Minimize Travel Costs of
the CaRMS “Match”
Reduce Travel Costs
Each year, graduating medical students participate in the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) .
CaRMS is a not-for-profit organization that works in close cooperation with the medical education
community and medical schools as well as residents and medical students to provide both an electronic
application service and a computer match for entry into postgraduate medical training throughout
Canada. In addition to administering the matching process for postgraduate Year 1 entry residency
positions, CaRMS also co-ordinates the Year 3 Family Medicine residency positions, Internal Medicine
subspecialty residency positions and Pediatric subspecialty residency positions. CaRMS also provides
access to the U.S. electronic application system for postgraduate medical training (ERAS) for interested
Canadian medical students.
Canadian medical school graduates who participate in CaRMS are automatically registered by their
respective undergraduate office. All other applicants must complete a request for registration with
CaRMS. Once a respective registration has been reviewed and verified by CaRMS, eligible applicants are
sent a “token” by e-mail, which will allow access to CaRMS online (www.carms.ca) where the student
may complete their respective application. Generally, individual programs offer interviews to qualified
and desirable applicants. Applicants are not only responsible for scheduling these interviews directly with
the programs but also must bear all travel and accommodation costs associated with this step in the
application process. As veterans of the CaRMS Match will affirm, these costs can be onerous. The
following are a few considerations and suggestions that can minimize travel and accommodation costs as
one participates in the selection process.
Ask a Peer
Asking a friend who recently completed the CaRMS Match or Fellowship selection will often provide
advice regarding the application process as well as attributes of a particular program or programs. In
addition, the more senior colleague may be able to provide travel tips that may save the medical student
both time and money. Frequently, previous students or residents utilize a specific travel agency or airline
whose service was optimal and which may have provided significant discounts. In addition, these
individuals or friends in other cities may offer accommodation during upcoming interviews, helping one
avoid costly hotel bills.
Trains, planes and autom obiles
Airline and accommodation costs represent the bulk of CaRMS travel expenditures. As full -time
students, those in medical school and residency are eligible to obtain an International Student Identity
Card (ISIC) and may book travel through a TravelCuts agency whose offices are located on most
campuses. ISIC membership provides the convenience of a travel agency and generates considerable
benefits and savings on both travel arrangements and accommodations. In addition, membership
provides increased flexibility with regard to advanced purchase requirements and allows increased
leniency in making changes to existing airline reservations. Membership is inexpensive and can be
obtained at a TravelCuts office or online at travelcuts.com or by phone at 1-800-667-2887. Furthermore,
students attending a Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) member school are entitled to free
membership.
The prudent medical student or resident may wish to consider one or more of a number of websites for
booking travel and accommodation on-line. In addition to Microsoft’s Expedia, other sites to consider
include cheapflights.ca, priceline.com, flightcentre.ca, and travel.yahoo.com. Alternatively, flights may be
booked online directly with Air Canada, Westjet or Porter Airlines. Furthermore, the busy medical
student or resident can review these websites at any time of the day or night.
Travel by train and bus can be convenient and economical for many medical students and residents in
Canada. With an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), full-time students save 40 per cent (as at
January 1, 2013), regardless of their age, for tickets with Greyhound Bus Lines and benefit from other
discounts with VIA Rail. Additionally, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and some provincial
medical associations offer members considerable discounts off the best available fares when traveling by
VIA Rail within Canada and also provide discounts on car rentals, hotels and bookings with certain
airlines. Contact the respective provincial medical association or the CMA Member Service Centre (at 1888 855- 2555 or by e-mail at [email protected]) to get the corporate discount code.
Frequent Flyer Program s
Before beginning interviews, it is wise to join a frequent-flyer program and capitalize on extensive travel
plans. Most airlines provide programs in which members accumulate travel points each time they fly, stay
at participating hotels or rent cars from participating dealers. Accumulated points may then be exchanged
for discounted or free air travel in the future. One resident was pleasantly surprised that he had
accumulated sufficient travel points from his CARMS interviews for a free round-trip ticket to anywhere
in North America. Membership information in most programs can be obtained from a travel agent or via
the Internet.
Accom m odations
Many medical students and residents contact friends, relatives, and former colleagues in a destination city
for possible accommodations during a brief stopover for interviews. Interested students may wish to
contact the medical student society of the respective city to see if there may be a student or resident with
a spare room and a willingness to host a visitor during the interview season.
