Dental School and debt and lifestyle

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king32

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My family right now is financially unstable. I was thinking about switching out to a PA program and i need to support my family as soon as possible. Also i hear dental school is crazy amounts of work which does not bother me but i was wondering if ill still have time to go to the gym or have my own time. and i was wondering when i get out of dental school and hopefully buy into a partnership. i feel like im going to be in about 700000 dollars worth of debt. im actually scared im going to just be spending my life paying off school and never will make money. Also i feel that my 20s will litterally be a living hell. I really want to be a dentist but with the debt im going to be in is really making me second guess my decision.

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My family right now is financially unstable. I was thinking about switching out to a PA program and i need to support my family as soon as possible. Also i hear dental school is crazy amounts of work which does not bother me but i was wondering if ill still have time to go to the gym or have my own time. and i was wondering when i get out of dental school and hopefully buy into a partnership. i feel like im going to be in about 700000 dollars worth of debt. im actually scared im going to just be spending my life paying off school and never will make money. Also i feel that my 20s will litterally be a living hell. I really want to be a dentist but with the debt im going to be in is really making me second guess my decision.

700k of debt from what? Just Dental tuition + undergrad?
 
well with housing and buying a practice or something i may have over shot the price a little bit but i do plan on going to NYU so the debt will be high lol
 
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well with housing and buying a practice or something i may have over shot the price a little bit but i do plan on going to NYU so the debt will be high lol

buying a successful practice alone will run you minimum 500-700k, and if its really successful, could easily touch above 1 million.

The problem isn't the 700k hole for the business loan... its which bank is going to loan a recent college graduate that kinda cash when they are already 300-400k in debt (from dental and undergrad school) while making less than 150k a year working as an associate.

Don't get me wrong, you can make money in dentistry, and even with the massive loans, you will still generate more money alone than the average household income of a middle-class family..... just don't expect to be sitting in 60-thousand dollar car your initial years in the profession.

If you think about it, many associates now-a-days can bring in between 100-120k a year (in the words of armorshell ~ "this is zipcode dependent"). Some areas you'll make a little more, others a little less, but for sake of argument and assuming the new dentist wouldn't mind relocating, its a fair estimate.

There is another thing we pre-dents don't exactly have an eye for. Dentist's salary is highly depended on years of experiences. A dentist with 5-10+ worth of experiences has a much greater income potential than the recent graduate. Because they develop better negotiation skills as they hop around from 1 associateship to another, OR if they are good and well liked, they become partnered up within the practice. Either case guarantees you more $$$.

Think of the 300-400k education loan as a business investment into something you have no idea how to run (yeh I know its scary as hell)... You know NOTHING about oral medicine and nothing about the business aspect of it....
 
not to be blunt but i feel like im setting myself up for a horrible life of debt. I like dentristy but idk if im willing to go through a life full of debt right in the middle of my 20s. Im a junior preparing for the DAT n im really second guessing my chioce right now
 
You'll have no trouble getting a loan coming out of dental school. The % of dentists that default on their loans is relatively small and is a small risks as far as lenders are concerned. Just get out of your undergrad with the least amt of debt.
 
PA:
The median annual wage of physician assistants was $81,230 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent of physician assistants earned between $68,210 and $97,070.

Physician assistant educational programs usually take at least 2 years to complete for full-time students

Work environment. Although PAs usually work in a comfortable, well-lighted environment, those in surgery often stand for long periods. At times, the job requires a considerable amount of walking.
PA’s work schedules may vary according to the practice setting and often depend on the hours of the supervising physician. The workweek of hospital-based PAs may include weekends, nights, or early morning hospital rounds to visit patients. These workers also may be on call. PAs in clinics usually work about a 40-hour week.


http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos081.htm#earnings ( All the info above was found from this government site)

