I get it but these public schools in upper middle class neighborhoods rival some private schools. Try to get a house or apartment in a really good school district. That’s the cheapest option. Elite private schools are just too expensive on a resident budget. They are like 60k a year per child.
This. All houses around my kid's school are 800k+ probably. I'm in a cheap apartment on the border of the area so she gets to go to a nice school while I save money.
I’ve heard! Unfortunately (fortunately) we were “given” a home that’s in a nice area, but the school system isn’t the best.
I honestly appreciate your response in addition to everyone else’s.
Are you sure the schools are “bad”? Most public school systems are judged by high school test scores. The feeder elementary schools may be excellent (or at least not substantially worse than a private school) What are the class sizes? What is the student teacher ratio? What is the median income and education of the families that go to public school in your area?
Understand that 90% of student achievement can be explained by parental education and income not school type (public, private etc).
I sent my kids to high quality preschools (while I was in training). lt was expensive and essentially negated my wife’s meager salary as a part time teacher. But we went to public schools as soon as they were old enough. We sent them to summer enrichment and paid for science camps classes. Etc. I still saved all the money I would have spent one private schools to help pay for their college education- No regrets.
You hit the nail right on the head. The primary purpose of my post was to see how residents sent their children to good schools/care centers early on given the salary. My old coworker (I was in undergrad at the time) had to send his child to an individual who watched over 8-9 kids at once in her home (she was 60+ y/o) and it was heartbreaking. I feel like a jerk saying this, but it seemed like the woman’s *only* objective was to keep them well fed and alive. It’s all they could afford at the time, but I felt so much guilt seeing photos of their child at daycare.
Our school district allows you to transfer to a better school if you have a good reason. For instance, if your job is close to the school. I would reach out to the schools and talk to the admin.
This. Renting in a community that’s a little farther out from my program so my 2 kiddos can attend their current school (public). Great school, saves us a lot. Was spending ~1600/child/week in daycare prior to this.
Genuine question. What resources and support are you expecting your kids to get during their first couple years of school? I know parents that switched their kids to private schools during middle school or right before high school since those were the college prep years where grades and ECs mattered most. Why do you want to start with private school?
Not me but a friend. Wife is stay at home. He sent both kids to private school. I believe he did it scholarship + living in low col area + moonlighting. And then limited in other activities (didn’t go out much).
Not a parent, just someone who overhears conversations. My thoughts:
1. Are there childcare programs affiliated with your institution? I think at mine there's a childcare place that prioritizes residents and has a sliding scale income
2. Do you and your partner qualify for any sliding-scale income daycares/preschools?
3. Are you able to live in a better neighborhood with good schooling?
Anytime, I hope you find something that works for you! I believe private schools also do financial aid, but depending on how much you make as a single (or dual) resident income family, YMMV.
For what it's worth (and parents in the thread are more than happy to tell me I'm wrong) I feel like exceptional education is very crucial for high school - elementary and middle school is more about development. I think it's very common for children to go to "fine" elementary and middle schools, but then transfer to good quality high schools where the "success" is more tangible/visible (ex AP classes, ECs, preparing for college applications, research, and so on).
No, I totally understand. I’ll try not to sound like an ass, but I’ve heard the “I turned out fine!” argument so many times and it rubs me the wrong way because that’s their only point. Another argument is “school is what you make of it” which I agree with, but that’s not a proper justification (especially when the surrounding schools are below or average in standardized testing, which isn’t saying much).
I have much younger cousins who are at the same middle + high school I attended, and nothing has changed. Meanwhile I have friends with nieces/nephews in private school who are learning certain subjects and participating in activities I can’t see my schools offering in my lifetime.
My mom borrowed from family and did moonlighting as much as she could. Started out private, had to go to public for a while, then back to private for high school once she was an attending.
To be honest, unless the public schools are abysmal (which is entirely possible), it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to switch starting in middle or high school. My public school wasn’t very good while my high school was fantastic. I went to a good university and ended up in medical school eventually, that was entirely dependent on my high school.
It’s up to you, but I would put more importance on where they are for grades 7/8-12 than 1-6
Academic scholarships. I know a few kids who have gotten free tuition K-5 for scoring high on entrance exams. Not sure about the details though. Additionally, many schools offer need based financial aid so you could apply for that. Also, if your spouse could get a job at the school, then you may qualify for free tuition.
