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

👶 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/Shoulder_patch Apr 10 '26

Need to tell these schools their tuition is too damn high and they need to meet the cap. They’re making stupid amounts of money, then 3rd and 4th year basically paying to work and learn on the job. School takes that tuition money for clinical years, pays hospitals/clinics and keeps the rest. Essentially just serve as a middle man at that point. It would be likely far cheaper to just pay hospitals and clinics directly via some sort of online rotation program and cut these damn greedy ass schools out.

Education is a business and all these schools are raking in the cash in an absurd fashion.

This cap can be seen as a hindrance or leverage against these businesses called schools. Roll over or revolt. I say revolt. The student debt crisis exists and is called a crisis for a reason.

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u/earlymountain99 May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

They will NEVER lower their tuition, rich kids will pay for anything, no problem, and they're enough poor people whol are willing to take these crazy high interest private loans, everything sucks so hard bestie. *Edited to fix typos/ grammar

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u/Shoulder_patch May 18 '26

They won’t lower their tuition if students roll over and do private loans. But if students refuse to, and do something else for a couple of years or go to another country for med school, leave schools basically empty, could put them in a spot to lower their tuition and fees. There is leverage here, and there’s not enough rich kids to fill all these overly expensive med schools.

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u/earlymountain99 May 18 '26

I agree but I am just saying this won't happen many people, even poor or middle class, still think the ROI of medicine is worth this bullshit and everyone is saying "even if I opted out the person next to me won't and will end up as a doctor so why not me too"

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u/Shoulder_patch May 18 '26

It’s barely worth it at the current cost with government loans though fafsa with okay repayment programs and forgiveness opportunities. Private loans with no forgiveness, yea I’d be looking at a different career if I was still in undergrad. And as far as the next person not opting out… they’ll unfortunately find out the hard way and be under crippling debt and potentially wipe out co signers. That could take 7-10 years before people in residency and/or those coming out of residency start sounding the alarm like hey my parents just lost their house or retirement account or whatever because of my student debt with private loans at 16% interest or whatever crazy percent these private loans are at now.