No disrespect (nontrad who applied late last cycle - 8 secondary invites, 2 II's, 2 WL)

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400k in debt is a lot but it's possible to pay it back with public service scholarships. Also, consider that if you apply again you are giving up 1 year of attending salary which can be anywhere from 250-500k depending on the specaltiy. Personally, I think it is a very bad decision to turn down an acceptance from an MD school.
 
Did you get accepted into Tulane ? Anyway, if that is your only acceptance, I'd take it. Instead of debating about what may happen, you can for sure be a medical student this fall. There is no guarantee you will have success next cycle. If you do decide to decline, have a darn good reason because you will be asked why you turned down a guaranteed acceptance. Good luck!
 
Nugester said:
Did you get accepted into Tulane ? Anyway, if that is your only acceptance, I'd take it. Instead of debating about what may happen, you can for sure be a medical student this fall. There is no guarantee you will have success next cycle. If you do decide to decline, have a darn good reason because you will be asked why you turned down a guaranteed acceptance. Good luck!
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Are you willing to make an incredibly risky gamble on perhaps the most important decision of your life? There's a reason most people apply to 20+ schools--because the chances of getting into one particular school (in this case, your IS school) are very, very miniscule. In blackjack terms, you have two kings in your hand right now, and you're about to ask the dealer to hit, hoping for an ace. Will you be able to live with yourself if your gamble doesn't pay off?
 
You_Might_Hate_M3 said:
Does it help that my retirement from working is sizable (after working 8 years is now ~85k)?
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Not really. You are losing one years salary as an attending if you delay. Also, imagine that you didn't get in next cycle, then what? Lastly, as someone that is a couple years older than you and just finished my last exam for ms1, I'd highly recommend you don't delay.
 
You_Might_Hate_M3 said:
Not Tulane - VCU!
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I will also be attending VCU as an OOS. Honestly I think they over priced a lot of the cost of living aspects... without any scholarships I realistic think it will be closer to 300k over the four years. Of course if you have family or other lifestyle associated costs this will vary. Live smart and cheap and I don’t think it will be 400k in the end. Just my two cents.
 
healthskier300 said:
I will also be attending VCU as an OOS. Honestly I think they over priced a lot of the cost of living aspects... without any scholarships I realistic think it will be closer to 300k over the four years. Of course if you have family or other lifestyle associated costs this will vary. Live smart and cheap and I don’t think it will be 400k in the end. Just my two cents.
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That makes me feel a lot better. How are you doing finding housing?

Nugester said:
Not really. You are losing one years salary as an attending if you delay. Also, imagine that you didn't get in next cycle, then what? Lastly, as someone that is a couple years older than you and just finished my last exam for ms1, I'd highly recommend you don't delay.
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Or I guess, compared to the debt and no retirement, does having retirement savings ease the blow at all, in that I'm starting from nothing, even though I'm older?
 
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I'm also in my early 30s and will graduate with 400k in debt from medical school. I'm planning to just pay the interest while in residency (20k if loans are at 5% interest rate), and then the way I think about it is this: If I made 300k as an attending, my take home after taxes would be roughly ~15k a month. If i paid 5k a month toward loans, it would take roughly 8 years to pay off. And IMO 10k a month is more than enough to live comfortably, but with my wife working as well, we could either pay it off faster or try to manage smart investments into retirement, etc. It's definitely doable. I don't worry about the 400k debt except in the instance that healthcare pay goes down substantially in my lifetime, in which case i'd hope there would be some policy in place to help out people with big medical school debt burdens.
 
VCU is a great school in a hugely diverse area. I would absolutely NOT drop your only A. Tons of people go to med school with that amount of COA, if you live with roommates and save you can drop it down. You may also search for external scholarships and possibly receive some from your school during those four years.
 
Take the A and don't look back. At your age, I assume you are financially savvy and aware enough to make a sound financial plan. The earning power you will have as a physician will allow you to pay this back. You might retire later than most. You might have to move somewhere where the COL is low. But, you have some retirement money already working for you anyways, and it'll be a fantastic career. Schools will also ask about whether you've ever turned down an MD A before, and apparently it's a deal breaker. Don't turn it down. Take it and don't look back.
 
I'll go against the grain from most and say it's not unreasonable to withdraw. 26yr old with $400k in debt looks a lot different than a 36yr old with $400k of debt. Realize by doing so you may be permanently closing a door, but I think long term finances need to be in the conversation, especially for older non-trads. I would've have turned down a school with a COA of $100k/yr.
 
