Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 I'm a proud but traumatized papa these days. MY youngest son Ben, a senior in HS, the one with dreams of becoming a doctor, has been kicking butt and taking names all his school career. He's in the top 7% in HS, taking all honors courses, and has lofty goals for his college education. He was accepted and awarded a presidential scholarship at State University of NY, Owsego, invited into the honors program, etc. So we figured that's where he'd end up. Today comes the new wrinkle, in the form of an offer from Boston University, a college he wanted badly, and applied to with little confidence of even getting accepted, or getting an offer he could even consider. BU has offered a BU Grant totaling $158,800 over four years (plus he would get other aid) to go there. This is Ben's dream school, and the prices are dreamy all right. Four years at BU runs close to $240K. But with the BU grant offer, he's in the position of deciding IF he should choose BU over SUNY with a differential cost estimated (we have not got the full FA package from SUNY yet) of somewhere under $40K for four years. So yeah, it's a HUGE honor, but is a BU degree worth $40K more for a kid wanting to go on to med school? I'm reeling here. These are big numbers for little ole me, and yes, proud as heck, but how to advise him? Who knew we'd have these kinds of issues with folks throwing money at us (with hooks inside of course).... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Morningwood Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Congrats. A.J. You got a right to be proud. Can't offer specific advice on either school, but it sounds like your boy has the smarts to help you determine which route will give him the best foundation for his future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pitmaster, SASS #78461 Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Don't forget to figure medical school costs in. I would advise avoiding school loans. Even with an MD's income the loans will take a huge hit. If he wants to be a doctor and practice medicine by working with patients the SUNY offer might be best. But, if he wants to practice medicine, do research, teach, and be a rock star in the medical profession then BU might be worth it. The bottom line is the last degree is the one that really counts and has some prestige. Hard work can overcome the prestige of a college choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 Don't forget to figure medical school costs in. I would advise avoiding school loans. Even with an MD's income the loans will take a huge hit. If he wants to be a doctor and practice medicine by working with patients the SUNY offer might be best. But, if he wants to practice medicine, do research, teach, and be a rock star in the medical profession then BU might be worth it. The bottom line is the last degree is the one that really counts and has some prestige. Hard work can overcome the prestige of a college choice. This is what I'm trying to quantify. At the State school he's going to have a small campus with little in the way of horsepower to get him INTO medical school. At BU he'd be a small fish in a big pond, but could potentially work his way into med school THERE, or at least maybe have half a leg up going to the med school juncture. Yes we know med school is going to add debt, so we're talking maybe a 30 or 40 percent premium added for BU? I wish I knew how to quantify all that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldom Seen #16162 Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 If I understand your post correctly BU Pre-Med Program runs $240K. Then he has four more years of Med School followed by several years of Residency. And what if he decides he isn't cut out for being a doctor. Just a thought. How about talking to your family doctor about his choices? The real world is somewhat different than the college experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jeweler jim Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Had two (twins) that both went to a private college here in the mid west. Was damn near as expensive as what you're talking about at BU. Suspect that the people to be asking questions of are in the academic world and perhaps at his high school. There might be some on the wire with the alphabet after their name that could advise. Having no first hand knowledge of either school I'm GUESSING that the offer from BU is worth looking at the hardest. Each year as he continues you'll find more being offered as they want the kids to graduate from their institution. At least that's the way it went down for my kids and the son is currently in Med school with daughter having picked up a second baccalaureate in nursing in under one year (Now in job search). Doubt that either would have done as well coming out of one of the "state" schools. Many dream of going into the medical field, but it is a very hard thing to accomplish. Daughter found this out and opted for the nursing thing with the idea of becoming a nurse practicianer at a later date. Son is finding the med school thing to be a rough go and I hope he makes it. Proud of both regardless of what they do as I suspect you are of your son. Again, I suspect the BU thing will carry more "juice" regardless of what career he ends up following. The scary thing is if you cosign the loans that will still be necessary to make it through to the end. Close to six figures for the daughter and multiple six figure in debt by the time the son completes. The numbers are truly frightening, but then the amount they can possibly earn can pay it off and hopefully take care of their parents when they put us in that nice nursing home... