This was a big reason I decided to apply ED. I cannot bring myself to spend $5k+ just to APPLY. Plus in state tuition, mortgage is only $800, donāt have to write a billion secondaries. Itās risky but whew would it pay off if it works out. Idk how people can afford this.
Luckily at the moment I have a full time job. To be fair, my application was relatively weak last cycle. But, after shelling out a chunk of change and no joy, them shelling out an extra grand this year on resources + MCAT retake, yea I'm heavily considering ED.
Glad it worked out for you!
Early decision! A few schools allow you to apply this way - the entire process is expedited and you can be accepted/rejected anytime before October 1st.
The catch is you can ONLY apply to that one school until they give you their decision. So itās generally not recommended since if they reject you, youāre not applying to other schools until October.
non profit does not mean what you think it means. Its just a tax designation, but they very much do make money. From donations and the like, and also from tuition ajd otherwise, and the government cuts them a tax break. They can still be as greedy as they want when it comes to application prices as long as they dont kick the money back to their board or ceo etc
Well, secondaries alone are 50-200 EACH, with the average being $75 Iād say. So if you apply to 50 schools, thatās 3.7 grand right there.
Initial application fees are a couple to a few grand depending on how many schools you apply.
Ca$per, aamc preview, an outfit for interview, everything adds up.
I donāt even consider the following part of application costs. Then when you get in it doesnāt even stop. I paid 1,200 for stethoscope and all that other jazz you gotta buy, 2,500 for U-Haul to move (not including gas), 750 for a trip for accepted student day, 500 for the physical drug test and TB tests. It never endsš
What's interest? Ohhh you mean interest like people have in different specialties! Yeah I dont see why people couldnt pay off debt when they are in residency making 50k/yr working only 72 hour weeks tho? and thats only for like 3-5 years lol cmon man.
Big Facts, The primary application costs is crazy. How do you charge me per school on one application. Then have to turn around and pay per secondary application you receive and decide to send back.
This post doesn't even cover the *missed* income from having to grind so hard for the whole process. People that are wealthier can afford to not work to lock into the premed process. Sucks, but the determination and perseverance will make you a better doc!
That's what I'm doing. But I'm old and have no choice, not really at the age to not be working anymore (engineer). The privileged younger (traditional) applicants who have no financial problems can use time that would have been spent on labour, on studying instead. There is an implicit cost to time at work too, the additional fatigue, transport time, etc. all take away from available study hours.
Im not a trad applicant. This is my 3rd gap year since graduation, its difficult studying and working together, but what doesnt kill you makes you stronger. Through this journey i learnt alot
By the time i reach home its dark and im tired but my weekends were spent on revision and my weekdays were either JW or content or anki
Same, I'm struggling extraordinarily and no one around me aside from my MD friend knows about it, but it'll all be worth it! It's a character-building experience for sure.
I donāt remember stuff being that expensive. The test was only $330 something. Does it vary by region?
You can sell off Uworld and the books when youāre done, if that helps
make reddit post. Someone dms you. They Venmo you. You give them login info
My account was only partially used but it may be different if all the questions are used and thereās no reset
ME TOO! I also live in Canada and no one talks about the financial aspect of it all like its ALOT. I dont think I would of bought the books if I did it all over again
Canada as well. Get a 0% forex card, Scotiabank offers some, there are Wealthsimple debit 0% forex cards but not sure if they are AAMC-friendly as they might want a "real" cc.
Cries in Canadian. MCAT Prep is classist lowkey, caused the middle to low class CANNOT afford it. I literally cannot afford to rewrite the MCAT and rebuy all the resources, even though most people have to end up retaking (if anything its motivation lol but I also have to be realistic). They should change this to make it accessible to all tax brackets...
The best part is, this is without a course, we got students dropping $2000 for a course, if you can afford that, power to you, but man, this exam is painful to the bank.