You_Might_Hate_M3 said:
I have been reading past threads and from what's I've read, there doesn't seem to be a clear consensus of whether past A's are reported to other schools. If I am accepted, but withdraw and don't matriculate - does that make any difference?

Yes, I would be 35 if I matriculated this year.
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Some schools may ask this during secondaries or interviews. Also OP, even with the 4.0 post-bacc you say that you're cGPA is 3.4 That's below average for many med schools, they have many highly qualified applicants to choose from. I honestly think it's foolish to turn down an A with your stats. You have absolutely no guarantee you will get in anywhere next year. MD/PhDs also have an average GPA of like ~3.8 for accepted applicants, so MD/PhD wouldn't be a walk in the park either. You asked the internet so that's my 2 cents.
 
People are going to have very different opinions about financial stuff. I gave the breakdown earlier to show you that it's more than doable. The biggest issue I see with you potentially reapplying is that it's a gamble that has a low chance of actually being worth it. The only scenario that I think you come out far enough ahead is one in which you reapply and not only get admitted again but happen to get a hefty scholarship. Don't get me wrong. I understand 400k is a lot of debt. But you're most likely still looking at 200 - 250k in debt regardless unless you're fortunate enough to get a nice scholarship. So the more realistic scenario is you giving up a year of attending salary (offset by however much you'd make with your job while reapplying - reapplication fees) in order to lower your debt burden by about 150 to maybe 200k. Let's say you had a good job lined up that'd pay 100k for the year and you had to pay 8k in application fees. And let's say your attending salary would be 300k. You're essentially trading 300k - 92k = 208k for 150 to 200k less debt. With interest, you come out a bit ahead but not by enough that I'd think it's worth it, given the risks.

Basically, what I'm saying is it seems dumb to reapply in a scenario where you'd be banking on getting in with a scholarship for it to make any meaningful difference in your life ultimately.
 
How much do you want to be a doctor and what are your job prospects as an RA?

Can earn like $75k as a lab manager if you go into industry, I think? As a university RA you're lucky to be pulling $50k of course.

$400,000 sounds like maybe 2-3 years of living very frugally as an attending, to me, at least? No experience paying down debt to that extent. I think you need to look at your other earnings options.
 
You_Might_Hate_M3 said:
I make a little more than 50k in academia and only then because of my skill set/years of experience. I could make more if I moved into the clinical lab, but it's not what I want to do with my life. I specifically left clinic to work in research to see if I wanted to go to graduate school or medical school after working on research projects, rather than moving up to management. I know I won't be okay with being a clinical technician even if I can top out at 80k.

Every other job I've been applying to now would actually be part-time as a way to boost my application, this being before I got an A.

My friend who is telling me to hold off and reapply would also like me to work as their development lead in industry. They are a pathologist one year out of fellowship. He is willing to offer me that kind of money and sees me as moving my way up. According to them, being in my 30s with that kind of debt means I will be paying it off for life. Obviously, they would like me to work with them, but they are also in that kind of debt at a younger age than I will be.
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OP, can you elaborate on what specialities you are considering and what you envision your financial plan would be if you went into this debt to attend medical school? Let's get into real numbers. If you choose to like something with a higher earning potential, and would be OK living in a lower COL area, I think it would be very manageable to pay that off in 2-3 years while living frugally. Can you pull that 85k and put it towards med school expenses without incurring a penalty? That will lower the interest that is generated. What about moonlighting in residency? Will also help keep the interest burden down.

There are definitely ways to make this work at your age. But it's a huge burden and will close some doors. But also, you have the golden ticket!!!!

Do you want to be a physician or be an RA and have the continued flexibility to try different jobs?
 
drgoldenboy said:
OP, can you elaborate on what specialities you are considering and what you envision your financial plan would be if you went into this debt to attend medical school? Let's get into real numbers. If you choose to like something with a higher earning potential, and would be OK living in a lower COL area, I think it would be very manageable to pay that off in 2-3 years while living frugally. Can you pull that 85k and put it towards med school expenses without incurring a penalty? That will lower the interest that is generated. What about moonlighting in residency? Will also help keep the interest burden down.

There are definitely ways to make this work at your age. But it's a huge burden and will close some doors. But also, you have the golden ticket!!!!

