School decision--U.S. vs Switzerland

[SwissMs]

Hi guys! I'd like to ask for your opinion on something.

In addition to a spot on the University of Washington waitlist (which, based on previous years, I'm pretty optimistic about), and admission to one U.S. school that I can't possibly pay for, I've also been admitted with advanced standing to medical school in Zurich, Switzerland. The main advantage to going in Zurich would be that tuition is negligible compared to US schools--something like $1500/year. My husband (he is Swiss) also has a good job here, and you are paid for your work during clinical years, meaning that I would not only avoid debt from medical school, but could probably pay off my undergrad debt soon as well.

School here technically takes 5 years--but I added it up, and that includes about 21 months of vacation (4 in summers, 1 month in the winter, plus Christmas and Easter breaks). That would give me at least some time to do rotations in the U.S. and visit friends and family back home.
The disadvantages, of course, include being away from home for so long (home is the Seattle area, so the University of Washington is a good bet in that respect). The students will also be quite a bit younger than I am, as they begin directly after high school, and school will be mostly in German (which I speak, so that isn't that bad). The main thing, though, is that apparently it will be getting much harder in the coming years for grads from abroad to land residencies, as the number of medical school spots is increasing, but residency spots are not.

Anyway, I'm interested in your opinion(s) on whether it would be worth risking a harder time finding residency in order to avoid the kind of debt that most med students graduate with? I'm particularly worried as my husband would have to quit his job here (which he likes) and look for a new one in the U.S. if we moved. If he doesn’t find one quickly, the debt could become quite a problem, as I would be supporting two of us from my loans. Especially as I will probably decide to go into primary care, not having debt after residency would give me a lot of freedom to choose a job for the work, as opposed to worrying too much about money.
Thanks in advance for any advice. There seem to be plenty of knowledgeable people on here, so I thought I'd try to take advantage of that to make my decision a bit easier.

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[music2doc]

Hi guys! I'd like to ask for your opinion on something.

In addition to a spot on the University of Washington waitlist (which, based on previous years, I'm pretty optimistic about), and admission to one U.S. school that I can't possibly pay for, I've also been admitted with advanced standing to medical school in Zurich, Switzerland. The main advantage to going in Zurich would be that tuition is negligible compared to US schools--something like $1500/year. My husband (he is Swiss) also has a good job here, and you are paid for your work during clinical years, meaning that I would not only avoid debt from medical school, but could probably pay off my undergrad debt soon as well.

School here technically takes 5 years--but I added it up, and that includes about 21 months of vacation (4 in summers, 1 month in the winter, plus Christmas and Easter breaks). That would give me at least some time to do rotations in the U.S. and visit friends and family back home.
The disadvantages, of course, include being away from home for so long (home is the Seattle area, so the University of Washington is a good bet in that respect). The students will also be quite a bit younger than I am, as they begin directly after high school, and school will be mostly in German (which I speak, so that isn't that bad). The main thing, though, is that apparently it will be getting much harder in the coming years for grads from abroad to land residencies, as the number of medical school spots is increasing, but residency spots are not.

Anyway, I'm interested in your opinion(s) on whether it would be worth risking a harder time finding residency in order to avoid the kind of debt that most med students graduate with? I'm particularly worried as my husband would have to quit his job here (which he likes) and look for a new one in the U.S. if we moved. If he doesn't find one quickly, the debt could become quite a problem, as I would be supporting two of us from my loans. Especially as I will probably decide to go into primary care, not having debt after residency would give me a lot of freedom to choose a job for the work, as opposed to worrying too much about money.
Thanks in advance for any advice. There seem to be plenty of knowledgeable people on here, so I thought I'd try to take advantage of that to make my decision a bit easier.

There is only one question to be answered here:

Do you want to work/spend your life in the U.S. or Switzerland? There's your answer. If you and your husband prefer the US, stay here. If not, go to Switzerland. It's that simple.

