- Joined
- Mar 19, 2008
- Messages
- 156
- Reaction score
- 27
While I can count myself lucky that the toughest decision I have had to make in my 28 years of life is one involving opportunities, it remains a painstaking decision. I applied to roughly 10 MD and 10 DO schools for this application cycle, and have been fortunate enough to have one acceptance to a DO program (turned down 2 other DO interviews). My MCAT score was a 28, so I was well aware DO school would be my best bet. I have my 2000 dollar deposit down at the DO school I was accepted to, with 1500 of that being refundable up until June. I am struggling with the decision of whether to attend medical school at all this fall, due to financial reasons. I am currently a 4th year pharmacy student set to graduate this spring(research old threads if you want to see exact reasons as to why I want to be a doctor and not a pharmacist, how I ended up in pharm school etc.). I still want to be a doctor as badly as I did when I was in undergrad (frankly I'm not sure I would have been accepted to medical school without my pharmacy experience) but I now will have 234K of total educational debt post pharmacy school. The DO school I have been accepted to is private and costs 52K per year. With more living expense loans to be taken out on top of that, you can imagine the staggering number I would be facing upon graduation of medical school. I am considering working as a pharmacist for a year or two and putting as big of a dent as possible in my pharmacy school loans then reapplying to medical school. The biggest reason I am scared to go that route is fear I may not get accepted to medical school again. I applied to 20 schools and only one is giving me a chance. If I turn down that offer, I am scared they will not want to accept me again two years from now, and I will have let my opportunity to become a doctor slip away. On the other hand, my 234K of undergrad/pharm debt collecting interest for 4 years (and likely more in residency) sends chills up my spine as well. While I understand pharmacy is a career many people in this country would be thankful for, it is not what I am passionate about. The job market is also TERRIBLE right now with the opening of 48 new pharmacy schools over the past ~10 years. I have work experience, decent grades and a solid resume and I am having great difficulty securing work upon graduation in the northeast. It all boils down to what is scarier, fear of future debt or not chasing my dreams. A tough one I must say. I welcome all advice and perspective on my situation. Thank you!
Edit: and no, the school I was accepted to does not allow deferment for any reasons, even financial.
Edit: and no, the school I was accepted to does not allow deferment for any reasons, even financial.