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Shorty, SASS #35717 Life Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 My brother,now 62, is a gynecologist/surgeon in a practice he and 2 other doctors started 35 years go...today they have 28 doctors in his practice and he is Senior/Managing PartnerHis son has a BA and MA from USC in journalism, and last fall started Med School at U of Oregon Med My brother tried talking him out of med school due to changing nature of private practice which may not exist on a profitable basis in the near future or by the time his son is finished with a residence in medicine due to Medicare and Obamacare, etc.My brother, who went to undergrad at UNC Chapel Hill Phi Beta Kappa and med school at U of Ga med school in Augusta,is a very astute and successful Doctor, but, Believes the day of private practice is over. Future Docs will work for hospitals and medical centers as Private practice becomes more and more unprofitable due to entitlements.If financial success is your son's goal besides the noble goal of being a Doctor, He might consider a field with a better financial outlook.Congrats on your son's success....I would opt for the State School although BU is certainly prestigious albeit more expensive even with that very nice scholarship.I agree with avoiding student Loans,.,they are more and more becoming contentious and expensive and can consume a student's first several years of private or public Practice repaying loans...the State school has my vote.No matter what, your son' s accomplishment in education is certainly something to make a Father very proud indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twelve mile REB Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Your son regardless of major will find that the difference in the average offer of employment at graduation in terms of money is high enough at BU to pay the difference in a short period of time. Except in Sociology. Ask or find the average number of PreMed students accepted to med schools from both schools. It could be that more money in the case of a change of major and/or a high acceptance rate may make a difference. I found that a student loan posed very little problem for me the payments were reasonable and my income was certainly increased by my choices. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Thanks fellers. Keep the thoughts coming. I don't even know what "unknown unknowns" I ain't yet considered. Lots to mull over in the next couple of weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Ray Hality, SASS# 37355 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Find people who are in med school now and ask them or their parents about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangler Jones, SASS # 64178 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Another thing to consider: If he really WANTS to go to BU, but settles for SUNY, he will always be asking himself "what if...?" There's something to be said for paying a bit more to get what you really want. Has he checked out the military option? They'll cover a lot of expense in exchange for years of service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waimea Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 AJ How 'bout him starting out in a SUNY college then after he gets the core courses taken care of in the less expensive school transferring to BU after a couple years? Getting the BU degree in the end is the key to this strategy. Personally I would opt for the MD from the University of Grenada. Lots warmer there and they love Americans. Waimea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Graham, # 26112 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 My yongest son and his wife are still paying off her loans many years later. She is a nurse practitioner and makes a very good living but it means one car and a tiny condo to keep on top of giant loans. She went to an expensive private catholic college and then a big-name university for graduate school -- all of it financed with loans. The big scholarship offer sounds wonderful but the real issue is what YOUR out-of-pocket is, it's almost like a bait-and-switch con deal........ I have an aversion to borrowed money, so there is some bias in my slant on this. My son did local school, living at home for 1st two years and then went to the big name place out of state for the last two. The college money I had been setting aside since he was a baby ran out fast - too fast -- and the last year he did have to take some loan money to finish. While he was at it, he wanted to fund a semester in England. I hit the roof and held the line. After graduation, he got the job he wanted in the field he wanted without going abroad to do it. I helped with the loan payments (my bad planning) and he was out of it in 3 years. Watching these kids dragging around huge, life-altering debt for my DIL's education for over a decade breaks my heart. What were her otherwise very nice and sane parents thinking when they let a child sign up for ten's of thousands of dollars of debt? What is the point of getting a really good job with a good wage if you have to give most of it to the loan sharks? With med school looming in the future, I would keep the undergrad cost to a minimum in hope that he's not still paying off loans when he's 40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Howdy AJ I can't add much to the discussion except to say that student life in Boston is liable to be a whole lot different than in Oswego. I'm not talking about the differences in the schools, I'm talking about the difference between living in a major East Coast city or a small town on the Great Lakes. On the plus side, Boston is a terrific student town. I had a ball there when I first showed up in 1972. I think there are more colleges in and around Boston (don't forget Harvard just up the river a little bit in Cambridge) than any other city in the US. Tons of cultural activities for students to take part in. World Class museums, the