Typical costs:
  • Including statistics from both the public and private sector, tuition costs ranged from $2,300 -$99,950 in 2007 for the 27-month course, according to the Physician Assistant Programs Directory maintained by the Physician Assistant Education Association and available for a $35 per year subscription fee. Rates are listed for free at each of the individual university websites.
  • Public universities offering physician assistant programs generally charge at the lower end of the scale. However, there exists a wide range of price points even within the same state. Tuition, books and supplies at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant costs about $15,300 for two years, and around $47,000 at Wayne State in Detroit. Students at the University of Washington in Seattle can expect to pay around $59,600 (around $30,000 each year) for their two year program. Due to state funding requirements at public universities, students from out of the area spend about $17,450 -$75,000 or more each year for the same programs.
  • Tuition at private schools varies almost as much as in public institutions, but without state support the colleges generally cost more. Students at Duke University in North Carolina entering in 2008 will pay about $55,680 for the two-year program, while physician assistants at Yale University in New Haven Connecticut would pay over $68,000 on tuition alone for their 2 year and four month program.
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/education/physician-assistant.html

Dentist:

Median annual wages of salaried general dentists were $142,870 in May 2008. Earnings vary according to number of years in practice, location, hours worked, and specialty. Self-employed dentists in private practice tend to earn more than salaried dentists.

Dental school usually lasts 4 academic years.

Work environment. Most dentists are solo practitioners, meaning that they own their own businesses and work alone or with a small staff. Some dentists have partners, and a few work for other dentists as associate dentists.
Most dentists work 4 or 5 days a week. Some work evenings and weekends to meet their patients' needs. The number of hours worked varies greatly among dentists. Most full-time dentists work between 35 and 40 hours a week. However, others, especially those who are trying to establish a new practice, work more. Also, experienced dentists often work fewer hours. It is common for dentists to continue in part-time practice well beyond the usual retirement age.
Dentists usually work in the safety of an office environment. However, work-related injuries can occur, such as those resulting from the use of hand-held tools when performing dental work on patients.


http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos072.htm#earnings


Typical costs:
  • Dental students at a public university pay about $5,700 -$34,800 per year if in-state residents or $22,800 -$139,200 for four years. Non-resident tuition runs around $11,000 -$53,000 per year or $44,000 -$212,000 to complete the program. The
  • University of Mississippi has one of the lowest annual resident costs at $5,680 per year while Temple University will charge local students $34,800 for the 2008-2009 school year. During 2006-2007 the total four-year dental school tab at the 57 accredited US universities averaged $130,200 for residents and $179,350 for non residents.
  • Private dental school rates range around $17,000 -$68,000 per year for 2008-2009, totaling $68,000 -$272,000. Loma Linda University offers a private dental school education at about $17,000 per year while the University of Colorado in Denver is close at $22,600 for the upcoming school year. At the other end of the scale, the University of Pennsylvania runs about $54,000 per year and the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry was priced at $68,800 during 2007-2008.
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/education/dentistry-school
 
PA:
The median annual wage of physician assistants was $81,230 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent of physician assistants earned between $68,210 and $97,070.

Physician assistant educational programs usually take at least 2 years to complete for full-time students

Work environment. Although PAs usually work in a comfortable, well-lighted environment, those in surgery often stand for long periods. At times, the job requires a considerable amount of walking.
PA’s work schedules may vary according to the practice setting and often depend on the hours of the supervising physician. The workweek of hospital-based PAs may include weekends, nights, or early morning hospital rounds to visit patients. These workers also may be on call. PAs in clinics usually work about a 40-hour week.


http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos081.htm#earnings ( All the info above was found from this government site)

