Mums of medicine graduates - quick question

[Dazedandconfus]

Hi!
DD is currently ranking where she would like to go for F1 and F2 and is looking for a change from her Uni town. She is hoping to go to a new city, although if successful she may not know others there.
I was just wondering how your DC found accommodation and housemates? Did they take hospital accommodation initially or just find a flat share advertised?
Thanks!

Hospital accommodation is like hens teeth and you dont find out till the week before if there is a place for you so you need to find somewhere privately unless you are lucky enough to have family nearby. My DS deanery had him placed in 2 separate counties several miles from each other so he opted for HMOs - nice ones, mind you. He has only now taken a years privately rent by himself at the age of 27 so shared accommodation all this time. He has just got to the point where he can afford this. Next years core training is again in a different county so will need to move again. If your young doctor is choosing deaneries have a think about whether or not they could find one that has all the rotations near to each other, that makes it a lot easier.

Thank you for this. It sounds like HMO is the best way to go. She’s between Scotland and her first choice would be Glasgow or Newcastle perhaps.

The first and third HMOs my son had were actually really nice, ensuite doubles in large modern houses. He didn't know anyone in the areas so he quickly connected with others in the house. The middle one was a bit grottier in an inner city location so not quite so nice though he didn't mind. It didn't help that he couldn't drive at the time so needed somewhere within walking distance to the hospitals - and they are often not in the nicest part of town. He found his on the Spare Room app - good luck

I graduated from a city in the north of UK and was placed in midlands (back in 2014). As soon as I found out where I was going I got straight on spare room and started finding flat shares - no one else I knew was moving to the same place as me. I stayed there for 2 years - having money meant it was a much nicer experience than feeling poor for so long at Uni and i really enjoyed it!

As I understand it - unless something has changed again - the allocation is now completely random - so you rank where you want to go, but then how they decide who gets what ranking is completely randomised - so it’s almost a bit of a moot point discussing it now as they could be put anywhere.

Unless you’re on the Isle of Man or Jersey I haven’t heard of anywhere that has hospital accomodation for medics certainly not big cities.

This is not a dig at all but if your dc has done 5-6 years of uni and is presumably in a group of 200-300 people doing exactly the same thing - they should be best placed to know how to go about finding accomodation. I personally found the looking for a house bit which I did on my own quite fun and it was nice to have a bit of independence. Obviously everyone is different and has different needs but maybe discuss with your adult child too - it’s nice to know your parents trust you to make big decisions on your own 🤍

My son has moved every year since his F1 year and has either rented a house or one/two bedroom apartment on his own. He found that sharing was ok but when he was in A and E his strange hours meant the others woke him up when they left for work or he woke others up coming in. He liked his independence and time to study in peace and quiet.

Around three quarters get their first choice each year under the new randomised system.

@Theboymolefoxandhorse thank you for your thoughts. You’re right and it is quite random now, however some deaneries have a competition ratio of less than 1 which means if you put them first you are likely to get your first choice. Although they are of course huge areas!

I totally get your point about letting DD sort this herself and I absolutely will. I know . I was just wondering really, what others have done, but didn’t want to ask her as she has enough on her plate right now and I don’t want to put her off her plans. I do get a bit over involved though and you make a very valid point!

To be honest, I’m a little surprised and slightly concerned that she’s planning to go to another city, away from friends - but also excited for her! Some of her friends are staying and some going back to home towns, so they are all spreading out I guess.

The deaneries are so huge - I think even if they get the one they want there is a lot of scope for ending up somewhere they don’t really want to be, but she’s heard from several friends who were initially disappointed in their location, and they are all loving it as I think there is an “all in this together” attitude!

My dd has just started as an F1. She stayed in her university town. Her closest friends from her course all went to different deaneries but she is now sharing with a friend from home. Once the jobs were announced, there was a WhatsApp group created of everyone and a lot of house and flat shares were created from that.

You need to check out the differences in rental laws in Scotland and England. In Scotland you might be better doing a single let rather than a shared tenancy.

Ah ok thank you. I'll check it out, or will at least make sure DD does.

You need to wait until tomorrow - there is a housing bill being voted on in the Scottish Parliament today. One thing it should hopefully change is stopping people in joint tenancies potentially being held to ransom by the other tenants.

My daughter moved into a private rental in east London when she started F1, two years ago. She could only afford this because she shared with her boyfriend, also a medic, a few years older and also working in London. They were fortunate to both find places in London.

My DD has just started F1 in her 15th choice deanery 😡😢 Was awful when allocation came thru but she’s tough, got over it and is now enjoying it mostly! Once they had their hospitals confirmed (few weeks after deanery allocation), WhatsApp group was made and she “met” her now flatmate on that so all worked out!

Oh goodness....15th choice, that must have been a nasty shock. I'm glad your DD is enjoying it now. Your randomly allocated rank follows you through the process doesn't it? Was DD ok with the area within the deanery and the actual jobs?

It's so hard isn't it as even if my DD were to choose Scotland, and get it, it's so vast there are plenty of places she wouldn't like to end up. Much like other deaneries I suppose.

I think they find out their deanery in March, does it take long to them find out where they are going within that deanery @sergeantmajormum

my DC got their first choice deanery but not hospital job, would have much preferred to stay in northern university city. Privately renting with their partner.

Sorry to hear that @ramonaquimby . I think Northern is currently DD's second choice. She's been deciding between Scotland and Northern for a while. I understand Northern has quite a lot that can be commuted to from Newcastle but a couple of areas, Carlisle and Middlesbrough, that are out on their own. I hope she's enjoying it though?

Out of interest, have most of your DC found it to be quite social and easy to meet new people?
DD is determined to have a couple of years in a different city and hopeful that she will find some people in the same boat.

Yes, quite social, quite a few things organised within the hospital and their department, and also by the F1s themselves. Although DC is exhausted, and just about now getting used to the long shifts, being on call, and working unsocial hours.
And yes, enjoying all of it. Especially the first paycheque!!

Scotland, Wales, London and NI were all ranked at the bottom for DC 😂

@ramonaquimby that's great that she is enjoying it! DD will be happy to receive her first pay too I am sure, when the time comes.
That's funny how one person's first choice is someone else's last choice! Scotland seems to have a competition ratio of ever so slightly over 1, but who knows how it will be from one year to the next!

It was a horrible shock. Yes you are allocated for both years. She had some places she would not have gone to ( would have even contemplated a year out) but actually got her first choice of jobs - they call it a track - in 2 acceptable towns she’d never been to. But in that track were 2 posts which were her absolute favourites. She found out the actual hospitals and jobs in mid April tho some placeholders (a whole other nightmare) found out much later. It’s like being posted by military - her first class intercalated degree and top decile finals counted for nothing. #stillbruised

Ds went to a totally new place for f1. He says there are a lot of Facebook groups with all the F1s trying to meet up and share houses together as soon as you know where you're going. Plenty of opportunities and socials to meet all the other F1s.

My daughter made some good friends and is off to the wedding of one F1 friend soon.