FYI, UWashington didn't exactly get far on their waitlist last year. A classmate of mine was in the 40s on their waitlist as one of their top OOS candidates ...and we're not at UWashington 😉 (hint hint)

 

[DubVille]

If you want to practice in the US, stay here for school. It is a huge risk to go overseas with the impending residency crunch. That said, if you want to stay in Switzerland it sounds awesome. What kind of "work permit" do you have from being married to a Swiss citizen? Will it be easy to find a residency spot there with that status? If you want to take the huge gamble, at least you would have no debt, but sadly your chances are not likely if you train outside the country. It's risky to rely on US congress to open more slots for residency given our financial situation. Good luck!

 

[MrChance2]

Living and working in Switzerland sounds so awesome.

 

[notbobtrustme]

Living and working in Switzerland sounds so awesome.

it's a socialist hell-hole!!11onelevelventwelve!11

 

[GopherMD]

If you want to practice in the U.S., go to school in the U.S.

If you want to practice in Switzerland, go to school in Switzerland.

 

[487806]

There is only one question to be answered here:

Do you want to work/spend your life in the U.S. or Switzerland? There's your answer. If you and your husband prefer the US, stay here. If not, go to Switzerland. It's that simple.

FYI, UWashington didn't exactly get far on their waitlist last year. A classmate of mine was in the 40s on their waitlist as one of their top OOS candidates ...and we're not at UWashington 😉 (hint hint)

If you want to practice in the U.S., go to school in the U.S.

If you want to practice in Switzerland, go to school in Switzerland.

Yep. This accurately explains the scenario.

 

[SwissMs]

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I guess I'd better hope that waitlist gets moving.

Can I ask, does anyone have an idea if it will be hard to get even a primary care type residency with an overseas education? I mean, let's say one did very well on the USMLEs and had some research and some US clinical work. Would the shortage of primary care physicians mean that it might still be a reasonable bet? Let's say I wasn't picky about where I landed for residency (with all that money I save in med school I could make anywhere livable for a few years, right?). Because there is always a chance the waitlist won't move and I don't feel great about the private school I got into--can't pay $56,000/year.

Another backup plan I've been considering is looking for a public health job in the U.S. for a year, and reapplying as MD/PhD(in epi) if hubby finds a job that he likes in Seattle.

 

[sazerac]

Is there any reason you "can't" pay for tuition at the private school? Most everybody else follows this simple three step plan:

1. Get loan for medical school
2. Get job as doctor
3. Pay off loan

Do you not plan on practicing as a physician or something?

 

[Bacchus]

Is there any reason you "can't" pay for tuition at the private school? Most everybody else follows this simple three step plan:

1. Get loan for medical school
2. Get job as doctor
3. Pay off loan

Do you not plan on practicing as a physician or something?

Agreed. Not being able to pay isn't a legitimate reason when loans are available.

 

[0919mmk]

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I guess I'd better hope that waitlist gets moving.

Can I ask, does anyone have an idea if it will be hard to get even a primary care type residency with an overseas education? I mean, let's say one did very well on the USMLEs and had some research and some US clinical work. Would the shortage of primary care physicians mean that it might still be a reasonable bet? Let's say I wasn't picky about where I landed for residency (with all that money I save in med school I could make anywhere livable for a few years, right?). Because there is always a chance the waitlist won't move and I don't feel great about the private school I got into--can't pay $56,000/year.

Another backup plan I've been considering is looking for a public health job in the U.S. for a year, and reapplying as MD/PhD(in epi) if hubby finds a job that he likes in Seattle.

I think its fair to say that coming from Switzerland with a good USMLE score and some US clinical experience, you would not have much trouble getting a primary care residency. It is definitely harder than if you were a US medical grad, but also people tend to lump FMGs all together, where in reality I'm pretty sure there are 2 groups of FMGs (i.e. those from cold, grey, European places and those from lovely, warm, tropical places) with quite different chances of matching.

 

[getdown]

Hi guys! I'd like to ask for your opinion on something.

