Hey guys,
I am currently in the process of match for residency, with the start of training approaching this summer. I anticipate significant relocation expenses and am exploring opportunities to save money in preparation. To that end, I am actively applying for various part-time and temporary positions to help offset these costs. I wanted to know if you guys have any recommendations job wise.
So - just so we're clear - you are a 4th year student waiting to find out where you matched, but you are also hoping to find a part time job to round out the end of your schooling and something to do to support yourself financially until you start your residency?
1. The number one rule is - you can't do anything that could interfere or prevent you from ultimately practicing as a podiatrist. So if someone tells you they'll pay you $200 a day to move furniture and you hurt your back - it isn't worth it. I've experienced all the podiatry negatives we talk about, but I've also earned more in a day of surgery than I'd make in a month at my first job out of college.
2. The common wisdom, right or wrong, is that this is the last opportunity you'll have for a long time to take time off, relax, or visit family. My program was needlessly anti-vacation and I didn't see my family until Christmas of my 2nd year. If you've got someone to see - now is the time. Seeing family and exotic vacations are not the same thing
3. Some programs have expectations, commitments, things to do etc that start sooner than you'd think. Your number one priority is starting your training off on the right foot. There is sometimes advice given on this forum that might seem very reasonable or frugal - people for example have suggested staying hours and hours away from where there clerkship is and driving there everyday. I'm not saying you need to live somewhere super expensive, but you should make plans to make your residency successful. I lived exactly 1 mile from my residency. Obviously not everyone can do that, but it was very condusive for my life, call, family, etc. For example, by living one mile from work I was able to eat free meals at my hospital's cafeteria every day because I was paid so poorly.
4. Old people often become disconnected from the finances of young people so let me sound totally tone deaf and ask - can't you just ask your parents for money or something? Perhaps you could donate plasma? According to hilarious trolling on the MD forums a lot of starving medical students do Only Fans to survive. Technically that could interfere with #1 above. If your school requires you to be back on campus perhaps you could get a job at your library or gym. A friend of mine was a barista between podiatry associate jobs. It was awful for them, but I'm sure they learned a lot about coffee.
Agree with the above though. Eating at restaurants is a luxury.
