Welp, looks like I'm buying ANOTHER bike

[Blueberry]

I'm confused. Please explain why they are requiring students to have cars? I read your explanation twice but still don't understand it. I may be a little slow at the moment due to severe lack of sleep these past few nights!

Congratulations on the Brompton, though. That's great!

Thanks! I don't actually think it makes much sense. Cars used to be "recommended." They don't do all of their clinical training at the "mother ship" - the namesake hospital. They have always had community rotations. However, if you had a spouse/owned a house/shared a car or had no car, they would take those things into account and you might have a month away - and for that month away, you would have local housing provided for a few bucks a night.

A year and a half ago, they re-structured the curriculum (and made a mess of it). They really didn't share much information about the clinical part when I accepted my admission (since they hadn't gotten there yet with students), but we figured that we would be able to make one car work if we were creative (DH could drop me off in the early AM and I could bike home, for example). Now students have more clinical time overall (2.5 years instead of 2), but I think it's straining their resources more. They have satellite programs where you are based in another city for your third year (Asheville, Charlotte, or Wilmington), or you can be based in the "central program." I can probably get the central program since I own a house (spouse and car no longer matter apparently). If you are in the central program, you might have a rotation (up to 16 weeks, we think) in, for example, Greensboro. They are no longer providing housing under those circumstances, since that's supposedly drivable from the mothership. Med student rotations are up to 80 hours a week (capped) - so that makes for some long days. Of course, the people who start this in March still don't know where they will be. So - basically, they have made the schedule so unpredictable and so far from transit options that a car is now required. Doesn't make much sense to me - but if there's a chance I will have to commute that far (with little time to plan), we will likely have to buy a 2nd car so DH has any access to a car at all. Clear as mud?

[emily_in_nc]

Dang, that's kinda crazy, Blueberry! But yes, thanks for the explanation. I wasn't thinking of you having to work in an alternate location.

I hope it all works out, but it's a shame that they can't be a bit more "alternative transportation friendly". We will never have more than one car again (currently have none!). I guess med school is not in my future.

[Blueberry]

Dang, that's kinda crazy, Blueberry! But yes, thanks for the explanation. I wasn't thinking of you having to work in an alternate location.

I hope it all works out, but it's a shame that they can't be a bit more "alternative transportation friendly". We will never have more than one car again (currently have none!). I guess med school is not in my future.

It's just frustrating. There aren't very many of us in this situation, so it really wouldn't be that hard for them to look after us. We have been trying to minimize my student loans so that debt doesn't have to play a role in what specialty I choose. I'll have nearly $100k in debt just for tuition, books, equipment, and board exam fees (maybe slightly over) without the car. Add another 15k or more for a decent car + insurance + gas for it. Because I'm a second career student, my time to pay it off is compressed. We *can* do it - I don't want to. Others will have more issues. People wonder why there aren't any medical students who want to (or can afford to) go into primary care...the financial realities of medical school aren't pretty. You truly have to do it because you love it.