UofT Medical Students: What are your living arrangements?

[nikki dale]

I request that only UofT Medical Students attending the St. George campus (not UTM) respond to this poll.

 

I am curious to know your living arrangements and if you could add your input about how happy you are with it and the benefits/disadvantages you feel it provides you through medical school.

 

Also, if it has changed for you throughout the years - please answer in accordance with your first year of medical school.

 

Where do you live

>in downtown

>other part of Toronto, ex. "Scarborough", "North York"

>in the suburbs, ex. Pickering, Markham, Richmond Hill

 

Who do you live with?

 

Thanks!

[nikki dale]

I'd love to see more than one vote

Just saying

[nikki dale]

Maybe I should have posted this in the medical student forums..

[quackster]

Med students are busy!

 

Most of us live downtown. I'd say of those of us that do, we're about half and half split with regards to living alone versus with roommates. It's beneficial to live downtown for studying, extracurriculars and general social life.

[__bdas51]

I voted Downtown core/On my own/Renting independently

 

but my parents bought the place so technically i'm renting from them

 

but yes as said above, living downtown has its benefits socially and academically

 

[nikki dale]

Thanks for your input everyone.

 

I wonder what it is like for people who don't live in downtown. How they feel about their decision, if they wish it were different, and how they are managing.

[Port65]

I have a roommate and we rent in a building on the corner of Simcoe and Richmond, it's not bad price-wise for the area, I enjoyed it more first year than I do second year, maybe the downtown living style is wearing off on me because I'm from Oakville but I do go back home often. I like biking/walking there though due to it's proximity though. If you have any other questions feel free to ask

[nikki dale]

I wonder what the vote for 'other' is. I thought I included everything

[rogerroger]

I lived on my own renting a condo the first 2.5 years of medical school. In the last 1.5 years I rent a place but split it with a classmate. I always lived within walking distance of the core down town hospitals.

 

The last year of medical school is kinda weird, I have not been home much. I was away a lot on electives in the fall, then the CaRMS interview tour. I feel more nomadic these days. I think if I was to do it again I would rent a place outside the down town core and save some money.

[spiritedaway]

I lived on my own renting a condo the first 2.5 years of medical school. In the last 1.5 years I rent a place but split it with a classmate. I always lived within walking distance of the core down town hospitals.

 

The last year of medical school is kinda weird, I have not been home much. I was away a lot on electives in the fall, then the CaRMS interview tour. I feel more nomadic these days. I think if I was to do it again I would rent a place outside the down town core and save some money.

 

if you don't mind me asking, how much was the rent at condos close to UT?

[nikki dale]

if you don't mind me asking, how much was the rent at condos close to UT?

 

I've been looking around and found like $1000 a month if you're rooming with someone. I saw this on like a page where med students were trying to find roommates for each other in downtown.

[drax]

if you don't mind me asking, how much was the rent at condos close to UT?

 

If you have a roommate, anywhere between ~$700-$1000, depending on how many roommates you have. If you're living on your own, probably closer to $1200 plus/minus $300.

[007antonymous]

If you have a roommate, anywhere between ~$700-$1000, depending on how many roommates you have. If you're living on your own, probably closer to $1200 plus/minus $300.

 

I guess I'll bump this thread now that it's finally relevant to me (and not just wishful thinking). Did anyone notice that in the "Typical First Year MD Student Expenses" they accounted only $9580 for rent and food? That's like $1064.44/month (assuming a 9-month period). Seeing that it's pretty difficult to find any bachelor suites for under $1200, do most student find that they go over $40k a year in total cost-of-attendance?

[Guest Fresh_Underwear]

You can get pretty cheap (relatively) bachelor suites in dt Toronto. It's a matter of what you're willing to put up with. I've found ones for as cheap as $500-$600/month. They are mostly basement or upstairs rooms that have been refurnished. I wasn't willing to live in any of those.

 

Usually apartment bachelors ranges from $700-$1000 and condo bachelors are $1200+. I lived in a $950 bachelor in dt Toronto for the past few years and aside from rent increasing, monthly expenses is pretty high in this city. I've found living expenses are around 18k-25k for myself (depending on my spending habits such as dinning out, travelling, hobbies). If you add the 20k tuition in there, then I'd say 40k annually is pretty good estimate for what to expect. Of course if you want to live in $1.2k bachelors, then 40k is not going to be enough, expect 45 - 50k.

[007antonymous]

Thanks! I will keep looking.

[Davjw]

If you are dead-set on living at Bay and College then the ~1000 a month is probably a bit of an underestimate. I would suggest areas like Kensington and The Annex if you are looking to save a bit of money. Around there, you can definitely find a 2 bedroom for 1400 a month, or maybe even less.

[Chowdder]

If you want to live cheap but close to U of T campus, then I recommend:

 

To the south: Elm st/McCaul/Murray. It's right behind Mt Sinai hospital and rent is pretty cheap. It is quite popular so you'd get a lot of undergrad students living there.

To the east: Anything east of Yonge st. West of Yonge st is mostly condos and they run 1200-1300 minimum for bachelor, east of Yonge is mostly apartments and they are much cheaper. There are a lot of places around Church and Wellesley that are reasonable distance from campus and can be had for about 800 a month.

 

Generally housing are cheaper the further they are from campus, however I found it much cheaper to live either south or east of campus since the medical science building is located near the south east area of U of T campus. So if you want cheaper, then keep head south or east. West and North requires you to live at least 30 minute (walking distance) from campus before you begin to find reasonably cheap rentals.

[atg]

Hey all!

 

So I'm in the process of trying to figure out living arrangements for the year but I need to find a roommate or two first!! It would be great to live with one of my fellow med students but where do you guys suggest I start the hunt? Are there other resources other than the UofT roommate finder? Do we have a fb page yet where I can get in touch with other students or should I just ask around on this forum

 

If nothing, I shall stick to UofT's roommate finder!!

 

Thanks in advance

[atg]

As easy as that!!? haha thanks Cheezewhiz!! See you in August