Typical costs:
  • Including statistics from both the public and private sector, tuition costs ranged from $2,300 -$99,950 in 2007 for the 27-month course, according to the Physician Assistant Programs Directory maintained by the Physician Assistant Education Association and available for a $35 per year subscription fee. Rates are listed for free at each of the individual university websites.
  • Public universities offering physician assistant programs generally charge at the lower end of the scale. However, there exists a wide range of price points even within the same state. Tuition, books and supplies at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant costs about $15,300 for two years, and around $47,000 at Wayne State in Detroit. Students at the University of Washington in Seattle can expect to pay around $59,600 (around $30,000 each year) for their two year program. Due to state funding requirements at public universities, students from out of the area spend about $17,450 -$75,000 or more each year for the same programs.
  • Tuition at private schools varies almost as much as in public institutions, but without state support the colleges generally cost more. Students at Duke University in North Carolina entering in 2008 will pay about $55,680 for the two-year program, while physician assistants at Yale University in New Haven Connecticut would pay over $68,000 on tuition alone for their 2 year and four month program.
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/education/physician-assistant.html

Dentist:

Median annual wages of salaried general dentists were $142,870 in May 2008. Earnings vary according to number of years in practice, location, hours worked, and specialty. Self-employed dentists in private practice tend to earn more than salaried dentists.

Dental school usually lasts 4 academic years.

Work environment. Most dentists are solo practitioners, meaning that they own their own businesses and work alone or with a small staff. Some dentists have partners, and a few work for other dentists as associate dentists.
Most dentists work 4 or 5 days a week. Some work evenings and weekends to meet their patients' needs. The number of hours worked varies greatly among dentists. Most full-time dentists work between 35 and 40 hours a week. However, others, especially those who are trying to establish a new practice, work more. Also, experienced dentists often work fewer hours. It is common for dentists to continue in part-time practice well beyond the usual retirement age.
Dentists usually work in the safety of an office environment. However, work-related injuries can occur, such as those resulting from the use of hand-held tools when performing dental work on patients.


http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos072.htm#earnings


Typical costs:
  • Dental students at a public university pay about $5,700 -$34,800 per year if in-state residents or $22,800 -$139,200 for four years. Non-resident tuition runs around $11,000 -$53,000 per year or $44,000 -$212,000 to complete the program. The
  • University of Mississippi has one of the lowest annual resident costs at $5,680 per year while Temple University will charge local students $34,800 for the 2008-2009 school year. During 2006-2007 the total four-year dental school tab at the 57 accredited US universities averaged $130,200 for residents and $179,350 for non residents.
  • Private dental school rates range around $17,000 -$68,000 per year for 2008-2009, totaling $68,000 -$272,000. Loma Linda University offers a private dental school education at about $17,000 per year while the University of Colorado in Denver is close at $22,600 for the upcoming school year. At the other end of the scale, the University of Pennsylvania runs about $54,000 per year and the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry was priced at $68,800 during 2007-2008.
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/education/dentistry-school

Holy crap bing, talk about going "above and beyond" ... good work! :thumbup:
 
A job shadowed a PA about two years ago. I was kind of going through the same thing you are except I wanted to do Chiro, obviously I changed my mind. Any way when I was shadowing the PA I asked him if there were any other careers choice he wished he would have picked. He said "probably dentistry my neighbors a dentist and he works way less than me I think he makes more money". I guess the hospital pays of student loans and puts you on salary for x amount of years and your like a slave.
 
At risk of getting off topic here, I don't know where they got the Mississippi tuition numbers from, but they are way off. I'm starting there in August and it's about 18K/year.

To OP, dentistry does cost a ton of money to get the education you need and a practice in place, but it's an awesome profession. If you're having a hard time of convincing your self of that, just look at how much more competitive it has gotten to get into D-school in the last 5 years or so, haha.
 
OP - If you're in a PA program dont quit! It's a great career and you'll be making great money soon with benifits, 401K matching etc. Seems like too good of a thing to walk away from if you're worried about debt and taking care of your family soon.
 
Interesting thread. Still stuck on the "is it worth the debt" part as well, as those of you who read my thread know.
 
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King 32, see if you can visit a handful of dentists and ask them if they are drowning in debt. Your answer will be 0. Most have nice houses and nice cars. Yes, dental school is very expensive, but when you buy a practice, the profit should cover the cost of the loan plus pay you 32% of production. Otherwise, don't buy it. The loan for a practice should be debt neutral, from a personal debt standpoint. There are few other businesses that are as profitable as dentistry.
 
