Paying for Travel and Moving for Internships and Residencies

[Dene]

I've scoured the forums and haven't found this specific question.

My question is around travel costs and moving expenses during internship and residency. How do you afford the next steps AFTER school?

How is everyone paying for all the flights/accommodations for interviews for internships/residencies? Once the match has been made, how is everyone paying for moving?

Thanks for any advice you have for me.

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[SoulinNeed]

Loans.

 

[Dene]

So are you saying the student loans continue into residency or are people taking out personal loans?

 

[dntke1518]

I think he is trying to say that you will use your loan money that you have already taken out.

 

[Dene]

Ok. Then how much are you budgeting for this?

How many interviews/site visits are people making for internships and residencies?

 

[DrBowtie]

I'd say you should save 5-10k for the whole process. Interviewing and moving etc.

If you can't make your budget work, there are residency and relocation loans available although I believe the terms are worse than the normal student loans.

 

[Dene]

Thank you. Has anyone taken out these relocation loans before? Perhaps pre-med is the wrong forum to ask.

 

[DrWily]

Why are you so worried about this right now? Thousands of medical students make it work each year. I'm sure you will figure it out when it comes time.

 

[211519]

I've scoured the forums and haven't found this specific question.

My question is around travel costs and moving expenses during internship and residency. How do you afford the next steps AFTER school?

How is everyone paying for all the flights/accommodations for interviews for internships/residencies? Once the match has been made, how is everyone paying for moving?

Thanks for any advice you have for me.

This seems to be two-part.

1. Interviews: You are still in school, so you pay for this with whatever funding you use to pay for school. Keep in mind that the Fall of 4th year is a hot mess. You will likely be away for audition rotations for 2-4 months depending on specialty competitiveness; you may have to pay for housing. Both the interview cost and the away rotation cost is at the front of my budgeting priorities right now, because that all starts for me in a few more months. With interviews, I'm budgeting $300/interview x 10 interviews. If I have more or less...okay...but I picked a reasonable number and went with it. Some interviews will be very cheap - you can drive there, or you are rotating in town at the time, and the program may pay for your hotel making it virtually free. Others will cost you plane tickets and hotels. So, budget for this in your loans (i.e. don't pick the most expensive apartment you can afford with the loan money). Away rotations are similar in that some programs have free housing, some have cheap housing and some have none (so you get creative or live in a hotel or under a bridge or in a call room). I'd budget at least $600/mo extra for each away rotation's housing (and just hope it doesn't come to that). Plan to spend between $2-8K on interviews + away rotations, all depending on your unique situation.

2. Moving for Residency: Many residencies offer moving reimbursement. Of those that do, I've seen amounts between $1000-3000. If not, you can always put it on a credit card or recruit friends/family. Remember, you'll have an real paycheck. Also remember, loan repayment kicks in 6 months after graduation.

 

[racerwad]

Why are you so worried about this right now? Thousands of medical students make it work each year. I'm sure you will figure it out when it comes time.

This. You are attempting to reinvent the wheel. There are myriad hurdles you'll have to overcome before you need to worry about how you'll get to your residency interviews. Things will work out.

 

[Dene]

Why are you so worried about this right now? Thousands of medical students make it work each year. I'm sure you will figure it out when it comes time.

Some people don't have mommy and daddy to ask....

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Some people don't have mommy and daddy to ask....

True, and I think most that have posted in this thread are in the same position. You are asking how to budget something that is at least 4 years away. Were you freaking out when you graduated high school about the expenses of the med school application? Or were you freaking before high school about college apps? If you were, get outside man. There is absolutely no reason to care about the proper budget at this time. You could impregnate some bitty in med school and your plans change. Enjoy real life and go to a party.

 

[DrWily]

Some people don't have mommy and daddy to ask....

hurrr good one. I can assure you that most people, including myself, are on their own when it comes to this expensive, life-consuming endeavor. Open a credit card, save $100 a month for 4 years, sell your xbox 360, idgaf. It's not that hard. I highly doubt any medical school isn't going to give you the money to go to interviews. Here's a 4 year degree but you can't use it because we didn't give you any money to find a residency which directly reflects back on us. Smart thinking.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Some people don't have mommy and daddy to ask....

I used lots and lots of credit cards. Paid them off my first year out of residency.

 

[QualityProcess]

Why are you so worried about this right now?

A strong contender for least reasonable question to ask of a pre-med student

 

[DrWily]

A strong contender for least reasonable question to ask of a pre-med student

Wtf are you talking about. This guy probably isn't even in medical school yet and he's worrying about money for interviews for residency spots. Worry first on getting into medical school, then worry about doing well in classes, then worry about scoring well on USMLE/COMLEX, then worry about interviews and moving costs.

 

[QualityProcess]

just a joke... I was making fun of worrisome pre-meds

 

[Bacchus]

If you're single and living within your means you should be able to budget money from your 4th year loan allowance. I put a substantial amount of money to the side for the upcoming year so I can go to a few conferences, be able to interview, and also move for my intern year. It's possible.

 

[DrWily]

just a joke... I was making fun of worrisome pre-meds

Ah lol, so true.