Thank-you!! With that being said I can definitely understand how beneficial the program can be.
Also, as far as housing, do you have any suggestions or advice of what most pharmacy students do? Since the cost of living is expensive in the city of DC; I've been considering living outside of DC and commuting to campus or taking public transportation. Do many pharmacy students commute, if so what are some of the cities near by that would not have a terrible commute considering traffic.
My honest suggestion is to live as close to school as possible. I am not sure what city you're from but this area (the DMV) and being in graduate school mean your time is precious. My P1 year I lived Hyattsville (3350 at Alterra) which is a mere 6 miles on Google Maps; however, on mornings it would take upwards of 50 minutes or more driving (there is no freeway to take) and taking the metro was more or less the same time (but more expensive as each way is probably 3 dollars on the train). My roommate had his significant other with him so we split a two bed two bath for about $700 (without utilities). The commute was awful but more importantly, when studying at campus I would have to drive a minimum of 25 minutes (even in the middle of the night) just to go home and shower/eat. During Finals weeks, I wound up sleeping at school rather than sacrifice pretty much an hour to shower.
Fast forward to my P2 year, I now live next to the National Basilica (a mere 1 mile from campus) but pay about $1000 (without utilities) for my share of a two bed two bath. But the beauty of it is that I can get to school in a matter of 5 minutes and come home freely. If you add up the time you're stuck in traffic over the course of 4 years, I'm willing to wager that you're losing an irreplaceable amount of hours you could have been studying, networking, doing research, or anything else beneficial to your career. A few hundred dollars of rent per month you may save to live closer you will pay for it in study time, traffic, etc. that may make your graduate career a much more difficult one. In the grand scheme of your life, however many thousand dollars you paid extra in rent, will not be as substantial when you graduate and begin making pharmacist money. My advice is to think long term and not be short-sighted in trying to find somewhere to live.
With that said, I'll give you the run down of where some of my classmates live (and what they pay if I know it):
Classmate in Laurel, MD: lives with family but commutes a minimum of 35 minutes each way (18 miles).
Classmate in Baltimore, MD: lives with family but commutes a minimum of an hour each way (37 miles).
Classmates in Hyattsville, MD: live at University Town Center (student housing): pay about $700 (if they have 3 roommates) with bills included. A shuttle is included and runs I think 7:00 AM until 11:00 PM that goes to campus and back. Commute depends on when you leave and the traffic (6 miles). This is also metro accessible.
http://www.thetowersatutc.com/
Classmate in Fairfax, VA: lives at home with family but depending on traffic, the drive is anywhere between 40 minutes to 2 hours (20 miles).
Classmates living in DC: expect the rent to be the highest but the consensus is that most are happy with the shorter commute and being able to go to and from home at will. Rent at an apartment is at least $700 and bills are usually not included.
http://www.aventineforttotten.com/Floor-Plans.aspx
http://www.parkplace-dc.com/
http://www.thecloistersdc.com/
Living on campus at Howard is also an option but I would highly advice AGAINST it. Rent there is like $1200 at a minimum to live in a rundown apartment that has problems daily. Every single student in the Class of 2018 literally ran out of there as soon as they could.
If you're new to the city, I would advice to either live in Northeast DC or Southern Maryland. Living in Virginia will give you likely the longest commute as there is only one way into town and every is forced to take it.
Again, there are lots of factors to housing and everyone prioritizes things differently. Do your research and find your best fit. Also get roommates early!!!!!!!
Anything else, feel free to ask
