Traveling for Interviews

[MedPR]

I'm on the fence about driving vs flying. Obviously it's cheaper to drive in most cases, but sometimes the interview is simply too far away for that.

Just wondering what you all are planning to do given an interview within X amount of miles.

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[Ost3oclast]

Have to fly to DMU. No way I can drive THAT far. Its expensive though. I will drive when I can though, probably to places like AZCOM or ATSU SOMA but i dont have invites at either of those places yet.

 

[virtuoso735]

I'm pretty sure I'm flying everywhere I will interview unless it's in my immediate vicinity, so <200 miles for me. Flying is so much easier and less stressful I would imagine.

 

[Ost3oclast]

How are you guys financing this stuff?

 

[NeuroLAX]

I drove to two interviews (in-state) and flew to one out-of-state. If I was driving to Georgia, I may consider driving, although that would be a long drive. It's important that you are well rested for your interview. Driving long hours to your interview destination is not always the best idea.

 

[Badgers326]

I drove the 5.5-6 hour drive to DMU, but flew to KCUMB which is a 9 hour drive. Even though the drive to DMU was long it was fine because I was on break and didn't need to get back for class like I did for KCUMB.

 

[WildEMDoc]

My rule is going to be that anything greater than a 12 hour drive, I have to fly. Anything less I am going to drive it.

That is why I'm so happy to get an AZCOM invite, it is only a 6 hour drive!

 

[UrshumMurshum]

I'm so screwed when it comes to this, I need to get another job soon because I have virtually no money for travel right now. My current job isn't even covering living expenses.

 

[abolt18]

.

 

[MedPR]

How are you guys financing this stuff?

Credit cards up front, but I will have it all paid off before med school starts.

I drove the 5.5-6 hour drive to DMU, but flew to KCUMB which is a 9 hour drive. Even though the drive to DMU was long it was fine because I was on break and didn't need to get back for class like I did for KCUMB.

I'll be driving to DMU too and I believe it is about 6 hours from st louis. Where did you drive from?

My rule is going to be that anything greater than a 12 hour drive, I have to fly. Anything less I am going to drive it.

That is why I'm so happy to get an AZCOM invite, it is only a 6 hour drive!

This is the kind of info I was looking for. You would really drive up to 12 hours? And "only" a 6 hour drive? That seems like forever to me! I'm making the 6 hour drive from St Louis to DMU though.

For me the only drive would be to CO (8-9 hours from UT. it's like 530 miles for me). Besides that I'll fly everywhere.

8-9 hour drive? I'd fly for sure.

 

[azide10]

I said <300 miles but we'll see. From NY and I'm gonna fly to my RVU interview, then fly to my DMU interview from RVU. Should be a nice little 5 day trip and I'll spend some time in each area. I'm sure work is going to give me a ton of crap about it but I think they'll survive. Been working my butt off as an ED scribe with lots of overtime while filling out all these secondaries, precious days off like this allowed me to get 4 done, maybe 1 more in me tonight.

But yeah I'm gonna try to bundle my interviews together as best as possible. Hope for an early acceptance at one of these fine schools and then be very selective in which schools I will continue to apply to/interview at. Otherwise I imagine I am going to bankrupt myself

 

[MedPR]

I said <300 miles but we'll see. From NY and I'm gonna fly to my RVU interview, then fly to my DMU interview from RVU. Should be a nice little 5 day trip and I'll spend some time in each area. I'm sure work is going to give me a ton of crap about it but I think they'll survive. Been working my butt off as an ED scribe with lots of overtime while filling out all these secondaries, precious days off like this allowed me to get 4 done, maybe 1 more in me tonight.

But yeah I'm gonna try to bundle my interviews together as best as possible. Hope for an early acceptance at one of these fine schools and then be very selective in which schools I will continue to apply to/interview at. Otherwise I imagine I am going to bankrupt myself

I planned this also, but when I looked at possibly bundling Western and AZCOM, the flights from here to Western were actually cheaper than from AZCOM to western.. so I won't really be saving any money.

 

[WildEMDoc]

This is the kind of info I was looking for. You would really drive up to 12 hours? And "only" a 6 hour drive? That seems like forever to me! I'm making the 6 hour drive from St Louis to DMU though.

I guess in New Mexico you are so used to everything being at least 3 hours away, so 6 doesn't seem bad at all to me.

12 isn't bad I think, but I may consider flying for drives that are 9 - 12 hours if I can get a decent price.

 

[MedPR]

I guess in New Mexico you are so used to everything being at least 3 hours away, so 6 doesn't seem bad at all to me.

12 isn't bad I think, but I may consider flying for drives that are 9 - 12 hours if I can get a decent price.

I think 6 hours is about as long as I'm willing to drive. The longest trip I've ever driven was 3.5 hours... Maybe after I do a few 5-6 hours rides I'll be able to do longer ones.

Is 6 hours short enough to go without breaks?

