When to move in to med school apartment?

[Efflorescence]

I'm starting medical school in July. My brother currently lives in the city where my school is, so we are planning on getting an apartment together. The problem? His current lease is up July 31; the first day of my orientation is July 25. He really does not want to have any overlap between his leases because housing is fairly expensive in this city. I don't really blame him.

My brother is trying to work with his current apartment complex so he can move out earlier in July. However, he thinks it would be fine if we move in to our new place the weekend between my orientation ending and school starting.

I'm wary of moving in the weekend before class starts, but moving in early might be a luxury. How important is it to get moved in before orientation? My brother has offered to let me stay with him in his old place during orientation. Also, I my parents' house is only ~45 minutes away. That makes it easier, but I don't want to be overloaded with class while I'm still trying to get my bearings.

Thank you for your opinions!

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[futuremdforme]

I had to move after orientation. It wasn't ideal but in the end it was fine. You might even find someone in the class who can put you up for the week (pay them obviously! With food/beer if nothing else) or you can do airbnb or a sublet. When you find an apartment, you might find one that lets you move in a week early at no cost (or cheap enough that it's worth it for you to pay for the earlier move.) Don't worry about it, it will work out!

 

[Pacna]

It's much less of a deal than it feels like. Just be there for orientation, and complain to everyone about living out of your car for a week.

 

[Omppu27]

I moved in about 3-4 days before orientation aka week long bender. I did know some students who were living about an hour away with their parents for about a month trying to find a place.

 

[Crayola227]

this will work fine for med school but try not to do it for residency if you can help it

 

[laughingfrog]

you should try to move in before classes start

 

[Tintinnabula]

Due to financial aid release and various other timings (family, kids, a wreck, moving out of our house and making sure it was okay for my mom and stepdad to move into, disposition of livestock, etc.), we moved into our rental house the Thursday before Orientation, which was on the following Monday. I resolved to caution anyone who asked your question that if you can avoid this, I recommend it and I really would consider a small bank loan or asking family for financial help through this spot before trying it after classes start. Nothing like combining the exhaustion of moving with the exhaustion of adjusting to a new schedule plus all the crazy extras involved in Orientation/Orientation Week and orienting yourself to a new campus and a new city while also preparing for classes to come. We had our White Coat Ball the Friday at the end of the orientation week but I was in bed and asleep by 7:30.

If you're just between a rock and a hard place that's how it goes and I know it, but I wish you better luck in this than I had.

 

[tick_tock400]

^I think you're going to be fine likely. I wouldn't worry too much about it, but I get where you're coming from. I think things at the beginning just go a lot slower than things later do, looking back at my first year of medical school. A lot of basic bio information first 6 weeks during my med school career at least.

 

[Law2Doc]

If you can move in early that's ideal, but if not you live out of boxes for a few days. Not the end of the world.

 

[ACSurgeon]

Due to financial aid release and various other timings (family, kids, a wreck, moving out of our house and making sure it was okay for my mom and stepdad to move into, disposition of livestock, etc.), we moved into our rental house the Thursday before Orientation, which was on the following Monday. I resolved to caution anyone who asked your question that if you can avoid this, I recommend it and I really would consider a small bank loan or asking family for financial help through this spot before trying it after classes start. Nothing like combining the exhaustion of moving with the exhaustion of adjusting to a new schedule plus all the crazy extras involved in Orientation/Orientation Week and orienting yourself to a new campus and a new city while also preparing for classes to come. We had our White Coat Ball the Friday at the end of the orientation week but I was in bed and asleep by 7:30.

If you're just between a rock and a hard place that's how it goes and I know it, but I wish you better luck in this than I had.

Doesn't sound like the OP is moving with a family. Makes a huge difference when you just have your clothes/desk to move and minor furniture compared to moving with kids etc. Yea, wouldn't be my first choice to move in two days before, but should be fine.

 

[alpinism]

You'll be fine. At 99% of schools you won't be studying very much during the first week.

More than likely you'll be getting drunk with your classmates instead.