 | Prep for USMLE |
| Forum | Resources | New Posts | Register | Login | » |
|
| Author | 14 Posts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
hypomanic
Forum Senior Topics: 11 Posts: 153 |
Hi there, I was wondering how people located outside the US are planning their interviews- I have one IV call but do not know when to schedule it because I am worried/hoping that I will get more later in the season but cant afford to fly back and forth Also, generally I know people (as CF says!) with better nervous systems than mine suggest arriving at least a couple of days in advance but I cant afford th 100$/night hotels for 3-4 nights and I am worried that if I pick a cheap motel (which inevitably is in a nearby town!) I may end up paying the same for the taxi- I am already unstable (=maxed out on my credit cards) and dont know if I can afford 400-500$ for each interview- Any ides on average costs/interview- I know this will vary widely but at least I need to know so that I can attend some interviews before the credit card guys pick me up from the airport  Any ideas/suggestions/websites for cheap flights? Has anybody outside the US eg europe/asia already scheduled interviews- If so, did you book your flights already?(I wish there was something like plane pool and I could fit somewhere in the luggage - I would pay for the excess baggage of course) 
|
Prep4USMLE.com
|
Advertisement
|
|
hypomanic
| Forum Senior Topics: 11 Posts: 153
Is there nobody out there with a better nervous system than mine? I always thought so- but now I am convinced
|
zianab
| Forum Elite Topics: 17 Posts: 282
hypomanic, I can understand your situation well.I know it is going to be very expensive to come to U.S.Your best bet would be to find a friend or realtive in U.S and stay with them or even in Canada as one of my friends did .He stayed with realative in Canada and travelled by bus 18-20 hours for some interviews ,but did attend 9 interviews in U.S , like that and matched. You can schedule all your interviews in 2 -3 month period and pay them monthly rent if the friends donot have enough funds to keep you free and afford you.Hotels are very expensive, may be 80-150 per night. what you can do is that you can buy the grey hound ( bus pass) .I think it is pretty cheap for visitors 299 or more and it is valid for some time or other bus services. you can ask forum members as many know it. I am only flying and not travelling on bus so did not check lot of information regarding it.Then you can take a bus and with that bus pass you can travel many locations with those 299.Make sure to check how many locations and exact charges. Although it will be hectic 12-14 hours ride if location is far ,but you will be saving on air ticket.Also many programs are providing hotel accomodation ,so you will stay free .Hope it relieves little bit of your anxiety
|
zianab
| Forum Elite Topics: 17 Posts: 282
http://www.discoverypass.com/products.asp here is the link to one of the bus pass offered by grey hound.But there are many bus services in U.S ,try seraching by ggogle and then compare rates.
|
Doc750
| transfer:step 3 prison  Topics: 53 Posts: 628
book your flight in advance and southwest air is cheap .. like $49-$100 for most destinations. as far as hotels, pick days inn, usually only $60-70/night and they give you free breakfast (read this as "stuff as many bagels and croissants into your bag as you can") another option is to show up at the ER of the hospital your interviewing at the night before. Get yourself admitted as a psych patient. The hospital will provide you, your own closed, locked room, and a bed. In the morning, act normal, explain to them your situation. They'll either be pissed off or elated at your level of ingenuity. Either way they will let you go. Then go to the bathroom and get ready fro the interview there. g'luck
|
rockingdoctor
| Forum Elite  Topics: 26 Posts: 333
now thats a smart way of staying close to the hospital 
|
hypomanic
| Forum Senior Topics: 11 Posts: 153
Thanks a ton guys/gals- I had no idea the whole MLE thing was going to be such a drain on my finances-I thought that the exams were expensive - now I feel that its not too bad considering that i have already blown a 1000$ before even getting anywhere- all i get in return is more neurotic/psychotic email/ERAs checking PMSD for the bucks i paid! Thanks a lot Zianab for your comments! I am curious about how to book my transatlantic flight before I even know how long I will be staying in the US- and I dont want to wait till October end to schedule all my interviews together- Guess what you suggested is the only practical way out doc750- I thought of your planB -in fact this is what I thought they meant when they said -meet our residents and attendings- like at Rounds in the morning!May be I can claim to have some kind of PMSD- Pre Match Stress Disorder! the only catch is that I need insurance to get admitted as a psych patient- Even that costs Bucks!! at least maybe I can brag that I got admitted at Harvard! May be I can even list it as USCE!
