Is medical school, nursing school, or other para-medical schools worth the cost?
Medical school can cost upwards of $50,000 a year.
Nursing school is the same as a regular school, but may take longer to do all of the prerequisites and be admitted.
A para-medical school, like medical technology, physical therapy, may be slightly less than medical school, but on the same campuses.
Are all of these worth it?
Nursing school is by far the best bet. There is a nursing shortage in a lot of states, and job security is a plus. Nurses can make up to $80,000 to $100,000 in just a couple of years. That’s a good pay off.
Para-medical schools are basically the same, but may be more expensive to attend. Still, physical therapy and medical technology is a growing field. Good paying jobs are out there.
How about medical or dental school?
The cost is very prohibitive. Not only do you need to get a four year degree first, which can put you in debt at $15,000 a year, but then you do four years medical school at about $50,000.
Yes, medical and dental school financial aid abounds. From loans to grants, and everything in between. But most students will borrow nearly $150,000 or so to complete the medical or dental school.
Then for doctors, comes internships and residencies. These can take up to four to eight years to complete. And you don’t make much money while doing that. Your biggest earning years come about 15 to 20 years later. Think about this as you are getting ready to apply to medical school.
Dentists can get to a good job sooner, but still have the debts, and top out lower than most doctors.
There are also many ways to get a student loan forgiven by working in an underserved area or field. But, the pay will be quite low compared to other medical positions.
So, think long and hard about becoming a doctor. It can pay off quite well, but the payoff is normally years down the road.
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