vinnybaby Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Hi guys, so like many of the people here I want to move to Cali, I spent a month there last summer and went from the bottom to the top and back down again..zig zagging my way through hitting stuff I wanted to see like yosemite, sequoia, so cal, nappa, pch, tahoe and other stuff. I realize the gas is expensive, the taxes and stuff suck, houses are all expensive and there's a lot of crime. I still want to go though, its the most beautiful state I've ever seen and the food was great, also my dads from LA and I have family all over. I also don't have a family and I don't want a house or much else for that matter... Anyhow I only wrote that simply to dissuade people from posting negative stuff, I'm more after candid answers about how I should possibly go about my move. I live in CT so its no stones throw away, my questions are along the lines of; should I apply to schools out west and hope to get in and start working in Cali after or apply to schools here and try and move out west afterward and get a job? this question is multifaceted in that I wouldn't know if there is bias for accepting out of state students vs in state students?(so should i move there first ...) and if its difficult to get a job out of state after completing a program elsewhere? also if anyone knows good schools in Cali id be happy to hear about them besides Stanford its too expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystaltide Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 In general, it's harder to find a job in a different state from where you went to school. The best place to make connections is on your rotations, and it's way easier to do a rotation in California if you're going to school here. That being said, obviously the negative things you mentioned are for the most part true (aside from the crime thing in my opinion - I've lived in Michigan and Chicago and don't notice crime being worse in California). Reiterating that to say that you may end up taking out more loans/need more savings to go to school in California than you might elsewhere, in order to provide for housing and other cost of living expenses. There are a ton of schools in California, and I work with PAs who have attended pretty much all of them in the Bay area (Touro, Samuel Merritt, Stanford) and I'm somewhat familiar with the Dominican program. The PAs I've worked with from these schools are fantastic. I didn't apply to California schools, but the majority of schools I applied to were out of state. I got interviews at most of them. I wouldn't limit yourself to applying just in geographic location. Good luck! California is incredible and beautiful. I've never regretted my choice to move out here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HanSolo Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 State schools like UC Davis have in-state bias, but any of the private programs will take people from anywhere. You'll likely see more students enrolled from California simply due to the fact that more students from there apply; thus a reflection of the applicant pool as a whole. Also, since you're keen on moving out West, you better start acting like you belong ;). Only people who call it "Cali" are east coasties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike mike Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 On 8/26/2018 at 10:02 AM, HanSolo said: Also, since you're keen on moving out West, you better start acting like you belong ;). Only people who call it "Cali" are east coasties. Ha ha...so true. And if you end up moving to San Francisco call it "The City" because if you call it Frisco I think they throw you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystaltide Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 We do. I cringe at San Fran, but Frisco is a one way ticket back home. Only people allowed to use those are people who were born here, and they're like unicorns now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyrelight74 Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 I still call it "Cali". I moved to Cali in 2000. Maybe it's more common in my area. I'm in Bakersfield, or Bako as we call it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted September 11, 2018 Moderator Share Posted September 11, 2018 I grew up there. We said SoCal and NorCal Never frisco. Agree with "the city". I did undergrad at santa cruz and we would go "to the city" for dinner or special events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted September 11, 2018 Moderator Share Posted September 11, 2018 keep in mind that the COL in desirable(read within 20 miles of the coast) areas in CA pretty much means a PA can not afford to live there(in their own house) unless they have alternate income source like family money or a wealthy spouse. I would love to live on the CA coast anywhere between SLO and Mendocino. really not an option even on the salary of a senior EM PA with a non-working spouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystaltide Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 I don't know about never being able to buy a house...Living in the city the only thing stopping us from buying a house right now is my $2000/mo student loan payment. San Francisco pays PAs incredibly well compared to other places I've lived, and my partner makes about the same as I do. No family money. Saving for the down payment is the hardest, but we don't have kids so not a big issue to put extra aside for that. Looking to have loans paid off in the next 3-5 years and should realistically be able to buy a 2 bedroom 1 bath here then. That being said, unless you really really really want to live in the city/near the coast, the prices are 100% not worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted September 13, 2018 Moderator Share Posted September 13, 2018 2 bed 1 bath is a pretty small house and in SF will probably be 750k or more. In the pacific NW I got a 4 bed 2 bath house with a big yard in a great neighborhood for about 1/3 of that 18 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystaltide Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 Yeah it will be tiny, but it's enough for us. No interest in kids or a big yard. Sometimes we look at the prices and think there's no way anyone should pay that much for a house, but there's also nowhere (in the US at least) that we would rather live, so here we stay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbeTheBabe Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 It's doable. I'm from LA but went to school out of state. Got a good job in the location, pay and specialty I wanted straight out of school with no contacts. If you live in the more "rural" areas like Bakersfield you can definitely afford to live and buy a home on a single PA salary and be able to travel up and down Cali as you please. Here in LA, my wife and I have no student loans so we can afford a nice pool home for 700K in the valley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted October 5, 2018 Moderator Share Posted October 5, 2018 15 hours ago, AbeTheBabe said: It's doable. I'm from LA but went to school out of state. Got a good job in the location, pay and specialty I wanted straight out of school with no contacts. If you live in the more "rural" areas like Bakersfield you can definitely afford to live and buy a home on a single PA salary and be able to travel up and down Cali as you please. Here in LA, my wife and I have no student loans so we can afford a nice pool home for 700K in the valley. those of us who grew up in California refer to Bakersfield and fresno as "the armpit of California" for a reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cideous Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 20 hours ago, EMEDPA said: those of us who grew up in California refer to Bakersfield and fresno as "the armpit of California" for a reason. So here is the thing. Clovis, right outside of Fresno is rated one of the best cities in California to live in. Safe, low cost of living, adorable downtown. Every Friday night they shut down the downtown area for a giant farmers market, wine walk and beer crawl. You can get a great house for $300k.............AND YOU ARE 3 HOURS FROM THE COAST. Monterey, Carmel by the Sea, SF, SLO.....these are all a short driving distance. Come to Texas and what is within 3 hours of DFW....."Jack Squat"! (que Chris Farley). Austin? The hill country. Bring your mosquito spray and IV rehydration bags. Oh and the sun has been out how many days in Sept? Like two? I will take the armpit of California any day with the weather and drive proximity to the coast over any place in the South. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnybaby Posted October 12, 2018 Author Share Posted October 12, 2018 Great responses, I honestly have no interest in buying a house anywhere, ever, so anyway I guess you all answered my questions thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.