|
zianab
| Forum Elite Topics: 17 Posts: 282
thanks for your message hypomanic, I am glad it helped a little bit.Guess you have to wait a little bit, before you know where your interviews will be. Also the interview dates may not be 1 to 2 days apart or very close as each program schedules at their own leisure. So you should plan to live with some one in U.S for 2-3 months or if you donot have anybody try renting furnished cheap hotels or studios from 600-700 a month and then going by bus for interviews.Also I have heard that in down town NY / china town there are some cheap bus services which cost 30-40 dollars but donot know exactly where .try those some hotels give you weekly rates as 150-180 a week, so you can find those too.or give monthly rates.
|
ujaala
| Forum Elite  Topics: 60 Posts: 333
well hypomanic, i would agree with zianab...the biggest cost is stay in US...try to find sum1 whom u can stay with..u can try to be a paying guest at sum1's place as well,,,search the net n u may find sum1 looking for a pg. as far as travel is concerned, as far as i knw, grey hound is the cheapest (provided u get the discovery pass)....other option is search for cheap flights on orbitz or kayak well I am also in Asia rite now, and i have scheduled my IVs....one week apart in diff locations and i am hoping that if i get another IV at the same place , i can schedule it close to the first one.... i m lucky to knw ppl willing to accomodate me in 3 diff states, so stay isnt a major issue for me....i plan to stay at each place for 2-3 wks and schedule my IVs in tht (and nearby states) during tht time.... hope this helps... P.S: DONOT wait till oct end (or till u get more IVs) to schedule the ones u already hv,,,b/c later on u may not find the dates u want ..schedule the ones u hv...eg if u hv an IV in NYC , schedule it in nov, if u hv one frm chicago , do tht in dec , if one frm houston, do tht in early jan ...then fill the spaces in by scheduling more....if GOD FORBID u dont get any IVs to fill in b/w u can always request them to reschedule u....but do get any date rite now,, u dont want them to say ..tht we invited u but now no IV slots r open and we cant schedule u.... good luck with ur residency search!
|
hypomanic
| Forum Senior Topics: 11 Posts: 153
Thanks a lot ujaala- I was actaully waiting before I respond to the program that invited me becoz I thought i will collect all my IV calls and then make a travel plan- now I realised theres no way thts going to work- and scheduled a date though I donno when i can actually make a more detailed plan- I think your idea of covering regions every month sounds good- Only I dont even know if i will get more than 1 call from a region! Thanks a lot Zianab- I will try to bug my friends, relatives, acquaintances,kind strangers,etc in the US and see if anybody can put up with me during this phase
|
drk1980
| Forum Guru  Topics: 147 Posts: 1036
As an IMG with not many contacts in US or the knowhow for transportation and accomodation, this topic has driven me crazy too. Thanks for bringing it up again. We had started a thread a while back on this issue, but after it got pinned and moved to another section, it sort of died out. https://www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/60948 We would appreciate more contributions.
|
decide
| Forum Senior Topics: 7 Posts: 145
Hi hypomaniac! Staying in hotel all through ur stay would be pretty expensive. U can rent a place for a couple of months, if u dont find sme friends or relatives whom u can stay with. U can search for a room to rent or craigslist.com or ask ur friends here to help u find a place. As for travel u can also buy amtrak's pass. Greyhound offers sme really cheap deals too
|
hypomanic
| Forum Senior Topics: 11 Posts: 153
ujaala wrote: P.S: DONOT wait till oct end (or till u get more IVs) to schedule the ones u already hv,,,b/c later on u may not find the dates u want ..schedule the ones u hv...eg if u hv an IV in NYC , schedule it in nov, if u hv one frm chicago , do tht in dec , if one frm houston, do tht in early jan ...then fill the spaces in by scheduling more....if GOD FORBID u dont get any IVs to fill in b/w u can always request them to reschedule u....but do get any date rite now,, u dont want them to say ..tht we invited u but now no IV slots r open and we cant schedule u.... good luck with ur residency search! Ujaala you were so right- I cant get any dates in November because I waited too long (4days) to schedule!! I would have waited even longer if it were not for you gals/guys. Thanks to your input I still have dates in Oct & Jan Thank you once again for sharing your input
|
ujaala
| Forum Elite Topics: 60 Posts: 333
4 days was enough to fill spots in nov n dec....!!! it means i shall also call the program i emailed 4 days ago n havent heard from them yet,,, i hope i get my preferred date and it was not booked already via calls frm other candidates!
|
|
| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This thread is closed, so you cannot post a reply.
 Similar forum topicsDo Research Outside Us, Ms BbB Notary outside the US test taking outside the us | Related resources The IMGs Guide for USMLE and Residency IMGs Guide to US Medicine and Residency First Aid for the IMGs |
Advertise | Support | Premium | Contact |