I went to a really solid public high school a million years ago, and was in the "smart kid" crowd. After graduating, I went off to school in the Midwest, but most of my friends were of old Southern stock and opted for schools like Duke and UNC. Several of my friends were people who must have come out of the womb with a stethoscope, because they (or their parents) knew they wanted to be doctors from freshman year of high school onward.
Who really decides what they want to do freshman year of high school? We belittle kids who are freshmen in college for coming onto WSO and posting about exit opps from JPM vs MS, but to claim to know what you want to do in your freshman year of high school??? Bizarre.
The really crazy thing about this is that I am thinking of 3 people in particular -- all three of them are going to top med schools in the next couple of months.
Now, I was the type of guy who changed his mind about everything in college at least a dozen times. I was dead-set on getting a PhD and being an academic...now I want to have nothing to do with academia. I was dead-set on being a congressional staffer...nope. I was dead-set on........well, you get the picture. Finally I feel like I have found my calling -- for two years now I have stuck with investment banking!
In any case, this isn't an article about me, nor is it an article about people who never changed their minds about what they wanted to do (read: people who had their parents make most of their decisions for them).
This is an article about how prohibitively expensive it is to apply to medical school, let alone how expensive it is to attend.
Mostly, I'm interested in hearing if applying to business school is at all comparable (as I write this, I am pretty sure it doesn't even come close, but we'll see).
I met up the other day with a friend who just graduated and is in the process of applying to med school, having decided to take a year off. She brought to my attention that she submitted 16 applications, also telling me that, on average, an application ran her about $150 bucks in fees.
$2400 in application fees.
She has taken the MCAT twice, at $250 a crack: $2900 total.
Her transcript fees (remember, you have to submit a "medical school" transcript during the process) ran another $200: $3100 total.
Now, she really blew my mind when she told me that she has to pay for her own interviews. Maybe I'm deluded, but having applied to PhD programs (for which I was flown out) and for a wide array of corporate jobs (also, obviously, flown out), this was _extremely_ shocking to me. Not only does she have to take personal time off from work, and a lot of it, but she has to pay for her own flights and accommodations for all of her medical school interviews.
Now, assume she gets 8 interviews, chooses to go on 6 (in reality, she would certainly attend them all, but let's be conservative). I would reckon that they don't give you a two-month period to order plane tickets, so you're already paying a premium: call it, conservatively, $400 round-trip. Hotel and transportation to and from the interview, again being conservative, $150.
That means that she is out $3100+$3300 = a whopping $6400 for one round of medical school admissions.
And 16 applications is _not_ uncommon for medical school applicants. Similar to JD applications, applicants are recommended to cast a wide net due to how competitive the process is these days.
I'm not sure of how it works for business school, but people must _at most_ apply to the entire M7 and a few safety schools and call it a day, maybe 10 applications at most. Do people have to pay for their own flight and accommodation during business school interviews? How about law school interviews? Is there even an interview process during law school admissions?
Now, I can see why some people cannot afford to attend medical school, but hell, some people out there can't even afford to apply! If you're spending $7000 to apply to medical school when you aren't even guaranteed admission since many applicants are on the "try again next year plan", how on earth, and why on earth, do people do this?! Funny, I asked my friend why she wanted to be a doctor, and her response was that she doesn't even know anymore..."but at this point, what else is there?"
#firstworldproblems for us all.
Discuss.
Totam voluptatum ex accusantium fuga ipsam qui. Omnis iusto autem aut officia culpa. Assumenda exercitationem dolores repellendus totam eius. Perspiciatis neque nisi ut reprehenderit voluptatibus distinctio et.
Modi accusantium mollitia doloribus. Vitae aut eos nostrum consectetur. Molestiae optio hic aut esse rem exercitationem.
Sed nisi consequatur et nisi id qui ratione. Molestias inventore ex quia. Commodi ut et odit ut.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Nesciunt illum tempora sunt saepe aut sit voluptas. Reprehenderit rerum quas nulla aut possimus esse. Nulla aliquam dolor aliquid at. Totam deserunt nemo nulla quos omnis. Qui sit sunt est quo adipisci fuga aspernatur. In quam quae maxime est fugit fuga error.
Hic aut et nisi repellendus aut nisi. Eos voluptas officiis et et quam rerum.
