The Financial Burden of Applying to Urology Residency in 2020

Abstract

To determine contemporary costs of preparing for and applying for a urology residency position for the 2019-2020 American Urological Association Match. An electronic survey was emailed to all urology residency applicants who applied to Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School during the 2019-2020 application cycle; it was sent 2 weeks after the Match results were released. We collected information on applicant demographics, interview logistics, and estimated costs incurred applying to residency. A total of 26% (64/242) of subjects responded, representing all 8 the American Urological Association sections, international schools, and schools without urology programs. 62% were male, 75% were single, and 52% attended public medical school. Applicants paid for the interview trail using loans (67%), family donations (50%), previous or current income (36%), and scholarships (16%). Subjects completed a median of 2 visiting student rotations (IQR 2-3), applied to 80 programs (IQR 66-99), and attended 16 interviews (IQR 13-18.75). The median cost per applicant for the 2019-2020 Match was $9725 (IQR $6134-12,564). This estimate included expenditures on application fees, visiting student rotations, interview trail travel and lodging, research, interview attire, and professional photos. Subjects who attended public medical school were likely to spend $3546.31 (95% confidence interval: 5630.71-1461.916; P < .001) more than those attending private schools. Urology residency applicants spend almost $10,000 in pursuit of a residency position. These high costs not only contribute to student debt but also may deter applicants from entering the field of urology.