Do you want to be a physician or be an RA and have the continued flexibility to try different jobs?
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I think this is super important. If you want to have the freedom to do mainly research or academics or a low paying specialty I think it is worth it to hold out. If you want to go into PP and work for a decent paycheck + mainly treat patients then I'd say it's probably fine. When I made my post I was going on early 30's = 31 or 32 meaning 36 upon graduation. 35 means 39 before you start making money again and 42 at the minimum before you start paying off the loans. I think this is important to consider and much different then say a 29yr old new attending starting out with $400k of debt.

I think people are also devaluing the post bacc + mcat, those are competitive numbers. I also had a 3.4 gpa and interviewed and was accepted to schools for which my post bacc + mcat was their median. If my gpa from 6+yrs ago was a problem it didn't come up. I think the fact that he/she only applied to 7 schools and got 2 interviews basically shows that.
 
notretired said:
I think this is super important. If you want to have the freedom to do mainly research or academics or a low paying specialty I think it is worth it to hold out. If you want to go into PP and work for a decent paycheck + mainly treat patients then I'd say it's probably fine. When I made my post I was going on early 30's = 31 or 32 meaning 36 upon graduation. 35 means 39 before you start making money again and 42 at the minimum before you start paying off the loans. I think this is important to consider and much different then say a 29yr old new attending starting out with $400k of debt.

I think people are also devaluing the post bacc + mcat, those are competitive numbers. I also had a 3.4 gpa and interviewed and was accepted to schools for which my post bacc + mcat was their median. If my gpa from 6+yrs ago was a problem it didn't come up. I think the fact that he/she only applied to 7 schools and got 2 interviews basically shows that.
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The problem with your analyses is that you aren't calculating any numbers or properly comparing the situation. I mean, obviously, yeah, being an attending at 29 vs 42 is a definite advantage, but OP's situation is to either be an attending at 42 with 400k debt, an attending at 43 with X amount of debt (likely 200k+ still) OR not get in at all OR the unlikely scenario of getting in with a huge scholarship, or to just forego pursue his dream of becoming a physician entirely. And I've already explained how 200k debt from a cheaper school next year compares to 400k debt from a school this year, and I've explained how even 400k debt can be paid off comfortably in 8 years or less comfortably in less time. There are many circumstances in which the OP could pay it off even sooner, in ~4 years. Being 46-50 by the time you're debt free isn't ideal, but it's fine when you're going to work another 15-20 years at least making 300k+. Earning 300k for 15 years is the same lifetime earnings as someone earning 100k at a regular very solid job for 45 years. I'm ignoring tax rates for the sake of not getting too in depth but expressing my general point.

I certainly think OP would have a solid chance of getting in again if they reapplied, but it would be stupid to do so, and I've explained why. It's also stupid to suggest someone reapply because "oh, man, 400k is a lot of debt for someone your age" when you don't consider the alternatives properly. Time has a huge cost associated with it when you're at the stage of already being accepted. Debt is not the only number. And physicians earn more than enough to accommodate their stupidly high debt encumbrances.
 
Ironically, I think the finances are less important than the motive. If research is the primary motive, then it should be MD/PHD or bust. The finances don't really make sense, but if the goal is to be able to treat patients and financially break even, then yes it's reasonable to go ahead. If the goal is to further academic chops and spend more time in the lab than in the hospital, then it's probably not worth it to take the A. The other side is whether or not there is a spouse or kids on board, because in that case it's a poor choice. I'm all for taking on a new career, as I did that myself, but if the OP wants to further a research career then I think a reapp to MD/PHD is the best choice. My view is that the majority who stay in academics/research either:
1) had med school paid for
2) had a scholarship
3) are returning from PP
 
Another thought: You are in a great financial position compared to most of the cohort you'll be joining. What I wouldn't give right now to have an 85k cushion going into year 1. I think you are overthinking the finances given that most OOS schools will run you in the ballpark of 80k+ cost of living annually. Personally I'd hate to go through the huge headache of reapplying, possibly not even get accepted, or getting accepted only to find out that my year of delay only saved me $80k total, which is less than the opportunity cost of the delay. I'd hop all over the A. There's about 50 people waiting behind you like wolves if you don't.
 
VA HPSP or military HPSP?

I get the mass applying, but CoA should have definitely been a consideration before going through the effort of primary, secondary, and interview. I guess a lesson to others - don't apply to schools that you won't go to if given as an only acceptance.

Sure..maybe you'll get in next year to a cheaper school...but isn't your dream job being a physician? So go do it! You're in your early 30s so by this point you should know that the stars never align and sometimes you have to jump out and take risks. Debt sucks and I am not going to sugar coat that but it easily manageable when you are going into a career field that promises six figures starting out.
 
