Oh wow, that sounds amazing! I didn’t know New Mexico had such great programs - thank you so much for letting me know!
And, if I ended up going to UNM med school, would I be paying the in state tuition or the out of state tuition?
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Got it, thank you! Will try to take out federal loans as much as possible
Thank you for the advice!
The drop date is right before the second class, so if the first class is too hard, I’ll look into dropping it - can’t risk lowering the college school GPA probably
True - I heard that at MIT/Caltech, the average student spends 60+ hours studying, so that would probably leave me with no time to do med school-related extracurriculars. It’s also true that I should focus on getting the end goal, rather than some name-brand school that would make it harder to achieve! Thanks so much for changing my perspective on this
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Oh okay, good to know! Somehow I never saw anything about PSLF being suspended, but maybe not looking in the right areas - thank you for letting me know!
If I happened to stay at the academic institution I was at during my residency, that would qualify as a non-profit, right? The caveat is that it might be hard to switch to private practice then..
Probably shouldn’t depend on PSLF haha
Oh ok thank you!! Removed Caltech, MIT, CMU from my list. Keeping Georgia Tech just for the Stamps scholarship (for now) but might remove later
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Thank you for the advice! Yes, I’ve realized it’s important to keep the debt low while working towards the same goal
Got it, thank you for the information! This will probably change again before I go to med school, right?
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Sounds great, thank you!
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Maybe these already have been suggested…
You have CMU on your list. Have you considered University of Pittsburgh…located very near CMU? Pitt does proved decent merit scholarships. Apply as soon as their application opens this summer and you will have a decision very quickly with your financial merit aid, if you are receiving it.
I would also suggest Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Again, they do offer good merit aid to attract great students like you. You will need to show interest to CWRU! Very important. School is located in Cleveland. University Hospital is located on campus and they are minutes from Cleveland Clinic.
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OOS for the first year, unless you’ve lived in NM as full-time, self supporting resident for 1 year prior to starting med school. Med students are able to have their residency status adjusted after 1 year.
There are 2 exceptions:
If your spouse or the parent who supports you
- is a member of the armed forces and is stationed in New Mexico
- works in public service job in New Mexico (public school employee, state dept of public health employee, fire or police dept employee, etc.)
In these cases, you would qualify for in-state tuition.
Instate tuition for med school is $15,328 +$3800 fees + mandatory health insurance.
OOS tuition is $44,024 + $3800 fees + health insurance. (That’s still less than the in-state tuition at a CA public med school.)
As a full time undergrad, you cannot qualify for in-state status UNLESS you are an independent student. (Means you receive no financial support from your parents and are not included on their state and federal tax returns as dependent. )
I know a young man who just finished his MS1 year at UNM SOM. He graduated from UNM (on the Amigo Scholarship), went back to CA where he worked for 3 or 4 years as a paramedic, then applied to med school. Got shut out of every single CA med school (including on that recruits exclusively from his region–Inland Empire), but was accepted at UNM. He married his longtime CA GF right before med school and when she got a job as a special ed teacher with ABQ Public Schools, he automatically qualified for in-state tuition.
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Only if they hired you as part of the teaching faculty** and a direct W-2 employee.
**Even at academic hospitals, not all “hospital employees” or “faculty” are direct W-2 employees. Many work for a CMG or a physician-owned practice group that works for the hospital. Both of those would disqualify you from PSLF eligibility.
Switching from academic practice to private practice isn’t difficult. Academic medical practice pays less, often substantially less than private practice. Switching from private practice to academic practice is more difficult.
BTW, Staying at the academic facility where you train is a pretty big assumption. The number of academic positions is quite limited and there is a LOT of politics involved in who gets hired for those positions. (Those positions are required by law to be advertised publicly before they are filled.)
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Private practices are going the way of the dinosaur around here. Hospital systems are gobbling up private practices left right and center.
My PCP just joined a system. She is now a salaried employee with sick and vacation time. She doesn’t have the overhead of running her own office. She frankly told me…she loved seeing the patients, but was tired of the other stuff it took to run a private practice.
