Roommate situation in medical school

[kgamon8]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Apologies if this isn’t the right place for this post, but I’m picking between two different rooms in a large house that many students from my school share. I’ve always lived with roommates and enjoyed the friendship and cheaper rent



The first room is a large living room type area with two tiny bedrooms attached. Additionally there’s a bathroom, that I only have to share with one person. I like the space but I’m not sure how I feel about sharing a common area. Considering that the bedroom is small I’ll probably be in the shared area way more.

The other room is a single. It’s smaller since there’s no common space but I don’t have to share. However I will be sharing the bathroom in a college dorm type situation where you bring your stuff back and forth. What would you pick/ is the close proximity to another student in my class going to be stressful?

 

[thegreatandmythical227]

Totally take the single. If you're first semester schedule is like my school, you'll be seeing your peer nonstop. In med school, you'll want some sense of privacy and your own space to wind back down. The stakes are much higher then in undergrad. Also, might be helpful to assess the school's study areas. Are they plentiful? Are they lacking?

 

[kgamon8]

Totally take the single. If you're first semester schedule is like my school, you'll be seeing your peer nonstop. In med school, you'll want some sense of privacy and your own space to wind back down. The stakes are much higher then in undergrad. Also, might be helpful to assess the school's study areas. Are they plentiful? Are they lacking?

Thanks so much! To my dismay, there isn’t a huge library at the med school like there is at my undergrad. The students mostly study in study rooms. So I’m guessing I’ll be studying in my room and the study space at the house

 

[thegreatandmythical227]

Thanks so much! To my dismay, there isn’t a huge library at the med school like there is at my undergrad. The students mostly study in study rooms. So I’m guessing I’ll be studying in my room and the study space at the house

Yeah in that case take the single. You might want to invest in a dual screen monitor too so that you don't strain your eyes

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I don’t know about you, but I’ve shared a shower enough times in my life that I would want to minimize that as much as possible.

 

[teenyfish]

I'm debating this also. My school is in an insanely high COL area and my SO won't be able to join me for the first year. I'm trying to decide if an extra $300 - 400 a month is worth not having to share fridge/storage/shower space and not having to worry about everyone's cleaning habits. I'm leaning on the side of yes, it is.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Yeah what is this - Communal bathrooms for the entire hallway? In medical school? I didn't even do that in college. You're in medical school now... I would personally feel anything besides at least a studio (with own bathroom) would be unacceptable. If you're in for the roommate thing then share the common space... it's a bathroom with 1 person vs the entire floor.

 

[mehc012]

For me, the roommate factor was absolutely worth it. As in, having a roommate has been one of the best parts of medical school. I spend less money, someone's around who understands the weirdness in my life, and if I have to hole up for a while, I still get to interact with other humans every day. I've never had a roommate before medical school, and I'm so glad I tried it. Plus, we can carpool pretty frequently (parking is expensive here), when one person is on a crazy rotation, the other keeps the house going, etc. There's always SOMEONE buying milk, no matter how long my hours are. If I have car trouble, or other issues, I have a built in person who can conveniently lend me a vehicle or give me a ride or let me borrow a suitcase, or whatever the issue is. If I'm out of food, I have 2 other people who will gladly let me have something. It's pretty ideal.

Also, honestly, the options you have sound like you'll have roommates either way. So why not go for just ONE roommate, and the ability to leave your stuff in the bathroom, trust that it's clean, and make the common space your own. My roommate has a small room, so we let him move his desk out there. If you're sharing with a classmate, they'll be on your exam schedule, so it's not like they'll be throwing parties during cram period.

 

[raiderette]

I would take the single with the shared bathroom. It will be easier to study, and still have access to common areas. It is going to be tough enough living as an adult in a shared space, but bringing home dates would be so awkward.

 

[ciestar]

Id be picking the roommate. Dorm style living sucked enough in undergrad.

 

[Naruhodo]

I'd personally go for the cheapest option and then get something nicer when your partner joins you. We're in a shared apartment with a gorgeous living room with big bay windows, but I almost never study out there anyway because of our roommates. Slightly different situation though because we have a nice room with a private bathroom... Also, whatever is the shortest commute. We had a pretty sweet deal on rent when we first moved to the area where my med school is, but returning to campus multiple times a day for spread out lectures/ labs was killing me. Now we're walking distance, which is amazing.

 

[kgamon8]

These are all good points. So I would be sharing the one bathroom/shared living room with a guy, and I'm a girl. Totally don't mind living with guys, but sharing a room with him idk. Honestly, don't want to do that with a girl either. I'm messy especially when stressed.

