Free postbac year, auto MD admission! Student loan for rent during postbac?

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I'll keep it short and direct. URM, challenging undergrad experience due to poor education in Detroit Public Schools. Finished Bio degree with 2.6 with upward trend at very end and am waiting on MCAT scores. 8 years of hospital exp including 2 as an ED Tech in Level 1 trauma ER. lived with parents during undergrad then had my own apt for 1 year but let it go due to financial strain, now 8 months into living with my sis. Waiting to hear from Wayne State's URM postbac which includes 1 year free tutition, guaranteed MD admission, and monthly stipend of $1200/month during postbac, students prohibited from working at all. Should I take out student loan to cover rent during postbac year??? Id have stipend $$ but I also have other bills to cover.

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My longterm GF is a RN who makes 80K plus a year but I dont think we should live together until we are engaged which would be summer 17 at the earliest, therefore I would need loans to cover tuition during MD program but not living expenses and rent like several other MD students. She is 2 years older than me and lives on her own. I make less and am balancing car and cell phone, and student loans while she has no loans, hence she has her own place but I dont

 

[David513]

First of all, I salute you in your struggle to follow your dream of becoming a doctor. It sounds like you have every excuse to give up considering financial and other strains, and, yet, you soldier onward. Pat yourself on the back for your determination!

That said, you need to do literally whatever it takes to bring your GPA up. In that light, I would say take out loans to cover your costs if you're going back to school full-time. Don't mess with your GPA anymore. You HAVE to show that you can excel in academics. (Although I suppose if you did 95 percentile or above on the MCAT you have some wiggle room.)

Just my $0.02!

 

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Well, im not banking on marrying my GF and living with her for free but if that happens it'll. But I'm saying if I do get into the postbac then I would have to complete the year of grad/upper level UG courses and as long as I maintain the minimum GPA required, I'd automatically start med school 3 weeks after finishing postbac. Automatic MD admission is a GREAT incentive!!

 

[google MD]

If you get accepted into that program, don't rely on your girlfriend to support you. Take out the loans for extra costs, realistically that won't be more than $15,000 for the year if they are giving you a $1200/month stipend. That is very doable and not very large in the grand scheme of things and what you're costs will be while in medical school. Most people pay $40,000+ for SMP so for you to only have to cover you're living costs is amazing for you.

 

[mbridges724]

Id say go for it. What do you other SDNers think about it?