Reasons for you to pay for med school yourself

[fotolilith]

then theres parents like mine, whose parents paid for them their Entire way through college, med school and even residency (grandparents took care of me while my parents had their own house off my grandparents money throughout residency) who are now bitching at me for even paying for undergraduate, and telling me to go beg my grandparents if I want to finish UG / go to med school... And they're not even 45 yet, so the retirement fund thing doesnt really apply to them.

sigh - some people are more selfish than others, just thought I'd share.

Yick. But yeah, I feel for you about the guilt trip. (Dad: "In MY day college was $400 a semester." Me (in my head): "Yeah, you got what you paid for."...or some other crack about inflation).

---

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[funshine]

This thread is super lame. My dad is rich. My uncle is a millionaire. My parents own New York, but they want me to pay for med school. Whatever. Who cares? Pay for it whatever way you can and don't burden SDN with your silly attempts at showcasing your stock portfolio. This thread is lame, lame, lame.

hmm, you didnt actually read most of the thread did you

 

[GuyLaroche]

hmm, you didnt actually read most of the thread did you

No, not really. But I read a few highlights - enough to know it's lame. I read a few more after reading your post. Still think it's lame.

 

[Pembleton]

Here's a hypothetical for the kids whose parents are paying for their medical education:

What if at some time during your schooling you decide medical school is not for you? Do you think it would be harder to quit because of the money your parents have already poured into your tuition?

Just wondering.

 

[stinkycheese]

I can't really answer that because I know thats not going to happen to me. I wouldn't take this plunge if I wasn't totally ready and sure that I want to be a physician. But in any endeavor, if I am miserable, my parents would support my decision to change paths. Money would have little to do with it.

 

[SocialistMD]

That is YOUR perception of my words, which had no elitism in them. I merely stated the facts of my life and refuse to apologize for it. If you choose to believe that makes me a worse person than you, then go right ahead. It is your projection, not my problem.

Such venom from such a young person...I must have struck a nerve.

Anger in phrases like, "YOUR," "refuse to apologize," "go right ahead" and "not my problem" are the reason I could see you on Super Sweet Sixteen, not your financial status.

This is my point! People aren't allowed to say "my family is comfortable financially and I feel no need to be ashamed of that" without being branded a rich bitch.

You take everything way too personally. And I know it isn't just because of what I said because you were doing it before I even posted. Your attitude towards anyone who even mentions money is that of my second grade cousin, "Whatever, I don't care! That's your problem, not mine!" The fact that you think and act like this is what earns you the above label, that you come from money is what makes you a rich one.

For the record, I've never said I am better than people who have money. My girlfriend grew up in the wealthiest zip code in America, yet I love her to death and don't think I am better than her or anyone in her family. However, seeing people in her neighborhood does give me a basis for my perceptions of "privileged" people. What you never bothered to try and understand is that I was explaining to you why the perception exists...because of comments made by people like you. Your "it's my way or the highway" attitude would annoy anyone regardless of your parent's tax bracket. Look at how you talked about the people at your college: "...people at my school who didn't think that one was a worthy person unless they were poor, non-white, and a lesbian." You are just as judgmental as everyone else. I'm not saying you should be apologetic for it as you can't help the family into which you are born any more than you can help your gender or race, but you don't have to be so defensively defiant everytime someone brushes up against this topic. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe the reason it always seems poorer people are like this toward you is because your attitude (not your bank account) brings it out in them?

Why don't you go back and reread my first post here; I told the original poster to let his/her parents pay if they could and would because there is no point in accumulating debt that is unnecessary. I guess that slipped under your radar, though, as you were so anxious to point out how this "socialist" is a prime example of how poor people want to make rich people feel bad for having money.

I'll let you reply to this (as I'm sure your personality will dictate you must) and then our conversation here will end. If we must continue it, we'll do so through private messages, as our side conversation does nothing for this thread, and I've said what I have to to the original poster.

 

[GuyLaroche]

The fact that you think and act like this is what makes you a b!tch, that you come from money is what makes you a rich one.

I love a good fight, but I should warn you that this clealy violates TOS regulations. You should never call people names. It cheapens your arguments however well-formed they are.

 

[SocialistMD]

I love a good fight, but I should warn you that this clealy violates TOS regulations. You should never call people names. It cheapens your argument however well-formed they are.

