When do secondaries need to be turned in to be considered early? (Financial struggles)

[kmf94]

I crunched the numbers and I don't make enough money to apply in summer 2021 even though I'll technically be ready at that point. I am planning to use my federal financial aid to go to medical assistant school at my local CC the spring semester after I graduate (December 2021 grad). I'm not eligible for FAP due to parents' finances even though I'm older and have independent tax filing status, but that's another rant for another day.

I will graduate with my CMA in May of 2022 and am hoping to apply to MD and DO programs in June of 2022. Hopefully, so long as I can find a job, that's also the time I will start working as a CMA.

My savings should cover the primary fee for June. It's the secondary fees and interview travel expenses that are the problem.

I am going to use the CMA job to pay for secondary fees in summer 2022. When do secondaries need to be turned in? I probably will be relatively slow-going in turning secondaries in because of paying the fees. Is Labor Day reasonable? I could have them all in by Labor Day assuming medical schools send them to people not long after primary verification.

Thanks!

 

[KnightDoc]

I crunched the numbers and I don't make enough money to apply in summer 2021 even though I'll technically be ready at that point. I am planning to use my federal financial aid to go to medical assistant school at my local CC the spring semester after I graduate (December 2021 grad). I'm not eligible for FAP due to parents' finances even though I'm older and have independent tax filing status, but that's another rant for another day.

I will graduate with my CMA in May of 2022 and am hoping to apply to MD and DO programs in June of 2022. Hopefully, so long as I can find a job, that's also the time I will start working as a CMA.

My savings should cover the primary fee for June. It's the secondary fees and interview travel expenses that are the problem.

I am going to use the CMA job to pay for secondary fees in summer 2022. When do secondaries need to be turned in? I probably will be relatively slow-going in turning secondaries in because of paying the fees. Is Labor Day reasonable? I could have them all in by Labor Day assuming medical schools send them to people not long after primary verification.

Thanks!

Labor Day is always reasonable. That said, I don't even know you, but I am literally begging you not to allow money to determine when you submit. Submitting later than you would otherwise be able to will still impact you. Just check out all of the school specific threads, where everyone is all worried because some people who submitted early have heard while others are still waiting. It will drive you crazy when the time comes.

What if money you expect to materialize doesn't? Application fees are a drop in the bucket compared to the entire cost of this endeavor. If you opened a business while under capitalized, you'd be setting yourself up for failure. Same here. Application plus travel costs will be many thousands of dollars (around $5K-10K seems typical). Please line that up before you start.

Maybe your parents can help, and you can pay them back later. Maybe put something aside from financial aid if you can. Otherwise, I don't know what to tell you. Credit cards? Maybe delay another year. It would be horrible if you don't get a job right away, can't save as much as you expect, have an unexpected expense come up, and then find yourself unable to submit a secondary, or pay for a flight and hotel if you get an II. Just please don't start a cycle if you don't have the funds lined up to see it through.

 

[kmf94]

@KnightDoc Thanks for your detailed response. I really appreciate it.

To provide some more information to make a more complete picture, I have that kind of money in my savings from years of saving aggressively and being frugal, but I'm just not comfortable cleaning out my savings account to pay for application fees in case my car breaks down, dog gets sick, etc.

 

[KnightDoc]

@KnightDoc Thanks for your detailed response. I really appreciate it.

To provide some more information to make a more complete picture, I have that kind of money in my savings from years of saving aggressively and being frugal, but I'm just not comfortable cleaning out my savings account to pay for application fees in case my car breaks down, dog gets sick, etc.

I totally understand, and feel terrible for you. It's just a bad idea to not allow your cycle to follow its natural progression due to money. What happens if you do have an unexpected expense? Does your app die on the vine? If so, don't apply until you'll have enough money to pay for the car and the secondaries. If your parents aren't a possibility, could you get access to a credit card to pay for emergencies, or for apps and travel that you could pay off as you make money from your job?

I guess my bottom line would be to not apply until you can afford to do so (secondaries plus IIs) and then to submit and travel like everyone else does (i.e., as soon as you have the opportunity to do so).

 

[r2med]

My savings should cover the primary fee for June. It's the secondary fees and interview travel expenses that are the problem.

You should check out AAMC Fee Assitance Program if you have not already done so. "The AAMC Fee Assistance Program assists those who, without financial assistance, would be unable to take the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®), apply to medical schools that use the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®), and more."

 

[kmf94]

You should check out AAMC Fee Assitance Program if you have not already done so. "The AAMC Fee Assistance Program assists those who, without financial assistance, would be unable to take the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®), apply to medical schools that use the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®), and more."

Thank you for your reply! Unfortunately, my parent's income is just a little bit over the limit. We missed it by a hair.

I'm older (mid-to-late 20s) and have independent tax filing status, so I was sad to find out that it's based off parental income.

 

[drducky.]

Just remember that every year you delay is $300k lost in potential attending income. If you don’t get in because applied late, that’s another year wasted. Get loans if you have to.