Anyone else completely spoiled?

[stormjen]

The interview trail has really spoiled me. I already had a taste for fine things (raised by a poh single mom but have rich blood on my paternal side, so must have a hereditary inclination toward refinement, the genes of which were turned on during the past three months of travels) but never had them. A couple hotels in particular just about killed me, the most noteable being Hanover Inn in New Hampshire, which combined my country girl background with my taste for quality service and finery. (Sorry for the run-on sentences, but as you can probably tell, I'm excited).

Now I really want a nice desk in my home office, and there's one at Pottery Barn that I LOVE because it looks like a table you'd see at a nice library, libraries being another of my passions. But it costs $1000! Now I do own my own place, and we stand to make quite a bit of money when we sell it after only two years. That's because it was on the market for three months and nobody wanted to buy it because of it's cosmetic appearance, which we have been steadily improving. So anyway, I could probably afford the desk, but that's pretending that my student loans don't exist. Pathologists spend a lot of time at their desks, wouldn't this help me in my studies (stretching, here)? It's really a lovely desk.

I also want someone to come turn my bed down every night and leave maple crunch chocolates from Vermont on my pillow.

Wah. Someone slap me, please.

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[Harbster]

I also want someone to come turn my bed down every night and leave maple crunch chocolates from Vermont on my pillow.

Wah. Someone slap me, please.

hmmmmmmmmmm...............

 

[PFCortex]

A couple hotels in particular just about killed me, the most noteable being Hanover Inn in New Hampshire....my taste for quality service and finery.

funny - i didn't have that reaction when i was there....

 

[stormjen]

funny - i didn't have that reaction when i was there....

I agree that compared to a luxury hotel, it's lacking. But as a country inn, I found it quite charming.

Guess I'm the only spoiled one here, geez. *shrug*

 

[PFCortex]

I agree that compared to a luxury hotel, it's lacking. But as a country inn, I found it quite charming.

Guess I'm the only spoiled one here, geez. *shrug*

charming, yes.....but the best part was the bar!

 

[jeff2005]

Stormjen, I completely know where you're coming from. I enjoyed being pampered on the interview trail and feeling like a non-poh human being. Of course, I have never been good at being poor - can't do coupons, don't use public transportation, etc. - so I can't say I've been suffering too much. My credit card suffers, but not me. I can't wait to own a nice home (one that's not embarrasing like the one I have now), go out to nice restaurants, and stay in cush hotels.

 

[stormjen]

charming, yes.....but the best part was the bar!

Thinking... been to so many places that they start to run together. If you're talking about the wine bistro place, then I completely agree. I went there and had some trout with sesame vinaigrette, steamed veggies, fresh bread, and two glasses of merlot (as pictured in my avatar).

I used to hate eating alone, but I started to enjoy it--like a little mini-me vacation. Made me feel like an important business traveler. The buzz from the wine did help. Speaking of wine, I'll have some of that now.

 

[yaah]

I liked the Hanover Inn as well. Very quaint. The place I stayed in Vermont was nice - you got meal tickets to go to the hotel bar/restaurant which I took advantage of.

As Andy would say, You gotta live first class to be first class, right?

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I liked the Hanover Inn as well. Very quaint. The place I stayed in Vermont was nice - you got meal tickets to go to the hotel bar/restaurant which I took advantage of.

As Andy would say, You gotta live first class to be first class, right?

You betcha yaah!

As an only child, I was spoiled rotten as a kid. I got mostly whatever I wanted and then I wanted more. My parents were never lavish spenders but we lived comfortably.

During the last 7 years, I have seen my stipend increase every year and I have ditched what my parents taught me and have spent lavishly. I have tried to live first class in the constant pursuit to be first class. As a result, I have pissed all my money away and I am now poh (see that other thread).

For instance, I paid for a parking pass which allows me to park 15 minutes away from my lab. It only cost me $50. The catch is that this lot fills up at 8 am. Andy no like. Hence, recently I purchased a pass (which a tech had to get for me since I'm not allowed to have this pass) which allows me to park right underneath my lab building. And the great thing is I can get to lab whenever I damn well please. The bad thing is that it cost me $250 for the next 5 months I have left here. I believe that time is money and this is how I rationalize things. Unfortunately, my program cut me off financially since November and my money is quickly dwindling. I am poh. I am not first class.