If they boot me, they boot me. I've had a good run. Plus, I was simply referring to her statement about being labeled a rich bitch, and I was trying to clarify to her why she might get that label. I'll go back and try to show that better.

 

[GuyLaroche]

...I'll let you reply to this (as I'm sure your personality will dictate you must) ....

I should be working on other stuff, but I so love the above post. This guy is super funny. I am taking it apart and highlighting the parts that particularly tickle me.

 

[GuyLaroche]

This thread is super lame. I wonder if I've written as much somewhere *scrolls up*. It appears I have. This thread sucks. It only attracts people who want to brag about the material, meaningless things like money and those who want to shoot them down (like myself). I guess I am guilty for fueling it, but this thread is really, really lame.

 

[lightnk102]

This thread is super lame. I wonder if I've written as much somewhere *scrolls up*. It appears I have. This thread sucks. It only attracts people who want to brag about the material, meaningless things like money and those who want to shoot them down (like myself). I guess I am guilty for fueling it, but this thread is really, really lame.

I think what it boils down to is that there is a subtle but distinct difference between being unapologetic abput privileged situations, and being ostentatious about it. Humility is what's lacking in most of the "rich kid" posts that people get inflamed over.

 

[CarleneM]

although i don't think it was the OP's intent to brag about a financial situation, there are certainly quite a few other rather ostentatious posts on this thread. i can't help but be reminded of one of the stories in david sedaris's new book, dress your family in corduroy and denim. its the one where the rich woman casually says to a clerk " i have to get back to my house....well, one of my houses" and then laughs in a carefree and playful manner.

so yeah, i agree, this thread has gotten pretty lame.

This thread is super lame. I wonder if I've written as much somewhere *scrolls up*. It appears I have. This thread sucks. It only attracts people who want to brag about the material, meaningless things like money and those who want to shoot them down (like myself). I guess I am guilty for fueling it, but this thread is really, really lame.

 

[ajt2003]

This thread makes my brain hurt.

My poor (not rich) brain.

 

[Old_Mil]

If your parents are well off enough to pay for medical school without taking out loans themselves, if they have saved up enough for retirement, if they have the other pieces of their financial puzzle in place (long term care insurance, etc)...absolutely you should let them pay for medical school. It's sort of like an estate tax exemption if you are in that situation.

 

[praying4MD]

You can't control the socioeconomic rank you were born into. You can control how soon you break away from it and become financially independent.

Ok. I'll say it. And be politically incorrect and harsh and a horrible person. I just plain don't respect people born into privilege the same way I respect those who aren't. Let me go even further, with a few exceptions, and those exceptions being people who were from privileged families, but who became financially independent as soon as humanly possible, or those who have incredible life experiences and are exceptionally well-traveled, I have yet to meet someone from a privileged background who has enriched my life in any fashion or from who I have learned something of value.

So there.

Ever see the difference in eating with someone who's never waited tables, and then eating with someone who's worked in the service industry and waited tables or been a bartender? It simplifies things a lot to compare the two interactions... which is why I don't hang out with people that haven't worked for their money or those that haven't contributed in some way to society. It's just different.

And you know what, I DO think I'm better. I think I'm better than someone who's never worked a day in their life, someone who's daddy bought everything for them, someone who screwed around for a couple of years out of high school/college and had fun trying to figure out what to do with their life while daddy's credit card paid for that, and someone who's never contributed to society in a meaningful, productive manner. I have more to offer and a wealth of experiences and knowledge gained from my vast experiences; and there is nothing that those type of people could have to say that would possibly contribute to my life - believe me, I've tried. So there. Shoot me.

 

[vikaskoth]

wow the jealousy is just dripping out of that post

so you wanna be a doc, make good money, work hard
if you have a family are you not gonna respect your kids, or ever give them opportunities you didn't have with the money you've made because your successful? you state you have a bias towards anyone "born into privelege" and they have not contributed to your life(obviously cause you wouldnt let some priveleged dingus do that) are you so conceited that you believe everyone you meet must somehow profoundly affect you.

 

[SocialistMD]

So there.

Are you back?

 

[SocialistMD]

wow the jealousy is just dripping out of that post

Um...speak not of what you do not know.

