Please- DC to DO - Financial Aid Q

[DcK]

I need some help please,

I did a search, couldn't find specific answer to my problem.

I'm DC (chiropractor- I know, please don't hold it against me... I screwed up!) who wants to go back to DO school. I have BS in Biology w/ALL preqs for DO school (3.87 GPA). I'd have to retake the MCAT this August, mine is over 5 years old.

Here' my problem, I already have over $120,000 in debt from student loans. Private DC school = too expensive. Anyway, what's the chances of me getting a TUITION only HEAL loan for my DO program? I could afford living and everything else, but not on top of tuition and fees?

Thanks for all that help.

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[Doctor Peloncito]

Your best bet is to get accepted to OSU as an Oklahoma resident. Good luck

 

[PACtoDOC]

Texas is even cheaper. Tuition is 6,900 per year!! Come work here for a year, study for the MCAT, and you will likely get in with a MCAT greater than 22-23. You will just have to explain away the poor MCAT as having been out of school too long. Your GPA and work history speak volumes of your capability though.

 

[DcK]

Yea, Texas is my first choice, I live in DFW area already, would be best not to relocate my family.

22 on MCAT? Really?

I've already taken the MCAT, back in 95, but I'll have to retake it.. last time I made a 27, I doubt seriously I'd score that high again. I'm going to drop some $$$ for a review class though, before I take it again in August.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[PACtoDOC]

I am right down the road from you at TCOM. It is a great school! You might schedule an appointment with the adcom people and find out for sure that you have to take it. I feel for you if you do. I had to take it after being a midlevel provider for 4 years and it sucked. I studied on week, made a terrible score, but I explained it away in my interview. My GPA was 3.9, so I think they understood. The MCAT is a stupid test that is in no way a reflection of your ability to do well here. I am in the top few people of a 125 member class, but my MCAT is bottom 25% of those accepted. Send me a personal note if you want to come see the school sometime.

Matt

 

[kristing]

The stafford loan limit is 183K (or 189K - I always forget which).

You can take out private loans, most likely.

You can apply for the NHSC scholarship or some other primary care loan.

You might be able to get help from your state with something like WICHE. (I don't know if they have it in Texas, but look NOW. I got it from the AZ legislature for AZCOM which is in AZ. So you may be able to get something that's similar to that. The reason I say look now is because the WICHE deadline in AZ is in October before your first year, before most people have interviewed. And if you don't get it your first year, you have to wait for someone else to drop out, which is highly unlikely.)

You may be able to get other sorts of work-for-poor-people-and-we-will-pay-for-your-school-sort-of-funding. There are probably some specific to Texas.

You may be able to decelerate onc in school. A few people have done that at my school to pay for school.

A good source for other loans is chela financial and plato - they are two loan sources that you can get a fair amount of money from (up to 20K, which doesn't count as your stafford loans.)

Good luck!

 

[kristing]

oops
I forgot to also say that I had to retake the MCAT, too because of the time issue (from 92 to 98) and I had taken Kaplan the first time and it was a total waste of money. I went back and studied by myself and got a HIGHER score - only 2 points, but still, it was HIGHER.
I bet a slew of review books would set you up just as well if not better than a class.

If you go with any review class, take Princeton review.

 

[DcK]

Matt, you'll be hearing from me soon. Thanks!!

kristing, thank you very much. Detailed and specific info. that really helps. I'm going to start looking into those and researching.

I may actually just review Examkrackers.. I keep hearing good things about them.

Thanks again!!

EDIT: WICHE 12 state program doesn't include Texas. I'm trying to find a program that's equivalent. But, for others, here's wiche site:
http://www.wiche.edu/