Are the decks stacked against low income pre-med students with few resources?

[AcornFactory]

Becoming a doctor is a deep desire for me. I can't imagine being anything else. I adore the human body and I'm fascinated by pathophysiological processes. I want to serve my community in the fullest sense and I believe that I can best do this by becoming a physician.

But I'm barely scraping by while getting my associates. I'm working full time and taking classes. I'm preparing to transfer to a university for my bachelors and to be honest, I'm terrified. I don't understand how I'll be able to fund my education when I don't have any family that could help me.

Will I be able to take out loans for my BA, then take some time off for MCAT prep, and THEN get a massive loan to carry me through med school? Do educational loans stretch that far out? I can't imagine finding a unicorn of a loan that will agree to give me so much money. And even if I do, then I'm hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt just hoping and praying that I can pay it back.

I spoke with a med student who said that his mother funded much of his education and that if she hadn't "it would have been impossible". So what I'm asking is, how is it possible for those of us with few resources to become MD's? Are there enough grants, scholarships, and feasible loans out there to make it happen? Because right now, I'm not feeling very hopeful.

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[spartawdw]

If you qualify for a Pell Grant (I did), my tuition was almost completely covered in financial aid at my state school. I took out loans for living expenses and whatnot, which still added up. I worked while in school and that paid for extras, books, fun, etc. I recommend working in undergrad but not full time, because IMO taking out loans to give yourself extra study time will be more important in the long run.

Medical schools have a Cost of Attendance in which you can take out full loans for. That cost is estimated as tuition + living expenses, so you can take out the whole thing.

MCAT prep + applying was VERY expensive. If you qualify for the fee assistance program, that will help, but worst case scenario you'll have to take out more loans for that.

 

[themoonman2]

It seems clear to me that the odds are stacked against people from very low income families. The amount of money it takes to get into medical school is insane- just applying and interviewing costs thousand of dollars. I agree with the above poster to look into Pell Grants. Also talk to the financial aid office at the University you plan to attend- they should have good resources. There should be websites out there that contain scholarships you can apply for. You can do work-study at the 4 year. For med school, most people cover the entire cost of attendance with loans, but physicians still make enough more for this to be a viable option.

 

[bornunderatree]

The answer is yes.
The farther you get through the process the more you realize medicine is for the elite.
It is possible to get there. You just have to be creative (loans, scholarships, and grants aren't enough).
Good luck!

 

[libertyyne]

I would focus on doing well in ug and doing everything you can to get into medical school. Who cares if the odds are stacked, it's not like you are magically going to unstack them. So focus on what you can control. If you have to take out 20k to be able to study in ug while not working, do it. If you can maintain a job and maintain a high GPA, get all your volunteering/ecs in then more power to you. Academic excellence is still a prerequisite regardless if you worked or didn't work.

 

[bornunderatree]

I would focus on doing well in ug and doing everything you can to get into medical school. Who cares if the odds are stacked, it's not like you are magically going to unstack them. So focus on what you can control. If you have to take out 20k to be able to study in ug while not working, do it. If you can maintain a job and maintain a high GPA, get all your volunteering/ecs in then more power to you. Academic excellence is still a prerequisite regardless if you worked or didn't work.

Unfortunately, even if you manage to achieve academic excellence while not going hungry, admission committees don't tend to notice.

 

[Turkishking]

Yeah, the odds may be stacked against you. But with hardwork, you can get some where.

 

[Highwalk]

The decks are stacked against low-income students with few resources in general.

 

[raiderette]

Be prepared to work hard, start saving money for MCAT and application process, because it is very expensive even with FAP, and know you may need to take a gap year in order to apply. It does happen for us, but it is hard. Once in med school, you will have enough in loans to live. From there, continue to be frugal and pay off the loans. My mom couldn't give me any money for undergrad or med school either, but I solved that by going to undergrad as cheaply as possible, then working to pay for my application and travel in interview season.

