Med school application process: what’s the cost?

Will it break the bank?

Getting accepted to med school takes stellar grades, a great MCAT score, and unique volunteering and research experience, among other things (check out specifics here). But besides brains, determination and a little bit of luck, the med school application process is guaranteed to set you back a few pretty pennies!

Planning ahead and knowing what to expect can help ease the burden, but there will be sacrifices to be made—unless you have a rich great aunt funding your education!

This isn’t meant to discourage or deflate anyone’s bubble. Keep this in perspective as you begin the med school application process: you’re about to embark on a journey that will leave you $180,000 or more in debt. Then, as a physician, you’ll likely be making this much or more annually. So the money you spend today to open the door to a med school will be money well spent.

After recently completing this process, my recommendation is to do—and spend—what it takes to getinto med school. Send applications to as many schools as you think necessary. If that means you have to open a credit card to pay the application fees, find the lowest APR available, and charge ahead, literally!

Check out the table to the right for some realistic costs you can expect during the med school application process. These costs will differ based on the number of schools you apply to, how many secondary applications you receive, how many interviews you attend, and how far you have to travel for those interviews.

Another major expense for many pre-meds is an MCAT prep course. Costs run from $800-$6,000. Do your research, and if you decide to enroll in a course, make sure it’ a good fit for you. (See some of our reviews here and here.) My estimates are conservative, but should give you a good idea of what you’ll be forking out in the last year of undergrad. These painful payments will help to ensure your med school application process, and overall journey is a success!

You can check out other costs on such things as:

-MCAT prep courses

-MCAT prep book review

-CBTs (computer-based tests for MCAT)

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About the Author: Brooks Johnson

Brooks is a 4th year medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson. He plans on applying to Anesthesiology residencies this coming year. He completed his undergraduate education at Brigham Young University, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Public Health. In the little free time he has, he enjoys spending time with his son and wife, woodworking and watching his beloved Phoenix Suns and Arizona Cardinals.