 

[vikaskoth]

Ever see the difference in eating with someone who's never waited tables, and then eating with someone who's worked in the service industry and waited tables or been a bartender? It simplifies things a lot to compare the two interactions... which is why I don't hang out with people that haven't worked for their money or those that haven't contributed in some way to society. It's just different.

.

this makes no sense, what is your point, how does it simplify anything?

your post in a nut shell: I hate anyone who likes the color blue, in my life I've never liked anyone who likes the color blue

 

[praying4MD]

Am I back? Well if you're asking if I'm back to SDN, the answer is that i'm just here for a temporary visit, to get people riled up then go back to my hole. If you're asking if I'm back in the country from my travels then the answer is I haven't left yet.

---
Make no mistake. I was not a poverty stricken child. I never wondered where my next meal came from, except for when I was in Sudan on a trip, and even then I knew it was a temporary feeling.

Now, I am very entertained that the sheer honesty of my post has brought about such vehement responses. Yes, I do believe that the people I call my friends should affect me profoundly. Also, please note that I did make EXCEPTIONS to my rule, but honestly, I can only think of two exceptions in my entire life of people who were born into somewhat privileged families and still amaze me and who I still respect: one became financially independent at 18 and traveled Africa, South America and India working with HIV/AIDS patients and eaten alongside recovering heroin addicts in the slums of Bombay and been the depths of Rwanda and offered medical care during their massacres and the other has contributed to society in a similar manner and has enlightened me a great deal in other aspect of life. The other is actually a bartender. Imagine that. He's still amazing though.

To answer the other question about my kids and my family. I plan on becoming a physician, this is true. I also plan on practicing international health in developing countries... and then moving onto a different profession in about 10 years. That line of work, if I recall correctly, doesn't put me in the upper middle class. Do I plan to give my children things, and provide for them: of course, to the best of my ability. Do I also plan on showing them, like I was shown while growing up, and exposing them to the poverty and the hardship that others go through? A resounding yes. They will travel to Africa and Asia and the Middle East with me and they will see how the rest of the world lives: without water and electricity and other luxuries. And you know what, [here's something that's bound to piss everyone off] -- they will be better people for it too.

 

[praying4MD]

wow the jealousy is just dripping out of that post

are you so conceited that you believe everyone you meet must somehow profoundly affect you.

1) If you knew my personal situation, the fact that you think I'm jealous is rather humorous.

2) I already mentioned this but yes, I do indeed think that people who I would consider my friends should profoundly affect me and should challenge me intellectually. If that makes me conceited in your eyes, so be it.

 

[vikaskoth]

ok this post seems a bit more level headed, but i think if you go back and reread your previous one, it comes off in a bad light. I just think its ridiculous and ignorant, when people judge others based on some (usually irrelevant) trait or aspect. I have a friend whos a hardcore conservative and when meeting new people or things like that, he writes certain people off for being liberal, etc..

i dont see how saying they will be better people will piss everyone off, seing or working in poorer nations is fine and good.

no point in saying any more, this thread has degenerated enough

 

[praying4MD]

Fair enough. I suppose the initial post was going for a little bit of shock value if i were speaking truthfully.

 

[praying4MD]

Um, I didn't equate those two. Re-read my post. In fact, I made a specific point to distinguish between those who made themselves financially independent as soon as possible.

Please re-read my post carefully before accusing me of something I did not do. Thank you. And regarding your last sentence, please read my above post. I'm thrilled that so many of you are interesting in my life-long plans, although I would've thought that would be boring to you all. Who knew.

 

[Blade28]

For me, it was a sense of being on my own, being independent, and having some pride. My parents could barely afford my college tuition, even after financial aid and scholarships, so I worked 40 hours a week throughout all four years. Now, since I'm still living on my own, I'm happy to take out loans to pay my way through med school...MUCH less of a burden on them.

Edit: my parents also just finished paying for my brother's college tuition - 4 years at an expensive private university. My sister's still in high school. I'd rather them worry about those two than me.

 

[stinkycheese]

To answer the other question about my kids and my family. I plan on becoming a physician, this is true. I also plan on practicing international health in developing countries... and then moving onto a different profession in about 10 years. That line of work, if I recall correctly, doesn't put me in the upper middle class. Do I plan to give my children things, and provide for them: of course, to the best of my ability. Do I also plan on showing them, like I was shown while growing up, and exposing them to the poverty and the hardship that others go through? A resounding yes. They will travel to Africa and Asia and the Middle East with me and they will see how the rest of the world lives: without water and electricity and other luxuries. And you know what, [here's something that's bound to piss everyone off] -- they will be better people for it too.

