I have been accepted to my state school and to a private school whose program I prefer. If I go to my state school, I will have no debt at all and be able to live pretty comfortably. If I go to the private school, I'll end up with $40,000 to $50,000 of debt and not be able to live quite as comfortably. I like the private school's location and program (more small group learning, earlier clinical exposure, community feel). But, my state school is ranked higher, but not too much higher. Any ideas?
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
debt or no debt?
- Thread starter smac
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2002
- Messages
- 515
- Reaction score
- 1
Go wherever you will be happier. If it were me, I'd probably be happier not worrying about paying off the loans, but it really depends on the two schools. I would take out the loans if I really loved one school, and couldn't see myself enjoying the process of learning medicine at the other one.
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2003
- Messages
- 143
- Reaction score
- 0
your state school would probably be the better choice.
a word about "small-group" PBL:
it's bull--t. there's no way to learn the important stuff, except by sitting in the library READING.
PBL sounds great on paper, but once you get to medical school and realize the volume of material you actually need to learn, PBL works for very very very few people.
re: early clinical exposure. you won't get much before MS3, anywhere. every school will include some stuff in MS1, MS2, but (1) not enough to learn anything; (2) you don't have enough background knowledge to actually interpret what you might find. so again...sounds great, doesn't work so well.
"community feel"...that's a good thing. of course, this "feel" varies from class to class, even within the same school.
best of luck
a word about "small-group" PBL:
it's bull--t. there's no way to learn the important stuff, except by sitting in the library READING.
PBL sounds great on paper, but once you get to medical school and realize the volume of material you actually need to learn, PBL works for very very very few people.
re: early clinical exposure. you won't get much before MS3, anywhere. every school will include some stuff in MS1, MS2, but (1) not enough to learn anything; (2) you don't have enough background knowledge to actually interpret what you might find. so again...sounds great, doesn't work so well.
"community feel"...that's a good thing. of course, this "feel" varies from class to class, even within the same school.
best of luck
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2002
- Messages
- 959
- Reaction score
- 1
$50k is not very much debt for medical school. If you are going to be happy at the private school, go for it. Paying off the loans won't be too big of a deal. Consider that the AVERAGE med school debt is getting close to $100k.
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2003
- Messages
- 75
- Reaction score
- 0
i am that exact situation as you. the only difference is that i'd be in over 130 more in loans if i went to the private school over the state school. i'm leaning to go to the state school pretty much because i know i'd be able to live more comfortably. a happy student will be a better student. i still have the chance to go to either one right now so i'll have to decide soon. good luck with your decision.
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2003
- Messages
- 36
- Reaction score
- 0
I graduate in two months from med school, headed for gen surg residency...go for the cheaper school!!
I have a ton of debt, some from a masters degree prior to med school. It's scary trying to figure out the total amount. I've learned that, even with consolidation at a great interest rate, there is no way I will be able to make payments on a resident salary. So they will rack up interest for another 5 years $$$$$$$$
You will most likely want to buy a house/condo when you start residency...you will be in much better shape the less student loan debt you have.
THe curriculum format really doesn't matter that much. You don't learn this stuff by sitting in a classroom for a few hours. You lean it from going over it multiple times, on your own and/or with a friend. Most med school exams are memorzie and regurgitate type, so the PBL doesn't help that much. If you have just traditional lectures, you can skip and have that time free to memorize the enourmous amount of triva. Plus clinical experience is often (though not always) better at a state school than at a big name private school
I have a ton of debt, some from a masters degree prior to med school. It's scary trying to figure out the total amount. I've learned that, even with consolidation at a great interest rate, there is no way I will be able to make payments on a resident salary. So they will rack up interest for another 5 years $$$$$$$$
You will most likely want to buy a house/condo when you start residency...you will be in much better shape the less student loan debt you have.
THe curriculum format really doesn't matter that much. You don't learn this stuff by sitting in a classroom for a few hours. You lean it from going over it multiple times, on your own and/or with a friend. Most med school exams are memorzie and regurgitate type, so the PBL doesn't help that much. If you have just traditional lectures, you can skip and have that time free to memorize the enourmous amount of triva. Plus clinical experience is often (though not always) better at a state school than at a big name private school
G
GeneralTso
In the way you lay it out, I would go state over the private school. Its just my opinion but PBL and greater clinical experience are not selling points to take on a greater debt load. If the private school had a noticeably better match list of getting peeps into competitive specialties or a less malignant environment (i.e. P/F first two years, no ranking or AOA) then I would go private and consider the debt an investment.
Even with all that stuff into consideration, Im at an ivy med right now and the debt Im looking at (~200K) makes me quesy. Sometimes I think iwas a numbnuts to turn down a full ride at Umich.
Even with all that stuff into consideration, Im at an ivy med right now and the debt Im looking at (~200K) makes me quesy. Sometimes I think iwas a numbnuts to turn down a full ride at Umich.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2001
- Messages
- 2,934
- Reaction score
- 1,944
I chose the state school over the private school that I preferred (U of MN instead of Pitt), and although I haven't really regreted it, if the difference had been $0 vs $50K in debt, I would have gone to Pitt in a second. I don't mean to imply, though, that I would have been any better off, career-wise. You may never notice the difference.
I should also point out that student loans are at their lowest interest rate in the history of the program and are expected to drop even further this summer, so the debt may not be as severe as the same debt incurred by others on this board just a few years ago.
I should also point out that student loans are at their lowest interest rate in the history of the program and are expected to drop even further this summer, so the debt may not be as severe as the same debt incurred by others on this board just a few years ago.
Similar threads
- Replies
- 9
- Views
- 1K
- Replies
- 3
- Views
- 1K
