Pack it in!

I am halfway through finals and getting ready to go home in a few days. I'll return as an MD2 and there will be a whole new crew of MD1 students starting up. I've been getting tons of emails from incoming students asking for advice on various things. By far, the most frequent question I am getting is "What do I pack? It is so hard!" I remember having these troubles myself! So this post is for all of you incoming students trying to decide how to use your precious packing space. At the end of the day, don't forget that after four months (which will FLY by), you will get to go home and replenish your stock. Don't worry about getting every pair of shoes you own into that suitcase! When you go home and then come back, you can bring those beloved belongings with you the second go round. It will feel like having a whole new wardrobe!

Here are some things that you may want to consider squeezing in:

1. "School Supplies" - You probably want to bring most of your school supplies (paper, pens, whatever) because it is hard to find good quality stuff here that doesn't have outrageous pricing. Make sure you bring pencils as all of the tests are done on scantron. You can buy stuff here, it just might not be what you are used to using.

2. Seat cushion- the seats in the classrooms as super uncomfortable...I am talking PLASTIC. You may want a thin cushion to sit on since you have to sit there all day long. Most people have that on the top of their list of things to bring back with them after Xmas.

3. External hard drive - You will go through the space on your computer quickly. Also, lots of files (PDFs, videos, etc) get passed around at the beginning of the semester so extra storage space is helpful if you want to take advantage of these awesome resources. 

4. Clothes - Make sure you bring some warmer clothes. A lot of people packed only "summer" clothing - and the classrooms are quite chilly with the A/C (People currently sit in class cuddled up in their snuggles!)  You may want a set of scrubs for lab and for volunteer events (if you choose to do them). Also make sure to bring some business casual clothing for presentations.

5. Toiletries -  I'd suggest bringing enough toiletries to get you through till christmas. They are expensive here - toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash, etc. For the ladies, bring enough make up and stuff to get you through, especially if you are picky. You can't find anything that is decent quality on the island. Also, things like hair clips, hair ties, bobby pins, etc. You can find some of the same things at home but it can be difficult sometimes. If you like certain lotions and stuff, bring them!

6. Medications -  If you are on any prescription meds, bring enough to last until christmas. They won't fill your prescriptions here, you will have to see an island doctor for a new script, and some medications aren't available. You may also want a stock of over the counter stuff that you use because you can't find everything here and some of it is expensive (ex. Advil, allergy medication, cough drops, etc).

7. Kitchen supplies - Most of the apartments come pretty well stocked with kitchen stuff…but if there is anything specific you want you may want to bring it because it's expensive to buy things. Ex. I brought my magic bullet and rice cooker because I can't live without them. You can sometimes find things to buy off other students that are leaving. Oh, and you might want to bring some tupperware, so you don't have to buy it here.

8. Food - you can find most food items on the island. I wouldn't waste too much room trying to bring dry goods and things because you can most likely get it here, or at least something similar. If you are crazy about certain spices (ex. to cook indian foods) you may want to bring some but you can find most things.

9. Afterbite and bug spray. Mosquitos/sand flies are relentless.

10. Work out gear -  if you like to work out. We do yoga and T25/insanity at the school regularly so if you'd like to join in bring some stuff! 

11. Powerbar -  outlets in the classrooms are limited…it is helpful if a few students bring power bars so everyone can plug in!

12. Textbooks - a lot of people have questions about whether or not to buy books at home and bring them with you. Lots of upper year students are always selling their textbooks so I'd save the space if you can. Textbooks are also available as PDF files and are made available to all students - just depends if you are the type of person who likes to have a hardcopy. Some students get by without textbooks at all but that is an individual preference. Teachers typically make their powerpoint slides straight from the books, but the actual textbooks can be great for reference material, a lot of people find they don't need the textbooks at all. I would definitely recommend the BRS books, especially for embryology, histology, and anatomy. They have great practice questions and are a good summary of high yield material (they are available as PDFs as well).

Those are my main suggestions. If any current students are reading this and have suggestions of their own, please feel free to leave them in the comments section at the bottom of this page! Happy packing and looking forward to meeting everyone next semester!!