King 32, see if you can visit a handful of dentists and ask them if they are drowning in debt. Your answer will be 0. Most have nice houses and nice cars. Yes, dental school is very expensive, but when you buy a practice, the profit should cover the cost of the loan plus pay you 32% of production. Otherwise, don't buy it. The loan for a practice should be debt neutral, from a personal debt standpoint. There are few other businesses that are as profitable as dentistry.

I don't think that's a very accurate comparison unless you ask a dentist that's been out of school within the last couple years. Most of the older dentists went to school in a different era when tuition wasn't through the roof and there werent dentists on every street corner. Not to mention the number of chain dental offices like monarch, smiley, etc.

If OP goes to school at NYU and tries to open an office in New York, I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's going to be eating ramen out of an apartment for quite awhile.
 
For those of you who are thinking "is dentistry worth it ~ financially?".... Please make your decisions knowing full well of all available (government aided) opportunities that help reduce-to-significantly tuition loans.

Im sure you've heard of the military opportunities: Navy, Air force, and Army. My understanding is, they are competitive to land, but they are available, even after you finish DS (I think ~ someone correct me). They will pay for 100% of your dental tuition ~ yes including living expense, but you have to go and work for them for 4 years at a fairly low salary (I think 70k a year starting)...

My favorite option of all, NHSC scholarship. Its probably harder to get one of these than to match into an Oral Surgery residency. But if your one of the lucky ones, you will have an option to choose either 2 years, 3 years, or all 4 years. They will pay 100% of your dental tuition for however many years you picked. When you graduate, they will give you 9 months to find a job in a NHSC location (your choice to pick).... I've called up a few places around the Michigan area (there is even one in downtown Detroit that is currently hiring).... I called a few offices and asked them what thier starting salaries are for new graduates, most were around $450 a day, about 90-110k a year.... Not a bad option since a lot of your DS tuition is paid off.

Another option is NHSC work program. This is probably the easiest one to get into. You graduate dental (or medical school), find an NHSC location, get hired and work there minimum of 2 years.... They will pay you normal salary (90-110k per year assuming we are talking about Michigan) AND ON TOP OF THAT, 60k bonus that goes towards your loans. I am not 100% sure about this, but I think the 60k is tax free?? So in other words, your first 2 years out, you were able to bring in 240-280k salary.

By the way, if you work for NHSC for 5 years, that pays you 170k toward your tuition. If 6 years, 100% loan repayment.
http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/

I haven't research other programs, but I am sure there are others around.

IMO, the smartest thing today's new graduate dentist should do is to focus the first 5 years of their career only paying off that massive student debt. You need to do this because that 6% interest rate (maybe even higher) is a serious blow when your principle is above 300k. You need to drop that principle to 100-200k levels to calm down the raging interest.... 6% interest on 400k is almost 25k A YEAR!!!
 
I too was very worried about this at first, however, there are some options you can take to avoid the debt.

Military dentistry (typically the HPSP scholarship) will pay FULL tuition and fees and give you a monthly stipend to live off of (comfortably). I applied for it this year and should be hearing back soon, but it is a great opportunity. BUT, you do have to serve 3-4 years afterwards, so it's a decision that requires a lot of thought.

On the other hand, if you don't mind moving to a non-dentist saturated area, you should do fine with your loans. This typically means lower cost of living and many more patients with less competition. I live in Southern California, so it would be silly for me to try and open my own, new practice. The best bet would be to try and take over a successful practice already well-established, but that comes at a price. If you know any dentists that are of soon-to-be retiring age, TALK TO THEM!!! Work a good relationship with them, enter an associateship after graduating, then partner/buy their practice after a few years. I realize this is the IDEAL situation for probably 90% of dental graduates and it does not usually work out this way, but it's your best bet with MANY dentists retiring.

