Is Medical School Worth It Financially?

Senior year is a year for some of the most important decisions in the life of a person: where to go to college, and what to do with the rest of his or her life. Some people already have their life mapped out and know exactly what they want to do for the next fifty or so years; however, a large majority of seniors have no clue. These crucial decisions affect a life greatly, and choosing can be overwhelming for many seniors. Even scarier is knowing that these decisions must be made within a few short months. I am one of those seniors who cannot make a decision about my career, as I feel some distress about the subject. What makes this decision difficult is that there is no one subject that shines above the rest, and finding the right direction

Some of the largest concerns when considering medical school include the cost to attend, the amount of years of education, and the salary. Instead of looking at only the school cost, one must also take note of the money lost when the medical student cannot work a full-time job. In one year of schooling, a med student loses $57,304 (“Is Medical School Worth It Financially?”). This is a substantial amount of money, especially for a college student who struggles to live on their own. The numbers become even more shocking when faced with the cost of attending med school for four years; when adding interest, a student can be nearly half a million dollars in debt (“Is Medical School Worth It Financially?”). A six digit debt would be daunting to anyone, and this significant number typically turns prospective minds away from the idea of becoming a doctor. Another daunting figure is the amount of time it takes to become a doctor, as most med students are in school for eight years before beginning their residency, a period of three to seven years of specialized

Most architecture students spend between $15,000 and $60,000 on school (“How Much Does Architecture School Cost?”). These smaller numbers look much better to prospective students, especially since architecture school does not take as long. While it is possible, most students do not finish architecture school in the minimal eight years it could take to earn a U.S. license (“How Long Does It Take to Become an Architect?”). The simple fact that architecture takes about half the time of medical school is certainly inviting, and even better is knowing that a person could start working earlier. The starting salary for an architect is anywhere between $46,000 and $126,000 (“Architect Salary”). However, with such a wide range, it is more likely for my starting salary to be at the lower end, and this could be a reason for the suicide rate of architects. According to Dezeen, an architecture and design magazine, those who work in the fields of engineering and architecture are “the fifth most likely to commit suicide” (Howarth). The job itself may not be what the architect expected, and to me, architecture sounds much like a bunch of projects and worry that I would rather not worry about. Architects also work for long periods of time--sometimes up to fifty hours a week, and long nights are practically a given (“Architects”). I love to sleep, so