About to started 2nd bachelor's, so scared of debt I can't sleep

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Aeryn

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Hey there!

I'm Aeryn and I'm a nontrad, and in a week I start my second bachelor's degree. In terms of age, I'm barely even nontrad (I'm 24) but I graduated college at 21 so I've already been working for three years, and I'm married. So I consider myself nontrad. I absolutely would not trade the three years of working. This past year I got to work with a physician who trained at Mayo Clinic and taught me so much. I got to see what life as a doctor is really like, all the nonglamourous and icky bits, and I still want to do it!

My first time around in college, I got a BA in anthropology because my parents kind of pushed me into it. Well, I have none of my prereqs. I was going to just go to school part-time and do those classes, but it was a mess trying to do it. I tried for about 8 months and eventually figured out no one was going to work with me on it and my only option was to get bachelor's #2. We haven't got any postbacc programs in my area. It'll be two years to finish the bio degree, and since I won't be able to take the MCAT until I have the two-year chem sequence that's a part of that I was thinking I'd just stay an extra year and do a double major in Spanish, because I love languages and I think it would be extremely useful. Basically, all I can think is that I'd be better off spending that year in school because finding a job that'll pay the bills for a year is going to be really, really hard. But some of that depends on my husband's situation; maybe he will have a good job and be able to pay all of the bills. I just don't know.

Good news though is that with my anthro degree I graduated with four honors designations from the school and a GPA of 3.85. I'm a damn good student. I'll say it, I'm good. So I feel pretty damn confident about my skills in school!

But, I am so scared about the debt! I still have about 10k from my first degree to pay off. I'm taking out private loans for the first year of the degree. Next year I'm hoping for grants...but the school gave me zero financial aid because I already have a BA. I didn't get anything from the government either. They weren't helpful the first time around either since my dad makes a ton of money (nuke reactor operator). If I have to continue with loans, I'll probably be something like 60 to 90k in debt from my second shot at undergrad. Aaaand then there's med school, which will probably put me another 130k into debt - shooting for a state school since I live by UIUC and that's a nice school.

I am shooting for a specialty in general ENT. I asked some doctors about debt, including an ENT doc. All of them seemed to have the general consensus that living modestly and planning carefully means I will be fine. The ENT I saw this morning said his brother did the exact same thing as me and got out of debt without much issue. But honestly, I cannot shake this fear of debt!

So...fellow nontrads, how are you guys dealing with the debt fears? Any attendings want to weigh in? Luckily, I don't have kids nor do I want them, so hopefully that'll keep my expenses low in the future...but God, I am terrified. I want to be a doctor more than anything - but I'm afraid I'll be stopped before I begin because of my fears! Help!

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Hey there!

I'm Aeryn and I'm a nontrad, and in a week I start my second bachelor's degree. In terms of age, I'm barely even nontrad (I'm 24) but I graduated college at 21 so I've already been working for three years, and I'm married. So I consider myself nontrad. I absolutely would not trade the three years of working. This past year I got to work with a physician who trained at Mayo Clinic and taught me so much. I got to see what life as a doctor is really like, all the nonglamourous and icky bits, and I still want to do it!

My first time around in college, I got a BA in anthropology because my parents kind of pushed me into it. Well, I have none of my prereqs. I was going to just go to school part-time and do those classes, but it was a mess trying to do it. I tried for about 8 months and eventually figured out no one was going to work with me on it and my only option was to get bachelor's #2. We haven't got any postbacc programs in my area. It'll be two years to finish the bio degree, and since I won't be able to take the MCAT until I have the two-year chem sequence that's a part of that I was thinking I'd just stay an extra year and do a double major in Spanish, because I love languages and I think it would be extremely useful. Basically, all I can think is that I'd be better off spending that year in school because finding a job that'll pay the bills for a year is going to be really, really hard. But some of that depends on my husband's situation; maybe he will have a good job and be able to pay all of the bills. I just don't know.

Good news though is that with my anthro degree I graduated with four honors designations from the school and a GPA of 3.85. I'm a damn good student. I'll say it, I'm good. So I feel pretty damn confident about my skills in school!

But, I am so scared about the debt! I still have about 10k from my first degree to pay off. I'm taking out private loans for the first year of the degree. Next year I'm hoping for grants...but the school gave me zero financial aid because I already have a BA. I didn't get anything from the government either. They weren't helpful the first time around either since my dad makes a ton of money (nuke reactor operator). If I have to continue with loans, I'll probably be something like 60 to 90k in debt from my second shot at undergrad. Aaaand then there's med school, which will probably put me another 130k into debt - shooting for a state school since I live by UIUC and that's a nice school.

I am shooting for a specialty in general ENT. I asked some doctors about debt, including an ENT doc. All of them seemed to have the general consensus that living modestly and planning carefully means I will be fine. The ENT I saw this morning said his brother did the exact same thing as me and got out of debt without much issue. But honestly, I cannot shake this fear of debt!

