*The 3-year first-time residency attainment rate is the weighted average of the 2022-23, through 2024-25 academic years. For each year, the rate is the percent of students attaining a residency out of all graduates or expected graduates in the year who were active applicants in the NRMP match in that year or who attained a residency outside the NRMP match in that year. The 1-year first-time residency attainment rate is 95% for 2024-2025 graduates.
Medical School Tips & Resources
Should I Go to Medical School?
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Anyone who has ever considered attending medical school has probably asked themself, “Is medical school right for me?” While it’s easy to view becoming a doctor through rose-tinted lenses, the reality is a bit different. The journey requires a huge academic commitment, steep tuition costs, and a lifelong commitment to learning. It can feel overwhelming for some, but for others, it has a lot to offer in return.
Knowing the right questions to ask is a vital part of how to decide if medical school is right for you, and this guide can help you make an informed decision.
Ask Yourself These 7 Questions
Before you start researching reasons to go to medical school, you should do a quick self-assessment. Regardless of what anyone else says, only you can answer, “Is medical school worth it?”
Ask yourself these seven questions before deciding if medical school is right for you.
Why Do I Want To Be a Doctor?
Some physicians always had a desire to make a difference in the world. Others identified their calling through volunteer work or life-changing events. Discovering why you’re drawn to this profession should be the first step in deciding if medical school is right for you. If your motivation is purely external — family expectations, prestige associated with the profession, salary, etc. — it may not be enough to carry you through years of training and long work hours.
However, being committed to solving complex health problems and helping others offers a great foundation to build your medical career upon.
And it’s okay if you don’t have an answer to this question right away. Give yourself time to really sort through your feelings and understand why this path speaks to you.
Do I Have the Academic Qualifications?
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve already started researching medical school admission requirements. Maybe you’ve come across common questions like, “Is a 3.7 GPA good enough for medical school?” or “Can a 3.5 GPA get you into medical school?”
Due to the competitive nature of the college admission process, having a strong GPA and a high Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) score could boost your academic profile for many medical schools. It’s generally recommended to aim for a 3.5 GPA or higher, even though an increasing number of schools are switching to a more holistic admission process.
Some schools are said to follow the so-called “32-hour rule,” which focuses heavily on an applicant’s performance in their most recent 32 credit hours of coursework. It’s generally not recommended to pour all of your effort solely into those last 32 credit hours. Instead, you should do your best in all of your classes.
However, it’s important to remember that numbers are only part of your application. A medical school admission team is also interested in learning about your character, experiences, and interest in medicine and their program.
Am I Ready for the Time Commitment?
Medical school is a marathon, not a sprint. You’re looking at four years in medical school, around two to four years in residency depending on your specialty, and up to three more years if you pursue a fellowship afterward. You’ll be expected to dedicate a lot of time to your new career and maybe even sacrifice some downtime to make your dream a reality.
The silver lining of sticking it out is the opportunity to join a profession where your efforts can directly improve the lives of others.
Can I Afford Medical School?
The average annual cost for tuition, fees, and health insurance at a U.S. medical school is around $59,000 — though costs vary widely from institution to institution depending on whether it is public or private, and whether a student is paying in-state or out-of-state rates. At American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), tuition, fees, and insurance for the first two years of the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program cost around $28,000 per semester; the remaining two years — the Clinical Sciences portion completed at affiliate hospitals — costs around $35,000 per semester.
It’s important to note that these costs don’t cover housing, living expenses, transportation, or residency application fees. The good news is that you don’t have to stress about paying your tuition entirely out of pocket. Scholarships, student loans, and grants* can help reduce financial strain during your studies, while loan forgiveness programs and repayment plans can help ease the burden of repayment later on.
AUC is proud to have awarded more than $55 million USD in scholarships since 2009, more than half of our students receive institutional grants or scholarships.
Creating a clear financial plan before starting your medical studies can better prepare you to manage these costs down the road.
Do I Understand the Lifestyle of a Doctor?
It’s rare for doctors to work a traditional 9-to-5 schedule, but specialties like family medicine and dermatology can offer something pretty close. It’s more common for doctors to work long hours, including nights and weekends, and be on-call. Having such a taxing schedule can be stressful and lead to burnout — especially if you’re in a demanding specialty like surgery or emergency medicine.
Downtime can feel like a luxury some days, but actively saving and improving lives could provide personal and professional fulfillment that makes it all worthwhile. When considering whether you should become a doctor, it’s important to be honest with yourself about the lifestyle change that comes with this path.
Do you think the physical, emotional, and mental tolls are worth it?
Do I Have the Traits of a Good Doctor?