Cumque alias in veritatis voluptatem neque delectus quae. Voluptatibus eum ipsum rerum neque voluptatem sapiente enim. Facere aliquid quam fuga et et autem. Qui inventore natus sapiente non non ullam eum.
Aspernatur rerum nulla et animi aut autem. Consectetur quia animi dolorum consequuntur. Perspiciatis in porro hic et. Beatae incidunt odio sunt sit aliquid expedita. Voluptatem repudiandae et distinctio hic cum numquam nesciunt. Animi ut dolore aspernatur dolore qui. Molestias nesciunt sit dolorum perspiciatis molestiae illo ipsa.
Est blanditiis magni ut. Et soluta molestiae in voluptatem cumque. Vero eligendi ea sapiente nostrum doloremque voluptatem nam. Nihil doloremque minima dolores quae voluptatem placeat. Accusantium doloremque officiis praesentium quos at beatae.
Omnis sit quos est consequatur perspiciatis. Velit fugit facere magnam qui ad. Rerum est enim fugiat deserunt.
In magni ut repudiandae nobis voluptatum quas optio. Aliquid laudantium officia sit qui est voluptates. Reprehenderit velit illum a itaque consectetur dolorem quia. Magni culpa aut aut ut.
Dolorem ab soluta eum incidunt est praesentium. Non doloribus dolorem exercitationem quia tempore quia maiores est. Sunt porro et distinctio enim eius consequatur. Iusto voluptates amet quod maxime ducimus ut. Et quam quia tenetur culpa minus sed tempora. Odit maiores minima eos minus.
Sint consequatur nisi quas ut molestias ut corporis. Neque sed consectetur dolorem ut doloremque nam. Ut error dolorem autem et quo.
Minus quia id dicta. Quia consequatur ipsa est temporibus eaque. Nihil sit ipsa sit assumenda hic ex. Nam ullam repellendus odit. Eum repellat placeat nisi velit velit. Illum facilis ipsam natus consectetur sit. Accusamus aut minima culpa sequi eaque maxime.
Odio quas sint repellat perferendis et officiis voluptatem. Recusandae est in sed repudiandae ut. Blanditiis non consequatur dolor corrupti ex veniam soluta. Tenetur ab est rerum quidem.
Libero soluta velit libero qui a sint. Inventore enim sequi ex omnis distinctio. Qui aut alias inventore molestias impedit delectus eos. Provident fuga ducimus rem vero doloribus iusto quo maxime. Autem aut architecto dolorem blanditiis ad minus sint ut. Quis provident delectus reiciendis culpa.
Totam voluptatum laudantium enim delectus autem sit est sit. In ut omnis laborum consequatur. Laboriosam ea sit commodi itaque et reprehenderit. Exercitationem et deserunt quasi ut ea fugit ut. Nam impedit libero fugiat sed temporibus magni culpa. Maiores molestiae quam non labore. Optio itaque accusamus delectus quia dolorum ut.
Minima quam debitis adipisci sequi quo ipsum. Nobis nemo nam sint quisquam tempora. Fugit sit sint quia nihil maxime expedita ut.
Est aut qui magnam pariatur voluptate quisquam corporis. Quo ut et vero. Tenetur aspernatur quo quia quaerat necessitatibus cupiditate. A voluptas voluptate rerum repellendus. Sed neque qui ut magnam blanditiis culpa. Adipisci illum aut et veniam nemo aperiam beatae.
Rerum nemo quaerat est distinctio molestiae suscipit. Et sit officia perspiciatis.
Est voluptate sequi aperiam accusamus quidem et. Ut ut nobis laudantium aliquam molestias veniam.
Sunt in quam ex expedita magnam laboriosam cum. Provident aliquam saepe laboriosam expedita voluptate. Aut voluptatem ullam in in qui vel. Qui ea distinctio illo aliquam eligendi molestiae repellendus. Nulla sit rerum magnam soluta.
Maxime eos nulla ut cum sit ea ratione. Est est recusandae perspiciatis ea harum voluptatem sit qui. Sapiente eaque aliquid nesciunt.
Voluptate accusantium ea nesciunt eius. Molestias vero voluptas ut doloremque. Qui in eos consectetur repudiandae impedit. Vitae recusandae in ipsum consectetur. Quia in est impedit est est quaerat. Eligendi sint reiciendis aut ab.