Sent from my QTAQZ3 using SDN mobile

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Unfortunately, even if you manage to achieve academic excellence while not going hungry, admission committees don't tend to notice.

not entirely accurate. This is the reason why there is a disadvantaged section, and adcoms take into account the whole individual. Maybe not all of them but certainly more than you are implying.

 

[all things possible]

Medicine defintely selects for those who are better off economically.

The financially disadvantaged individuals who manage to make it through the process and gain admission are few and far in between.

Do you find it surprising that many individuals in a medical class have a family member who is a physician?

 

[aformerstudent]

The med school journey is all about spending lots and lots of money before making money. It seems to pay off for most people but it's certainly not for everybody. I wouldn't let it stop you though.

 

[bornunderatree]

not entirely accurate. This is the reason why there is a disadvantaged section, and adcoms take into account the whole individual. Maybe not all of them but certainly more than you are implying.

In my application experience, interviewers and admission committees (with the exception of one) did not even understand the value of working full time, taking 21 units, excelling academically, and volunteering. It's a level playing field with medical school admissions. Struggling doesn't give you any advantage over an individual vacationing in Europe the summer between medical school and undergrad.

 

[LutGholein]

Interviewing across different states is a huge financial burden. Yes it is evident that most of your peers in medical school will come from higher SES but this shouldn't discourage working class folks-- do the best you can to get through all the crucibles and know that there are med school students that come from working class families. We might not make up a majority but you'll find them and with stafford loans/gradplus loans you can cover the cost of attendance for medical school(be frugal and invest your money wisely after residency).

 

[Goro]

Treat this process as a marathon, not a sprint. There's no law that says you have to go to med school at age 22.

 

[LutGholein]

Treat this process as a marathon, not a sprint. There's no law that says you have to go to med school at age 22.

I'll never understand why a sizable sum of premeds look at a gap year as Dante's inferno. @Goro is absolutely correct, it is a marathon--pace yourself.

 

[Goro]

I'll never understand why a sizable sum of premeds look at a gap year as Dante's inferno. @Goro is absolutely correct, it is a marathon--pace yourself.

Need for instant gratification is at pandemic levels in our society.

 

[7331poas]

I'll never understand why a sizable sum of premeds look at a gap year as Dante's inferno. @Goro is absolutely correct, it is a marathon--pace yourself.

Because gap years only accelerate the gap between rich and poor. Rich students can afford to take gap years, not work (or work low income healthcare jobs), and build ECs. Whereas poor students need to work real jobs to pay off loans.

 

[pseud0]

Of course its stacked
Medical school admissions costs most people like 4 grand. So either feed yourself for many months or get an exclusive 50% chance at 1 acceptance (stats are iirc 50 percent or so of people that apply get 1 or more acceptances, the other 50 are rejected)

Mcat itself costs 350 dollars iirc, and many people buy books and mcat courses that can run over a grand.
Madness.

 

[Prolix]

I am not as hard off as OP, but I haven't had it easy financially either. While I think it is much harder financially for me than my more well off classmates, I also know that I have a greater drive and work harder at pushing myself to achieve than they do due to my circumstances. This may be a peculiar way to look at it, but I think that having to figure out how to make ends meet has taught me to be more tenacious and ingenious about achieving my goals than I would have been if my financial circumstances were better.

 

[Save a life]

I just wanted to echo what everyone else has said. The odds are stacked against those from a lower economic background. Med schools will give those from disadvantaged backgrounds a slight preference depending on the school but overall grades and MCAT matter most. Unfortunately sometimes grade and MCAT are effected by economic circumstances.

