Who's spent the most $$$ so far?

[jargon124]

I was just counting up all the money I have spent (and hopefully not wasted) on med school applications/interviews so far. My total comes out to a little over $4000. Can anyone beat that? I expect that I will be spending a few thousand more on airfare/hotels by the time its all over - so lets call it $6000 to apply to med school (26 of them in my case!) Amazing...

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[LizardKing]

My AMCAS submission was around $1200.
30 secondaries, each one asking for an average of $75...that's $2250. I predict I'll go to 10 interviews total, and each interview will cost $400 for air and $100 for hotel and other fees.

$1200 + $2250 + 10x$100 + 10x$400 = $8450.
Oh my goodness, I just realized how much I am spending!@#! I can get a motorcycle with this cash.

 

[EpiII]

Do not forget the new clothes (suit, shirt, tie, belt, shoes) we all are buying and looking so uncomfortable in!!! Another $400-800.

I got good deals because the stores are really hurting for sales because of 09/11, but ...

 

[EpiII]

I highly suggest trying to stay with a medical student instead of a hotel. It saves money, but it also gives you a chance to meet them and talk about the school and learn quite a bit. I have done this at both schools I have interviewed at and it was great. They also will show you to the admissions office in the morning which is a big help.

I offer to buy them dinner the night I show up and that is always appreciated and is a good time to talk. Still much cheaper than a hotel.

 

[Scooby Doo]

I think I am above all those figures...lucky my stripping job helps pay for most of it...
I was keeping track of every single penny I spent on the whole process up until my trip to New York....then I stopped b/c it was too depressing...If you really want figures...I could prolly give them to you....but ouch..it hurts..

 

[SMW]

$3550 thus far, and that includes only one interview trip (and I stayed with students at both schools!).

 

[cali79]

don't forget to add those fun MCAT prep classes (~$1200) and the MCAT registration fee ($175)!

 

[Legend]

don't forget to include phone calls to AMCAS !!

 

[drdrtoledo]

Don't forget prostitutes for....ummmmm... never mind

 

[Atlas]

How much does each AMCAS primary application cost? I heard it was around $30 a school. Is this about right?

 

[SMW]

Originally posted by cali79:
•don't forget to add those fun MCAT prep classes (~$1200) and the MCAT registration fee ($175)!•••

OMG, I did forget to add those in, plus phone calls to AMCAS, and all those copying and postage charges for doing AMCAS's job for them!! That puts me at about $5300. So that puts me ahead of you for now, jargon!! But, yikes, I'm seriously losing to Lizard King! Eight grand !! Hey, I just noticed, Lizard, that you're projecting that 8 grand!! No fair! Note the thread title: "Who's spent the most $$$ so far?

 

[Coalboy]

Seeing as I don't really trust the USPS, I've been spending a fortune on FedEx recently.

 

[SMW]

Just spent a few minutes tallying additional costs since early Dec. Including 3 upcoming interview trips for which I've recently bought tickets (to Tulane, Philly, and Burlington/Rochester), my grand total now comes to $6658. Is this nuts, or what?

OK, guys, who can top this? I think we all need some distraction from the interminable waiting.

C'mon Scooby, we want those figures!!!

LizardKing, did your prediction pan out?

 

[DrSuga]

Yikes, SMW!!! Looks like you should have made a temporary move to the east coast for this interview season!!!

 

[SMW]

Originally posted by DrSuga:
•Yikes, SMW!!! Looks like you should have made a temporary move to the east coast for this interview season!!!•••

I seriously considered it!

 

[brandonite]

Originally posted by SMW:
•

I seriously considered it!•••

<img src="graemlins/laughy.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughy]" /> It almost would have been cheaper.

I think we can probably award you the honor of the person who spent the most $$ to get into med school, at least right now.

I suppose congratulations are in order??

 

[aldo16]

this whole damn process is so expensive!!!

i'm losing cash faster than ENRON!!

 

[mpp]

Originally posted by brandonite:
•

<img src="graemlins/laughy.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughy]" /> It almost would have been cheaper.

I think we can probably award you the honor of the person who spent the most $$ to get into med school, at least right now.

I suppose congratulations are in order?? •••

Depending on how many interviews I can get I might be able to surpass SMW. It's a $200 flight for me just to get to Anchorage (where SMW lives)before I can fly out of Alaska. I have yet to go on any interviews (I leave for my first tomorrow) so she'll have to be Queen of Application Expenses for the time being...

 

[SMW]

Good luck, mpp! Knock 'em dead!!

 

[2NT]

Getting that acceptance phone call or letter........PRICELESS.

Hang in there everyone and good luck!