In addition to a spot on the University of Washington waitlist (which, based on previous years, I'm pretty optimistic about), and admission to one U.S. school that I can't possibly pay for, I've also been admitted with advanced standing to medical school in Zurich, Switzerland. The main advantage to going in Zurich would be that tuition is negligible compared to US schools--something like $1500/year. My husband (he is Swiss) also has a good job here, and you are paid for your work during clinical years, meaning that I would not only avoid debt from medical school, but could probably pay off my undergrad debt soon as well.

School here technically takes 5 years--but I added it up, and that includes about 21 months of vacation (4 in summers, 1 month in the winter, plus Christmas and Easter breaks). That would give me at least some time to do rotations in the U.S. and visit friends and family back home.
The disadvantages, of course, include being away from home for so long (home is the Seattle area, so the University of Washington is a good bet in that respect). The students will also be quite a bit younger than I am, as they begin directly after high school, and school will be mostly in German (which I speak, so that isn't that bad). The main thing, though, is that apparently it will be getting much harder in the coming years for grads from abroad to land residencies, as the number of medical school spots is increasing, but residency spots are not.

Anyway, I'm interested in your opinion(s) on whether it would be worth risking a harder time finding residency in order to avoid the kind of debt that most med students graduate with? I'm particularly worried as my husband would have to quit his job here (which he likes) and look for a new one in the U.S. if we moved. If he doesn’t find one quickly, the debt could become quite a problem, as I would be supporting two of us from my loans. Especially as I will probably decide to go into primary care, not having debt after residency would give me a lot of freedom to choose a job for the work, as opposed to worrying too much about money.
Thanks in advance for any advice. There seem to be plenty of knowledgeable people on here, so I thought I'd try to take advantage of that to make my decision a bit easier.

I feel like a lot of people missed this bolded section. You already have an admission and you're going to turn that down?? You do know if you do this your chances of getting admitted the following year is pretty much like 0 right?

Echoing other posters: if you want to work in Switzerland/Europe then go to med school there but if you want to work in the US then you should go to the US. Listen, we're all worried about debt and you're no the only person who can't pay for school and had to take out loans. Most US grads are probably in 200k of debt. So my advice would be to suck it up and take the loans. You will be able to pay it off, just can't live large like P diddy during residency.

On a side note, I feel like there's been a dearth of new posters asking about going to Europe/Carib lately... don't know if that's due to random chance or the same person with multiple accounts... just a thought.

 

[music2doc]

I feel like a lot of people missed this bolded section. You already have an admission and you're going to turn that down?? You do know if you do this your chances of getting admitted the following year is pretty much like 0 right?

Echoing other posters: if you want to work in Switzerland/Europe then go to med school there but if you want to work in the US then you should go to the US. Listen, we're all worried about debt and you're no the only person who can't pay for school and had to take out loans. Most US grads are probably in 200k of debt. So my advice would be to suck it up and take the loans. You will be able to pay it off, just can't live large like P diddy during residency.

On a side note, I feel like there's been a dearth of new posters asking about going to Europe/Carib lately... don't know if that's due to random chance or the same person with multiple accounts... just a thought.

I only wish there had been a dearth of new posters asking how to eliminate themselves from the future of U.S. medicine...more like a multitude.

 

[487806]

I only wish there had been a dearth of new posters asking how to eliminate themselves from the future of U.S. medicine...more like a multitude.

👍 it quite defeats the argument when someone uses a word they don't understand.

 

[pre med 2014]

Research the match data for us citizens from your Switzerland school. Will you have a chance to get residency in Switzerland? I know if a us citizen goes to Australia they get put on the bottom of the list for Australian internship/ residency.

You will get paid for rotations in Switzerland?!?! That so nice.

Zero debt is quite the deal, and if people are matching the risk may be worth it. You could apply for residencies in multiple countries.

 

[BuddyTheElf]

👍 it quite defeats the argument when someone uses a word they don't understand.