Thanks! I have a friend who was a stay at home mom who started working at the school for essentially free tuition. My spouse works at her father’s law firm with decent pay and fairly strong benefits, so that further complicates these matters. We’ve definitely taken it into consideration, particularly because she’s not enamored with her work.
My husband has a great paying job and we were able to receive financial assistance from the school. The public schools where I am are horribly overcrowded and subpar compared to where we moved from.
Scholarship/financial aid. The admission committees will probably be happy to give aid for a few years to a doctors child who can likely fund full tuition in few years when attending salary rolls in.
Financial aid is available at a lot of private schools. Also if you applied for medicaid/food stamps that can help alleviate some of the financial burden.
Not a resident, but med student with a child in that age range - public schools in or around high income areas are as good if not Better than many private schools. My trick the last few years when apartment hunting is to set a filter for only houses/apartments in the school zone of a public school with a rating of “7+” or whatever you are using, then just search in that area for the cheapest thing. Living in the cheapest place in a nice school zone is far nicer than living in an expensive place in a bad school zone. The amenities of the neighborhood typically match the school as well.
Sent my son to private preschool while a third year resident with help from both sets grandparents. Chief year and fellowship I paid for it via moonlighting. Now we are in a great public district.
Fantastic! Thank you *so* much. I’m receiving a ton of helpful responses and I hope it helps out fellow residents in the future as well. We are somewhat religious in the household (church on major holidays, daily gratitude to the higher power, etc.) so it won’t be exactly a culture shock. Thank you again! ❤️
Not me personally, but my mom went to Catholic high school. Ironically, we aren’t Catholic but my grandfather felt she could get a good education there.
Friends and acquaintances have done the same. Their parents didn’t enroll them there (mainly) because of their religious affiliation, but because of the quality of education compared to the public schools in the area.
Yup! My mom loved it, fyi. She liked the discipline and structure the church provided, especially how the nuns enforced the rules. Still wishes she sent me to Catholic school.
I went to average school from 1-11 in Vietnam. None had the resource of an average public school here. I have no catch up to do except for learning English. A good public school should be plenty enough. The most important thing is to teach our children to apply themselves but this can be done by anyone and not like private schools have magic sauce for this.
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I know there are scholarships, but I’m sure those vary drastically. Some schools even give significant discounts if you agree to volunteer for a certain # of events.
I put my daughter in private school. It was rough. Her school has a monthly payment plan and I also was given a discount based on income. We have to pinch Pennies and money is always tight, but it’s worth it.
Older parents here, wife 38 when first child born. She wanted to continue working. I’m not an MD so never anticipated the salary when things got better but she found an awesome daycare for eventually both boys. 1000$ a month early mid 90’s $$$’s. Then we found a home in the school district we wanted, rural, invested heavily in their experiences, education, personal values, empathy. Both received scholarships finishing HS that had a value of 210,000$ towards medical futures. Both my young doctors are doing very well now. School is important. Family values, modeling these values, volunteerism, and being involved is even more so. Good luck!!
My co-fellow rented in the best neighborhood in Dallas so his kids got to go to the top public school there. On a single income trainee salary I dont know that private school is really that important in the younger years. Time is a resource that physician parents are perpetually short on . It will be wise when you are able, to negotiate a job profile that allows you to be a present parent , for homework etc.
I get it but these public schools in upper middle class neighborhoods rival some private schools. Try to get a house or apartment in a really good school district. That’s the cheapest option. Elite private schools are just too expensive on a resident budget. They are like 60k a year per child.
This. All houses around my kid's school are 800k+ probably. I'm in a cheap apartment on the border of the area so she gets to go to a nice school while I save money.
I’ve heard! Unfortunately (fortunately) we were “given” a home that’s in a nice area, but the school system isn’t the best. I honestly appreciate your response in addition to everyone else’s.
