Relocating to Hershey/Central PA

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Specializes in pediatrics, oncology.

I am interviewing at Hershey Med next week for their GN program. I'm from New Jersey, have lived in NJ, NYC, and southern CT. I've been to Hershey a couple times, but don't know anything about what it's like to live out there. Can anyone give me some insight as to what kind of life I can expect to live in central PA? I know everyone is different and it's really what you make of it, but I still need to know if I'm going to be relocating to the absolute middle of no where, or if it will be easy/possible to make friends, meet people, have a life, etc? What do single people in their 20s do out there? Please note that just because I've lived in NYC, I do not need a city to thrive.

Thanks in advance for your help. :)

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Specializes in Emergency, neonatal, pediatrics.

Hey there,

Just wanted to say hi and good luck with your interview. Hershey is an interesting place to live. While we're not urban here, we're certainly not completely rural either. You'll find that there are a lot of apartment complexes and townhome developments around the immediate area with a younger population, due in large part to the students, faculty and staff at the med center. For "nightlife", 2nd Street in Harrisburg is popular, but it resembles more of a college-town bar scene than anything you'd find around the New York metro area. Personally it's not my thing, but that seems to be where you find a lot of single people in their 20s. There are also lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation - ample hiking & bike trails, parks, rivers & streams. Finally, Hershey is a stop on a few national tours - Billy Joel, Elton John, Dave Matthews, and several others I can't think of performed here this past summer. Good luck again and best wishes.

:paw: ER Josh

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.

Im in neighboring Lancaster. I hear great things about Hershey and have a few friends also interviewing for GN positions there also.

There so much to do here, seriously. Art walks, culturally themed bazaars, markets, live theatre, just depends on your likes and dislikes. We're also in close proximity to major cities (Baltomore, Philadelphia) that a weekend trip or day trip there isnt out of the question.

Good Luck.

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Specializes in Telemetry/Vascular Surgical.

"SHINYBLACKCAR" I am also going Hershey Medical Center for an interview! When is your interview? What unit did you apply to? I am also looking for housing around the area. Tell me if you find a great place! Good luck!

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Specializes in pediatrics, oncology.
"SHINYBLACKCAR" I am also going Hershey Medical Center for an interview! When is your interview? What unit did you apply to? I am also looking for housing around the area. Tell me if you find a great place! Good luck!

My interviews are this Thursday, in ED and peds. You?

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I am originally from NY myself, then lived in Baltimore prior to moving to Lebanon, PA where I am at now. I am about 20 minutes from Hershey it took me a LONG time to adjust to living here. It is really country but Hershey is very close to Harrisburg & Lancaster where there is alot to do there. I do love the life that I am living here & you can't beat the cost of living here. My only complaint you have to drive far everywhere I am used to in Baltimore jumping on the beltway to get somewhere & be there in 5-10 min. here you are driving on main roads, or back roads alot of lights no highways unless you are close to 83. If you drive in Lancaster watch out for the horse & buggies. I love it though, and the Hershey medical center is my #1 choice for hospitals there is a hospital 2 minutes from my house & I will drive 25 minutes away to go to the med center excellent patient care....only hospital my kids have ever been to. Good luck!

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Specializes in Telemetry/Vascular Surgical.

"Shinyblackcar" I applied for the acute care internship, so I chose to work on a med/surg floor. I have two interviews on Friday. Tell me how your interview goes! Good luck with the interviews!

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Good luck! Hershey is a great place to live!

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

I relocated from NJ (20 min outside of NYC) to York County, PA, back when I was in my early twenties (however, I was engaged at the time). It took a lot of getting used to, as I personally found that it took a lot for the locals out there to warm up to an "outsider." However, I met some of the most wonderful people there who I still keep in touch with after relocating again seven years ago.

I'm not sure about how well Hershey pays, but I did take a decent pay-cut (at other hospitals not far from there) due to the cost-of-living being so much less expensive out there as compared to Jersey.

There is a lot of stuff to do out there - many historical areas, professional baseball teams in Harrisburg, Lancaster and Baltimore, amusement parks, horse-racing track, malls, Hershey Bears hockey team, Inner Harbor of Baltimore.....it really is a nice place to live. It's just a lot slower-paced than North Jersey (where I'm from) and a pp was right, it does take a while to get anywhere, even to a supermarket. Where I lived the nearest one was about a 15 min. drive away.

There are also great opportunities to continue your nursing education out there - obviously Penn State at Hershey, Millersville University, York College - just to name a few. Also, Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland are, IMO, within driving distance for a great education.

Good luck to you - I have no regrets about moving out there when I did. The only thing was that a lot of the public school systems out there could be better (not talking about Hershey, but where I lived in York County), and that was a huge factor for my husband and I when I became pregnant, and one of the driving forces when we decided to relocate.

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Hi,

I'm interviewing next week at Hershey for the new grad program and wondering how you guys thought the interview was when you went through the process? Did anyone get the job and actually end up relocating? I'm from NJ myself and I'm trying to figure out whether the change will be from urban to completely rural, or what I should prepare myself for. Any advice would help

Thanks!

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