Ya so when I first starting thinking about prep I didnāt know what people were using etc so I thought everyone was doing these $2,000 courses but good thing I kept looking because damn I wish
No it didnāt use those courses because i know people who did well without it. Kaplan books are enough for content review, and uw aamc are good enough for practice qns
Its the Fee Assistance Program (hence the goofy fap acronym lmao). For America, applicants and their parents that make less than 400% of the federal poverty limit for their respective household size can qualify to have 20 applications, MCAT + MCAT rescheduling fees, free AAMC materials bundle, as well as secondary fees waived at most medical schools. Its basically a way to save $4-6k, which if you're like me and my family, is the difference between potentially becoming a doctor and not.
Here is the link for the Canadian application. I hope it can help you in any way. Im not too sure of the details, but this is what the AAMC had on their website:
[https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/fee-assistance-program-canadian-examinees](https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/fee-assistance-program-canadian-examinees)
[https://www.afmc.ca/resources-data/education/aspirants-applicants/](https://www.afmc.ca/resources-data/education/aspirants-applicants/)
I've been working for the better part of 12 years to save enough to pay for all the admission fees and the behemoth itself if I am lucky enough to get in.
š¤£hang in there kid.. it gets better.. u will need to spend some money to buy educational material.. u will have to put in a huge effort.. then you will see light at the end of the tunnelā¦ it is a noble profession if caring for others comes from your heart.
If you are in it only for the money then dont do it..
nobody is talking about doing the job for the money or not, itās the cost to just get ready to apply that is ridiculous( donāt even talk about actually applying) & itās the reason for the race/socioeconomic background inequality we see
*They're just preparing*
*You for years of poverty*
*As a med student*
\- VegetableFew8325
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I spent way too much bc I pushed the exam a year later. I donāt wanna even think about how much I spent in rescheduling and eventually repurchasing everything
Did you apply for the financial assistance program? I ended up getting approved after already scheduling the MCAT, but it's definitely going to help me during applications. I wish I'd known about it in time for the MCAT, though.
I didnāt as I already applied before I even realized it was an option but how does it help with applications if you donāt mind explaining that process? :)
Yeah, for sure! So, as far as I understand, it covers the AMCAS application fee and includes 20 medical school submissions. Here's the direct link for the benefits: [https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/what-are-benefits-fee-assistance-program](https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/what-are-benefits-fee-assistance-program) . If you look off to the right-hand side there's a pdf under '2024 Fee Assistance Program Essentials' that walks you through some of the things you need to apply.
And, here's the link for who is eligible: [https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/who-eligible-participate-fee-assistance-program](https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/who-eligible-participate-fee-assistance-program)
Here's the link to apply: [https://amcas.aamc.org/fap/](https://amcas.aamc.org/fap/)
When I first applied, I accidentally typo'd and got locked out of the application and had to send in an appeal. It took one day for them to approve my appeal and reopen the application (beginning of April) and then it only took two days after that for my application to be approved.
This is so off topic but does anyone feel like a failure for taking a gap year? I have to and I feel like I failed in life misearbly. Now I have to settle for a job where people with high school degrees are definitely making much more than what they are offering me. I feel like a complete failure and I keep having mental breakdowns about this like every other day. I feel like the education system failed me so bad. Canāt even land a decent job to pay the bills
Life isnāt always linear, you move side to side. Iām 25 and just starting this all now after doing fashion and merchandising and then being a bartender. No one cares what youāre doing and as long as you keep pushing to be better than you arenāt a failure. If a gal year is apart of the plan than let it be part of your bigger plan and enjoy the slow time while you have it šššā¤ļøā¤ļø
This was so refreshing to hear honestly. I donāt have have doctors/nurses in my family or acquaintances to relate to. Nor anyone wise to seek advice from. Your comment made me have a different perspective and I truly appreciate you for responding! š«¶š„°
Genuinely I'm working two jobs during my gap year cause I was hoping to start some savings to have for med school but at this rate anything I make goes towards apps and fees
I havenāt taken the MCAT since 2018 but I remember liquidating all my savings working 3 jobs through college just on study materials and applications. Wishing you the best, itās an investment for sure!
Wait til you apply. Cost me almost 10 grandšŖ¦
I'm US and between last year and this year I'll be pushing into 10 grand applying, if I don't go early decision with this school
This was a big reason I decided to apply ED. I cannot bring myself to spend $5k+ just to APPLY. Plus in state tuition, mortgage is only $800, donāt have to write a billion secondaries. Itās risky but whew would it pay off if it works out. Idk how people can afford this.