I think it's admirable life work, and I for one agree that your children will be better people for having experienced life in a less privileged country. I don't really find anything offensive about your post; I have always worked throughout college, after college, and currently, despite having come from a "privileged" family, and I agree that working in a service industry tends to make one a better person. It's hard to get annoyed with your waitress when you've been in her shoes, and I tend to not be friends with people who are bad tippers The only thing my (admittedly misguided) posts tried to demonstrate on this thread is that simply because one has money, it doesn't really mean anything about who they are.

 

[LauraMac]

i don't know whether most of my friends are on financial aid or if their parents are paying for their education, and i don't care.

 

[neoncandle]

I have begged my parents to help. And they have the money. Oh well. If your parents offer you the money, take it. If they don't, don't b*tch as much as I do.

 

[monstermatch]

This thread really degenerated into complete nonsese. Too bad because money issues are a big deal for premeds to think about.

 

[Ross434]

What the heck? How can a family afford to put their kid through 4 years of private undergrad, let alone med school. Are your parents all making like 500k+ ?? Mine cant even afford a cheap public undergrad, yet we live pretty nicely. Are you all in like, the top tenth of a percent of income earners, or what?


Its painful just looking at this thread and this forum and seeing how hypocritical a lot of you are. EVERYONE here talks about how you should only go to med school to help others, and how you should be in it as a calling, and how wealth shouldnt have anything to do with it.

But, at the same time, its sort of the "thing to do" if you're wealthy. I mean, i guess everyone who's from a rich family wants to be a doctor. Maybe more people who've experienced the power of money are "called" to "serve others" by being a physician. Funny correlation there. You know what, I'll bet that its because rich people are more altruistic (HAHA). Yeah right. Thats disgusting. And then you complain when underrepresented folks from disadvantaged backgrounds get preference over you. God. I would almost advocate for discriminating against rich people in admissions, but then, i realize, it already happens - when the spoiled private school rich kids dont come across well in the interviews. Nice

 

[No Egrets]

Although this thread seems to be unraveling, thought I'd throw in my two cents.

I was in the same position a year ago, deciding whether or not to take out loans to pay for med school when my parents could afford to pay cash. They had already paid cash for my private undergrad, and my in-state med school tuition is actually way cheaper than college was.

In my opinion, the argument that one would want to demonstrate "financial independence" now by turning down their parents' offer to pay in cash seems a bit unreasonable. There will be a net loss of money due to the interest that you will have to pay. If you really feel that strongly about the need to pay for it all "yourself," then why not accept your parents' money as a loan and then pay it back to them gradually, interest-free, after you graduate? It's just like, it's fine that you want to demonstrate "independence" (I put that in quotes because graduating with a huge debt does not seem very "independent" to me), but in doing this when your parents could comfortably and willingly give you the money you end up paying more in the long run.

That having been said, an exception would be if you were able to qualify for low-interest (subsidized or other) loans and commit current money to an investment that could guarantee a return greater than that of the interest on your loan. In that way, you could theoretically MAKE money on med school--take out a loan for $30,000 with 3% interest, while your parents keep the cash they had in some account earning 4% interest--you will have made like $300.

In my situation I ended up going through FAFSA and all that, without putting my parents' info (b/c then I would qualify for squat), and I qualified for the maximum amount of subsidized loans. I could have chosen to take out those subsidized loans and refused the rest--I have a classmate who did that, and his dad, a businessman, will make money on that loan. But my parents who are not the most financially knowledgable people (just good savers) decided they wanted to spare the trouble and just pay in cash. So that's what we do.

I also have a classmate whose parents wanted to instill "independence" in him by making him take out loans and pay for himself. But this year his father (a doctor in academia) got a large promotion including a comfy retirement deal, and his parents decided that now that it was much easier for them to pay for him, he's probably not going to take out any more loans for the rest of his education.

 

[QofQuimica]

It seems like a lot of ppl on here are taking out loans to pay their own way thru med school, regardless of whether their parents can afford the tuition or not. I was just wondering what the rationale was behind that.

