I'm a second year med student at UR. I'll try to answer some questions and calm some of your nerves about the transition into medical school.
Tinkerbelle, I run all the time around the med school area. Granted, I am a male, so it's difficult for me to comment on the safety for a female, but in my opinion the med school area is safe. It starts to become unsafe as you cross the river, but on the med school side of the river it is just fine. I lived on Raleigh st during my first year and I usually either ran the loop around mt hope, to Westmoreland and down Castleman, or along the canal path. I'm sure you'll be able to find some great places to run. If not, just ask some of us second years. The gym is open 24/7, so you can always hop on a treadmill.
As for housing, the area around the hospital is very convenient. Many people decide to live there, but just as many prefer to live elsewhere. The main advantage is parking. Parking is a pain. The walk from my apartment was less than the walk from the parking lot. The disadvantage of living close to school is that there's really nothing there. So if you want to go to a nice restaurant, bar, club, whatever, you'll have to go elsewhere. On the other hand, if you live over towards Park or East Ave, all that stuff is right there. As for Whipple Park, they are nice, but not exactly walking distance. It can be done, but in the winter it would be miserable. There is however a bus that will take you from whipple park and drop you at the corner of crittenden and kendrick. It is pretty reliable.
As for books, I don't remember the exact question but I'll try to describe what I went through. I made the mistake of going through the bluebook and buying almost every book recommended before classes had even started. There are 2 reasons you should NOT do this. First of all, you should take a look at the books before you buy them (I ordered mine online). Everybody learns differently, and therefore not all books are geared towards your particular learning style. You will learn very quickly how to find a text that will work for you. The second reason not to do this is because many current UR students (Myself included
) will sell their textbooks to you and you can save some money. Many people send out mass emails with a list of books they have for sale in the beginning of the year.
Last but not least, MMI. My class (actually I think every class has this issue) made the mistake of worrying too much about MMI. It is not a difficult class, but many people go nuts over it since it is their first class in medical school. Just relax during the first month. Use that time to get to know your class and other classes. Make friends. Keep yourself entertained by counting how many times Dr. Pearson says "Ummmm, Uh, or any variation of those forementioned." (You'll soon learn exactly what I am talking about).
If any of you have questions about anything feel free to ask. Enjoy the rest of your summer, I'll see you in August.
Regards,
Justin
