How Do I Go To Medical School Debt-Free?

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[ZVMed]

I’m a med student. One does not simply finish med school debt free. Unless you do a military scholarship or are VERY wealthy

[sarahkong]

I agree with Dave on mostly every except this. I was premed for years. Applied for many scholarships got none. The cheapest med school in my area was $52k per year. You are not allowed to work, so if you dont get scholarships and dont have a rich family, who has 200k lying around?

[skwerlee]

This is an area where Dave has to KNOW he's wrong on this issue, but he's too proud to admit publicly that his plan doesn't work for med school. On the other hand if Dave truly believes what he's saying on this topic then it just shows how completely out of touch with reality he is.

[javierhuizar]

I'm sorry Dave, but that is not what an MD-PhD is. Very misinformed.

[ASLunar]

This was a bad take.

Scholarships and fellowships are not widely available for graduate degrees, and Kristina's book that Dave recommended shows she was precisely the type of person able to win many scholarships: dad died when she was a kid, family impoverished, is a minority, won a beauty pageant, etc. It's like they found one person who was able to do it and thought that could be the norm.

[docgravenshmit]

I'm a medical doctor. I borrowed money to go to medical school. It was a good decision for me. There is no way you can work your way through medical school. Tuition is costly and you really don't have the time to work a job on the side. This is an instance where I don't agree with Dave. That being said, I would not recommend going into debt for undergraduate. Go to community college and state schools. I agree with Dave there. An undergraduate degree is not worth going into debt for.

[Mr_Fairdale]

I know this is Dave’s brand, but taking on some debt is not the end of the world. Just make sure the juice is worth the squeeze beforehand and have a plan to pay back the bad debt once you’re in the field.

[MRDDev]

Really evaluate going to medical school, only do it if is your passion. I speak as a former doctor who know many doctors who are burned out or always thinking about vacation

[GR-ucgq]

I remember a caller called Dave with medical debt but failed his boards multiple times. All that debt and no medical degree. That's rough

[rosiej.]

I work with physician recruitment and the only one I know who graduated debt free (other then the ones whos parents paid) he and his dad started a trucking company. He drove truck when not in school and his dad grew the business so they hired more drivers etc. He was debt free. Most large clinics (the types of hospitals who employe their physicians) will offer some tuition repayment. I have seen anything from $100k to $250k. You have to stay working their or pay back a protion etc. But maybe not need to be 100% debt free but then find a recruitement who will pay back some loans. Also some large clinics will pay you while you are in your final 1-2 years of school to guarentee you sign with them, depending on your speciality.

[stevenporter]

Agreeed with Dave 100% until he made it sound everyone can get scholarships totaling a half a million dollars if they apply enough.

[edwardmauer]

This is one area where Dave is kinda wrong. If you have a very decent shot of becoming a doctor and making bank, medical school debt is totally fine.
Going into debt 100K for a job that pays 50k is when the numbers don't make sense.

[jordanharirchi]

The demand for med school is through the roof. There are very few scholarships. Dave will focus on all these rare opportunities because he can't say what he knows to be true: If you go to med school, you WILL incur debt. Also, I love that half court shot at the end by Rachel saying she's met people who have gone to med school and had it paid for, saying she always asks how, then proceeds to literally offer no solutions.

[sorenesschampion]

Sold my business and house, now 2nd year med student and am on track to be debt free throughout. Not everyone wants to go to med school when they are 40 though. Haha!

[bismarkyeboah]

😂😂😂MD PHD is not just about teaching. Dave just be making life sound much easier than it is😂😂

[totallythandi]

I'm in med school. I think the goal isn't to go completely debt free but as little debt as possible. Working summers before/during (healthcare related jobs make it a win-win), minimizing costs of living, travel, etc. And just making the smartest move you can each step. There's broke college student and then there's the med school edition 😅 But focus on making the long term investment of your medical career work first.

[gil]

The bigger issue is the master's degree. Medical school is an investment and an expense, you will likely go into debt for it. If you are decent with money you will have zero problems paying off your debt. The master's degrees are often very expensive and in no way guarantee your acceptance to medical school and can leave you with a lot of debt and a degree that won't help you pay it off.

[christiancoleman]

This title is hilarious. It’s impossible unless you come from old money or your parents are making bank in their careers to cash flow you

[peterodriscoll]

A military scholarship is a very common way to graduate debt free. You have to serve for the length of years your med school took to complete, and sometimes one year extra. But to serve as a military doc for 4-6 years with zero debt (and making a decent salary to boot) is a small price to pay for not having to take on 200-300+ dollars in debt. Also, the military scholarships are not stupid hard to get. The military is hurting for docs right now, so now is a good time to join.

[duffdean]

My son went to med school in Texas, he is doing his residency at a state institution, there is debt forgiveness after working for the state for ten years, not completely but a huge chunk.