Things to Consider as a Late Admitted Student

While I have discussed a few times before about my pursuit of wanting to get into medical school, I wanted to be raw with you about my journey. I have always wanted to go to medical school and that passion of being a physician has been there since I was a kid. Since beginning elementary school to middle school, I wanted to make sure that I tried to be a “good” kid and to many people it can mean so many things. But, for me, it meant to stay out of trouble, not really be perceived, refrain from saying or doing anything that might jeopardize my ability to stay “good”. I tried to keep a serious mind set but as a child, I had the ability to turn it on and off. As I transitioned from middle school to high school, I had already learned a lot about myself and how to deal with a few inner conflicts such as my identity, body image, handling racism in the classroom, and masking my feelings with academics. As I transitioned from high school to being an undergraduate, I thought I had what I needed. I thought I knew what I needed. I thought I had the tools to survive. While I was mostly true, I felt that there were some things that I wish I could have done differently. By the time I graduated from my undergraduate program, I felt ready to face the world. I felt prepared. I felt ready. Yet, I reflected on my experiences and grades and noticed that I was lacking a lot with my grades. Despite encountering hardship during my undergraduate program, the reasons behind my low grades could not save me enough to be eligible to apply for medical school. At this time, I was in a committed relationship and had put my dreams of being a physician in the drawer. I decided to focus on working in the corporate world. My first job offer was to be a Policy & Prevention Coordinator at a renowned cancer foundation focusing on indigenous populations and it was located out of state. I was so happy. Meanwhile, I had received another job offer as an Institutional Review Board Associate. Since I had a committed relationship and recently had a signed lease agreement, I felt an obligation to stay in Arizona, so I stayed and declined the out-of-state position. I felt some regret because it was one of my dreams to not only pursue medicine but combine that and work in public policy for indigenous nations. 

Still grateful for staying and working with the IRB, I learned more internal processes about research, research protocols, laws, and human ethics. I grew a passion for medical ethics. My passion for research and medicine never died. I had a new perspective and had the tools to read research articles, assess journals, understand regulations for new drugs and devices, and abide by federal and state laws with research and human participants. I really liked it. I was used to it because of my previous experience with research opportunities during undergrad. However, after a brief meeting with one of my mentors in 2020, realizing how COVID-19 impacted the Navajo Nation, and almost losing my mother to a medical procedure, I decided that if it took me a few more years to make my dream come true, then at least I can say that I tried. I can say that I attempted at making my true dream come to reality. I can say that I did this for myself and for my community. So, during 2020, I decided to sign up for classes at the local university and finish my medical school prerequisites. In 2022, after working full time, going to school full time, training many folks including my new boss at the time, taking the Certification IRB Professional (CIP) exam and missing the mark by 1 point, applying for an internal promotion at work only to have the person I trained be selected over me, and receiving a denial to a non-degree post-bacc program for American Indians/Alaska Natives in Oregon. I was sad. It was dark and lonely. I felt that I had no direction. I decided to try again at my real dream of pursuing medicine. I saved money to quit my job, decided to focus on school, my personal statement, gaining research experience, and medical experience as a scribe. It was a tough decision and it was tough planning. I was happy at the time to have been in a committed relationship, something that I seldom discuss on this blog but after much reflection and meditation, I have come to appreciate that part of my journey and accepted the outcome. It was a great learning experience and I don’t regret it. At that time I also published my first article and felt super proud. 

Moving forward, in the fall of 2022, I finished my required courses and received an offer to be a medical scribe at a urology clinic. It was amazing. In another story, I want to share what I learned, what to expect, how to be prepared, and how to maintain those relationships with the physicians you scribed with. I will never forget the day Dr. D allowed me to cut the vas deferens and what some colleagues in the OR described the process. 

After my second failed attempt at the MCAT, I felt scared and I remember telling myself, “what the hell were you thinking, quitting your job, taking a job that paid a quarter of what you were previously making, and thinking you would be good enough for medical school?” Oh man, I was so mad at myself. Despite doing a non-traditional DIY post-bacc, demonstrating that I could handle advanced science classes full time, I felt insufficient. My colleagues in the urology clinic were mostly non-traditional as well and very smart. I often caught myself comparing and would immediately try to shut it down. When I was sharing with my supervisor, who was 4 years younger than I was, that I was going to take the MCAT once again, he was so supportive, provided the office with weekly Starbucks, allowed me restructure my work schedule, gave my MCAT materials, MCAT Anki, and allowed me shadow the physicians I felt comfortable with, I felt so validated and seen. On top of that, he encouraged me to go to mentors that made me feel like a rockstar, which I did, and boy did they hype me up. When my MCAT was scheduled, I booked my room, took a tour of the facility, and felt ready. However, the morning of the exam, I had so many emotions that I decided to void my exam score. This was not the first time I voided my exam. At this point, I had only 2-3 attempts left for a lifetime. There were some dark hours during this time and I remember almost calling it. However, I am thankful that I also had support from my Instagram community and I came across a few students who completed their master’s degree and gained an opportunity to be considered for medical school. 

