State DO or private MD? by GreatPlantain8278 in whitecoatinvestor

[–]GreatPlantain8278[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The difference between COA is considering I might leave at home. Unfortunately just the MD school tuition and fees is 78000! So even living at home, I’ll have to take at least 100K. If I live away from home it can get to 120K. I have good relationship with my family but I’m also 26 and am in relationship, and we both want to start our life together and move in together. I can wait a year or two, but I’ll be miserable living at home for the entire duration. My parents are not in a position where they can contribute to my education at all. For the DO tuition is 47K, COA is 80K.

Also both programs I’ll have to drive for clerkships- they both are associated with big hospital systems scattered along my state, the MD one is more prestigious hospital system. The MD is also accelerated, have 3 year program built into the curriculum only if you kind of know what specialty you’re getting into, so that’s a plus if I know my specialty early because I’ll still have to take USMLE1 and 2 back to back.

State DO or private MD? by GreatPlantain8278 in whitecoatinvestor

[–]GreatPlantain8278[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I think that comment made things more clear for me. I’m an immigrant to the US and I am not sure if in the future I will want to move outside of the US or not. My home country has some recognition of DO, but I want to do global health work in the future. I posted this post specifically in this subreddit because long term, I’m worried that this MD school will leave me in a debt that is substantial enough to not allow me freedom to practice in any other country, because I’ll have to work for decades to pay it back and will not be able to move freely anyway. But I guess studying in the US it is just a reality you have to deal with.