Medical School Cost for Gay Student

[Duke2014]

I am looking on advice on how someone would choose between medical schools in my situation. I am originally from Texas, which has a TON of great, cheap medical schools. But I am concerned about the culture (conservative) and future dating prospects.

I am really looking for a serious relationship in medical school, so I can eventually find a spouse. Ideally, it would be someone in the medical profession.

Needless to say, there are very few gay medical students and I would imagine finding a spouse in a Texas med school would be very difficult.

Unfortunately, the most liberal schools tend to be in the Northeast and I HATE snow and the cold. I really want to live in a warm climate, so California schools seem like the best option.

A BIG problem is the cost, though. Texas schools cost about 45K per year. Cali schools would be about 80K. My main question is: Should this difference in cost outweigh the lifestyle issues?

Being gay, I imagine my post-residency costs will be alot less than the average physician (no kids and all), so it should be somewhat easier for me to pay off the debt. Given this, would it be reasonable to attend a school like USC over UT-San Antonio?


Note:
I don't have the best stats: 3.5+ GPA and 35 MCAT. I am really looking into schools like USC (which would be a dream school). If you have any other recommendations on medical schools in gay-friendly areas in warm climates, I would greatly appreciate it.

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[113]

I was very confused after reading your thread title. I was thinking a school wanted to raise your tuition because you're gay.

I don't have an answer for you. Obviously your financial situation is critical. If you're allergic to debt, you might want to stay in TX. If you have Bill Gates money, go anywhere you like.

 

[Duke2014]

I was very confused after reading your thread title. I was thinking a school wanted to raise your tuition because you're gay.

I don't have an answer for you. Obviously your financial situation is critical. If you're allergic to debt, you might want to stay in TX. If you have Bill Gates money, go anywhere you like.

I guess my title isn't the clearest.

I would have to pay for medical school entirely on my own through loans. That is why the debt issue is particularly notable for me.

After graduation, I would like to live in the LA area. Hence why USC is a top contender.

 

[Tots]

This is 4 years of your life that you are never getting back, you need to be happy(if possible). If part of what makes you happy is being somewhere where you feel comfortable about the culture and dating prospects then location is definitely a reason to choose a more expensive school. That being said, I don't think your prospects would completely horrible in Texas. There are gay men in Texas, at least according to my Baylor interview I guess I am probably not the best person to attest to this though since I am from CA and withdrew from the only Texas school I applied to post interview.

Honestly though, I am in a similar situation as you this cycle because there is a cheap school I absolutely love minus its location. As a single gay male I just don't think living in a tiny midwest town is the best for me at this time in my life and therefore I will probably be attending another school. :/

 

[deleted307836]

Are you a resident of Texas? If so, I think your 45k figure might be a little high if you qualify for instate tuition.

I totally understand your concern about location as it's something I think about a lot as well. I've come to the conclusion that controlling my debt is important enough to me that I would be willing to sacrifice on location for four years in order to save money. (And that's assuming I have the luxury of multiple acceptances...)

Honestly, at 45k vs 80k/yr, I would choose the 45k option in a heartbeat regardless of location - Kansas, Nebraska, TX, whatever (and I'm speaking as a gay guy too). So my answer to your question would be "yes," but I'm the type of person that is able to blend well in different environments - so short term, location isn't as important to me. Long term, though, it's very important. I'll also add that finding a partner during school is not high on my priority list. I actually think that being single would be easier... so I'm not very worried about that.

Try using a student loan calculator to figure out the difference in monthly loan payments, lifetime interest, etc. I've crunched the numbers for me and the differences can be astounding.

I would apply everywhere that is feasible for you, and then revisit this question when your options are narrowed down.

 

[KnuxNole]

If you feel happier going to Cali, in the long run it might be worth it. While cost is a big factor to choose schools, if you don't feel happy at a location, it's not worth it. In your example, 80K vs. 45K....the 35K sounds like a big difference, but overall, what makes YOU happy and what YOU want out of your experience is key. Who knows, you might get a sweet scholarship too!