Frankly I think giving up an acceptance at the "chance" you may receive an acceptance at another school next cycle is crazy. If you want to be a physician you take your acceptance because nothing in promised and next year may be more competitive than this year. Just my 2 cents. Good luck.
 
Accept it. You risk being blacklisted the next cycle at other AMCAS schools. You'll also have to answer as to why you turned down an acceptance, either in secondaries or interviews. A future acceptance next cycle is not guaranteed. Yes, the debt is scary but money can be gained back. I agree with the previous user that "giving up 1 year of attending salary which can be anywhere from 250-500k" would be a lost. You usually cant work while in med school, but maybe you can try having a small business (Youtube, Reselling things on apps,), work during the breaks, while in medical school and live very below your means. Since the cost of attendance makes some assumptions that don't apply to everyone/
 
I started med school at 33 and even took an extra year during med school and paid tuition for an MPH. I think I had maybe 250k (or a bit more). I didn't live particularly frugally (though was single) and had my loans paid off in 3 years.

Med school apps go in cycles. Because of the economic repercussions and the nature of the pandemic, we could see the next few years being even more competitive.

100k tuition is freakin' ridiculous, but take the acceptance.
 
Dral said:
I started med school at 33 and even took an extra year during med school and paid tuition for an MPH. I think I had maybe 250k (or a bit more). I didn't live particularly frugally (though was single) and had my loans paid off in 3 years.

Med school apps go in cycles. Because of the economic repercussions and the nature of the pandemic, we could see the next few years being even more competitive.

100k tuition is freakin' ridiculous, but take the acceptance.
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Thank you! It's 100k estimated CoA total, including ~60k tuition (as an OOS public).

I called the school and the Associate Dean of Admissions was incredibly kind and understanding. She did not believe in anything like blacklisting with other schools, but that I would likely never gain admission at THIS school. Which makes absolute sense. Further, the CoA is very liberal after all. She especially encouraged me to shop around for insurance.

The MD/PhD program director also said that M1s have entered the program. I won't bet on it, but it's reassuring.

I also reached out to a PI who studies an area similar to my research background and she would love to talk to me about working in the lab. Whether or not I'll get some tuition assistance out of it, I feel like it's hard to pass up.

My stomach is still full of knots, but I'm getting some of the excitement back.

Now I'm going to sound like a bitter troll, but I am simultaneously floored by the CoA and by the kindness and responsiveness of people at this school. Meanwhile, my IS is AWOL and I've heard that the portal has been down for many applicants. And also that my IS "hates employees", which is utterly ridiculous because if you want people to stay in your state, who better than people who have demonstrated loyalty to your institution? /end rant

In contrast, the PI, Dean of Admissions, and MD/PhD program director at my A school all got back to me by email within hours - even on the weekend.

Are you a derm path? That's actually where I got back into the idea of going to med school and where I built my skill set to get into research (as a histotech)! A derm path was one of my LORs. I wrote a bit about my experience in my PS.
 
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Dral said:
Ok $60k tuition is a bit better. My oos tuition was 30some k per year, but I got about 18k scholarship assistance yearly.

And yes, I do a mix of clinical Derm and Dermpath.
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That's awesome. That's exactly what my old boss's boss did. I think he did clinic one/two days a week. It was a joy to work for him and he indulged my curiosity!

I'm unlikely to get scholarships right now due to my current income and retirement, although a chance for merit scholarships may come up in the future.
 
Wildtype said:
I'm also in my early 30s and will graduate with 400k in debt from medical school. I'm planning to just pay the interest while in residency (20k if loans are at 5% interest rate), and then the way I think about it is this: If I made 300k as an attending, my take home after taxes would be roughly ~15k a month. If i paid 5k a month toward loans, it would take roughly 8 years to pay off. And IMO 10k a month is more than enough to live comfortably, but with my wife working as well, we could either pay it off faster or try to manage smart investments into retirement, etc. It's definitely doable. I don't worry about the 400k debt except in the instance that healthcare pay goes down substantially in my lifetime, in which case i'd hope there would be some policy in place to help out people with big medical school debt burdens.
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I can almost guarantee that health care pay for physicians will go down over time.
 
mikesheree said:
I can almost guarantee that health care pay for physicians will go down over time.
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Why do you say this? Unless you have some sort of evidence to back it up, it's kind of a dangerous proposition to disseminate, respectfully. While it's true that inflation and cost of living are rising right now, data demonstrates salaries rising in line with that. Even the minimum wage is being raised incrementally over the next 5 years.

