Who's planning to live like a student?

[FutureDocDO]

I know I am. I will be living like a dirt poor student during medical school so that I'll be able to live like a doctor when in practice.





Just an attempt to get some action going in the Pre-O forum.

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[dr.z]

I'll live like a poor student too! I'm really poor!

 

[FutureDocDO]

I'll live like a poor student too! I'm really poor!

I'm not even getting an apartment. I'm just getting a "sleeping room". Just a room like I'm living with my folks right now , sharing everything else with 6 other people. Now that's poor.

 

[Canuck99]

i definitely dont plan on living like a king, but while in medical school i dont want to be worrying about money and how i am going to get through each day. i would much rather take out a little extra so i dont have the added stress of being poor. and besides, doctors dont typically have a difficult time paying back their loans no matter how expensive the tuition.

 

[HunterGatherer]

I might work 4-6 hours/week so I'm not broke. Need some sort of income to pay for car, gas, insurance,parking, repairing car to travel to school and rotations.

 

[rack]

i will be ingesting as much anatomy as i will be beer. hopefully less than undergraduate though.

 

[cadence]

I already am. No cable for me...gotta have the broadband internet though (I use it for school enough to justify it, ha!)

3 things every dirt poor student needs

1.) george foreman grill (burgers and chops are quick, easy, and cheap and wal-mart has those $1 mini-steaks.)

2.) Toaster oven - trust me, once you get used to it, you'll use it waaay more than your microwave and use a lot less energy than that or the stove (just remember to turn it off or buy one with an 'auto-shut off')

3.) Towel rack and door hooks - dry your towels on the rack and use them again (you'd be surprised how fast you go trhoguh them) and, if you've used, 'em once hook your clothes, if you're not going anywhere special or just bumming around your apartment rewear your shirts and pants. Just don't go crazy.

 

[ShyRem]

After raising a family of four on one income, we're pretty darn good at living like students. Having student loan money to help our living expenses will help take care of car expenses, some groceries, living expenses, etc. at a new place. Perhaps we can start keeping the heat above 64F in the winter. (No, I'm not kidding - it's set for 52F at night and away time. Raising a family of four on one middle-class income sucks.) But I've learned how to make a dollar stretch pretty darn far and still get really good quality. And a garden (even a small herb garden) is your best friend when it comes to getting homemade taste in your food.

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

I know I am. I will be living like a dirt poor student during medical school so that I'll be able to live like a doctor when in practice.

I'd really like to survive eating as little Ramen as possible. There's gotta be something else cheap for me to eat.

I ate a whole lot Ramen back in high school and I'm... I'm just done with it.

 

[FutureDocDO]

I'd really like to survive eating as little Ramen as possible. There's gotta be something else cheap for me to eat.

I ate a whole lot Ramen back in high school and I'm... I'm just done with it.

I think I maxed out on my taste for Ramen noodles.

 

[siriceman64]

I think I maxed out on my taste for Ramen noodles.

burned up my taste for ramen junior year of highschool. Now that it's 7 years later...perhaps it's time to make it a comeback.......NAH...

 

[Kubed]

I might work 4-6 hours/week so I'm not broke. Need some sort of income to pay for car, gas, insurance,parking, repairing car to travel to school and rotations.

There's only one guy in my class who's working while in school, and he's bartending a night a week. Truthfully, I couldn't imagine working right now. The little free time I get is GOLDEN and I cherish ever bit of it. I had a plan to live conservatively while in school, but lasted about a month. Life is just soooooooooo much better with digital cable, tivo, good lunches and dinners, movies and rock gym membership. Med school is meant to be hard, but it doesn't have to be a miserable time. They'll loan you enough to live pretty comfortable. Once school starts, experiment a little bit to figure out how many creature comforts you really need. One of my buddies hasn't turned their tv on in a few months. I relax with Scrubs and Good Eats on demand.

 

[kaikai128]

Most of the ppl here live a pretty decent lifestyle. I don't think that there is any need whatsoever to live off of a few dimes, be hungry, (and if you eat only ramen--malnourished). You are all going to have access to plenty of loans to live comfortably. My classmates who are living off of loans only (I'm Military) have plenty of money to pay rent, cable, cell, electric, etc...and still go out to eat, to the bars, etc.

Don't worry about the $$...it'll be fine. Yes, the debt will accrue, but the little extra that living decent will be isn't that big of a deal for most.

