Saving Money on Residency Applications

Aug 22

6 min

962 Views

963 Views

How to Save Money While Applying for Residency

The cost of interviewing for residency can be a very expensive process for many applicants. Not only are there fees for the submission of ERAS, but additional costs include:

Registering for NRMP
Transportation to the interviews (flight, taxi to/from the airport, bus, cost of gas (if driving), renting a car, etc.)
Accommodation during the interview (hotel, Airbnb)
Cost of eating out (at airports when on-the-go, finding a restaurant in a new city)
Buying an interview outfit and paying for dry cleaning of the suit

….and various other miscellaneous ones. This can amount to a surprisingly large fare! In fact, the median cost of interviewing in recent years was roughly $3,900, with a range of $1,000 to $7,500!

Of course, the costs of interviewing will be different for every applicant, and they revolve around ~3 main things:

The number of programs the individual applies to (ie: once an applicant applies to more than 30 programs, each additional program costs $26!…see chart below for detailed ERAS fees)
The number of interviews the applicant attends
The location of each interview (an applicant interviewing on both coasts will likely spend more than someone targeting programs only in a specific region)

Because of these climbing costs, it is important to spend your money wisely and decide when to splurge vs save during interview season. We’ve compiled a list of ways you can save money while on the interview trail:

Scheduling:

- If possible, try to schedule your interviews regionally (when you fly to a certain city and know you will have >1 interview in the area, try to schedule them around the same time so that you don’t have to fly there twice).
- Don’t book your flights too far in advance because the start/origin may change as you get more invites, and you will end up having to change your flight or possibly even have to buy a new one. Luckily, Southwest Airlines allows you to change your travel dates/times free of charge if you end up needing to reschedule an interview date (if the flight you are switching to is more expensive, you have to pay the difference)

Sign up for an airline credit card. The “signing bonus” is often large enough where you can get several free flights with the points

Accommodation

Check if your medical school offers an alumni host program.
If you know the current interns/residents at the institution, ask if you can stay with them. They often live close to public transportation options/walking distance.
Look into Airbnb options rather than hotels, but remember if the city/town doesn’t have great public transportation, the cost of cabs/Ubers may end up negating the savings of getting a cheaper hotel or airbnb far from the interview location

Public transportation

Check to see if there are public transportation options from the airport to the program/your hotel – this will likely be less expensive than a cab/Uber
Depending on how large of a field you are applying to, you may see the same applicants over and over again – try to share contact information and then arrange to split Ubers (or even hotel rooms at future interviews)

General travel tips

Pack light so that you don’t need to pay extra for a large carry-on or checked bag
Bring granola bars/snacks so you don’t always have to rely on overpriced airport food

Additional details and a video on this topic can be found at: https://students-residents.aamc.org/financial-aid/article/cost-residency-interviews/

Need additional
help with your exam?

Enter your info to hear from a member of our team and discuss if 1-on-1 tutoring is right for you.

Your Name*
Email Address**
Phone Number**
Medical School
What do you need help with?*
How did you hear about us?*
Referral Code
TIME ZONE
How Can we help you?*
4+7 is equal to*
Please enter the correct answer to see the submit button.
Phone
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Elite Medical Prep

The Elite Medical Prep team consists of MD and MD candidate tutors from the top medical schools and residency programs, our founders, Dr. Brus-Ramer and…

Saving Money on Residency Applications

How to Save Money While Applying for Residency

Related Articles

Questions You Should Ask Your Prospective Residency Programs

How to Write a Personal Statement Hook

Scheduling:

Accommodation

Public transportation

General travel tips

Need additional help with your exam?

Elite Medical Prep

Featured Articles

A Complete Guide to Getting Through the UWorld QBank Twice

Elite Medical Prep Co-Founder Receives COVID-19 Vaccine

What to Do the Day Before Your USMLE Step 1 Exam

Why Basic Sciences Are Still Important During Preclinical Studies

COMLEX Level 1 to Become Pass/Fail!

Common ABSITE Question Types You’ll Encounter on the Exam

How I Used My UWorld Subscription for MS1 and MS2

Options for a Low ABSITE Score

Dealing With Test Anxiety During Medical School

2020 USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK Score Percentiles

How to Simultaneously Study for Step 2 CK and Your Shelf Exams

5 Things US IMGs Should Know When Applying to Residency

Questions You Should Ask Your Prospective Residency Programs

How to Create an ABSITE Study Schedule

A Quick User’s Guide to Pathoma for USMLE Step 1

How to Write a Personal Statement Hook

When is it Time to Get a USMLE Step 1 or Step 2 Tutor?

UWorld in 30 Days: Making the Most out of UWorld’s Most Basic Subscription

Here’s How Residency Programs Rank Applicants

The Ins and Outs of Virtual Residency Application Season

How to Use the AAMC Residency Explorer Tool

Residency Matching: How to Cancel an Interview the Right Way

A Quick PSA on Post Residency Interview Communication

So You Want to Be a Neurologist

An Interview with NBME Free 120 Explanation Guru: Ben White

5 Effective Study Tips to Help You Prepare for COMLEX Level 1

What to Look For in a Residency Program

USMLE Step 1 Practice Question Types

When to Start Studying for USMLE Step 1

5 Most Productive Study Tips for USMLE Step 1

Why Spaced Repetition is SO Important for USMLE Studies?

Taking USMLE Step 1 with Step 2CK After Rotations

How to Study for COMLEX Level 2-CE

My Experience Taking the USMLE during COVID-19

Most Common Reasons for Failing USMLE Step 1

USMLE Step 2CS is Cancelled

How to Manage USMLE Step 1 Test Anxiety

When to Start UWorld for USMLE Step 1

How to Best Use First Aid to Study for USMLE Step 1

NBME Updates: Free Assessments & Explanations

Without Active Learning, You Could Fail USMLE Step 1

Elite Medical Prep Founder Delivers Grand Rounds at University of Hawaii

How to Painlessly Prepare for USMLE Step 3 & COMLEX Level 3

Medical School Closed Due to Coronavirus? Remote Learning Tips

Everything Changed – COVID-19 From a 1st Year Resident’s View

Pushing Back your USMLE Test Date Without Losing Knowledge

What COVID-19 Means for Medical Students

ALL United States Prometric Testing Centers CLOSED

How to Study for Internal Medicine Boards

How USMLE Step 1 Going Pass/Fail Will Affect Medical School Curricula

How USMLE Step 1 Going Pass/Fail Will Affect DO students

How USMLE Step 1 Going Pass/Fail Will Affect IMGs

USMLE Step 1 to Become Pass/Fail

COMLEX Level 1 to USMLE Step 1 Predictor

The Worst Mistakes Students Make With First Aid for USMLE Step 1

Best COMLEX Level 2-CE Study Resources

Essential Tips for Excelling on the ABIM Certification Exam

Best COMLEX Level 1 Study Resources

How to Score 260 on USMLE Step 1

5 Tips on Studying for Step 3

Best Ways to Study for Step 2CK

COMLEX Level 1 Exam Blueprint and the AOA ACGME Merger

How to Score a 280 on USMLE Step 2 CK

UWorld vs. TrueLearn

How to Study for USMLE Step 1 During MS2

Matching Into Orthopaedic Surgery Residency

Matching into Thoracic Surgery Residency

How to Match into OB/GYN Residency

Need additional
help with your exam?