What you put out in the universe matters. I work in education currently and I truly believe that the commiseration about the salary is one of the reasons it's stayed low. People will give you what you expect. Let's keep our attitudes positive and keep advocating for lowered medical school tuition and increasing the population of insured individuals.
 
Argentaffy said:
Thank you for this.

I am already in fear of debt as a nontrad and the idea that I could never earn enough pay it off cripples me.
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I’m not trying to be Debbie Downer here but you should be. I am a 70 y.o. very successful retired physician who has seen LOTS. MD/DO incomes, in general, are NOT going to be like they were or are currently. I cannot give y’all a lesson in medical economics to explain this to you.
 
mikesheree said:
I’m not trying to be Debbie Downer here but you should be. I am a 70 y.o. very successful retired physician who has seen LOTS. MD/DO incomes, in general, are NOT going to be like they were or are currently. I cannot give y’all a lesson in medical economics to explain this to you.
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In that case, can you point us in the direction where we can learn about it? Genuinely asking. If this is a sound projection, it is something that incoming student doctors should be aware of.
 
You_Might_Hate_M3 said:
Bear with me, I apologize. I do not mean any disrespect or arrogance with this post. I don't believe that I'm better than my A - I'm just scared.

I'm a nontrad in my early 30s - nine years out of school, ORM. I did not apply as well as I could have this past cycle and did not realize that COVID-19 would make things even more competitive this cycle.

I put it off till after I did well on my MCAT (517) to make up for my GPA (cGPA 3.4, including 4.0 DIY post-bac). I did a lot of wrong things.

I submitted ~10 primaries in late September invited to secondaries for all, but only completed about 7 of them, submitting them all at the last minute. Not because I didn't like the other schools - I missed the deadline.

I was extremely stressed working to get data for a grant submission (I'm an RA with >10,000 research hours because I'm full-time) and severely misjudged how long things would take.

Not expecting anything, I was ultimately invited to interview in Feb/March to two schools: the med school where I work and an OOS school in the South, near where I am originally from. Waitlisted at both. Both tout themselves as 'holistic' app reviewers, though I was in the last interview of the year for the OOS place.

I know there is no chance with my IS school since the class size was cut and the waitlist is transparent. Unexpectedly, I found out that I was accepted off the waitlist at the OOS school. I was thoroughly planning to rewrite and finetune my essays, apply early this upcoming cycle or next, bolster my clinical experiences, and apply more broadly, including more strategically to my IS school. The IS school offers individual feedback appointments and likes reapplicants with growth.

In line with my marvelous application prep this cycle, I did not realize that the CoA for the OOS school is 100,000 a year.

I'm both hesitant to withdraw or accept as it's my only A. But I also wasn't expecting to get an IIs, let alone As, with how poorly I planned this cycle.

I have a friend who went to USC at a more traditional age and has been telling me to not accept. Do better, apply more broadly, especially at MD/PhD schools, since I am starting school in my 30s and I'll never pay off the $400,000 in loans that I'll need for this OOS school.

On the other hand, I am turning 32 this year, I should be grateful for any chance to attend an MD school - whatever the cost?

Alternatively, I have several interviews and job offers lined up - people who would give me more research experience, flexibility to volunteer/shadow when those opportunities become more available, and money to work on my reapplication.

Again, I apologize if this post gives any hint of disrespect. I would just like some advice.
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Turning down your only accept is the biggest mistake a premed can make.

If I can pay down a mortgage larger than your debt in 15 years with two kids, so can you. And you'll be making more than me as a physician.
 
Goro said:
Turning down your only accept is the biggest mistake a premed can make.

If I can pay down a mortgage larger than your debt in 15 years with two kids, so can you. And you'll be making more than me as a physician.
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I can’t even fathom the thought of turning down an acceptance to attempt to reapply. To much of a headache when you could be done with a whole year by time you would matriculate.
 
Didn't read all of the relies, but do you have a spouse? If so, and if your spouse is employed in the new state, you should be able to receive IS tuition for three years.

I'll also say that my spouse and I had over 250k in student loans (undergrad + his grad school) and will have everything paid off after about 8 years of repayment. This is with our combined income nowhere near that of a physician's. Live frugally. Accept the offer. You will be fine.
 
Goro said:
Turning down your only accept is the biggest mistake a premed can make.