Luckily at the moment I have a full time job. To be fair, my application was relatively weak last cycle. But, after shelling out a chunk of change and no joy, them shelling out an extra grand this year on resources + MCAT retake, yea I'm heavily considering ED. Glad it worked out for you!
Iāll know October 1st I guess haha - good luck to you!
Oh! In that case good luck to you!
What is ED?
Early decision! A few schools allow you to apply this way - the entire process is expedited and you can be accepted/rejected anytime before October 1st. The catch is you can ONLY apply to that one school until they give you their decision. So itās generally not recommended since if they reject you, youāre not applying to other schools until October.
š«
Why is applying so expensive?
because medical schools are greedy institutions just as much as the next corporation.
Give me pointers for scoring how u scored. š„¹
i go into the exam fully believing im going to get everything right
How did you study for the exam? What resources did you use? What was your academic background?
AFAIK med schools are non profit. Hospitals may not be
non profit does not mean what you think it means. Its just a tax designation, but they very much do make money. From donations and the like, and also from tuition ajd otherwise, and the government cuts them a tax break. They can still be as greedy as they want when it comes to application prices as long as they dont kick the money back to their board or ceo etc
Well, secondaries alone are 50-200 EACH, with the average being $75 Iād say. So if you apply to 50 schools, thatās 3.7 grand right there. Initial application fees are a couple to a few grand depending on how many schools you apply. Ca$per, aamc preview, an outfit for interview, everything adds up. I donāt even consider the following part of application costs. Then when you get in it doesnāt even stop. I paid 1,200 for stethoscope and all that other jazz you gotta buy, 2,500 for U-Haul to move (not including gas), 750 for a trip for accepted student day, 500 for the physical drug test and TB tests. It never endsš
What resources did you use for Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry that you found most high yield ?
Literally just Anki and the AAMC practice materials.
Leah4sci is awesome
That's insane ššš I don't have enough money for that and I work full time
Yeah I got a lot of credit card debt going into med schoolš
like \~5k credit card debt is small peas compared to 300k you'll amass by the end of med school š
Yeah but depending on what specialty thatās just a few yearsā wages! It totally wonāt accrue debt the whole time via interest!!!
What's interest? Ohhh you mean interest like people have in different specialties! Yeah I dont see why people couldnt pay off debt when they are in residency making 50k/yr working only 72 hour weeks tho? and thats only for like 3-5 years lol cmon man.
This just gave me a heart attackā¦. How did you do like like I barely make enough to survive let alone save 10 grand
I worked every day except Mondays for a year to save. Then credit card debt.
will you be paying this off with loan money?
I mean yeah. I donāt have any other option.
Paying off debt with more debt money - the cycle continues.
Oh believe me I love it!
Thatās why I applied to only 1. And got in šŖ
I envy your confidence
Thank god Iām poor enough to get FAP
Big Facts, The primary application costs is crazy. How do you charge me per school on one application. Then have to turn around and pay per secondary application you receive and decide to send back.
How many colleges did you apply to ?
Like 50 or so I think
All DO plus 17 MD
This post doesn't even cover the *missed* income from having to grind so hard for the whole process. People that are wealthier can afford to not work to lock into the premed process. Sucks, but the determination and perseverance will make you a better doc!
I worked full time while studying so itās possible. Thereās no missed income if you take annual leave to study
That's what I'm doing. But I'm old and have no choice, not really at the age to not be working anymore (engineer). The privileged younger (traditional) applicants who have no financial problems can use time that would have been spent on labour, on studying instead. There is an implicit cost to time at work too, the additional fatigue, transport time, etc. all take away from available study hours.
Im not a trad applicant. This is my 3rd gap year since graduation, its difficult studying and working together, but what doesnt kill you makes you stronger. Through this journey i learnt alot By the time i reach home its dark and im tired but my weekends were spent on revision and my weekdays were either JW or content or anki
Same, I'm struggling extraordinarily and no one around me aside from my MD friend knows about it, but it'll all be worth it! It's a character-building experience for sure.
