How do you get to your hospital?

[tooty]

Thanks for the responses guys! For those of you who drive, where do you park? A lot of hospitals seem to have parking at $20+/day ... I called some of them and they've said that there are no montly passes nor student/staff discounts

 

I look for free parking in residential areas or malls nearby

[tooty]

Thanks for the responses guys! For those of you who drive, where do you park? A lot of hospitals seem to have parking at $20+/day ... I called some of them and they've said that there are no montly passes nor student/staff discounts

 

I look for free parking in residential areas or malls nearby

[rogerroger]

Almost halfway through my core clerkship rotations at UT and so far no car has been required. The TTC and walking has been suitable so far.

 

I really hope to avoid getting a car, living expenses are high enough in Toronto...

[japlanet]

Thanks for the responses guys! For those of you who drive, where do you park? A lot of hospitals seem to have parking at $20+/day ... I called some of them and they've said that there are no montly passes nor student/staff discounts

 

Most schools have a pass system for clerks. Pre-clerkship is more difficult, but when you're on actual clinical rotations there is generally some system for you to have a monthly pass (often good at multiple sites).

[norbert]

I recommend a car. I have one and it's made a world of difference. It really opens up your opportunities to travel further to other sites. I'm in Toronto, but my base hospital is Sunnybrook, which is not close to the other downtown hospitals. There is a shuttle, but it doesn't run early or late enough to always be useful.

 

Many of the hospitals here have student discounts for parking which does make it more affordable.

[leviathan]

Mine concern is iwouldn't want to drive either after a shift like that either -sounds risky

I'm usually tired after a shift like that, but never sleepy, if you get what I mean.

[thebouque]

I'm usually tired after a shift like that, but never sleepy, if you get what I mean.

 

Same here.

[goleafsgochris]

I have heard people say things like "driving after a call shift is too risky, its like being drunk!"

 

My advice would be for them to get off their silly moral high ground. It may be true that concentration/reaction time is impaired, but no one is so idealistic that they will work for 24 hours and then wait for a damn bus when they dont have to. Almost everyone (myself included) sucked it up, tried extra hard to concentrate, and got home in 10 minutes instead of 45.

 

The moral holier-than-thou attitude of those people really ticked me off in clerkship, as you can probably tell

[Lactic Folly]

Not everyone has the luxury of living 10 minutes away. When the drive time is over half an hour and I do not feel alert enough after having been up all night, I will nap in a swing room before going home. I know others who do the same, or get a taxi/someone else to pick them up. Usually this is a small proportion of call nights.

 

To me, this is just simple, practical, preservation of self and others around me. Is it silly, moralizing, or holier-than-thou to try to avert:

- backing your vehicle into a pole in the parking lot

- falling asleep at a red light

- nearly driving your car into the ditch / across the centre line

- getting into an accident

. . . all of which are true incidents which my classmates and I have discussed. It sounds like you are fortunate enough to not have had these experiences.

[MedDream]

I'm not a med student, but my neighbour who is now a doctor said that in med school she was driving home after 30-something hours of no sleep and drove her car into a ditch. I'd say better safe than sorry.

[gb35]

Anyone else find it a little unsettling that you're obviously too tired to be capable of safely driving, yet were just practicing medicine? Scary, haha. I guess this is what I have to look forward to.

[Lactic Folly]

No, you`re not the only one. I think part of the rationale is that people become ill and require care at all hours, and one needs to learn to function under those circumstances.

[apache]

Driving, in this city there's no other way, transit sucks!

[007]

As a medical student I did not have a car. I lived a 20min walk from the hospital and a grocery store and that worked for me. For the one away rotation I had I rented a car for 6 weeks for about $1000.

 

As a resident I live further from the hospital and have a car. But as a resident in my city I get a parking spot in the hospital parkade for $90/month.

[007]

Also, in my province you can take a cab home after call and get reimbursed. They want you to be safe.

[nest]

Also, in my province you can take a cab home after call and get reimbursed. They want you to be safe.

 

which province is that?

[Nobodycirclesthewagons]

Also, in my province you can take a cab home after call and get reimbursed. They want you to be safe.

 

Wow. Yeah, where are you at?

[SundayForever]

It may be true that the reaction time / concentration is impaired, but none are so idealistic that they will work for 24 hours, then wait for a bus crazy when they should not. Almost everyone (including me) it sucked, tried very hard to concentrate, and came home in 10 minutes instead of 45