If I can pay down a mortgage larger than your debt in 15 years with two kids, so can you. And you'll be making more than me as a physician.
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For most of us, 15 years would be longer than we were willing to take for paying off debt (assuming there are no options/no different careers etc), but the OP’s case seems more clear cut. It may take even less than that to pay off your debt as an attending; I’ve heard 3 years if you live frugally, so I would take the debt now and thank your attending self later.
 
To clarify, in no way am I suggesting that you turn down any acceptance. What I AM saying is that there has been tremendous income pressure ( lower) for a number of years and it does not look to change. Talk to any number of practicing or recently retired physicians. I believe they will confirm. No question, you will make a “good” income but the days of private schools, summer homes, vacations, cruises, etc. 6x/ yr, nannies, 7 figure retirement accounts, WITH EXCEPTIONS, are over. Think accountant, engineer type incomes. The insurers and government have taken the low hanging fruit, are always looking for more, and are now climbing the apple tree.
 
mikesheree said:
To clarify, in no way am I suggesting that you turn down any acceptance. What I AM saying is that there has been tremendous income pressure ( lower) for a number of years and it does not look to change. Talk to any number of practicing or recently retired physicians. I believe they will confirm. No question, you will make a “good” income but the days of private schools, summer homes, vacations, cruises, etc. 6x/ yr, nannies, 7 figure retirement accounts, WITH EXCEPTIONS, are over. Think accountant, engineer type incomes. The insurers and government have taken the low hanging fruit, are always looking for more, and are now climbing the apple tree.
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I can echo this. The ED physicians (though their job economy being in the air) that I am friends with and work with say how different medicine is now and how no one should expect to have the “good life” that physicians had 20-30 years ago. Administration at hospitals have made ED physicians life a living hell. They are a private group so they still make a decent amount salary wise and most of them are close to retirement with decent 8 figure retirement accounts.

No one knows what tomorrow will hold, however if you’re going into this profession solely based on reimbursement, you should highly consider a different career.
 
Calizboosted76 said:
I can echo this. The ED physicians (though their job economy being in the air) that I am friends with and work with say how different medicine is now and how no one should expect to have the “good life” that physicians had 20-30 years ago. Administration at hospitals have made ED physicians life a living hell. They are a private group so they still make a decent amount salary wise and most of them are close to retirement with decent 8 figure retirement accounts.

No one knows what tomorrow will hold, however if you’re going into this profession solely based on reimbursement, you should highly consider a different career.
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Thank you both. To clarify, I don't want to be a physician for the money, but the thought of never being able to pay off that debt is/was what truly scared me. My father is a physician working into his 70s, a foreign medical grad, who despite lacking debt from medical school, is working due to business decisions (opening up a solo practice). He joined a private practice in his mid-40s, which would be similar to how old I will be.

I have been lucky to make 40-50k solidly for the past 8 years with just a BA and I've hovered around this salary with the express intent of getting research experience and going back to school. Arguably, I could have done it sooner, but I never felt "good enough". It's not six figures, but as a single person, I've been comfortable and able to save up through retirement.

However, the "making up" for my undergrad GPA and lack of work-life balance has left me worn out. After work, I usually just go to sleep. I'm contemplating a deferment for mental health reasons, but I am going to this school. This is what I want to do.
 
You_Might_Hate_M3 said:
Thank you both. To clarify, I don't want to be a physician for the money, but the thought of never being able to pay off that debt is/was what truly scared me. My father is a physician working into his 70s, a foreign medical grad, who despite lacking debt from medical school, is working due to business decisions (opening up a solo practice). He joined a private practice in his mid-40s, which would be similar to how old I will be.

I have been lucky to make 40-50k solidly for the past 8 years with just a BA and I've hovered around this salary with the express intent of getting research experience and going back to school. Arguably, I could have done it sooner, but I never felt "good enough". It's not six figures, but as a single person, I've been comfortable and able to save up through retirement.

However, the "making up" for my undergrad GPA and lack of work-life balance has left me worn out. After work, I usually just go to sleep. I'm contemplating a deferment for mental health reasons, but I am going to this school. This is what I want to do.
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Yes, make sure your mental health is under control first and foremost. You will make enough to pay off your debt.

A friend that’s an ER physician and I sat down and did some math. If you think about it, if you bring home $240,000 after taxes, that’s roughly $20,000 a month. That is a decent amount of money (to me it is more than enough because I come from a low SES family and would have no issues living frugally). You can pay off student debt with the salary of a physician you just need to make the correct financial choices.
 
This is anecdotal, but I know someone who was accepted but decided not to attend due to cost and stress. This person applied next cycle and was never asked about it on his interviews.
 
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