Medical School... a little late and with a LOT of debt

[Humpy]

My advice would be to quit fucking around. What have you done to accomplish your goal besides post on ATOT and Google some stuff? Fall semester already started. I assume you are posting during a break between classes where you are rebuilding your transcript with A's.

I would much rather be 42 years old and $600K in debt with a medical degree than 42 years old and $150K in debt with a job at Applebee's.

 

[BudAshes]

You can get a phd in physical therapy in about 2.5 years once you have a degree. Might be something to think about if a bachelors in science isn't too out of reach. Most of the programs have you fully working in the field as part of the phd program as well.

 

[bonkers325]

If you're $200k in debt w/ a sick wife and 3 children, how are you going to support your family for the next 7-8 years if you're in school making $0/year? If you borrow more to cover living expenses, you'll easily come out of school with over half a million in debt. You'll be saddled with an equivalent of a mortgage loan on a $500,000 house. But without the house.

You make about $50k for the first 5 years as a resident, then it doubles to $100k and eventually rises to $250k (anesthesiologist). So you're looking at about 20 years of very frugal living until your salary can independently support your family and your loans.

But kudos to you for thinking positively and trying to fight your way through. It's not impossible. There are scholarships and grants and if you're as smart as you say you can definitely get help from the school! You might also want to look into training as an anesthesiologist technician, which also pays well but requires less formal education.

 

[Proprioceptive]

My advice would be to quit fucking around. What have you done to accomplish your goal besides post on ATOT and Google some stuff? Fall semester already started. I assume you are posting during a break between classes where you are rebuilding your transcript with A's.

I would much rather be 42 years old and $600K in debt with a medical degree than 42 years old and $150K in debt with a job at Applebee's.

This was my initial thought. I'm not in classes now because my wife is in school for nursing. We haven't made the final decision just yet. We're just looking at all the options. So far you all have given me a lot of food for thought.

 

[Albatross]

Jesus,edumacation in USA is big business.

 

[Vdubchaos]

This was my initial thought. I'm not in classes now because my wife is in school for nursing. We haven't made the final decision just yet. We're just looking at all the options. So far you all have given me a lot of food for thought.

Keep in mind that your wife's condition will most likely put your mountain of debt into another hemisphere.....

Even if you have the greatest health insurance on the planet, plan on it to go thru the roof in coming years or even lose it all together.

Health debacle is RIGHT around the corner......

 

[sdifox]

are you nuts?

 

[sze5003]

Med school for you is not a good idea. You already have a ton of debt and no medical pre req classes.

I was going to do med school but I decoded to go to a big university and instead of balancing out my classes I took all the med and math classes all at once. Big mistake. I could have done it but not with straight A's. I also liked the IT and development option more.

My friend took his pre req classes and went to med school in the Caribbean. He didn't seem like the smart type all the time I've known him but he was focused and studied. He came back from Caribbean and took the smle exams and did fine. Now he is in his residency. He's the only one out of all my med school friends who are not actually still in school.

But you have to study on your own and be super focused if you go the faster Caribbean route. You may not as prepared there as you would be in a US med school.

 

[foghorn67]

Sorry. Medical school will break you.

Perfectly sane people can barely eek by if they have to go by their own merits and finances.

You couldn't even hack through enough credits to get a teacher's credential.

Let me tell you something about good, strong mental health. You NEEDING to be a doctor, won't solve your problems. In fact, it's just a sign you are in bigger trouble then you were before.
You rationalizing this is a big ominous billboard with neon lights.

You want to know what people are like that exhibit strong mental health? They look for a practical solution to the problem at hand. No delusions of grandeur, no compulsive behavior, and not resorting to rationalizing hail Mary passes in big, life defining choices.

You are not equipped to do this.
Don't take it personally. At one time, if you committed to it, you probably could have done it. But choices have consequences, and you can't undo them all. Nobody is saying you aren't smart enough, but you aren't smart enough.

