Is leaving my current state a grave mistake?

[Elizabethx89]

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[hawkbit]

I'm finishing up my Gen Chem II summer course and then taking next semester off to move in with my dad and save up money because I don't really have any other choice. Then I guess I'll decide whether I still want to try to go to med school.

I decided about a month ago that as soon as I have enough in savings, I wanted to move to a completely different state, partly because there are places in the midwest a lot cheaper to live in than here and that have more job opportunities, and partly because I want to get away from my family and just am not a huge fan of Georgia.

I'm concerned that leaving the state might put me at disadvantages in terms of post-bacc tuition and getting into med school if I decide to continue pursuing medicine, however. I've never had to deal with paying for out of state tuition at a school, so I'm not even sure how that would work and how difficult it would be to get loans. I also know that there are med schools who look intentionally for matriculates who are likely to stick around and practice in their states as well. Mercer, for instance, only accepts Georgia residents and is very vocal about only considering people with a commitment to serving Georgia.

Thoughts?

Tuition issues are something to think about, but if you decide to move to another state you should be able to get in state tuition after a certain amount of time goes by, since you will become a resident of that state (getting a new drivers license etc). In Texas it takes one year of living here and paying bills. Other places sometimes just six months. If you decide you are serious about medicine, and you can't afford out of state tuition, use the time establishing your new state residency to beef up your application with extracurricular things such as clinical hours, volunteering, research etc. Then finish up your degree? and pre-reqs, study for the MCAT and get into med school.

I wish it was that easy! But with hard work and determination it can be done.
Good luck!

 

[Aelius]

No, it's not a grave mistake. I wouldn't want to pay out of state tuition, so you will have to figure out how to establish residency at the state you are going to. A friend of mine moved to Texas, he has to work and not take classes for a year to establish state residency. If you work AND take classes, the state can always argue that you moved there for education, which will disqualify you to be considered a resident.

Personally, I would find a job, even a part-time one, and build up my ECs like doing clinical volunteering, etc. Good luck!

 

[theseeker4]

I'm finishing up my Gen Chem II summer course and then taking next semester off to move in with my dad and save up money because I don't really have any other choice. Then I guess I'll decide whether I still want to try to go to med school.

I decided about a month ago that as soon as I have enough in savings, I wanted to move to a completely different state, partly because there are places in the midwest a lot cheaper to live in than here and that have more job opportunities, and partly because I want to get away from my family and just am not a huge fan of Georgia.

I'm concerned that leaving the state might put me at disadvantages in terms of post-bacc tuition and getting into med school if I decide to continue pursuing medicine, however. I've never had to deal with paying for out of state tuition at a school, so I'm not even sure how that would work and how difficult it would be to get loans. I also know that there are med schools who look intentionally for matriculates who are likely to stick around and practice in their states as well. Mercer, for instance, only accepts Georgia residents and is very vocal about only considering people with a commitment to serving Georgia.

Thoughts?

What state are you planning to move to? It might be a big plus, if you were moving to a state like Texas with great in-state advantage, or it might be a big minus if you were moving to a state like California, with so much more demand for seats than supply compared to most of the rest of the country. A lot of mid-western states have pretty good chances for in-state students, but I don't know what the exceptions to this are. Bottom line though, if you are better off elsewhere and perform better, it is better to move than to stay put.

 

[Elizabeth89]

I'm not entirely sure where yet. Wherever I can find and get approved for an inexpensive apartment that also has a decent job market and a university within reasonable distance. Definitely not California lol. I've looked at places in Indiana (near Indianapolis), Ohio, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh), and Maine (which seems like a giant no-go).

 

[sazerac]

I'm not entirely sure where yet. Wherever I can find and get approved for an inexpensive apartment that also has a decent job market and a university within reasonable distance. Definitely not California lol. I've looked at places in Indiana (near Indianapolis), Ohio, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh), and Maine (which seems like a giant no-go).

Go Ohio, if you can. The whole state is like one gigantic doctor factory.

 

[familyaerospace]

Go Ohio, if you can. The whole state is like one gigantic doctor factory.

I second this. If I were to move from Georgia, I would consider Cincinnati as a place to move to.

 

[familyaerospace]

I'm finishing up my Gen Chem II summer course and then taking next semester off to move in with my dad and save up money because I don't really have any other choice. Then I guess I'll decide whether I still want to try to go to med school.

I decided about a month ago that as soon as I have enough in savings, I wanted to move to a completely different state, partly because there are places in the midwest a lot cheaper to live in than here and that have more job opportunities, and partly because I want to get away from my family and just am not a huge fan of Georgia.

I'm concerned that leaving the state might put me at disadvantages in terms of post-bacc tuition and getting into med school if I decide to continue pursuing medicine, however. I've never had to deal with paying for out of state tuition at a school, so I'm not even sure how that would work and how difficult it would be to get loans. I also know that there are med schools who look intentionally for matriculates who are likely to stick around and practice in their states as well. Mercer, for instance, only accepts Georgia residents and is very vocal about only considering people with a commitment to serving Georgia.

Thoughts?

It's easy to get loans, you are just going to get a lot more of them.

By all means move from Georgia, it gives me less competition since I have a preference to stay in Georgia. ;-) Although if I were not in Georgia, I would state that it would be crazy to move unless you have good reason to.

 

[threesparrows]

If you do stick with the plan of applying to med school, moving might not be a great idea for financial reasons. Having to come up with first & last month, security deposit on an apartment before you've found a job, and then pay tuition and application expenses AND possibly have to relocate again in the near future for med school.... it would be tough.

If you do decide to do it, try to save up twice as much as you think you'll need.