Also, the location might be conservative, but the student population would likely be tolerant of gays. In addition, there might be a decent chunk of gay classmates. So hypothetically, you could be in a small town, but you can meet your future husband 5 seats next to you in class. Despite that, I understand where your coming from.

Other Gay-friendly places in warm climates:
Miami and Atlanta are two that come to mind. Nashville I hear mixed things about, but maybe something else to add

 

[DNAdude120]

I was in your situation a couple years ago when I was trying to figure out which medical schools I wanted to apply to. I had to decide what my priorities were and how much I was willing to sacrifice. I know a lot people say that 4 years isn't that long, but honestly, it is a good chunk of time, especially when you are in your twenties. I've met too many physicians who didn't "live" while they were young and try to make up for it when they finally finish school and residency.

There are a number of schools that are urban and warm and that are also OOS friendly. A few that come to mind are UMiami, Emory, Tulane, USC, UA-Phoenix, Being from Texas, you also have access to schools in the major cities there which is always a plus (Houston, SA). You said that you are looking for a less conservative area but I would definitely give them a shot. I go to school in an urban area that is also very liberal and I only know 3 other gay students. Honestly, the chances that you will find your future partner in your class is slim (although not impossible). However, putting yourself in a city where you can socialize with people outside of class will definitely help you meet others you could potentially be interested in.

One last thing, have you ever been to SoCal? The gay culture there might not be the same thing you're use to in Texas. Something else to consider when choosing what area you might want to live. I don't know if I could handle living in that WeHo atmosphere.

This was longer than I wanted it to be but this was a subject I thought about a lot.

 

[red7]

UT Austin is opening up a new medical school. I don't know a lot about Texas, but I've been told Austin is more liberal than other cities in Texas, and may be more tolerable environment - could be a win-win situation for you.

Edit: I just looked it up, and it looks like the first incoming class is in 2016 - might be too late for you anyway. Good luck in your decision

 

[Gauss44]

Just noticed that MSAR lists self-reported race/ethnicity, but not self-reported lgbt status.

 

[xffan624]

UT Austin is opening up a new medical school. I don't know a lot about Texas, but I've been told Austin is more liberal than other cities in Texas, and may be more tolerable environment - could be a win-win situation for you.

Edit: I just looked it up, and it looks like the first incoming class is in 2016 - might be too late for you anyway. Good luck in your decision

Austin is still an awesome place. Definitely a little more gay friendly than SA. SA is still a pretty big city and has a pretty cool nightlife (the Riverwalk is a blast). I have no idea whether it's gay friendly or not, but it's certainly not the sticks.

 

[SOMBound13]

You probably need to find schools other than Calif schools. You're OOS and Calif SOMs are hard to get into OOS. Your MCAT is fine, but your GPA may keep you out.

You hate the cold, so NY and Chi area schools won't work. Maybe UMiami? Tulane? Emory? George Washington? (may be too cold there).

Frankly, I don't think you should look at the "culture" of the state to say whether a SOM will be gay friendly. SOMs tend to be more liberal and open minded - even if in a very red state. And, SOMs in big cities tend to be more liberal as well.

 

[Medstart108]

I am looking on advice on how someone would choose between medical schools in my situation. I am originally from Texas, which has a TON of great, cheap medical schools. But I am concerned about the culture (conservative) and future dating prospects.

I am really looking for a serious relationship in medical school, so I can eventually find a spouse. Ideally, it would be someone in the medical profession.

Needless to say, there are very few gay medical students and I would imagine finding a spouse in a Texas med school would be very difficult.

Unfortunately, the most liberal schools tend to be in the Northeast and I HATE snow and the cold. I really want to live in a warm climate, so California schools seem like the best option.

