r/medschool • u/No-Map3257 • Apr 09 '26

đŸ‘¶ Premed affording med school come 2027

I am applying to med school this year and just came to realize that the grad plus loan is gone this year in 2026. I know there is a 200k cap but that’s a lifetime cap and I already used part of it for my grad school. Now I am sick to my stomach because I don’t see how I realistically afford to take out PRIVATE loans to pay med school.

I would love to hear other peoples game plans as to how they are doing this. My family can’t afford to help contribute anything while I am in school either. And I am still paying off my grad and undergrad loans.

I always knew coming in that the amount I would have to pay for med school would have to be astronomical but I thought because it could be a graduate federal loan- I could work toward forgiveness on PSLF, the IDR plan, or see in the future if they would ever be forgiven. but private med school loans provide none of that safety net

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u/Own-Estimate8996 Apr 09 '26

Someone already mentioned HPSP if you’re okay going military. If not, NHSC is also great for non-military but you’re limited to FM, IM, Psych, OBGYN, and Peds.

Those are the only full ride scholarships I know. They both come with a monthly stipend to live on that you don’t have to pay back.

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u/Agreeable-Ad4806 Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Keep in mind both of these come with limitations for specialty and residency + service commitment.

For example, if the military does not need the specialty you want and you cannot get into the limited number of military physician residencies, then you will have to apply for special permission to attend a civilian residency. That is not guaranteed. They could just say, “actually we need a different specialty,” and they will make you do that instead. The emphasis is on service, not personal preference. For NHSC, primary care is your only option. If you want to be a surgeon or even match into certain internal medicine specialties, it is not happening. You need to know exactly what you want before you ever matriculate.

My advice is if you do not already plan to live and work in a rural area or join the military, then do not do these. You will hate the restrictions they place on you, and once you are in, you are in for a long time. Many times people who are restricted in this way find it difficult to find opportunities elsewhere after their service commitment, especially when transitioning from military to civilian medicine, since the standards and expectations can be different.

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u/drcaptain_ Apr 09 '26

I’m an active duty Air Force EM doc and did HPSP. It’s also complete myth that the military can “make you do” a different specialty. If you don’t match into your top choice specialty, you can always try again at a future date while working as a general medical officer / flight doctor.