Paying for Medical School **WITHOUT LOANS**

After my Insta post earlier this week, I got quite a few questions about how I managed to get a full tuition scholarship to medical school. I have been meaning to give a run down on how to pay for medical school for a long time, so this is the perfect reminder...

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A post shared by Jasmine Johnson, MD (@mrsmommymd) on Dec 3, 2018 at 4:58am PST

Before I get started, I think that it is very important for those of you who are not yet familiar with the medical school process, who are interested in going to medical school, to know that YOU CANNOT WORK A JOB IN MEDICAL SCHOOL. 

I realize this is a really extreme statement, and I am a woman who prides herself in doing what others say she cannot do, but medical school requires a significant amount of time outside of class studying, and any non-related medical school job could potentially sabotage your performance. Your full time for job four years is to graduate (and maybe parent, but mostly graduate HA!). All that to say, planning to “pay as you go” is not a good plan...

Secondly, medical school is SO EXPENSIVE. Many times, students walk away with upwards of $100,000+ worth of loans. After graduation, we stare at that terrifying amount, and residency for most of us, causes us to kind of push it into the back of our minds to “deal with it later” when we think we have the mental bandwidth - usually not until we are done with training. 

Having been that resident that dealt with it later *read student loan deferment and compound interest 😩😭😰🥴😳* don’t be me. Deal with it now. Think about it now. You will thank yourself later.

Choose a school wisely (i.e. choosing in-state tuition or public institutions over private institutions).

As Indiana resident, I had significantly lower tuition than my out-of-state classmates. So, although many of apply broadly to medical schools, if you have the opportunity to receive in-state tuition, this is likely the smarter choice.

Also look for schools with amazing programs like NYU. NYU announced this past year that they were offering full tuition scholarships to all of their students...AMAZING!

Save as much money as you can BEFORE starting medical school.

I was not one of the smart ones to do this, but I frequently hear about people on the Dave Ramsey Podcast who are about to enter graduate school, and through sheer determination, were able to save a significant amount of their tuition beforehand. If you are non-traditional student with a previous career, take advantage of this!

Find Scholarships.

Scholarships to medical school are rare but they do exist! 

Scholarship sources include private companies (like insurance payers, pharmaceutical companies, organizations that tailor to special demographics), military, and the medical schools themselves. 

I was fortunate enough to be awarded two scholarships. One was from a fund established by a former  IUSM alumni whose mission was to train physicians for the underserved populations of Indiana. The second was from the general scholarship fund at IUSM. I was notified of this amazing blessing when I was offered admission to medical school. 

Finally, although this lifted a huge burden off of me as I entered medical school, I still needed to take out student loans to help cover our living expenses, so also keep that in mind. Applying for scholarships can be tedious but little by little it can make a big difference. 

Ask the schools that you are interested in about their scholarship opportunities, and here are some sites to help start your search: 

AAMC

HRSA

FastWeb

White Coat Investor
Physician on Fire

For those of you who have made the journey, how did you pay for medical school? Did you get any scholarships? If so, please share which scholarship and how someone can apply.

Readers Want to Know...Should I Do a Post-Bac/Masters Program?

Sweet baby Nate & how I did most of my post-bac studying in 2009

What is a "post-bac" or post-baccalaureate program? 

A post-bac program is formal or informal coursework that is designed for those who have completed a baccalaureate degree. You can find them in all fields, but they are known in the pre-medical community as ways to complete basic science coursework prior to medical school. A lot of times, they are intended for those with a late change of plans in college or career switch. 

Sometimes, these programs can serve as enrichment type courses to raise your science GPA or help to prepare you for medical school - similar to the program I participated in - Masters in Science of Medical Science at Indiana University. After completion of these programs students typically can obtain a certification (i.e. Nutrition or Health Sciences) or depending on the program, a Master's level degree. 

How much is tuition? 

This will vary by location. A good rule of thumb is that it will resemble college tuition with private schools costing more than state institutions. 

How can I pay for it? 

Just like with medical school, unless you have a rich uncle, you will most likely have to take out student loans for your tuition. I had a few friends that worked during our post-bac year, but remember that your goal is to bang out your courses so that you can get into medical school. If you need all of the extra time to study and get the results you want, you probably should not work.

Where can I find one? 

Sadly, formal pre-med post-bac programs are decreasing in number, but the AAMC website has a database list here: Post Bac Link and you can filter by location. 

Is a Post-Bac for me? 

Although anyone can participate in or sign up for post-bac coursework, you have to make sure it fits your needs and you get out of it the investment you put in. I think it is a great option for people who may not be ready to jump into medical school straight from undergrad, or need an extra boost in their GPA or on their resume. It is also a great option for those who have not yet completed their pre-medical coursework and need a more structured program. Make sure you do lots of research to find the program that is the best fit for you and don't be afraid to contact the program administrator to ask questions not answered on the websites.

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Hope this is helpful! You can always email me with more questions at Mrs.Mommy.MD@gmail.com and they may become a "Readers Want to Know Post"!

Doing THEE Most...

I have been on spring "break" since Friday at 3PM. I use quotations around the word "break" because it has been anything but. Well, I take that back. The first weekend off was pretty chill because I did absolutely nothing, but Sunday night I began to plan my attack on the week of Step 1 studying that I had ahead. The goal is to get through ALL 598 pages of First Aid. I am a pretty fast reader so I thought this wouldn't be so tough, but I am two days in and nowhere near where I thought I would be...

When I envisioned my break, I did NOT think I would be getting up at normal pre-break times and continuing to study. But that is what med school does to you - willingly doing THEE ABSOLUTE MOST.

If you are not familiar with this saying, Urban Dictionary defines it as:

v.) doing too much; doing more than enough; excessive

It made me think about life before med school and how my perception of doing "the most" has changed. It definitely was NOT this extreme:

Today, I laugh about the stressful "all nighters" I thought I was pulling in undergrad. First of all, why did I even need to pull all nighters?! Probably because the library was a social option and not a necessity. I know I always went to sleep before exams.


My hair was cared-for regularly and I wore make-up daily. Today? Two words, BARE. MINIMUM.

Despite having "the facts" about junk food, now I tend to eat worse than ever and hardly work out :sigh:


I took bubble baths. Don't worry, I still practice good hygiene today...haha But the luxury of relaxation comes few and far between. If I do take a bath, I usually bring my laptop with me so I can watch lectures...Sad. I know. Doing THEE Most. 

My playlists once consisted of songs. I knew I had reached a new pinnacle of professional student-ness when I had a playlist devoted to what we were studying that week in ICM. Doing THEE Most. 


Back then, I watched doctor shows because I wanted to be a doctor, and did it without critically analyzing all the medical references with regard to my new-found inside knowledge.

I could use a standard, leather-bound planner. Now, my schedule changes daily, is linked to my laptop, my phone, and two email accounts... Doing THEE Most. 

I said things like, "If I could just get to medical school this would be easier because it is actually information I'll use every day", or "things are too uncertain now to make major decisions, but in medical school things will be more stable..." Stability is relative. See reference above.

....But I am not going to complain anymore, because it is going by SO FAST. And it can only get better from here! The fourth year students I know were all posting Facebook statuses about Matching yesterday, and that got me super excited! Only two more years (....of doing the most) and that will be me!!

Ok, back to First Aid.