Think it's worth it

[niabrams]

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So I was accepted into a post-bacc program at WashU starting in August, and am deciding whether or not to commit to it (this week is the last week I can decide). I have been thinking about the debt involved and am starting to worry that I might never make it out of the debt overhang.

I made the mistake of doing a master's degree in a field I hated, due to family pressure, and that added a significant amount of debt. If I do this post-bacc program, my debt will stand at about 75k total. That is an awful lot, and I am worried that it will blow up while I am (hopefully) in med school.

What do you think I ought to do? What is the limit, in SDN's opinion?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I don't know, is there a reason you're doing a post-bacc? Do you need a formal one or will an informal one work for you?

And 75k isn't that bad, plenty of kids graduate from college with about that much.

 

[TriagePreMed]

I don't know, is there a reason you're doing a post-bacc? Do you need a formal one or will an informal one work for you?

And 75k isn't that bad, plenty of kids graduate from college with about that much.

Isn't bad? Is that a joke? That's horrible, and the kids that owe that much were idiots about their education.

Op, go informal post-bacc.

Sent from my SCH-R910 using Tapatalk

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Isn't bad? Is that a joke? That's horrible, and the kids that owe that much were idiots about their education.

Op, go informal post-bacc.

Sent from my SCH-R910 using Tapatalk

It certainly isn't the end of the world.

 

[DrMeows]

So I was accepted into a post-bacc program at WashU starting in August, and am deciding whether or not to commit to it (this week is the last week I can decide). I have been thinking about the debt involved and am starting to worry that I might never make it out of the debt overhang.

I made the mistake of doing a master's degree in a field I hated, due to family pressure, and that added a significant amount of debt. If I do this post-bacc program, my debt will stand at about 75k total. That is an awful lot, and I am worried that it will blow up while I am (hopefully) in med school.

What do you think I ought to do? What is the limit, in SDN's opinion?

Money issue aside, I think it depends on how bad u need this post-bacc program. Do u have a GPA that needs help? Or need more science experience in general? I realize the money is a big deal, but if you really want to be a physician and need this program to get you there, then do it. 👍

 

[niabrams]

It's both. My GPA is very much on the low end, and I need a few more prereqs. Also, unless I am doing a certificate program (as opposed to a DIY) it will be hard to get financial aid.

 

[Total180]

It's both. My GPA is very much on the low end, and I need a few more prereqs. Also, unless I am doing a certificate program (as opposed to a DIY) it will be hard to get financial aid.

I'm pretty sure you can apply as a degree seeking student, do the classes you need, and never actually finish the degree. I believe if you do it that way you will qualify for financial aid, but I'm not super positive. What is your cgpa and sgpa? What classes do you still need to take?

 

[MedPR]

You can get aid for a DIY program so long as you didn't use up all of the federal loan money you're eligible for as a UG.

 

[niabrams]

My sGPA is 3.26 and my cGPA is 3.3. :S I need to take orgo and bio. Actually, the cost of this program (including living expenses) is about the same as the cost of an informal one.

 

[UrshumMurshum]

OP if you live in a state with a generous med school tuition then in the long run your debt problem won't be that bad.

However if you go OOS and spend 70k a year in med school then you're going to be ending up with 500k in debt after interest.

At that point you're almost priced out of primary care as your interest on your student debt alone is going to be almost 1/3 your after tax salary.

So see what your IS situation is, and you can make some informal calculations.

Alternatively you can sign up for the health service corps, where you serve an underserved area for so many designated years (I believe it's 10) and they pay your student loans in full.

 

[niabrams]

I think that I can qualify as a resident of Missouri. As far as I know, they're pretty ok in terms of tuition. I figure that with an average yearly expenditure of 50-55k on tuition and board, I will come out of medical school with 340k in debt (taking into account interest).

Damn, that sounds high

 

[TriagePreMed]

It certainly isn't the end of the world.

Let me guess, you're still an undergrad and don't understand the value of money and the ability to get a job in this economy.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Let me guess, you're still an undergrad and don't understand the value of money and the ability to get a job in this economy.

No, I'm a human being and telling the OP that his non-ideal situation, i.e his non-reversible debt ( Not like me saying that you're kinda F**ked is going to make him start crapping golden eggs) is not the end of the world and that he should pursue his education.

I mean honestly, what horse took a dump in your cereal?

 

[MedPR]

My sGPA is 3.26 and my cGPA is 3.3. :S I need to take orgo and bio. Actually, the cost of this program (including living expenses) is about the same as the cost of an informal one.

The cost of a formal pb is nowhere near as expensive as an informal at state-school or community college.

 

[felix2929]

I did the post bac program at Wash U and had to make a similar decision. For me it was Wash U vs. UMSL. I needed to take the entire list of pre-med courses though so I was in a different situation. I still ended up taking some classes at UMSL as well. The Wash U courses are expensive and they are only offered in the evenings so you can basically only take 2 at a time. I found this annoying after the first year because I would have liked to take more bio classes after completing bio 1 and 2. If you are only going to take a few classes it probably isn't worth paying for Wash U tuition. You also have to complete a minimum of 30 credits to get the certificate. Hope this helps!

 

[TriagePreMed]

No, I'm a human being and telling the OP that his non-ideal situation, i.e his non-reversible debt ( Not like me saying that you're kinda F**ked is going to make him start crapping golden eggs) is not the end of the world and that he should pursue his education.

I mean honestly, what horse took a dump in your cereal?

Ahh, I see I was correct.

 

[nonociceptors]

[edit]

 

[niabrams]

I did the post bac program at Wash U and had to make a similar decision. For me it was Wash U vs. UMSL. I needed to take the entire list of pre-med courses though so I was in a different situation. I still ended up taking some classes at UMSL as well. The Wash U courses are expensive and they are only offered in the evenings so you can basically only take 2 at a time. I found this annoying after the first year because I would have liked to take more bio classes after completing bio 1 and 2. If you are only going to take a few classes it probably isn't worth paying for Wash U tuition. You also have to complete a minimum of 30 credits to get the certificate. Hope this helps!

Does it really matter if you get the certificate, though? If I apply while I am in the program and get in, who cares if I've taken 24 or 27 versus 30?

Also, I compared the cost of this program to the cost of a program at a state school. Most schools count lab credits as extra, whereas WashU includes lab in the overall class. So the expense actually comes out to be about the same.

As of now, I will be taking orgo 1&2, bio 1&2, anatomy&physiology (one class) and biochem. In my gap year I will take some additional classes.

 

[felix2929]

I'm not advising against it but the cost per credit hour at UMSL is 265 vs. 605 at Wash U (night school). The cost is not the same even if you count 5 vs. 4 credits at UMSL compared to Wash U. I agree that I don't think the certificate really matters. Also at Wash U in the PB program you will have to buy health insurance through the school. The benefit of the Wash U program is that when you go to apply you'll have access to resources you wouldn't have at UMSL through the advisors and pre-health program. If you can afford it go for it. Good luck!