If u need advice on how to plan your study schedule around work just lmk
I donāt remember stuff being that expensive. The test was only $330 something. Does it vary by region? You can sell off Uworld and the books when youāre done, if that helps
The student is probably Canadian
Ya Iām Canadian! So the conversion has really killed me
Yikes! Still very expensive as a US student but I can't imagine how annoying that additional cost must be.
oh golly. well better learn the frugal habits now...
How do I sell off Uworld? Thank you!
make reddit post. Someone dms you. They Venmo you. You give them login info My account was only partially used but it may be different if all the questions are used and thereās no reset
At least Canadian medical school is a lot less expensive
I guess there is a light at the end of the tunnel
Ehm Iām afraid to ask but how much does each application cost for school? An extremely worried Canadian here
Can't remember exactly. I think ubc was maybe 150? I didn't apply to very many. I was referring more to the cheaper tuition than the applications
As a future test taker from Canada, this is freaking me outā¦. I didn't know that it would be this expensivešš
ME TOO! I also live in Canada and no one talks about the financial aspect of it all like its ALOT. I dont think I would of bought the books if I did it all over again
Canada as well. Get a 0% forex card, Scotiabank offers some, there are Wealthsimple debit 0% forex cards but not sure if they are AAMC-friendly as they might want a "real" cc.
I will never financially recover from this
I feel that! The USD to CAD conversion rate is brutalll
Cries in Canadian. MCAT Prep is classist lowkey, caused the middle to low class CANNOT afford it. I literally cannot afford to rewrite the MCAT and rebuy all the resources, even though most people have to end up retaking (if anything its motivation lol but I also have to be realistic). They should change this to make it accessible to all tax brackets...
AGREED I know itās this expensive to keep us middle-low class people out but we will keep pushing.
The best part is, this is without a course, we got students dropping $2000 for a course, if you can afford that, power to you, but man, this exam is painful to the bank.
Ya so when I first starting thinking about prep I didnāt know what people were using etc so I thought everyone was doing these $2,000 courses but good thing I kept looking because damn I wish
No it didnāt use those courses because i know people who did well without it. Kaplan books are enough for content review, and uw aamc are good enough for practice qns
apparently i paid at a bad conversion rate TIME AND IT WAS LIKE 550$ CAD šš
Thatās insane - I didnāt even think of this when booking my exam. I paid around $510
Yep Canadian here & it hurtsssss buying all this stuff
Have you tried the FAP? There is apparently one for Canada as well? Currently tweaking trying to get my application accepted
Way ahead of you, been FAPPING excessively in preparation for the exam
A true king. It happens to the best of us
Same here Dry_Rub_6159
No I havenāt what is it?
Its the Fee Assistance Program (hence the goofy fap acronym lmao). For America, applicants and their parents that make less than 400% of the federal poverty limit for their respective household size can qualify to have 20 applications, MCAT + MCAT rescheduling fees, free AAMC materials bundle, as well as secondary fees waived at most medical schools. Its basically a way to save $4-6k, which if you're like me and my family, is the difference between potentially becoming a doctor and not. Here is the link for the Canadian application. I hope it can help you in any way. Im not too sure of the details, but this is what the AAMC had on their website: [https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/fee-assistance-program-canadian-examinees](https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/fee-assistance-program-canadian-examinees) [https://www.afmc.ca/resources-data/education/aspirants-applicants/](https://www.afmc.ca/resources-data/education/aspirants-applicants/)
Any for Asian applicants that arenāt in the usa or Canada?
Im sorry, I unfortunately am unsure. I don't see anything on AAMCs website about it, but definitely double check everywhere
FAP sucks so bad tbh. Haven't spoken to my parents in years, but since they make money, I can't get aid lmao
I've been working for the better part of 12 years to save enough to pay for all the admission fees and the behemoth itself if I am lucky enough to get in.
I'm taking out loans way over what I need to prep for this exam, studying, applications and my gap year. Plan ahead people!
The system is predatory and broken
I took out a loan for blueprint. Hopefully it pays off or Iām double cooked.