-2NT

 

[Dr. Kermit]

Thanks SMW, I couldn't find this post. BTW, I was never able to find that NHSC article. If I do find it when I route through all my med school stuff again, I'll mail it to you! Sorry!

 

[Ben01]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by jargon124:
•I was just counting up all the money I have spent (and hopefully not wasted) on med school applications/interviews so far. My total comes out to a little over $4000. Can anyone beat that? I expect that I will be spending a few thousand more on airfare/hotels by the time its all over - so lets call it $6000 to apply to med school (26 of them in my case!) Amazing...•••••how many people are actually spending this money out of their own pocket (I somehow doubt that most college students have 6-8k laying around)? Most people prob get the money from the parental units.

 

[Dr. Kermit]

I worked during my junior and senior year in college, so I had some money saved for my AMCAS. After graduation, I got some money from the relatives and I have been working full-time and babysitting to pay for all of my costs. The only aspect my parents have funded were the MCAT prep course, MCAT tests, and my suit! Thanks mom and dad!

 

[jargon124]

Yeah, I was lucky in that my parents were able to pay for my application fees and plane tickets and whatnot. I ended up cancelling interviews and withdrawing lots of apps, so my total expenditure was less than I predicted. If I hadn't been able to rely on my parents, I suppose I would have planned ahead, worked for the money (i.e. summer job) and saved up for it...Good luck...

 

[pocwana]

Hi, I found this old post and am wondering if people are willing to update their financial status. I'm applying 2003 and don't know how I'm going to afford this whole process. I'd like to get an idea of how much food I can't buy this upcoming year.

Could you include info like # interviews and # interviews you had to fly to?

Thanks for the help!

 

[none]

Coming from CA...you're going to need to fly to the majority of them.

 

[pocwana]

blah

 

[Scooby Doo]

[Edited when sober]

Somewhere around 9K to 10K.

I was keeping track of ever cent even for mailing little update letters and stuff up until about 6K, then I gave up. After that, I had another few interviews with flights and other things so it comes out to about 9-10K

 

[SMW]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by pocwana:
•Hi, I found this old post and am wondering if people are willing to update their financial status. I'm applying 2003 and don't know how I'm going to afford this whole process. I'd like to get an idea of how much food I can't buy this upcoming year.

Could you include info like # interviews and # interviews you had to fly to?

Thanks for the help! •••••Ended up spending a total of about $8000. As mentioned above that includes MCAT review course and registration, extra expenses dealing with AMCAS last year, clothes for interviews, and flying to all 13 of my interviews (I was able to group some interviews together, so actually made 7 interview trips) from Alaska, which tends to be more expensive than flying from anywhere else.

 

[ellerose]

Okay, I'm definitely not as bad off as many of you who applied to 20+ schools, but my total estimation of expenses (not including the MCAT review course because I got it for free or moving expenses that I will incur this summer) is around $4275. My parent helped out by giving me about $1000 towards AMCAS and secondaries. So I doled out more than $3000 in the last year towards this endeavor. Luckily I had a lot of savings since I worked all through school. When I exhausted my savings, I had to resort to the credit cards. I am still paying off my cards as we speak. Yikes!

For a quick breakdown (all expenses rounded off or approximate--this is just from memory--I didn't go and break out the receipts, but it should be pretty close):

$450 AMCAS (11 programs)
$650 Secondaries (10 programs)
$175 MCAT fee
$100 FEDEX/USPS/copies/add'l postage (at least)
$50 Long distance to AMCAS and various schools
$150 Nice suit, nothing extravagant
$50 Interview shoes, again, nothing extravagant
$30 Luggage (Really cheap, nice carry-on)
$20 Pictures (passport size) for secondaries
$2100 Travel to seven interviews-8th interview was local; from Arizona, went once to east coast (two interviews in one trip), once to midwest, once to northwest, once to Bay area, and twice to LA (always coach, always on cheapest airline to cheapest airport in area; stayed with students as much as possible; used public transportation as much as possible; stayed in cheapest hotels)
$500 For revisit to school of choice to search out housing, etc.

I am probably missing stuff, but this is what I came up with off the top of my head.

Don't forget, if you are working, you will also lose wages for time off of work to go to interviews, revisits, etc.

If you can, stick with one airline and rack up those frequent flier miles. I already earned my free trip in only two months of travel.

Like I said in another thread--start saving your pennies!

 

[pocwana]

bumping for others to see. does anybody else want to share their debt? i was curious, how many interviews did people go on? how many before you felt comfortable with the whole interview process and how did you prepare. I'm sorry if i'm reiterating previous posts, but we all know what's not up there next to 'register' and 'faq'.
thanks you guys!