I personally worked in high school, all through undergrad, and in my 2 gap years with very few employment breaks. During junior and senior year I worked 24-32 hours per week and took full loads of difficult upper level classes. During my gap years I worked 50 hours a week while studying for the MCAT and did a DIY program with cheap resources like Khan Academy. My parents never gave me a dime, I grew up on welfare, paid for all my own cars, bills, apartments, etc. It's possible but not easy. You'll have to take out loans and apply for all financial aid you can: scholarships, grants, FAP program. If you can get the "full ride" type of scholarships that's ideal but I personally have only gotten the smaller ones. Good luck!

 

[Promethean]

I was raised very poor and I was homeless for a while in my 20s. I made it. It took me about 15 years longer than if I'd had all the support that some of my classmates had, and at least half of that time was lost to not knowing what resources were there that could have helped me do it sooner.

Yes, the deck is stacked against you, but a big portion of that is what you lack in knowledge about what is possible. SDN is a great place to acquire that knowledge.

Kids who have physician parents have someone to tell them how to go about doing things. People from lower socioeconomic backgrounds don't have that going for them. There is money out there that you can access to accomplish what you want to do. What you most need is to know where to look for it. Hang out here. Read random threads and soak up information. Do archive searches for specific topics of interest to you. This place is a treasure just waiting for you to dig into it.

 

[Mad Jack]

Becoming a doctor is a deep desire for me. I can't imagine being anything else. I adore the human body and I'm fascinated by pathophysiological processes. I want to serve my community in the fullest sense and I believe that I can best do this by becoming a physician.

But I'm barely scraping by while getting my associates. I'm working full time and taking classes. I'm preparing to transfer to a university for my bachelors and to be honest, I'm terrified. I don't understand how I'll be able to fund my education when I don't have any family that could help me.

Will I be able to take out loans for my BA, then take some time off for MCAT prep, and THEN get a massive loan to carry me through med school? Do educational loans stretch that far out? I can't imagine finding a unicorn of a loan that will agree to give me so much money. And even if I do, then I'm hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt just hoping and praying that I can pay it back.

I spoke with a med student who said that his mother funded much of his education and that if she hadn't "it would have been impossible". So what I'm asking is, how is it possible for those of us with few resources to become MD's? Are there enough grants, scholarships, and feasible loans out there to make it happen? Because right now, I'm not feeling very hopeful.

You're going to need to take out loans down the line if you want to have the resources to get into medical school, most likely. Paying your way through is great, but it only works for so long. Eventually you're going to be faced with the choice of finding a way to increase your financial resources (better job, loans, or taking a gap year) or giving up.

Life is stacked against people who aren't from wealthy families, that's just the way it is. But that doesn't mean you can't make it if you're not rich to begin with. Hell, I'm proof of that.

 

[halamadrid17]

It is indeed more difficult coming from low SES or immigrant background, but there will be people that are there to help you along the way (at UG institution and beyond). The best advice coming from a fellow lower SES and URM applicant is to surround yourself with people who have been there (friends, current med students, physician mentors) because no one in my family can help guide me through the process. Find a mentor or someone to offer advice whenever needed

 

[Gauss44]

Absolutely. I wish schools would provide data about which percentage of their students are from various income brackets. And another set of data showing the grades and majors of these different economic groups. Of course money buys tutors, school supplies, time (if you don't have to work just to make money while taking classes - often times the best paid jobs are not the ones that provide the best experience or are hard to get)....

There may also be a correlation with URM groups and income. I have heard the complaint that the well-to-do URMs are disproportionately benefiting from affirmative action over their poor counterparts.

 

[Neuro25_]

Take advantage of the opportunities available.

I received the fee waiver to apply to 15 schools, MCAT was free. Kaplan course heavily discounted due to financial aid EFOC score on fasfa. I applied to schcools close to my home to limit travel expenses during interviewing and while attending( and near family). I applied to schools that offer need based aid (in addition to merit based).

I got into med school, 100% of my tuition is covered.

Be thrifty and look for the resources available to you.

I'm also a non traditional student and during my gap year, I made more than both of my parents.

