Methods to pay for a DO school

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The majority of students use loans. Do not use a military scholarship unless you want to serve in the military, its not worth it otherwise. The NHSC offers loan repayment and I believe you apply in your first year. You can apply in subsequent years but each year that goes by is a year lost in repayment. You must serve the same number of years, I believe, in an area they tell you to. Since a lot of these areas are rural and you have no loans, you create a nice nest egg quickly. However, you are committed to primary care. The NHSC is competitive. There are also loan repayment plans other than the NHSC. Pennsylvania has a repayment plan, but I believe in the end, for four years of service, it covers about one year of school. Its not worth it, to me.
 
I picked loans so I wouldn't be beholden to any contract I might not agree with after the next four years. For me freedom is priceless.
 
The majority of students use loans. Do not use a military scholarship unless you want to serve in the military, its not worth it otherwise. The NHSC offers loan repayment and I believe you apply in your first year. You can apply in subsequent years but each year that goes by is a year lost in repayment. You must serve the same number of years, I believe, in an area they tell you to. Since a lot of these areas are rural and you have no loans, you create a nice nest egg quickly. However, you are committed to primary care. The NHSC is competitive. There are also loan repayment plans other than the NHSC. Pennsylvania has a repayment plan, but I believe in the end, for four years of service, it covers about one year of school. Its not worth it, to me.


I am fine with primary care, just looking for alternatives to military scholarships.
 
The majority of students use loans. Do not use a military scholarship unless you want to serve in the military, its not worth it otherwise. The NHSC offers loan repayment and I believe you apply in your first year. You can apply in subsequent years but each year that goes by is a year lost in repayment. You must serve the same number of years, I believe, in an area they tell you to. Since a lot of these areas are rural and you have no loans, you create a nice nest egg quickly. However, you are committed to primary care. The NHSC is competitive. There are also loan repayment plans other than the NHSC. Pennsylvania has a repayment plan, but I believe in the end, for four years of service, it covers about one year of school. Its not worth it, to me.

That's my SONNNNGGGG!!!!!!!!!😀
 
You say that now. But, you might not go into primary care in the future. NHSC considers primary care:

•family practice (3 years),
•general internal medicine (3 years),
•general pediatrics (3 years),
•general psychiatry (4 years),
•internal medicine/family practice (4 years),
•internal medicine/pediatrics (4 years),
•obstetrics-gynecology (4 years), and
•rotating internship with a request to complete one of the above specialties (D.O. only)

I wouldn't limit yourself, unless you know for sure you want to enter one of these fields. You cannot do subspecialties (neonatology in pediatrics, cardiology in IM).

You can always find a loan repayment plan after school or go into a high-paying specialty.
 
What are the best ways to finance a medical education?

-Loans
-Army
-Repayment

Does anyone know about programs for Il residents?

Financial assistance from mom and dad, maybe a rich uncle, those loans usually have very nice repayment terms🙂.
 
Anyone now of any good loan/repayment programs?

I'd advise you to contact the FA office(s) of school(s) you are going to be or want to attend. That will be a great resource.
 
I'd advise you to contact the FA office(s) of school(s) you are going to be or want to attend. That will be a great resource.


yea but they all say the same thing loans or military....isnt there another option?
 
I know WVSOM has a nice program where you can research for a year between MS2 and MS3. If you are accepted into the research year program, then they will pay for the last two years. I know NSUCOM does the same thing.
 
One dollar to look at it. Two dollars to touch it. Three dollars to watch me touch it. Five dollars to touch it while I touch my toes. Six dollars to touch it while I touch your toe. Ten dollars for an HJ. Twelve dollars for a **. $15 for a ZJ.

What's a ZJ?

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.
 
One dollar to look at it. Two dollars to touch it. Three dollars to watch me touch it. Five dollars to touch it while I touch my toes. Six dollars to touch it while I touch your toe. Ten dollars for an HJ. Twelve dollars for a **. $15 for a ZJ.

What's a ZJ?

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

Your post flew right past me.:scared:
 
Yea....I also wanted to know if there were any special programs, especially for primary care.

I know there are some states that offer tons of loan forgiveness programs for primary care doctors.

VCOM's website has a ton of info about scholarships and loan forgiveness for different states.
 

