiting for someone to get home, shot him in the back 3 times, took his wallet, and left 🙁
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😱 🙁
 
WeAreNotRobots said:
it's because of the intro to Fresh Prince.
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yea man. Will is my dude and all, but i think he really held us back with that. I have actually met people who said they would never come to philadelphia because of that song. Didn't he and Carlton get mugged by an ATM in Bel Air though? Will ended up getting shot and Carlton acquired a glock. It was one of those really serious episodes. Other really emotional ones - the time when Carlton took speed by accident on prom night, Will's dad comes back, and the drunk driving one.
 
witness23 said:
yea man. Will is my dude and all, but i think he really held us back with that. I have actually met people who said they would never come to philadelphia because of that song. Didn't he and Carlton get mugged by an ATM in Bel Air though? Will ended up getting shot and Carlton acquired a glock. It was one of those really serious episodes. Other really emotional ones - the time when Carlton took speed by accident on prom night, Will's dad comes back, and the drunk driving one.
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HAHAHHA bel-air is tough mayne...dun front
 
Slack3r said:
USC is across the highway from Compton, one of the more dangerous parts of Los Angeles. There is alot of gang activity in/around Downtown LA which is where USC is located.
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Neither the undergrad campus nor the medical campus is near Compton.

Anecdotes aside, Baltimore has the second highest murder/capita of any US city behind Detroit and only slightly ahead of St. Louis. Just because you've never seen it, doesn't mean B-more isn't a dangerous city.
Click to expand...

But what percentage of those murders are just random people on the street? Assuming you're not selling drugs as a med student, you're probably much less likely to run into trouble than someone involved in crime to begin with.
 
BJPENNSTATE said:
HAHAHHA bel-air is tough mayne...dun front
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word to jazz, b-a is hardbody, i wouldn't step. to top it off they are CA residents, carlton couldn't even get into Princeton.

not to jack the thread but we should do a list of med schools in the best locations so future munchkins have something to f:idea:llow when they apply.
 
bigbad said:
It's practically touching the ghetto..

What exactly is your definition of "near"?
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I'm not saying the area around USC isn't bad, I'm just saying it's not near the city of Compton. Both USC campuses are near downtown, while Compton is in South LA.
 
My bad, it's not the city of Compton, it's just the hood. Martin Luther King Blvd. is 2 blocks south of USC...it's the ghetto no doubt about it.
 
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