 

[longhaul3]

The deck is stacked against low-income individuals in all walks of life. Hence the term "disadvantaged." Medicine is not much different, but these days medical schools are more concerned with this fact than before, and I would say that med schools in general are more embracing of people from disadvantaged backgrounds than most other industries. The problem, like others have said, is that in this process, med school is more or less the end of the road (or at least the end of the part of the road on which rich vs. poor matters).

But, motivation is the most important thing you can have in this process; nobody really buys his way into med school, but people do will themselves in.

 

[7331poas]

Take advantage of the opportunities available.

I received the fee waiver to apply to 15 schools, MCAT was free. Kaplan course heavily discounted due to financial aid EFOC score on fasfa. I applied to schcools close to my home to limit travel expenses during interviewing and while attending( and near family). I applied to schools that offer need based aid (in addition to merit based).

I got into med school, 100% of my tuition is covered.

Be thrifty and look for the resources available to you.

I'm also a non traditional student and during my gap year, I made more than both of my parents.

that works if you qualify for fap...

 

[Astra]

that works if you qualify for fap...

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

[Medic741]

Very possible. I worked 70+ hours/week over summers + 24-36 hrs/wk during school to pay for my education (similar situation). Pick a job in healthcare for bonus points

Totally doable & people will respect you more because of it. Along the way you'll pick up some amazing mentors. Stay focused on your goal, work hard, and it can happen for you.

Seriously consider trade school before college, it will increase your earning power, make you independent and comfortable.

Does it suck? 1000000% yes.

 

[Turkishking]

I wasn't necessarily blessed with being well-off. My family makes a decent amount, but not as much as other people. I don't have any connections. If you work hard, anything is possible. I know a refugee from Iraq who came here, finished up undergrad, lives in subsidized housing with his parents, and now is matriculating into yale med

 

[Stagg737]

In my application experience, interviewers and admission committees (with the exception of one) did not even understand the value of working full time, taking 21 units, excelling academically, and volunteering. It's a level playing field with medical school admissions. Struggling doesn't give you any advantage over an individual vacationing in Europe the summer between medical school and undergrad.

Maybe they didn't openly acknowledge it, but pretty much every medical school gives brownie points to those who have demonstrated they have gone above and beyond to overcome circumstances to become strong applicants. Struggling doesn't give you any advantages, showing you were capable of overcoming diversity and creating success for yourself absolutely does.

Not trying to be insulting but the reality is that if your struggles (or any applicant's) weren't recognized by adcoms, one of the following likely occurred:

1) The applicant didn't really overcome the adversity. What I mean is that their GPA and MCAT scores were weaker than the standard the school(s) was looking for. It doesn't matter how much of a disadvantage someone is/was at, if they can't meet the prerequisites, they're not getting accepted.

2) The applicant's perceived adversity/disadvantage wasn't really something unique or a true disadvantage. Having to pay your way through undergrad/applications/med schools alone, without parental help, is not a disadvantage in itself. Millions of people have done and are doing it. That's why we have fed loans, grants, scholarships, etc. That's not to say that coming from a poor home or growing up in poverty wouldn't be considered a disadvantage, because it obviously is. But those who are truly disadvantaged have had to face that problem before arriving at college through struggles of just getting by on a daily basis and not having the resources available to them early on, not people who have to support themselves as adults like all of us eventually have to do.

3) The applicant didn't convey their situation properly in their application. I know a lot of people who could be considered disadvantaged who just failed to include their background in their personal statement or secondaries properly or just didn't include it at all. I've also met a few people who exaggerated their situation or just thought that they were "more disadvantaged" than most, when in reality they probably shouldn't have even claimed that status (SDN is full of threads like that). Adcoms can only see what's on the application in front of them, so it doesn't matter what a person has achieved or what they've been through if the adcoms can't see it themselves.

Idk what your background (or anyone's) is, nor do I know what your full app looks like. But being disadvantaged can only play so much of a role in the decision process, especially if the individual doesn't meet the minimum standards a school is looking for. It sucks, but it's the reality of it.

