how do you pay for expensive prostho or perio residencies?

[fallout]

I attended an expensive, private dental school. I'm currently in private practice but I don't expect to have paid off most of my loans. These loans offer up to three years of deferment, of which I already used up two.

I'm hoping to get accepted to and attend a prostho or perio program as early as next year. My grades from dental school aren't great so I'm looking at the weaker, high tuition-based programs on the east coast. If I estimate the anticipated tuition and living costs for these programs, I'll probably end up needing 80k per year for three years. ( $240k total ) My dental school debt is near 260k.

Exactly how do people like me finance the costs of these programs? Do most dentist pay off their dental school debt before entering these programs? Is it customary for such residents to finish these programs with as much as 500k in debt?

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[Rube]

I guess you're dying to do perio so bad you'll take on $500,000 in debt-- what! pros too? sorry I guess you're dying to do pros so bad you'll take on $500,000 in debt. Also you've deffered 2 years... that means you haven't even figured out how to make a living paying your 260k debt yet.


Here's how you handle the debt:

1. don't enter into perio
2. Join up with NHSC, the Navy or a sponsoring organization/hospital that will pay your tuition and bills in exchange for being the staff perio after residency.
3. re think this until it makes sense.

 

[pietrodds]

Good advice. 500K!....500K! Did I mention 500K?!? Keep smacking yourself in the face til you realize you it's a bad idea.

8% interest on 500K is 40K of after tax dollars per year. Wowzer... get in line for your gov't bailout because you're gonna need it.