👍

 

[BABSstudent]

Hi guys! I'd like to ask for your opinion on something.

In addition to a spot on the University of Washington waitlist (which, based on previous years, I'm pretty optimistic about), and admission to one U.S. school that I can't possibly pay for, I've also been admitted with advanced standing to medical school in Zurich, Switzerland. The main advantage to going in Zurich would be that tuition is negligible compared to US schools--something like $1500/year. My husband (he is Swiss) also has a good job here, and you are paid for your work during clinical years, meaning that I would not only avoid debt from medical school, but could probably pay off my undergrad debt soon as well.

School here technically takes 5 years--but I added it up, and that includes about 21 months of vacation (4 in summers, 1 month in the winter, plus Christmas and Easter breaks). That would give me at least some time to do rotations in the U.S. and visit friends and family back home.
The disadvantages, of course, include being away from home for so long (home is the Seattle area, so the University of Washington is a good bet in that respect). The students will also be quite a bit younger than I am, as they begin directly after high school, and school will be mostly in German (which I speak, so that isn't that bad). The main thing, though, is that apparently it will be getting much harder in the coming years for grads from abroad to land residencies, as the number of medical school spots is increasing, but residency spots are not.

Anyway, I'm interested in your opinion(s) on whether it would be worth risking a harder time finding residency in order to avoid the kind of debt that most med students graduate with? I'm particularly worried as my husband would have to quit his job here (which he likes) and look for a new one in the U.S. if we moved. If he doesn’t find one quickly, the debt could become quite a problem, as I would be supporting two of us from my loans. Especially as I will probably decide to go into primary care, not having debt after residency would give me a lot of freedom to choose a job for the work, as opposed to worrying too much about money.
Thanks in advance for any advice. There seem to be plenty of knowledgeable people on here, so I thought I'd try to take advantage of that to make my decision a bit easier.

If your number for UW is less than thirty then you are pretty much accepted. I would even guess that number 40 is going to get accepted this year because the list is moving a lot faster this year.

As for debt, I think you will be like me since I have a SO that will pay for housing and I have to take out loans for tuition. At UW, that means less than $90K in loans because they offer scholarships and grants to the students. So the debt really isn't that bad compared to other schools.

Is the debt enough to make one take the risk of not getting a residency spot? Not in my mind. Maybe if you were paying $250k+. But if you end up at UW, I think it is worth it to stay in the states.

 

[wavewheel]

So I interviewed with you at Yale and remember chatting a bit about this then. I'm actually choosing between UW and a few other schools, so we might be classmates in the fall!

I think the honest truth is that you will be fine either way. As a Washington resident, UW is going to run you around $120k in tuition over the course of 4 years (counting both the grants they give out as standard practice and the 10% annual increase in tuition you've got to plan on given the WA state budget). Especially if your husband can help cover living expenses, that's not enough debt to limit your speciality choice. You can live well as a primary care doc with 100-200k of school debt.

And with good USMLE scores, I don't think you'd have a problem matching from Switzerland into a primary care residency in the US. Go to the websites of primary care residencies that interest you and look through their resident bios. My guess is you'll see a decent number of FMGs.

I know this isn't much of an answer, but I think it boils down to what's going to be the best compromise between your needs and your husband's needs. It sounds like UW might be the best fit for you due to proximity to family and the fact that as an American med school it's geared towards college rather than high school grads. But is your husband willing to make the sacrifice of relocating to Seattle? I think this is the sort of situation where I would go see a couple's therapist to make sure you understand each other's needs as thoroughly as you can. Good luck -- it's not an easy call to make.

 

[Non Pizza Lunch]

If you want to practice in the US, and you are already accepted to a US medical school, it would be foolish to go to a medical school in Switzerland.

Yes it's possible to eventually come back if you go to switzerland... if you did well in your boards (a big IF mind you) and if you have research and are interested in primary care. You'll still be doing an uphill battle for less desirable spots.