So...fellow nontrads, how are you guys dealing with the debt fears? Any attendings want to weigh in? Luckily, I don't have kids nor do I want them, so hopefully that'll keep my expenses low in the future...but God, I am terrified. I want to be a doctor more than anything - but I'm afraid I'll be stopped before I begin because of my fears! Help!

250,000 dollar med school debt > any nontrad back to school debt. Just work for a non-profit or academic institution while doing Income Based Repayment for 10 years and the government forgives the loan.

You pay based on your SALARY not the total debt. Make sure you borrow only from Uncle sam.

Also, bachelors number 2 is foolish. You should go to PA school, nursing school, whatever. Be in the medical profession without wasting so much time. By the time you graduate medical school you'll want rugrats.

if medical school is the here and now, travel. Go to a place that has a post-bacc. Live on campus there. Take the 4 courses you need to get into medical school. Do it in a year. Don't be foolish and take THREE YEARS of school again just to finish 4 courses. Its worth the 1 year away from your hubby. Unless he's rich, in which case he can follow you.
 
OP, check with your college and see if they'll give you a year of Financial aid for prereqs. Many larger universities can't give out FA to people who already have degrees because they need it for people seeking advanced degrees or first bachelors. Additionally, if you have a smaller school in the area, talk with them about it. Try the prereq route first, that will at least get you 1 year of your bio/chem stuff to work with under the Fed student aid program... Best of luck, and do what you need to do, don't worry about loans... they're loans... it's not like a CC
 
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As the above poster said, do NOT do a second bachelors, it doesn´t make any sense to do that. You don´t need to do a formal "post-bac" program, just take the classes, most Universities will allow you to take at least 8 credit hours as a non-degree student, in which case you don´t have to go through all the application and acceptance paperwork to the University.

Also, many of the pre-reqs you might be able to take together, for example, I was able to take both Bio 1 and Bio 2 in the same semester after talking to the professor of Bio 2 (Bio 1 was a pre-requisite for Bio 2). I argued that as I already had a degree I knew how to study and was confident I could handle the extra work I would need to put in. He agreed with the caveat that if I needed extra help for some concepts to come to his office hours, which worked out great because eventually he wrote me a great reference!

Also take advantage of Summer classes, where you can knock out quite a few of your pre-reqs in a relatively short period of time.

As far as debt goes, well you can´t let that stand in your way, we only live once and I think it´s foolish to let loans keep you from doing what you really love in life, especially since you have so much of it in front of you. In 10 or 20 years once you´re an attending that debt will be nothing to you, but having passed up the chance to go to medical school because of fear won´t ever go away.

If you have to quit your job to do this, it´s probably worth it, you´ll be ready to apply sooner and have less debt, plus you´ll have all the time in the world to ace those pre-reqs. You already have a great GPA, so you don´t need 100 more credits or a second bachelors.

Hope that helps, good luck!
 
Don't be foolish and take THREE YEARS of school again just to finish 4 courses.

Since when are ALL of the medical school prereqs 4 classes?

I think two years is a very reasonable time frame.

Your debt is so minimal that you have me green with envy. Try 50K before I get started on my post bacc, which will be relatively cheap.

I think you need to get your rich dad to fork up some money, since he's keeping you from getting aid. Either that or get a much thicker skin to this sort of thing. You have to be a little bit of a dare devil to go for medicine, especially as a non-traditional. There's no guarantee that your risk will pay off. But risk and reward go hand in hand . . . if you have the heart of a lion. Now if you have the heart of a gazelle, risking means you get eaten.:uhno:
 
I get what people are saying, but it's a little late to say "don't do the 2nd bachelor's" because it starts in a week and I already resigned from my job. So yeah...it's not the best solution, but trust me, I tried and tried and tried to just take the prereqs. None of the schools here would let me do it. It was stupid. I fought with them and they did not budge. So....sadly I have to go with a not-as-great plan.

I think you need to get your rich dad to fork up some money, since he's keeping you from getting aid.

Oh I am so mad at him. He puts all his money in stocks. I said he should put it into his daughter's medical school so she can save his life someday. He said no.

Either that or get a much thicker skin to this sort of thing. You have to be a little bit of a dare devil to go for medicine, especially as a non-traditional. There's no guarantee that your risk will pay off. But risk and reward go hand in hand . . . if you have the heart of a lion. Now if you have the heart of a gazelle, risking means you get eaten.:uhno:

This is the kind of thing I think I need to keep in mind. I'm working hard on dealing with anxiety about things like this. I'm good at handling study and work stress, not so good with financial stress. But, aerodoc, you are right. I know I will regret it forever and I know I will work it out somehow. But it can sure be overwhelming.
 
OP is 24, her father's income has no bearing on her FA situation. The reason she is being denied is only due to the previous degree. Some schools will give you FA when you have one and are looking for a second, and some won't.... Just depends, and it's worth checking with different schools in the area...
 
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