Symphony, rubbing elbows with thousands of other students. On the down side, it could be very easy to get distracted from his schoolwork by all that Boston has to offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Ray Hality, SASS# 37355 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 The point is, you can make a really good living in a medical profession. Ever meet a poor medical professional? I have not. The average income of a general surgen is $225,000. At that income level, paying off a $250,000 loan is a 3 year cake walk if you know how to manage your money and your life style. Then when you turn 30, you are really well off. Personally I am a firm believer of garbage in garbage out, or, aim high hit high ... aim low hit low. Knowing what I know now, I would make different educational life choices if I had a second go-round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakebite Dust SASS 75484 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Listen to the Dave Ramsey show on the radio some in the near future to help you decide what option is best. He has tons of callers that have taken huge student loans to go to their dream school and spend years and years paying them off. I would not want to finish school and have a six figure loan to pay back that would take me a long long time to get rid of. I am different than most and hate debt of any kind.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solo_Sam Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I would take a close look at the terms attached to any scholarship or grant money. I recently read a statistic that claims half of all law students get merit-based scholarships initially, but then the school only allows the top one-third to maintain their scholarships. I imagine medical schools do much the same thing. Before he decides, I would have a long, hard talk with the school's counselors about their grading policies, scholarship retention rate, internship placements, etc. I don't mean to be a pessimist or imply that your son can't "hack it", but I think it's important that he knows what he is getting into. -Solo Sam #91319 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I'm a proud but traumatized papa these days. MY youngest son Ben, a senior in HS, the one with dreams of becoming a doctor, has been kicking butt and taking names all his school career. He's in the top 7% in HS, taking all honors courses, and has lofty goals for his college education. He was accepted and awarded a presidential scholarship at State University of NY, Owsego, invited into the honors program, etc. So we figured that's where he'd end up. Today comes the new wrinkle, in the form of an offer from Boston University, a college he wanted badly, and applied to with little confidence of even getting accepted, or getting an offer he could even consider. BU has offered a BU Grant totaling $158,800 over four years (plus he would get other aid) to go there. This is Ben's dream school, and the prices are dreamy all right. Four years at BU runs close to $240K. But with the BU grant offer, he's in the position of deciding IF he should choose BU over SUNY with a differential cost estimated (we have not got the full FA package from SUNY yet) of somewhere under $40K for four years. So yeah, it's a HUGE honor, but is a BU degree worth $40K more for a kid wanting to go on to med school? I'm reeling here. These are big numbers for little ole me, and yes, proud as heck, but how to advise him? Who knew we'd have these kinds of issues with folks throwing money at us (with hooks inside of course).... If I'm reading you correctly, the dollar difference between the two schools is less than $10K a year? So, for that, he goes to a school, which, rightly or wrongly, has a better reputation. If BU is Ben's dream school, my opinion is let him go for it. With all you hear nowadays it's refreshing to read about a young person who has goals and dreams to try to achieve. That's the "unknown", in my opinion. It's a huge positive for him. Whatever his decision, I wish him the best. Don't worry too much, Dad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 AJ, First Congratulations. Here is something else that you and your son may want to look into. Back in the early late 80's when I was in college I was in Air Force ROTC for a while. Four of the cadets were pre-med at Yale (commuting back and forth to UCONN where the AFROTC program was) and I believe not only were they recieving a full scholarship for the pre-med program, but when they went into med school, the Air Force would not only pay all of that tuition, but pay them as either 1st or 2nd LT in return for either a 8 or 12 year commitment to the Air Force. I don't doubt that the Navy and the Army and maybe even the Coast Guard have similiar programs. I did a couple of quick searches and it looks like the above 8-12 year commitment may no longer hold true, it looks to be less then that and may be 1 year of service for every year of school paid for by the military. On edit: The downsides are the potential to end up at a really bad duty station, get shot at, probably not work with cutting edge equipment and possibly frequent re-assignments. The upsides is they seem to pay a $1900+ a month stipend, get 100% of the tuition, including books and fees, get paid for any military training during school breaks as an O-1 (Ensign or 2nd Lt) and as a MD enter the service as a Captain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Silverfinger, SASS#3444 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Jack - First off, my sincere congratulations on your son's chosen profession. That said, I'd caution you that all health professions are in a state of flux these days, and if OBAMACARE or ROMNEYCARE, or the insurance companies or whatever inevitably take over in some form or another, being a physician may not have the economic