 

[WildEMDoc]

I think 6 hours is about as long as I'm willing to drive. The longest trip I've ever driven was 3.5 hours... Maybe after I do a few 5-6 hours rides I'll be able to do longer ones.

Is 6 hours short enough to go without breaks?

Yeah I can. But it depends on the person I think whether you can go 6 hours without a break


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[azide10]

I planned this also, but when I looked at possibly bundling Western and AZCOM, the flights from here to Western were actually cheaper than from AZCOM to western.. so I won't really be saving any money.

Huh. Didn't even cross my mind. I don't fly much so this will be new to me. Guess it's about time I find out about the cheapest flgihts and start the planning.

 

[abolt18]

I think 6 hours is about as long as I'm willing to drive. The longest trip I've ever driven was 3.5 hours... Maybe after I do a few 5-6 hours rides I'll be able to do longer ones.

Is 6 hours short enough to go without breaks?

Haha now I understand why you're surprised by the 8 hour drive. I've got a lot of family in CA and we've always driven to visit them (12-14 hours or so). Also a couple years ago my wife and I drove UT to VA and lived there for a while. Drove back when done. That's 32 hours of driving in2.5 days. And 8 hour drive seems like nothing now. Good luck on increasing your driving endurance

 

[Ost3oclast]

I guess in New Mexico you are so used to everything being at least 3 hours away, so 6 doesn't seem bad at all to me.

12 isn't bad I think, but I may consider flying for drives that are 9 - 12 hours if I can get a decent price.

Hahaha agreed. We are in the middle of nowhere

 

[joeDO2]

I'm so screwed when it comes to this, I need to get another job soon because I have virtually no money for travel right now. My current job isn't even covering living expenses.

I would recommend opening up a 0% credit card (there are plenty that give you a year at this rate) and then just pay it off with the living expenses money for first year. Most places give you a cost of living that is much higher than you actually need so you can use the 1 or 2k to pay off those cards before you have to start paying interest.

 

[MedPR]

I would recommend opening up a 0% credit card (there are plenty that give you a year at this rate) and then just pay it off with the living expenses money for first year. Most places give you a cost of living that is much higher than you actually need so you can use the 1 or 2k to pay off those cards before you have to start paying interest.

This is exactly what I did. Initially approved for $5500 but got it bumped to $15k

 

[MedPR]

Yeah I can. But it depends on the person I think whether you can go 6 hours without a break


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app, forgive my typos!

Huh. Didn't even cross my mind. I don't fly much so this will be new to me. Guess it's about time I find out about the cheapest flgihts and start the planning.

Haha now I understand why you're surprised by the 8 hour drive. I've got a lot of family in CA and we've always driven to visit them (12-14 hours or so). Also a couple years ago my wife and I drove UT to VA and lived there for a while. Drove back when done. That's 32 hours of driving in2.5 days. And 8 hour drive seems like nothing now. Good luck on increasing your driving endurance

Hopefully the drive to DMU won't be so bad

 

[angldrps]

I would recommend opening up a 0% credit card (there are plenty that give you a year at this rate) and then just pay it off with the living expenses money for first year. Most places give you a cost of living that is much higher than you actually need so you can use the 1 or 2k to pay off those cards before you have to start paying interest.

this is good advice.

 

[smccreery86]

So, unfortunately, I am in the situation that I will have no choice but to use credit cards to help get me to and from interviews. From those that have had to do the same, I was wondering your opinion regarding whether it is better to get an airline credit card (like Southwest or Delta) that will give you a free flight, be has high interest, membership fees, etc, or to try and find one with no perks, but low interest, free membership, and so on.
The whole idea of having to do this at all stresses me out. So, I'm looking for some good advice on how to go about it smartly. Thanks.

 

[BabyDoc86]

Budgeted for all of this awhile back. Driving the 7hrs to DMU and 6hrs to LECOM-E from IN. My husband and I took a roadtrip to the Grand Canyon in March, with 14hr days driving, so anything less than that doesn't seem so bad. Although, DMU is the farthest away out of all the schools I applied to.

 

[dsoz]

I am in Oregon. There is only one MD school, and one DO school in the state. Most of the neighboring states are bad too. U Washington does not take students from Oregon, Cali schools are difficult to get into. Nothing in Idaho and Montana. A couple in Nevada, but no ties so not really any chance...

I am looking at flying to the east coast for almost all my interviews. At $500+ a trip just for airfare. BLAH.

I am paying for it from saving for the past year. I have $7k in the bank, and a $5k credit card that I will probably burn through. I hope that I don't need to go to many interviews. One acceptance will cut a bunch of schools off my list. If that acceptance is OHSU, COMP-NW, or LECOM-B than I am done for the interview season.

dsoz

dsoz

 

[Bacchus]

I drove to my interviews. PCOM was 20 mins away . It took probably a good 6-7 hours for VCOM and LECOM.