MD Roommate or no?

[deltaJ]

Hey everyone!

I was fortunate to have been accepted this cycle, but currently work in a state outside the school at which I’ll be matriculating in the fall.

Currently, I live by myself and I’ve loved it. The dishes are always done, I don’t have to worry about loud roommates (or being loud myself when I have people over now and then), and it’s just nice to have alone time every now and then.

However, I’m not antisocial at all, and have had roommates all throughout undergrad (currently in gap year). Get along with everyone well, and I also understand it might be a good idea to room with another student that shares your schedule, priorities, etc.

So I’m not really sure which way to go. Do you recommend going either way in particular? Thanks!

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[The Knife & Gun Club]

I did no roommate - it’s pricey but I loved it. Allows you to focus and have one less thing to worry about.

That said most people have roommates and do just fine - it’s at best a marginal effect.

 

[sella.turcica]

Hey everyone!

I was fortunate to have been accepted this cycle, but currently work in a state outside the school at which I’ll be matriculating in the fall.

Currently, I live by myself and I’ve loved it. The dishes are always done, I don’t have to worry about loud roommates (or being loud myself when I have people over now and then), and it’s just nice to have alone time every now and then.

However, I’m not antisocial at all, and have had roommates all throughout undergrad (currently in gap year). Get along with everyone well, and I also understand it might be a good idea to room with another student that shares your schedule, priorities, etc.

So I’m not really sure which way to go. Do you recommend going either way in particular? Thanks!

Would you like him to stay in his room all day long or socialize with you against his will?

 

[Tenk]

Do no roommate first year. If you find someone who you think would be a good roommate for second year, room with them. There is a lot of moving out over the first summer. This is what I did and had no issues.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Sounds like you're leaning no roommate, which is what I would recommend for first year.

 

[MerYangBey]

No roommate it’s worth the extra money. There is absolutely no scenario in which I would want a roommate.
Also living with another classmate might be stressful. It’s nice to not have med school follow you home more than necessary. Some people give the vibe that they’re studying all day long and doing this and doing that (and it would suck to live with one of them when you wanna come home grab a beer and unwind).

 

[deltaJ]

Do no roommate first year. If you find someone who you think would be a good roommate for second year, room with them. There is a lot of moving out over the first summer. This is what I did and had no issues.

This sounds like a very good middle ground to take! I like the idea. Then as things get settled (also this school pairs you in small groups that stick together throughout year one through four, so that one year would allow some of those relationships to mature), I can find someone I’d want to move in with, if that feels necessary.

 

[Eyeronic]

I had housemates in medical school to save a few bucks.

Jealousy, gossip, roommates who are comfortable with failing entire courses, shared stress of filling the vacant bedroom annually when 1 of the housemates wants to move out, etc.

I would never do it again.
Don't do it.

Live alone.

 

[deleted645092]

There are lots of pros and cons to having a roommate. I was in the same predicament as you being far from school and I was going to have a hard time finding my own place because I was on the road around the country for work, so I didnt have much time to sit down and look for places. I found a classmate on our page who did all the work and found our place, and we ended up rooming together the first 2 years.

Pros:
- We saved a lot of money on rent and utilities. (Paid ~$600/ month for everything, would have been $1,200 alone or would have had to sacrifice good internet, cable,etc. to cut down).
- We could split cleaning duties.
- Living alone can get lonely, so it was good to always have someone around to hangout with. This can really be the deciding factor for some people. I kept roommates at my core site this year while others decided to live alone, and some definitely miss having roommates because after living with others for so long they feel a little lonely/ isolated at times.
- Could help each other with classwork/ share study strategies.
- We had opposite study habits; they studied at home almost exclusively and I studied at school. So we rarely got in each other’s way.


Cons:
- They were super involved in school and student government so it did feel like I needed to be doing more at times.
- If the roommate doesn’t pull their own weight it can be super irritating and awkward.
- You might not mesh personality-wise.
- If you both study at home and one likes to listen to music/ be active and the other needs complete quiet, it can cause problems.

I think that if you’re going to get a roommate first year you should find your class page and say you’re considering it, and have a long conversation about expectations and how you like things. If you can find someone you think you’ll mesh well with then go for it. If you don’t find anyone then fly solo and see if you find anyone you might want to room with second year.

 

[DiscusKeeper]

This sounds like a very good middle ground to take! I like the idea. Then as things get settled (also this school pairs you in small groups that stick together throughout year one through four, so that one year would allow some of those relationships to mature), I can find someone I’d want to move in with, if that feels necessary.

I'd just add that I did the reverse and found it more important to have my own place during M2 when studying for step 1. Something to consider. If you aren't the type of person who studies almost entirely at home, it's less of an issue.

 

[AllBleedingStops]

Personally I feel no roommate is worth any cost in this situation. No pressure to live to anyone else's standards. If you need to be up late, fine. If you have to get up early, no disturbing anyone else. If you make a mess, it is yours to clean up and not a potential argument. Even if you don't study at home, having a sanctuary completely to yourself can be very nice.

 

[Treebeard]

I lived with someone random from my class M1. It was terrible. Would not recommend. Maybe 2nd year if there are some people you've gotten to know.

 

[sunshinefl]

I live with my husband and sometimes felt like I missed out on bonding with classmate roommates (we have a bunch that are super tight knit with their roomies). But yeah probably wouldn’t be worth it to have roommates if I was single. I lived alone in undergrad. Also, I study at home, sound annoys me, and I am an extreme night person.

 

[Eyeronic]

Personally I feel no roommate is worth any cost in this situation. No pressure to live to anyone else's standards.

THIS.
I had a personal health issue my first year of medical school, and instead of housemates being helpful, all it did was provide more gossip fodder. Being woken up by inconsiderate and loud housemates during M1 the night before exams was also ridiculous.

Again: Live alone.