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Driving student d by Doug Carlson
RAY STANYARD
n the grand scheme of medical education, four years of study at the Florida State University College of Medicine is a relative bargain, even with the current base price of $70,000 in tuition payments over four years. Just don’t say so to second-year medical student Randa Perkins. Less than half-way through her matriculation at the College of Medicine, Perkins said she already had accrued enough school-related debt to have purchased two Hummers and a year’s supply of gasoline. Instead of living large, and driving something larger, she’s taking the same low-profile approach most of her classmates follow toward their goal: survive and study - not necessarily in that order. “I have a small, cheap apartment, I take showers at school to save money, I shop at Sam’s Club, and I live off of frozen meals,’’ said Perkins, who drives a “beatup” Jeep her parents gave her and, truth be known, doesn’t count expensive vehicles among her career objectives.
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Little things, like coupons and no cable television, help when investing toward a future in medicine. The willingness to sacrifice in the short-term seems as much a part of getting there as does the spirit of service. If there’s confusion about that message before enrolling, this reminder greets visitors in the debt management link on the College of Medicine Web site: “Remember, if you live like a doctor now, you will surely live like a medical student when you are a physician.’’ But the rapidly escalating cost of medical education in the U.S., which has driven nearly a 500-percent increase in median student indebtedness at graduation since 1984, goes beyond lifestyles. The fear isn’t about doctors not being able to afford second homes. Rather, there’s growing concern that as medical student debt outpaces physician compensation, it will lead to doctor shortages in vital areas and place medical school financially out of reach for many – or worse.
An Association of American Medical Colleges report from March 2005 on medical education costs and student debt states that, “failure to adequately address these challenges could have serious implications for the health of the nation if they impede the supply of physicians or diversity within the medical profession.’’ Numerous published studies suggest debt is increasingly steering students away from the primary-care specialties that are central to the FSU College of Medicine’s mission. The sting of being deeply in debt is something many FSU med students say they are trying to balance with the goals that brought them to medical school. “It’s frustrating because there are so many surprise expenses that go along with the burden of tuition, books and rent,’’ said Nishita Patel, a third-year student at the Orlando campus. “I just charged $1,500 to my credit card for Step 2 of the [USMLE] board exams. There are review classes to pay for, application fees for fourth-year externships, and flights and hotels for residency interviews.’’