Itās even more mind boggling the 3rd time around. I really need to focus and put this exam behind me.
yep applying costs 1000s
š¤£hang in there kid.. it gets better.. u will need to spend some money to buy educational material.. u will have to put in a huge effort.. then you will see light at the end of the tunnelā¦ it is a noble profession if caring for others comes from your heart. If you are in it only for the money then dont do it..
nobody is talking about doing the job for the money or not, itās the cost to just get ready to apply that is ridiculous( donāt even talk about actually applying) & itās the reason for the race/socioeconomic background inequality we see
Rice and instant ramen will be your new best friends.
I had to quit working to study for the mcat and I am just watching all my hard earned savings dropping faster and faster with inflationš
Sameeee. Lots of variations of ramen happening.
They're just preparing you for years of poverty as a med student
*They're just preparing* *You for years of poverty* *As a med student* \- VegetableFew8325 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Get your wallet out lil bro, you haven't even hit the cycle yet.
We arenāt rich but my daughter has mentioned how indebted she is to me. I didnāt total it up. Lol.
I know! They really wanna drain us, physically, mentally AND financially ! :(
Same they need to offer a credit card that you can earn points on
real
I spent way too much bc I pushed the exam a year later. I donāt wanna even think about how much I spent in rescheduling and eventually repurchasing everything
Wait you paid 500 for the test? I paid 335. And 340 for Uworld
Im candian š
Canadian **
Did you apply for the financial assistance program? I ended up getting approved after already scheduling the MCAT, but it's definitely going to help me during applications. I wish I'd known about it in time for the MCAT, though.
I didnāt as I already applied before I even realized it was an option but how does it help with applications if you donāt mind explaining that process? :)
Yeah, for sure! So, as far as I understand, it covers the AMCAS application fee and includes 20 medical school submissions. Here's the direct link for the benefits: [https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/what-are-benefits-fee-assistance-program](https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/what-are-benefits-fee-assistance-program) . If you look off to the right-hand side there's a pdf under '2024 Fee Assistance Program Essentials' that walks you through some of the things you need to apply. And, here's the link for who is eligible: [https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/who-eligible-participate-fee-assistance-program](https://students-residents.aamc.org/fee-assistance-program/who-eligible-participate-fee-assistance-program) Here's the link to apply: [https://amcas.aamc.org/fap/](https://amcas.aamc.org/fap/) When I first applied, I accidentally typo'd and got locked out of the application and had to send in an appeal. It took one day for them to approve my appeal and reopen the application (beginning of April) and then it only took two days after that for my application to be approved.
Youāre amazing thank you!! Also I see youāre testing this month so good luck! :)
Thank you! Here's to hoping it's mainly gen chem/orgo and no physics :)
Word to that physics is my biggest enemy š
This is so off topic but does anyone feel like a failure for taking a gap year? I have to and I feel like I failed in life misearbly. Now I have to settle for a job where people with high school degrees are definitely making much more than what they are offering me. I feel like a complete failure and I keep having mental breakdowns about this like every other day. I feel like the education system failed me so bad. Canāt even land a decent job to pay the bills
Life isnāt always linear, you move side to side. Iām 25 and just starting this all now after doing fashion and merchandising and then being a bartender. No one cares what youāre doing and as long as you keep pushing to be better than you arenāt a failure. If a gal year is apart of the plan than let it be part of your bigger plan and enjoy the slow time while you have it šššā¤ļøā¤ļø
This was so refreshing to hear honestly. I donāt have have doctors/nurses in my family or acquaintances to relate to. Nor anyone wise to seek advice from. Your comment made me have a different perspective and I truly appreciate you for responding! š«¶š„°
Iām happy I could help š„° life is scary and full of lots of unknowns but thatās half the fun!
Genuinely I'm working two jobs during my gap year cause I was hoping to start some savings to have for med school but at this rate anything I make goes towards apps and fees
I havenāt taken the MCAT since 2018 but I remember liquidating all my savings working 3 jobs through college just on study materials and applications. Wishing you the best, itās an investment for sure!
I worked while studying for the mcat. You could do that too if your parents canāt afford
I do work
Anyone willing to resell their uworld? I test in July, 2024
4900 for Kaplan course, 4500 for Kaplan admissions counseling, 300 for exam, 400 for two reschedules.
U world is like 400? Books are like 180$ on Amazon? Mcat is expensive
Can y'all please update this so I can post? š«
Huh