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You've spent at least 8 years (8!!!), at least $200k. You've hauled ass doing volunteer work, lab work. You've survived dedicated step 1, you snuck through neuroanatomy, you've memorized the Krebs cycle 15 times.
You have worked so hard.
1/ https://twitter.com/jbcarmody/status/1328007896941125632
You have worked so hard.
1/ https://twitter.com/jbcarmody/status/1328007896941125632
Everything that you've done -- for some people, everything they think they are -- boils down to a packet of paper printed out for some PD to sit and read and judge in 2 minutes.
A decade of work, sweat, tears -- it comes down to this.
It's pretty fucking stressful.
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A decade of work, sweat, tears -- it comes down to this.
It's pretty fucking stressful.
2/
And what happens if you don't Match?
Avg 4-yr cost
public: $250,222
private: $330,180
The median debt was $200,000 in 2019.
These numbers are all pulled from the AAMC 2020 Update to the Physician Education Debt report: https://store.aamc.org/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/368/
3/
Avg 4-yr cost
public: $250,222
private: $330,180
The median debt was $200,000 in 2019.
These numbers are all pulled from the AAMC 2020 Update to the Physician Education Debt report: https://store.aamc.org/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/368/
3/
The median income of college grads 25-35yo in 2018 was $54,700. That's a monthly income of ~$3400.
To pay back $200,000 debt w/ ~6% interest in 10 years requires a monthly payment of ~$2200.
That leaves ~$1200/month left for... everything else.
Oof.
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To pay back $200,000 debt w/ ~6% interest in 10 years requires a monthly payment of ~$2200.
That leaves ~$1200/month left for... everything else.
Oof.
4/
Is this a good time to drop in a note how increased debt is associated with worse mental health?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6609129/
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6609129/
5/
Yes, there is IBR and other loan programs, including PSLF -- those only work for federal loans, and there is a lot of uncertainty regarding PSLF.
We won't know for years if PSLF will be around for current med school grads, and the mental stress is now.
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We won't know for years if PSLF will be around for current med school grads, and the mental stress is now.
6/
There's not a lot you can do if you don't match. You technically have a medical degree, but you're not board-eligible, you can't take step/level 3, and you definitely can't do fellowship.
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So: You've poured your life into this dream, you've made a massive bet on yourself to see it through, and if you lose you'll be in a financial sinkhole.
To make everything you've done worth something, you have to make it through the Match.
Good system, huh?
fin/
To make everything you've done worth something, you have to make it through the Match.
Good system, huh?
fin/