Because gap years only accelerate the gap between rich and poor. Rich students can afford to take gap years, not work (or work low income healthcare jobs), and build ECs. Whereas poor students need to work real jobs to pay off loans.

Why would you assume that the rich students aren't working during those gap years? I don't consider myself disadvantaged, but in the several gap years I took I was either employed or a full-time student for all of them (minus 1 or 2 months between situations). I know many, many students who worked full-time jobs during gap years and did research and volunteering on the side to build their application. Most of them were putting in 20ish hours/week in app building in addition to their full-time job. Busting your butt to build your app is not something unique to disadvantaged individuals, it's the expected norm for med school applicants. It just adds to the reason why being disadvantaged makes it even harder, because what most people consider to be crazy amounts of work is pretty typical in the medical world (and it only gets worse the further along you go).

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

Yes. Disadvantage students are screwed over at practically every step.

 

[libertyyne]

Maybe they didn't openly acknowledge it, but pretty much every medical school gives brownie points to those who have demonstrated they have gone above and beyond to overcome circumstances to become strong applicants. Struggling doesn't give you any advantages, showing you were capable of overcoming diversity and creating success for yourself absolutely does.

Not trying to be insulting but the reality is that if your struggles (or any applicant's) weren't recognized by adcoms, one of the following likely occurred:

1) The applicant didn't really overcome the adversity. What I mean is that their GPA and MCAT scores were weaker than the standard the school(s) was looking for. It doesn't matter how much of a disadvantage someone is/was at, if they can't meet the prerequisites, they're not getting accepted.

2) The applicant's perceived adversity/disadvantage wasn't really something unique or a true disadvantage. Having to pay your way through undergrad/applications/med schools alone, without parental help, is not a disadvantage in itself. Millions of people have done and are doing it. That's why we have fed loans, grants, scholarships, etc. That's not to say that coming from a poor home or growing up in poverty wouldn't be considered a disadvantage, because it obviously is. But those who are truly disadvantaged have had to face that problem before arriving at college through struggles of just getting by on a daily basis and not having the resources available to them early on, not people who have to support themselves as adults like all of us eventually have to do.

3) The applicant didn't convey their situation properly in their application. I know a lot of people who could be considered disadvantaged who just failed to include their background in their personal statement or secondaries properly or just didn't include it at all. I've also met a few people who exaggerated their situation or just thought that they were "more disadvantaged" than most, when in reality they probably shouldn't have even claimed that status (SDN is full of threads like that). Adcoms can only see what's on the application in front of them, so it doesn't matter what a person has achieved or what they've been through if the adcoms can't see it themselves.

Idk what your background (or anyone's) is, nor do I know what your full app looks like. But being disadvantaged can only play so much of a role in the decision process, especially if the individual doesn't meet the minimum standards a school is looking for. It sucks, but it's the reality of it.



Why would you assume that the rich students aren't working during those gap years? I don't consider myself disadvantaged, but in the several gap years I took I was either employed or a full-time student for all of them (minus 1 or 2 months between situations). I know many, many students who worked full-time jobs during gap years and did research and volunteering on the side to build their application. Most of them were putting in 20ish hours/week in app building in addition to their full-time job. Busting your butt to build your app is not something unique to disadvantaged individuals, it's the expected norm for med school applicants. It just adds to the reason why being disadvantaged makes it even harder, because what most people consider to be crazy amounts of work is pretty typical in the medical world (and it only gets worse the further along you go).

You do realize 1 and 2 are the same tropes brought up when URM discussions occur. lower SES impacts everything from SAT scores,MCAT scores, gpa, the school you will attend , guidance about financing one's education, guidance about applying to medical school, support you have from family and support etc. If the medical community is able to see through the issues URM's face they should be able to see the issues the lower ses folks face aswell. Saying that someone working 40+ hours a week should have the same grades and depth of EC as someone who does not is kinda absurd.

