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- Mar 16, 2008
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My SO and I want to return to the area I grew up in after residency. My family lives there and we really like the area for raising kids and just living our lives.
I found out yesterday that my hometown's (pop. ~5k) hospital board will approve a scholarship to pay for 4 years of tuition (possibly living expenses?) if I agree to return to my hometown and practice for the 4 years they cover. I start med school this fall at a state school.
There are pluses and minuses to this:
Plus: we want to return to the area, my hometown has a low cost of living, good schools, good healthcare. Family members are medical professionals in the town.
Minus: Small community hospital with opportunities mostly for: ER, FP, Gen Surg, General IM, Psych. Specialists come from a larger city nearby and do one day/week clinic/surgeries. Specialists could base themselves out of this town and travel to adjacent town hospitals, but wouldn't be exclusive to the town.
If I took the scholarship and decided not to stay in my hometown, it would turn into a loan with interest, comparable to federal loan interest.
I think my main concern is not knowing what I want to specialize in out of med school. I'm concerned I may limit myself to something I may not enjoy, but on the other hand, I would be debt-free if I took them up all they way.
What are some other SDNers thoughts on this, strictly related to this situation? There are no outside sources to consider. My SO is 100% behind my decision and we have no kids. Thanks for your feedback!
I found out yesterday that my hometown's (pop. ~5k) hospital board will approve a scholarship to pay for 4 years of tuition (possibly living expenses?) if I agree to return to my hometown and practice for the 4 years they cover. I start med school this fall at a state school.
There are pluses and minuses to this:
Plus: we want to return to the area, my hometown has a low cost of living, good schools, good healthcare. Family members are medical professionals in the town.
Minus: Small community hospital with opportunities mostly for: ER, FP, Gen Surg, General IM, Psych. Specialists come from a larger city nearby and do one day/week clinic/surgeries. Specialists could base themselves out of this town and travel to adjacent town hospitals, but wouldn't be exclusive to the town.
If I took the scholarship and decided not to stay in my hometown, it would turn into a loan with interest, comparable to federal loan interest.
I think my main concern is not knowing what I want to specialize in out of med school. I'm concerned I may limit myself to something I may not enjoy, but on the other hand, I would be debt-free if I took them up all they way.
What are some other SDNers thoughts on this, strictly related to this situation? There are no outside sources to consider. My SO is 100% behind my decision and we have no kids. Thanks for your feedback!