Attachments

If you are set on primary care, you can save an entire year of tuition by going to LECOM, which is already a really cheap school.

"Three Years to a Primary Care or Family Physician Degree
LECOM Erie Primary Care Scholars Pathway (PCSP) condenses four years of medical education into three years in order to graduate Primary Care doctors sooner. The PCSP eliminates some of the barriers that discourage medical students from pursuing careers in family medicine and the other primary care specialties."


Thanks...I really liked Lecom Erie....however I absolutely loved wvsom and will probably go there. The program also seems very intense and shaves some off some rotations that I may find interesting.

Great program though
 
One dollar to look at it. Two dollars to touch it. Three dollars to watch me touch it. Five dollars to touch it while I touch my toes. Six dollars to touch it while I touch your toe. Ten dollars for an HJ. Twelve dollars for a **. $15 for a ZJ.

What's a ZJ?

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

Basically this. In the end, there's always the world's oldest profession. Besides, once you get out of DO school, you could try pioneering the field of erotic manipulation.

Actually, screw that. Screw specializing. I'm going to graduate from med school, teach a bunch of hot chicks osteopathic manipulation, and then open up my own erotic manipulation clinic. Private pay only, credit cards accepted.

/don't forget to tip your waitress.
 
I know there are some states that offer tons of loan forgiveness programs for primary care doctors.

VCOM's website has a ton of info about scholarships and loan forgiveness for different states.


Wow this is amazing thanks!
 
I have been researching this issue not that MCAT hell and the application process is over for me. I have an acceptance and three interviews to go so I am going somewhere.

My focus has shifted to how am I going to pay for it.

It appears that the primary way to pay for this is student loans.

There is the military option.

Georgia has a "Country Doctor program" If you agree to go into primary care and agree to set up or join a practice in a county of less than 35,000 residents, the State of Georgia will pay $20,000 per year toward your tuition. Georgia residents only.

Kentucky pays all the tuition under similar terms for it's residents.

There are other programs out there if you search the internet - mostly for primary care.
 
I have been researching this issue not that MCAT hell and the application process is over for me. I have an acceptance and three interviews to go so I am going somewhere.

My focus has shifted to how am I going to pay for it.

It appears that the primary way to pay for this is student loans.

There is the military option.

Georgia has a "Country Doctor program" If you agree to go into primary care and agree to set up or join a practice in a county of less than 35,000 residents, the State of Georgia will pay $20,000 per year toward your tuition. Georgia residents only.

Kentucky pays all the tuition under similar terms for it's residents.

There are other programs out there if you search the internet - mostly for primary care.

Yea, but alot of program are resident only, and I am from Il, going to school in wv (most likely).
 
I know you really like WVSOM, but that is the second most expensive osteopathic medical school. It is $30,000 more expensive for you to go there than for WV residents. You'll get a great education at any of the schools, why pay so much more? Is it really that nice there?


You are absolutely right. It is really expensive, and perhaps unfair to oos students, but the school had two things that drive me to finance an education there:

1. The campus is amazing. The entire campus is devoted to DO students and is perfectly layed out in a small quiet town (Though it has a walmart, which is a plus to a poor med student).

2. The student body seems really happy. WVSOM is really the only place that i really felt that students are treated as the main focus of the school. Other schools have a DO program as add on, or addition. Others try, but seem to grounded in their past to change. The thing that sold me on WVSOM is that in the lecture halls people customized and made their lecture space their own. That character and comfortablitiy is something I certainly didnt get at my undergraduate institution, nor have I seen at any other medical school.

Thus, I am stuck with loans and what ever scholorships I can find. Also with the exteremly low cost of living, the over cost per year is much closer to other schools than some would think. For example, Lecom bradenton was like 57,000 per year expected cost (27,000 oos tuition) and WVSOM 77,000 (with 49,000 oos tuition). Obviously those numbers can be reduced by careful planning, but it shows that the cost of living in say Florida is a lot higher than wv.
 
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Sounds like a nice place. A friend of mine in school and also here on SDN was talking about WVSOM the other day; I wonder if I should have applied there. If the cost of living is really that cheap, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. The WV residents must really make out well.

Congrats on the acceptance. 🙂


Thanks and yes I think it is truly a great place, sure it has its' flaws (oos tuition), but I think its' pros make up for it. Plus it is highly rated by us news (If you care about their ratings).