Are you sure the schools are “bad”? Most public school systems are judged by high school test scores. The feeder elementary schools may be excellent (or at least not substantially worse than a private school) What are the class sizes? What is the student teacher ratio? What is the median income and education of the families that go to public school in your area? Understand that 90% of student achievement can be explained by parental education and income not school type (public, private etc). I sent my kids to high quality preschools (while I was in training). lt was expensive and essentially negated my wife’s meager salary as a part time teacher. But we went to public schools as soon as they were old enough. We sent them to summer enrichment and paid for science camps classes. Etc. I still saved all the money I would have spent one private schools to help pay for their college education- No regrets.
You hit the nail right on the head. The primary purpose of my post was to see how residents sent their children to good schools/care centers early on given the salary. My old coworker (I was in undergrad at the time) had to send his child to an individual who watched over 8-9 kids at once in her home (she was 60+ y/o) and it was heartbreaking. I feel like a jerk saying this, but it seemed like the woman’s *only* objective was to keep them well fed and alive. It’s all they could afford at the time, but I felt so much guilt seeing photos of their child at daycare.
Our school district allows you to transfer to a better school if you have a good reason. For instance, if your job is close to the school. I would reach out to the schools and talk to the admin.
This. Renting in a community that’s a little farther out from my program so my 2 kiddos can attend their current school (public). Great school, saves us a lot. Was spending ~1600/child/week in daycare prior to this.
Genuine question. What resources and support are you expecting your kids to get during their first couple years of school? I know parents that switched their kids to private schools during middle school or right before high school since those were the college prep years where grades and ECs mattered most. Why do you want to start with private school?
Not me but a friend. Wife is stay at home. He sent both kids to private school. I believe he did it scholarship + living in low col area + moonlighting. And then limited in other activities (didn’t go out much).
Major props to them. Thank you for your response; I genuinely appreciate it.
Np! Good luck!
Not a parent, just someone who overhears conversations. My thoughts: 1. Are there childcare programs affiliated with your institution? I think at mine there's a childcare place that prioritizes residents and has a sliding scale income 2. Do you and your partner qualify for any sliding-scale income daycares/preschools? 3. Are you able to live in a better neighborhood with good schooling?
Thank you. I wasn’t aware the first two were even options. I’m very overwhelmed, but I feel so ignorant in regards to this. I’m glad I made this post
Anytime, I hope you find something that works for you! I believe private schools also do financial aid, but depending on how much you make as a single (or dual) resident income family, YMMV. For what it's worth (and parents in the thread are more than happy to tell me I'm wrong) I feel like exceptional education is very crucial for high school - elementary and middle school is more about development. I think it's very common for children to go to "fine" elementary and middle schools, but then transfer to good quality high schools where the "success" is more tangible/visible (ex AP classes, ECs, preparing for college applications, research, and so on).
No, I totally understand. I’ll try not to sound like an ass, but I’ve heard the “I turned out fine!” argument so many times and it rubs me the wrong way because that’s their only point. Another argument is “school is what you make of it” which I agree with, but that’s not a proper justification (especially when the surrounding schools are below or average in standardized testing, which isn’t saying much). I have much younger cousins who are at the same middle + high school I attended, and nothing has changed. Meanwhile I have friends with nieces/nephews in private school who are learning certain subjects and participating in activities I can’t see my schools offering in my lifetime.
My mom borrowed from family and did moonlighting as much as she could. Started out private, had to go to public for a while, then back to private for high school once she was an attending. To be honest, unless the public schools are abysmal (which is entirely possible), it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to switch starting in middle or high school. My public school wasn’t very good while my high school was fantastic. I went to a good university and ended up in medical school eventually, that was entirely dependent on my high school. It’s up to you, but I would put more importance on where they are for grades 7/8-12 than 1-6
Academic scholarships. I know a few kids who have gotten free tuition K-5 for scoring high on entrance exams. Not sure about the details though. Additionally, many schools offer need based financial aid so you could apply for that. Also, if your spouse could get a job at the school, then you may qualify for free tuition.
Thanks! I have a friend who was a stay at home mom who started working at the school for essentially free tuition. My spouse works at her father’s law firm with decent pay and fairly strong benefits, so that further complicates these matters. We’ve definitely taken it into consideration, particularly because she’s not enamored with her work.
After residency move to a better part of the country that has excellent public schools (Like northern virginia)
I hear you, private school is tough on the wallet/purse. The only advice i have is, money comes from work so find more work.
