Student loan forgiveness for serious medical illness?

[NeuroRu]

I am an MS3. I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis six months ago. I showed signs of it in my teens but no one put the pieces of the puzzle together until I started medical school and became much sicker. My pancreas has almost no exocrine function left, my lungs have cultured pseudomonas and s. aureus, and my doc tells me I have a very high likelihood of developing cystic fibrosis related diabetes. Needless to say, I have had a rough time and even after clearing the infections, doing diligent airway clearance, taking pancreatic enzymes and starting a CFTR modulator drug (Kalydeco), I am still plagued by constant fatigue, malaise, digestive problems, dyspnea, cough, etc. My prognosis is uncertain but my lifespan will likely be shorter and quality of life reduced.

I started medical school wanting to be a surgeon but now I am not sure I can handle a residency of any sort as I have had extreme difficulty keeping up with my clinical obligations during third year. Plus the constant exposure to viruses only increases my risk of exacerbation, not to mention the risk of exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria that could do me in. I am trying to decide what to do with my life but the over 100K debt looming over my head hinders my objectivity. Does anyone know anyone who has dealt with similar situations or know anything about getting student loans cancelled in the face of a terminal genetic illness? Maybe I will die with my debt and it won't matter but I really don't know what the future holds.

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[Crayola227]

I dont have much time to respond, but it is possible to have those loans forgiven in a situation like yours.

If you want to know more, you can google "Federal Loan Forgiveness Illness" (assuming they're government loans)

The process itself sounds fairly easy but may be more difficult in reality

You essentially have to be totally disabled, and likely still being in school would disqualify you

It appears easiest to get if you have a doctor who will write off that you're totally and permanently disabled

If you get SSI for such you can use that pathway, however it's a lengthy process and difficult to predict how long it would take to get it
you will need to be on that disability for 3-5 years at least I believe, plus if you go back to work within another 5 years after that I believe your loans get unforgiven

The actual numbers are on an easy to find website somewhere

You don't have to worry too much about it, if you accept those loans are just gonna balloon out of control. The two things that will save you from them should you drop out of school, is both being able to defer for health reasons (a doctor can sign something, you can show you've applied for SS disability) or can be placed on IBR, and if your income is zero so it your payment

 

[Crayola227]

by the way I am very sorry that you are in this situation

if you want to PM me more about this sort of thing feel free

 

[sazerac]

With all the repayment plans based on income (not interest rates or size of loan) the monthly payments are always a manageable and will be zero if you make less than 150% of poverty wages.

If you become disabled, your federal student loans are forgiven. This is a real thing, and it happens all the time. Beware that this forgiveness is a taxable event, that is, if you have $100K of loans forgiven in 2018 you will have to declare $100K of income in 2018. Yeah, they hit you with a gigantic tax bill when you become disabled. This happens all the time too.

The "tax bomb" can be mitigated- the taxable amount of income you have to declare is limited to your solvency. That is, you will pay at most about 1/3 of everything you own in taxes that year, and often substantially less. If you don't have any assets, rent an apartment, and own little more than a hand-me-down car the year you get forgiveness, you can get that $100K loan forgiven for less than $1,000 in taxes.

Sorry to hear about your situation.

 

[mcworbust]

I am so sorry that you are in this situation, and will be praying for you!

Maybe I will die with my debt and it won't matter but I really don't know what the future holds

Just FYI if it ever comes to this, all federal loans are forgiven (ie your family/parents/significant other/etc would not be on the hook).

Finally please don't go through this alone - in addition to family or any significant other, consider counseling as you make this necessary shift in your life. Your post made me cry just thinking of how I would feel if I were in your shoes. Best of luck and SDN is here for you!

 

[tantacles]

I am an MS3. I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis six months ago. I showed signs of it in my teens but no one put the pieces of the puzzle together until I started medical school and became much sicker. My pancreas has almost no exocrine function left, my lungs have cultured pseudomonas and s. aureus, and my doc tells me I have a very high likelihood of developing cystic fibrosis related diabetes. Needless to say, I have had a rough time and even after clearing the infections, doing diligent airway clearance, taking pancreatic enzymes and starting a CFTR modulator drug (Kalydeco), I am still plagued by constant fatigue, malaise, digestive problems, dyspnea, cough, etc. My prognosis is uncertain but my lifespan will likely be shorter and quality of life reduced.

I started medical school wanting to be a surgeon but now I am not sure I can handle a residency of any sort as I have had extreme difficulty keeping up with my clinical obligations during third year. Plus the constant exposure to viruses only increases my risk of exacerbation, not to mention the risk of exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria that could do me in. I am trying to decide what to do with my life but the over 100K debt looming over my head hinders my objectivity. Does anyone know anyone who has dealt with similar situations or know anything about getting student loans cancelled in the face of a terminal genetic illness? Maybe I will die with my debt and it won't matter but I really don't know what the future holds.

I have CF as well (diagnosed at 6 months of age) and am currently a med-peds resident at a University program.

I feel for you. My situation is not the same, but I hear that this is hard. Medical school and residency on their own are already difficult, but having a chronic disease helps nothing. If you truly love medicine and can't see yourself doing anything else, then you have no choice; continue, choose a field that you'll be able to manage as a CF patient, and soldier on. The adjustment to having a chronic disease is far worse during or after adolescence, and you're going to have problems. They are not insurmountable. The risk of exposure to bacteria and viruses is present, but not unavoidable. I got sick very few times in medical school and have been sick only once in residency because I constantly wear a mask and was honest with my preceptors about who I could and could not see as a patient (and I see zero patients with CF or with pseudomonas resistant to antibiotics in my residency program).

You have something special to offer: Your experience with CF sets you up to be a fantastic physician for patients who have chronic disease, particularly if they are struggling. You are uniquely situated to empathize with patients in a similar position. That being said, you have an obligation to yourself and your health; if you feel that medicine will truly compromise your ability to take care of yourself, that should play into your decision-making process. If this is a mountain that you can not climb, then you may have to bow out. However, I want you to realize that there are patients who need you and who need the perspective you have to offer. Consider all of the patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes suddenly thrust into a new disease they have no idea about, consider patients diagnosed with HIV who need someone to follow them for their entire lives, and consider patients with managed cancer who need someone to have earnest end of life discussions with them without hedging. You are needed. Sorely. Desperately.

So if stopping is what you need to do, go ahead. But if you can push through this year without harming yourself, which is one of the worst years of a medical career, it won't be smooth sailing but you'll have a chance to choose what you want to do and have great impact.

Don't give up unless you have to. Medicine needs you.

 

[tantacles]

I am going to PM you a gift card!

JK, I wish I could though, for reals, this post was bomb!

HEY. THAT'S MY JOB. STEP OFF.

I mean, all mods do accept bribes, though . . .

Edit: and actually, is you do see a post that you think deserves a gift card, feel free to use the report button to let us know.

 

[libertyyne]

I am sorry you are in this situation. In addition to the good advice that you have received so far I would suggest getting legal representation for both the SSI/disability and loan forgiveness if you don't succeed the first time. It will make the process go smoother.

 

[collegestud2013]

If you want to continue medicine, I would recommend a less physically demanding specialty such as diagnostic radiology (where attendings often can work from home) or pathology. This should limit your exposure to infections that you would get in a typical inpatient setting, and may be doable.

Federal student loans can definitely be discharged in the case of permanent disability (in fact this is one of the few cases where they can be discharged). Once you apply and they approve it, there is a 2 year monitoring period during which you cannot make enough money to support a family of 2 above the federal poverty line.