I'm still worried about the cost, but the panel discussion was really helpful...quite a few people seem to have turned down significantly-less-expensive state schools in favor of Case, so that makes me feel better.
I did just that. It felt a little painful at the time to consider the almost $20k/yr diff in tuition. I would choose it again in a heartbeat. I realized how priceless the environment that I am studying in is. I can't speak beyond year 1, but it's worth it to me without a doubt.
Honestly, continue living modestly for a few years and you can pay it off in reasonable time, even in fam med if I go that route. Hold off on that mercedes and mansion for a little while.
😉 Several physicians I know did just that, and encouraged me that $ shouldn't be much of a determining factor in deciding where to go.
Myself, I am definitely going to do the
National Health Service Corps. (It has nothing to do with the military, btw, happily.) Read about it, it's quite fabulous. There are a huge number of places that qualify.
My original plan was/is to work in an underserved area anyhow, so it's bonus.
You MUST work in primary care (IM, peds, fam med, psychiatry, OB, and a couple of others) in an underserved area (TONS of places qualify, even some academic centers - I know one attending at UH who is actually in it!) and they repay your debt at $60 for 2 years, 170k for 5 years, and after year 6, they pay it ALL.
If you go the scholar route, which is a contract ahead of time, they pay EVERYTHING in a 1:1 ratio med school year to year served. 4 yrs, done. But it's a consideration that you must commit to primary care NOW, since if you default, you pay it back in triplicate. No joke.
Important note: NEVER roll your education loans in together with ANY other loans (like car, mortgage, personal loans, etc). Otherwise they won't pay back a cent of it.
Additionally, there are actually agreements that physician groups sometimes strike with hospitals where the hospital pays off a portion of your student debt.
And there are programs that keep your payments manageable for X years, then forgive the rest. That may be what JD was referring to. But that is not the only program available.
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