 

[tantacles]

Because gap years only accelerate the gap between rich and poor. Rich students can afford to take gap years, not work (or work low income healthcare jobs), and build ECs. Whereas poor students need to work real jobs to pay off loans.

No, rich students are more likely to be able to afford to apply right out of college because someone else is footing the bill for applications.

 

[aldol16]

Life is like wheel of fortune. But the composition of the wheel you spin depends on your income and each spot on the wheel represents your future success. If you're low-income, you only get a few spots that give you great success. If you're high income, you get a lot more spots. That doesn't mean that a low-income person can't achieve success or that a high-income person is guaranteed a successful life. But it's just a lot harder for the low-income person.

 

[bornunderatree]

To re-emphasize what I've already stated, being fiscally disadvantaged is something that admission committees don't look highly upon. Even if you are academically successful.

https://www.aamc.org/download/165418/data/aibvol9_no11.pdf.pdf

 

[coffeeandcodeine]

To re-emphasize what I've already stated, being fiscally disadvantaged is something that admission committees don't look highly upon. Even if you are academically successful.

https://www.aamc.org/download/165418/data/aibvol9_no11.pdf.pdf

The article that you've cited doesn't actually support the statement you've made. Medical schools do in fact acknowledge and reward applicants who demonstrate significant 'distance traveled' -- overcoming economic or other types of adversity. The fact that applicants who face such adversity have a greater likelihood of attrition doesn't mean that schools are less likely to accept these applicants, it simply indicates that schools may need to allocate more resources towards retaining these students. Overall, having a disadvantaged background will, at most schools, add to your application because achieving success with such a background demonstrates grit and a unique ability to overcome obstacles. In addition, students with such backgrounds offer a different perspective, and are often able to relate to disadvantage patient populations in a way that their more affluent peers may not.

 

[LucidSplash]

My background was financially disadvantaged. One side of my family couldn't help with college, the other wouldn't. I was fortunate enough to be poor enough that I had enough financial aid to scrape through college. I went to a small liberal arts college because believe it or not the out of pocket expense was the same for me between that and my state school, as the SLAC gave me a larger chunk of grant money. The amount of projected debt from loans was the same so I figured I might as well go to the school I wanted to go to. I also had some part-time jobs during college and I ran myself ragged with extracurriculars and a varsity sport and all the usual premed stuff.

After I graduated, I got a job semi-related to my STEM degree. My salary was 38K which was a huge amount of money to me with my background. I worked at that position for 3 years before I went back to medical school. By the time I decided I was actually going to apply, my MCAT was old so I had to take a review course and retake. But I had a job so I was able to pay for all that. I was also able to pay my application costs, travel costs, etc.

By the time I started medical school I was 24. Which isn't old believe it or not.

Get your degree. Get a job and work and save the money for MCAT, applications etc. You can do this. It isn't the end of the world to take a couple years off and have "real job." Adcoms actually look on that favorably if its part of your story/plan. Show's perserverence, dedication, etc.

And I don't know if this applies to you but it did for me: once you have your degree and your job, remember to PUT YOUR OWN OXYGEN MASK ON FIRST. I had family who expected to me give them money/cosign loans/take them out for meals because I was "rich" now with my 38k/year job. You can be in a position to help some of them out, but only after you take care of yourself first.

OP (or anyone else who wants to talk abou this), feel free to PM me if you want more information/to talk to someone who's been there. I'm 24 days from graduating from a general surgery residency and heading to a vascular fellowship. I'm making it/have made it and so can you.

 

[altblue]

.

