Working towards getting into medical school is an extreme financial expenditure. Let’s start from high school. The first order of business is attaining a bachelor’s degree. If you go in-state, your costs will likely total $25,000 per year. If you go out-of-state, your costs will likely total $50,000 per year. For the total four years, you are looking at either $100,000 or $200,000 total.

            Next, let’s talk MCAT. The AAMC charges $275 to anyone who decides to take the MCAT. If you decide to purchase preparation material, it will cost from a few hundred dollars for books, to a few thousand dollars for the classes.

            Now that the two requirements for acceptance are completed, the next step is, of course, to apply! The AAMC charges $160 for the first school you apply to, and $36 for each additional school. Let’s say you apply for fifteen schools. That comes to a total of $664. Next, each individual school will charge a fee for their individual (secondary) applications. The average fee for me was $95. Total cost for these secondary applications comes out to be $1,425. Total application process: $2090.

            Congratulations, four of the schools you applied to have invited you for an interview. Let’s say one of these schools is in-state, meaning you do not have to pay for a flight, a car, and place to stay over night. A round-trip plane ticket with a night at a cheap motel, plus a car will likely be around $400. Total for three out-of-state interviews, $1,200.        

            You did it. One of the schools has gotten back to you with an acceptance.  Years of work and financial investment have paid off. Financial cost of getting into medical school: ~$5,800, plus $100,000 (in-state) or $200,000 (out-of-state).