Is supporting youself = independence? becoming a grown up?

Sorry if this sounds like a ******ed question.

My parents are pretyt insistent about paying for me, and my first impulse is to just let them (and thank them/return the money later), but after reading some of the posts on here, I'm starting to have second thoughts.

I don't see any reason why you have to do one or the other, funshine. On one hand, I agree with the posters who argued that if your parents have the means to make your life easier, then they ought to do that. I would even go as far as to say that parents ought to help their children get a leg up even if it does require them to make some significant sacrifices in their own lifestyles. But on the other hand, it's also true that a child whose path in life is made too smooth may not learn to appreciate the sacrifices his or her parents made. So, IMHO, the most reasonable thing to do is to split the cost in a way that you and your parents both believe is fair. There are lots of ways to do this. One might be to have your parents pay tuition, and you pay your living expenses with loans. Or, you could use the medical school's estimate of the yearly cost of attendance, and split the costs fifty-fifty. Any method of splitting the cost where you both have a significant investment but neither you nor your parents are overly burdened by it would do the trick.

 

[No Egrets]

What the heck? How can a family afford to put their kid through 4 years of private undergrad, let alone med school. Are your parents all making like 500k+ ?? Mine cant even afford a cheap public undergrad, yet we live pretty nicely. Are you all in like, the top tenth of a percent of income earners, or what?


Its painful just looking at this thread and this forum and seeing how hypocritical a lot of you are. EVERYONE here talks about how you should only go to med school to help others, and how you should be in it as a calling, and how wealth shouldnt have anything to do with it.

But, at the same time, its sort of the "thing to do" if you're wealthy. I mean, i guess everyone who's from a rich family wants to be a doctor. Maybe more people who've experienced the power of money are "called" to "serve others" by being a physician. Funny correlation there. You know what, I'll bet that its because rich people are more altruistic (HAHA). Yeah right. Thats disgusting. And then you complain when underrepresented folks from disadvantaged backgrounds get preference over you. God. I would almost advocate for discriminating against rich people in admissions, but then, i realize, it already happens - when the spoiled private school rich kids dont come across well in the interviews. Nice

This topic has been discussed to death in other threads, but what the heck. Actually nobody who just wants to be ridiculously wealthy would choose medicine to go into. In medicine you have a very good chance of making a "comfortable" living, but a very slim chance of making any "insane" amount of money. Those people who want insane wealth would choose law or business--they're perhaps riskier in that lots of people in the fields may never make a huge amount, but your odds are probably better overall for making over $500k or $1m. Among my friends whose parents are in the top 0.1% of income earners, none of them are going into medicine--they're doing things like law, business, international relations. (And their parents are doing things like... law, business, energy/oil, etc.) So I would just argue that it's not really the "thing to do" if you're wealthy, because medicine isn't like some really cushy, easy, indulgent occupation. People who have TRULY experienced the "power of money" (and by this I mean, have parents who make multiple millions of dollars a year) and are accustomed to having everything they want for doing virtually nothing would have no interest in an occupation that is as intellectually demanding, time consuming, and physically exhausting as medicine. I would not say that someone who wants to go into medicine and whose parents happen to make like $100k is necessarily doing so for the wrong reasons. By the way, no one requires you to have felt "a calling" to get into med school. You just have to have a genuine interest and the intellectual capacity.

 

[stinkycheese]

What the heck? How can a family afford to put their kid through 4 years of private undergrad, let alone med school. Are your parents all making like 500k+ ?? Mine cant even afford a cheap public undergrad, yet we live pretty nicely. Are you all in like, the top tenth of a percent of income earners, or what?

My parents don't discuss their incomes with me because it's not really my business, but they have always claimed that we are comfortable and that paying for school is not going to put them in the poorhouse. I trust their assessment. I have a pretty good idea of what htey take home, and I don't think it's more than $500K a year, they just are financially smart and don't indulge in huge luxuries like fancy cars or exotic vacations.

Its painful just looking at this thread and this forum and seeing how hypocritical a lot of you are. EVERYONE here talks about how you should only go to med school to help others, and how you should be in it as a calling, and how wealth shouldnt have anything to do with it.

No hypocrisy that I see so far.

