Greetings, Big Study- I've read everything written regarding the Meredith program here for the last few months (as I awaited a decision), and I've finally been accepted for the '17-'18 year. I'm ecstatic - it's been a long time coming to have the chance at a medical career.
My biggest question at the moment, regarding this post, in particular, is if it is possible to retain a full time job during this program (esp the intense summer session.) I realize it's officially discouraged by the program directors, but I've been working 2 jobs since the day I graduated from college to pay off student debt and other debt and really don't want to start off my medical schooling already drowning. (I plan on keeping my part time job no matter what)
You said above you worked during the semester, and I'm curious how you did that? Also, regarding the summer session, is it M-F 9-5?
Thanks for your help! I hope your medical school is still going exceptionally well for you - we definitely need doctors more than ever.
CorgiMix,
Congratulations on your acceptance into Meredith. I love that place, and I miss it still. I learned so much there and perfected my study technique taking those courses. I was just like you. I hated debt and paid my way through undergrad as best I could. But anyways; your question about Meredith. The work is hard, harder than any undergrad course I took at my undergrad university. The summer term is especially fast-paced, and I would
strongly urge you not to work at all during your time at Meredith.
You have to ask yourself what is at stake here. Is it possible to retain a full-time job during the program... Yes, I know a classmate who did it... Is it advisable, absolutely not. That classmate did not finish the program, unfortunately. Please take my advice; you are going to take out a lot of loans in graduate school, don't feel bad about it- it is just the way it is. Don't worry about the loans you have now. You can be debt free, or you can be a doctor, but it is very rare to be both (immediately out of training anyways).
If you are sure you are pursuing medicine with your life it is of the utmost importance that you do incredibly well during this post bacc year to which you have been accepted into! I guarantee hundreds of other applicants want your spot, give the program every reason to believe that you are everything they hoped you would be and be excellent while you are there for that short year. This is in a sense your last structured opportunity to get accepted into a program and pursue your career goals. Don’t mess it up by spending 20 hours a week at a dead end job.
If the goal is to be debt free, don't do med school... I am a quarter of a million dollars in debt now. I would not trade it for the world though, I love what I do, and I will be able to pay it off soon after residency. During my time at Meredith, I helped tutor Biochem for pennies one semester and served tables at a restaurant for dimes for about three weeks. Instead of working, for the first time in my life, I focused solely on my schoolwork and finally started to do well.
If you have lots of credit card debt, yes figure out a way to get it paid off ASAP, but the school debt is something that will be around for a long time- just get acquainted with it. This is probably not the answer you wanted to hear, but it is truth. Take out loans, do well in school, and get into med school. Because med school is four years, then residency is four years, then fellowship is additional 1 to 2 to 3 years. At that time you will make a very competitive salary, and it will make your $10,000-$20,000 undergrad loans that you worried and worried about 10+ years ago look like such a laughable side note compared to the massive loans you take out in med school.
Don’t worry about the price tag of your education, worry about learning as much as you can and doing as well as you can in your studies now and aim for the best medical school possible. Summer term was 9-5 M-F. Courses themselves were scattered throughout, but with studying included, it was a 9-5 grind all summer.
Please feel free to post any more questions if you have any. Also, if there are recent graduates from the Meredith post bacc reading this, please do feel free to chime in. It has been 5+ years since I graduated from Meredith so some of my thoughts on the program schedule could be a bit outdated.
All the best