rewards that many of its aspirants hope for - that is, I can think of a hell-of-a-lot of easier ways to simply "get rich". The figures given by one of the other contributors to this thread doesn't take in to account the cost of living, and raising a family along the way. Hopefully, you've had a serious heart-to-heart with your son and have made sure that this is what he really wants, and what's involved. If so, I'd go for the BU option - there'd be some few more things that would be to his advantage when applying to med school. My best to you all - Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Folks, again I thank you for the kind words and thoughtful expressions of concerns, etc. I put this on the Wire because SASS is a big kettle of all sorts of folks, and frankly, my own background is a a lower middle class upbringing with all the fears and prejudices that implies. I dropped out of HS in my senior year, in conflict with dad at home, and took two jobs to survive. After 4 years in the military and in fits and starts as I was perennially broke, I graduated with a BA from the smallest of NY's state universities, a full 12 years after leaving HS. Which is the long way of saying I know how to do this the WRONG way. But I was the first in my family with a degree, and frankly, none of them truly understood how HARD that can be to achieve, especially when your age mates are working "big" jobs and living a lot better than you are..... So I know from the scary part. And if I have taught my son anything, it is that MONEY is only instrumental, a necessity, and at best a bi-product of taking on work worth doing AT ALL, and at worst, the currency of a soul-destroying cat and mouse game one never really wins. When I took Ben out to tour BU last summer, I had a bit of that "fish out of water" feeling, but not Ben. He sees Boston as a chance to FOR ONCE have a bite at the apple, and not some small town excuse put forth in lieu of.... As to MONEY, Here's something he did as an entry in a small scholarship contest called "Frame My Future". He has learned that money comes from doing valued work, and the work is it's own real reward. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/adirondack_jack/536904_323851701012285_100001623723030_967539_734063854_n.jpg While I am still going to allow time for this to sink in, and yes, I still don't have all the answers, my feeling today is more or less, How can I stand in the way of this HUGE chance he has? How can I force him to take the "lower" road..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Brooks, SASS#16313L Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 My oldest son was looking at private colleges and added SUNY Binghamton to the list. He was accepted there and majored in biology thinking he might like to be an MD. In his junior year he changed his mind but still wanted to do something with his degree. he interviewed doctors, veternarions, dentists and whatever. He decided dentistry was for him and was accepted at NYU, Temple, SUNY Buffalo & another school. He visited all the schools & found that Buffalo had the newest equipment & he was in first class in their new facility - his name is still on the chair he used. He has been a very successful dentist($$$$$$$) on Long Island for 15 years. i guess I'm trying to say that a motivated student can get a fine education at SUNY schools. My niece is a senior at SUNY Oswego and loves it. Sounds like a bit of a party school but a good school none the less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Driftwood made most of my points already, except one. Fenway Park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowCatcher Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I'm a proud but traumatized papa these days. MY youngest son Ben, a senior in HS, the one with dreams of becoming a doctor, has been kicking butt and taking names all his school career. He's in the top 7% in HS, taking all honors courses, and has lofty goals for his college education. He was accepted and awarded a presidential scholarship at State University of NY, Owsego, invited into the honors program, etc. So we figured that's where he'd end up. Today comes the new wrinkle, in the form of an offer from Boston University, a college he wanted badly, and applied to with little confidence of even getting accepted, or getting an offer he could even consider. BU has offered a BU Grant totaling $158,800 over four years (plus he would get other aid) to go there. This is Ben's dream school, and the prices are dreamy all right. Four years at BU runs close to $240K. But with the BU grant offer, he's in the position of deciding IF he should choose BU over SUNY with a differential cost estimated (we have not got the full FA package from SUNY yet) of somewhere under $40K for four years. So yeah, it's a HUGE honor, but is a BU degree worth $40K more for a kid wanting to go on to med school? I'm reeling here. These are big numbers for little ole me, and yes, proud as heck, but how to advise him? Who knew we'd have these kinds of issues with folks throwing money at us (with hooks inside of course).... Back in the day I had won a scholarship to SUNY at Stoney Brook, but I also got accepted to NYU, which cost me out of pocket (1973 dollars) about $100 per semester hour. Looking back over the years I wish I had gone to SUNY, not because NYU isn't fantastic, but because life will intervene, the investment at NYU was never realized, and after leaving the service I changed majors and ended up at UW in Seattle! The investment is major - you have to want it in your heart of hearts, really want it, and then be willing to accept that it may not pan out even then. Whatever your son does I wish him the best in outcome! Shadow Catcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Texas Jack Black Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Congratulations