I also don't want to share a bathroom where I can't keep my stuff in it. My favorite situation was a 2bed/2 bath apartment. But I have no friends in my class so the house is a good place to meet people and the rent is so so cheap.

 

[kgamon8]

I would take the single with the shared bathroom. It will be easier to study, and still have access to common areas. It is going to be tough enough living as an adult in a shared space, but bringing home dates would be so awkward.

That's a good point. The house has a large living room and a study room/ dining room that people use. If people on my floor are loud I can go down there. And if my roommate had a date I would feel uncomfortable being in their way.

 

[kgamon8]

Yeah what is this - Communal bathrooms for the entire hallway? In medical school? I didn't even do that in college. You're in medical school now... I would personally feel anything besides at least a studio (with own bathroom) would be unacceptable. If you're in for the roommate thing then share the common space... it's a bathroom with 1 person vs the entire floor.

I agree. But since I have no friends going into med school, I would like to live with people, especially older students.

 

[mehc012]

These are all good points. So I would be sharing the one bathroom/shared living room with a guy, and I'm a girl. Totally don't mind living with guys, but sharing a room with him idk. Honestly, don't want to do that with a girl either. I'm messy especially when stressed.

I also don't want to share a bathroom where I can't keep my stuff in it. My favorite situation was a 2bed/2 bath apartment. But I have no friends in my class so the house is a good place to meet people and the rent is so so cheap.

Honestly, sharing a bathroom with a guy is great. They have half as much crap. The only thing that occasionally comes up is if they haven't learned how to shave without leaving it all over the sink. But hey, I occasionally miss some of the hair I leave in the shower drain, so it's all a wash in the end! (Pun retroactively intended).

 

[kgamon8]

Honestly, sharing a bathroom with a guy is great. They have half as much crap. The only thing that occasionally comes up is if they haven't learned how to shave without leaving it all over the sink. But hey, I occasionally miss some of the hair I leave in the shower drain, so it's all a wash in the end! (Pun retroactively intended).

but would he want to share with me lolll

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

I don’t know about you, but I’ve shared a shower enough times in my life that I would want to minimize that as much as possible.

Wink wink ...😉

 

[ciestar]

Honestly, sharing a bathroom with a guy is great. They have half as much crap. The only thing that occasionally comes up is if they haven't learned how to shave without leaving it all over the sink. But hey, I occasionally miss some of the hair I leave in the shower drain, so it's all a wash in the end! (Pun retroactively intended).

Ive had a male “roommate” for 9 years and he still hasnt learned how to do that....

 

[mehc012]

Ive had a male “roommate” for 9 years and he still hasnt learned how to do that....

Mine figured it out after the 2nd mention or so, guess I'm lucky (or inordinately bitchy enough to scare him?) Now it's just an occasional slipup, but we all have those of one kind or another.

 

[differentiating]

Personally, I think the first option makes the most sense - it sounds like you'd get your own room as your personal space, and then share a common area as well as a bathroom with only one other person. The second option sounds worse from what you've expressed, since the room situation is the same but you're sharing a bathroom with multiple others.

I've lived with a male apartment-mate for a significant portion of medical school as a female, and it's been fine. We each have our own rooms and share the common areas/bathroom without much hassle. I'm a naturally messy person, too, but I can keep my mess confined to my room.

 

[ciestar]

Mine figured it out after the 2nd mention or so, guess I'm lucky (or inordinately bitchy enough to scare him?) Now it's just an occasional slipup, but we all have those of one kind or another.

I have to remind him way more than I’d like. But yes, occasional slip ups are just human nature.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Wink wink ...😉

Sharing a shower with 80 guys for 4 months makes you really appreciate having your own.

 

[evilbooyaa]

These are all good points. So I would be sharing the one bathroom/shared living room with a guy, and I'm a girl. Totally don't mind living with guys, but sharing a room with him idk. Honestly, don't want to do that with a girl either. I'm messy especially when stressed.

I also don't want to share a bathroom where I can't keep my stuff in it. My favorite situation was a 2bed/2 bath apartment. But I have no friends in my class so the house is a good place to meet people and the rent is so so cheap.

What do you mean by sharing a room with him? You said there's 2 bedrooms right? You will have your own room for sleeping and other bedtime activities? As will he? It's just the living room you guys will be sharing?

This is just personal preference, but I don't know that I would've wanted to or been OK with an opposite gender roommate (that I was not 'with'). It never came up, but just thinking about it now.

 

[NYCdude]

The situation is entirely roommate dependent.

I'd rather share a bathroom and common area with 10 dudes that I liked, got along with, and were considerate rather than share with just one dude who was a selfish jerk.