Which would you choose?

[OzzyIV]

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I have been accepted to 2 different programs and I am having trouble deciding which to accept. I have four children (ages 8 mos to 13) to support and my wife stays home to take care of the children.

1. Med School - I have been accepted to a med school in the midwest that I would have to obviously take student loans out for and would have about $300K in debt upon graduation

2. Post-Bacc program - I have been accepted to a post-bacc program at USUHS which, if I maintain a B average would accept me into their med school program the following year. This would pay me about $75K a year as well as tuition free. I am prior service (Marine Corps) so I am well aware of what the military is all about including deployments and time away from family.

Do I take the sure thing and deal with the loans or do I take the 5 yr program with no loans and a steady paycheck?

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I have been accepted to 2 different programs and I am having trouble deciding which to accept. I have four children (ages 8 mos to 13) to support and my wife stays home to take care of the children.

1. Med School - I have been accepted to a med school in the midwest that I would have to obviously take student loans out for and would have about $300K in debt upon graduation

2. Post-Bacc program - I have been accepted to a post-bacc program at USUHS which, if I maintain a B average would accept me into their med school program the following year. This would pay me about $75K a year as well as tuition free.

Do I take the sure thing and deal with the loans or do I take the 5 yr program with no loans and a steady paycheck?

Do you want to take your kids through the military with you after USUHS?

 

[MtnRescue]

My vote - option 1. As AR alluded to, there is so much more to option 2 than what you describe. Not sure if you knowingly excluded that from your description, but what comes after you've done your USUHS post-bacc, and gone to medical school and residency should have much more weight in your decision than you give it in your description of the two choices. Having done deployments with medical officers who made that choice, it should factor heavily.

 

[MtnRescue]

I guess I could have just boiled my reply down to this - tuition for that USUHS post-bacc and medical education is certainly not "free."

 

[vc7777]

Not to mention, option #2 is NOT a sure-thing - The best laid plans of mice and men, you know?

If option #2 - for whatever reason - does not land you in medical school, you will have to reapply AND explain why you declined a spot in the past.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

If I were you, I'd pick the sure bet. Granted, I hate debt and dependence on others, but if you buckle down while you're there and pick the right specialty you ought to come out ok in the end.

 

[ftrflyr29]

I have been accepted to 2 different programs and I am having trouble deciding which to accept. I have four children (ages 8 mos to 13) to support and my wife stays home to take care of the children.

1. Med School - I have been accepted to a med school in the midwest that I would have to obviously take student loans out for and would have about $300K in debt upon graduation

2. Post-Bacc program - I have been accepted to a post-bacc program at USUHS which, if I maintain a B average would accept me into their med school program the following year. This would pay me about $75K a year as well as tuition free. I am prior service (Marine Corps) so I am well aware of what the military is all about including deployments and time away from family.

Do I take the sure thing and deal with the loans or do I take the 5 yr program with no loans and a steady paycheck?

If you want to do the military, take you acceptance (option 1) and use either HPSP (school paid for and monthly stipend--any branch) or HSCP (active duty as an E-6, pay, housing and benefits, while in school, but you pay for school--Navy only). With both of these program the longest commitment on the back side is 4 years, not the 7 year commitment of USUHS--not including the post-bacc, school, internship, and residency.

 

[Simplify]

Take option number one as its a sure bet and then follow ftrflyr29's advice. I assume that as a former Marine you'd be headed towards the Navy anyway if you pursue USUHS.

http://www.navy.com/navy/careers/healthcare/physician.html

Search "HSCP" and it'll take you down to the pertinent information.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

If you want to do the military, take you acceptance (option 1) and use either HPSP (school paid for and monthly stipend--any branch) or HSCP (active duty as an E-6, pay, housing and benefits, while in school, but you pay for school--Navy only). With both of these program the longest commitment on the back side is 4 years, not the 7 year commitment of USUHS--not including the post-bacc, school, internship, and residency.

I have to agree, if you want to do the military why wouldn't you take the sure acceptance and go HPSP?

This option puts you a year ahead of option 2, as well as makes your time commitment less.

If your argument is you don't want to leave the NE, well...then joining the military in general would be bad.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Under NO circumstance would I defer a sure thing for a chance at something that isn't certain.

Option 1 doesn't preclude you from serving in the military and getting military to pay for you. Definitely no good reason not to go with option number one.

 

[IcemanDDS]

1

 

[TriagePreMed]

Seriously? There's a question between going to med school for sure and going to a post-bacc to maybe go to another program? In case I'm not being clear, med school all the way.