Having a Car for McMaster Meds

[RCP90]

Has anyone given thought to buying a car? I've heard (or maybe I read it, or maybe it came up on my interview tour) that it's really difficult to get to appointments on time if you don't have a car. Spread out campuses and such.

 

 

For current students: When do I really need to buy a car, and until what point can I just get around with a bike? (that's a regular bike, not a motorcycle). I will be living within walking distance to campus. Does anyone have a car and regret having it? Anyone not have a car and wish they did? Please share your thoughts. Thanks.

 

PS: I did a search for 'car' on this board. The search returned 'sorry no matches'.

[TonesRN]

You can get by in the pre-clerkship phase of med school without a car, especially if you live close to campus. There are many people in my class who don't have cars and are still able to get from one place to another (ie. hitching rides from group members to different hospitals for clinical skill practice, etc). So really, you don't need a car, initially anyways.

 

However, in clerkship it would definitely be an asset (and informally required to be honest). I'm sure there are a few people who don't have cars for clerkship...but really it depends on where you get placed. You might get placed at a hospital far from where you live. Also, bus service might not typically be running in the early morning hours when you need it to get to early am surgical rounds (for example).

 

So I would say that if you don't have a car initally....you will be ok during the pre-clerkship period, but definitely you should try to get one for clerkship, at a minimum. However, I certainly don't regret for a second having a car since day 1 of med school. Makes your life a heck of a lot easier.