ka1999 - There is no "typical" amount of money you get. How much you get, as with any other kind of financial aid, depends on what the school budgets for expenses that year, how much you have in savings and other assets, how much your parents make and have, etc. Dependents are considered as are spousal assets and income. I'd say most people get some form of school aid in the form of grants and low-interest loans. The rest can be made up with your own contribution and federal government (Stafford) loans.
In fact, even if you don't qualify for any school aid, you can pretty much borrow the cost of an entire year of education (~$45,000 for a private school) through Stafford loans. The question is - how much do you want to go into debt? Going into 6-figure debt is pretty common these days and I remember hearing that people with the most debt are those from affluent families whose parents are not willing to pay the cost of a medical education. These students have it the worst because they will not qualify for any school aid because their parents are wealthy (willingness to pay on the part of parents is not a factor) and so end up borrowing heavily because they have no money of their own.
Going into debt is a huge concern, but all the doctors I've talked to so far this first year of medical school have said that when you become a doctor, it isn't that big of a deal and repaying your loans will be just like paying another bill at the end of the month.
Basically, if you have minimal assets/income, several dependents, and parents without a six figure income, you can expect school aid in the form of grants and low interest loans. In other words, if you get into a medical school, they will find a way to cover the cost of education so it's not like you won't be able to attend because you have no money - you'll just have to carry a substantial long-term debt.
Then there are always the service programs which pay for your education while requiring a payback time after your training - i.e. HPSP in the Armed Forces. My personal take with these programs is that you should only go do those programs if you want to practice in the military - don't do it solely for the money. Unless you choose the lowest paying specialties, it often works out to your advantage in the long run if you just carry loans. In addition, there are significant restrictions on what/where you can practice. One of the most important things you have as a doctor is your autonomy. Other service programs include the National Health Corps, and there are things like Primary Care Loans, but again, these will place future restrictions on your practice and is something to think about esepcially at such an early time when you have no idea what you want your practice to be like - it's never a good idea to shut doors before you know what's behind them.
Hope some of this rambling helped.
[This message has been edited by WingZero (edited 10-10-2000).]