Curiously, I researched every Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program on the AAMC website. I disregarded location, whether it was private or public, and the tuition cost. I know–foolish. Anyway, I researched each school, read their mission, resources offered, location, population size, population demographics, and whether there was a strong BIPOC community or ties to the state or school. These were some attributes that were significant to me personally. It came down to 4 schools. I applied to them and got accepted into all 4. I was happy but had to make a decision. I was between 2 schools but the location and the resources helped me decide. I ended up choosing a program in Colorado. I was a late admitted student. Orientation was starting in 10 days, so I had less than 10 days to secure a place out of state. It was expensive and a scramble. I didn’t want to lose time on my medical journey and decided to go for it. The following will describe a few things to consider if you ever decide to apply late, get admitted late, and some things you might encounter. It is stressful but with planning, I am sure you can accomplish anything too. 🙂

Financial Considerations

    • Application Fees
      • Per the PostbacCAS as of 2023, it is $139 for the first school, then $54 for any additional school.
      • Per AAMC, AMCAS 2025 application fees are $175 for the first school, then $46 for any additional school.
      • Per AACOMAS, their application fee is $198 for the first school, then $57 for each additional school.
    • Transcript Fees
      • Transcript fees can range depending on the school. Personally, schools during my undergrad ranged between $10-20 per transcript. So, if you are applying to PostbacCAS, AMCAS, AACOMAS altogether, you would have to order 3 transcripts from one school which can range $15-20 for a total of $45-60 per school. Thus, if you attended a few schools during undergrad or during the summer at a local community school, the cost of transcripts can vary. So, be mindful of the cost as it can add up. 
    • Matriculation Agreement Deadline with Deposit
      • There may be a deposit required at the time of acceptance to attend your school of choice. It can range from $500-$3000. It is important to be mindful of this so as not to jeopardize your acceptance or financial state. 
    • Fees for Background Check, Immunization Record Retrieval, Vaccinations, and Health Physicals
      • Once accepted, you will likely have a checklist to complete prior to beginning school and sometimes it may require you to do a health visit with your provider, take a TB test, obtain required vaccines, unless otherwise noted, and a drug screening test. This can add up. I would set aside $200-300 for this to allow yourself some breathing room. 
    • Technology Fees
      • Once accepted, you may need to upgrade your technology equipment or make a technology purchase. It is not a requirement but it might depend on how well your technology is working. Sometimes, schools may not be able to offer computers or other technology to rent, so it is very important to be prepared. This cost I will leave up to you. 
    • Moving Fees
      • When I moved, I had to consider how I was going to move. This meant choosing what items needed to come with me, what items I needed to store at a storage unit, and creating a plan to either keep items at the storage unit, selling, or donating. It is important to do a quick inventory of the stuff you have already, what can fit into your vehicle, or if you have the budget for a moving company/truck to move your stuff. These all come with a fee. This is something to consider as this can quickly add up. I think with moving including gas prices, I spent about $200 for boxes and moving supplies, $300 for gas, $400 for 3 nights at an Airbnb that allows pets, and $200 for food. It was about $1100-$1500 since I was traveling with my dog. 
    • Apartment Fees and Other Considerations
      • When moving, it is also important to consider where you want to live. At the time, I surprisingly did not have a car. I didn’t need one. So, when I was moving out of state, I wanted to live as close as possible to the school so I could walk or possibly buy a bike later and bike to school. Living close to school without a car was important to me, but just know that usually the closer you are to campus, the more expensive it might be due to availability, renting, buying, and location. It is important to figure out where you want to live, who you want to live with, if needed, and what security deposits and rent was due. 
      • In a pinch, I looked at Furnished Finder, Facebook, and Travel Nurse Housing for temporary housing. I also referred to the school’s personal facebook page for postings. I reached out to a few people and asked those individuals if they would be willing to share my information with their friends and family for potential housing opportunities. When looking for a place or posting about finding a place it is important to introduce yourself, the state you are coming from, the area(s) you are wanting to live, your budget, if you have pets, if you prefer a specific sex/gender roommate, if you are open to roommates, and your style of living (i.e., quiet, reserved, loud, free-spirited, laid back, young professional, student). 
      • It is important to keep in mind that as you sign, you should have a security deposit and while it can be unpredictable, it can be nice to plan ahead by getting some estimations. When I was looking, I kept in mind my budget and that helped me figure out my estimated security deposit. I usually aim for 1.5 times the listed rent. As such, when I was looking for a place, my budget for a place with like-minded roommates near school was around $900. So, in addition to the security deposit, they usually also need the first month’s rent which I estimated to be $1350. So, grand total for housing up front would be around $2250. Keep in mind, this did not include application fees and credit checks. This would be around $100 for the application fee and about $75 for the credit check as well. In addition, it might be important to know that if you rent, there might be admin fees, utility set up fees, parking fees, and other miscellaneous fees which I would also budget for to be between $200 on the higher end. Overall, you can be expected to pay around $2600-$3000. 
