Splurged on a new desk for med school

[Mandragora]

Incoming MS1 here. I'm dirt poor, but I just spent $200 on a new desk, and feeling crappy right now. I already have a comfortable chair, so I figured since I do most of my studying in my room, I'd want a nice big desk for once. So I decided to go all in, and get a heavy wooden executive style desk that I've always wanted lol. Has anyone spent this much on furnitures for med school?

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[membername24]

this is the most reasonable purchase I can think off (aside from the office chair). $200 on furniture you're going to spend hours of your time at is perfectly reasonable. You deserve nice things and you'll enjoy them when school gets challenging

 

[darknecrosforte]

$550 on an electric standing desk, ~$1000 under-desk treadmill, and $399 on the Pewdiepie chair. Not going to be forming DVTs in cheap, uncomfortable crap.

 

[trobinsonmd]

$200 is actually reasonable. I spent $1250 on a Herman Miller Chair and $500 on an electric standing desk. You will be using these things every day for hours, it is a smart investment in your health and will reduce the risk of future orthopedic problems. In my opinion, you can never invest enough money into comfortable office furniture.

 

[raiderette]

You got a bargain. It is worth it. Make sure you have a good mattress, and you will be all set.

 

[Gurby]

$550 on an electric standing desk, ~$1000 under-desk treadmill

 

[Avada Cadaver]

I was considering purchasing a Herman Miller/steel cast chair but hesitant due to costs. This thread is making me feel less bad about it .

 

[deleted407021]

Absolute mad lad!!

 

[Gurby]

I was considering purchasing a Herman Miller/steel cast chair but hesitant due to costs. This thread is making me feel less bad about it .

Look on Craigslist, I got my Aeron for $100.

 

[Avada Cadaver]

Look on Craigslist, I got my Aeron for $100.

Thanks! Yeah I should have clarified I'm not dropping msrp lol, I've been checking out ebay (~450) and what not. I'll check out craigslist, did you find counterfeit an issue on craigslist?

 

[Gurby]

Thanks! Yeah I should have clarified I'm not dropping msrp lol, I've been checking out ebay (~450) and what not. I'll check out craigslist, did you find counterfeit an issue on craigslist?

Didn't even occur to me that it could be a counterfeit! I mean maybe it is. I just checked and it has a sticker saying "Herman Miller" made in USA and a bunch of numbers... who knows though. Pretty comfy either way.

 

[trobinsonmd]

You're tripping dude lol. Of course it's your choice but spending $1750 on just a chair and desk is kinda ridiculous as a med student. Wow

I think it depends on context. if you're an average person, I would agree that it could be insane depending on your financial situation... I had two herniated discs in my lower back and could not sit for more than 30 mins at a time, so it was almost mandatory... also from the perspective of someone who may not have used a $1200 chair before, it is hard to swallow the concept of spending that much on a chair, but once you actually sit on one and use it for a prolonged period of time, you literally cannot use any other office chairs because of how bad they are for your back

 

[trobinsonmd]

Thanks! Yeah I should have clarified I'm not dropping msrp lol, I've been checking out ebay (~450) and what not. I'll check out craigslist, did you find counterfeit an issue on craigslist?

worth every penny... do not buy on amazon because a lot of the time they are frankenstein chairs... i paid full msrp, but i did my research on craigslist and ebay before doing so... a lot of CL is chair dealers who put together parts from various chairs, so they technically are authentic, but they are low quality frankenstein chairs -- not sure how long they will last... also check the sticker on the bottom of the chair to see date of manufacture and how much is left on the 12 year warranty

 

[wholeheartedly]

lmao "orthopedic problems". nobody should be having orthopedic problems in their 20s, let alone from a desk and chair. i spent $30 on my desk and chair from craigslist then dumped it when i moved. my old roommate is forever trapped in that apartment because of the 1 ton, ridiculously expensive desk he bought.

FYI, not all of us are in our 20s and you can have serious "orthopedic issues" at any age. Could be accidents, sport related, or just some off kilter development.

technically my issues with my pelvis and lower back started in 8th grade when I got launched off one of ginormous trampolines. Then a bad fall on the ice a few years later same side and there you go.


I would say a comfortable bed and comfortable study space are two critically important investments.

 

[Avada Cadaver]

lmao "orthopedic problems". nobody should be having orthopedic problems in their 20s, let alone from a desk and chair. .

That's a really ignorant and shortsighted statement, from a medical student of all people, to make.

"If I spent $30 and have a perfect spine then everyone in my age group should also be that way and do as I do" Sound logic.

 

[allinthehips]

lmao "orthopedic problems". nobody should be having orthopedic problems in their 20s

Dumb. I had a discectomy at 19 YO for a herniated disc 2/2 a hockey injury and still have residual issues (though minor). Can't stress enough how important good ergonomics is. We can't all be #blessed with a pristine lumbar spine.

 

[Dox4lyfe]

$200 is actually reasonable. I spent $1250 on a Herman Miller Chair and $500 on an electric standing desk. You will be using these things every day for hours, it is a smart investment in your health and will reduce the risk of future orthopedic problems. In my opinion, you can never invest enough money into comfortable office furniture.

Do you think the standing desk had any positive/negative affects on your studying? Or did you only use it occasionally?

 

[trobinsonmd]

Do you think the standing desk had any positive/negative affects on your studying? Or did you only use it occasionally?

