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- Jan 12, 2011
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Hello everyone,
I have recently been accepted to 4 US dental schools with unconditional offer. I thought getting in was the hardest part, but it was not. The hardest part is paying for my tuition. As medical students you can probably imagine what the cost is for dental education. Basically, over 4 years I am expected to spend over 300k.
The problem is I am an international student who comes from a low income family. I can take out some loans from the bank but my family cannot pay for the difference in tuition and interest.
My parents have suggested to me that they were going to sell the house but I can't let that happen. I have siblings who are attending school and I would rather give up my dream than hurt their's.
Trust me when I say this, I have exhausted every feasible opportunity of financial help. I CANNOT afford dental tuition.
It makes me sad and want to blame the world for its system. But of course, reality is harsh and this is something I have to deal with.
With this situation, I thought of Caribbean medical school. I heard from my attending friends that Saba's tuition is less than 150k which now sounds much more affordable. This is a school that do not require the MCAT. I never wrote the MCAT because dentistry was always the thing for me. If I apply now, I'll probably get accepted with my states and start class in May.
Yes, dentistry was always in front of medicine but it was because I very much liked the hands-on experience. But my understanding of medical field is comprehensive and I believe I can also excel in medicine.
What do you guys think about this switch?
My friends have said to me that all that matters is your score on USMLE. And since the material tested is basic science, it doesn't matter what medical school you go to. It just depends on you.
My undergrad GPA is close to 3.8 and I scored 98th percetile on the DAT (Dental Admissions Test).
I have recently been accepted to 4 US dental schools with unconditional offer. I thought getting in was the hardest part, but it was not. The hardest part is paying for my tuition. As medical students you can probably imagine what the cost is for dental education. Basically, over 4 years I am expected to spend over 300k.
The problem is I am an international student who comes from a low income family. I can take out some loans from the bank but my family cannot pay for the difference in tuition and interest.
My parents have suggested to me that they were going to sell the house but I can't let that happen. I have siblings who are attending school and I would rather give up my dream than hurt their's.
Trust me when I say this, I have exhausted every feasible opportunity of financial help. I CANNOT afford dental tuition.
It makes me sad and want to blame the world for its system. But of course, reality is harsh and this is something I have to deal with.
With this situation, I thought of Caribbean medical school. I heard from my attending friends that Saba's tuition is less than 150k which now sounds much more affordable. This is a school that do not require the MCAT. I never wrote the MCAT because dentistry was always the thing for me. If I apply now, I'll probably get accepted with my states and start class in May.
Yes, dentistry was always in front of medicine but it was because I very much liked the hands-on experience. But my understanding of medical field is comprehensive and I believe I can also excel in medicine.
What do you guys think about this switch?
My friends have said to me that all that matters is your score on USMLE. And since the material tested is basic science, it doesn't matter what medical school you go to. It just depends on you.
My undergrad GPA is close to 3.8 and I scored 98th percetile on the DAT (Dental Admissions Test).