      • It is also important to have some money, likely the same amount of first month’s rent and security deposit sitting in your account when it is time to renew your lease or move to a new apartment. This is super important because the last thing you want is to stress about where you’re going to live and how you are going to afford it. Additionally, it is also important to make sure that you have budgeted enough for cleaning costs, cleaning supplies, and set up/admin fees for the new place and know that the security deposit at your previous place likely won’t be the same amount or given back at a decent time for the new place so always make sure you have this amount. Plan ahead. 
    • Clothing
      • For my specific program, there was a dress requirement including lab days in the anatomy lab, so I had to buy some good quality shirts, blouses, trousers, compression socks, shoes, and scrubs. I re-used a few scrubs during my scribing days, so this helped a lot and I would recommend shoes during dissection to have a totally old pair of shoes or shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. In total, I spent about $800 for at least 4 neutral blouses, 4 trousers, 3 dress shoes, 2 tennis shoes. To be honest, despite shopping in the clearance section and combining a few items with coupons and member points, this was as close as I could get to it being cheaper. I was also in a pinch to grab my items since it orientation was 10 days away. So, if you have plenty of time, I am sure you can hit up sales and save them. Honestly, at the end of the day no one cares if the style is outdated. What matters is looking professional and being there for you, your colleagues, and future patients. 🙂  
    • School Supplies
      • I am a “write-it-out” type of student, so I went on Amazon, grabbed some folders, note paper, computer paper, pens, markers, etc. In total, I probably spent about $250 total for this but did end up spending a little more on a desk lamp and a portable desk which was about $200 extra. 
      • There were a few books that I had to purchase including textbooks and reading books for assignments. I opted for the rental versions and if I had enough time, I would find a cheaper place to buy an ebook. In total, I spent around $400. Thankfully, a few previous students shared their resources with me so it helped a lot! I would definitely network if you want to find a cheaper alternative. 
    • Subscriptions
      • As a student, I had to subscribe to an in-class attendance tracker/in-class quiz app that we had to pay out of our own pocket. This yearly subscription is around $37-$40
      • Complete Anatomy was $75
      • Picmonic was cheaper than Sketchy, so I chose picmonic and only used it a few times for pharmacology and micro. It was okay. I would give it 3.5/5 stars. You can opt for monthly subscriptions or an annual subscription. The annual subscription is $180. For sketchy, the annual subscription is $400. 
      • These subscriptions aside from the quiz/attendance app were recommended by previous students and noticed it helped for visual learners, so I wanted to give you an idea of how much subscriptions can be and if you want to incorporate it into your studying. 
    • Costs of Living
      • While I previously discussed the rent, I want to emphasize that this is just for rent. It did not include the utilities. Thankfully, one of my roommates had electricity, water, gas, trash, etc., under their name and would pay for it monthly and at the end of the month, we would pay her. It helped me a lot. I do want to let you know that before agreeing to live with someone, make sure you all are on the same page with utilities and dividing up costs. I was a late admitted student, so I really was desperate and mentally agreed to up front costs knowing that it would be painful on my wallet. In my program, I was required to show up to school every single day unless the school program director(s) canceled in-person class which was very rare. Thus, it is important to know that while I was at school from 7AM to 9PM, I was still in charge of the quarter of the utilities. It was unfair but I agreed to it at the move-in. Be sure to keep this in mind. Typically, the utility ranged every month between $100-$125. 
      • Also, keep in mind cleaning supplies especially if you share a bathroom or for the shared spaces. 
      • In terms of groceries, I was more relaxed on this because it really depended on whether I had enough energy mentally to cook once I got home or if I wanted to opt for a protein bar or take out. Thus, monthly, I spent approximately $400-$430. 
      • In terms of energy, my program was hard so that meant a lot of late nights and early mornings. I also wanted a change of scenery. So, add change of scenery and coffee, I would likely budget around $120 if I decided to go to a coffee shop for an entire day like 7AM-7PM. 
      • For transportation, at the beginning of the program, I did not have any form of transportation besides my walking capabilities. Thus, I had to use Uber and Lyft quite frequently and per week I would spend about $400; monthly about $1200-1400. After much deliberation, I decided to get a car which ended up being cheaper in the long run despite having to get a car loan. It is important to make sure you have great credit, which I was thankful for during my employment with the IRB. 
    • Tuition
      • I did my master’s degree at a private university which usually meant the tuition was more expensive. In total, I believe the annual tuition was around $31000. 
    • Loans
      • There are fees when you take out a loan, so it is important that if you decide to take out a loan, you really consider your income, how you are going to pay back your loan, how fast you can pay it back, plans after graduation to pay it back, and creating a budget so that you can take only what you need. This one is important so make sure you look at your personal budget and possibly seek assistance with a financial counselor. 
    • Memberships
      • While I discussed academic subscriptions for school, this section is going to be more personal health memberships like yoga studios, therapy sessions, or gym memberships. I lived with like minded roommates who thankfully were penny pinchers and recommended getting a membership with the local recreation center. This price really was competitive and the facility had all the equipment I needed. I would give this 5/5 stars in terms of location, availability, and time. It is important that while you are embarking on your own journey, that you have time to unwind. So, if that comes with needing to be a member to a place of your liking, I would strongly recommend it. 
    • Unexpected Costs or other costs
      • After living in the desert for nearly 10 years, I didn’t have to worry about winter tires, the battery dying due to the cold, snow gear, or car winter supplies. It is important to be prepared for the worst. In the winter, I had to spend around $200 for a battery and self-jumper, a heavier jacket, and a snow brush. 

