How To Avoid Debt During Medical School

Medical education is expensive. Many graduates don’t only receive a diploma after finishing their studies but also a student loan bill of $ 200.000!

1. Get a job.

   You will not study more than eight hours a day, so there is time left to work.

   Try to find a job in the medical field, where you can have extremely valuable experiences.

   There are many jobs inside a hospital. You will get in contact with the medical environment and get extremely valuable insights about how stuff is working in the medical world.

   During my studies I worked as a surgical assistant in the OR making about 15 dollars an hour.

   All I did was hold retractors for several hours so the surgeon could see the whole field. I saw at least 50 thyroidectomies that way. Besides the money, it was a great opportunity to learn how things are handled in this world. What surgeons like, what they dislike. That also was a valuable experience for me.

   So where could you work? There are many options:

   For example you can work …

   …on a ward and assist nurses.
   …helping to conduct clinical trials (data collection, data management)
   …in a lab handling samples.
   …as a phlebotomist drawing blood.

    

   Other class mates of mine worked in a sleep laboratory, watching a patient sleep and collect data. During that he could even study, read or listen to medical tapes.

   Another class mate worked in a transplant center: basically he was waiting for the phone to ring, writing down an organ offer and then call the doctor in charge to present the case to him.
   During many shifts there was no offer, so he had time to study or listen to medical tapes. The possibilities are endless, just keep asking and keep your eyes open.

   You CAN earn money and get valuable insights in the medical world at the same time.

2. Keep cost low.

   Of course there is the basic stuff: live on campus, get a roommate cheap apartment, stay with parents, aunt uncle.

   Many med students start acting rich from there first semester. Let me help you with this: You are not a doctor yet! You don’t need an expensive car, or Armani suits. Not necessary.

   Don’t buy new books.

   Most of the books you need will be at the library. If you actually you think you have to buy: get a used one on Amazon or Ebay. You don’t need the newest edition either. This is true especially for preclinical subjects like Anatomy!!! (They haven’t discovered a new organ in hundred years, so any anatomy book printed after 1970 will do!)

   Don’t buy fancy gadgets.

   If grandma wants to buy you a Littmann stethoscope I don’t have problem with that. But any cheap stethoscope will do, too. I am not aware of any study that could show a correlation between the price of your stethoscope and the probability of passing the board exams.

   Cheap cloths

   During internships wear scrubs whenever possible. On the one hand you want to make a good impression, looking professional.  Many hospitals have a dress code, so your casual jeans outfit won’t be acceptable. So you have the choice of investing in a bunch of suits or scrubs. I’d choose the latter.