Question about living expenses during summer between M1 and M2

[busthwt]

My question is relating to living expenses during the summer between M1 and M2. I know schools do not cover students during the summer months, so what do you do to pay for you living expenses such as rent and utilities during those months?

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[Tori's dad]

At MCW you can get a research project with a stipend for those two months. Personally, I can't imagine spending another hour in a research lab, so, my wife and 5 year old will have to get jobs!!

 

[crys20]

either wittle away money during the school yr from your loans if you can, work in the summer b/w, or find some additional student loan to cover the gap.

 

[BaylorGuy]

At MCW you can get a research project with a stipend for those two months. Personally, I can't imagine spending another hour in a research lab, so, my wife and 5 year old will have to get jobs!!

Many med schools have some sort of research project you can jump on for the months in between MSI and MSII....with stipend, not the best stipend...but one nonetheless

 

[Bubchik]

At MCW you can get a research project with a stipend for those two months. Personally, I can't imagine spending another hour in a research lab, so, my wife and 5 year old will have to get jobs!!

You do not have to be in a research lab, it can be a public health research or a public policy project or clinical research. Look around, e-mail people, talk to your dean and you will be able to find a mentor with a stipend. In our school (maybe yours too) there is a work study program for MS1-MS2 summer, as long as you work with a faculty member (even if it is about botany or engeneering) you will get a stipend (~3k if you stay full time for 2 months).
There are some research fellowships available, but you have to apply early.
I did AFAR summer scholarship. More info at afar.org
If you have a center at your school you should look into it. I did it at my school, but we had people from different places: NY, Puerto Rico, Ohio, etc.
PM me if you have questions about that.
This fellowship requires you to do some kind of project concerning elderly population, but if you think about it: almost any disease, public health policy has something to do with elderly population (as long as you are not doing pediatric research). And they pay you per week, check the website for the amounts....

 

[Katya00]

This is such a good question. I'm getting married during that summer (one week after classes end, let the stress begin!) and then going on a honeymoon soon after. Are these work-study programs available for less time than the entire summer? I'd rather do that than work as a waitress again, since it would be more interesting, and possibly relate to something I'm interested in career-wise.

 

[Bubchik]

This is such a good question. I'm getting married during that summer (one week after classes end, let the stress begin!) and then going on a honeymoon soon after. Are these work-study programs available for less time than the entire summer? I'd rather do that than work as a waitress again, since it would be more interesting, and possibly relate to something I'm interested in career-wise.

Here, they pay per two weeks, up to 8 weeks.
You will have to check with your school, plus your PI might offer a stipend on top of what the school will give you. The only catch in my school is that the PI must be on faculty at JHU. But this does not mean that all of us had to saty in Baltimo', people went abroad and to other schools (but their PI is affiliated with JHU).

 

[Bubchik]

You do not have to be in a research lab, it can be a public health research or a public policy project or clinical research. Look around, e-mail people, talk to your dean and you will be able to find a mentor with a stipend. In our school (maybe yours too) there is a work study program for MS1-MS2 summer, as long as you work with a faculty member (even if it is about botany or engeneering) you will get a stipend (~3k if you stay full time for 2 months).
There are some research fellowships available, but you have to apply early.
I did AFAR summer scholarship. More info at afar.org
If you have a center at your school you should look into it. I did it at my school, but we had people from different places: NY, Puerto Rico, Ohio, etc.
PM me if you have questions about that.
This fellowship requires you to do some kind of project concerning elderly population, but if you think about it: almost any disease, public health policy has something to do with elderly population (as long as you are not doing pediatric research). And they pay you per week, check the website for the amounts....

I am sorry but here is the correct link for my summer fellowship:
www.afar.org/medstu.html


Here is the quote for the stipend amount : "
The stipend level is $1,731 per month. The stipend for an eight-week period is $3,462, and for a twelve-week period is $5,193. The total stipend level will be prorated based on the duration of each individual scholarship"

 

[akpete]

Here's what you do:

1. Try to get a research stipend, but fail because 100 of your classmates want research too, and so you are unable to find a preceptor that doesn't already have someone working for them by the application deadline.

2. Apply to ~6 jobs with no luck.

3. Try to get into a phase I clinical study as a subject, but then get rejected because you have a sulfa allergy and 3 headaches/year. The experimental drug is not a sulfa drug.

4. Give up and call your grandma. Get massive loan that you didn't even think your grandma had and pay her back in ~8 years.

5. Get drunk and enjoy your summer.

 

[DianaLynne]

I've been working in our anatomy lab getting the donors ready for the class of '10. It's been a nice review, it's a lot of chart reading and looking at radiographs to put together the history we make available. I've also been a facilitator in the prematriculation program, even got to give a couple of anatomy lectures.

But aside from all that glitz, I've mostly been really poor and I'm concerned about paying my bills this week.

Waiting anxiously for loan money to come in...

 

[SugarDaddy]

4. Give up and call your grandma. Get massive loan that you didn't even think your grandma had and pay her back in ~8 years.

5. Get drunk and enjoy your summer.[/QUOTE]

HA, that is totally the best advice!!
Well, I see the OP is going to UIC, which is where I started last year. Halfway through the first semester teh Student affairs office had a session on what kind of opportunities are out there and how to get them. There are tons of things you can do b/t your summer break. You just need to decide what you want, time commitment you have, and the crucial do you want to get paid. After this just talk to the SA office and go to town. It is frustrating though, b/c unless you are lucky or connected you WILL be rejected, often. But just keep on applying, I am pretty certain every doc in the areas I am considering in both the greater LA area has my CV on file. So keep at it.

 

[vwhan]

My question is relating to living expenses during the summer between M1 and M2. I know schools do not cover students during the summer months, so what do you do to pay for you living expenses such as rent and utilities during those months?

Research, teach summer courses like Anatomy to PA/PT, etc., ask the folks or rent your body.

 

[Scottish Chap]

Work study if you have federal loans, research jobs, Kaplan instructor, anatomy prosector (not for me; I hated the class first time around!), and phlebotomist are common MSI-MSII (summer) positions at the school I go to.