Does anyone know about the University of Washington: School of Medicine or the Area? (Seattle: best neighborhoods, apartments) - (WA) -Seattle and King County Suburbs - City-Data Forum

mellymel · 09-16-2009, 01:07 PM

Hi there! This is my first post but I am curious to see what I can find out about Seattle, WA and the University of Washington, School of Medicine!

I am applying to UWSOM and a lot of people are telling me I am making a mistake and that Seattle, WA is a really bad area and I wouldn't want to live there.

UWSOM is my top choice and I am desperate to get into the school especially because I am out-of-state (from Maryland). Is there something that I am missing about the school? It looks like a beautiful and wonderful place to become a doctor! The UWSOM website has so much information about the curriculum, admissions, requirements, and expectations of students that some schools do not bother to elaborate on. I appreciate A LOT of information rather than none at all!

On a random note, I was a little worried because the rent was considerably lower than apartments near universities in my area. A few apartments were $1100 for a two bedroom?! Is that right? (I have links to all of the apartments I searched if you would like to PM me).

I also saw the street views for apartments in the zip codes: 98105, 98106 and the streets look a bit scary and bad. Is there anywhere within a 5 mile radius of the Medical Center that you would suggest? What do you know about the medical school? Have you ever been to the medical center? What was your experience there? Have you ever met any of the medical students? What were they like? Do you have any advice for me?

Please be as honest as possible!

toughguy · 09-16-2009, 02:25 PM

I can't really give you specifics, but the UW School of Medicine is a well respected institution that is one of the tops in the entire country. I am curious about the advice you've been given about Seattle being a bad area - was that in relation to crime, weather, or something else?

nfdsouza2001 · 09-16-2009, 02:37 PM

The University of Washington is known for it's Primary Care emphasis, although other disciplines are also good. It all depends on what your interest is. There are afew neighborhoods like around 15th ave around group health which are relatively safe. the UWSOM like most large universities are usually are not in the best neighborhoods you have to be street smart and be on your guard. Hope this info helps.

cedar_bluff_tree_farm · 09-16-2009, 08:16 PM

I am a student at University of Washington (graduate student in Mechanical Engineering). My opinion is UW is a great school and well known in the west coast as being a great university. Their school of medicine has a good reputation and Seattle is one of the renowed for it's medical care (oncology in particular).

However, UW is in the city surrounded by houses and towns for many miles. It's great if you wish to live in a big city while going to school. If you're looking for a small college town to live in, UW isn't a great choice.

There's lots of buildings on the UW campus and not too much grass. The libraries are beautiful, the buildings are generally nice, and tons of money flows around campus.

But I wouldn't choose it if I was looking for a quaint college town to live in for a few years.

Ira500 · 09-16-2009, 08:26 PM

Actually, there are some very nice neighborhoods very close to UW Medical School. Montlake and North Capitol Hill for two. Some of the University District itself is kind of scuzzy, but Montlake, North Capitol Hill, Ravenna, Greenlake, Wallingford, the Roosevelt district, and some other neighborhoods are fairly close to UW Medical School and quite nice.

iskray917 · 09-16-2009, 08:34 PM

I am currently a student at the University of Washington and your sources couldn't be more wrong. The city of Seattle as a whole is faaaar from a "bad area". In fact it's quite a nice city. Crime is low compared to other cities. The U-District (where UW is) isn't the best part of the city. There are some shady people around sometimes and occasionally some activity from some rowdy students but it is not that bad. In other words, it's not the best area but it is certainly not "bad" like you are probably imagining. I feel safe walking around at any time of day.

I do not have much knowledge of the medical school so I can't help you much there, but the campus is indeed beautiful. I have visited several colleges around the country and UW's campus is one of the best if not the best I have been to. I am quite happy here.

sean98125 · 09-17-2009, 12:28 AM

The U District has seen better days, but it's no Baltimore and it's nothing compared to the scuzzy areas around DC. There are very nice neighborhoods close to the U.

I'm surprised that the apartments in 98105 looked bad - that is the zip code for Laurelhurst, which is one of the priciest neighborhoods in the city. The UW actually has some student housing in that area near Magnuson Park that is very nice. I think it's called the Radford Court. You'd be right next door to a huge park that used to be a Naval airfield, and along a bike trail that'll take you right to UWMC.

The neighborhoods out here are fine as long as you pretty much stay north of I-90 as a general rule of thumb.

You could even live in Kirkland or Bellevue and take a short bus ride to the campus.

Your friends don't know what they're talking about. And you live in one of the few parts of the country that has worse traffic than Seattle, so it'll be a relief for you to come out here.

Good luck!

The medical school here is highly regarded and very competitive.

Swigchow · 09-17-2009, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mellymel

I am applying to UWSOM and a lot of people are telling me I am making a mistake and that Seattle, WA is a really bad area and I wouldn't want to live there.

The mistake might be that it is very difficult gaining admission to UW Med school unless you are a Wash residence or part of the WAMI program (alaska, montana, idaho). Otherwise, once in it is a great school for whatever field of medicine that interests you.
There are plenty of liveable areas around the school or close by. That should not be a major issue in your school selection process.
Good Luck to you.

cyberwulf · 09-17-2009, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iskray917

The U-District (where UW is) isn't the best part of the city. There are some shady people around sometimes and occasionally some activity from some rowdy students but it is not that bad. In other words, it's not the best area but it is certainly not "bad" like you are probably imagining. I feel safe walking around at any time of day.

I second this. The (few) incidents of crime that I've seen reported around the U District seem be centered around the fraternity area just north of campus, and tend to occur late at night. And we're talking mostly grab-and-runs, not armed muggings. I lived very close to campus (Nordheim Court, at 5000 25th Ave NE) during my first year at UW, and never felt nervous about coming or going at any hour of the day.

mellymel · 09-19-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swigchow

The mistake might be that it is very difficult gaining admission to UW Med school unless you are a Wash residence or part of the WAMI program (alaska, montana, idaho). Otherwise, once in it is a great school for whatever field of medicine that interests you.
There are plenty of liveable areas around the school or close by. That should not be a major issue in your school selection process.
Good Luck to you.

Yeah, I am really worried that I will not get into the school. I have only heard of one person getting in and they lived in New York. I know UW Med School has some serious Out of State requirements...so, I'll have to wait and see. =/