It is certainly not too late to apply.
 
Here is a link to a website that has some loan forgiveness/repayment programs.
http://services.aamc.org/fed_loan_p...on=public.welcome&CFID=18511&CFTOKEN=20071956

Each program has a link so it will take some time to go through all of them.

Some you may have already had to be a resident prior to med school; however, I know that for example Doctors across NY you could qualify for that if you do your residency there. So depending on residency you could qualify for other programs.
 
You are absolutely right. It is really expensive, and perhaps unfair to oos students, but the school had two things that drive me to finance an education there:

1. The campus is amazing. The entire campus is devoted to DO students and is perfectly layed out in a small quiet town (Though it has a walmart, which is a plus to a poor med student).

2. The student body seems really happy. WVSOM is really the only place that i really felt that students are treated as the main focus of the school. Other schools have a DO program as add on, or addition. Others try, but seem to grounded in their past to change. The thing that sold me on WVSOM is that in the lecture halls people customized and made their lecture space their own. That character and comfortablitiy is something I certainly didnt get at my undergraduate institution, nor have I seen at any other medical school.

Thus, I am stuck with loans and what ever scholorships I can find. Also with the exteremly low cost of living, the over cost per year is much closer to other schools than some would think. For example, Lecom bradenton was like 57,000 per year expected cost (27,000 oos tuition) and WVSOM 77,000 (with 49,000 oos tuition). Obviously those numbers can be reduced by careful planning, but it shows that the cost of living in say Florida is a lot higher than wv.

You make some great points. These are all the reasons I picked WVSOM. I couldn't be happier here. I think you'll really like it.
 
Here is a link to a website that has some loan forgiveness/repayment programs.
http://services.aamc.org/fed_loan_p...on=public.welcome&CFID=18511&CFTOKEN=20071956

Each program has a link so it will take some time to go through all of them.

Some you may have already had to be a resident prior to med school; however, I know that for example Doctors across NY you could qualify for that if you do your residency there. So depending on residency you could qualify for other programs.


Are there any more of these?
 
I picked loans so I wouldn't be beholden to any contract I might not agree with after the next four years. For me freedom is priceless.

I totally agree just take out loans like most of our our preceding doctor generations did.

just my 2 cents =)
 
really again, where are you coming from?
oh and i plan on turning tricks 😉

we are obviously running the same searches:laugh:. I'm pre-med so I have time to disperse a lot of advice and so do you it looks like😀 but at least we woke this thread up.
 
Lepricons! That's been my plan all along. Find one, follow it, steal it's pot o' gold. BAM, Medical school paid for!
 
When a scholarship's eligibility is based on financial need, how are decisions made between applicants since all medical students are considered independent from their parents and are therefore pretty much broke?
 
When a scholarship's eligibility is based on financial need, how are decisions made between applicants since all medical students are considered independent from their parents and are therefore pretty much broke?



Depends on how the Financial Aid fairies feel about you....if you didnt vote for a democrat then kiss your shot goodbye....


In all serious, it is determined most likely from your earnings. Some students have jobs and those who graduated already and have jobs make a steady income. Honestly I don't expect it to help much....
 
When a scholarship's eligibility is based on financial need, how are decisions made between applicants since all medical students are considered independent from their parents and are therefore pretty much broke?

No, even though you are an independent at this age, for financial based scholarships you would need to include your parents info. Yeah, it sucks b/c most peoples parents aren't going to be helping them in med school.
 
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I'm facing a financial challenge too, as are most students with no wealthy relatives. To sum up what I've found:

1. You will pay with loans. You might be able to find a scholarship here and there, but don't count on it.
2. If you want to go into military medicine, seriously consider HPSP. If you don't want to go into military medicine, forget it.
3. If you are 100% sure about primary care, seriously consider NHSC. If there's a shadow of doubt in your mind, forget it.

Bottom line: I would not advise commiting yourself to a primary care specialty until you have the experience to make that informed decision. Also, we are looking at uncertain health care reforms which may affect this decision. If you end up really loving primary care and choose that career, there are loan repayment programs in many states that your school FA office and/or the wonderful world wide web could help you find. In addition to scholarships, the NHSC also has loan repayment agreements.
 
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