A BIG problem is the cost, though. Texas schools cost about 45K per year. Cali schools would be about 80K. My main question is: Should this difference in cost outweigh the lifestyle issues?

Being gay, I imagine my post-residency costs will be alot less than the average physician (no kids and all), so it should be somewhat easier for me to pay off the debt. Given this, would it be reasonable to attend a school like USC over UT-San Antonio?


Note:
I don't have the best stats: 3.5+ GPA and 35 MCAT. I am really looking into schools like USC (which would be a dream school). If you have any other recommendations on medical schools in gay-friendly areas in warm climates, I would greatly appreciate it.

Go wherever you like dude. Med school is 4 years and it will be stressful. Its just a bit of money and you know you will be a doctor. Don't low ball your salary, you are not doing an Arts degree, you are going to be a doctor. That means money, no matter what happens. You will be able to pay off that extra debt.

Medicine is one of the few degrees you can be sure you will make a good income. Go to Cali or wherever.

 

[deleted307836]

Go wherever you like dude. Med school is 4 years and it will be stressful. Its just a bit of money and you know you will be a doctor. Don't low ball your salary, you are not doing an Arts degree, you are going to be a doctor. That means money, no matter what happens. You will be able to pay off that extra debt.

Medicine is one of the few degrees you can be sure you will make a good income. Go to Cali or wherever.

35x4=$140k. Even with a physician income that's a lot of money that could be saved, especially when it's the difference between being 320k in debt vs 180k in debt.

Yours is a pretty naive outlook, IMO.

 

[eject]

OP, there are a few premises in your post that might merit reconsideration; inter alia, you should question the following assumptions:

(1) that you want to date a fellow medical student;

(2) that there would be fewer eligible gay medical students in Texas schools than other schools; and

(3) that there is an imperative to find (or be well on one's way to finding) a spouse by the conclusion of medical school.

You might be correct in your assumptions, but they warrant some thinking.

And against the enormous uncertainty in relationships, there is the very concrete issue of debt. You can run those numbers easily. It's also possible to ascertain, with some degree of confidence, whether you will like living in a given city for four years. As busy as medical school is, you will have time for leisure, and it's nice to live in a place with something to offer you in your free time. Weighing debt and location would seem most critical.

Good luck.

 

[Weewee]

Go to the place where you feel most at home and stop putting expectations on finding someone in medical school! It will happen when you least expect it (though you could expect it a lot more in california ) You have med school, residency, your first job, the list continues because you have no biological clock hehe

You should just apply all over and see where you get in before dealing with this decision....that could change some things.

School recommendations: not loma linda....anywhere in California, what about Florida? Can you move before you apply to get residency anywhere? If you love warm weather...why not Hawaii? haha

 

[blomar]

An anecdote that might be helpful: one of my acquaintances from college is gay and at UTH now, and seems to be doing fine and enjoying his social life (I'm judging from facebook alone, though). He looks to have met plenty of gay people inside and outside of medicine in Houston. He didn't come out until after college at UT.
Also, since doing my interviews this year many of the schools in texas (I only interviewed at the UT system schools and Baylor) when showing us organization lists had some type of an LGBT group in place. Obviously I can't speak to the dating prospects or how accepting of gay people the students are but I think you would find that generally speaking the culture is not that conservative in regards to homosexuals, at least in our age group (maybe I'm biased because I lived in Austin for the past 4 years).


I think your best bet would be to contact the schools directly and try to get in touch with these organizations, and ask the students how they truly feel about their own situations.


Best of luck.

 

[DrBtobe]

Honestly, I think the application process is going to make a lot of the decision for you. Before applying I was also trying to play this game of figuring out which locations I would be happiest in. It definitely helped me narrow down places to apply to, since I didn't want to apply to anywhere I wouldn't go if accepted. However, all of my acceptances came from one region--hence, the decision was made for me.

