How much $ to budget for auditions?

[Espressso]

Broad question here. At a DO school that really doesn't help much for our fourth year schedule. I'm trying to plan ahead a bit. But one mysterious cost I have looming is for both the application process (nightmare) of VSAS as well as the actual audition rotations themselves. We don't get our fourth year loans until mid July (weird since fourth year technically starts in July). I plan to do anywhere from 1-3 auditions, basically July through September at the most. I know most places have variable costs/prices and the only way to know is to ask individually. But what about the application process. How much do students typically spend applying through VSAS for auditions? And how much do people typically spend on auditions in general (both applications and the actual rotation)?

And for the places that don't do auditions via VSAS, do they typically have application costs too? This seems like a complete black box to me.

Thanks in advance, friends.

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[BorntobeDO?]

I ended up spending about $400 total for away applications. I then spent an additional $1k for housing/gas for any away that I didn't have a connection too.

A general application cost is 75 to 100 once your approved. Some places are free, but some of these have an extra fee they slap on you after you are approved. Or the other thing that happens is you get approved but then they require a new background check. I had one place do this, and I had to use their vendor rather than my previously approved one. It was annoying.

 

[Espressso]

I ended up spending about $400 total for away applications. I then spent an additional $1k for housing/gas for any away that I didn't have a connection too.

A general application cost is 75 to 100 once your approved. Some places are free, but some of these have an extra fee they slap on you after you are approved. Or the other thing that happens is you get approved but then they require a new background check. I had one place do this, and I had to use their vendor rather than my previously approved one. It was annoying.

Thank you! This is helpful. Do you mind me asking how many aways did you apply to? And how many did you complete?

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Thank you! This is helpful. Do you mind me asking how many aways did you apply to? And how many did you complete?

I applyed to about 10 or 12 I think, was accepted to 5, but I am only planning on doing 4. I got rotations in jun/july, aug, sept, oct and feb. I. Am thinking about tossing the feb one, but I dont have anything else to do so idk. I recommend wrapping up aways in sept. Even tho my oct one isnt the whole month, I am still having to miss days for interviews.

 

[4thyeartoss]

I guess it depends on where you apply and how many aways you apply to. I only applied to 4 and ended up getting all 4, don’t know how because I’m very unlucky lol. A bonus was that all but one provided housing, only one had a secondary fee, and every site except one provided a meal stipend; so my costs were minimal.

 

[Espressso]

I guess it depends on where you apply and how many aways you apply to. I only applied to 4 and ended up getting all 4, don’t know how because I’m very unlucky lol. A bonus was that all but one provided housing, only one had a secondary fee, and every site except one provided a meal stipend; so my costs were minimal.

Wow, that's awesome for you. Any tips for applying strategically and being super successful with getting the aways you want? Is it just above all, apply on the first day they accept applications?

 

[4thyeartoss]

I knew geographically where I wanted to end up, 3 out 4 rotations either currently or previously had residents from my school, definitely applied the first day and I honestly have slightly below average stats so I was taking a chance applying to just 4. Just research the programs you’re interested in, search for any tips on certain sites and VSAS threads. There are still places that don’t use VSAS too.

 

[samac]

So I’m crazy and just consider auditions to be things to do at places you’re actually interested in going. I spent maybe $150on back ground checks/vsas/1 supplemental fee. I had 4 places I was very interested in, applied there and got all 4.

 

[Misery to Okay]

I spent 55$ on VSAS. I used my background check and drug screen that we had to get for our school. But about 500-650$ for housing and $300 for food, gas, etc.

 

[4thyeartoss]

So I’m crazy and just consider auditions to be things to do at places you’re actually interested in going. I spent maybe $150on back ground checks/vsas/1 supplemental fee. I had 4 places I was very interested in, applied there and got all 4.

Same here. These are 4 EM residencies that I wouldnt mind going to and one is my absolute top choice. I did have to do a whole bunch of background checks for one place and a new drug screen which was an extra expense.

 

[Alkain]

So I’m crazy and just consider auditions to be things to do at places you’re actually interested in going. I spent maybe $150on back ground checks/vsas/1 supplemental fee. I had 4 places I was very interested in, applied there and got all 4.

Wait. Is this not what they are?

 

[Espressso]

Wait. Is this not what they are?

I think she's referring to students who apply to hundreds of auditions to places you're not really interested in.

 

[Coltuna]

Wait. Is this not what they are?

Kind of. Some people try to prioritize audition rotations so that by the time they audition at their top choice(s), they're "well practiced" in the specially. Also, the value of auditions differs specialty to specialty. For example, auditions in EM hold more weight for the applicant IN GENERAL as SLOE's from accredited programs carry so much weight in the process. So you may be more enticed to audition at a site close in proximity (but you're not necessarily that interested in) in order to either shake off the dust before you spend the $$$ to travel and audition at one of your top choices or to not have to travel in order to obtain a SLOE. Whereas in some other specialties, audition rotations are just what the name implies-- You're "auditioning" for a spot in that specific residency.

 

[Sleepingdoc]

Kind of. Some people try to prioritize audition rotations so that by the time they audition at their top choice(s), they're "well practiced" in the specially. Also, the value of auditions differs specialty to specialty. For example, auditions in EM hold more weight for the applicant IN GENERAL as SLOE's from accredited programs carry so much weight in the process. So you may be more enticed to audition at a site close in proximity (but you're not necessarily that interested in) in order to either shake off the dust before you spend the $$$ to travel and audition at one of your top choices or to not have to travel in order to obtain a SLOE. Whereas in some other specialties, audition rotations are just what the name implies-- You're "auditioning" for a spot in that specific residency.

It really depends on your lifestyle...
Rent: 1200, food:700, transportation:200; Misclaneous: 200; 2000$ for the month of rotation should be a good estimate.

 

[fldoctorgirl]

This seems like a complete black box to me.

The information about fourth year is so ambiguous at most of our schools, it seems. All I know is that at my school, we have to complete an EM rotation and then the rest of the year is for electives, and we're required to do either 3 or 4 auditions/sub-I's/whatever. I'm completely clueless on what I'm supposed to do the rest of the year, or whether we get any vacation blocks lol. Do people just fill their fourth year with random crap after they do their auditions and what not?

 

[Espressso]

The information about fourth year is so ambiguous at most of our schools, it seems. All I know is that at my school, we have to complete an EM rotation and then the rest of the year is for electives, and we're required to do either 3 or 4 auditions/sub-I's/whatever. I'm completely clueless on what I'm supposed to do the rest of the year, or whether we get any vacation blocks lol. Do people just fill their fourth year with random crap after they do their auditions and what not?

For us we have a handful of required rotations for fourth year (FM, IM, Peds). We can do them whereever we want, and in whatever subspeciality we want. A lot of students fulfil the peds one with either a PICU or NICU rotation. And then IM can be with any subspeciality. You spend July-Sept/Oct doing aways if you want. Those aways can double up as required rotations for your graduation requirements if you wish. For anything else you complete after auditions/aways. And then you fill in the rest with other things you'd like to do (random crap). I've heard a rads rotation is great in the spring following match day. You also tend to get a lot of extra vacation time too. Some students save a month of it for interview season. Some save it all for the end, after match day.

This is all what I've come up with through talking older classmates. Our school does a horrendous job explaining this stuff to us.