Congratulations! I mean that. For the next four, five, or six years your entire life will be wrapped around digging into the anatomy of the most complex physical structure ever created, man. And you have been chosen to perform this task at the University of Tennessee-Memphis Medical School. Congratulations are in order. So are, do you know what you just got yourself into?
That last bit was a slice at humor. Medical school is an intense environment regardless of where you are. But especially in Memphis where the University of Tennessee Medical School or UT-Memphis for short, is a sort of first line of defense in Memphis’ health care crisis of caring for the underprivileged. At some point, if you attend and ultimately graduate from UT-Memphis, you will have a hair scratching moment of confusion at the dire situation so many people in Memphis find themselves in. But then, maybe that is why you chose to become a doctor.
Aside from the knowledge accumulation necessary to assimilate properly through the medical school, there are some social concerns that every student will have. So, let’s talk about them.
Concern #1
There are no dorms at UT-Memphis. In the heart of the medical district, the medical school is situated in one of the lesser residential areas of the city. In fact, you will be hard-pressed to find a nice apartment complex within five minutes of UT-Memphis. There is one, on Union Avenue called Bristol. They are nice but may be a bit expensive for a typical medical school student. About five miles from campus is Midtown Memphis. This community within the city is a dynamic place with a wonderful mix of apartments and houses available for medical school students.
Concern #2
Entertainment is in every student’s blood, including the medical school student. Beale Street is Memphis’ version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Filled with places like Elvis Presley’s Memphis and a club named after B.B. King, Beale Street even offers a Hard Rock Café for the more mature, but fun loving adult. Beyond Beale, a typical medical student, whose social needs are different from a college student, can find the Overton Park area an intriguing entertainment choice. In the Midtown section, Overton Square and its adjoining Park, offers a nice social scene that is a bit more staid than the Beale Street experience.
Concern #3
If you live near UT-Memphis there is only one place to buy your groceries. The Schnucks on Union, is the best place with fifteen minutes to buy your food. Are there other supermarkets? Absolutely, but in Schnucks you get quality, friendly, and clean. I think those matter, don’t they? For those that want to avoid Schnucks, there is a Kroger on Poplar, about three miles from the medical school and a Piggly Wiggly on Madison, a block north of Schnucks.
Concern #4
Every medical student drinks coffee right? Within five minutes of the medical school, in Midtown is located a Starbucks at Union and McLean. Before you get to Starbucks you will pass High Point Coffee. A new entrant into the coffee wars, High Point offers free Wi-Fi service and has better hours than Starbucks. Yes, you read that right, free Wi-Fi service.
Concern #5
When you are looking for a place to eat near UT-Memphis, there is an Applebee’s, Huey’s, and most fast food places to the east of the medical school. To the west is Peabody Place, a distinct retail complex with dining spots and a theatre. Across from Peabody Place you will find TGI Fridays as well as AutoZone Park where the St. Louis Cardinals’ triple-A baseball team plays.
Concern #6
If you are looking for places to hang out, Midtown is where you will spend the bulk of your time. On Sundays, Overton Park is filled with people playing with their dogs, participating in sports and other activities. Down on the river, about two miles west of the medical school, the parks are filled with people laughing, playing, and having a good time. The closest bookstore is Bookstar (a Barnes & Noble subsidiary) located five miles from the medical school near the University of Memphis, on Poplar.
If you can manage these six issues or concerns effectively, you will not have a problem engaging in the community around the University of Tennessee-Memphis Medical School.