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On the pricier end of things, Rice is another elite university that does give some merit. Could be worth a try, as it’s phenomenal for premed, not least because it’s walking distance from the largest medical center complex in the world. In my Rice kid’s friend group, quite a few were premed (mine was not - she considered it for a hot second at her dad’s behest, and then remembered, “Oh, never mind - I am me and this is not me!”)… and I can’t think of a single one of the premed friends who is not a doctor now.
The odds of Rice matching or beating the cost of a UC, even with merit, are very low… but the student experience is fantastic, so it might be worth considering. I know a guy who turned down Stanford for Rice years ago - to his parents’ shock - never regretted it for a second, and is a nephrologist now. Rice really does well by its undergrads, more so than many top research universities that are more graduate-focused.
At the same time, I wouldn’t hesitate to follow the money to someplace like UNM! You aren’t going to need an “elite” undergrad school to do well.
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“Other stuff” including dealing with insurance companies, which seems like it would be a relatively large burden on a small practice, but a smaller burden (per physician) in a large practice with a dedicated billing and insurance department handling that for all physicians at the practice?
This thread is veering off into personal anecdotes that don’t serve the OP’s query. Please leave the off-topic discussions aside so we can focus on answering the actual prompt.
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I suggest adding Pitt. It’s a great school in a nice city with a lot to offer, and you may get merit. It is important to apply early.
Chancing you for your reaches is impossible, despite being a strong candidate. Apply and see what happens!
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Congrats on your academic achievements to date! Being able to work hard consistently is a necessary skill for becoming a doctor. I’m surprised that you don’t think your recommendations will be strong.
Taking organic chemistry in a condensed, accelerated format will require the same level of studying as a full-time job. Since you took AP Chem, I’m wondering if the first class will be enough to get a good handle on the level of course difficulty. You may want to talk to the professor about that. Did you take the AP Chem test?
I think that becoming a CNA is a great way to get direct contact with patients and help confirm your interest in medicine. However, I suggest you wait until your college applications are in before you start the 160-hour CNA program. Your best bet, IMO, is to focus on the organic chem course and start your application essays this summer. You will likely want to apply early for certain opportunities while maintaining your grades. You can list the CNA as a planned activity for senior year.
I understand your interest in the Brown program, but it might leave you with half a million dollars in debt when you factor in yearly tuition increases. You’ve mentioned you want to avoid that level of debt, but you are certain about becoming a doctor. Here are two programs you may want to check out:
University of Cincinnati: They offer a highly competitive, full-ride Presidential Scholarship (20 students chosen annually) for undergrad. The competitive BS/MD Connections track requires a separate application, accepting only 4–10 students per cohort. To matriculate into the medical school, you must maintain a 3.5+ GPA and score at least a 507 on the MCAT. The good news is that after living and attending college in Ohio for four years, reclassifying as an independent student makes it very easy to pay the in-state rate starting your first year of medical school. Be sure to apply by the November 1 Early Action deadline to maximize your scholarship eligibility, and I highly suggest looking closely through the financial aid section of their website.
University of Arizona: This is an accelerated, 7-year APME program. You complete all of your medical school prerequisites during your first three years before transitioning to medical school in Year 4. You do not need to earn a bachelor’s degree, nor do you need to take the MCAT. However, you must maintain a 3.5+ GPA in your required coursework and accumulate strong extracurricular hours (shadowing, clinical service, etc.) during those first three years.
Establishing Arizona residency while enrolled in this track is exceptionally difficult, so you should plan on paying out-of-state rates for medical school. Your elite stats qualify you for Arizona’s highest automatic undergraduate merit scholarship, but you should look closely at competitive options like the Stamps Scholarship. Just note that while the university has a November 1 Early Action deadline for the APME program, the Stamps application may require you to submit your general university application even earlier. You will need to check on that. Finally, applying to the W.A. Franke Honors College opens up additional scholarship possibilities, which will require an extra essay.
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Well, it looks like U of AZ is out now. Cuts to college funding are resulting in cuts to funding for OOS students. It won’t be a good deal for you now. Also, I mistakenly read Arizona resident & US Citizen as plurals when I skimmed through the Stamps Scholarship. Apparently they only offer it instate.
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I would validate OOS scholarships (which they publish) and determine likelihood of pricing increases (they used to lock it) vs. assuming based on an article….in other words, do a bit more research.