Financing Medical School

Before you’re accepted to medical school, you’ll have some admissions-related costs to plan for, including the AMCAS® application service and the MCAT® exam.

While the process of applying for financial aid varies by medical school, here are some universal steps to help you get started. Always check with the financial aid office at your medical school for specific instructions.

As a nontraditional student, you may have additional choices and details to consider prior to starting medical school; however, there are resources to help you with these decisions along the way.

Some college graduates consider a postbaccalaureate premedical program or coursework to be a stronger, more qualified medical school applicant. When researching these programs, make sure to consider any financial implications that may impact your present and future situation.

Attending medical school is expensive, and most medical students will need to borrow federal student loans to cover their medical school’s cost of attendance. Below is a list of 10 questions to help you get a conversation started with the financial aid office professionals at the medical schools you are considering attending. 

The FIRST (Financial Information, Resources, Services, and Tools) program can help you make a smooth, successful, and informed transition to medical school. This is probably one of the biggest financial and personal investments of your life. Utilize the resources available to make wise and knowledgeable decisions about your future.

An aid offer is official notification from a school where you have been accepted. It outlines the financial aid you are eligible to receive at that medical school. 

If you want to be a doctor or physician scientist, they are good career choices, both socially and financially. Although medical school may be expensive, there are options available for financing your education. The key to affording medical school is educating yourself about your choices.

Some medical students need to interrupt their medical education to accommodate educational goals or special circumstances. Knowing how to handle a leave of absence is important, so carefully consider the ramifications of how a break in your education may delay graduation or other milestones within your career.