Acting Poor

[swifteagle43]

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How do I show that I am a independent and not getting $$ from my parents for financial aid stuff...speicifically scholarships(not loans!)...and no US Military stuff- not gonna kill people

 

[McMD]

I don't really know the answer to your question, but (though I'm not in it) with the Military scholarships you don't fight at all...you're only there to treat people. And you don't necessarily have to go overseas, you can work on base, etc. as a physician as you would with your own practice.

 

[BMW M3]

When I was a kid, I had to be near-death to see a doctor, so my daddy got into the habit of putting Robitussin on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING!

Daddy, I got asthama! "Well here, take some Robitussin!" Daddy, I got cancer! "Here, take some Robitussin!" Daddy, I broke my leg! "Here, put some Robitussin on it... that's right, let the Robitesum sink in there." If you run out of it, put some water in the jar, shake it up, more 'tussin! MORE 'TUSSIN!

 

[jbrice1639]

How do I show that I am a independent and not getting $$ from my parents for financial aid stuff...speicifically scholarships(not loans!)...and no US Military stuff- not gonna kill people

there's a list of requirements on the fafsa site that shows how you can be considered independent...being born before jan. 1, 1983 is a good start.

as for scholarships from schools, most schools require parental information for grants/scholarships regardless of whether or not they actually support you and regardless of your independent status for fafsa.

loans are pretty much a reality of the med student life...

 

[SuzieQ3417]

How do I show that I am a independent and not getting $$ from my parents for financial aid stuff...speicifically scholarships(not loans!)...and no US Military stuff- not gonna kill people

Unfortunately I'm not sure if there is any way to really prove this. Obviously by the time most people get to medical school their parents are offering little, if no support. Still, at least the way the financial aid officer at Wake Forest told us (in one of the best presentations I had seen), if your parents make a significant amount of money you are considered by the govt/schools to have less financial need than someone whose parents make very little...even though in the end both sets of parents contribute the same thing. The logical reasoning I guess is that if you were in a tough financial situation, having parents earning a decent wage means they could help you out even a little if you begged enough.
I just submitted my FAFSA yesterday and ran into this problem. Most schools require you to submit your parental info to be considered for any need-based scholarships. My parents don't make a whole lot of money, but are higher than the national average....they do, however, have a significant amount in savings because they are getting close to retirement. It seems unfair to me that this gets counted for my "Expected Family Contribution", even though there is no way in hell my parents would dig into their retirement account to help me pay for school. It seems a little unfair, but since I have never been poor I guess I really can't complain.

PS. You should try searching FastWeb for scholarships/fellowships. There are quite a few on there that are small, but only require a 500 word essay...and in the end every little bit helps.

 

[cfdavid]

How do I show that I am a independent and not getting $$ from my parents for financial aid stuff...speicifically scholarships(not loans!)...and no US Military stuff- not gonna kill people

Go to your interview looking all ragged. Don't shower for a couple of days so your hair is greasy. Throw in a wrinkled suit jacket and tomato sauce stain on the shirt for full effect.

The risk is that they may just write you up as a slob...

 

[USArmyDoc]

I don't really know the answer to your question, but (though I'm not in it) with the Military scholarships you don't fight at all...you're only there to treat people. And you don't necessarily have to go overseas, you can work on base, etc. as a physician as you would with your own practice.[/QUOTE]


Don't quote me on it but I am almost positive this is not right. In both Afghanistan and Iraq we have lost physicians. One physician died from small arms fire in Afghanistan. In Iraq, I know for sure we lost a flight surgeon during combat operations in the first Gulf War. I also personally know a solider from the 82nd Airborne who was being treated by a physician. Ten minutes later a mortar attack occured and killed the physician.


* You can be in a position to have to kill people. It is an extremely stupid thing to say one does not fight at all. When treating POW's and/or enemy combatants a physician is always armed with a 9mm. Therefore, if the patient is a danger to himself and/or his fellow medical personnel (suicide vest, grenade) the doctor will be forced to kill him.

 

[BMW M3]

* You can be in a position to have to kill people. It is an extremely stupid thing to say one does not fight at all. When treating POW's and/or enemy combatants a physician is always armed with a 9mm. Therefore, if the patient is a danger to himself and/or his fellow medical personnel (suicide vest, grenade) the doctor will be forced to kill him.

Well said. Also, I don't think that you have much leverage as to where they station you.

 

[USArmyDoc]

Well said. Also, I don't think that you have much leverage as to where they station you.

Thats another thing. It comes down to the needs of the Army/Navy/Air Force.

 

[Rafa]

I don't really know the answer to your question, but (though I'm not in it) with the Military scholarships you don't fight at all...you're only there to treat people. And you don't necessarily have to go overseas, you can work on base, etc. as a physician as you would with your own practice.

Definitely incorrect. Nowadays, if you join *any* of the four military divisions, you have a *very* high chance of being shipped off to the middle east. Recruitment levels have been down for the past few years, the government is using 'stop-loss' programs to force personnel to stay far beyond their originally-agreed upon service lengths. It's not much of an exxageration to say that if you join the military today, you'll find yourself in Iraq before the end of the year (if not before the end of spring/summer). Unless you're prepared for that very real possibility, I'd keep away.

There's always another choice.

 

[xxbruinxx]

hi

i was recently informed by the financial aid dept. of a med. school that a student attending a grad. or prof. school is automatically considered independent, and so on the fafsa, you only have to put your info...not your parents.

 

[2010MD]

i was recently informed by the financial aid dept. of a med. school that a student attending a grad. or prof. school is automatically considered independent, and so on the fafsa, you only have to put your info...not your parents.

That is true of the FAFSA, but not necessarily of individual schools' financial aid programs. The FAFSA allows you to apply independently for federal subsidized/unsubsidized loans. Each school then has other funds available to provide you with need-based grants (or possibly different kinds of loans, I'm not sure), and usually the school will require your parents' information to determine your need for this institutional support.

So basically my understanding is you are considered independent for the FAFSA --> federal loans, but must provide your parents' information on schools' individualized financial aid forms --> institutional support.

(I had questions about this too and spoke with the financial aid advisor at one of the schools I am considering this morning.)

 

[IAMS]

I may be off on this, but I believe FAFSA determines all professional school (med school) students to be independent. Many schools however want parental information to give need based scholarship money. If your parents are not well off financially (based on their income from last year), then you are deemed to be disadvantaged, and are more likely to get financial assistance/ scholarships, etc...

Most schools have to choose some arbitrary method of deciding who does need, and who does not. And let's face it, if your parents are well off, even if you have never seen a dime, they helped you buy books, clothes, into the better schools, and shelter from the real world to help you concentrate so you can do better in class (advantaged). Where other kids who have to pay for their education themselves don't get the extra time to study, party, etc.. they are disadvantaged.

This is the system, and it isn't perfect. But, how do you really prove anything these days? I'd like to hear of a better gauge of who really needs that can be auditable on a mass scale as admissions do.

 

[LO281OK]

and no US Military stuff- not gonna kill people

Hope you don't screw anything up in your career as a physician! EVER! Someone might die and you would just have to quit.

 

[SailCrazy]

... My parents .... do, however, have a significant amount in savings because they are getting close to retirement. It seems unfair to me that this gets counted for my "Expected Family Contribution", even though there is no way in hell my parents would dig into their retirement account to help me pay for school. It seems a little unfair, but since I have never been poor I guess I really can't complain.

I think I'm going to be in the same boat. I feel like filling out all of the paperwork is pretty much a waste of time, but I'll give it a shot anyway!