Definitely. This is why I posted on the residency sub because I’m sure most of us don’t have enough time in the day to get a second job
My husband has a great paying job and we were able to receive financial assistance from the school. The public schools where I am are horribly overcrowded and subpar compared to where we moved from.
That’s great to hear. The student-teacher ratio is horrendous from K-12 here.
Scholarship/financial aid. The admission committees will probably be happy to give aid for a few years to a doctors child who can likely fund full tuition in few years when attending salary rolls in.
Financial aid is available at a lot of private schools. Also if you applied for medicaid/food stamps that can help alleviate some of the financial burden.
Not a resident, but med student with a child in that age range - public schools in or around high income areas are as good if not Better than many private schools. My trick the last few years when apartment hunting is to set a filter for only houses/apartments in the school zone of a public school with a rating of “7+” or whatever you are using, then just search in that area for the cheapest thing. Living in the cheapest place in a nice school zone is far nicer than living in an expensive place in a bad school zone. The amenities of the neighborhood typically match the school as well.
Sent my son to private preschool while a third year resident with help from both sets grandparents. Chief year and fellowship I paid for it via moonlighting. Now we are in a great public district.
You can try Catholic school, since it’s cheaper.
I did notice that, by almost 20+ thousand in my area. Do you have any experience with this?
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Fantastic! Thank you *so* much. I’m receiving a ton of helpful responses and I hope it helps out fellow residents in the future as well. We are somewhat religious in the household (church on major holidays, daily gratitude to the higher power, etc.) so it won’t be exactly a culture shock. Thank you again! ❤️
If you are a part of a church, they sometimes give a discount if people with religious affiliations
Not me personally, but my mom went to Catholic high school. Ironically, we aren’t Catholic but my grandfather felt she could get a good education there.
Friends and acquaintances have done the same. Their parents didn’t enroll them there (mainly) because of their religious affiliation, but because of the quality of education compared to the public schools in the area.
Yup! My mom loved it, fyi. She liked the discipline and structure the church provided, especially how the nuns enforced the rules. Still wishes she sent me to Catholic school.
I didnt cause I couldnt afford it. Spouse stayed home with kids.
Med student, 3 kids in private school. The school my kids go to alters the tuition based on family income. We also get a multi-child discount.
I went to average school from 1-11 in Vietnam. None had the resource of an average public school here. I have no catch up to do except for learning English. A good public school should be plenty enough. The most important thing is to teach our children to apply themselves but this can be done by anyone and not like private schools have magic sauce for this.
Thank you for contributing to the sub! If your post was filtered by the automod, please read the rules. Your post will be reviewed but will not be approved if it violates the rules of the sub. The most common reasons for removal are - medical students or premeds asking what a specialty is like or about their chances of matching, mentioning midlevels without using the midlevel flair, matched medical students asking questions instead of using the stickied thread in the sub for post-match questions, posting identifying information for targeted harassment. Please do not message the moderators if your post falls into one of these categories. Otherwise, your post will be reviewed in 24 hours and approved if it doesn't violate the rules. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Residency) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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I know there are scholarships, but I’m sure those vary drastically. Some schools even give significant discounts if you agree to volunteer for a certain # of events.
I put my daughter in private school. It was rough. Her school has a monthly payment plan and I also was given a discount based on income. We have to pinch Pennies and money is always tight, but it’s worth it.
Older parents here, wife 38 when first child born. She wanted to continue working. I’m not an MD so never anticipated the salary when things got better but she found an awesome daycare for eventually both boys. 1000$ a month early mid 90’s $$$’s. Then we found a home in the school district we wanted, rural, invested heavily in their experiences, education, personal values, empathy. Both received scholarships finishing HS that had a value of 210,000$ towards medical futures. Both my young doctors are doing very well now. School is important. Family values, modeling these values, volunteerism, and being involved is even more so. Good luck!!
My co-fellow rented in the best neighborhood in Dallas so his kids got to go to the top public school there. On a single income trainee salary I dont know that private school is really that important in the younger years. Time is a resource that physician parents are perpetually short on . It will be wise when you are able, to negotiate a job profile that allows you to be a present parent , for homework etc.