MD Anderson New Grad Nurses Jan 2010

TX RN · Dec 22, 2009

Great choice. Aside from MDACC being a state of Texas institution (which qualifies you for great state benefits), it's also a fabulous place to learn and work.

January is not far away to not have housing secured yet. My best and honest advice for anyone unfamiliar with Houston would be to find short-term housing to start with. After a few months of being in Houston you will find that this town can accomodate everything from family oriented suburbanites, fast paced inner-city urban dwellers, to wide open spaces for those seeking peaceful quiet country housing.

Start with craigslist, there's usually a listing of ads for rooms for rent or roommates. I would recommend you look for something in or near the medical center, bellaire, Rice University area. It keeps the commute short and offers plenty to do nearby on your days off.

www.houston.craigslist.org

Best of luck to you.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Dec 22, 2009

WELCOME TO HOUSTON!!! Congratulations on being accepted to such a highly selective program.

I agree with the previous poster. Probably better to go with a short-term living arrangements until you decide where you want to live. There are a ton of very nice & affordable apartments within very short commuting distances to the med center.

Here is the Texas Medical Center newsletter http://www.texasmedicalcenter.org/root/en

It has a ton of information, maps, etc.

Keep us posted. You didn't indicate where you are moving from - I'd love to hear how about your first impressions & how well you are adapting to H-town.

Aggiegrl07 · Dec 23, 2009

Hey!

I got hired into the transition PACU at MDA. I guess we'll meet each other soon. :-)

MDA is great. I have also heard from friends who had their preceptorship on the MDA PACU that it is a great unit. The nurses love to teach. I'm sure it will be an amazing learning experience!

As far as apartments go-the above posters are probably right. I personally haven't found any apartments near the med center to be safe, affordable, and large enough to accomodate all of my stuff. So, I'm moving to Katy. Many people live in the burbs and commute but the Houston traffic may be a shock to you.

Good luck with the search!

NeoNurseTX, RN · Dec 27, 2009

Katy is super far.

Anyway, I have a friend that was a GN in the PACU starting in July 09. Message me and I'll send you her email. What type of rent are you looking for? I'm in the museum district but it's over 1k a month. Very nice and safe though! There is no way I could drive far after a shift.

jbull86 · Jan 4, 2010

Hi I am currently finishing up school myself at The University of Texas at Houston School of Nursing coming this May, 07 2010. I currently am working full time as a CNA on G7 Medical/ Surgical ICU at MD Anderson this is in the Alkek building. I will be applying here soon this Jan./ Feb for there summer GN program. I also received a B.S. in Biology from Texas A&M College Station in May 2008. I wanted to throw out the idea that I have an extra bedroom in my condo in the medical center for rent! It is a 2 bedroom 1 bath, washer/ dryer, refrigerator, electric stove, microwave, hard wood floors in the bedrooms/ living, tile in the kitchen and bathroom and parking! Its about 10 minutes from MDA by METRO. I just ride my BIKE to the hospital, which takes between 10 & 15 minutes to get there, plus it is free for parking! I really will be busy this semester, working full time and finishing up school (I have High Acuity, Community Health and Critical Synthesis = 13 hours)!!! I have been living in this complex since Fall of 2008 and it is a nice area to start out and a reasonable price to live before you decide later on where you would like to live more permanently. It does take some time to get to know the area and that comes with just experiencing the Houston area yourself, which I could show you around! I would like to pre-screen you if you are interested, rent runs at $500 and the physical address is 8055 Cambridge St. Houston, TX 77054. The only down play to all this is that I am a guy, just really need someone to rent the room because I never use the space and might as well lend out the offer. You can contact me here or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/justin.bull2?ref=profile

LindsayPaige · Jan 8, 2010

jbull86

Were you able to work full time throughout the whole BSN program?

jbull86 · Jan 8, 2010

Yeah working during the generic program is possible, but you really have to do time management to make it all workout. Study during your time off is a must so you don't get behind and feel comfortable enough with the material. Really school and work is all I have time for and maybe every now and then I can go out and hang with friends. Plus I live here in the Medical Center, so that helps out a lot too. Are you planning on going to school here in Houston? Its a great place and wonderful experience if you want the best! You looking for a place to crash near the medical center... I have a room for rent!

LindsayPaige · Jan 8, 2010

I have applied to TWU, A&M College Station, UH Manoa, and OHSU. I was unalbe to get acceptable scores for the NET but did exceptional on the HES A2. Go figure. Thanks for the information.

Fun2, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2010

What is the drive time for rush hour from Katy to MDA?

hunnybaby24, BSN, APRN, NP · Jan 16, 2010

mmm depends on when you leave. I usually left around 0545 -0600 and got there in about an hour. If you leave later, your travel time can vary significantly. From 30 min- 1.5 hours or more. It just depends with Houston traffic. You might also want to consider riding the bus using the Park and Ride system. Their time table is usually more consistent (http://www.ridemetro.org) they have schedules on their website. If you can find someone to carpool with, the commute is free using the same HOV system or if you drive single, you pay EZ TAG on the HOV.

Hope this helps.