 

[medhacker]

After raising a family of four on one income, we're pretty darn good at living like students. Having student loan money to help our living expenses will help take care of car expenses, some groceries, living expenses, etc. at a new place. Perhaps we can start keeping the heat above 64F in the winter. (No, I'm not kidding - it's set for 52F at night and away time. Raising a family of four on one middle-class income sucks.) But I've learned how to make a dollar stretch pretty darn far and still get really good quality. And a garden (even a small herb garden) is your best friend when it comes to getting homemade taste in your food.

I hear ya'

I would swear I have earned an honorary phd in economics surviving on loans (without maxing out) and scholarships for undergrad and raising a family with enough quality of life.

 

[DD214_DOC]

I sold my soul to Uncle Sam so that I don't have to be poor during med school. Having a soon-to-be RN wife -- she graduates in 24 days -- helps too, so we'll actually be living rather comfortably while I'm in school. I also intend to take out student loans to stick in a decent savings-type account.

The yang to the ying above, however, is that I will more than likely end up spending 18 months in a tent in the middle of the desert.

 

[DD214_DOC]

I think I maxed out on my taste for Ramen noodles.

Man, I actually like Ramen, but all of the MSG gives me a mad headache.

 

[NonTradMed]

For the first six months after I began working, I lived like a king, but after that, buying crap and eating out losses its thrill, so I went back to living like a (semi-well off) student. I budget and plan accordingly. Aside from broadband, I have no other 'luxury' expenses. I don't shop for clothes despite being female, and I don't like to waste money on 'stuff'. The only thing I watch myself on is food, I love going to nice resturants....so I try to save money and use it to splurge on that. Otherwise, I live frugally, but not cheaply. I figure, we aren't English PhDs, but future physicians, so we WILL have a well paying job after we finish. No need to live off scraps, just live enough to have small joys in life and avoid credit card debt. Being a med student is one of the better ways to go through grad school IMHO.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I know I am. I will be living like a dirt poor student during medical school so that I'll be able to live like a doctor when in practice.





Just an attempt to get some action going in the Pre-O forum.

I'm not sure how living like a student now affects being in practice?

I'm taking out the max loans and am barely making ends meet.

 

[JohnnyOU]

I'm gonna live in a van down by the river, next to Chris Farley's.

 

[scpod]

I'm taking out the max loans and am barely making ends meet.

...he said, as he ordered another round of Sesame Jack Chicken Strips and a Guiness Stout to go.

 

[gottalovemilk]

i plan on living it up. condo in miami, bitches, blunts, big screen tv, and a new maybach (i totalled my last one...)

 

[cadence]

I'm gonna live in a van down by the river, next to Chris Farley's.

Wouldn't that be a van down by the cemetery?? You better watch it or your life won't amount to JACK SQUAT!!!

 

[OSUdoc08]

...he said, as he ordered another round of Sesame Jack Chicken Strips and a Guiness Stout to go.

You know me too well. I've had that exact combination.

 

[businessmd06]

I'd really like to survive eating as little Ramen as possible. There's gotta be something else cheap for me to eat.

I ate a whole lot Ramen back in high school and I'm... I'm just done with it.

MAC and CHEESE!

 

[peace84]

MAC and CHEESE!

And PB & J

 

[cadence]

MAC and CHEESE!

Still 38 cents a metric ton

By the way. The blue box and "easy mac" are the same thing. They just removed the microwave directions from the blue box so they could charge more for the easy mac. (if anyone wants 'em, i'l post em)

 

[Dorkus Maximus]

I'd really like to survive eating as little Ramen as possible. There's gotta be something else cheap for me to eat.

I ate a whole lot Ramen back in high school and I'm... I'm just done with it.

Little Juan Bean and Cheese Burritos - $0.10 on each sale!!! When you combine them with the free Esplendido sauce at the Safeway deli, and use their microwave, the deal gets even better!

But I had my share of both those and Ramen - anybody else have anything that's good and cheap?

 

[cadence]

Oh and remember, cheap food is usually crap, so don't forget your vitamins (ok, most of those don't absorb properly, but take 'em anyway) and exercise.

 

[DrBowtie]

Oh and remember, cheap food is usually crap, so don't forget your vitamins (ok, most of those don't absorb properly, but take 'em anyway) and exercise.

I agree...your body will hate you if you ingest ramen. Have you seen the sodium content for 1/2 a block?

