William Carey University (WCUCOM) vs AZCOM ($124,000 Tuition Difference)

[rca123]

I have only been accepted to these two schools. AZCOM is obviously the better school on most standards, but after taking a look at their matches, it seems that a comparable number to AZCOM of WCU students match into the more competitive residencies. I prefer AZCOM on every aspect but I am terrified of the $30,000 a year tuition difference. Does it make sense to get into an additional $124000 of debt to go to AZCOM?

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[SallySanitary]

Total debt matters more than relative debt. If you already have debt or you have to take the full COA out in loans, then WCU might be a more financially sound option.

While debt sounds scary, doctors do it all the time. You'll graduate*, and you might have to live modestly for longer than your cohort. Some get it paid off working 10 years at PSLF qualifying employers or choosing/matching a high paying specialty, but those pathways aren't for everyone.

 

[Grogu]

The debt is only one aspect of your decision, I would also consider the other factors between programs like differences in living, support systems you might have nearby, and where is likely to set you up more for success (education wise and personal happiness). I'd take 100K in debt in a heartbeat if I was living in a place I wanted to be, with a good support system for my family vs somewhere I had little support and was truly unhappy for 4yrs.

 

[SallySanitary]

The debt is only one aspect of your decision, I would also consider the other factors between programs like differences in living, support systems you might have nearby, and where is likely to set you up more for success (education wise and personal happiness). I'd take 100K in debt in a heartbeat if I was living in a place I wanted to be, with a good support system for my family vs somewhere I had little support and was truly unhappy for 4yrs.

@rca123 clearly prefers AZCOM. I mean I'd choose AZCOM if presented with those two choices (I'm from socal and they have rotations in LA).

However, the cost difference is significant, and there's a financial reality beyond four years. 100k is easily 150k once finishing residency. Average indebtedness at AZCOM is over 300k. Debt can affect how you live, where you live, and where you work for 10 years after you graduate.

 

[rca123]

@SallySanitary @Grogu graduated undergrad with no debt, and my parents are willing to pay up to the tuition of WCU as well as my cost of living in either place. I would also be taking the 124,000 difference as a loan from my parents at no interest to be paid back to them in the years following my residency. The cost of living is pretty similar between the two locations. Personally I can ignore the location factor. I was previously in Houston so Mississippi isn’t too far off in some aspects. I may even enjoy Mississippi more, who knows. The ultimate deciding factor is whether AZCOM would present me with significantly greater opportunities to pursue residencies other than primary care, considering that WCU is a primary care oriented medical school. I am willing to deal with some inconveniences to save all that money, as long as the opportunity loss isn’t significant.