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Graduating med students, ready to put med school in their rearview mirror figuratively and literally — in a car perhaps packed with clothes, books, an Ikea shelf, and a devoted beagle — also have no shortage of logistical challenges ahead of them. Finding a place to live and moving in, learning a new city, and, oh yeah, starting a new job can seem as challenging as some of the cases they treated just a few months before.

To help your move go as smoothly as possible, we turned to some residents for advice about what worked for them and what they might have done differently if they had the chance.

See What Your Hospital Offers

For third-year resident Daniel Schecter, MD, the move from med school at Tulane University in New Orleans to his residency at Mount Sinai, New York City, 3 years ago was actually a homecoming. Having grown up in the New York area and having family and friends there to welcome him back, the familiarity with his surroundings eased some of the stress.

Mount Sinai helped Schecter and the rest of his cohort of interns by offering hospital-owned housing options located near the hospital and priced with residents in mind. “Sinai-owned housing made the process much easier,” Schecter said, adding that his new neighbors and even the doorman offered advice on everything from where to buy furniture to the names of movers to hire.

Of course, many institutions don’t own apartments for incoming residents, but it’s still worth asking about. Even if they don’t provide full-time, long-term housing, they may have short-term housing to help with the transition or resources to help you find some good options.

Renter Beware

When it’s up to you to find a place to live, be sure to do your due diligence, including a trip to see potential landing spots in person. And remember that your new home should be a comfortable refuge, not an afterthought, said Ella Taubenfeld, a first-year urology resident at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “Finding a good place to live is a non-negotiable in residency. The job is so stressful and time-consuming, so it’s essential that you have an oasis to come back to at the end of the day,” she said.

Taubenfeld, who graduated from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Long Island, New York, in 2024, had a couple of challenges on her hands. She was 1600 miles away from Houston and her husband Joe was working in Baltimore. He was able to keep his job while working remotely in Houston, so at least there wasn’t a job search to add to the mix.

Taubenfeld found what seemed like a good apartment online. The virtual tour made the place seem appealing. Unfortunately, soon after they were both moved in, Taubenfeld and her husband discovered a long list of problems that hadn’t been obvious at first. They wound up breaking the lease just to get out and find a better option nearby.

“The biggest thing I would change about the move would be actually making the time to fly out and tour places in person,” Taubenfeld said. “There was a lot that the first apartment building was able to hide on our virtual tour.”

Move Early…and Often

Soon after Match Day, Taubenfeld and her husband made separate trips to their new apartment (when it still seemed like a great deal), starting the process of combining their separate homes into their new one. 

“We had actually pre-moved to our Houston apartment separately a couple months earlier to bring the majority of our belongings,” she said. “This was because we knew it would be too hectic in June, but it was nice because it made the moving process a lot more relaxed and gave us time to get the apartment about 60% set up before we were both physically there.”

Even if you don’t have an apartment or house secured, you can always stash some belongings in a storage unit and move in when some of the dust settles.

Schecter also recommended moving as early as possible. Because he had to wait for another resident to vacate his apartment in early July, Schecter had no down time to get settled. “My first week of residency was also the week I moved in,” he said. “If you’re able to give yourself some time between move-in and the start of residency, that’s definitely something to consider.”

Taubenfeld made sure she had time to get moved in and ease the transition to her new job. “It was also very good that I left myself about a week cushion to get set up and take time to meet my co-interns before actually starting the job,” she said. “We bonded very early on and were able to share our anxieties and help each other through all the on-boarding craziness.”

An early move also gives you more time to deal with the paperwork.

See What the CME Office Can Do

Most hospitals have a Continuing Medical Education (CME) office that primarily organizes seminars and other for-credit learning opportunities but also assists doctors and other medical professionals with a range of services. And that often includes providing resources to incoming interns related to housing and other logistical concerns.

Soon after she matched to the Morsani School of Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, Abigail Hardy, a graduate from Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, started working with Morsani’s CME office. “Morsani has a great one that I’ve been using to help me choose daycares for my son especially,” Hardy said.

Schecter also suggested taking advantage of what the CME office can offer. He noted that year after year hospitals are helping a new team of interns deal with the same questions and concerns filling your mind right now. “I wish I had done more reaching out to them,” he said.

Be Patient

Schecter acknowledged that doctors tend to want answers immediately and have things in order as much as possible and as soon as possible. But when it comes to starting this chapter of your life, he recommended patience. “It’s going to take time to make a new home,” he said. “It doesn’t have to happen immediately.”

He added that, “that first apartment doesn’t need to be the only one for your residency.” 

Ask for Help, Offer Help

Some of the best resources available to you for just about everything are the senior residents you’re about to join. Taubenfeld sought their advice for apartments and neighborhoods, though she wound up choosing a place that hadn’t been recommended. “My more senior co-residents were really helpful and gave a lot of building suggestions, as well as places to stay away from,” she said.

Schecter agreed that residents can be especially helpful because they’ve all gone through the same experience and learned from it.

“Don’t be afraid to ask co-residents for advice,” he said. “It’s actually a good way to get to know them.” He added that now in his third year, he is fielding questions from new residents and is happy to be able to offer some advice and pay forward the help he received.

As you start the process of moving on, Schecter suggests looking out for emails and texts aimed at connecting first-year residents with each other and their senior co-residents. Before orientation you may be asked to join a group chat or several groups depending on your situation. He recalls groups set up for new residents with families, those coming from out of state, and groups for particular specialties.

Alumni from your med school can also be helpful, not just in helping you get started but as potential mentors or advisors down the road. “You have so many networks around you,” Schecter said. “You can always ask your program director for help, too. Everyone wants you to succeed.”