Then there's the interview trail. I spent around $4000 for the whole ordeal. I would pay extra for direct flights instead of saving $100 for indirect flights. I would order room service. And with the food, not just one beer but TWO. Then there would be the hotel bar which is where I would congregate with ... well, myself. Ooh...then there's the airport bars where I would not hesitate to buy that $7 Guinness. "For an dollar extra, you could get the large size." Oh please kind sir, that would be most excellent.

 

[yaah]

I think the key is to spoil yourself at appropriate times. You don't have to eat out every night, or buy a new pair of shoes for every day, etc. But when you go away, don't stay at youth hostels. And don't eat all your meals at subway. And don't always order the cheapest wine.

 

[joedogma]

Hey Stormjen! I know at a few places I viewed at the residents used some of their "book" fund for things like desks, computers etc...Wait it out and maybe you can get the path dep. to flip the bill (or part of it anyway.) The Hanover Inn was charming. A totally different kind of bling bling that not many of us city folk can appreciate...

 

[LADoc00]

Hey Stormjen, Ill slap you. Make your way to a residency in Cali and I can slap you all night long if needed. Muhahahahaha.

I think there is a place in Hollywood where you can buy accessories for that sort of thing.

'Poh chicks' rock! You get one of them, a flat bed truck and a couple of bottles of Strawberry Boone Hill and it is on!

Another tidbit of advice: Seriously, for all you single path guys, go hit up the trailer parks near your residency programs, you will feel like a god, in the land of poh men, the dude with a real job wins

 

[deschutes]

I took my favourite bubble bath with me on my trips. It was the one way I could get my soaks without having to scrub after my housemates.

When I grow up I will have backrubs PRN, and a rose petal bath prepared for me every weekend. I will have someone in to plump up my down duvet every day so it doesn't clump and my bathroom will have a pot warmer so that my delicate derriere does not shock when I sit down on those cold mornings.

 

[tennik]

Do most places expect that you cover all your own expenses? From the jist of this thread it seems places are paying for hotels? (just trying to gage my budget for interviews next year).

 

[stormjen]

Do most places expect that you cover all your own expenses? From the jist of this thread it seems places are paying for hotels? (just trying to gage my budget for interviews next year).

Every place except one has paid for a night in a decent hotel, and the place where I did a second look paid for two additional nights. Supposedly Iowa contributes to the cost of airfare too; not sure who else does that. Programs also help with food--lunch definitely, and often breakfast or dinner the night before. The airfare is pretty darn expensive though.

 

[stormjen]

I took my favourite bubble bath with me on my trips. It was the one way I could get my soaks without having to scrub after my housemates.

When I grow up I will have backrubs PRN, and a rose petal bath prepared for me every weekend. I will have someone in to plump up my down duvet every day so it doesn't clump and my bathroom will have a pot warmer so that my delicate derriere does not shock when I sit down on those cold mornings.

I took lots of baths too! Taking a bath in a nice clean tub is the best! I didn't have any bubble bath with me, though for one trip I remembered to take some baby oil and a scented skin scrub.

Dontcha hate how the cover gets all clumped? The down at the top near the head is all flat, and then it's really thick at the foot of the bed.

 

[yaah]

Do most places expect that you cover all your own expenses? From the jist of this thread it seems places are paying for hotels? (just trying to gage my budget for interviews next year).

I think about half the places I went to paid for the hotel. Also about half (not necessarily the same places) provide dinner with residents or some kind of subsidy (like meal coupons for the hotel). One place paid for two nights stay at the hotel - I didn't ask for it, but told the program coordinator I would be staying two nights because I was coming from far away so to book the room, and I would pay for the second. But the bill I got had them paying for both nights.

 

[stormjen]

I think about half the places I went to paid for the hotel.

Only half, for real? I wonder if it's becoming more common for them to pick up the tab, or if it's just a coincidence that most of mine paid, and half of yours didn't. Or maybe they just liked me better.

 

[yaah]

I think it's kind of random. There are places that do and places that don't. Perhaps you just applied to the ones that do. Wow - that was deep!

But maybe they do like you better.

 

[cytoborg]

I must be the padding on the bottom of the ROL because only 3 out my 12 places paid for hotels. And 2 of the 3 I didn't even use because I live in the area! I will be paying off this credit card bill for years.

So, am I spoiled? Well, if hearing gunshots and a guy screaming "Get back in here, b!%&*h!" from my Motel 6 room in Los Angeles counts for spoiled, I guess I am.

 

[yaah]

So, am I spoiled? Well, if hearing gunshots and a guy screaming "Get back in here, b!%&*h!" from my Motel 6 room in Los Angeles counts for spoiled, I guess I am.