But, at the same time, its sort of the "thing to do" if you're wealthy. I mean, i guess everyone who's from a rich family wants to be a doctor. Maybe more people who've experienced the power of money are "called" to "serve others" by being a physician. Funny correlation there. You know what, I'll bet that its because rich people are more altruistic (HAHA).

It may have used to be the "thing to do" for "rich" people, but it certainly isn't anymore. It's a lot of work for a fair amount of compensation, but anyone going into medicine "for the money" is living in a fantasy.

Yeah right. Thats disgusting. And then you complain when underrepresented folks from disadvantaged backgrounds get preference over you.

I am a firm believer in AA and always have been.

God. I would almost advocate for discriminating against rich people in admissions, but then, i realize, it already happens - when the spoiled private school rich kids dont come across well in the interviews. Nice

It's funny that you think you can pigeonhole people like that. Good luck to you!!

 

[funshine]

2) I already mentioned this but yes, I do indeed think that people who I would consider my friends should profoundly affect me and should challenge me intellectually. If that makes me conceited in your eyes, so be it.

You are conceited. And proud of it.

From your posts, it would seem that despite your experience serving the world, you remain judgmental, arrogant, and narrow-minded.

Only a tiny subset of "enlightened" people are worthy of your friendship?
The fact that you post this just shows how disgusting you are.
What a shame

 

[praying4MD]

You are conceited. And proud of it.

From your posts, it would seem that despite your experience serving the world, you remain judgmental, arrogant, and narrow-minded.

Only a tiny subset of "enlightened" people are worthy of your friendship?
The fact that you post this just shows how disgusting you are.
What a shame

To be honest with you, I really don't care what people's opinion of me on an internet site is. However, I will have you know that I never specified that my friends be "enlightened" or elitist, as you seem to imply. I already mentioned once how one person who I admire greatly is a bartender, and by the way, a college dropout, so your implication is dead wrong.

Everyone has criteria for friendship and the fact that one of my criterion is for my friends to be intelligent, giving, inspiring and touching people who challenge me intellectually and spiritually is offensive to you is rather humorous to me. The fact that some people's criteria for friendship relies upon how many drinks they can down on a Friday night is more offensive to me. Everyone is different. And believe it or not, there are more superficial criteria people enforce for friendship that mine, so I really don't think that expecting my friends to be smart and good human beings is too much to ask. And neither do I feel bad or conceited for this.

In this day and age, if someone is proud of something it is deemed arrogant; that is a label that covers all. Yes, I am proud that I have chosen my friends wisely. I guess this makes me a horrible person. Instead of name-calling, which people are oh so apt to do on this board these days, it would behoove some of you to actually discuss the topic at hand. So far, I have received criticism on the criteria I choose for my friends, and also grave misinterpretions my original posts, yet few people have discussed the many other issues brought up otherwise.

So, am I judgmental? Probably. Yeah, if you sat on your ass all through college, watched opportunities to serve society pass you by, if you cruised through life on daddy's credit card and did not contribute in any way to the world, I don't think we could be friends. If you, being born in the upper crust of society, and having the opportunities in this world to see all the poverty and the horrible conditions that others are made to live in, sit and do nothing except spend other people's money, then it simply reflects poorly upon you. As the upper crust of society, if all you have to offer to the destitute of the world is apathy, then you certainly don't have anything extra to offer me. All these actions say to me is that you have not really and truly challenged yourself. You simply would not add anything or enrich my life.

My sympathies if this is offensive to you. My sympathies if my expectations of humankind are too great; I just feel that we all have great potential and particularly, people who are born with more are obliged to do something with it, and that it is a grave mistake to let our potential pass us by and fall into the trap so many Gen X'ers have fallen into: the trap of self-entitlement.

 

[praying4MD]

I think it's admirable life work, and I for one agree that your children will be better people for having experienced life in a less privileged country. I don't really find anything offensive about your post; I have always worked throughout college, after college, and currently, despite having come from a "privileged" family, and I agree that working in a service industry tends to make one a better person. It's hard to get annoyed with your waitress when you've been in her shoes, and I tend to not be friends with people who are bad tippers The only thing my (admittedly misguided) posts tried to demonstrate on this thread is that simply because one has money, it doesn't really mean anything about who they are.

Nice post.

