Help Our Students Travel Program

The Help Our Students Travel (HOST) program connects IU School of Medicine alumni with fourth-year medical students seeking lodging during the residency interview season. With the cost of medical education growing and medical student indebtedness becoming a national issue, alumni are being called upon to help address this concern by participating in the HOST Program and thereby alleviating some of the out-of-pocket costs to medical students to travel for residency interviews.

Through HOST, IU School of Medicine alumni offer students free housing, meals, and/or transportation associated with residency interviews at IU School of Medicine. Along the way, alumni provide influential advice about the community in which students are interviewing.

Program Timing

MD students and IU School of Medicine alumni interested in participating in this program must complete an application. Residency programs receive applications by September 15; residency interviews are conducted October through January.

Student Application

Alumni Application

HOST Matching Process

Alumni and students fill out their respective online applications, and then Sue Johnson, alumni relations specialist, confirms receipt of the submission. When a student and alum match, Sue follows up with the alum to confirm availability. Upon confirming availability, Sue connects the student and alum. The student and alum communicate to finalize details.

IU School of Medicine Alumni Association cannot guarantee a match for either the student or alum. Students should allow up to two weeks for a match. Alumni will be contacted if and when a match is made.

Interested participants can contact Sue Johnson, Alumni Relations Specialist by email (at sjohnso2@iu.edu) or by phone (at 317-278-2131) with questions.