to your son and all his hard work. I would suggest thinking long and hard about which school to select. There will be four years for his bachelors degree, four years med school and three or four years residency before he starts to make any serious money . Your son will be the one who determines his success or failure through hard work it will not be because of the school . Four years at a state school, work hard get super grades apply to a good med school apply for scholarships and work hard in med school . T J B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Driftwood made most of my points already, except one. Fenway Park. There is that When we made the tour of BU, we walked close enough to Fenway to see folks sitting on top the green monster, and hear the Sox fans boo the Yankees..... They made a point during orientation to note a limited number of FREE Sox Tickets were available to students for every home game. Not exactly a reason to choose a school, and Oswego State has an awesome Hockey program, if ya enjoy sitting in a fridge while people beat each other up in the name of a "sport"????? My son sums up the "student experience" issue this way. "Dad, it's BOSTON. Oswego has what? tons of snow and a prevailing wind off the lake?" Of course I down play all that, TRYING to focus on the real value calculus, but yeah, even I would have to agree it boils down to "surviving" Oswego VS potentially flourishing in Bean Town (or getting so sideways as to be a disaster, but that has not yet been his proclivity) He even made the argument last night "Dad, I's so tired of being at the top in a small fish bowl, having to struggle to find anything to challenge me or keep me interested. I relish the idea of fighting to survive where ALL the kids are as smart as me." I thought about that without responding. Part of me wants to protecct his "advantage" of being a big fish in a relatively small pond, but maybe that's the "disadvantaged youth" in me feeling a bit afraid. It's a bit scary to say "Ok, the "big time" awaits, go for it" and see him find out he's REALLY in for a challenge. Finding the edges is always exciting, but sure does involve risks. But I keep thinking BU really has no problem filling the seats, never has. They must know something if THEIR assessment is he's worth that big discount. $40K is a lotta money when ya don't have it, but really, in this day and age people spend that much on USED Pickup trucks. Maybe I need to think of what this COULD mean and "what's the worst that could happen" it....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 There is that When we made the tour of BU, we walked close enough to Fenway to see folks sitting on top the green monster, and hear the Sox fans boo the Yankees..... They made a point during orientation to note a limited number of FREE Sox Tickets were available to students for every home game. Not exactly a reason to choose a school, and Oswego State has an awesome Hockey program, if ya enjoy sitting in a fridge while people beat each other up in the name of a "sport"????? Well, I have to admit that in spite of the fact that most of the big colleges here, including BU, have *excellent* sports programs, aside from people who are actually IN college or the relatives of those who are, college sports don't seem to be followed all that much around here. It's just not on most people's radar. On the other hand, we are rather passionate about or pro teams around here. You mentioned Hockey. If memory serves, the Briuns have been rather successful of late... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pitmaster, SASS #78461 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 He even made the argument last night "Dad, I's so tired of being at the top in a small fish bowl, having to struggle to find anything to challenge me or keep me interested. I relish the idea of fighting to survive where ALL the kids are as smart as me." I thought about that without responding. Part of me wants to protecct his "advantage" of being a big fish in a relatively small pond, but maybe that's the "disadvantaged youth" in me feeling a bit afraid. It's a bit scary to say "Ok, the "big time" awaits, go for it" and see him find out he's REALLY in for a challenge. Finding the edges is always exciting, but sure does involve risks. That attitude has more to do with the decision than anything else. I've worked a little at the university level and your son's attitude will guarantee him success no matter what path he chooses. Frankly, he cant' lose in life with it. There are many options for financial aid without going into debt. Research grants and scholarships. There are also many opportunities to conduct research with professors that can generate some revenue. There are people who do work some through medical school. Finding jobs now and through college that allow him to be involved in medical care can go along way. Even volunteering at hospitals or with EMTs. Does he have any idea what he wants to do in the medical field? There are many ways to apply medical school knowledge. Research, surgery, patient care, teaching, administration, legal, missionary work, etc. and those apply to many specialized areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 That attitude has more to do with the decision than anything else. I've worked a little at the university level and your son's attitude will guarantee him success no matter what path he chooses. Frankly, he cant' lose in life with it. There are many options for financial aid without going into debt. Research grants and scholarships. There are also many opportunities to conduct research with professors that can generate some revenue. There are people who do work some through medical school. Finding jobs now and through college that allow him to be involved in medical care can go along way. Even volunteering at hospitals or with