    Deadline Considerations

      • Acceptance Deadline
        • Once accepted, there is usually a deadline to get your agreement signed and a deadline for the deposit amount. Keep this in mind. 
      • Checklist Deadline
        • Once accepted, they usually will give you 30 days or less to get your checklist completed which means making appointments, going to lab clinics for tests, and making any follow-up appointments for recommended vaccinations, if it is required. 
      • Scholarship Deadline
        • When I was accepted, I was admitted late which meant that I missed out on scholarship opportunities with the school and other scholarships external from the school, so I had to use loans to supplement part of my tuition. It was brutal but this is a lesson and hopefully you can prevent this from happening to you or help you be more financially proactive. 

      Program Considerations

      • Length of Program
        • The program that I decided to choose was 9 months, whereas other similar programs can be longer. Some were 24 months! So, it is important to consider your financial situation, career path, and goals. This one is a personal choice. 

      Living Accomodations

      • Roommate or No Roommate?
        • Decide again, if you want to live alone or with a roommate. There are pros and cons to each. Make your decision and go with it. Be proactive. Make a list of things you look for in an apartment, roommate, living situation, lease terms, parking, rules, amenities, etc. 

        The entire process to complete a master’s degree in 9-months is hard but it is attainable. I think if you are in this situation, definitely make sure you have the means to do it. It is expensive though, which can be intimidating. If you have a family or support group that can help, that would be amazing. Unfortunately, I had limited help during the process and most of my up-front costs were covered by my savings when I was employed full-time. I also followed a lot of budget websites like “The Budget Mom” which helped me develop a budget, savings, where to look for clearance items, where to look for free items, and how to stick to your budget. It is possible and I know that in whatever situation you find yourself in, there are plenty of resources to help you. If you find yourself struggling, I would suggest reaching out to your friends, colleagues, mentors, or financial assistance offices in your area so they can help connect you to appropriate resources. There is always a way, even if sometimes you have to pave the way for yourself. We have to advocate for ourselves sometimes, and while it is hard, it is not impossible. I know that there is always help and you are never alone. I also want to acknowledge that no plan is perfect and some can be flawed but if you find it to work for you, then that is all that matters. Cheers!

        Alyssa Little

        , , ,
        , , , ,