 

[ShyRem]

Sam's Club and Walmart are your friends. Or get a small chest freezer and buy meat from a butcher/farmer (you'll end up spending less per pound for choice/prime meat than for select at the grocery store and it tastes better). Also you can get stuff on sale and shove it in the freezer. Here in Colorado, turkeys go on sale around Thanksgiving for $8 for an entire 20-25 pound turkey. I buy about 6 of 'em and throw 'em in the freezer. I think if I didn't have the freezer I'd be sunk.

Also even if you have an apartment, you can put planters on the balcony or in the windows and grow some fresh veggies - they have container bush tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, bush beans, etc. that fit perfectly into pots and have been bred just for this purpose.

If nothing else, keep hard boiled eggs, baby carrots, and celery on hand - throw 'em in a lunch bag and go. Best part is all three of those are cheap and good for you.

 

[FutureDocDO]

If nothing else, keep hard boiled eggs, baby carrots, and celery on hand - throw 'em in a lunch bag and go. Best part is all three of those are cheap and good for you.

Good idea.

 

[med-i-cal]

As opposed to living like a poor student now, and a wealthy doctor later, I think I prefer to live as decent as possible now and have a bit more to pay off after school.

 

[medhacker]

As usual, at the end it boils down to personal philosophy

 

[Canuck99]

As opposed to living like a poor student now, and a wealthy doctor later, I think I prefer to live as decent as possible now and have a bit more to pay off after school.

yup, good idea.

 

[cadence]

Dear Lord, who let the Canadians on the boards

 

[Spankete87]

Things like rice, potatos, mac'n cheese, beans, carrots, yogurt, and oatmeal are all pretty cheap and pretty healthy for you. Plus the rice fills you up! I like to make blackbeans and rice (you can throw some sausage/chicken if you desire) - it fills you up but keeps you healthy! SOOO much better than Ramen (since Ramen does virtually nothing to your hunger because all it is is water and sodium) - although I do like Ramen from time to time.

I think the major thing when trying to save money is to avoid eating out at every meal......I can spend $40-50 at the grocery store (buying vegetables and decent food) and have breakfast,lunch and dinner for over a week! Even at $50 - that turns out to be about $2.40 a meal.

 

[gottalovemilk]

I cook from scratch. No pre-made food for me. It is not hard to cook and the fact that people are living off of mac and cheese or ramen is sad. The time it takes to cook pre-made food is the same amt as cooking from scratch. It is also healthier from scratch since you actually know wtf is in the food. Plus, chicks dig it if you know how to cook!

 

[PhDtoDO]

I can't and I won't!

I've been living like a student my whole life...I have tons of student loans and I am now on a 20,000 a year grad stipend with a little extra on the side. If they think I can survive on 12,500 a year in the Bay Area? No way.

If I need an extra 10,00 a year in loans to at least have the same income next year as now in a much more expensive area of the country...so be it.

And the irony is I'll still be living like a student!

To each his own.

-sarah
TUCOM
2010

 

[Luv2Dance]

hey does the concept of "freshman 20" in undergrad generaly apply to the first year medical students in terms of weight gain? i hope not!

 

[OSUdoc08]

hey does the concept of "freshman 20" in undergrad generaly apply to the first year medical students in terms of weight gain? i hope not!

I lost 25 pounds in the first year due to diet.

Some girl who calls herself "Dr. Barbie" and has a pink doctor's bag looked like she gained 25 pounds, but then got lipo over the summer. The lipo wasn't enough.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Oh and remember, cheap food is usually crap, so don't forget your vitamins (ok, most of those don't absorb properly, but take 'em anyway) and exercise.

beans, especially dried, are super cheap and delicious. i think i'll be making lots of lentil soup next year. and a cheaper (and yummier) alternative for pb&j is pb & honey.

 

[scpod]

beans, especially dried, are super cheap and delicious. i think i'll be making lots of lentil soup next year. and a cheaper (and yummier) alternative for pb&j is pb & honey.

Plus, there's a concept here in the south we call the "day old bread store" where you can get loaves of bread super cheap!!! You can get three loaves for under a dollar-- lots of sandwhiches!!!

 

[UserNameNeeded]

I might work 4-6 hours/week so I'm not broke. Need some sort of income to pay for car, gas, insurance,parking, repairing car to travel to school and rotations.

When you start working, lemme know what it is and where it's at. I need a job like that!