 

[funshine]

You can't control the socioeconomic rank you were born into. You can control how soon you break away from it and become financially independent.

Ok. I'll say it. And be politically incorrect and harsh and a horrible person. I just plain don't respect people born into privilege the same way I respect those who aren't. Let me go even further, with a few exceptions, and those exceptions being people who were from privileged families, but who became financially independent as soon as humanly possible, or those who have incredible life experiences and are exceptionally well-traveled, I have yet to meet someone from a privileged background who has enriched my life in any fashion or from who I have learned something of value.

So there.

Ever see the difference in eating with someone who's never waited tables, and then eating with someone who's worked in the service industry and waited tables or been a bartender? It simplifies things a lot to compare the two interactions... which is why I don't hang out with people that haven't worked for their money or those that haven't contributed in some way to society. It's just different.

And you know what, I DO think I'm better. I think I'm better than someone who's never worked a day in their life, someone who's daddy bought everything for them, someone who screwed around for a couple of years out of high school/college and had fun trying to figure out what to do with their life while daddy's credit card paid for that, and someone who's never contributed to society in a meaningful, productive manner. I have more to offer and a wealth of experiences and knowledge gained from my vast experiences; and there is nothing that those type of people could have to say that would possibly contribute to my life - believe me, I've tried. So there. Shoot me.

Well, your last post certainly has a much different tone than your first (which I quoted above).
Even in the first, I actually agreed with the IDEAS behind what you said (who wouldn't????)
BUT, you said it in such a self-praising, vicious sort of way that one would think your intention was not to educate, but to slander. And I am not even in the category of people you condemn. I know you said later it was for the shock-value, and it certainly worked. Anyway, the sole reason I responded to your post was because I felt not enough ppl responded negatively to it. That's all.

 

[CaliGrl80]

Let your parents help you if it doesn't seem like it would be a financial burden for them. I wish my parents could afford to help me and I know they would if they could, however, it is not an option and I wish I was in your position. However,don't take this as an oppertunity to blow your money b/c school is taken care of. I am considering going to USUHS so that I don't have to worry about taking out 250K in loans.

 

[sweetpeamd09]

My parents refused to pay for my undergraduate degree--even though they could more than afford to. They offered no assistance at all. I guess all I can say to you is that it is wonderful that your parents are so willing to invest in you. My parents were not interested in investing in me, nor are they are now as I am med. school bound this summer (Penn St., Robert Wood are in the running so far). Not to get all mushy, but they basically have no interest in me aside from using me so they can brag to their friends. (Sorry still a WEE bit bitter). So, for me, it's a matter of pride that I paid my way through school and intend on doing it again. However, it's awesome that your parents are willing to do what they can for you. If it's not going to cause them to go into heavy debt, or cause them to be unable to have a comfortable retirement, hit them up for it!

 

[SirTony76]

Ladies, you are all pretty!

 

[dewzen]

Dutch gov't is paying for the tuition of mine, I think my parents will help pay for normal expenses like books and housing. My dad would be insulted if I didn't accept his offer.

 

[TwoLegacies]

It seems like a lot of ppl on here are taking out loans to pay their own way thru med school, regardless of whether their parents can afford the tuition or not. I was just wondering what the rationale was behind that.

Is supporting youself = independence? becoming a grown up?

Sorry if this sounds like a ******ed question.

My parents are pretyt insistent about paying for me, and my first impulse is to just let them (and thank them/return the money later), but after reading some of the posts on here, I'm starting to have second thoughts.

I started to read all of the responses, but lost patience. so, sorry if this is a repeat.

My parents contributed nothing to my undergrad education, except for the occasional "food money" here and there whenever I realized I was about to go broke. So I have about $16K in debt (actually surprising that it's that little). Sure, it taught me how to be responsible with my money, I guess. But I feel like I would have been responsible even if I didn't have to live off loans. Some people need the lesson, some don't. It doesn't sound like you need the lesson.

My brother had a situation where my parents bought him a new car, and he didn't want to take it because of these same issues. I had to call him up and verbally smack him. Bottom line is, if your parents are offering their help and are very insistent about it, they WANT to help you. Sometimes you just have to do things to make your mother happy!

You are going to be a doctor, and down the line your parents will be retired. You'll get your chance to repay them. Take the money and thank them!