HARVARD DRIERS WITHOUT MONEY

Studying medicine at schools like Harvard is certainly expensive, but it's the extra expenses that startle and struggle poor students every day.

David Velasquez, 24 years old, is an immigrant from Nicaragua. He soon understood that the health system in America was not for people like him. Up to now, David has never been to private clinics because his family cannot afford it.

When he was 12 years old, David watched his godmother die of cancer. Economic conditions do not allow her, she only goes to the hospital when the illness is severe. As the only person in his family able to attend college, David raised lice to become a doctor.

Xuất thân từ gia đình nghèo không có nhiều mối quan hệ, anh cần sự chuẩn bị kỹ lưỡng để cạnh tranh với các thí sinh khác. Khi đăng ký bài thi MCAT (bài thi tuyển sinh Đại học Y khoa), anh đã gọi điện cho Trung tâm Princeton Review xin giảm giá gói

This is the common situation of many poor medical students in the US.

Medical universities often select candidates from high-income white families. Between 1988 and 2017, more than three-quarters of all medical students in America grew up from wealthy families.

Typically, the preparation for the exam includes an application fee: 130 USD for the 1st choice and 40 USD for each subsequent option; cost of costumes and travel for interviews: average over 200 USD per school. After being admitted, students need to purchase medical equipment to support the learning process. The cost for the tests and certification is 600 USD per year.

In 2018, the average debt of medical students amounted to $ 200,000, an increase of 4% compared to 2017.

Shawn Johnson, born in the suburbs of Stockton, California. He applied to apply to a college in Oregon, uncertain about his field of study. When his best friend got cancer, he rekindled his intention to study medicine. His teacher encouraged him to apply for a summer research internship at Harvard University. Shawn and his father and daughter were excitedly flying to the ceiling when receiving the admission announcement.

Bắt

Starting class, additional expenses gradually appeared before the boy's eyes. Hey, cardiopulmonary stethoscope with fundus lamp $ 1,000; supplementary courses Uworld $ 500, medical question bank $ 200, support first exam $ 40. Then the registration fee for stage one is 630 dollars, second stage 1,300 dollars, references 630 dollars. Shawn watched as his classmates threw their credit cards out of their pockets, "as if they were buying a $ 5 item on eBay".

"You have to decide whether to use student loans to pay for school supplies, or to save it and one bad day to send back to parents or sick relatives," he said.

Shawn rented out his dorm and slept on campus for several months, saving money for his parents. Despite complications from knee surgery, he did not follow-up for several weeks. The school's doctor was astonished when a medical school student delayed treatment. Shawn explained he needed to save money to afford his studies.

Sarah Burns, a third-year at Ohio Medical University, says student debt puts more pressure on her, making exams more burdensome than ever. The USMLE Phase 2 medical career certification exam costs more than 1,200 USD.

The US medical certification process consists of 3 stages. Stages 1 and 2 are required for students who want to become a doctor. The 2019 analysis shows that exam revenue has tripled over two decades.

The stress of the exam is not just on the financial aspect. The exams are considered the determining factor in the medical career of every future doctor. A 2017 study by the medical schools of New York University and the University of Michigan found that, during exam review time, students study an average of 11 hours per day.

Student worries make exam business become lucrative. "The more anxious students are, the more likely they are to panic and fall into buying something to learn more," said Amanda Tomlinson, a third-year student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Which is the memory card, which is the tutor.

Some students said that the pressure from debt causes the learning process to be viewed under a distorted lens. Amanda often has to think ahead of every item she has to spend, like $ 20 for dinner. "With a 7% interest rate, how much will I have to pay for this 10 years later," she said.

The expensive cost of studying medicine becomes a barrier for students when choosing a major. Areas of easy money like plastic surgery suddenly became more attractive, while less money positions like GPs became overshadowed. Randall Tassone, a Harvard Medical College student, born into a rural Pennsylvania low-income family, said studying with wealthy friends made him realize that money is extremely important to culture. Medical school, learning process as well as social structure.

Still, there are students who feel obliged to serve those who gave birth to and raised them.

"I want to prove to my community that the top of the white blouse can still be a colored face," said Jose Calderon, a second-year medical student at the University of Vermont, who had no health insurance during childhood to speak. "That will inspire kids who live in the Houston slums or in South Central Los Angeles."

Research done in 2018 showed that the health of black patients significantly improved when being treated by black doctors. Shawn Johnson said emergency patients feel more comfortable having an African-American doctor like him in his care.

After graduation, David Velasquez plans to work in the emergency department, treating homeless, uninsured and poor patients. But David soon realized that it would take him a lot of money to fulfill his dream.