If you had those SAME scores as an AMG you would have much more choice in your specialty (if your interest changes), and WHERE you can do your residency - which is a big factor if you have a significant other that may be restricted in where they can work.

Yes debt sucks, but that is an absolutely terrible reason to go to a medical school outside of the US if you want to practice in the US.

 

[SwissMs]

So I interviewed with you at Yale and remember chatting a bit about this then. I'm actually choosing between UW and a few other schools, so we might be classmates in the fall/

Oh hi! Good luck with your choice. I'd better be careful about these 'anonymous' forums with my somewhat unusual story, I guess! 🙂

Thanks for everyone's input. As far as 'can't pay for' you are all correct; I could pay for it as much as most of you could (I assume!). I guess it's more that, for that amount of money, I'm ~98% sure that I would take the European route instead. Maybe 'can't justify paying for' is a better way to put it 🙂 (and if it were just myself who would end up in debt, my logic would be very different; the expensive school sounds awesome in every other way!) I mean, worst case scenario I would be a doctor in every country except the U.S., just about. But I honestly would strongly prefer to practice in the States. So there you go; as many of you pointed out, that is a major part of my answer!

Still, I think I will take that advice and check out the match stats for some primary care programs; at least while I wait for the waitlist to move along. Thanks for the tip!

And thanks again to everyone talking this through with me! Since I'm in Switzerland right now, most people who I interact with frequently have a very different opinions from those here (you would borrow money?? For school? What?!?), so it's good to hear a variety of perspectives.

 

[getdown]

I only wish there had been a dearth of new posters asking how to eliminate themselves from the future of U.S. medicine...more like a multitude.

lol I've always thought it meant a lot. Oh well learn something new everyday.

Also, OP how sure are you about doing primary care? You haven't even gotten in yet and seen all the other options available to you. 99% of people that come into med school thinking they want to do a particular field end up switching to something they completely never expected. You should try to keep your options as open as possible. Like was stated, being a FMG severely limits your choice of residencies that will take you. Most academic programs will almost always take an AMG and those tend to be the programs that send people into competitive fellowships like GI or cards should you find yourself attracted to either of those.

 

[deleted307836]

You might want to get advice on this from the general residency forums. I remember a post by a program director that said there were two "tiers" of FMGS: those from the 1st world (especially English speaking countries), and those from other countries like India and Pakistan. Coming from Switzerland, I think you would have a relatively easier time matching, following that line of reasoning.

That said, I believe there is a pretty big crunch coming with residency spots, and FMGs would be the first to be phased out. Coming from U Washington (or the other school you were accepted to), not only would it be easier to match in the specialty of your choice, but it would probably be easier to match in the location of your choice, too. Since you want to practice in the states, you and your husband would have to move here eventually. Would you rather move here in a circumstance where you matched "somewhere" but not in a very desirable place (Nebraska, or something like that)? Or would you rather move here now, take on some debt, and be in a better position to stay in Seattle (or a general region of the US of your choice) for residency?

Is there any chance that you would be interested in a specialty that is more competitive than primary care? If so, and given your desire to practice here long term, I would highly consider coming here for school. If you will have a typical amount of debt, you would be able to pay it off (if your'e an older nontrad, it would be harder, though).

It sounds like you and your husband really need to talk about the different scenarios that could happen in each circumstance, and hedge your bets accordingly. It's difficult when one spouse needs to sacrifice something for the other... but that will be unavoidable unless staying and practicing in Switzerland long term is acceptable for you.

 

[Bacchus]

Taking on $200000 to $300000 of debt with relative certainty you'll match (into something) and then get a job is worth it. No one is asking for us to take that debt on and then push around a hotdog cart in Central Park.

Go to school in the US. Ignore what the Swiss tell you.

Edit: BTW is your husband's employment able to be replicated in the states? If so, there's no reason to come back. Its a bonus if his annual earnings can pay the mortgage or help with school costs.

