Well I think the best option for many students will be to be close to the metro since the area immediately surrounding the school (Columbia Heights and U st can be pricey. I think a lot of current students live in Silver Spring (The Summit Hills complex usually has good rates) and Hyattsville. Both are in Maryland and fairly metro accessible. If you did however have the desire to stay in DC, better priced options will be available further uptown along Georgia Avenue. Neighborhoods like Brightwood, Manor Park, and Takoma Park are good places to look in NW DC for decently priced apartments that will be metro accessible or close to a bus line that will take you to a metro station. The thing with a lot of DC apartments that will be in a medical student's price range tend to be a little older and don't have some of the amenities one might want in an apartment (washer/dryer, dishwasher) so if those are options that you would want, you'll have to pay more. There are a few options in NE DC that tend to have good prices and amenities (Brookland Ridge, Cloisters) but these apartments tend to go fast especially during the summer months. Overall its going to be more expensive than what most people are used to paying for rent in other parts of the country, but having a roommate definitely softens the blow of writing that rent check on the 1st. Hope this helps!