How I made it through residency interview season for less than $1,000
Medical school is expensive. There is no question about it. One must invest a large sum of money into their medical education (in addition to the extraordinary investment of time required). Fourth year of medical school is likely going to be your most expensive year. In addition to the lofty USMLE Step 2 fees (thankfully Step 2 CS is no more), residency applications and interviews really add up. I regret how much I spent during my own residency interview adventure. Below, I will discuss some of the ways you can save some money during the residency interview process.
First and foremost, think about the kind of residency program you’d like to be a part of. What sort of class size do you want? Where in the country could you see yourself living? Do you envision being close to family while in residency (as an aside, I recommend having family support nearby)? Compile your selected list of programs after reflecting thoroughly on these questions. That way, you’ll save yourself from applying to certain programs that do not fit your ideal mold. Avoid applying to programs “just to see if you can get an interview.” I did this at some top places, and realized after that it was a waste of money. That being said, if there’s a place that is highly competitive but somewhere you could see yourself actually going, then please apply there! One caveat to all this centers around how competitive your specialty of choice is, and how competitive you are for that desired specialty. In something like dermatology, all bets are off and you might have to apply to every single program in the country. I picked 10 programs that best fit my needs and only applied to those 10.
Saving money on flights is crucial. One of the best ways to do this is by taking advantage of the awesome travel credit cards. I highly recommend getting the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards credit card sometime during your 3rd year to begin accumulating points. This card usually has a very favorable sign up bonus. This will likely equate to 3 or 4 free flights, but very much depends on where and when you are flying to a certain place. Other great travel credit cards with similar sign up bonuses include, the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture, and United Explorer Card. These cards all have annual fees from $60-90, but if you meet the sign-up bonus then this fee is offset by the free flights. Of course, I ALWAYS recommend not carrying a balance on a credit card and paying any sort of interest. You could even sign up for several different travel cards to maximize your reward miles. I did not pay for a single flight by playing the credit card game in this way. Like me, you can save thousands of dollars by taking advantage of these credit card bonuses.
When your interview destination is within driving distance, I recommend that you drive. This will save up your rewards miles for destinations definitively not within driving distance. Check to see if you have classmates going to the same interview. You could try carpooling and splitting gas (and potentially lodging as well)!
Lodging can really add up during interview season. Some programs have special deals with local hotels and will get you a discount. Additionally, many will provide a bus or shuttle service to help transport you to the medical center at which you are interviewing. Be sure to take advantage in this respect. Some programs might have the opportunity to allow you to actually stay with a resident for the weekend. If you are comfortable doing this, it could be a great way to not only save money but get to know the residents (and the program) a lot better. Finally, there is this great app called Couchsurfing that allows you to connect with locals and find places to stay for your interview weekend. Many of my interviews were in Texas and I had family nearby, so I always stayed with family when I was able to. Some programs might even pay for your hotel!
Free meals are plentiful during interview season. ALWAYS go to the night before dinner if you are able to make it. This dinner will be free and you need to go to it if you have a serious interest in a program. From my experience as a resident, these dinners are when we really get to know the individual applicants. You’ll also get free lunch at the hospital on interview day (and potentially breakfast as well). You might be on your own for other meals. If you’re really looking to save money, you can always pack meals for the weekend before you leave home.
Always think geographically. If you live in California and have several programs along the East Coast that you are applying to, try to knock those interviews out all on the same trip. This is obvious, but it takes careful planning to make this work. You can literally turn 4 or even 6 flights into 2 flights with a couple of car or train rides added on.