Finances for the Non-Trad

Nearly all of my male friends from work have managed to keep their wives at home (in line with their wishes) while also buying The House to raise their 1- and 2-year-old kids. Those whose spouses chose to return to work are doing even better for themselves and have started to talk about college funds, long-term investment portfolios, etc. Yep, it kills me, too.

 

Yep, a couple of hundred smackers in debt is where I'm heading too. Isn't it funny that at this point, I'd like nothing better than to have the opportunity to have this problem? Waitlisted at one and awaiting decision at another. Just accept me and I'll gleefully swim in the bills to come! My wife's a strong swimmer and I'll get the floaties for the kiddos!

 

If our traditional peers had any idea what we non-trads have to sacrifice to do the same thing they are, they might view their own plights in a different light.

If they only knew...

Heres to sutures and sacrifice!

 

Being willing to give up anything that's less important than THIS DREAM is what makes us Non-Trads so different. If there were any one thing (and yes, some may point to "life experience" "maturity" blah blah blah) that I think really makes it obvious that we're in this for the right reasons and have dedication to spare... it is this willingness to let go of personal accumulated wealth and security.

From the other side of the process from you guys (not really, i'm just an OMS-1), I can tell you that i still don't have any regrets. The reality is, in between the years of lost income, new undergrad debt (to get the pre-req's done), and the med school debt... it is doubtful that I will ever make up that total lost income. This isn't about money, this is about the one thing that I HAVE TO DO IN MY LIFE.

Just like the trapeze artist... you can swing back and forth, back and forth, back and forth FOREVER and never make any true forward progress. And it is only by LETTING GO, and flying thru the air holding onto NOTHING except the faith that you're going to reach the next bar, that you can move forward.

Let go and fly, my friends. It's SO worth it.

I took the philosophy that I'd rather have more debt, and get into school sooner... and I really couldn't recommend my route more highly (because it worked). Completely quitting my job and going back to school was a drastic move, and you've got to have a lot of faith that you're going to get to your destination... but I got here 2 years earlier than a few other non-trad friends who worked and did part-time school/MCAT/etc.

Go for it, my friends. Debt is a number in someone else's computer. Peace of mind is right here on my pillow every night. I turned 32 yesterday... and I can feel time is ticking. It's never too late, but sooner is better!! Take the debt and follow your dream!

 

Hey guys. Glad to see there are others in my boat! I have a great, well paying job in the sciences. I'm giving it up for school as well. I have to do it, or else I'll be pissed at myself for the rest of my life. I am scared as hell at the uncertainty and financial wreck ahead, but I can't wait to start school!

Are we all insane??? Possibly... but at least one day we'll be able to write our own antipsychotic scripts.

 

Well, we shouldn't write them for ourselves (AMA would slap us with the unethical act of self-prescribing), but we could do it for each other! I can picture a group psych session for non-trad physicians now...

Shrink: "So doctors, how did you make it here?"
Doc1: "$200k"
Doc2: "$215k"
Doc1: "amitriptyline"
Doc2: "fluphenazine"
Shrink: "Was it worth it?"
Doc1 and Doc2: "Definitely!"

 

I'm actually going to be in that delimna shortly as I wait feedback from the schools I applied to. I was just curious though - Are you selling your house to help pay for tuition? What about using the money to buy another house and earn some equity- afterall you gonna need a place to live anyways. That is what I'm thinking of doing with mine - Im single so it wont be affecting anyone but me. Depending on what state you in, by the time you done with MD your house may have appreciated much and you may be able to pay a huge chunk back for loans.

 

We're going to sell our house and use the equity to purchase another house in a market with lower prices, hopefully getting the mortgage payment in the range of a typical lease. As far as tuition is concerned, I'm going to take out loans for all of it. The wife, kid, and dog don't deserve to live in an apartment for the next ten years, just because of me.

 

I'm there. And I'll tell you, it hurts. Coming out of pocket is like being bent over for four years straight, but at least I'll be getting into med school debt-free.