My point being--CA is very competitive, even for IS students. Only apply places you would actually go to if accepted, but don't let that stop you from applying broadly. Definitely apply to USC, but don't rule out the TX schools. Good luck! Most schools have LGBT groups--I second blomar--reach out to them.

 

[physiologist]

I guess my title isn't the clearest.

I would have to pay for medical school entirely on my own through loans. That is why the debt issue is particularly notable for me.

After graduation, I would like to live in the LA area. Hence why USC is a top contender.

You won't have time to date anyway. Go to Texas for med school and Cali for residency.

 

[Napoletana1007]

.

 

[KnuxNole]

You won't have time to date anyway. Go to Texas for med school and Cali for residency.

You can make time to date...as long as you balance priorities. Certain times(Step prep, rotation with long hours) might make it tough, but I wouldn't count out not having time to date outside of your class.

 

[Ellie Arroway]

I don't know anything about the Texas schools. Is there one in Austin? I hear Austin is all right. Anyway, I'm just posting to say I sympathize - I got waitlisted at Mayo and I'm still not sure what to think of 4 years in Rochester, MN. Committing to a near-guaranteed 4 year dating hiatus is a little daunting.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Why don't you actually get accepted into some of these schools first and then come back with the question?

Seriously, this is like one of those "Should I go to Harvard or Yale? oh but I haven't gotten accepted to either". You'll likely match to a Texas school but you're OOS for Cali schools so it's gonna be rough even getting in there. You also don't know what your financial aid is going to look like if you get accepted to any of these schools. Come back next year when you have your acceptances and financial aid packages.

 

[jjbodean]

Note:
I don't have the best stats: 3.5+ GPA and 35 MCAT.

thats pretty terrible. are you sure you should even be applying?

 

[TXTide]

I just want to second the advice of applying broadly and letting the process narrow down your decision a bit. Hopefully you'll get a better idea when you're at your interviews. Once you have concrete choices, then you'll be able to weigh cost and all the other factors. That being said, as a fellow Texan, I hope you aren't driven out of the state.

 

[Duke2014]

Go wherever you like dude. Med school is 4 years and it will be stressful. Its just a bit of money and you know you will be a doctor. Don't low ball your salary, you are not doing an Arts degree, you are going to be a doctor. That means money, no matter what happens. You will be able to pay off that extra debt.

Medicine is one of the few degrees you can be sure you will make a good income. Go to Cali or wherever.

This is what I am thinking. I am very interested in surgery (probably general surgery, but you never fully know as a premed). If I were to go that route, after 5 years of residency I should be making at least 220K.

With few expenses beside my self, I think I could pay off a hefty debt in about 5 years. Because really, how much money would I actually need to provide for just myself.

 

[Duke2014]

35x4=$140k. Even with a physician income that's a lot of money that could be saved, especially when it's the difference between being 320k in debt vs 180k in debt.

Yours is a pretty naive outlook, IMO.

Yikes! 140K is a TON of money, though. Especially when you consider interest, it could get really expensive.

Over time, it might come out to a 300K difference

 

[Duke2014]

You won't have time to date anyway. Go to Texas for med school and Cali for residency.

This seems like the best route, but will it be difficult to match in Cali for residency if I go to a Texas school?

I know match lists are obviously biased, due to location preference, but it seemed as if not a whole lot of Texas schools send people out of state.

 

[thefritz]

Needless to say, there are very few gay medical students and I would imagine finding a spouse in a Texas med school would be very difficult.

This is blatantly false. I've never been around more openly gay people than my life than in med school, and there are plenty more in the closet.

I can honestly say I think you have your priorities all screwed up. Focus on your career and education first and let life happen.

And what's that derogatory saying about texas? Steers and ....

 

[deleted307836]

Yikes! 140K is a TON of money, though. Especially when you consider interest, it could get really expensive.

Over time, it might come out to a 300K difference

Yes, and even more when you consider that money spent servicing the extra loan money could have been invested instead.