EMTs. Does he have any idea what he wants to do in the medical field? There are many ways to apply medical school knowledge. Research, surgery, patient care, teaching, administration, legal, missionary work, etc. and those apply to many specialized areas. As I posted with the linked pic above, his dream, as he sees it is to be a cardiac surgeon. I realize hat he's got a LONG way to go before he;s remotely close to that, but I figure, reach for a faraway star, and even falling "short" will land ya pretty well "up there".... He's not YET found anything he couldn't learn to do, so hey, maybe he will be.... His theory is, "do the most important work I AM capable of" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Nathan C. Riddles, SASS # 7462 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Have your son check this out AJ. http://www.usuhs.mil...ents/index.html Students admitted into the M.D./Ph.D. program will receive a stipend (I think it's an E-5 salary $2123. 46 per mo) from the graduate program for the first three years of study. In most cases, the M.D./Ph.D. student will be commissioned in the United States military as an O-1 ( 2nd Lt. or Naval Ensign $2828.40 per mo) at the end of the third year of the program. Commissioning will mark the beginning of the student's military service. At this time, the student will draw the full salary and benefits of a commissioned officer. Upon commencement the student will receive an M.D & P.H.D. and be promoted to O-3 Capt. or Naval Lieutenant ($3771.30).* Then the new doctor will serve a seven year hitch. All tuition, lab fees, & books and other expenses are paid for. The program is available at almost any university not just USU. *Salary figures are just base pay. There are plenty of benefits to enhance this low salary (too many to list here). One is the opportunity to practice and study at some of the finest hospitals and universities in the world at govt expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Smokepole #29248L Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Your son sounds like he has his head screwed on straight so let him follow his dream and support whichever school he prefers. There's nothing worse than going through life kicking yourself because you chose your second pick on account of $$$. As long as you, your family etc. can handle things financially, help him to the best of your abilities. My grades were never good enough to get accepted anyplace other than The Marine Corps so I followed my dream. After getting out of active duty and getting a family started, I switched jobs taking a 40% cut in pay to become a Cop because that's what I wanted to do. My Dad, God bless his soul, tried to talk me out of it as he was the V.P. of the company that I worked at but when he saw how much I wanted it, he backed off and supported me right to the day that he died. My advice is based on the wisdom of a man that I loved dearly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Congratulations to you both. Remember there are a lot of fine doctors who did not attend BU. Or SUNY for that matter. I would minimize debt rather than trying to purchase prestige. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneaky Gun Runner SASS 79775 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I have a smart nephew. A really smart nephew. He got a scholarship out of HS to attend the University of Oklahoma (OU). After the first year he found a work/study program that paid very well and helped him cover most of the expenses that were above and beyond what the scholarship paid. The place he was working for (Los Alamos Weapons Research Center) offered to pay for his masters for a two year commitment after he graduated. After getting his MA, OU asked him to complete his PhD work there and they would waive the fees for his masters which got him out of his commitment to Los Alamos. OU paid him a salary as a research assistant while he earned his PhD. I am not saying this happens to everyone, but these are things he asked about while in school and positioned himself to recieve due to his work ethic and willingnes to spend some time behind the books on weekends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frio Kid, SASS #31915 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 If I am reading this right and its $40K difference over the 4 years - thats is about the price of a nice car. Sounds like BU would give him the best opportunity down the road and it is his "dream" school. I would find a way to pony up and make a run at BU. I know the costs are high as my daughter is attending Berklee College of Music in Boston on a 1/3 scholarship and the costs are comparable to what you are talking. My daughter has just resubmitted for a more comprehensive scholarship and I am hoping and praying she gets it!!! Good luck to you and your son, but it sounds like a good problem to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Stone, SASS #53366 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 He even made the argument last night "Dad, I's so tired of being at the top in a small fish bowl, having to struggle to find anything to challenge me or keep me interested. I relish the idea of fighting to survive where ALL the kids are as smart as me." I thought about that without responding. Part of me wants to protecct his "advantage" of being a big fish in a relatively small pond, but maybe that's the "disadvantaged youth" in me feeling a bit afraid. It's a bit scary to say "Ok, the "big time" awaits, go for it" and see him find out he's REALLY in for a challenge. Finding the edges is always exciting, but sure does involve risks. AJ; I think you're answer is in the words of your son. Good luck to both of you in whatever the final decision is. Marshal Stone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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