Just look at opportunities that might not be in your most ideal locations, such as rural areas or newly developing areas. Also, you can talk to office brokers about offices for sales and good areas to search for. If you read through the Dental Student forums, I'm sure there are some pretty good ideas and info regarding this issue!

Good luck with your decision! For me though, the debt never made me hesitate turning away from dentistry... EVER! It is such a great and dynamic field that you can do just about anything dental-related and still be well off.
 
For those of you who are thinking "is dentistry worth it ~ financially?".... Please make your decisions knowing full well of all available (government aided) opportunities that help reduce-to-significantly tuition loans.

Im sure you've heard of the military opportunities: Navy, Air force, and Army. My understanding is, they are competitive to land, but they are available, even after you finish DS (I think ~ someone correct me). They will pay for 100% of your dental tuition ~ yes including living expense, but you have to go and work for them for 4 years at a fairly low salary (I think 70k a year starting)...

My favorite option of all, NHSC scholarship. Its probably harder to get one of these than to match into an Oral Surgery residency. But if your one of the lucky ones, you will have an option to choose either 2 years, 3 years, or all 4 years. They will pay 100% of your dental tuition for however many years you picked. When you graduate, they will give you 9 months to find a job in a NHSC location (your choice to pick).... I've called up a few places around the Michigan area (there is even one in downtown Detroit that is currently hiring).... I called a few offices and asked them what thier starting salaries are for new graduates, most were around $450 a day, about 90-110k a year.... Not a bad option since a lot of your DS tuition is paid off.

Another option is NHSC work program. This is probably the easiest one to get into. You graduate dental (or medical school), find an NHSC location, get hired and work there minimum of 2 years.... They will pay you normal salary (90-110k per year assuming we are talking about Michigan) AND ON TOP OF THAT, 60k bonus that goes towards your loans. I am not 100% sure about this, but I think the 60k is tax free?? So in other words, your first 2 years out, you were able to bring in 240-280k salary.

By the way, if you work for NHSC for 5 years, that pays you 170k toward your tuition. If 6 years, 100% loan repayment.
http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/

I haven't research other programs, but I am sure there are others around.

IMO, the smartest thing today's new graduate dentist should do is to focus the first 5 years of their career only paying off that massive student debt. You need to do this because that 6% interest rate (maybe even higher) is a serious blow when your principle is above 300k. You need to drop that principle to 100-200k levels to calm down the raging interest.... 6% interest on 400k is almost 25k A YEAR!!!


I'm planning on looking into the NHSC Scholarship (I've also heard they are hard to come by)-- I signed up to receive emails from them regarding when the app cycle opens-- has anyone heard back yet?

I'm also going to look into the 3 year Army or Navy HPSP, but I read in the military forum they may not be doing the 3 year anymore.

If all else fails I wouldn't mind working at a NHSC Location, I volunteered at one in my hometown and the dentists there seemed happy and one even worked weekends at a practice his wife worked at. I'd consider working weekends- just want to get my debt paid off as fast as possible.
 
I'm planning on looking into the NHSC Scholarship (I've also heard they are hard to come by)-- I signed up to receive emails from them regarding when the app cycle opens-- has anyone heard back yet?

I'm also going to look into the 3 year Army or Navy HPSP, but I read in the military forum they may not be doing the 3 year anymore.

If all else fails I wouldn't mind working at a NHSC Location, I volunteered at one in my hometown and the dentists there seemed happy and one even worked weekends at a practice his wife worked at. I'd consider working weekends- just want to get my debt paid off as fast as possible.

NHSC hasn't opened up yet.

Thats actually my plan, to get into some NHSC location, there are a few that aren't that far off from my current location, even one of them is near my dental school.... This is assuming I don't end up matching into a specialty. Its an amazing opportunity, work there for 6 years, make about 100k a year on top of all, get all your dental school loans paid off.....I wonder, will they pay for the incurring interest on the loans for the 6 year period?
 