 

[Doctora Foxy]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by pocwana:
•bumping for others to see. does anybody else want to share their debt? i was curious, how many interviews did people go on? how many before you felt comfortable with the whole interview process and how did you prepare. I'm sorry if i'm reiterating previous posts, but we all know what's not up there next to 'register' and 'faq'.
thanks you guys! •••••I posted my expense breakdown on another old thread, but it came to around $6500....and I'm still paying money here and there for random things.....

I went on 6 interviews and I felt comfortable after the second (although I was comfortable during it, just nervous right before since my first interview had been 3 months earlier)....I also did a mock interview w/ my premed advisor which was really helpful, in addition to the premed committee interview. For my fourth and fifth interviews, I had them back to back, so for #5 I was all set...and that turned out to be my only acceptance :wink: ....yes, interviewing after March is not a good time :wink:

I had to fly to 5/6 interviews, so for prep, I would print out everything from the schools' websites, interviewfeedback.com ( ), as well as health care and ethics info, and I would read it on the plane....a great way to keep it all fresh in your mind. I also practiced answering questions out loud in front of a mirror.

 

[pocwana]

Thanks, foxy!

 

[SMW]

Since I'm in Alaska, I had to fly to all interviews, and tickets from The Last Frontier are rather pricey!! I went on one more interview trip after the last one I posted above. That made 7 trips to interview at 12 schools. Was able to combine 2 NY schools, 2 New England schools, 2 Philadelphia schools, 3 west coast schools, and 2 NY/Boston schools. For SLU and Tulane I had to make separate trips. My first 2 interviews were in early December and my last 2 were in March. My total cost came to almost 8 grand (this includes MCAT review classes and registration, primary and secondary fees, interview clothes, copying and postage necessitated by AMCAS incompetence last year, airfare, some hotels (in most cases I stayed with students), restaurants, entertainment (I couldn't go to NYC, Philadelphia and Boston without living it up a little!) and bus/taxi fares). It was absolutely frantic and crazy. My parents paid, thank God!

 

[chopsuey]

how many schools did you all apply to? I'm applying to 15....I don't think I can afford more than one more, but I'm still curious. It seems like there's about a 33% interview rate (as in, of schools applied to) &lt;gulp&gt;. ok....anyone know details on qualifying for fee assistance? i didn't try because i was told that since i didn't do it for the MCAT, they wouldn't let me for AMCAS (which is silly because $175 is a lot different from the $1500 or so I'm spending on the actual application (not counting nterviews, etc.).

thanks!
p.s. thanks pocwana and otter for replying to my PM's...very useful!

 

[peterockduke]

Chopsuey I applied and qualified for the financial aid program (FAP) for the MCAT. You have to be fairly strapped for cash, I'll leave it at that (PM me if you want more details, I'm fairly certain I know where the cutoff is). I actually took a year off when I realized that the deadline had passed me by last summer (7 weeks into MCAT prep wasted). You cannot get fee assistance this year - period. These people are strict.

I can't believe people (or their parents mostly) have so much expendable income. I thought hillbilly Bush was driving this country into a recession! It's amazing, it almost seems as if people are complaining about having so much money to burn. Are six interviews to medical school really necessary or just ego satisfying? Unless you applied to 45 medical schools, you're gonna get in w/ 6 interviews and the acceptances will be at multiple schools.

Really now... can you guys just not DRIVE to the city you're interviewing? I think all of my schools 'cept USC are less than one day's drive away. I understand if you're from Alaska (my old roommate was from North Pole, Alaska, took him a week to drive his car down to NC), but what about everyone else?! Is this too plebian for you?

Sheeet, if ya'll have so much money you can go buy me a nice suit! Then you can put it on your resume' that you helped the needy.

 

[Jtak]

dude check out the date ... you're responding to people that are probably already in medical school. it's a good bump though ... i've already spent about $2,500 for primaries and secondaries.

 

[evescadeceus]

I can't believe people (or their parents mostly) have so much expendable income. I thought hillbilly Bush was driving this country into a recession! It's amazing, it almost seems as if people are complaining about having so much money to burn. Are six interviews to medical school really necessary or just ego satisfying?

I have to say I totally agree with this. The differences between those of us on trust funds and those of us who actually have to earn our way into med school is pretty disturbing - its making me feel increasingly uncomfortable thinking about some of the people I'm going to be going to school with.

How many residencies are these people planning on applying to - 100 at $30 to $40 a pop? What is that, a $50,000 search with airfares? For a $35,000 a year job. Spoiled brats.


Sheeet, if ya'll have so much money you can go buy me a nice suit! Then you can put it on your resume' that you helped the needy. [/B][/QUOTE]

Thank you.

 

[PianoGirl04]

I didn't spend as much as most people so far, but here we go...

