| Being a medical student or student doctor has enough | | | | "Standard Lease Terms". In larger cities like New York, |
| challenges in of itself. When you are an M1 or M2, you | | | | you may want to do it for the city as well. This way, |
| have a lot on your plate, but when you get to your M3 | | | | you can get a quick idea of what the landlord expects |
| and M4 years, you get the added bonus of | | | | vs. what the state/city holds as "fair". |
| coordinating your schedule and travel plans for | | | | If you are in the fun category of having to do some or |
| potential and sometimes mandatory away rotations. If | | | | all of your rotations "away" and all over the country, |
| you are a foreign medical student wanting to practice | | | | you are going to be dealing with sublets and other |
| in the United States, you know exactly what I mean; | | | | short-term housing resources. This is also true if you |
| you have a lot of traveling ahead of you. | | | | are doing a Kaplan USMLE Study Course. Here is |
| You will need to decide on a few things before you | | | | what you need to know about short-term housing: |
| head into the M3 and M4 years: | | | | 1) The shorter the lease, the more expensive the stay |
| 1) Can I get all of my core and elective rotations in a | | | | will be (on a per day or per week basis) |
| single city? | | | | 2) You may be able to find sublets with other local |
| 2) Can I get most of my clinical rotations in a single city | | | | medical students (check medical student forums or |
| which I can use as my base of operations? | | | | hostels in larger cities) |
| If you answered "yes" to one of the above, it may | | | | 3) Furnished housing with everything included will run a |
| make sense to get a 12 month lease in the city that | | | | higher rate than unfurnished, but will save you a lot of |
| you can get ALL or MOST of your rotations done. If | | | | hassle |
| you answered "no" to both questions above, you will | | | | 4) Trying to find short-term housing in July, August and |
| need to line up a string of short-term housing options. | | | | September can be very difficult as these are the busy |
| If you are going to get a 12 month lease, here is what | | | | months for college students. Make sure to hunt early |
| you will want to verify BEFORE you sign anything: | | | | and DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. |
| 1) How does the lease handle sublets? This is not | | | | 5) Always do a Google search on the company that |
| much of a concern if you are doing all of your | | | | manages the property or try to find a referral for the |
| rotations in the same city, but if you need to do some | | | | company that you are leasing from. There are some |
| rotations away, you want the option to sublet the | | | | unscrupulous people out there, so do your homework. |
| space to another medical student who may come to | | | | All in all, you have a tough task ahead of you, but if |
| your city to do rotations. Your best bet is if the landlord | | | | you start early, have a plan and execute it correctly, |
| does not have to "approve" any sub-leasers. | | | | you will save time and hassle coordinating your housing |
| 2) Is the lease inert? Some states have very specific | | | | for all of your M3 and M4 travel. Good luck on your |
| laws around what can and cannot be in the lease. | | | | journey. |
| Make sure to do a search online in the state for | | | | |