Do you know if it's possible to match into a residency... say endo... then two years later move to a NYSC location and practice as an endo and receive these awards? Or is this opportunity specific to a GP.



Edit: I'm asking about the NHSC work program

NHSC hasn't opened up yet.

Thats actually my plan, to get into some NHSC location, there are a few that aren't that far off from my current location, even one of them is near my dental school.... This is assuming I don't end up matching into a specialty. Its an amazing opportunity, work there for 6 years, make about 100k a year on top of all, get all your dental school loans paid off.....I wonder, will they pay for the incurring interest on the loans for the 6 year period?
 
Do you know if it's possible to match into a residency... say endo... then two years later move to a NYSC location and practice as an endo and receive these awards? Or is this opportunity specific to a GP.



Edit: I'm asking about the NHSC work program

I have no idea, I imagine having an endodontist working in an undeserved population is a highly favorable option for them.... Where else will they find a "relatively cheap" endodontist right?
 
For those of you who are thinking "is dentistry worth it ~ financially?".... Please make your decisions knowing full well of all available (government aided) opportunities that help reduce-to-significantly tuition loans.

Im sure you've heard of the military opportunities: Navy, Air force, and Army. My understanding is, they are competitive to land, but they are available, even after you finish DS (I think ~ someone correct me). They will pay for 100% of your dental tuition ~ yes including living expense, but you have to go and work for them for 4 years at a fairly low salary (I think 70k a year starting)...

My favorite option of all, NHSC scholarship. Its probably harder to get one of these than to match into an Oral Surgery residency. But if your one of the lucky ones, you will have an option to choose either 2 years, 3 years, or all 4 years. They will pay 100% of your dental tuition for however many years you picked. When you graduate, they will give you 9 months to find a job in a NHSC location (your choice to pick).... I've called up a few places around the Michigan area (there is even one in downtown Detroit that is currently hiring).... I called a few offices and asked them what thier starting salaries are for new graduates, most were around $450 a day, about 90-110k a year.... Not a bad option since a lot of your DS tuition is paid off.

Another option is NHSC work program. This is probably the easiest one to get into. You graduate dental (or medical school), find an NHSC location, get hired and work there minimum of 2 years.... They will pay you normal salary (90-110k per year assuming we are talking about Michigan) AND ON TOP OF THAT, 60k bonus that goes towards your loans. I am not 100% sure about this, but I think the 60k is tax free?? So in other words, your first 2 years out, you were able to bring in 240-280k salary.

By the way, if you work for NHSC for 5 years, that pays you 170k toward your tuition. If 6 years, 100% loan repayment.
http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/

I haven't research other programs, but I am sure there are others around.

IMO, the smartest thing today's new graduate dentist should do is to focus the first 5 years of their career only paying off that massive student debt. You need to do this because that 6% interest rate (maybe even higher) is a serious blow when your principle is above 300k. You need to drop that principle to 100-200k levels to calm down the raging interest.... 6% interest on 400k is almost 25k A YEAR!!!

Are there NHSC jobs available in the Detroit area specifically for NHSC scholars? The only ones I found on the website were for the NHSC loan repayment program. I think I only found one NHSC scholar job in the Metro Detroit area. Are you considering applying for the scholarship or just loan repayment?
 
Are there NHSC jobs available in the Detroit area specifically for NHSC scholars? The only ones I found on the website were for the NHSC loan repayment program. I think I only found one NHSC scholar job in the Metro Detroit area. Are you considering applying for the scholarship or just loan repayment?

Well, the loan repayment option is only available 4-5 years from now... But the scholarship program is now, and I will be applying to it.

I just did a search for michigan loan repayment jobs for dentist (specialty = general practice)... it found 20 locations, one of them in the heart of detroit
 
Well, the loan repayment option is only available 4-5 years from now... But the scholarship program is now, and I will be applying to it.

