Massive Loans for Traditional Medicine Student?!


Question: I'm able to avoid a commute to my school of choice, and attend med school full time. I wish to stabilize my practice before the age of thirty-eight (I'm 34). And even that's a stretch. It's likely that I will be no younger than thirty-eight when I sit for the California Board Exams after graduation.

So I stay in my old bedroom for the cost of water and utilities.
I have adequate time to study well, and full days to earn money for bills and "rent" to the folks. I am able to exercise and sleep deeply, knowing I'm safe from starving-student hell.

Would I be committing financial suicide if I took on eighty-thousand more dollars in school loans? What if I plan to be a primary care physician of Traditional Oriental Medicine? Should I be a border in mommy and daddy's house?

Answers: I'm able to avoid a commute to my school of choice, and attend med school full time. I wish to stabilize my practice before the age of thirty-eight (I'm 34). And even that's a stretch. It's likely that I will be no younger than thirty-eight when I sit for the California Board Exams after graduation.

So I stay in my old bedroom for the cost of water and utilities.
I have adequate time to study well, and full days to earn money for bills and "rent" to the folks. I am able to exercise and sleep deeply, knowing I'm safe from starving-student hell.

Would I be committing financial suicide if I took on eighty-thousand more dollars in school loans? What if I plan to be a primary care physician of Traditional Oriental Medicine? Should I be a border in mommy and daddy's house?
This is a hard call....i just graduated as a Naturopathic Doctor from CCNM in Toronto. I'm just about to start my practice and after 8 years of school i've racked up quite a bit of debt. I'm living back at home now and i have to take out more money to start up my practice. I'm planning on going back to medical school in two years (that's the plan right now) so i'll be 29 by then. Its a really hard call to decide what's best to do. If I were you i would go through to be a medical doctor - if you're 38 you're still young and you'll make money right away instead of having to build up a practice...however getting into oriental medicine is good too...once you build up your patient base you'll be able to help a lot of people are be rewarded through that! If you're planning on being a doctor I wouldn't worry about the money thing - you'll pay off the loans when you're done! And as far as living at home...if you don't mind being there then i would stay! I love living at home cuz i get along with my parents and they respect me! Do what you think will make you happy cuz its a big decision and you don't want to regret it. If you need to take out a loan to do something that will put you in a position to have the job you want then its worth it!!! Good luck!

Addition: Just so you know Kalos is right about starting up "altmed" practices - they take a bit to get established but if you're good at what you do and you help a lot of people you can be very busy and very successful! He is incorrect about the Oriental medicine - i have a few friends (some Naturopathic Doctors and some Medical Doctors) that just got back from China where they were able to work in the hospitals there. They said that the primary treatments used in China are acupuncture - patients come in a get MRI's, CT's done if necessary (which ND's are allowed to do), they are assessed and most often treated with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. They have access to Western medicine and use it as necessary but they find the Eastern/traditional Chinese medicine is most effective. Even the medical doctors that went into these Chinese hospitals were amazed with the results and the way that patients were treated.
Actually, TCM and acupuncture are in freefall in China. See below: "Only 28 percent of the 14,677 respondents to the survey by China Youth Daily and Tencent.com said they would turn to TCM first"
http://english.people.com.cn/2...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16... Report It

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  • Dr. K's Avatar by Dr. K
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    • Only you can decide that. If you found what you're passionate about in life, everything else doesn't really matter. In the grand scheme of things, $80k may be the cheapest investment you've ever made on yourself. It all depends on how you look at it. If you can't stand TCM, then $80k is financial suicide, otherwise, knock yourself out, have a blast.
    I suggest you're throwing your life away as a student and practitioner of "Traditional (Oriental) Medicine". You are fooling yourself if you think you will be recognized as a "primary care physician". Despite the delusions of grandeur common among Altmed practitioners, in reality only MD and DO graduates are recognized as real physicians.

    Also, as a practical matter, Altmed practitioners have a tough time establishing a thriving practice

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