 

[deleted303591]

I would say go to the Swiss school. Plus, you have already been accepted there.

At least the QoL in Switzerland is better, any day, than America.

Age shouldn't bother you that much. I started undergrad when I was 18, now I can officially be considered a non-trad, as a junior at university (due to health problems).

By the way, I am originally from Seattle. 😎

 

[BABSstudent]

So I interviewed with you at Yale and remember chatting a bit about this then. I'm actually choosing between UW and a few other schools, so we might be classmates in the fall/

Oh hi! Good luck with your choice. I'd better be careful about these 'anonymous' forums with my somewhat unusual story, I guess! 🙂

Thanks for everyone's input. As far as 'can't pay for' you are all correct; I could pay for it as much as most of you could (I assume!). I guess it's more that, for that amount of money, I'm ~98% sure that I would take the European route instead. Maybe 'can't justify paying for' is a better way to put it 🙂 (and if it were just myself who would end up in debt, my logic would be very different; the expensive school sounds awesome in every other way!) I mean, worst case scenario I would be a doctor in every country except the U.S., just about. But I honestly would strongly prefer to practice in the States. So there you go; as many of you pointed out, that is a major part of my answer!

Still, I think I will take that advice and check out the match stats for some primary care programs; at least while I wait for the waitlist to move along. Thanks for the tip!

And thanks again to everyone talking this through with me! Since I'm in Switzerland right now, most people who I interact with frequently have a very different opinions from those here (you would borrow money?? For school? What?!?), so it's good to hear a variety of perspectives.

If you want to go primary care then why not apply for the HSPS and get school paid for here?

 

[Bacchus]

I would say go to the Swiss school. Plus, you have already been accepted there.

At least the QoL in Switzerland is better, any day, than America.

Age shouldn't bother you that much. I started undergrad when I was 18, now I can officially be considered a non-trad, as a junior at university (due to health problems).

By the way, I am originally from Seattle. 😎

I would not listen to this advice. See the general theme of the thread to realize why this is poor judgement.

 

[487806]

I would say go to the Swiss school. Plus, you have already been accepted there.

At least the QoL in Switzerland is better, any day, than America.

Age shouldn't bother you that much. I started undergrad when I was 18, now I can officially be considered a non-trad, as a junior at university (due to health problems).

By the way, I am originally from Seattle. 😎

A better idea is to do the complete opposite of what you just said, which as Bacchus mentioned, is emphasized.

 

[JustinD]

I've been to Switzerland and keep in mind the cost of living is much more expensive than here. Food, for example, is easily double or triple the price as it is in the USA.

 

[mimelim]

I've been to Switzerland and keep in mind the cost of living is much more expensive than here. Food, for example, is easily double or triple the price as it is in the USA.

+1

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Switzerland&displayCurrency=USD

Something to always keep in mind, even when practicing in the US.

 

[Bacchus]

+1

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Switzerland&displayCurrency=USD

Something to always keep in mind, even when practicing in the US.

$25 for chicken breast?! That's crazy.

 

[JustinD]

Luckily I got a job in exchange for room and board when I was there, but we went out to a non-fancy pizzeria, and it was $25 a person. I didn't have soda. The pizzeria was in the middle of the nowhere too!

 

[sazerac]

A friend of mine bought a half liter of cheese when he was in Switzerland, and when he unwrapped it at home the block of cheese had holes in it! The grocer wouldn't even take it back.

 

[chemsmith]

A friend of mine bought a half liter of cheese when he was in Switzerland, and when he unwrapped it at home the block of cheese had holes in it! The grocer wouldn't even take it back.

Ridiculous!

You know, I was actually robbed the other day myself! I was walking home alone after work when I got jumped by two guys. Oddly enough, the only thing they took was my mood ring. I wasn't sure how I felt about the whole situation.