Med school will tasks every facet of every skill you have.
-Studying. Okay, you may be smart enough for that....but...
-Time management. If you had the luxury of taking one class at a time until you got your M.D....then every one would be a doctor. But that won't work, because you would be 97 years old when you're done with school.
-Family - You got three kids on the teat. Where are you going to find time to be a dad? 12 years of non-existence won't do your kids good. Your parents are going to raise them. No matter how communal and old world cool that sounds, that's fucked. Your kids need a dad.
-Wife- She is sick and might need further attention in the near future. How in the hell do you think you are going to manage that while going through med school?
-Roof- It's your parents. As cruel as it sounds, they could flip like a switch and boot you. Or intervene on your compulsive behavior and make life hell because you won't be realistic. Not easy to study under those circumstances.

Like I said, at one time you probably had the genetic traits, the nurture and the right early developmental learning to make you smart. But you screwed up. You can't erase yourself back into med school.

The Fix:
Get out of your parents house. Get out. The only way to do this, is if you and your wife handle this on your own. Why is that important? Two reasons.
You're a depressed sap, because you can't do anything on your own. No confidence, none. You pretend that you have, but it's false. Why do I know that, because you haven't tried anything else but dream of shit that will make you fail. You are afraid of failure. So afraid it, you can't pick something that ordinary people can't fail at (only in your head). So you picked med school? WTF?

So pick something realistic. Realism isn't a guarantee. If you screw up, pick something else. Just don't half ass it. Know the difference between seeing something to an end and knowing when to quit.

You are being enabled into doom.

 

[PricklyPete]

Sorry to hear about your situation OP. 200k in student loan debt is unbelievably overbearing...even with a decent 4 year degree. Without one to show for any of it, I could not imagine the pressure.

Going way farther into debt seems ludicrous.

My suggestion, see how much of your current credits could help you into getting a nursing degree. Try to gets 4 year nursing degree in the next 2-3 years...and bank roll it with whatever jobs you can take while in school.

Once you have your degree work as much overtime as toucan find (maybe even split your time between hospitals to maximize pay). Pay down your current loans as much as possible.

If you are enjoying the medical field after 3 years or so (and a good amount of debt reduction)... Start looking into CRNA school (nurse anesthetist). My sister just finished CRNA school ~2 years and $135k in costs) and is now making about $110/hr working as a 1099 for a hospital in TX. Most weeks she works well over 40 hours. She doesn't want to be in TX forever, but should have all of her student loans paid off and a nice down payment on a house in 3 years or less.

This nets you a good income, much less debt, and actually doing the work that anesthesiologist get paid for.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Harsh, but you summed it up proper Foghorn67

 

[ShreddedWheat]

I'm going to suggest something more away from the norm of this discussion. I agree med school is not the way to go as you will be very far in debt, residency and everything else. You are going to be so stressed out studying that you are not going to have time for your wife that is sick or being there for your kids....your life is going to pass you by while you wait to make the almighty dollar; when you finally get there you are going to be alot older. With Obamacare, foreigner doctors (undercutting $),etc....a doctor's life might not be so great by the time you would get out.

You didn't mention if you work in quick service managment or full service, etc.... There are plenty of different roads to take where you are at right now if you bust your ass to move up. District manager in quick service might be 60k+, full service 70k+. Take your experience and go into restaurant management in the hotel industry and work your way up to a GM position. Heck a GM in a Hilton/Marriott large hotel is going to make 80-100k+ a year.

As I said my 2 cents and different than others....whatever you decide be realistic!

 

[BigDH01]

So, here I am getting ready to turn 30. I started college back in 2003 with hopes of becoming a teacher, but fell out of love with it. Then I started having issues with depression which subsequently affected my schooling. I married in 2006 and now have three kids. I spent years in and out of school living off of part-time jobs and private student loans. Yes, I know this was stupid, but... well, I was stupid.