 

[bananafish94]

In short, yes, they absolutely are. My family's financial situation abruptly changed in the middle of college, such that I became responsible for working and paying my own rent/expenses, whereas my parents had paid for it beforehand. And I'm not afraid to admit that it was a pretty rude awakening for me. I became acutely aware of advantages I had in the past that I had not recognized before. On the simplest level, when you have a certain number of non-negotiable hours blocked off during the week for your job(s), you just have less time. Less time to study, less time to devote to extracurriculars, less time in general. Overall, paying my own way in college was a good experience, though. I do have quite a few bones to pick with the cost of the secondaries, but that's a rant for another day.

 

[Stagg737]

You do realize 1 and 2 are the same tropes brought up when URM discussions occur. lower SES impacts everything from SAT scores,MCAT scores, gpa, the school you will attend , guidance about financing one's education, guidance about applying to medical school, support you have from family and support etc. If the medical community is able to see through the issues URM's face they should be able to see the issues the lower ses folks face aswell. Saying that someone working 40+ hours a week should have the same grades and depth of EC as someone who does not is kinda absurd.

I didn't say they're necessarily expected to have the same grades, but they are expected to achieve a certain standard set by the med schools they're applying to just like everyone else. No, it's not fair that this standard may be harder for them to achieve, but that's life.

As for the ECs, med schools will often consider that 40+ hour a week job to be an EC. Additionally, a med school may ask why they're working that job instead of just taking out fed loans (which are available to basically everyone without family financial support) and focusing on building an app for med school. I'm not saying it's fair, but once again reality isn't fair as most of the disadvantaged students likely already know.

 

[tarheelpenner]

Yes, yes, and yes.

In addition to what has been said about the expense of this process on here, I would like to also point out how lack of connections could hurt you. At every interview I had, I was asked if I knew any doctors or physicians. I do not. They told me this was a huge disadvantage, because I "didn't know what I was getting myself into" and I had "no frame of reference". Absolutely infuriating, like it was something that I could control that I don't have any relatives who were doctors.

I told them that I had shadowed doctors and spoken to med students, but idk if it helped all that much. They're looking for a "system of support" so that you don't back out or fail out. I've read it explicitly on a school's website that a strong "system of support" is one of their selection factors (I'm forgetting which ones right now, I can go back and look). So if you're lacking a strong (apparently medically related) support system, it also might make for more of an uphill climb.

 

[f4reignbeauty]

Are the odds stacked? In short, yes, but that doesn't mean it is impossible to get into medical school. There are several resources that are available to assist with undergrad, medical school applications as well as medical school. For undergrad, there are grants you may qualify for (e.g., Pell, or state-specific grants like Cal grants) as well as school-specific scholarships that are merit, or need-based. If you can, try to apply to other scholarships as well to help curb the cost of higher education. Although loans are a great option, the more scholarships you can get the better. If you can't, then for sure obtain loans.

As far as applying for medical school, FAP is an excellent program. It will provide you with discounted rates for the MCAT, and allow you to apply to 15 schools for free. If you want to apply to more than that, then you will have to cover the costs, so be prepared for that. I think FAP is good for 2 years now? (May need someone else to confirm that, because that wasn't the case when I applied) For myself, I only applied to 5 schools, and tried to lower my travel and housing costs as best as I could. In the end, I spent about ~1400.00 (which was basically all I had). Like you, I did not have family who could support me financially, but everything worked out.

For medical school, most of us have taken out loans to cover tuition and COA, but I apply to as many scholarships as I can, because: debt is very real lol. I know that things may seem challenging, but know that there are plenty of us who have gone before you, and have overcame them. I agree with above posters that several students have family members who are physicians, or come from higher SES, but that is not the case for all. And it does not mean that you will not succeed simply because you do not have these things. Continue to seek advice, and be steadfast! We are rooting for you.

 

[Neuro25_]

Feel free to PM to help you find available resources. I know they seem limited, but there are life changing options for low income students.

