{"id":1731,"date":"2020-08-07T12:40:24","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T19:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/mcat\/?p=1731"},"modified":"2021-03-05T15:44:18","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T23:44:18","slug":"free-medical-school-kaiser-offers-free-tuition-med-school-classes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/mcat\/free-medical-school-kaiser-offers-free-tuition-med-school-classes\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Medical School: Kaiser School of Medicine Offers Free Tuition Med School Classes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Side<\/p>\n

The landscape of education is changing dramatically, and there\u2019s been more talk of waving some college tuition—specifically, of offering tuition-free medical school curriculum. <\/p>\n

Is this too good to be true?! Let\u2019s take a look at what we know so far about the potential for free med school. <\/p>\n

What is the average cost of 4 years of medical school?<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s cut to the chase: medical school is not cheap. According to most sources, including a report in CollegeAve<\/a>, 4 years of medical school will run you about $150,444 (in state, public school) to $247,664 (out of state, public school). Yowza.<\/p>\n

According to a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges<\/a> and reported in Best Medical Degrees<\/a>, the average cost of 4-year medical school in 2013 (which has only increased since then), including expenses, was $207,866 – $278,455, depending on whether the school was public or private.<\/p>\n

And while grants and scholarships lower these sticker prices for some students, it\u2019s important to keep in mind that student loan interest continues to accrue<\/strong> while doctors complete their residencies. Furthermore, these costs do not include undergrad pre-med education, which can also be quite expensive. <\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, according to the AAMC, roughly 76% of medical students<\/strong> leave school with considerable debt, and many prospective students find going to medical school cost-prohibitive.<\/p>\n

Is free medical school the future?<\/h2>\n

As wonderful as it might sound, the American Medical Association<\/a> says that broadly, free medical school is still a long way off. Meaning, it won\u2019t be standard for all or most students to receive free medical degrees across the board.<\/p>\n

That said, the conversation about making medical school much more financially accessible is definitely becoming more popular and gaining traction. Overextended medical students facing financial stressors on top of the academic rigor of their curriculum is a recipe for poor academic performance and burnout\u2014which could be offset by waiving the cost of medical school. <\/p>\n

Another central argument for providing free medical school to at least some students is to create more jobs for primary care physicians<\/strong>, which are in high demand.<\/p>\n

So…can you go to medical school for free?<\/h2>\n

Good question! A small but growing number<\/strong> of medical schools are offering free tuition to students accepted into their prestigious programs. <\/p>\n

Now keep in mind that these programs are highly competitive, but if you do get in, you could find yourself attending medical school without a bill!<\/p>\n

To increase your chances of getting into a program that offers free medical school tuition, you\u2019ll want a competitive MCAT score<\/a> on top of superb grades, of course.<\/p>\n

Which med schools offer free tuition?<\/h2>\n

This is a great working list of all of the free medical schools<\/a> in the United States, as of the 2019-2020 school year. <\/p>\n

You can read more about each one, but here are some noteworthy programs…<\/p>\n

Kaiser Permanente<\/h3>\n

In a recent and exciting turn of events, Kaiser Permanente\u2019s Bernard J Tyson\u2019s School of Medicine<\/a> announced that students starting medical school from 2020-2024 (in other words, 5 full classes of students) will have their full tuition waived for all 4 years!<\/p>\n

You can read more about Kaiser\u2019s tuition and financial aid<\/a>, but here are a few key pieces of information:<\/p>\n