Quote:
Originally Posted by MattMD
Thanks for the input guys!
My family has an income of $300k /yr, so I'm not sure if I'll be bogged down in loans. I'm pretty sure they will pay my undergrad wherever I go. I'd like to save them money if I can though because med school is very expensive. At Alabama I am looking at a 2/3rds tuition scholarship and a full tuition scholarship if I raise my CR+M SAT score by 60 points. At Miami I might be looking at $5-20,000 in merit, especially if I raise my CR+M by 60 points.
Do you guys have any input on the med/dental school ROTC programs? My dad was Air Force ROTC for his engineering degree and always brings it up for med/dental school for me. I think as a doctor (Surgeon, ideally) I could pay the loans off quicker in practice than having to get paid a government check for 4 years. I know the matching system is different and my a chosen specialty may not be available. 4 years in the reserves after also concerns me because what if I have a practice? I couldn't just leave if the arguers in Washington go to war with someone. However, as a dentist, it makes way more sense.
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Comparison for you:
A friend and I went through UW undergrad together. Both of us were prior service enlisted. He went to USUHS while I went to a private med school. He got paid over 40k annually while I paid 40k annually and lived on 8k alternative loans to eat.
After graduation he did his medicine residency followed by a GI fellowship. Now he is paying back his 4 or 6 years or whatever it is while working in Western WA. He makes around $200k last I heard. The GI partners I have make double that. If Uncle Sam wants him to go to Afghanistan, he's going to Afghanistan.
I graduated a quarter million in debt but it's at 2.25% so I'm in no hurry to pay it back. I'll be debt free when I'm 67 but at that age, a hundred thou might by a Prius. I'm an ENT and jobs are relatively abundant. I make double what he does. He's still technically ahead of me financially and we'll probably end up even down the road but I have my freedom. I have great issues with getting blown up by some suicidal asshole and our war on terror is far from over. Freedom trumps the money for me. Besides, if you get some help with tuition it will be even less of an issue for you.
And regarding the post about the person struggling through the bio stuff in med school: most struggle. You cover more info in the first year of med school than you'll cover in undergrad. As long as you get the prereq's, which include biochemistry, you should do fine. Getting a Chem degree will help a little with the first year stuff but that's it.