Keep your head up

 

[laxbrah20]

The article that you've cited doesn't actually support the statement you've made. Medical schools do in fact acknowledge and reward applicants who demonstrate significant 'distance traveled' -- overcoming economic or other types of adversity. The fact that applicants who face such adversity have a greater likelihood of attrition doesn't mean that schools are less likely to accept these applicants, it simply indicates that schools may need to allocate more resources towards retaining these students. Overall, having a disadvantaged background will, at most schools, add to your application because achieving success with such a background demonstrates grit and a unique ability to overcome obstacles. In addition, students with such backgrounds offer a different perspective, and are often able to relate to disadvantage patient populations in a way that their more affluent peers may not.

By a dictionary definition yes, but they're not truly demonstrating grit. Overall, pre-meds are the furthest thing from being gritty.

Schools offer many programs to help disadvantaged applicants throughout the entire pre-med process with tutoring, mcat prep, advising, and summer programs that aren't offered to the general masses. There is enough help to level the playing field.

 

[NotYou20]

Becoming a doctor is a deep desire for me. I can't imagine being anything else. I adore the human body and I'm fascinated by pathophysiological processes. I want to serve my community in the fullest sense and I believe that I can best do this by becoming a physician.

But I'm barely scraping by while getting my associates. I'm working full time and taking classes. I'm preparing to transfer to a university for my bachelors and to be honest, I'm terrified. I don't understand how I'll be able to fund my education when I don't have any family that could help me.

Will I be able to take out loans for my BA, then take some time off for MCAT prep, and THEN get a massive loan to carry me through med school? Do educational loans stretch that far out? I can't imagine finding a unicorn of a loan that will agree to give me so much money. And even if I do, then I'm hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt just hoping and praying that I can pay it back.

I spoke with a med student who said that his mother funded much of his education and that if she hadn't "it would have been impossible". So what I'm asking is, how is it possible for those of us with few resources to become MD's? Are there enough grants, scholarships, and feasible loans out there to make it happen? Because right now, I'm not feeling very hopeful.

Yeah it's harder as a low income student for those reasons and many others. But yes you can take out federal loans in undergrad and medical school. I did and so did many others. I worked part time to lessen the loans I took out but made grades the priority and cut hours when necessary. I recommend you do the same.
The med student you talked to was being dramatic or was mistaken.

 

[7331poas]

Get your degree. Get a job and work and save the money for MCAT, applications etc. You can do this. It isn't the end of the world to take a couple years off and have "real job." Adcoms actually look on that favorably if its part of your story/plan. Show's perserverence, dedication, etc.

Thats the problem....

People who are rich don't need to do this. Of course its not the end of the world...but it is just another example where the poor get screwed. In this case, its a year of your life and a year of a physician's salary.

 

[Geo16]

OP, just take out loan like me. Even if I go to CC, I cover my living expense/attendance cost with my loan. Accrued 19k but ain't a shame nor a burden.

Treat this process as a marathon, not a sprint. There's no law that says you have to go to med school at age 22.

Starting around 28-30 is my goal... D R E A M

 

[LucidSplash]

Thats the problem....

People who are rich don't need to do this. Of course its not the end of the world...but it is just another example where the poor get screwed. In this case, its a year of your life and a year of a physician's salary.

I don't count those years of my life between college and medical school as "lost." I had valuable experiences during them and I wouldn't trade them for anything. So many people seem to think their life is "on hold" during medical school and residency," but I don't agree. Your life looks different than your friends who are already in their careers but I had plenty of life while in training. I am of the personal opinion that no one should go directly from college to medical school (and residency shouldn't be anyone's first real job) but that is another discussion. Yes it's three years less of physicians salary for me but in the grand scheme of things I'd rather have those 3 years in my early 20s as they were. It is more difficult for those with financially disadvantaged backgrounds for sure, but I don't consider myself "screwed." Over a 30-40 year career the financial side is negligible, especially compared to the environment I was raised in.

This is largely a mindset thing IMHO. You can either bemoan the difficulties or acknowledge they exist and then take control of your life and appreciate the significance of overcoming the challenges you face.