And it looks like you were closest to graduating with a degree in GIS before you fell out of love with that too. So how far into your 12 years of needed schooling do you think it will be before you fall out of love with medicine?

And yes, having three children living off of student loans (especially private) is stupid. You will likely never financially recover, but I'm not going to dwell on the stupidity of these decisions too much.

I stopped going to school altogether back in 2011 when my wife expressed interest in going into the Army's MSW program. We spent a year applying and she was going to be accepted until she came down with meningoencephalitis. She was in the hospital for two months and the Army would no longer take her. Now we may be looking at a possible diagnosis of relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis. A lot of things have changed in my life lately that have made me want to go back to school and actually succeed.

I'm glad you have a drive to succeed, but you need to realize that at your age and with your debt load it's possible a college degree would not pay off at this point.

I've tackled my depression and believe I can finally live up to my potential. I've been working the last two years as a manager for a chain restaurant. but the pay is horrible and our debts are ridiculously high. We have $200k+ in student debt (the VAST majority of this is accrued interest which has capitalized as we've been on deferment). A lot of this was just our fault for not being smart with money when we were younger. We're fortunate enough to have parents who have let us live with them rent free until we're financially able to find our own place. My wife is trying to get into nursing school, but her illness may prevent her from actually getting there. I need to step up and step up BIG.

She's also going to have to step up. A large part of your student loan debt came from accrued interest. How do you think that will look in another 4 years (regular degree) or 12 years (medical degree) of deferment? And, of course, none of this debt is dischargeable. You ready to have non-dischargeable debt levels approaching half a million or more before you even get started with a career? And that's if it actually pays off. A ton of younger people with freshly minted degrees are working a job like the one you have now. Do you think your situation will be any better if you just added more non-dischargeable high interest debt?

I have 8 years of awful transcript that would be laughed at by any institution of higher learning. I'm currently contacting the university to see if there is a way for me to wipe my slate clean so that I can start over. I know this is a long shot, but it's worth a try. I'm seriously looking into the field of anesthesiology and know this will take 12 years of schooling, but I'm willing to put in the work and time. I'm older for getting into this field, but I don't think this will be an issue. I think the biggest issue is the debt we already have. I can't file for bankruptcy with private student loans, so that's out of the question. I'm doing research, but right now I feel so out of my element and I'm reaching out to friends and family to find out how to accomplish this goal. Maybe someone in this community has experience with this and can give me some advice.

Your age, and your life circumstances, are an issue. You'd be starting a twelve year schooling program with mountains of existing high interest debt. And because you now have a wife (who isn't working) and three kids, you already have mountains of time and monetary obligations. It's a struggle for young kids who have none of this going against them to become doctors.

At this point in your life you need to make more money but you need to try and move into a new career on someone else's dime. Try to become an apprentice, or look into your CDL as mentioned elsewhere in this thread. You might have to move to a 'hot' location, namely the oil fields. Your history suggests that you either can't academically handle school or aren't motivated to do so. Schools aren't going to tell you this when you approach them about enrolling for an undergraduate degree that you can't hack it or that you are in too much debt already, but you need to seriously think about this.

 

[Ns1]

private student loans = variable interest rate?

if so grab your ankles now. might as well plan to be a career student that way you don't have to pay that shit back lol

 

[nanette1985]

I have amazing family around me and a LOT of support if needed. I know that my time away from my family won't be as much of an issue as some would imagine. Since coming forward with my issues, I've seen a lot of support.



Normally I would agree about not going to med school, but fortunately I'm a very smart person and more than capable for the medical field. My issues were motivational and anxiety based. These are issues I have tackled and can manage.



Money is a factor, but I also want to work in the medical field.

You want money? Just write that book about how you cured your motivational depression and anxiety issues? And if your method actually works, you will be helping a lot of people.

Just get a mail-order PhD in something, and you can call yourself a Doctor.

Good luck.