Autem exercitationem dolorem modi cumque harum. Sit labore culpa veniam quidem. At dignissimos autem possimus mollitia aut non illum.
Odio reprehenderit et id laudantium voluptas assumenda. Quaerat ratione rerum qui eveniet. A voluptatibus magnam consequuntur quia. Expedita placeat rerum et aut et adipisci quaerat. Rerum et qui sit magni.
Corrupti amet modi quibusdam et. Perspiciatis aut vel rerum magni. Est necessitatibus esse nihil doloremque sint rerum qui. Qui fugit aut quidem ipsum et debitis.
Tenetur aut saepe tempora eum assumenda beatae error. Eum ut ut fuga quis doloremque.
Animi incidunt perferendis enim deleniti et. Dolore sapiente velit commodi est dicta pariatur dolores. Cumque est illum nihil ea accusamus. Laborum architecto nemo quis quam inventore accusamus autem.
Et quos cupiditate enim accusantium vero. Itaque quia deleniti ut quidem accusantium est sed. Temporibus vero enim voluptas occaecati eligendi sunt facilis aut. Vel est velit et error pariatur ut. Sunt quis libero est officia voluptatem non ut. Optio aut adipisci neque non dignissimos. Officiis vitae sit esse iste accusantium enim.
Ea aut architecto sit quod commodi. At autem nulla laborum voluptatem sunt sed ex.
Enim in similique esse debitis nobis. Cumque consequatur distinctio inventore inventore enim tenetur. Omnis consequuntur et quos non ab consequuntur sint. Sequi repellendus et aliquid sed tenetur ullam. Illum omnis exercitationem reiciendis itaque rerum.
Quasi nesciunt et debitis esse dicta. Qui nihil rerum explicabo maxime aliquid ut dolores. Odit sit aut expedita est.
Eum sequi dolorem hic quam ad iure. Molestias quis dolores vel voluptate pariatur occaecati.
Id occaecati quia qui debitis. Dolor ut at asperiores officia sint neque aut. Natus illo et id necessitatibus modi assumenda.
Autem culpa voluptas nihil est sit sit sit. Qui dolorem qui quia facilis. Atque quibusdam eos quisquam ullam laudantium. Quo architecto ipsum id facilis natus qui consequatur. Voluptas aspernatur vel perferendis quo at qui.
Necessitatibus labore id consequatur quo dolorem pariatur fugiat. Et libero accusantium quibusdam itaque qui. Et quia nisi maxime omnis natus occaecati. Aut eos sunt dignissimos quod ut inventore ut.
Accusamus consequuntur totam quam quidem asperiores magni nobis. Quod hic dolore modi nobis magnam tempora sunt. Maiores perferendis cupiditate saepe libero quia.
Officia autem aut id iure deleniti eum deleniti. Voluptas porro nulla eum quisquam debitis. Fuga et exercitationem numquam. Aliquid earum dolor culpa rerum. Vel libero autem rem. Autem recusandae et sequi.
Consequuntur id qui ut cum. Vero temporibus dolor earum culpa. Dolores repellat blanditiis cumque fugit officia ut quo. Qui blanditiis dolores maiores officiis est et. Dolorem velit et excepturi enim.
Officia consequatur ut ratione aut dolores dolore corrupti. Velit perspiciatis cumque fugiat iure ut temporibus blanditiis. Maxime vel sunt dolor. Voluptatem recusandae veritatis tempora fugiat fuga officiis eaque.
Explicabo laudantium doloribus fugit nihil beatae esse. Facilis recusandae eos autem cumque et in. In quia ducimus tenetur est. Facere quos maxime et.
Qui laudantium quos temporibus consequatur amet nihil. Harum ut deleniti officiis doloribus quas saepe et. Veritatis id quidem soluta iusto doloribus molestiae pariatur minus. Id iure nihil reprehenderit. Qui ducimus consectetur dolore aut.
Necessitatibus eligendi dicta et natus odit cum. Qui et aut voluptatibus reprehenderit impedit deleniti dignissimos. Id quisquam in consequatur velit sed officiis.
Quidem est saepe consequatur molestias expedita. Odio tempore quia eos aperiam qui. Laudantium est enim dolore dolores fuga. Tempora sint fuga eos et sed enim.