Sunil's tips and advice for radiology residents and the AFIP course

Sunil's AFIP Course Advice for Radiology Residents

Where to live:

1. Live as close to 16th St. as possible. The bus line to Walter Reed (S2 and S4) is very convenient.

2. Stay WEST of 16th St. (16th St. and higher). East of 16th St. is scary. Super ghetto.

3. Consider the following areas:
i. Mt. Pleasant - Slightly ghetto but reasonably priced, a short bus ride to AFIP (10 min), short walk to Adams Morgan (even shorter bus ride), and very convenient location to pick up buses in general.
ii. Peri-Walter Reed region - Not the coolest area, but it's convenient to be able to walk to class each day. But it's a super boring area and your bus options are limited. I'd recommend a car if you live up here. Pretty expensive.
iii. Adams Morgan - Popular nightlife spot. Not sure how many residential areas are available for short term rent. I'm sure it's more reasonable than Georgetown, Dupont Circle, or the Walter Reed areas. Not a terribly convenient commute to AFIP.
iv. Dupont Circle - Super expensive, but also super cool location. Not an easy commute to AFIP from here.

4. Georgetown is extremely far from Walter Reed. Only stay here if you've got free accomodations and a car. It's a 1-hour commute via public transportation. Nightlife and restaurants are expensive.

5. Try to find a place on craigslist.org. A number of rooms/apartments are advertised here for short term lease at reasonable rates.

Car?

1. A car is not necessary. In fact, having a car can sometimes limit your options because parking is so limited in certain areas on the weekends. The Metrorail and Metrobus are excellent.

2. Parking at AFIP is available, but you'd better get there by 7:30 if you want a spot. Otherwise, you're limited to 2-hour parking, and likely a number of parking tickets.

Airport Information

1. If possible, fly out of Reagan National Airport (DCA). It's located smack in downtown DC right on the metro line. However, flights tend to be super expensive out of Reagan. But with US Airways going out of business, their flights are incredibly cheap right now. I'm not sure how long this will last.

2. Dulles (IAD) is extremely far from downtown DC, and even further from Walter Reed. But I managed to get to and from Dulles using the Metrobus pretty easily. Metrobus 5A is an hourly express bus which connects the airport with Rosslyn or L'Enphant Plaza metro stations, from which you can jump on the Metrorail or catch another bus. It costs $3 and the ride is about 45 minutes.

3. Baltimore (BWI) is pretty close to Walter Reed, but super far from downtown DC. However, an hourly express bus (Metrobus B30) connects the airport with Greenbelt metro station. It costs $3 and the ride is about 30 minutes.

Public Transportation

1. The Metrobus system is incredibly convenient. You can get anywhere on the bus. Weekly bus passes are available for about $11.

2. The Metrorail system is also great, but ends at midnight.

3. Check out wmata.com for metro information, including system maps and timetables. A very convenient trip planner will give you door to door travel instructions.

Sunil Gandhi, M.D.
U.C. San Diego Medical Center
Department of Radiology
sunil.gandhi@alumni.duke.edu