 

[Duke2014]

Would going to a Texas school (for example UT-San Antonio) put me at a disadvantage for matching into a Cali residency for surgical specialties?

 

[Planes2Doc]

Well no one is saying you absolutely have to find a partner in medical school.

I'm at a Chicago school and have gay and lesbian friends in my class. They seem pretty happy.

Honestly, I don't think many people have time for dating once you get into medical school.

I'm sure you'd be happy anywhere you go. I'm jealous of the students in Texas that have killer tuition. Good luck!

 

[deleted307836]

Would going to a Texas school (for example UT-San Antonio) put me at a disadvantage for matching into a Cali residency for surgical specialties?

Not anymore than any other non-California school (and I don't know how much going to school in California would improve your chances of matching there, but I would guess it would help some).

Seriously though... I would start investigating this stuff only after you have some acceptances to work with and know what your potential options are.

 

[CjOz]

Figure out which is more important to you....becoming a doctor with a reasonable tuition or finding a mate. As a San Antonio native, i cant confirm how many "colorful" guys we have in the medical field but we do have a population of +1.5 mil. So I would assume you could find someone here while going to uthscsa.

Side note: Austin should be opening a med school soon and that city is uber liberal/hippie. Maybe you should consider going there if you are concerned about how you would fit in in a typically conservative state.

 

[chendricks1309]

A quick google search will show that Dallas is rated 5th in the US for gay communities with some holding elected offices such as county sheriff. Austin and San Antonio are also very gay friendly communities.

http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-...d-all-year-most-gay-friendly-us-cities?page=4

 

[tonguetalker]

In general, big cities tend to have more options in terms of dating. Now, it may be harder to necessarily date another physician, but if you go to Dallas or Houston, Im sure there wont be too many issues. Now if you end up at UTMB (Galveston) or Texas Tech in El Paso, that will be very difficult and I would steer towards another school. And in case you didnt know, Houston's mayor is a lesbian

 

[futurepremed]

is the OP a gay man or gay women? i suppose the advice for texas would be the same either way?

 

[futurepremed]

And in case you didnt know, Houston's mayor is a lesbian

wait. really? i would never have believed that.....

 

[tonguetalker]

wait. really? i would never have believed that.....

mmhmm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annise_Parker

 

[annonymous819]

I am looking on advice on how someone would choose between medical schools in my situation. I am originally from Texas, which has a TON of great, cheap medical schools. But I am concerned about the culture (conservative) and future dating prospects.

I am really looking for a serious relationship in medical school, so I can eventually find a spouse. Ideally, it would be someone in the medical profession.

Needless to say, there are very few gay medical students and I would imagine finding a spouse in a Texas med school would be very difficult.

Unfortunately, the most liberal schools tend to be in the Northeast and I HATE snow and the cold. I really want to live in a warm climate, so California schools seem like the best option.

A BIG problem is the cost, though. Texas schools cost about 45K per year. Cali schools would be about 80K. My main question is: Should this difference in cost outweigh the lifestyle issues?

Being gay, I imagine my post-residency costs will be alot less than the average physician (no kids and all), so it should be somewhat easier for me to pay off the debt. Given this, would it be reasonable to attend a school like USC over UT-San Antonio?


Note:
I don't have the best stats: 3.5+ GPA and 35 MCAT. I am really looking into schools like USC (which would be a dream school). If you have any other recommendations on medical schools in gay-friendly areas in warm climates, I would greatly appreciate it.

The students I met in TX all seemed much more progressive than the state as a whole. Not quite the same as an entirely progressive state, but food for thought.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

From what I've heard of people who attended Texas schools (I know a lot of folks from Baylor), they're surprisingly liberal.

Why not just ask upfront what the student body's attitude towards LGBT students is at the schools you get invited for a second look at? That way you don't waste time considering schools you don't end up getting accepted to, and you get a definite answer.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I second the suggestion to talk to students in the school's glbt groups and see what their perspectives are. Sometimes the gay community is big, just flies under the mainstream radar. Getting the perspective of the students themselves is going to be your best bet.

