Why is starting residency so expensive? 500 dollars to the CPSO, 152 per month to the CMPA, a couple of hundred to register with my new university, having to start paying disability insurance to avoid having a physical if starting insurance after starting work (haven't decided how much insurance to get yet). All this and I have yet to get my first paycheck! Good thing I have some savings. I'm trying to budget out my money for next year and I'll tell you one thing - a resident's salary doesn't go very far.