I used the desk every day, but it was an electric adjustable standing desk... so 80% of the time I would sit like a normal desk, and whenever I got tired of sitting, I would raise it and stand for a half hour at a time. I think it helps because it allows you to change things up and re-focus on whatever you are working on... after 45-60 min of sitting I would get restless and my focus would dwindle, but standing for a little bit helped me get back on track... so short answer, yes it did help. There are desks out there that are just standing desks that are not height adjustable... I would not recommend those because standing for more than an hour at a time is horrible

 

[Gurby]

I used the desk every day, but it was an electric adjustable standing desk... so 80% of the time I would sit like a normal desk, and whenever I got tired of sitting, I would raise it and stand for a half hour at a time. I think it helps because it allows you to change things up and re-focus on whatever you are working on... after 45-60 min of sitting I would get restless and my focus would dwindle, but standing for a little bit helped me get back on track... so short answer, yes it did help. There are desks out there that are just standing desks that are not height adjustable... I would not recommend those because standing for more than an hour at a time is horrible

I found walking on a treadmill desk to be much more tolerable than standing. I had a regular standing desk for a while, put a treadmill underneath it, and used a tall bar stool literally on top of the treadmill to sit on when I got tired.

Now I just do the standing desk thing. In reality not a desk but cereal boxes stacked on top of the microwave. And don't tell anyone, but I rarely just stand there - I usually absent-mindedly do the Carlton dance while going through my Anki cards. This is why I can't study in public places...

 

[trobinsonmd]

I found walking on a treadmill desk to be much more tolerable than standing. I had a regular standing desk for a while, put a treadmill underneath it, and used a tall bar stool literally on top of the treadmill to sit on when I got tired.

Now I just do the standing desk thing. In reality not a desk but cereal boxes stacked on top of the microwave. And don't tell anyone, but I rarely just stand there - I usually absent-mindedly do the Carlton dance while going through my Anki cards. This is why I can't study in public places...

that's interesting, I've never thought to do that, but i am going to give it a try... thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Gurby]

that's interesting, I've never thought to do that, but i am going to give it a try... thanks for the suggestion!

I do this dance pretty often too. I'm sure it's the secret to how I can eat ice cream every day and still maintain my boyish figure.

Also just to clarify, with a treadmill desk you should go like 1mph - much slower than if you were trying to exercise. Just something about the constant motion and engaging of muscles makes it feel better than standing still.

 

[RTD]

What chair do you have? Any reccs under $100?

 

[wholeheartedly]

Good grief!

I'm barely coordinated enough to walk and chew gum at the same time. i think i'd kill myself on a treadmill desk.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

A treadmill desk was the best decision I made for M2 and M3. Those steps add up!

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

Good grief!

I'm barely coordinated enough to walk and chew gum at the same time. i think i'd kill myself on a treadmill desk.

You be surprised what the body can adapt to! I turn it up to 1.5 and it’s barely noticeable I’m walking.

 

[Gurby]

You be surprised what the body can adapt to! I turn it up to 1.5 and it’s barely noticeable I’m walking.

Except for that almost irresistible urge to tell people you're on a treadmill desk while talking to them online, for the first week or so at least.

 

[Kgizzle]

$550 on an electric standing desk, ~$1000 under-desk treadmill, and $399 on the Pewdiepie chair. Not going to be forming DVTs in cheap, uncomfortable crap.

What in God's name is an under-desk treadmill?

 

[Gurby]

What in God's name is an under-desk treadmill?

 

[Kgizzle]

Holy Mother of God...

 

[Dox4lyfe]

Holy Mother of God...

Said the same thing when I first saw it Lmfao.

 

[Gurby]

Holy Mother of God...

I had almost this exact one - it is enormous in person and takes up half the room.

 

[sharkbyte]

I had almost this exact one - it is enormous in person and takes up half the room.

How much does this cost?

 

[popopopop]

How much does this cost?

We have this in our library and I looked it up once and it was over $3k. Maybe he got it cheaper. All I know is that ours is broken and it's stuck in a set height and you can't go up past it. It's super stable otherwise and go up to 2 mph.

 

[Gurby]

How much does this cost?

Bought it on Craigslist, $500 total for desk + treadmill. It was an older version and you had to adjust the height manually, no fancy electronics.

But yeah, expensive to buy new especially if you get the fancier versions...

 

[darknecrosforte]

The current price is $1,649 for the one I have. Still works great after 3 years of use (I'm not paid to advertise this). You can't use a normal treadmill because the motor actually wears out pretty fast if you use them more than 4 hours a day at walking speed. Get the Easy Spray Treadmill Lubricant to increase the lifetime of your belt.

This is the one I have: ThermoTread GT - Treadmill Desks

 

[857770]

Holy Mother of God...

LoLoLoL. So funny response!

 

[popopopop]

Bought it on Craigslist, $500 total for desk + treadmill. It was an older version and you had to adjust the height manually, no fancy electronics.

But yeah, expensive to buy new especially if you get the fancier versions...

Manual is the way to go. My standing desk at home is manual too, no extra wires or possibility of breaking down like the one in our library. Speaking of which, a craigslist search has that electronic model near me for $400. Tempting indeed.

 

[kelminak]

Your boy just got this a week ago and it is SICK:

OK Just kidding SDN is nuking my amazon link. Here's the title to search:

"ApexDesk Elite Series 71" W Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk"

It's so good it's unreal. I can't wait to get a third monitor on that bad boy.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

I got my trekdesk for $250 (or $150? I don’t remember) on Craigslist. I got the treadmill for $80 also on Craigslist. I still remember driving into a trailer park to pick it up, haha. It’s not a hardcore, workout-ready treadmill (it’s probably collapse if you tried to run), but it goes up to a level 10 incline and hasn’t had any issues thus far.

Trekdesk’s are huge but awesome. They break down for storage. Even if you can just spring for a cheap treadmill with no deak, you’re doing yourself a huge favor. I hop on my treadmill to take phone calls and look at social media. It’s a great way to remind myself not to waste time because I’ll be paying for it.