 

[Mxylplyx]

OP, even if you did do all the work necessary to even get into med school, by the time you finished you'd be a stranger to your kids and likely divorced. Without even an undergrad degree at this point, you've missed the boat on this kind of career change. You probably wouldn't be in the green until 50 if you did somehow pull it off. Come back to earth and consider something you don't have to trade your family and your sanity for.

 

[Doppel]

TERRIBLE idea OP. Not only will you never get in but you shouldn't want to anyway. A huge number of current MD's are recommending against the profession but even if you got in, with the debt you already have, plus what you would a acrue, you would be struggling for a good two decades. Meanwhile you have just blown your kids' childhood on med school.

That debt you have sucks but this is not the answer. You would honestly do better to try good mining in Africa. If I were you I would look into ways to never even pay that student debt and just shuffle money/savings around on the side. At this point it is akin to indentured servitude/debtors' prison and whoever kept lending you money does not deserve it back.

 

[mple]

Not going to happen. The chances of having a US MD/DO school offer you a seat in the next 4 years is about equal to winning the state lottery.

 

[sze5003]

TERRIBLE idea OP. Not only will you never get in but you shouldn't want to anyway. A huge number of current MD's are recommending against the profession but even if you got in, with the debt you already have, plus what you would a acrue, you would be struggling for a good two decades. Meanwhile you have just blown your kids' childhood on med school.

That debt you have sucks but this is not the answer. You would honestly do better to try good mining in Africa. If I were you I would look into ways to never even pay that student debt and just shuffle money/savings around on the side. At this point it is akin to indentured servitude/debtors' prison and whoever kept lending you money does not deserve it back.

Cant you go to jail for not paying back student loans ?

 

[Doppel]

Agree with foghorn67 btw. OP you may think everything is handled and in order now by with more maturity you would probably realize that these issues you have are a part of you and always will be. You are NOT cut out for med school. Not because you lack brains but you lack the day in day out desire to push tirelessly to a long term goal. Don't believe me? When was the last time you stuck with something for a long period of time, didn't slack from it, and just kept grinding at it? How many times have you done that? Couch to marathon program or learned an advanced piece on the piano with no prior knowledge of it or taught yourself from scratch how to build something impressive?

 

[Doppel]

Cant you go to jail for not paying back student loans ?

Meh frankly I am not sure. My financial advice on paying back loans is definitely off the cuff

 

[BigDH01]

TERRIBLE idea OP. Not only will you never get in but you shouldn't want to anyway. A huge number of current MD's are recommending against the profession but even if you got in, with the debt you already have, plus what you would a acrue, you would be struggling for a good two decades. Meanwhile you have just blown your kids' childhood on med school.

That debt you have sucks but this is not the answer. You would honestly do better to try good mining in Africa. If I were you I would look into ways to never even pay that student debt and just shuffle money/savings around on the side. At this point it is akin to indentured servitude/debtors' prison and whoever kept lending you money does not deserve it back.

I would tell the OP to move to a different country to run from the debt, but migration between first world countries is exceedingly difficult. You most likely won't be able to go anywhere unless you get a skilled migrant visa which is very hard to get unless you have a degree and experience in a high-demand occupation. Africa might still be an option though, or maybe teaching English in China. At this point, it's probably safer than heading back in the higher education scam.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Why do you want to become a doctor, of all things?

 

[Lifted]

Have you ever been diagnosed with bipolar disorder?

Based on your history as you described it, you may be going through a manic phase right now. Nobody with a clear mind and an IQ over 90 would think this plan of yours is anything but insane.

Please go speak with a therapist and discuss your life plans. You appear delusional. I have a hard time believing you have family in the medical field who haven't suggested you may have mental health issues. Many issues can be successfully treated with medication, therapy, or both.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

That debt, I would just forget about it. I don't mean stop paying, but not worry about trying to pay it all off because it seems hopeless.

I would hold on to what you do have, your family, and try to make the most of it. At least you have that.

The more realistic career suggestions mentioned in this thread seem worth looking into.