 

[alpinism]

Thanks for everyone's input. As far as 'can't pay for' you are all correct; I could pay for it as much as most of you could (I assume!). I guess it's more that, for that amount of money, I'm ~98% sure that I would take the European route instead. Maybe 'can't justify paying for' is a better way to put it 🙂 (and if it were just myself who would end up in debt, my logic would be very different; the expensive school sounds awesome in every other way!) I mean, worst case scenario I would be a doctor in every country except the U.S., just about. But I honestly would strongly prefer to practice in the States. So there you go; as many of you pointed out, that is a major part of my answer!

Still, I think I will take that advice and check out the match stats for some primary care programs; at least while I wait for the waitlist to move along. Thanks for the tip!

And thanks again to everyone talking this through with me! Since I'm in Switzerland right now, most people who I interact with frequently have a very different opinions from those here (you would borrow money?? For school? What?!?), so it's good to hear a variety of perspectives.

Bottom line, If you want to practice in the states, go to med school here no matter what the cost. Thousands of med students take out as much as 200 to 300K in loans over the course of their education and end up doing just fine. Just pay it off as a junior attending like everyone else. In addition, the gov has a number of different loan forgiveness programs for those planning on going into primary care, so money shouldn't really be an issue at all.

https://services.aamc.org/fed_loan_pub/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.welcome&CFID=7563505

Another issue is that while you might be interested in primary care now, what if you change your mind and decide on a competitive specialty during clinical rotations? You would essentially be forced to stay in Europe or choose a specialty you don't enjoy just for the sake of getting back to the US.

Good Luck and enjoy Switzerland while you still can!

 

[Knocked Up]

OMG Switzerland. Don't look back.

PICTURES NEVER LIE!!!

 

[getdown]

OMG Switzerland. Don't look back.

Holy scheisse!! those last two pics really sold it for me. Switzerland here I come!!!

 

[wavewheel]

And thanks again to everyone talking this through with me! Since I'm in Switzerland right now, most people who I interact with frequently have a very different opinions from those here (you would borrow money?? For school? What?!?), so it's good to hear a variety of perspectives.

So I'm not sure if you (or anyone) is going to read down past the pictures, but I think it's absolutely useful to get a different (i.e. American) perspective on this. I wish we would adopt a European-style approach training and paying doctors -- I'd gladly take a pay cut in return for school being free (or close to free). But that's because of my beliefs about social justice and access to education. From a financial perspective, doctors do really well under the American system of big loans and big salaries.

Just to run some numbers, imagine that you had $200,000 in medical school debt. You'd probably do income-based repayment during residency, then switch to paying it off on a standard 10-year plan once you became an attending. That would be a loan payment of around $2,300 per month. If you're making $150,000 per year -- which is on the low end of what you might expect to make as a family practice doc -- your after-tax pay is going to be in the neighborhood of $8,500 per month. So after taxes and loans, you'll have a bit more than $6,000 each month.

To continue with the rough ballpark figures, the mortgage on a $400,000 house at today's rates is going to be in the neighborhood of $2,000 per month. So you could live in a nice house and still have around $4,000 per month for food, clothes, transportation, retirement savings, etc. You won't be a member of "the 1%", but you probably won't be worrying about money either. And that's before you take into account your husband's earnings.

 

[Instatewaiter]

There is only one question to be answered here:

Do you want to work/spend your life in the U.S. or Switzerland? There's your answer. If you and your husband prefer the US, stay here. If not, go to Switzerland. It's that simple.

FYI, UWashington didn't exactly get far on their waitlist last year. A classmate of mine was in the 40s on their waitlist as one of their top OOS candidates ...and we're not at UWashington 😉 (hint hint)

Agree

 

[bambi]

Most people are telling you to go to school where you want to work, I completely agree with this. Most people however are saying it because if you go to school in the US it will be easier to get a residency. That is very true but not the only issue. The practice of medicine is extraordinarily different even between 2 seemingly very similar countries. Even if you got a US residency you would struggle in certain ways if you went to school elsewhere. How much you struggle and how much of a problem that will be is hard to tell but why take the risk when you don't have to?