First of all, most doctors are no strangers to studying hard, which is an important skill to develop in medical school in order to maintain scholarships or get into a competitive residency program.
Also, the best doctors see each patient as a human, not a diagnosis. They can empathize with their patients, clearly express patient concerns and conditions to their teams, and explain complex medical terms and conditions in a way that’s easy for patients to understand.
It’s also important to remember that medicine is always evolving, which means pursuing this path requires a lifetime of learning and adapting. Being flexible in your thinking can help you stay on top of the latest research and technologies. Being resilient can help you quickly recover from setbacks and continuously strive for improvement.
Great doctors aren’t perfect, but they are empathetic. They elevate their technical knowledge with soft skills to put patients at ease and help them make informed healthcare decisions.
Have I Explored the Field Firsthand?
It’s easy to romanticize medicine without firsthand experience. Shadowing physicians, volunteering, or working in other healthcare roles can give you a more realistic view of what to expect. Simply talking to a physician can also give you invaluable insight into the demands of the field.
Shadowing doctors in different medical specialties allows you to see how different healthcare teams work together and to learn about the challenges doctors face. You can see how a typical day looks for them and gain a deeper appreciation of the hard work that goes into each appointment.
Talking with doctors can also provide a wealth of information and knowledge. These low-stakes conversations can help you make informed decisions and set your expectations accordingly.
The Pros and Cons of Medical School
In life, many choices come with trade–offs. When it comes to medical school, it’s really a matter of deciding if the pros outweigh the cons.
Pros
- Great earning potential. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physicians earn an annual wage of anywhere from $66,260 to more than $239,200.1
- Job security. As long as humans continue to get sick or injured, skilled physicians will be needed.
- Combining specialties. You can focus on one medical specialty or supplement that knowledge with a subspecialty. Customize your career based on your interests and where you feel you can make the most difference.
- Making a noticeable impact. Physicians can make a difference in the lives of their patients (and their patients’ families), as well as in their local communities.
Cons
- Cost. We won’t sugar-coat it: Medical school is expensive, and not everyone is comfortable taking out large federal or private student loans.
- Stress. In school, it’s challenging to cover large amounts of information in a short amount of time. And that stress doesn’t end once you’re a practicing physician responsible for your patients’ well-being. Being on-call and working long hours can contribute to high stress levels and even burnout.
- Time. Medical school is a huge time commitment, and it can eat into your social life.
What if Medical School Isn’t Right for You?
Becoming a doctor isn’t the only way to make a difference in healthcare. There are plenty of meaningful careers that don’t require as much time in school.
Patient-facing roles include:
- Nurse
- Medical assistant
- Emergency medical technician (EMT)
- Occupational therapist
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
Non-patient facing roles include:
- Healthcare administrator
- Medical biller and coder
- Medical researcher
- Biomedical engineer
- Pharmacist
- Healthcare curriculum developer
There’s no shame in realizing that medical school isn’t right for you. Not everyone’s journey into healthcare looks the same, and that’s okay. There are plenty of vital roles in the healthcare industry that can still allow you to make a difference and help others.
Exploring alternative career paths doesn’t mean you’re giving up, it means you’re finding the path that’s truly yours.
How Do I Know I Want to Be a Doctor: Readiness Checklist
Still haven’t decided whether you should go to medical school? Ask yourself:
- Am I truly motivated by my love of helping others?
- Do I have firsthand experience in the healthcare field (through shadowing, volunteering, or other healthcare-related activities)?
- Do I have a plan to handle the financial and time investments medical school requires?
- Do my academic performance and test scores align with admission requirements?
- Have I thoroughly researched what life is like as a doctor?
If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, you may be ready to attend medical school.
Make Your Decision With Confidence
There’s no rush when asking yourself, “Is med school worth it?” Take all the time you need to make the best decision for you. If you feel certain this is the right path, apply to AUC today. With start dates in January, May, and September, you don’t have to wait a full year before starting your medical journey.
Still on the fence? That’s perfectly fine. Check out our upcoming events where you can hear from alumni, get support completing your application, and even have your application reviewed.
1Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (as of May 2023). The 10th percentile figure reasonably represents entry level wages. BLS wages are national estimates and are not specific to graduates of AUC. Wages may vary by state or region. No guarantee is made that a person who enrolls at AUC will obtain a job or earn the estimated salaries.
*Scholarships and grants are available to those who apply and qualify.
The information and material contained in this article and on this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or used in place of, professional medical advice. Please speak with a licensed medical provider for specific questions or concerns. AUC is not responsible for the information maintained or provided on third-party websites or external links.
