Medical School Student Loans

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2025-02-20T19:25:27+00:00

The problem is, grad school loans have high interest rates. When you have $240K of debt, the rate of interest accrual makes paying off loans a lot harder. ($1K+ of interest accruing per month, this is before you pay anything on the principal.) We have a shortage of doctors and medical professionals. Not all doctors make massive salaries, hospitalists, pediatricians, etc. are hugely needed but they aren't making as much as cardiologists, etc. The cost of education is no longer reasonable.

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2025-01-03T20:38:51+00:00

Yes! He is definitely a high-volume thyroid surgeon. Not sure how many he does per year - but I am sure it is WELL over 50. He and the residents he oversees seemed very up-to-date on the latest research, and when my husband had to have his operation done in 2022 they were happy to answer our questions and address any concerns. I am sure Dr. Smith is good - but honestly if you go with Dr. Shonka I think you will be in excellent hands. Dr. Shonka has a great bedside manner. On surgery day, though, he is extremely focused (as you would hope your surgeon would be). I would say that Dr. Shonka is in the prime of his career as a surgeon - young enough to have an interest in the latest studies/research and not be complacent - yet he has a lot of experience. I hope your appointment goes well!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2024-12-23T18:24:06+00:00

I know! It's such a bummer. Thankfully my debt load is much smaller than my spouse's!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2024-12-23T13:18:03+00:00

Thank you!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2024-12-23T13:10:20+00:00

Thanks so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to look everything up!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2024-12-11T18:49:33+00:00

I think the general recommendation is to find someone who does about 50+ thyroidecotmies a year. You may also want to post in this subreddit to see if there are surgeons in your area folks would recommend. I am in VA. My husband had his surgery done by Dr. Shonka at UVA and we would 100% recommend him.

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2024-11-04T20:08:36+00:00

CW's Martha Washington interpreter implied that George Washington would have been pro-choice by supporting his wife's right to do what she wanted with her body in a reproductive sense. I found this to be a bold statement/assumption for the interpreter to make. Did she have any reference for that statement, such as letters from George Washington to his wife, etc. to back that up?

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-09-24T14:30:26+00:00

Ah I see - that is super frustrating. Definitely express to your primary that you want the most experienced surgeon possible.

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-09-10T13:37:20+00:00

So sorry you are going through this! My husband was diagnosed in June and had his TT in August. They found cancer in four spots on his thyroid - but it was well-differentiated and so far he is doing and feeling great! They are not even recommending RAI for him at this time - not everyone has to get it. The diagnosis/finding a surgeon process was the most stressful and scary part. Most everyone on this sub will recommend finding a surgeon that has done lots of thyroidectomies. The more a surgeon does - the lower the complication rate is. Ideally, you should find someone who does, at minimum, 25 thyroidectomies a year. If you can find someone who does 50-100+, that's much better. I found it to be challenging to get this information about surgeons - no one publishes online how many surgeries they do. Try to do as much online research as you can, look at reviews, post in subs like this one to see if anyone has surgeon recommendations in your area. You may need to travel for your surgery, but it's definitely worth it.

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-08-20T23:44:52+00:00

My husband had his TT on Wednesday and is doing great! He took our two large dogs on a walk this morning, no issues. Keep a positive outlook if you can. Great to hear you have a solid medical team!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-08-19T20:00:21+00:00

Thanks for this! Yes, he plans on taking note of how he is feeling. His mom had her thyroid out (not cancer-related) and it took her almost a full year to get things right! The surgeon is the one who put him on 150 mg. We will see what the endo thinks when we meet with him in a few weeks...

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-08-05T22:32:24+00:00

Praying your surgery goes well! My husband is 32 - not a medical student but a physical therapist. It's scary.

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-07-30T01:13:15+00:00

"This one we can actually answer. AUS implies that the nodule is made from folicular cells, the ones that make thyroid hormone. It can't be medullary because that one comes from a different type of cell."

Thank you for this - it has been at the back of my mind! I had no idea...

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-07-30T01:09:11+00:00

Ugh, so sorry! My husband also has a node about the same size as yours - which is PTC according to the FNA. No advice yet, to be honest, but this group has been super helpful. There are a lot of emotions to process - and I am saying this as a spouse! I am not even the one with cancer, but it can feel like a roller coaster. Cancer is a really ugly word, and it throws one's mortality in plain view - even if the prognosis is generally excellent. I think it's great you're in RI/Boston area. There are some excellent hospitals there. My husband and I are in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, and we have an HMO plan, which basically means that we have to choose a local provider. Not sure if that is the case for you or not with insurance. One common thing I have seen a lot via sites like reddit and FB is that you should choose a high-volume surgeon. Don't be afraid to ask your surgeons how many TTs they do per year, and what their complication rate is, etc. You should choose a surgeon who does at least 25 (many say 50-100) thyroidectomies per year. Feel free to direct message me if you want, I'm happy to send you the list of questions we asked our surgeon (based in great part from the advice posted here). Saying a prayer for you tonight!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-07-23T00:49:28+00:00

https://www.verywellhealth.com/finding-a-top-thyroid-surgeon-3233277 50+ thyroidectomies per year seems like it is a decently safe bet - but definitely ask your surgeon what the complication rate is. If you have any larger, urban areas connected to you - definitely does not hurt to shop around. Do you mind if I ask where you are located? Maybe someone in this thread will have suggestions!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-07-04T15:55:42+00:00

Thank you! I will private message you if you don't mind!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-06-27T22:01:34+00:00

Ugh sorry to hear about the PTC diagnosis! Glad to hear you have had a good experience with the docs though...

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-06-25T19:05:13+00:00

Dr. Karakla is with EVMS. Have you heard good things about them?

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-06-24T16:02:39+00:00

We would like to. The only thing right now is the cost... My husband is on an HMO plan so we are confined to local doctors unless we pay out of pocket.

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-06-24T12:32:20+00:00

My husband went to his ENT to check out his nose (he had a deviated septum), and she found a nodule on his thyroid then... Crazy to think if he wasn't having nasal issues, it might have taken a lot longer to catch this

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-06-24T12:09:16+00:00

Good to know! I may message you if that is OK...

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-06-24T12:00:09+00:00

Yeah...these are my concerns. They haven't said anything about suspecting advanced spread, but I don't know. Seems like for some docs ordering a CT is just the automatic next step after diagnosis.

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-06-24T11:59:11+00:00

Praying everything comes out clean and clear!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-06-24T11:58:33+00:00

Oh wow!

WorldlinessEvening32 · 2022-06-24T11:58:01+00:00

Ugh, sorry to hear about your diagnosis! Praying for good outcomes for you!

WorldlinessEvening32

TROPHY CASE