Aug 9: Class BBQ
Aug 11: Orientation
Aug 11: 12-PAC Lunch
Aug 15: Class Dinner
Aug 16: Fun Run
Aug 16: 80's Party!
Aug 20: Bowling Night
Aug 22: Class Dinner
Aug 29: White Coat Ceremony
Aug 30: Bull Run

To-Do

Physical Exam
POM Name Tag
Little Sibling Survey
12-PAC Supplies Order
USF COM 2012 Facebook
USF Oasis Account
USF ID Card
USF Health Email Account
USF NID/Blackboard Account
Immunizations.htm
Health Coverage
Disability Insurance
Find Housing
Student Parking
Purchase Laptop

Important Links

Student Affairs
Welcome Class of 2012
Educational Affairs
Academic Calendars
USF COM IT Support
Class of 2011 Website

►Click Here for The Complete Housing Guide + Apartment Guide Listings

Welcome Class of 2012! This guide has been put together by members of the 12 PAC with the goal of facilitating your move to Tampa. It includes input from previous classes regarding apartments, condos, and a few services typically required while moving (i.e. electricity, water, cable/internet, etc.).

Before we list the specifics, we want to include just a few words about the general area. As we are sure you became aware during your interviews, USF COM is lucky to train at a number of different facilities around
Tampa and St. Petersburg. While this gives us a wide variety of experiences, it does require some considerable driving time. Your chosen location for the next four years will make a big difference in the amount of time you will spend in your car. We will give you a run down of some of the popular areas to check out for living.

The area near the University Mall is a high crime area. You should avoid apartments located on the west side of Bruce B. Downs from Bearss Ave. To Busch Blvd. We cannot emphasize this enough.

Typically, 1st and 2nd year students choose to live in the areas east and north of the USF campus called New Tampa and Temple Terrace.

New Tampa

New Tampa (including Tampa Palms) is best described as the suburbs of Tampa. Nothing in this area is older than about 10 - 12 years. The area is populated by many families and the crime rate is very low. Rental rates will be lower in this area than popular South Tampa neighborhoods. With that being said, what New Tampa gains in low rent and clean neighborhoods, it perhaps lacks in character and accessibility to most of the hospitals. Also, since there is only one thoroughfare in and out of New Tampa which is Bruce B. Downs, traffic can be horrible during rush hour. It has been said that it can take up to 45 minutes to travel less than 10 miles towards USF at these times and 1 ½ hours to TGH. Depending on how far out you look, there are many complexes just up the road from USF and a few back roads if you research the apartments near them.

Temple Terrace

Temple Terrace is the closest area to USF, both mileage and driving times. Much of the residential areas of Temple Terrace lie east and south of the campus. There are some very nice communities which you could find to live within Temple Terrace. We urge you to look around for these areas. As always in the big cities there, are also some sketchy neighborhoods. One caution is that these apartment and condo communities are the closest to USF and many of them lease to the many, many undergraduates of USF. For those of you that have already forgotten what it is like to live around undergraduates, let me remind you that it can be loud and crazy at times. Therefore, look into these places carefully. Other than that, many of our classmates thought Temple Terrace was a good option this year with 10-15 min driving times.

Carrollwood

West of USF and I-275, Carrollwood is more of a residential area which makes it nice and quiet. There are many condos and townhomes for sale in these areas. It is a 20-30 minute drive from USF depending on traffic. Recommended because of the beautiful residential neighborhoods.

Some students prefer to move once and stay put for their stay in Tampa. Although it is more difficult to find housing located between downtown and USF, it can be done. Areas to check out are Seminole Heights, Sulfur Springs, and Ybor City. We would recommend driving through these areas (both during the day and night) to determine whether you would feel safe there. These are historic landmarks with a lot of character and said to be in a revitalization period. Within these neighborhoods, there are beautiful areas which may be only blocks away from a sketchy area. They typically provide convenient access to both USF and downtown.