I just did a search for michigan loan repayment jobs for dentist (specialty = general practice)... it found 20 locations, one of them in the heart of detroit

From my understanding NHSC scholars can't take jobs designated for loan repayors and vice versa. Is this your understanding as well? I believe that each site is given a score based on how underserved it is. NHSC scholars have to take jobs that meet a certain score requirement.

I am still deciding if I am going to apply for the scholarship or not. Both the scholarship and repayment plans are great. The only downside to the scholarship is that there are far fewer job options than for loan repayment. For example, in Michigan I only found three job openings for NHSC scholars and only one in the Detroit Area. I remember checking a few months ago. I tried checking a few minutes ago, but am having trouble with the website.
 
From my understanding NHSC scholars can't take jobs designated for loan repayors and vice versa. Is this your understanding as well? I believe that each site is given a score based on how underserved it is. NHSC scholars have to take jobs that meet a certain score requirement.

I am still deciding if I am going to apply for the scholarship or not. Both the scholarship and repayment plans are great. The only downside to the scholarship is that there are far fewer job options than for loan repayment. For example, in Michigan I only found three job openings for NHSC scholars and only one in the Detroit Area. I remember checking a few months ago. I tried checking a few minutes ago, but am having trouble with the website.

I just looked into it, you are right... My search dropped from 20, to 2 for the scholar program... However, one of the 2 is near lincoln park (near detroit), the other near flint

Basically, either the scholarship or just working for them are nice options. One of them covers you very well but limits job opportunity for your state, the other doesn't offer you as much repayment but has ALOT more job opportunities....

However, for this year, they only have 200 scholarships to award (between all disciplines of health ~ medicine, dentistry, NPs, Physician assis, and I think nurses as well).... Even if we wanted it, we prolly can't get it
 
KSDental you are correct. NHSC loan repayers have many more jobs to choose from because the scholars HAVE to work somewhere with an HPSA (Health professions shortage score) of 17 or higher. Anything less than that goes to the loan repayers, so it limits your choices of where to work. They just raised the HPSA score this past year to push the scholars to the places they need help the most.
 
I just looked into it, you are right... My search dropped from 20, to 2 for the scholar program... However, one of the 2 is near lincoln park (near detroit), the other near flint

Basically, either the scholarship or just working for them are nice options. One of them covers you very well but limits job opportunity for your state, the other doesn't offer you as much repayment but has ALOT more job opportunities....

However, for this year, they only have 200 scholarships to award (between all disciplines of health ~ medicine, dentistry, NPs, Physician assis, and I think nurses as well).... Even if we wanted it, we prolly can't get it

I just noticed the 200 position banner on the side as well. Stinks that it's 200 across all disciplines. Does anyone know how hard it is to land a repayment position afterwards? Seems like it would be less competition.. I'm not really picky on where I live! lol
 
By the way, if you work for NHSC for 5 years, that pays you 170k toward your tuition. If 6 years, 100% loan repayment.


Anyone sure If you can change location if you do 5 years? Im down for whatever to pay my debt off so I can raise a family, but it would be nice to know I have an option of moving if I really don't like the area I choose.

It would also be a little aggrevating to have your heart set on an area where there are no vacanncies, only to see that 1-2 years down the road there are openings!
 
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I just noticed the 200 position banner on the side as well. Stinks that it's 200 across all disciplines. Does anyone know how hard it is to land a repayment position afterwards? Seems like it would be less competition.. I'm not really picky on where I live! lol

well, if you can't land one yourself, they'll position you in one (but could be at an undesirable location)
 
Anyone sure If you can change location if you do 5 years? Im down for whatever to pay my debt off so I can raise a family, but it would be nice to know I have an option of moving if I really don't like the area I choose.

It would also be a little aggrevating to have your heart set on an area where there are no vacanncies, only to see that 1-2 years down the road there are opening!

call them and find out.

I doubt I'll do more than 2 years with them (even if the scholarship pans out, I'm only picking the 2 year option)
 
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