Also agree with the poster regarding your assumptions about who you want to/expect to wind up with. a lot of people I know who've recently gotten married have been pretty surprised with how different their partner is from what they thought they wanted. The advice I got was to stop looking for someone and start doing what you love and you're more likely to find the right person. In this case, go where you feel you fit in and would be happy and the rest will probably follow.

A relationship isn't going to be guaranteed at any school, so it's possible you could spend 4 years at a school you don't love that costs more money but is in a more gay friendly area and still not find anyone you click with.


If all else fails, for a completely non-scientific analysis, sign up for a free Match account and see how many men looking for men users there are in your zip code, then consider that a lot of people won't be using Match. You'll have some idea of what's out there.


Oh, and for a couple of you folks re: Mayo.... there's a pretty active LGBTI group institutionally and in my lab of about 35 we have 3 comfortably out gay people and one not out at work person. PM me with questions if you'd like, I could try to do some more fishing for info.

 

[Duke2014]

Not anymore than any other non-California school (and I don't know how much going to school in California would improve your chances of matching there, but I would guess it would help some).

Seriously though... I would start investigating this stuff only after you have some acceptances to work with and know what your potential options are.

This is sound advice. It is pointless to speculate, if I don't get into any CA schools.

But are there any schools in warm areas that are particular generous with grants? I know the tippy top schools are, but I have no chance there.

Are there any that a student in my range (3.5+, 35 MCAT) can get into?

 

[Duke2014]

From what I've heard of people who attended Texas schools (I know a lot of folks from Baylor), they're surprisingly liberal.

Why not just ask upfront what the student body's attitude towards LGBT students is at the schools you get invited for a second look at? That way you don't waste time considering schools you don't end up getting accepted to, and you get a definite answer.

I will definitely do this after I get accepted. Also, I heard that there is very little time for dating in medical school anyway, so this may end up being a mute point.

I mostly just want to go to an environment where people won't treat me differently. I grew up attending a public high school in Texas and it was the norm to say disparaging things about gay people.

Students would be overtly antagonistic and religious beliefs were widespread. I mostly just want to avoid all that.

 

[mulberry]

OMG -- possibily getting accepted into medical school but don't like the cold? Want to find someone else who is gay?? #1stworldproblems

SMH. Suck it up, no pun intended.

 

[touchpause13]

I don't know anything about the Texas schools. Is there one in Austin? I hear Austin is all right. Anyway, I'm just posting to say I sympathize - I got waitlisted at Mayo and I'm still not sure what to think of 4 years in Rochester, MN. Committing to a near-guaranteed 4 year dating hiatus is a little daunting.

rochester isnt actually that far from the twin cities, dear. and the cities are VERY LGBT friendly, so I would hardly say that going to Mayo would be a 4 year dating hiatus.

 

[DrBarbie08]

I will definitely do this after I get accepted. Also, I heard that there is very little time for dating in medical school anyway, so this may end up being a mute point.

I mostly just want to go to an environment where people won't treat me differently. I grew up attending a public high school in Texas and it was the norm to say disparaging things about gay people.

Students would be overtly antagonistic and religious beliefs were widespread. I mostly just want to avoid all that.

There are plenty of people in Texas that are perfectly fine with gays, wherever you go. I think its a bit cynical to just assume you won't find anyone here. You haven't even been to the schools for interviews! Don't be so quick to judge everyone if you yourself don't want to be judged.

I also went to public school in the Texas and it was the norm to ridicule the geeks as well. We've all faced our own battles. Graduate school is not the same thing as high school. I wish you the best of luck with apps.

 

[touchpause13]

OP: I think any med school you could go to (not including loma) will be a fairly accepting environment and I really wouldn't worry about it at this point in the game. Right now just focus on getting in.



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