South Tampa

The trend has then been for 3rd and 4th years to relocate to South Tampa for their clinical years. Many students are recommending starting out in South Tampa. South Tampa is more of the trendy young professional area of Tampa. Davis Island is a popular neighborhood, as are Hyde Park and SoHo. These areas are much closer to downtown Tampa's entertainment, sporting events, restaurants, and nightlife and are only a few minutes from Tampa General Hospital. While the actual distance to USF from this part of Tampa is further than the New Tampa area, you are typically driving against the traffic so travel times can be similar. Driving time is approximately 20-30 minutes, but can be worse with traffic. Because this is the trendy area of town, prices are more expensive, but they say still affordable.

Brandon

Brandon is an exit south of the I-75 and I-4 intersection and also a growing residential area. It takes about 20-25 minutes to get to USF, not much farther than living in Temple Terrace and New Tampa. What is nice about Brandon is that it is a more central location between USF and downtown, about 15 minutes in either direction which makes it a great place to live for your 3rd and 4th year. Many students from our class have purchased condos in Brandon.

Roomates

If you have not received a list of people in your class that are looking for roommates for the coming year as of yet, contact Linda Krausman at lkrausma@health.usf.edu and give her the information that you want published on the Roommate/Housing Request List. Having another roommate can be very beneficial and many students from our class have said that this worked out very well for them this first year. Others have lived alone for various reasons and this also worked out well for them too. Below are a couple of thoughts to keep in mind while making your decision...

Roomates:

• Help you save money on bills, utilities and rent, leaving money for other fun activities.
• Are nice to carpool with, and can help you to save on the horrendous gas prices.
• Are great to have for a study partner and someone to ask questions of for difficult concepts.

Cautions:

• Make sure you talk with your roommate before moving in with them to ensure that you are at least compatible in some way. It can be stressful if you don't get along.
• You don't have to limit yourself to people in your medical school class. Upper classman and physical therapy students work out well, as do other graduate students.
• Please make sure that these people understand your schedule. It is many times difficult to convey the meaning of the word "Study" to people that are friends, undergraduates, the working 9-5ers, or anyone else not in the program.

Living Alone:

• Don't have to deal with others habits.
• Quiet all the time.
• Students who have lived alone said it worked out, but it was much more expensive and could be quite lonely at times. Some of the students who tried living alone ended up looking for roommates for the coming year of medical school.
  

Living With Parents

Medical school is a financially stressful time, and one you hate to be throwing away money on rent. Therefore, some students choose to live with their parents if this is an option. Some students who had lived with their parents have said that it worked out very well. Others said that they also would if their parents lived in the area because of the free rent and food. Other students have said that you should consider this option very carefully because no matter how good the relationship is with your parents, this could lead to major unnecessary distractions. Medical school is very demanding of your time and many people would rather have their parent's home to go to for some relaxation and a good meal on the weekend rather than the place you must go back to for studying and sleep day in and day out.

The bottom line is that you need to decide what is best for you. We at 12-PAC are happy to help with any questions you may have. We recommend that you not wait until the last minute, when you may be desperate and stressed out, to find a place to live. Some of the more desirable places tend to fill up rather quickly. Shop around and see these places for yourself. You may also want to drive the route to school during rush hour to decide when you are willing to deal with each day. Don't assume th eprice is set, ask for discounts and talk to the managers.

USF Dormitory

On-campus dormitories at USF are not well suited for medical students due to differences in the academic calendars. We recommend students obtain nearby housing off campus and room with another medical student. in order to facilitate the possibility of your rooming with another medical student, we will compile a list of medical students seeking roommates and houses/condos that graduating students and/or residents would like to sell or rent. If you wish to be included on the list, e-mail the required information to Linda Krausman (lkrausma@health.usf.edu). Include your name and applicable contact information (address, home phone number, cell phone, e-mail address). This list will be e-mailed to you so make sure you provide us with a valid e-mail address.

Good Luck with your search!

►Click Here for The Complete Housing Guide + Apartment Guide Listings