When I visited U of Chicago the hotel I stayed in had a stipulation if you parked your car at the hotel - you had to leave it there between 10pm and 6am, couldn't take it out at other times. I ordered room service. They had like 2 things on the menu - a hamburger and heroin.

 

[jeff2005]

I must be the padding on the bottom of the ROL because only 3 out my 12 places paid for hotels. And 2 of the 3 I didn't even use because I live in the area! I will be paying off this credit card bill for years.

So, am I spoiled? Well, if hearing gunshots and a guy screaming "Get back in here, b!%&*h!" from my Motel 6 room in Los Angeles counts for spoiled, I guess I am.

HaHa!

It was my understanding that programs that pay for the hotel do so for all of their applicants - not just the superstars (i.e. yaah, Andy). These programs tend to be the non-famous ones. I paid for my own hotel at MGH, Yale, and Wash U. The only program that paid for everything (hotel/flight/rental car) was Iowa.

 

[yaah]

Yeah - there aren't really any special favors when it comes to getting things paid for. There are some top tier programs that provide hotels though - like UPenn for example.

 

[Pingu]

These programs tend to be the non-famous ones.

I agree with this completely. The more famous/prestigious places were the ones NOT paying for anything except for the meal. Emory and UT-SW didn't pay for a hotel, but every other place I interviewed did.

Incidentally, there were a couple places that picked up the hotel bill and I had put my credit card down for incidentals, but when it came time to check out, it turns out that the school had paid for everything and the hotel said there was no way to put my room service charges onto my credit card. I had no idea how to deal with that.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

HaHa!

It was my understanding that programs that pay for the hotel do so for all of their applicants - not just the superstars (i.e. yaah, Andy). These programs tend to be the non-famous ones. I paid for my own hotel at MGH, Yale, and Wash U. The only program that paid for everything (hotel/flight/rental car) was Iowa.

huh?

nobody paid for **** during my interviews!
(except penn and UNC but they pay for everyone)

don't lump me in with yaah. i didn't get no 271 on step 1!

 

[deschutes]

FWIW, 5 of my 7 paid for hotels. Total cost came up to ~CDN$4,000.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I must be the padding on the bottom of the ROL because only 3 out my 12 places paid for hotels. And 2 of the 3 I didn't even use because I live in the area! I will be paying off this credit card bill for years.

So, am I spoiled? Well, if hearing gunshots and a guy screaming "Get back in here, b!%&*h!" from my Motel 6 room in Los Angeles counts for spoiled, I guess I am.

Motel 6? Damn, that's poh style right there. Did you check out Royal Palace Westwood on orbitz...I got a phat-ass deal for that hotel room and it was literally a minute away from the school.

 

[cytoborg]

Motel 6? Damn, that's poh style right there. Did you check out Royal Palace Westwood on orbitz...I got a phat-ass deal for that hotel room and it was literally a minute away from the school.

I wasn't kidding when I said I was too poh for second looks. I called the program and the hospital information people to ask for recommendations as to places to stay, and this place was on the list. And the place looked like it was in a nice area. My heart sank, however, when I saw the bullet-proof glass in the lobby (which I hear is nothing unusual) and when I noticed my room had no functioning lights. Hoping for the best I went to sleep, only to be awakened at midnight by the screaming and slamming literally next door to me. I seriously considered calling 911...but I was too afraid to move lest I attract their attention. The gunshots were more in the background...LA's baseline, I would assume.
I still really liked the program, though, damn!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Maybe it was LADoc00 in a heated argument over a dope deal gone bad...

 

[yaah]

I wasn't kidding when I said I was too poh for second looks. I called the program and the hospital information people to ask for recommendations as to places to stay, and this place was on the list. And the place looked like it was in a nice area. My heart sank, however, when I saw the bullet-proof glass in the lobby (which I hear is nothing unusual) and when I noticed my room had no functioning lights. Hoping for the best I went to sleep, only to be awakened at midnight by the screaming and slamming literally next door to me. I seriously considered calling 911...but I was too afraid to move lest I attract their attention. The gunshots were more in the background...LA's baseline, I would assume.
I still really liked the program, though, damn!

Ah, southern cal. Paradise on earth.

 

[stormjen]

Ah, southern cal. Paradise on earth.

No kidding, I didn't do a single interview in that entire state. I'm sure it was a beautiful place 200 years ago, but it's sure gone to hell.