$450 AMCAS (11 programs)
$700 Secondaries (11 programs)
$175 MCAT fee
$185 Cornell premed committee fee
$1300 Kaplan MCAT course
$100 Two suits (on sale)
$30 Shoes (on sale)
$30 Briefcase/Portfolio for interviews

Yikes! I'm already at almost $3000 BEFORE any interview expenses, and this includes bargain shopping! That Kaplan course did me in, but I guess some of the $$ will come back to me when I teach for them.

 

[Paws]

So far $2500 with primaries and about half my secondaries ...

 

[MDmiracle]

$1200 MCAT prep
$235 Mcat reg. (late)
$840 AMCAS (24)
$310 AACOMAS (7)
$2250 Secondaries (avg $75)
Sub Total So far: $4835... Ouch!

No interviews yet, nor have I bought any clothes... yet!

 

[finnpipette]

if i include mcat prep...that pushes me over $7000

 

[MDmiracle]

Finn how many schools... Yikes. What's the breakdown?

 

[finnpipette]

Here is the rough breakdown from my spreadsheets

$1400 mcat prep
$1020 amcas 30 schools
$185 non-amcas 2 schools
$1720 secondaries
$1800 interviews - 5 interviews...all east coast, flying out from SF
$100 postage - fed ex, priority, etc.
$175 mcat fee
$400 suit, shoes, shirt, etc.
$40 pictures....dumb passport photos
$50 books - msar, princeton review, etc.

gray hairs from worry...priceless.

no, but in all seriousness, the total comes just a little shy of 7000. i've been living by credit and from paycheck to paycheck paying for this whole process. hope i get in, cuz if i don't, i'm gonna have to get a night job.

 

[redleft123]

Wow....talk about an old thread popping up again....and talk about hairs standing up on my neck!

I went back and checked my files; it's been several years since I went thru the process, and I paid $9285 for the process. All those figures really add up.

 

[futuredrswife]

suit: $0 (bought one for a wedding last year)
amcas: $450ish
MCAT: $180ish
prep course: $0 (decided not to take one)
secondaries: $750 (if i send them all back)
interviews: hopefully minimal if i get into my first choice (local)

grand total: $1380 plus add'l interview expenses

not too bad but still painful.

 

[28129]

I've spent millions. Most of it on bribing admissions officials.

 

[Tezzie]

$175 mcat fee
$1300 mcat prep
$690 amcas (19 schools)
$170 non amcas schools (2)
$~1500 secondaries
$0 for clothes (have enough already )
$~150 extras (photos, UPS, long distance, etc)
$220 for the airfare to JHU (my very first flight for an interview)
$unknown - driving to Vandy and Michigan
$200 gifts and thank you notes for the first 10 places i interview at and stay with a student (will buy more later if needed)
=====
4405 so far excluding the driving costs to Mich/Vandy. Plus there are more interviews (i will try to squeeze all the NY ones in one week) that i will have to go to. I plan on driving to Chicago but flying everywhere else.

I know that i have spent quite a bit of money. My parents are paying for it. But i knew it since my first day of undergrad. My parents told me that if i accepted to go to a school where i received a scholarship for undergrad, i could apply to any and as many schools i wanted. Of course there was no doubt in my mind that i would have taken the scholarship money long before they said that. So now it is paying off

 

[MeowMix]

for a non-trad premed (all out of my own pocket):
$1422 8 bio prereq credits
$200 books for the above
$700 student fees for one semester
$1200 3 ridiculous English prereq courses
$370 MCAT fee x2
-$625 net on MCAT prep materials (made money teaching)
$65 university's LOR service
$295 useless expensive premed advisor
$420 AMCAS primaries (10 schools)
$50 transcript fees, postage, etc.
$385 secondaries (5)
Total about $4500 so far

But all this pales in comparison to the lost wages from not being able to work while taking classes, studying for the MCAT, volunteering, shadowing, etc.. This is a very expensive process, and I feel resentful that people with not much money are automatically at a competitive disadvantage.

MCAT fee waiver? even if you're 40 and your parents are near retirement, their income still counts.

I am thrilled to be applying to med school, but the money aspect of it really sucks.

 

[Paws]

I didn't count all the other figures like everyone else because I already know it's WAY too high and like MeowMix, the lost wages stuff is hard to take.

I didn't know that about the fee waiver thing, that they require your parents' info even if you're already a parent yourself (well, you get the idea). I mean, how dumb is that?

I didn't even bother with the fee waiver stuff because I knew no one would take me seriously and it would be more of a hassle that anything. I am picking up pennies on the street practically, and a few weekends ago I was walking down the street and looking down (I may have been feeling overwhelmed and depressed and a LITTLE poor ... ) when I saw a ten dollar bill.

I felt alot better after that ...

I figure it will be about $8,000 +/- when I'm done.