To avoid costly hotel bills, many students attempt to stay at university residences and apartment
complexes. These institutions tend to be centrally located and the costs, particularly for students, are
remarkably low. The Canadian Universities and College Conference Officers Association (CUCCOA)
represents more than 50 educational institutions that wish to promote the use of their facilities,
particularly during the spring and summer months. CUCCOA has designed a website, www.cuccoa.org,
where links to member institutions are available. One can review the particulars of a respective institution
and make reservations directly over the Internet.
Whatever hotel or institution the student or resident may decide upon, it is wise to determine if any
discounts are available for select groups. Many chains and individual hotels have preferential rates for
corporate groups, like members of the Canadian Medical Association, provincial medical associations or
other groups, such as the Canadian Automobile Association. These may save the medical student or
resident a sizeable amount over the duration of travel.
Telephone calls or Texting
An often costly expense during travel is telephone calls from hotel rooms. A review of any hotel bill
demonstrates the very expensive nature of dialing local or long distance numbers directly from these
phones. For students and residents who may need to confirm appointments, re-schedule interviews or
contact loved ones while traveling, obtaining a calling card from your telephone company prior to travel
can be both convenient and economical. Alternatively, the prudent medical student or resident will check
with their cell phone provider to ensure that their plans provide for local and long distance calls or text
messaging at an economical price.
Credit Cards
Some credit cards provide travel points which can increase the benefits of an existing frequent -flyer
program. Paying for travel with these cards offers several benefits. In addition to earning points with an
airline’s frequent flyer program, one may also earn additional points when financing the trip with the
respective credit card. Also, credit cards provide an interest -free period between the date of purchase of
a product or service and the date payment is required. The latter benefit reduces the overall cost to the
medical student or resident as it provides additional time before an expensive loan or line of credit needs
to be increased.
Certain cards may also cover car insurance, decreasing the cost of rental vehicles one may require during
an interview process. The interested student or resident should contact their credit card company to avail
themselves of all benefits provided by their credit card.
Protect Your Credit Cards
The possible loss or theft of one’s wallet or purse during a hectic travel schedule can be time consuming,
stressful and financially costly. To lessen the costs and time involved with such a contingency, financial
institutions have offered credit card registry services where all personal credit cards, debit cards and
important numbered documents can be registered. Upon a reported loss or theft, the respective registry
will cancel all (not only their respective credit card) of these documents and can make arrangements for
replacement cards to be forwarded to you in a prompt fashion.
Alternatively, some travelers have made photocopies of all their important identification cards, including
all debit and credit cards, and have kept these copies in a secure but accessible location. In the event of a
lost or stolen wallet or purse, the traveller can then use the photocopies to not only cancel credit and
debit cards but also assist in their application for replacement of these respective documents.
Airport Clubs… not for the faint of wallet
Today, most airline carriers are attracting frequent travelers with clubs like Maple Leaf Lounge (Air
Canada) or Admiral’s Club (American Airlines). Such clubs offer complimentary food and beverages,
more comfortable lounges than the standard waiting rooms as well as an opportunity to change plane
tickets without waiting in line. Meeting rooms, fax machines and computers are also available for the
busy traveler. This service is not cheap; costs are often $300 to $500 per year. Nevertheless, for the very
busy student, resident or Fellow who is doing extensive travel, the benefits of increased comfort,
improved productivity and available business and study facilities while en route to interviews or
conferences may be worth the additional cost.
Travel and Taxes
Travel and accommodation costs incurred during CaRMS or Fellowship interviews are not tax
deductible. Only specific moving expenses incurred during one’s ultimate move to a new location to
begin residency or Fellowship may be deductible against income at the new location.
Registration and application fees paid to CaRMS can be $300 to $400 or more depending upon the
number of programs that the medical student wishes to include in the application. Receipts for fees paid
should be retained and provided to the student’s accountant or financial advisor for possible tax relief.
Brian E. Cummings, BBA, CPA, CA, MD, FRCPC, FCAP, FASCP
Physician Consultant, MD Physician Services
Staff Pathologist, Grand River Hospital & Saint Mary’s General Hospital, Kitchener, ON
We wish to acknowledge the significant contribution of the author of this resource document.
Updated January 2013